Word In Print And Word In Practice

Matthew 4: 4

Man is earthbound and I think this is why the Bible is more about man, and for man, than any other subject.

Some may argue as say the Bible is more about God, but I would simply point out the manner the Bible's message is expressed.

The Bible (the Word of God in print form) speaks from man's point of view many times and about man's qualities.

Why?

In order to draw man into the deeper streams of consciousness and acknowledge God in all things.

It is through a Man that God desired to reveal Himself in a way that was not previously sufficient.

The heart can be deep waters, and for some people their heart is a place where only light can reside.

This is why some people cannot lie, or cannot hold onto a lie for long, or have difficulty attempting to live in the realm of falsehood - so long as they can tell the truth from a lie or acknowledge truth as they perceive it.

This is why some people have a difficult time dealing with others in a world that has been clouded with lies for quite some time.

Clouded, because the clouds do not persist forever, but serve their purpose surprisingly enough.

Truth abounds on earth, but the light of truth is popularly confused as something else.

This is why for some people it seems that truth does not abound.

The religious who are more fearful than faithful usually express this opinionated sentiment.

One must learn to see past the faux in order to distinguish what is right from wrong.

This is an exercise of the mature.

Many people perceive 'wrong' where there is none or very little...they've been somehow convinced that very little goodness exists in the world.

These are people the wise usually avoid and distance themselves from; these people who those that may be searching for God may look at and desire not becoming like.

Their minds somehow reflect a prior time in history, or where they live likely reflects an old order and not the new.

They believe they live in captivity when in fact humanity has not experienced such historic freedoms in a civilized format before...but this is sadly not true for those still living in places where basic freedoms are withheld and tyranny is veiled as religious piety or political survival.

In the Word, there is brief mention about what came before man.

Since we are humans and our toil is to deal with ourselves and others, the focus in the Bible is humanity and not so much subjects which, knowing their secrets, would make no difference regarding our reality on earth.

Similar to how, in speaking about how important a wife is to her husband a husband need not mention something not directly related to his wife.

For a husband to elaborate on how to build an automobile engine and go into much detail about such an engine would make little sense... unless, of course, that engine is going to be used to transport his wife...then its mention is warranted because of how it relates to his dear wife, while intricate detail is unnecessary.

The Bible thus mentions certain things in relation to man because it is important to man and needs mentioning...and other things it is either silent or eludes in a very ambiguous way.

People like reading fiction because although some times fiction touches upon factual circumstances, the story follows things fantastic.

How important or valuable would it be to pursue a purely fictional subject that is truly an imaginative idea but wholly fiction (fake / not real nor plausible) that does not somehow relate to our humanity?

This is what all fiction writing does do; tie into humanity in some way, whether explicitly or inferred, but usually not inexplicably.

The human experience is human-centric, and this is how the Bible is usually expressed.

Grounded.

Knowing 'how' modern man has developed since prehistoric times may be arguably important for some people whose careers depend on such a subject matter, but what would be more important is living in the present in order to get along with others in the future where prehistoric findings do not add to our present situation.

Knowing the knowable past is important, but searching for the unknowable or possibly insignificant may be a matter of comfortable distraction and yet another reason to be in the clouds and not live life presently and fully.

Video games are fun, but a life 'lived' through video games may only be a cerebral and personal experience (although shared with others).

The game is simply a game...and although there is the human attention given to it, very little value may be derived when the video game becomes one's life instead of the life including moments of game entertainment.

Professional games serve very few people who derive an income from such entertainment, while for the masses that provide for such incomes, the games themselves make little difference in their lives aside from the entrainment value.

The Word of God is not like a game.

The Bible provides for real-life value and lifelong lessons for both passive readers and active appliers....yet the passive may be amazed (and blessed) when they apply.

Enough information is mentioned, compiled, publicized and held in-hand (a Bible book) to be of sufficient use.

The informative message and it's understanding is not so much one of the mind, but of the heart.

This is why religious zealots usually strive over words and are at odds with one another (when they should be in one accord despite their differing ideas), while the common person may still love another person despite a difference of opinions.

The common person may know very little verse and script, but their manners and how they behave reveals how indeed the Word of God is (or is not) written on their hearts (one of many mysteries).

I believe mankind is the most important reality on earth.

Important not in the sense man can do as he pleases to the earth and not worry about consequences.

Man is the natural earth's shepherd and manager.

Man can always do a better job shepherding his fellowman and managing the earth.

One serves the other but not at the expense and destruction of the other.

The earth feeds and supports and provides for the man, but the man cannot utilize the earth without consideration of replenishment, re-sources and recycling the natural world.

Without a functioning earth (which functions on its own without man's effort), man is temporally doomed.

If one does not defecate directly where one eats, why does man handle waste in a way that eventually contaminates the food and water table?

The business of life should become the business of consciousness and consideration and compassion.

This is where we can agree that the law is good (God's law) because it defines what is moral and correct and proper from what is wrong and incorrect and improper.

The laws of man that have followed in-step with God's law elaborate what has been made clear, and things are clarified further still in man's laws reflecting God's law.

This is why and how the modern world, human rights and consideration for the weak has come to fruition.

Where the law of God is confused, or has been abandoned, or traded for a law of man claiming to be from God, history and people's cultures and lives reflect a virtuous void.

The laws of man which deny, or contradict, or ignore the laws of God eventually harms man and improperly manages the earth.

God's law clarifies the more important challenges of life from what is trivial.

God's law reveals the secrets of all man's hearts.

It is this revealing and peeling back of the onion's layers over one's heart that people typically refuse.

Just as pruning is necessary to allow for a healthy bloom and greater harvest, so should man allow their lives and hearts be pruned by the Word of God.

Doing so clarifies which laws of man are good or bad, valuable or destructive, honorable or self-serving.

There are certain places on earth that should stay wild and be not much molested by man, but rather protected.

Not all forests / deserts / islands should be subjugated to serve man's needs or desires, but all places should be explored and those peoples living within them brought into unity with the rest of mankind and learned from (and be taught).

Not all oceans / lakes / rivers should be fished, but all water areas should be explored and learned from (and be cautiously utilized).

The Word of God in print form has the foundation to man's life and livelihood on earth; a study guide that explores man's triumphs and failures and redemption and salvation and peaceful living among others alike or different.

The Word of God in life form has the expression of man's life and livelihood on earth that can be witnessed and imitated, where reading and understanding is manifested in real-life and the lessons learned first-hand by others.