Considering the Bible

1 Thessalonian Bits – 4:14

2026-08-02
A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 4:14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

The smallest of words sometimes have the greatest of impacts. Consider the Greek word for “since” in the beginning of our verse, sometimes translated as “if”. It is primary particle of conditionality, introducing a premise assumed to be true. Paul was speaking to those who had accepted this premise as factual, and could argue logically based on that condition.

Also, what Paul begins in this verse is not primarily a schedule of events, though there were many years where I thought this passage was only a schedule of events. I call it the timing trap. Hopefully, I will stay focused!

Paul writes of the condition, or state of those being involved in the resurrection as being those who believe in the resurrection of the Messiah. It is not a church teaching or denomination that is of importance or a morally sanctified lifestyle that provides the assurance of God’s promise for the believer. It is Jesus alone who is the resurrection and life.

John 11:25 …I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,

If we are in Him, we too shall be resurrected to life, even as the Messiah was physically raised from death. Timing of this resurrection is of little concern to Paul, since he is acting in a pastoral manner, dealing with a church that is saddened over fellow saints who died before the return of the Lord. Did they miss out on the expected resurrection transformation? Will their early death somehow impact future opportunities to be with those still alive? The fact of the resurrection, and God’s method of including the believer in this promise of life out of death is the concern in Paul’s mind.

The promise is found in Jesus. Jesus alone.

Yet there are timing issues that may be considered. For the saint in Jesus, at physical death, can we expect to eventually, or immediately come into the presence of God?

Eventually?

There are some who would look ahead to verse 17, and declare that when Paul speaks of the “dead in Christ”, he is indicating that those who die before the return of the Lord, are sleeping in the grave, resting until that fateful day. One passage that may be referred to is found in the gospel of John.

John 5:25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

Those hearing the voice of the Son of God are described as “dead” in this verse. Might Jesus be referring to those who are spiritually dead, yet still physically amongst the living? This thought may be justified when the next few verses are considered.

John 5:28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice
John 5:29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

Jesus changes the description of those responding to the voice of the Son of God, speaking not of the dead, as in verse 25, but of those in the tomb.

One assumption that has to be made is that the voice of the Son of God occurs only once, at that hour, and the resurrection of both those who have done good and those who have done evil are simultaneous.

Immediately?

Others consider the apostle’s writings.

2 Corinthians 5:8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

Paul seems to be indicating that once we are away from the body, understanding this as the point of death, we enter the presence of the Lord immediately.

Both positions (that of eventually seeing Jesus after death, and of an immediate entrance before Him at the point of death) have support in the Word. Both positions have dedicated adherents to their teaching.

I would respectfully submit that I have fallen into the timing trap, and have not focused on the intent of Paul’s message to the Thessalonians in this passage.

As an aside to this timing discussion, considering the sleep metaphor, I would suggest that any time passed in the grave prior to the resurrection will be null and void, at least in our experience. When I pass out on my favorite couch, I do not experience time. I am asleep. Might it be a similar condition in the grave?

Back to our focus though. Paul is speaking of the greatest event in history, and of the greatest person who ever walked on this earth, having entered death, and is now alive. I would strongly suggest we consider the truth of the resurrection, and try to relegate the timing question to it’s proper importance. After all, whether it be immediately or eventually, (in four hundred and thirty two years?), we will be with the Lord.

Paul begins the verse in laying down the truth of the Messiah’s resurrection out of death. Note that it is through Jesus, that God will bring with Him, that is if we are with Jesus, God will also use His Messiah to be the One whom we are enabled to be raised.

Even as Paul speaks of those who have passed, he brings to light the continued blessing of the Lord in our lives. Consider how he mentions death when speaking of Jesus, but for believers, he speaks of sleep.

In this short verse, Paul focuses on Jesus. He focuses on His impact on those who believe in Him. My friends, as I am learning through this avenue of posting in this blog, considering the Word, I am coming to a simple conclusion.

Jesus is better.

A simple thought, easily and abundantly found in the Word, yet not as embraced in my life as it should be.

