A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,
but only in expressing his opinion.
Proverbs 18:2 (esv)
I read that on Tuesday, and I thought what a perfect verse to underpin a blogging purpose statement. My goal should be understanding...not just expressing my opinion.
On a side note, I am going to keep this verse in mind when I post on Sharper Iron.
I have to continue posting these to remember. If you don't understand why see this post from 2 days ago when God reminded me "what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge..." (Ephesians 3:18-19).
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;”(1 Corinthians 13:4,5)
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.”(1 Corinthians 13:1-3)
14For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
21So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
Romans 7:14-25 esv
I just had a great time washing dishes, praising the Lord and praying. Three things on which I was meditating, I wanted to share.
"Lord, I don't love You like I use to. No, not really. Oh, but I want You to know that I'll still go to church. I'll sing. Oh, and there's Sunday school and prayer meetings. That sort of thing. I'll even give. And I'll believe the Truth. I'll discuss it with my friends. And I'll fight for it. I just don't love You, that's all."
I can be a "bible believing fundamendalist"; I can have a biblical ministry; I can sponsor all the orthodoxy that anyone could ask for...
But I may not love Christ like I should. And then, He would have something against me.
"Lord, help me always to love You like I should. Help me never to leave my first love."
see also How to Meet the Enemy by John MacArthur, Jr.
12:1You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me.
2 “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”
3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say in that day:
“Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted.
5 “Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. 6 Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”
Is. 12 (ESV)
But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children, To those who keep His covenant And remember His precepts to do them.
~ Psalms 103:17-18 (NASB)
I love posting things (poems, articles, songs), but I haven't been writing as much as I would like. Therefore, I have decided to change that.
I played Come, Thou Fount at church tonight on the organ in what is referred to in our church as fellowship time. It is that time when many Baptists (and perhaps other denominations) sing a verse or chorus then make the rounds and shake hands and say, "how do you do?" or some such variation.
My friend Deborah came up to the organ as I played, and as I started the verse over again, we said almost simultaneously, "I love this song."
It really made me think. I wondered why "I love this song"? I consider my experience unique (which in fact seems redundant in that each person's experience is ultimately unique, no matter how much in common the experience). What I mean, and I realize I am rambling, is that I have been a pianist or organist in church from the time I was in 8th grade. The only time I was part of congregational singing was at Bob Jones for a few years.
I realize that one is not limited to singing in church, but even at home, I play, not necessarily sing.
My point, yes, I'll get to it. I don't know the words to hymns.
There...I've said it. I know some of them. But only very generally. I can tell you that Crown Him with Many Crowns is on the left side of the page, or that Blessed Assurance is hymn 157 (in our hymnal) and that Great God of Wonders is in Eb, but I only have a cursory knowledge of many of the hymn lyrics that we sing.
So...I am going to start studying some of the hymns from my church hymnal. I haven't decided what form this study will take, but I'll think about it.
~ Robert Robinson, 1758
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.
3The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet.
~ Nahum 1:3 (NIV)
This is something I am so guilty of...hating my enemies instead of loving them. The enemies of God are everywhere, not just the homosexual, the abortionist, the murderer, the thief, but also all unbelievers. But we should love them. Jesus said:
43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."
~ Matthew 5:43-45 (NKJV)
I want to be known as a son of the Father. So I will love my neighbor and my enemy.
LORD, increase my love.
Help me to love as You love,
To hate sin, and pursue holiness.
25 "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26 "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
27 "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? (NAS)
or...
"Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? (NKJV)
28 "And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,
29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
30 "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!
31 "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'
32 "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
~ Matthew 6:25-34 (NAS)
4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8a Love never fails;
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NAS)
My brother and I were discussing one of his speeches recently, and this morning, I realized I had made a terrible argument. I was arguing that if a Christian had an anxiety disorder, God would not leave him that way, but would give him victory over his disease. I can't believe that I would think that way considering my own situation, but there I was saying the same things that a professor had disparagingly said to me.
What I realized this morning very clearly is that it is wrong to assume that someone who hasn't "overcome" a physical illness is unspiritual. I realize now that I have been beating myself over the head comparing myself to one "overcoming" story after another. Without meaning to be sarcastic, just honest, we Christians are fond of our "overcoming" stories. I think that this is what has caused this thought process for me. I have had quite a few people tell me "look at this person" or "look at that person." Most people have good intentions. They want to encourage. But I'm afraid there might be an intrinsic problem with examples of looking at other "overcomers." The intimation being, that because you haven't "overcome" your illness, you are a weak and unspiritual Christian.
In the Bible, Job's friends made a similar assumption about Job because of his illness and loss. Ultimately, they believed because of his situation he was spiritually deficient. The Lord was angry with their assessment because it hurt His reputation (Job 42:7-8). I can't help but think that by pointing to someone else's story, you defame God's own working in someone's life. In other words, you can't expect God to work the same "overcoming" story for someone else. And that's not a bad thing.
I do believe God gives victory, but not necessarily over illness. Instead, He gives it inspite of.
