The Hormonal Choice Revisited

Months ago, on another blog, http://2knowthetruth.blogspot.com , I posted this thought and was highly criticized for it, God knows why.  After a recent discussion concerning irrational behaviour I decided that it's time to get it up again.  Here it is for your enjoyment.

The Hormonal Choice


Scientists exploring the chemistry of the brain write about a group of "chemicals which are registered together only during the initial stages of courtship". They are sometimes referred to as the "love cocktail". They are: phenylethelamine, dopamine and oxytocin. Prof. Hazan of Cornell Univ.

These chemicals help create neural pathways in the brain that are extremely difficult if not impossible to remove. Just a glance at a beautiful woman stimulates the production of these chemicals at lightning speed and the poor guy gets "zapped". If the cocktail is potent enough he can get hooked or stuck on her and even obsessed with her without even knowing who she is. (Come on guys, you know this is true). Remember the '50 song, "I love you, I need you, won't you tell me your name"?

Advertisers intentionally use this chemical reaction to help fasten the image of their products in the minds of those who see their ads. It's always a breathtakingly beautiful model demonstrating the toilet bowl cleaner. And the focus of the ad will not be on the toilet bowl, toilet brush or the nasty stains being removed. Something else will be present, maybe some cleavage, to give a little zap of "love cocktail" with the hope that the product will be included in the neural pathway just formed and fortified by these brain chemicals.

News anchors are famous for this little maneuver. Katie Couric flopped as soon as they put her behind a desk!  (my wife asked me, "What is that?  I don't get it."  Of course!  She is a woman)

Now, all this to say, be careful about who and what you get "stuck" on. Especially if that "hot" factor is present in any way, shape, or form

I took the challenge

A few days ago (Sept. 6) I gave the challenge to read III John with the purpose of examining the character of three men mentioned in the the letter; Gaius, Diotrephes and Demetrius.  Here are the results of my examination.

Gaius - was a man who was "walking in the truth".  What does it mean to "walk" in the truth?  Well, first of all, it implies a knowledge of the truth. "Thy Word is Truth".   A person cannot walk in the truth if he has no knowledge or a distorted knowledge of the Word of God.   For example: a man in a foreign place without a map or with an inaccurate map will not be able to find his way.  The Bible admonishes us to let the Word of God dwell in us richly and to study the Word.  We cannot walk in the truth if we do not know what it is!  Then, "walking in the truth" means to put our knowledge of the Word of God into practice.  It is not enough to know what the Bible says, the devil can quote scripture.  We read in James 1:22  "But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves."  Gaius was a man who knew the Word of God and put it into practice in his daily life.

Diotrephes - was the "pickle in the middle" or the "thorn" among the roses.  Nothing good was said of him. If you list his characteristics in vs. 10, they are:
loves to be first - egotistic
does not accept what the Apostle says - ignorant of the Word of God
unjustly accuses us - slanderous
uses wicked words - foul mouthed
puts hospitable people out of the church - drives decent people away

In vs. 11 John admonishes us not to imitate evil (Diotrephes).

In the common language of today we would say that he was an evil and egotistical Biblical ignoramus with a foul mouth full of slander who drove decent people out of the church. vs. 10,11

Demetrius - had a good reputation.  Everyone testified of his integrity even the Apostle John himself who added, "and our testimony is true".  I wonder why John added that phrase?  Could it be that Diotrephes slanderous, lying tongue had slashed away at Demetrius to sully his good name?  But John said, "our testimony is true."

"Good Choices for Dummies" handbook

Adam and Eve made a choice (not in God's will) and the "curse" fell on all creation.
Cain made a choice (not in God's will) and murdered his brother.
Noah made a choice (in God's will) and he and his family were saved.
His descendants made a choice to build a tower (not in God's will) and were scattered.
Abraham made a choice to obey (in God's will) and became the "father of the faithful".
Joseph made a choice to keep himself pure (in God's will) and became 2nd to Pharaoh.
Moses made a choice to kill an Egyptian (not in God's will) and became a shepherd for 40 years.
Moses made another choice to obey (in God's will) and Pharaoh let God's people go.
The people made a choice to not cross Jordon (not God's will) and died in the wilderness.
We could go on and on from Genesis to Revelation.  The Bible is a history of man's good and bad choices, and tells us what is "in God's will" and what is "not in God's will".