Jesus is the One who has provided us hope, resurrection, life, peace, grace, comfort, challenge, blessing, truth – need I go on?

He is better than anything you might imagine and fully worthy of chasing after. He is better!
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Prayers of an ol’ fool – A Drowning

2026-08-01
Psalm 34:6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.

As many who follow may know, I have had the privilege to know the Lord for over 40 years. During those decades, He has proved Himself to be a faithful, kind and loving Savior. And as I have learned to lean on Jesus, He has shown Himself to be a merciful Savior, never wavering, even in some very dark times.

This topical series will try to provide a snapshot of an ol’ fools prayers, the weakness and selfishness of his prayers, and the ever increasing goodness of God in His responses the those prayers.

I hope my witness to the goodness and faithfulness of God will be an encouragement to those reading, and will spur us all on to a deeper, more consistent time of being in the Lord’s presence.

Please visit with me as I tell the story of a faithful God and His care for an ol’ fool. Though David considered himself a poor man, I freely admit, I am just an “ol’ fool” looking to the Lord.

A Drowning

It was many months ago, as I was relaxing on the couch after work that the news came. I was waiting for my wife to come home for supper, but that afternoon is as vivid in my memory as if it occurred ten minutes ago. It is one of those moments in life in which everything is acutley focused, time somewhat slows down, life becomes so very serious, and the future seems to hinge on the seeming unknown.

As I said, I had come home from work and decided to take a few moments to relax on my favorite couch, when I got a frantic call from my youngest daughter.

“Dad – Theo drowned”. Then she hung up.

Now before I go any further, I need to provide some backstory.

Theo is my oldest daughter’s second child. The family is very outdoorsy, very health conscious, and very loving. The afternoon had started out at the local swimming spot, a man made lagoon, with a shallow sand beach for the kids. The family had been there often, and it was a perk of the development they had moved to. For some momentary slip of time, Theo ended up in the water face down. The father was immediate in retrieving him, and began to give his son resuscitation. (Thankfully, he is a fireman, and is skilled in this!) 911 was called, and the ambulance arrived.

But Theo was not responding.

His mother rushed from work, calling her sister – they are very close – and told her of the tragedy. Her sister called me, as Theo was rushed to the hospital, being worked on as they sped to the hospital.

And I was simply lying on the couch. All of a sudden, the perfect world of my daughter’s family was on the brink of disaster. The repurcussions of this tragedy would be far reaching. All I could do was pray. And believe me when I say that there was no formulaic rote prayer that was uttered out of my mouth. No coming before the Lord in any formal or taught manner of giving praise and thanks, honoring His name, and listening for His voice. Not at all.

SAVE HIM. SHOW YOUR MERCY TO THIS FAMILY AND LITTLE THEO.

Even as I write this, I tear up. Death is not a stranger to this family, and we have suffered in the loss of loved ones. But I ran to Jesus, as everyone in the family was running to Him, and begged Him to save this little boy. To save this family. To show His authority over life and death!

My wife got home and we headed to the hospital, not knowing the condition of the boy. We got to the hospital, and eventually talked to our daughter, hearing that Theodore was back, that he was coherent, and that the hospital wanted to keep him for observation.

My daughter and son-in-law were frazzled, but little Theo lay in the hospital bed as if he had just ate a candy, and was wanting to play a game. No effect on the boy. At least that is what we thought. We were just so glad that he was back.

Now as to the question of whether he had simply been unconscious, (yet he was not breathing) or had actually left this life, we dare not say at the time. It is not as if it was pertinent at the time, since we had the little imp back.

But a few days later, he came up to his momma, and told her that he had seen God. My little grandson, Theodore is one of many that Jesus has raised, not unlike that son of a widow, thousands of years ago.

Luke 7:13-16 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!”

My friend, as I read that passage, I can now say I have experienced a hint of what that crowd, and especially that widow experienced when they witnessed the authority of Jesus in His command to that boy.

How can I express anything less than to thank Him for His many mercies, and to let those reading this post know that…

Jesus is better!