The Apostle Paul also had some sort of infirmity. He asked the Lord to remove it three times. But instead, God gave the startling answer, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).
My conclusion is twofold:
We cannot despise our "overcoming" stories. I do not mean that by any stretch. It is a testament to the power of God, and we can spread His fame by sharing those stories to believers and unbelievers.
But we need to avoid assumptions that those stories can engender, assumptions about someone's spiritual well-being because of his physical weakness. Rather, physical infirmity, and the practice of comforting someone who is experiencing it, is an opportunity for believers to glorify God in His sufficient grace, and to see His perfected power--literally, the indwelling power of Christ!
In Matthew 18, Peter asks the Lord how many times he should forgive his brother. The setting is Galilee, and Peter is the Lord's loyal disciple. In fact, Peter's great confession of Jesus as the Christ and Son of God is only two chapters back. But Peter, like many of us, wants to reduce the Christian life to a check list of virtues and rules.
"I have forgiven my brother 7 times. I am a good Christian."
Jesus, instead of encouraging Peter's list making, gave a resounding "No!" in the form of a parable. The problem with lists is the satisfaction that comes from knowing we followed them. We forget that it is really by God's grace and strength we succeed from day to day. We can't outgrow our need for God.
The Pharisees, Jesus enemies, tried very nearly the same trick in Matthew 19. This was in Judea after Jesus had left Galilee. But the same problem is in all men's hearts. They wanted Jesus opinion of divorce. They wanted to have a list to know when someone could divorce his wife. Jesus avoids their question and points to a higher principle. In fact, He points to Genesis' first marriage and to God the founder of marriage.
Jesus answer for us anytime we are about to make a list is to set our sights higher. It isn't enough not to commit physical adultery, we can't even do it in our hearts. If we are angry, we better not let it control us, because it isn't enough not to commit physical murder, we can't even do it in our imagination. We can't follow a list and be satisfied that we are accruing credit with God. All credit goes to God who is the sole redeemer and giver of the gift of grace to those who do not and cannot deserve it.
"If religious books are not widely circulated among the masses in this country, I do not know what is going to become of us as a nation. If truth be not diffused, then error will be. If God and His Word are not known and received, the devil and his works will gain the ascendency. If the evangelical volume does not reach every hamlet, the pages of a corrupt and licentious literature will. If the power of the gospel is not felt throughout the length and breadth of this land, anarchy and misrule, degradation and misery, corruption and darkness will reign without mitigation or end."
~ Daniel Webster
We turn to God for help when our foundations are shaking only to learn that it is God shaking them.
~ Charles C. West
__________________
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; {8} we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; {9} persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; {10} always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
There it stands: "In due time Christ died for the ungodly." Fix your mind on that, and rest there.
Let this one great, gracious, glorious fact lie in your spirit till it perfumes all your thoughts, and makes you rejoice even though you are without strength, seeing the Lord Jesus has become your strength and your song, yea, He has become your salvation.
~ C. H. Spurgeon in Alas! I Can Doing Nothing!
My Pastor brought an encouraging message on "The Power of Praise" last night. He said the outline was borrowed. And although it is simple, it is something we ought to remember.
I think it was Dr. Berg who always told us, to change your emotional state (or how you're feeling, eg. anger --> calm; sadness --> joy), you have to change what you are thinking about. It's a focus problem. That's really what this means too. And as Christians we are supposed to be doing this; in fact, we of all people (we who are redeemed) should have praise on our lips and a song in our hearts.
The verse for today (verseoftheday.com) is 1 Samuel 12:24 "Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you."
So let's consider the great things God has done for us, and let's be encouraged in His great love for us!
Here's the outline and a few thoughts that I had from the message:
I was thinking about grace today, especially after reading this and that. Specifically about examples of grace in New Testament epistles' greetings and closings.
I wasn't feeling well, so I didn't go through all the epistles today, but I mean to. But for example Romans 1:7 begins with the declaration: "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." It ends similarly with grace (Romans 16:20).
Moving on, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" 1 Corinthians 1:3. Oh, and the next verse has a gripping thought too, "I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus" (1 Corinthians 1:4). Do I thank God for the grace given to my fellow believers in Christ? For the grace given to my Pastor? For the grace given to my family? For the grace given to my friends? And once again, grace is in the closing (1 Corinthians 16:23).
You don't have far to turn to find the next reference, it's 2 Corinthians 1:2. It seems rather familiar. It's the same as 1 Corinthians 1:3.
Why don't we give greetings of grace and peace? Have we forgotten? Is it too fanatical for us to go there? Does it sound too weird for us to go around saying stuff like that? Are we too proud?
I hope that we aren't. I want God's grace. I need God's grace. And I want and I pray for you to have God's grace on and in your life.
grace and peace be yours in abundance! (1 Peter 1:2)
I heard this in church today:
God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply.Hudson Taylor
I had this "Pattern of Life" in my church notes. The message was by my Pastor on July 16, 2003. There is no credit given to an author. The message was from Psalm 139:23-24. It was entitled: "Why come clean with God?"
