"Buck passing or passing the buck is the act of attributing another person or group with responsibility for one's own actions. It is also used as a strategy in power politics when the actions of one country/nation are blamed on another, providing an opportunity for war. The latter expression is said to have originated with the game of poker, in which a marker or counter (frequently in frontier days, a knife with a buckhorn handle), was used to indicate the person whose turn it was to deal. If the player did not wish to deal he could pass the responsibility by passing the "buck," as the counter came to be called, to the next player.”
There is a tendency as humans to want to take all our shortcomings, problems, and troubles and assign the blame to one person---one face in our lives. Adam assigned the blame for his willfully sinning to Eve, and Eve assigned the blame of being deceived to the serpent. Rather than recognize that they were at fault to God and admitting their weakness they wanted to blame someone else. Satan spoke through the serpent so the serpent did not have anyone to blame. The buck stopped at Satan. The blame gets assigned to Satan.
The man said, "The woman you put here with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." Genesis 3:12-13
Osama may have not been directly responsible, because there is what you call direct costs and indirect financial costs so he was indirectly responsible for the failed economy. I lost a whole year’s wages of my husband in his 401K from stocks declining that I won’t get back. But in times of famine like in Joseph’s day in Egypt, let’s not forget that our economy had an upswing for many years. Egypt had seven years of plenty, before it had seven years of famine. We tend to forget good times, when we are faced with the bad economy, and a good stock market that helped my 401K’s go higher…then we have high gas prices and high food prices, and people losing their jobs.
My husband was fretting about losing his job for two years, when he had his heart attack due to the recession that hit after 9/11. It was because of the failing housing market, and he was an estimator for a land development company. They did land development for subdivisions. One of their clients Davis Homes filed bankruptcy. Men are not always the best when it comes to the financial load they carry for their families in handling stress. I was always willing and able to help my husband work off some of that extra stress, after all I came from that generation of making love not war. Oh well, happily married men still live longer statistically than single men.
I could put up a poster and throw darts at Osama bin Laden. This guy had a poster of Ayatollah Khomeini he threw darts at when I worked as a temporary in an office at an oil company in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was during the conflict with Iran when they were holding U.S. hostages. Or I can recognize that there is not a man on the face of this planet that is my enemy. My enemy is Satan.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12
My husband was fretting about losing his job for two years, when he had his heart attack due to the recession that hit after 9/11. It was because of the failing housing market, and he was an estimator for a land development company. They did land development for subdivisions. One of their clients Davis Homes filed bankruptcy. Men are not always the best when it comes to the financial load they carry for their families in handling stress. I was always willing and able to help my husband work off some of that extra stress, after all I came from that generation of making love not war. Oh well, happily married men still live longer statistically than single men.
I could put up a poster and throw darts at Osama bin Laden. This guy had a poster of Ayatollah Khomeini he threw darts at when I worked as a temporary in an office at an oil company in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was during the conflict with Iran when they were holding U.S. hostages. Or I can recognize that there is not a man on the face of this planet that is my enemy. My enemy is Satan.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12
I recognize if it would not have been Osama bin Laden, or Satan could have used another person as his pawn by influencing their free will. We have seen our share of tyrants over the years and an evil man is prophesied in the Bible to come. False prophets, false Christs are going to come. An evil man was just captured:
"Genocide suspect Ratko Mladic loses extradition appeal, will be sent to The Hague to face charges, prosecutor says. Mladic, 69, is wanted by the tribunal in connection with the massacre of nearly 8,000 Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica in 1995, among other charges. He was captured Thursday after more than 15 years in hiding."
What did Jesus say about these extremely evil men? He said that there is a level playing field as far as we “all” need a savior.
Jesus answered, Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Luke 13:-1-3
Before I became a Christian, both my dad and I would look at Christians, and because they sinned it was an excuse of why we were not going to serve God. I remember us saying, “Yeah and they are supposed to be Christians.” It was our cop out. I’ve spoken to many men on online dating sites that tell me that they left the church because of hypocrites. When you are so busy looking at another person than you have the wrong focus in life. Your focus needs to be on what you need to be doing before God. Your focus needs to be on your accountability to God not on what other people are doing. As the scripture states below you alone will stand before God after you leave this earthly home and you will give an account of yourself before God. Ex-spouses are a good person to blame. Blame an ex for all our problems, unhappiness and woes. Consider our stupidity in marrying the wrong person to start with or a marriage failure?
Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Hebrews 9:27-28
So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Romans 14:12
The good works I do are out of a love relationship I have with Jesus. What I'm looking for is not the good works of Mary; I'm looking to do what God has called me to do. When I first became a Christian I helped a man at this small prayer group I attended obtain a job. My brother-in-law was upset that I referred this man to work. He went to work for a thoroughbred racing stable and he drank the rubbing alcohol, got drunk, road the horse and hurt the horse’s legs. The owner was going to sue him for doing this. I was trying to help a woman who had a small child and was pregnant and her husband was not interested in serving the Lord or serving his family. He was still doing his own thing in life and attending church, but he was not serving the Lord, he was serving his fleshly man. God may not have us "stick our neck out" to help every person.
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10
I've been at gas stations where people run these scams to fill up their gas tanks. I've recognized the same lady at other gas stations. I know the Lord was warning me that it was a scam. Recently, I was walking downtown and a man had a sign that said, "I want your donations for beer." Hey, this guy at least was being honest.
I realize that if I'm trying to help a person, I'm doing those works unto Jesus, not because of myself. It's the love of God that compels me to do the good works. If someone scams me, takes advantage of my good nature, or does me wrong, I did it in the "name of Jesus" so they are taking advantage of Jesus not me. If I forgive someone because I love God, and I'm wanting to walk in love and forgiveness, I'm forgiving them for the sake of Jesus Christ.
If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven--if there was anything to forgive--I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 2 Cor. 2:10
The good works I do are out of a love relationship I have with Jesus. What I'm looking for is not the good works of Mary; I'm looking to do what God has called me to do. When I first became a Christian I helped a man at this small prayer group I attended obtain a job. My brother-in-law was upset that I referred this man to work. He went to work for a thoroughbred racing stable and he drank the rubbing alcohol, got drunk, road the horse and hurt the horse’s legs. The owner was going to sue him for doing this. I was trying to help a woman who had a small child and was pregnant and her husband was not interested in serving the Lord or serving his family. He was still doing his own thing in life and attending church, but he was not serving the Lord, he was serving his fleshly man. God may not have us "stick our neck out" to help every person.
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10
I've been at gas stations where people run these scams to fill up their gas tanks. I've recognized the same lady at other gas stations. I know the Lord was warning me that it was a scam. Recently, I was walking downtown and a man had a sign that said, "I want your donations for beer." Hey, this guy at least was being honest.
I realize that if I'm trying to help a person, I'm doing those works unto Jesus, not because of myself. It's the love of God that compels me to do the good works. If someone scams me, takes advantage of my good nature, or does me wrong, I did it in the "name of Jesus" so they are taking advantage of Jesus not me. If I forgive someone because I love God, and I'm wanting to walk in love and forgiveness, I'm forgiving them for the sake of Jesus Christ.
If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven--if there was anything to forgive--I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 2 Cor. 2:10
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Col. 3:13
I find it is very hard to measure up to people's expectations. It's beyond my ability to do it even as a Christian. God understands our weaknesses. I’ve not met a perfect person that walks the face of the earth yet except Jesus Christ or a perfect person. We need to get our eyes off of people. Jesus recognized that we have weaknesses, we need to be more longsuffering with the weaknesses of others.
We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Romans 15:1
I find it is very hard to measure up to people's expectations. It's beyond my ability to do it even as a Christian. God understands our weaknesses. I’ve not met a perfect person that walks the face of the earth yet except Jesus Christ or a perfect person. We need to get our eyes off of people. Jesus recognized that we have weaknesses, we need to be more longsuffering with the weaknesses of others.
We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Romans 15:1
Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Matthew 26:41
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 2 Cor. 12:9
Adam and Eve remind me of Bonnie and Clyde as far as being partners in crime. Adam and Eve were very equally matched also as far as being partners in sin in disobeying God and they experienced spiritual death which later resulted in physical death of their bodies. Than very early they experienced grief in losing both of their sons. They lost Abel who was murdered and then they lost Cain to evil who was banished. Bonnie and Clyde lived by the sword and they perished by the sword so did Osama Bin Laden. Those who kill by the sword will be killed by the sword. Saul killed himself by his own sword in the Bible. Saul murdered several priests.
Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Matthew 26:52
Life has setbacks and disappointments. We tend to be hard on ourselves and disappoint ourselves at times and we need to forgive ourselves. We may be disappointed in circumstances in life so we become disappointed in God. God wants us to turn those disappointments and mistakes over to him. Even though life is full of disappointments, it does not have to be one big huge disappointment like Saul was to God. David sinned, but he got back on the right railroad track. Some people never get on the right railroad track like Osama bin Laden. I disappointed my husband and he disappointed me, but our lives together were not one big huge disappointment to each other or God.
We can learn from our mistakes in life. I find as a musician sometimes I may miss a chord on my guitar, but maybe that missed chord sounds better than the chord I wanted to play. We can turn mistakes into victory. That is what God does in our lives as we turn those mistakes over to Him.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Prayer support is a big one when we don’t like our husband or wife’s actions. The first thought I had when my husband passed away was “Now you will fully understand why I was always pushing you towards God and spiritual things.” "Now you are standing before your maker in heaven." It's because I had a longer walk with the Lord than my husband who is deceased. He was in a 13-year non-Christian marriage where he did not follow God's word.
As “women of God” we have a choice to influence men in the right direction. Pilate’s wife had a disturbing dream about Jesus and she told Pilate not to have anything to do with Jesus. Herodias got Herod to behead John the Baptist, because she nursed a grudge. Ananias and his wife Sapphira went together in lying about holding back a portion of land and not being honest to the apostles. As women we can chose to either go along in sin with our husbands or we can make a stand to do the right thing. Abigail made a stand against her husband Nabal and saved her household. Jezebel was equally evil like Ahab. We can’t control men in their decisions as women if they are going to serve God or not, but we can certainly influence the direction of their lives and the decisions they make. The hand that rocks the cradle may not rule the world, but it can influence others in the right direction. I know many women who have a strong influence on their children and grandchildren. All through the Bible, we see over and over parents who came in faith to Jesus for deliverance of their children.
Adam and Eve remind me of Bonnie and Clyde as far as being partners in crime. Adam and Eve were very equally matched also as far as being partners in sin in disobeying God and they experienced spiritual death which later resulted in physical death of their bodies. Than very early they experienced grief in losing both of their sons. They lost Abel who was murdered and then they lost Cain to evil who was banished. Bonnie and Clyde lived by the sword and they perished by the sword so did Osama Bin Laden. Those who kill by the sword will be killed by the sword. Saul killed himself by his own sword in the Bible. Saul murdered several priests.
Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Matthew 26:52
Life has setbacks and disappointments. We tend to be hard on ourselves and disappoint ourselves at times and we need to forgive ourselves. We may be disappointed in circumstances in life so we become disappointed in God. God wants us to turn those disappointments and mistakes over to him. Even though life is full of disappointments, it does not have to be one big huge disappointment like Saul was to God. David sinned, but he got back on the right railroad track. Some people never get on the right railroad track like Osama bin Laden. I disappointed my husband and he disappointed me, but our lives together were not one big huge disappointment to each other or God.
We can learn from our mistakes in life. I find as a musician sometimes I may miss a chord on my guitar, but maybe that missed chord sounds better than the chord I wanted to play. We can turn mistakes into victory. That is what God does in our lives as we turn those mistakes over to Him.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Prayer support is a big one when we don’t like our husband or wife’s actions. The first thought I had when my husband passed away was “Now you will fully understand why I was always pushing you towards God and spiritual things.” "Now you are standing before your maker in heaven." It's because I had a longer walk with the Lord than my husband who is deceased. He was in a 13-year non-Christian marriage where he did not follow God's word.
As “women of God” we have a choice to influence men in the right direction. Pilate’s wife had a disturbing dream about Jesus and she told Pilate not to have anything to do with Jesus. Herodias got Herod to behead John the Baptist, because she nursed a grudge. Ananias and his wife Sapphira went together in lying about holding back a portion of land and not being honest to the apostles. As women we can chose to either go along in sin with our husbands or we can make a stand to do the right thing. Abigail made a stand against her husband Nabal and saved her household. Jezebel was equally evil like Ahab. We can’t control men in their decisions as women if they are going to serve God or not, but we can certainly influence the direction of their lives and the decisions they make. The hand that rocks the cradle may not rule the world, but it can influence others in the right direction. I know many women who have a strong influence on their children and grandchildren. All through the Bible, we see over and over parents who came in faith to Jesus for deliverance of their children.
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