Yes He is better than anything you might be following after, chasing to get, learning of or wanting in your life.

Jesus is better!

Thanks for joining and Considering The Bible with me. Your thoughts are always welcome, and I look forward to hearing of the faithfulness of God in your lives.
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Song Squawk – Are we feeling Comfortable yet

2026-07-31
In the mid nineties, I had a little red Buick and a big ol’ bass box in the trunk, and would listen to “Christian Rock”, cranked to 11.

(What did you say? Huh? Can you say that again, I didn’t hear you….)

I have gotten away from that genre for many reasons, the least of which may be a loss of hearing, but some songs have stuck with me over the decades.

The artist’s I listened to sought to reflect Scriptural teaching for the most part. They ranged from “preaching” pop culture religion to significant theological teaching. As I listened to the lyrics, I found some to be quite challenging.

To be honest, I listened because I could justify the rock beat with “sanctified lyrics”.

Occassionaly I will post a song, supply the lyrics and make a comment or two. If you decide to listen to the tune, turn the speaker down unless you are already deaf. Some of the songs tend to have a certain “volume” about them!

This post will consider the song

Are We Feeling Comfortable – by Guardian

The whole song is a testament to our reluctance to look at our lives, especially as believers!

Welcome, dear listener
Are you comfortable?
Put your feet up, close your eyes, let your senses dull
Float like a beachball
Wearing cordless phones
Let the tide take you, groove to the mellow tones
Groovy

Who switched the intro?
Ah, but I digress
Do you ever get that feeling you’re ‘not so fresh’?

Do you hang out nights at the launderette?
Dreaming of the cure for stubborn stains?
Wanna climb into the big machine?
Wonder how it feels getting really clean?

I know you know more than
What you’re coming clean for
God is skin on mohair
Just admit you itch there

Shift to the left, shift to the right
Fidget, lock knees, cough cough
Fidget, don’t scratch, don’t break out in a sweat
Are we feeling comfortable yet?

I know you know more than
What you’re coming clean for
God is skin on mohair
Just admit you itch there

Ever sweat bullets
At the sight of blood?
Ever drag a half-ton cross through spit and mud?

Wouldn’t want to plan too far ahead
Wouldn’t want to dwell on what’s beyond
Pondering death is a dirty biz
Makes you wonder when your appointment is

Shift to the left, shift to the right
Fidget, lock knees, cough cough
Fidget, don’t scratch, don’t break out in a sweat
Are we feeling comfortable yet?
Loosen your tie, loosen your belt
Clear your throat, fidget, cough cough
Fidget, don’t scratch, don’t break out in a sweat
Are we feeling comfortable yet?

Fidget to the left, fidget to the right
Lock knees, cough cough
Fidget don’t scratch, don’t break out in a sweat
Are we feeling comfortable yet?

I remember when I got the compact disc this song was on. Every song had a hook that got me, but this one was the first, probably since I was squirming about something before God!

Take a listen!

Let me know what you think of the lyrics, and of the tunes!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion

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Names of God – HE WHO WEIGHS THE HEART – 300

2026-07-30
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.

The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.

The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.

May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.

HE WHO WEIGHS THE HEART

Proverbs 24:12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?

It is a common saying. He is walking about with such a heavy heart.

In our vernacular, that is usually a statement that speaks of deep sorrow, or sadness in the life of the subject.

When we read this verse, the weighing of the heart is not related to sorrow or sadness, as may be implied by our common saying.

In the proverb we are considering, we are considering the inner knowledge each man lives with and how God relates to it. For God to weigh the heart is another way of say God searching the soul.

One important consideration is that the passage is not making a neutral statement, a simple fact that God knows our inner thoughts. The verse speaks of God not disuaded from the facts by our denials. As fallen men and women, we are easily disuaded from the truth, convincing ourselves of stories that make us feel better, that increase our confidence (in self) and that comfort our weak hearts.

I think Solomon knew this deeply, as he reflected on his own life/ There is wisdom in considering this, for as he told himself many stories, excusing his life before God, he knew God was “weighing the heart”.