Here is a pattern for life:
our thoughts become our
words,
our words become our
actions,
our actions become our
habits,
our habits become our
values,
our values become our
destiny.
What's going on these days? Why do people think that repackaging the Bible will actually help the cause of Christ? I freely admit that the Bible has a power of its own that can't be defeated by human thinking. But we want genuine faith and belief in Christ not hip Christians who "walk the walk and talk the talk" because it's the "cool thing" to do.
I'm talking about this article from ABC News. My friend Jen commenting on the article said, "We need to reach the lost." But she also said, "We are not like the world," and gave a very good example from Scripture: (Romans 12:2) "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."
We shouldn't be ashamed of the Word of God. We don't need to hide it or disguise it in a magazine. We are in a free country. We are blessed. We can freely speak Jesus' Name aloud and we don't have to fear that police will take us away from our homes and family. Are churches aren't in danger from the government. But the people of the church are in danger if this is our method of winning the lost and keeping young Christians reading their bibles.
We need to reach the lost. But we are supposed to do it the way Jesus and the Apostles did. We need to stand out. We need to preach the Word and share the Gospel.
We aren't supposed to mix into the system and become some worldly spiritual mélange.
We were talking about point of view in my philosophy class on Tuesday night. God has given us each a point of view. For now I am talking about a physical point of view. If I were standing on the left side of a desk and you were standing on the right side, we would each see the desk differently. It is easy to see that each of has a point of view physically.
But we also have a metaphysical point of view. As we approach an idea or issue, each of us brings his or her own perspective to that discussion. One's upbringing, beliefs, convictions, and faith shape a person's perspective and how he or she will face that idea or issue.
As a Christian when I enter a Natural History museum, I automatically bring my faith in God as Creator with me. Therefore, when I see displays that give evolutionary dates, I reject those immediately.
It is harder for us to realize, I think, that other Christians, by virtue of their unique upbringing, beliefs, and convictions can have different positions than our own. I think we get caught up in our own point of view so often because of tradition that we think that everyone else must be wrong because they don�t do it our way.
I'm not preaching ecumenicalism. Not at all. We have to remember that we are to be separate and holy. But also of like mind. It's okay if we differ on some traditions or church government or translations.
But we need to be Spirit filled so that our point of view is derived from Scripture and our paths directed by Providence.
jmb
(Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB) Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding. {6} In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.
I had my first Practical Reasoning class this evening. I knew that going into it, the class was going to be difficult. As Christians we have values, principles, and commands from God Himself that must be obeyed and cannot be contravened by man's reason. My first class was about the fair-minded, critical thinker. The instructor gave us an essay that he had written and that he uses as an introduction to his course.
There were many things in this essay that I could agree with, but most I have to hold at arms length and examine them in light of Scripture.
I hope that you will engage me in this topic that was very prevalent in Mr. Hilton's essay: Open-mindedness.
I simply want to ask some questions, and perhaps get some responses back.
Two of the essay's definitions of open-mindedness are
receptive to new ideas,
a willingness to be persuaded.
How receptive can a Christian be to new ideas? Or should I say, how receptive should a Christian be to the new philosophies of the World? How does one define receptivity? Is receptiveness an attitude of freely listening?
Should a Christian be willing to be persuaded in any argument? How do we draw the line? How do we discern which arguments we can be willing to be persuaded on and which we cannot before we hear the argument?
As you can see this is an interesting question. I hope you don't think I am floundering. I am not. "But in the multitude of counsellors there is safety" (Proverbs 11:14 KJV). So please ponder this and answer or ask more questions.
jmb
I've never actually revisited a post that I wrote until now.
In A Vision for the Lost, I made the statement "[My Sunday School teacher] said that Satan gives his children (the unsaved) a special vision to see what Christians are doing wrong. [This] is such a simple statement of truth."
One of my dear friends asked me for Scripture on this. And it occurred to me that I didn't have any. This wasn't an argument between us, she just wanted to think about this statement more and it forced me to do some more thinking too.
I just wanted to add a little to what I said. I believe this is true. The only example that I could come up with in the Bible (out of my head) was the Pharisees and how they constantly sought for Christ's one mistake. But as the Son of God, Jesus was blameless before them and all men.
I think what I failed to make clear was that this statement is a spiritual insight, not a specific reference to Scriptures about Satan and the unsaved. It is about experience, and although God uses our experiences to teach us, what He makes clear is that "we have the prophetic word made more sure" (2 Peter 1:19 NASB). It is ultimately the Bible and not our feelings, nor our experience that we must rely on.
jmb
My substitute Sunday School teacher, a deacon in our church, made the most profound statement yesterday. It was in relation to his testimony and I hope that it will stick with me and you as we live our Christian lives.
He said that Satan gives his children (the unsaved) a special vision to see what Christians are doing wrong.
It is such a simple statement of truth. I know we aren't perfect people. By God's grace, we are what we are (1 Cor. 15:10). But we have to be careful not to hinder God's work. We have to be on guard because Satan isn't going to allow unsaved people to see the good we do often times, he is going to give them a special vision to see those things we are failing at.