We are continually being faced with choices. Does everything that happens happen because God is Sovereign.  No, then God would be the author of sin, which he is not. He is Holy and can not look upon sin.  God, in His Sovereignty, has granted us the freedom of  making either good choices or bad choices.  He wants us to make the good ones and has given us a "Good Choices for Dummies" handbook,  the Bible.  The bad choices and the consequences are not "in the sovereign will of God", to the contrary, they are outside of the sovereign will of God. 

God is not willing that any should perish.  But, "the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it." Matt. 7:13


I choose this day to follow God's Holy Word and to depend upon Him for the grace and strength to do it.

You're no Jesus!!

I overheard two men talking in the barber shop about judging a person's character. One man said, "You can judge a man's character by the people he associates with." Everyone kind of shook their heads or nodded that they pretty much agreed with that statement. After a short pause another man said, "Yah, and you can also judge a man's character by who he avoids!" Again, everyone kind of nodded in agreement. Then someone said, "Yes, but doesn't the Bible say that Jesus was the friend of sinners, tax collectors and prostitutes?" "I'm like Him?" To which the first man replied, "I know Jesus Christ, and you're no Jesus!"

Moral of the story: Jesus "associates" with sinners in order to take them out of their sin. Men all to often associate with "sinners" because they enjoy both the friendship and the sin. Jesus closest associates were His disciples and it is His followers He calls His friends.

Birds of a feather, flock together!!

The "Wise" and the "Foolish"

I would rather be seen as a fool before men than to be seen as a fool before Almighty God.

I Corinthians 3:18-19
"Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight."

I Corinthians 2:14
"The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."

We live in a day when evil is counted as good and good is counted as evil. This is true of behaviour, ideas, things, and people

Trials and Tests

Another thought from Charles R. Swindoll gleaned from the Living Insights Study Bible.

"Generally speaking there are two kinds of tests in life: adversity and prosperity. Of the two, the latter is the more difficult.

When adversity strikes, things get simple; survival is the goal. It is a test on maintaining the basics of food, clothing and shelter.

But when prosperity comes, watch out! Things get complicated. All kinds of subtle temptations arrive, pleading for satisfaction. It is then that one's integrity is put to the test."

Charles R. Swindall

The Gift of Prophesy

Many godly Biblical scholars will tell you that the gift of prophesy in our present times, with the completion of the N.T. Scriptures, is the "forth-telling" of the Word of God, rather than "fortelling future events". Good men have made predictions about the future only to have to wipe the egg off of their faces and adjust their calculations when things didn't turn out the way they had "prophesied".

In 1 Corinthians 14 we read of the New Testament gift of prophesy. We are told to "pursue love, yet desire spiritual gifts, but especially the gift of prophesy". (vs.1)

"-One who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation." vs. 3. A gifted person will have an unusual ability to make God's word clear and applicable to everyday life and to special circumstances so that the hearers are built up in their faith (edified), encouraged to press on (exhortation), and comforted (consolation) in the difficult times which all who live godly in Christ Jesus must endure.

There is another element in vss. 24,25. "--the secrets of his heart are revealed." I have heard many times of people who visit a church, listen to the preacher, and become angry because they are absolutely certain that someone has been talking to the preacher about them. Somehow, the sermon, which may have been prepared days or weeks before its delivery, contained elements, given by God, that were meant for one particular person in the audience.

Then there are the insights God gives a "prophetic" person into the lives and thinking of people around him (or her). An uncanny ability to see behind the smoke and mirrors into what is really going on. Some of this is, I am sure, a natural ability gained through years of interaction with people on various levels. But at times, I believe, it is something God reveals in order to bring conviction, edification, exhortation and consolation.

The Gift of Prophesy. Use it carefully and use it wisely, but use it, it is a gift from God, and a gift to be desired.