Yet he rebelled against this knowledge.

Knowing that God is alive and active in our very inner core should motivate us to perform good works, to “not deny” the truth, to admit our sin and weakness and to understand God is a just God. Consider the verse as it speaks of “rendering to each man according to his deeds”. The Word is explicit.

Psalm 62:12 and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For you will render to a man according to his work.

Jeremiah 17:10 “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

Ezekiel 18:30 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin.

Ezekiel 33:20 Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his ways.”

Some may claim that this teaching is an Old Testament teaching, that it is not valid under the New Covenant. I often thought this way until I considered a sampling of verses below.

Romans 2:6 He will render to each one according to his works:

2 Timothy 4:14 Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.

Of course this teaching has to be balanced with the understanding we can do nothing apart from the Master and that all that is good comes from our connection with the Lord Jesus.

And out of the self sacrifice of our Savior, we have the privildge, opportunity and strength in the Spirit to do good deeds as He directs. Yes, HE WHO WEIGHS THE HEART, is the same who provided the Savior to draw us to Him, to give us strength, to direct us into good works, and to glorify Him.

And in the midst of all His blessings, He continues to weigh our hearts, helping us to live in the truth, in Jesus.

May we reap blessings, and honor God from being rooted in Him.

I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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Life of David – 41.04

2026-07-29
David’s Victories

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

9 When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer,
10 Toi sent his son Joram to King David, to ask about his health and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Hadadezer had often been at war with Toi. And Joram brought with him articles of silver, of gold, and of bronze.
11 These also King David dedicated to the LORD, together with the silver and gold that he dedicated from all the nations he subdued,
12 from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

In an earlier posting, I made mention of the text we considered as not indicating the extent of damage on the army of Hadadezer. I was incorrect, for if I had simply read a bit further, the text tells us that Hadadazer’s army was completely defeated.

Considering Hadadezer’s multiple efforts to attack and subdue David, it seems obvious that his army had been decimated.

Enter the scene a king who had been carefully watching the destruction and subjection of the Syrian kingdom by a young upstart out of Israel. As can be noted on the map provided to the left, Davids kingdom was expanding to the north, and it was just a matter of time before Hamath experienced the forces under David’s command.

This king who had been watching exercised wisdom in his approach to the King of Israel, by not resisting the inevitable, but by befriending the power to his south.

He sent his son to begin a period of alliance, and diplomacy with Israel, with gifts that certainly would have been lost if in war with David. Nevertheless, the fact that Toi, and his son Joram, initialted the contact with David is commendable, not only for thier own continued existence but for the welfare of the people under their protection.

This alliance existed for the entire length of David’s reign.

An Aside

As an aside, I find it curious that upon Solomon’s reign, he extended his reach to the north to include Hamath, seemingly fullfilling the promise of God to Abram regarding the northern extent of the promised land up the the Euphrates!

Genesis 15:18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates,

As a matter of fact, there are other indications in the Word that the nation attained the extent of the promised land, as a possession for the people of Israel, multiple times.

Joshua 21:43 Thus the LORD gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there.
Joshua 21:44 And the LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands.
Joshua 21:45 Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.

Many years later, it turns out that Solomon understood the promise fulfilled during his reign also, as he mentioned the rest given to the people of Israel during his reign.

1 Kings 8:56 “Blessed be the LORD who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant.

Under the covenant with the God of Israel, it appears the promise of land for the people of Israel was fulfilled again under Solomon. Of course, the promise was conditional upon the nation keeping the covenant they entered into with the Lord!

Make note of the conditions set for the possession of the land in the following texts.

Leviticus 18:28 lest the land vomit you out when you make it unclean, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.

Leviticus 20:22 “You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my rules and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out.

Joshua 23:16 if you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you.”

Of course the land was a conditional promise, being conditioned on the covenant they entered into as a nation with God.

For those who know some of the history of the land, the nation was vomited out of the land at the Babylonian captivity, only coming back under the permission of a gentile King. It could easily be said that the nation from that time forward was under the earthly authority of a gentile nation or kingdom, specifically Rome at the time of Jesus.