But don't be discouraged, because Paul says, "but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57 NASB).
peace and grace to you,
jmb
The word "peace" is found 429 times in 400 verses in the King James translation of the Bible. This is a study of the words for peace in the Old and New Testament to help us understand what God says about peace. I have used Strong's Dictionary and the NASB, KJV, and NIV. I plan to cross reference with the LXX (Septuagint) sooner or later, too.
shalowm (or shalom)�it is found 236 times in 208 verses. It is the peace that men can have with each other; it is the peace that man can have with himself; it is the peace that man can have with God. It is the peace that God gives to man (Isaiah 26:3) or keeps from man (Isaiah 48:22). Sometimes it is translated abstractly concerning a person's health (e.g. Genesis 29:6 "Is he well?"). In the same way, it is translated as "welfare" (Genesis 43:27). It is translated, "greet" or "salute" (1 Samuel 10:4), for this was the custom of the Israelites. It is translated as "safe" (Job 21:9) or "safety" (Isaiah 41:3). It is translated as "prosperity" or "well-being" (Psalm 35:27). It is translated "rest" or "health" (Psalm 38:3). It is translated "familiar" or "close" in relationship to a friend (Psalm 41:9; aslo see Jeremiah 20:10 "All my trusted friends" [NASB] or "All my familiars" [KJV] or "All my friends" [NIV]; Jeremiah 38:22). It is used to describe God: "The Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). It is translated "wholly" to emphasize that something is done completely (Jeremiah 13:19). The Lord has "plans for welfare" (NASB) or "thoughts of peace" (KJV) or "plans to prosper you" (NIV) (Jeremiah 29:11).
More words to come...
jmb
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Here are the references for shalowm in the Old Testament:
Genesis 15:15 (HG)
Genesis 26:29 (HG)
Genesis 26:31 (HG)
Genesis 28:21 (HG)
Genesis 29:6 (HG)
Genesis 37:4 (HG)
Genesis 37:14 (HG)
Genesis 41:16 (HG)
Genesis 43:23 (HG)
Genesis 43:27 (HG)
Genesis 43:28 (HG)
Genesis 44:17 (HG)
Exodus 4:18 (HG)
Exodus 18:7 (HG)
Exodus 18:23 (HG)
Leviticus 26:6 (HG)
Numbers 6:26 (HG)
Numbers 25:12 (HG)
Deuteronomy 2:26 (HG)
Deuteronomy 20:10 (HG)
Deuteronomy 20:11 (HG)
Deuteronomy 23:6 (HG)
Deuteronomy 29:19 (HG)
Joshua 9:15 (HG)
Joshua 10:21 (HG)
Judges 4:17 (HG)
Judges 6:23 (HG)
Judges 8:9 (HG)
Judges 11:13 (HG)
Judges 11:31 (HG)
Judges 18:6 (HG)
Judges 18:15 (HG)
Judges 19:20 (HG)
Judges 21:13 (HG)
1 Samuel 1:17 (HG)
1 Samuel 7:14 (HG)
1 Samuel 10:4 (HG)
1 Samuel 16:4 (HG)
1 Samuel 16:5 (HG)
1 Samuel 17:18 (HG)
1 Samuel 17:22 (HG)
1 Samuel 20:7 (HG)
1 Samuel 20:13 (HG)
1 Samuel 20:21 (HG)
1 Samuel 20:42 (HG)
1 Samuel 25:5 (HG)
1 Samuel 25:6 (HG)
1 Samuel 25:35 (HG)
1 Samuel 29:7 (HG)
1 Samuel 30:21 (HG)
2 Samuel 3:21 (HG)
2 Samuel 3:22 (HG)
2 Samuel 3:23 (HG)
2 Samuel 8:10 (HG)
2 Samuel 11:7 (HG)
2 Samuel 15:9 (HG)
2 Samuel 15:27 (HG)
2 Samuel 17:3 (HG)
2 Samuel 18:28 (HG)
2 Samuel 18:29 (HG)
2 Samuel 18:32 (HG)
2 Samuel 19:24 (HG)