Did the promise apply during the time of Jesus, or was the initial removal from the land at the Babylonian captivity the fulfilment of this “perishing quickly from off the good land that He has given you? However you may understand the previous removal from the land, temporary as it may be argued, it surely was not the worst transgression of the nation against the Lord.

The crucifixion of the Lord Himself must be considered the ultimate transgression of the covenant. For if a death of a covenantal partner dispels the contractural agreements entered into, the murder of One of the covenantal partners by the other covenantal partner must surely seal the end of the covenant, including all of it’s conditional promises.

Yet the good news is so much better, for He has provided a kingdom to all that cannot be shaken.

Hebrews 12:28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,

Back to the passage

That was surely one of my longest “asides”, so forgive me if I seemed to be off the topic too long. Back to the topic at hand, and the wisdom of Toi in connecting with King David.

He surely saw the writing on the wall, and in his foresight found it wise to align with this powerhouse of a regional nation. David’s victories were piling up, and his reputation was causing the surrounding kingdoms to bow the knee to him.

David rightly directed the goods from all the nations he subdued to the LORD. He knew where his power was coming from and had not yet succumbed to considering himself the power of the nation. It was the LORD who was providing the victories.

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

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Jesus in the Old Testament – Daniel – 14

2026-07-28
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.

I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.

SEEING JESUS IN

Daniel

Law Fulfilled

Daniel 6:12 Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.”

Luke 24:44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

Each of the men in our post this morning were the subject of a law.

For Daniel, a specific, temporoary law was intended directly for Daniel, crafter by his peers and subordinates in the kingdom, and ratified by the king of the Medes and Persians. This law was created specifically to address Daniel “in connection with the law of his God” (Daniel 6:5)

Although an unjust law, Daniel was immediatley impacted by the law, and was in defiance of the law as soon as he knew of it. He valued his connection with his God, and would accept the unrighteous result of the government’s rule over him as he sought to know God.

For Jesus, the eternal law of God (not the Medes and Persians) were not only written of Him, but specifically described the unrighteous result of a governement’s rule over His life as He sought to obey His Father.

Both Daniel and Jesus were the intended recipients of a law, and in thier obedience to the One above, fulfilled the law written specifically for thier lives.

There are numerous wrinkles to the similarities in this picture of Christ in Daniel, yet the fact remains. Both men, in thier obedience to the God they worshipped, fulfilled a law, each man entering into a death sentence. Both entered “death” and both were rescued out of death.

For our post this morning, consider that a law was fulfilled in both of these men’s lives. For Daniel, the law was developed by a human government out of spite and maliciousness, and was used to condemn him to death. For Jesus, the law was a reflection of His own perfections, and in order to rescue Daniel (and us), He willingly took the place of condemnation, as One who was guilty of breaking His own righteous standards.

How can we not be a thankful people? Everything about Jesus is better!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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Names of God – HE WHO SUPPLIES THE SPIRIT – 299

2026-07-27
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.

The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.

The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.

May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.

HE WHO SUPPLIES THE SPIRIT

Galatians 3:5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith–

Paul provides the Galations a progression of the experience of the Spirit in the beginning of chapter 3.

Galatians 3:2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?

Paula begins his argument for the necessity of a Spirit filled (controlled) life with the initial meeting of the believers with the Spirit. Upon the hearing of the gospel, those who believed received. They were not required to perform any works, such as a circumcision or a baptism, or a compliance with any works that may be required by those trying to influence them after Paul left.

They received upon belief in the crucified Messiah.

Galatians 3:3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

Next, Paul emphasizes the beginning of the faith of these believers. Though this may be a reiteration of the initial act of faith that brought them into the Body of Christ, I understand it to be directed to the initial days/weeks/months the believers were walking in the Spirit prior to the “influencers” arriving, and confounding these saints.

Then we get to our verse of consideration. Paul closes his initial argument of the necessity of the Spirit controlled life as the norm for the believer by reminding the believers of the source of this tremendous gift, that the Spirit is given by God, and that the means of provision is by faith and not works.