2 Samuel 19:30 (HG)
2 Samuel 20:9 (HG)
1 Kings 2:5 (HG)
1 Kings 2:6 (HG)
1 Kings 2:13 (HG)
1 Kings 2:33 (HG)
1 Kings 4:24 (HG)
1 Kings 5:12 (HG)
1 Kings 20:18 (HG)
1 Kings 22:17 (HG)
1 Kings 22:27 (HG)
1 Kings 22:28 (HG)
2 Kings 4:23 (HG)
2 Kings 4:26 (HG)
2 Kings 5:19 (HG)
2 Kings 5:21 (HG)
2 Kings 5:22 (HG)
2 Kings 9:11 (HG)
2 Kings 9:17 (HG)
2 Kings 9:18 (HG)
2 Kings 9:19 (HG)
2 Kings 9:22 (HG)
2 Kings 9:31 (HG)
2 Kings 10:13 (HG)
2 Kings 20:19 (HG)
2 Kings 22:20 (HG)
1 Chronicles 12:17 (HG)
1 Chronicles 12:18 (HG)
1 Chronicles 18:10 (HG)
1 Chronicles 22:9 (HG)
2 Chronicles 15:5 (HG)
2 Chronicles 18:16 (HG)
2 Chronicles 18:26 (HG)
2 Chronicles 18:27 (HG)
2 Chronicles 19:1 (HG)
2 Chronicles 34:28 (HG)
Ezra 9:12 (HG)
Esther 2:11 (HG)
Esther 9:30 (HG)
Esther 10:3 (HG)
Job 5:24 (HG)
Job 15:21 (HG)
Job 21:9 (HG)
Job 25:2 (HG)
Psalms 4:8 (HG)
Psalms 28:3 (HG)
Psalms 29:11 (HG)
Psalms 34:14 (HG)
Psalms 35:20 (HG)
Psalms 35:27 (HG)
Psalms 37:11 (HG)
Psalms 37:37 (HG)
Psalms 38:3 (HG)
Psalms 41:9 (HG)
Psalms 55:18 (HG)
Psalms 55:20 (HG)
Psalms 69:22 (HG)
Psalms 72:3 (HG)
Psalms 72:7 (HG)
Psalms 73:3 (HG)
Psalms 85:8 (HG)
Psalms 85:10 (HG)
Psalms 119:165 (HG)
Psalms 120:6 (HG)
Psalms 120:7 (HG)
Psalms 122:6 (HG)
Psalms 122:7 (HG)
Psalms 122:8 (HG)
Psalms 125:5 (HG)
Psalms 128:6 (HG)
Psalms 147:14 (HG)
Proverbs 3:2 (HG)
Proverbs 3:17 (HG)
Proverbs 12:20 (HG)
Ecclesiastes 3:8 (HG)
Song of Songs 8:10 (HG)
Isaiah 9:6 (HG)
Isaiah 9:7 (HG)
Isaiah 26:3 (HG)
Isaiah 26:12 (HG)
Isaiah 27:5 (HG)
Isaiah 32:17 (HG)
Isaiah 32:18 (HG)
Isaiah 33:7 (HG)
Isaiah 38:17 (HG)
Isaiah 39:8 (HG)
Isaiah 41:3 (HG)
Isaiah 45:7 (HG)
Isaiah 48:18 (HG)
Isaiah 48:22 (HG)
Isaiah 52:7 (HG)
Isaiah 53:5 (HG)
Isaiah 54:10 (HG)
Isaiah 54:13 (HG)
Isaiah 55:12 (HG)
Isaiah 57:2 (HG)
Isaiah 57:19 (HG)
Isaiah 57:21 (HG)
Isaiah 59:8 (HG)
Isaiah 60:17 (HG)
Isaiah 66:12 (HG)
Jeremiah 4:10 (HG)
Jeremiah 6:14 (HG)
Jeremiah 8:11 (HG)
Jeremiah 8:15 (HG)
Jeremiah 9:8 (HG)
Jeremiah 12:5 (HG)
Jeremiah 12:12 (HG)
Jeremiah 13:19 (HG)
Jeremiah 14:13 (HG)
Jeremiah 14:19 (HG)
Jeremiah 15:5 (HG)
Jeremiah 16:5 (HG)
Jeremiah 20:10 (HG)
Jeremiah 23:17 (HG)
Jeremiah 25:37 (HG)
Jeremiah 28:9 (HG)
Jeremiah 29:7 (HG)
Jeremiah 29:11 (HG)
Jeremiah 30:5 (HG)
Jeremiah 33:6 (HG)
Jeremiah 33:9 (HG)
Jeremiah 34:5 (HG)
Jeremiah 38:4 (HG)
Jeremiah 38:22 (HG)
Jeremiah 43:12 (HG)
Lamentations 3:17 (HG)
Ezekiel 7:25 (HG)
Ezekiel 13:10 (HG)
Ezekiel 13:16 (HG)
Ezekiel 34:25 (HG)
Ezekiel 37:26 (HG)
Daniel 10:19 (HG)
Obadiah 1:7 (HG)
Micah 3:5 (HG)
Micah 5:5 (HG)
Nahum 1:15 (HG)
Haggai 2:9 (HG)
Zechariah 6:13 (HG)
Zechariah 8:10 (HG)
Zechariah 8:12 (HG)
Zechariah 8:16 (HG)
Zechariah 8:19 (HG)
Zechariah 9:10 (HG)
Malachi 2:5 (HG)
Malachi 2:6 (HG)
I’ve actually heard this before. I don’t think it was done on purpose,
but it does come from not “handling accurately the word of truth”
(2 Timothy 2:15 NASB). That’s why that same verse says, “Be diligent”!
The Bible teaches that the Scriptures are “God breathed” (theopneustos)
or “inspired by God” (2 Timothy 3:16), not the authors of Scripture.
The authors were “borne along” or “carried along” by
the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). The Spirit of God used them as instruments to
give us His Word. The Bible says:
(2 Peter 1:20-21 NASB) But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture
is a matter of one's own interpretation, {21} for no prophecy was ever made
by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
We do not follow “cleverly devised tales” (2 Peter 1:16), because
no human ever made up any part of the Bible. It wasn’t “an act of
human will.” It is easy to see, therefore, that all of the Bible is God’s
Word, and one book is not better than any other book.
So we don’t ever have to pit one book of the Bible against another or
one Apostle against another. Paul wasn’t a better Apostle because he had
to confront Peter (and therefore his books are better than Peter's). What we
know is that we have “the prophetic word made more sure” (2 Peter
1:19) because it is by the Spirit of God that we have the Scriptures.
jmb
Some time back I asked a friend of mine (very politely and in Christian love) not to say "gosh" around me. I talked to this person about euphemisms and in the end we agreed that a Christian shouldn't even want to come close to saying the Lord's name in vain. Now some of you are probably thinking, "whoa, you are being too legalistic; it's not using God's name in vain; because I don't mean it that way." You might be even thinking I've made a list, and I've checked it twice.
But the Bible is very clear. One of the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:23 is self-control. Christians ought to have this temperance in abundance. Peter says to add self-control to our knowledge (2 Peter 1:5-8 NASB). Self-control is something Christ showed throughout His life and all the way to Calvary.
So, if we have self-control, we will speak carefully, because our words are a testimony of our hearts. Jesus said to the Pharisees, "You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart� (Matthew 12:34 NASB).
But let us go one step further. The Lord says, "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain" (Exodus 20:7 NASB). That is the first commandment about the Name of God. Do we really think that saying "gosh" or "God" is all the Lord meant when He gave that command with its dire warning?
When my mother married my dad, she took his name, Bohannon, and became part of his family. But what if she had done that, but refused to move in with him and had continued dating other men, and continued living as she had before their marriage? She would have taken his name in vain.
But we do that! And it is so clear in the Bible because we, as Christians, are the Bride of Christ! If we live (in word or deed) like we did before we were brought into God's family, then we take His name in vain. And God has promised that He will not let that go.
So let's encourage one another, in the small things as well as the great, for we don't want ever to be guilty of taking the Lord's name in vain.
Somehow I stumbled onto a very sad website (http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/). I suggest you go there (if you are a grounded believer in Christ) to see how Satan is fighting the Word of God.
Yet I am not writing this blog to comment on what a wicked website I found, but how wicked I really am. It is no secret that I read the Bible�I even study it (2 Timothy 2:15). (Not many Christians can say they do more than read through their Bible-in-a-year program; I do not say that to mock. If we love the Lord, we want to be in His Word!) This blog, however, is about how ashamed I am of my study of the Bible. I am a Christian. I am a child of God! Yet I hardly know His Word. There is a song that says quite well what we need to hear, �I want to know You more.�
The fact is, we can only know Him better by learning His Word.
The Bible says, (Psalm 119:165-168 NASB) �Those who love Thy law have great peace, And nothing causes them to stumble. {166} I hope for Thy salvation, O LORD, And do Thy commandments. {167} My soul keeps Thy testimonies, And I love them exceedingly. {168} I keep Thy precepts and Thy testimonies, For all my ways are before Thee.�
To love God�s law one must know it; to keep God�s commandments one must know them. If we want great peace, let us keep God�s precepts and His testimonies. Let us know Him more.
jmb
It is remarkable to me that I serve �the God of heaven.� Have you ever wondered about that phrase? We talked about it recently in our Sunday School class. It is one of my favorite descriptions of God.
The immediate thought is clearly understood. Everyone knows what the heavens are. Most people think of God as somewhere in the sky. But for the Jews and for us today who are confronted with idolatry, the God of heaven is full of significance!
We worship the God of heaven because He is not only above all, but He is also God of gods (Psalm 136:2). He has no golden image we worship. We worship Him by faith. That was why the Jews and the Gentiles alike called Jehovah, �the God of heaven.� He had no image for men to worship, and He proclaims Himself the only True God.
On another level, the God of heaven expresses to us God�s sovereign power. He �is the Most High over all the earth� (Psalm 83:18). He sees what we do. But what is very important to me, is that He sees me where I am. I do not mean my physical location�He sees my heart. And the Great God of heaven with His sovereign power loves me as a father loves his child.
There is awe in His Name. The God of heaven is worthy to be praised. There is blessing in His Name: �He chooses our inheritance for us�� (Psalm 47:4). And there is mercy in His Name: �Give thanks to the God of heaven, For His lovingkindness is everlasting� (Psalm 136:26).
I serve the God of heaven. Praise His Name.
jmb
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(Psalms 136 NASB)
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting. {2} Give thanks to the God of gods, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. {3} Give thanks to the Lord of lords, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. {4} To Him who alone does great wonders, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; {5} To Him who made the heavens with skill, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; {6} To Him who spread out the earth above the waters, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; {7} To Him who made the great lights, For His lovingkindness is everlasting: {8} The sun to rule by day, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, {9} The moon and stars to rule by night, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. {10} To Him who smote the Egyptians in their first-born, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, {11} And brought Israel out from their midst, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, {12} With a strong hand and an outstretched arm, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; {13} To Him who divided the Red Sea asunder, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, {14} And made Israel pass through the midst of it, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; {15} But He overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. {16} To Him who led His people through the wilderness, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; {17} To Him who smote great kings, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, {18} And slew mighty kings, For His lovingkindness is everlasting: {19} Sihon, king of the Amorites, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, {20} And Og, king of Bashan, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, {21} And gave their land as a heritage, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, {22} Even a heritage to Israel His servant, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. {23} Who remembered us in our low estate, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, {24} And has rescued us from our adversaries, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; {25} Who gives food to all flesh, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. {26} Give thanks to the God of heaven, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
I began our study with the first phrase of Psalm 23, "The LORD is my Shepherd." I didn't realize today that I forgot to ask you, dear readers, to comment! This weblog is an easy forum for us to discuss our thoughts about this Psalm. I hope that you will partcipate if you have time.
"I shall not want." In Psalm 23, this sentence is from one word chacer.
Chacer at its root means "to lack" and by implication "to
want" (Strong's Dictionary). This word occurs 40 times in the Old Testament.
We see it after the flood in Genesis 8:3 (and 8:5 "decreased"), "and
after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated." They
failed; they were in want. They "decreased."
It is only ten chapters later that we see this word again in another familiar
passage in Genesis. In chapter 18, the Lord has come to speak with Abraham about
Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham knows that his nephew Lot is in Sodom and asks the
Lord, "Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking five, wilt Thou destroy
the whole city because of five?" And He said, "I will not destroy
it if I find forty-five there" (Genesis 18:28 NASB). Here we see chacer
used as "lack" or "lacking."
The next time we see this word is Exodus 16:18 when God provided manna
for the children of Israel. It says, "he who had gathered much had no excess,
and he who had gathered little had no lack; every man gathered as much as he
should eat" (NASB).
The Lord blessed the Israelites, and they didn't lack a thing (Deuteronomy 2:7).
God promised the Israelites a land where they wouldn't lack anything (Deuteronomy
8:9).
Part of God's law was to provide for the poor "whatever he lacks"
in the seven year cycle God gave the Israelites (see Deuteronomy 15).
When David was on the run from Saul he went to a king in Gath to hide. But when
he heard what the king's servants were saying about him, he was afraid what
the king might do and pretended to be insane. That is why king Achish said,
"Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this one to act the madman in
my presence? Shall this one come into my house?" (1 Samuel 21:15 NASB).
There is another "famous" instance of this word. Elijah, the prophet
of God, had told the evil king Ahab that there would be no rain the next few
years except by Elijah's word. God provided miraculously for Elijah at a brook
by commanding ravens to feed him there. But when the brook dried up, God sent
Elijah to a widow in Zarephath of Sidon. But she hardly had anything. But God
performed a miracle by the word of the prophet: (1 Kings 17:14 KJV) For thus
saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall
the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth. It is that word "fail" that is the word chacer in Hebrew. That jar of oil did not lack until the Lord allowed it to rain again.
In the well-known Psalm, David asks "What is man, that Thou dost take thought
of him? And the son of man, that Thou dost care for him? {5} Yet Thou hast made
him a little lower than God, And dost
crown him with glory and majesty!" (Psalms 8:4-5 NASB). The word "lower"
is chacer in this verse.
The bible says, "The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who
seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing" (Psalms 34:10 NASB).
The Proverbs are filled with verses about people who are "lacking sense"
(Proverbs 6:32; see also 7:7; 9:4, 16; 10:13, 21; 11:12; 12:9, 11; 13:25; 15:21;
17:18; 24:30; 28:16). In fact, every verse in Proverbs uses chacer
in a negative sense except one. In Proverbs 31:11, the bible says, "The
heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain" (Proverbs
31:11 NASB). This is talking about the "virtuous woman" whose "price
is far above rubies" (v. 8).
In light of many of these verses, it is easy to see why David says, chacer
"I shall not want." God has promised to provide for those who seek
Him. In the context of the Psalm, we are the sheep; the Lord is our Shepherd.
Let us seek Him. And He will provide for all our wants.
* Or the angels; Hebrew Elohim; Septuagint
aggelos back
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The LORD is my Shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name�s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
(NASB)
My Sunday school teacher asked us about meditating on God�s Word this past Lord�s Day. He mentioned Psalm 23. Later, when I read the passage, I wrote things down that I noticed. I�d like to share these thoughts over the next few days. I pray that they will be a blessing to you.
�The Lord is my Shepherd�
My first thought was how even though I cannot see what is ahead, the Shepherd can. He sees the path before us and prepares me to face what may come. Furthermore, the Shepherd wants the best for me. Another thing is I don�t have to know where I am going; I just have to trust the Shepherd.
More to come�
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The LORD is my Shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name�s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
(NASB)
I haven�t written a blog in a while. I�ve been pretty down in recent days. I had a few things in mind for a blog, but I hadn�t felt motivated to write one until tonight. I am going to try to please everyone.
When Danielle (not Danielle Jennifer) and I were talking on Instant Message the other day, I said I would write a blog on compliments. You know as Christians we should be nice people. We should say nice things about each other. Often though, we talk about the bad things people do and not the good things. I know I am guilty of that. Our focus is wrong. (Forgive me, this won�t be deep, I am just going to ramble: this last sentence for example. Our focus is wrong. We say that a lot, I suppose. But what do you think about when you say it? I just really thought about what that sentence is saying. Yes, you guessed it: analogy time. Let�s talk about photographs. Have you ever taken a beautiful picture, well, it would have been but it was a little out of focus? That�s what that sentence means.) So (if you are still following me) if our focus is wrong what should it be on? Jesus.
See, no deep thoughts tonight. Just Jesus. And isn�t it great that He is enough? My inspiration to write about Him tonight is because of a poem that my cousin sent me. She based it on II Corinthians 12:9:
�And he said unto me, �My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.� Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.�
Let�s talk about that �power of Christ.� (This is for Casey!) The word �strength� and the word �power� in the King James is the same word in the Greek: dunamis. That�s the word from which we get dynamite. And what we need to remember is that it means �miraculous power.� We have �miraculous power� because of God�s grace.
I�m sure now, you want me to tie it all together. Well, let me try: When we are weak, let�s get our focus on Jesus. His grace is our �miraculous power.� When our focus is right, we will build up our brothers and sisters in Christ (I Thessalonians 5:11), not tear them down. So now I want to compliment my sister in Christ, Wendy O. Thank you for honoring Christ in your life by being so kind.
God bless and keep you. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all,
james micah bohannon
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My Grace is Sufficient for Thee
M. Snider
As the path I travel seems drear,
Remind me, O Lord, You are near.
Close beside me, to lead and to guide me,
Jesus, what have I to fear?
You've said, "My grace is sufficient for thee,
For my strength is made perfect in weakness."
Empty before Your throne I grieve,
Father I fall down to my knees,
For when I am weak, then am I strong
Because Your grace is sufficient for me.
I delight to do Thy will, O my God,
Yea, Thy law is within my heart,
But often times I am so weak,
I stumble before I can start.
Show me the way You'd have me to go,
Never leading me to wrong,
And when I feel frail, remind my heart,
You alone are my strength and my song.
You've said, "My grace is sufficient for thee,
For my strength is made perfect in weakness."
Empty before Your throne I grieve,
Father I fall down to my knees,
For when I am weak, then am I strong
Because Your grace is sufficient for me.
"For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend; Lest he forsake the fear of the Almighty."
I was thinking of this verse this morning. I want to thank Brian for taking me to the doctor on Monday. And I want to thank Jen for shopping with me (do you want to buy some boots?). And also thank you, Kara and Casey for game night at your home. I�d also like to thank those who have prayed, that is a help too.
In this passage, Job is talking to his visiting friends. His argument deals with people (namely, himself) who are suffering, that have said things they should not have said. In the very next verse (Job 6:15), he accuses his friends of being like a wadi (�brook� in the King James). A wadi is a Middle Eastern streambed that is plentiful in the rainy season, but dry in the summer, when water is hard to find.
The word �kindness� in verse 14 is the Hebrew word chesed. It is often translated �lovingkindness� or �loyal love.�
I want to thank you all for your �loyal love.� It has been a constant blessing to me, and it has reminded me that �loyal love� is to be my response to God during trials. My �loyal love� for my Heavenly Father increases my faith in Him. And it helps me to know that He is seeking the absolute best for my life.
Have you ever wondered why some people break and crack and ultimately reject God when trials enter their lives? One reason, I am persuaded, is that their friends are like the deceitful wadi. Don�t be like �the stream of brooks that pass away;� but be loyal in love and devotion both to God and to man.
james micah
"If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be."
Ecclesiastes 11:3
This has to be one of my favorite verses in the Bible. I know I might not understand the full exegetical construction of this passage, but it speaks to me of God's rule in our lives. I think it is about His humor too. The deeper meaning, as I see it has to do with His Faithfulness. We ignore so many things--I mean we take for granted that a dead tree falls and stays where it has fallen; we don't think about our air supply or the consistency of gravity.
God has ordered not only our lives, but our universe. He sees everything; He sustains everything. How is it that we don't realize He wants our best, when by His grace He has provided for our well being?
james micah
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Praise the Lord, ye heavens adore Him;
Praise Him angels in the height;
Sun and moon, rejoice before Him;
Praise Him, all ye stars of light.
Praise the Lord for He hath spoken;
Worlds His mighty voice obeyed;
Laws that never shall be broken,
For their guidance He hath made.
Richard Mant
Isn't it amazing that God's mercy is new every day? He is so wonderful. Praise His name. Even when things are bad, He only wants our best. Truly, He is worthy to be praised.
james micah