He provides Scriptural proofs of this truth for the remainder of the chapter, and I would encourage my reader to take time to reread the passage.

For this morning, let us dwell on the gift of the Spirit provided by God, through a heart faith in the Messiah. Whether we are new in the faith by an hour, a decade or half a century, each of us has that blessing to know the Lord through the Spirit in our daily lives.

Story Time

I am just returning from visiting my northern grandchildren. Really a good time! We had a special time with my youngest grandson we were visiting. During the visit, a small dispute with his sister erupted and we had a chance to discuss the issue of the dispute and that to be a believer is a daily challenge to exercise forgiveness towards even those we know best.

It is a daily challenge to live the Christian life, and we can be thankful that it is HE WHO SUPPLIES THE SPIRIT is none other than the God we worship.

He provides all our needs!

I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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1 Thessalonian Bits – 4:13

2026-07-26
A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

We are entering into one the most popular passages referred to in the New Testament. The following passage speaks of the pretribulational rapture of the saints which happens at the beginning of the seven year great tribulation. The great tribulation is a period of tremendous persecution of the Christian church, with the Lord Jesus coming back at the end of the seven year’s. During this time, the anti-christ appears and the revived Roman empire rises up, eventually ending with the Chinese army crossing over the dried up Euphrates, in order to battle at Armageddon.

At least that is how I use to speak of this passage, but as I read the New Testament, I found our verse this morning becoming specifically applicable to yours truly, for I was severely uninformed. As Paul spoke to a small church 2 millennia ago, he spoke to me also.

Paul opens up this passage due to the pain the believers were experiencing in having lost brothers in the congregation to death. As a first generation church, newly born into Christ just years after the resurrection of the Savior, there may have been an expectation in the church that wasn’t being realized.

Let me postulate. Given the history of the resurrection, some may have expected the same three day “turnaround” for the brothers. Three days in the grave/tomb, and the brothers would be lifted out of death. Could this have been the expectation of some in the church?

As we now know, the believer will not be raised bodily until Jesus comes back, with the intermittent time between death and bodily resurrection being at home with the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

But I am veering from the core message of this verse.

Paul was aiming to help the believers “not grieve as others who have no hope”. Paul is blunt. Those without Christ have no hope. Those in Christ have hope. This fact alone makes it possible for the believer to experience a different grief at the death of a fellow believer.

The difference? The hope we have in Jesus. As we work our way through the remaining portion of chapter 4, Paul addresses this young churches understanding of the end times in a way that speaks to the churches grieving. He is working pastorally, teaching them of their joining together with their brothers at the same time they join with the Lord Himself.

For those who have lost a loved one in Christ, there is comfort in this passage. We will join with the Master and our brothers at a point in time chosen by our Father. We will all be around the Messiah, as we should be, and there will be joy and rejoicing for all the marvelous work He has done to save our lives, our souls, our loved ones.

May we be patient in our faith, and look to Him for direction and comfort, even as we may loose a loved one in the Lord.

We will be reunited!
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Let Me Tell You a Story – Focus

2026-07-25
My wife and I are on vacation and attended a church service on Sunday, visiting a popular congregation in the city I am in. The worship time was great, and the people were so friendly. It promised to be a good Sunday.

The preacher man got up, and provided the following passages to consider for the morning.

Isaiah 9:2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.

Isaiah 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.
Isaiah 42:2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street;
Isaiah 42:3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.
Isaiah 42:4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.

He finished with Isaiah 11

Isaiah 11:1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.

Now I provide these passages to my reader up front, for it seems obvious to me that the unifying topic of the morning’s message would be the Lord Jesus and His ministry while on earth. This might be a good message.

This preacher man then proceeded to completely ignore the fulfillments provided by the New Testament (see below) and speak of subjective prophecies that had been “spoken over” various ministries or building programs the church organization had pursued.

He was loud, somewhat erratic and eventually political in his message. The intent of the message, if I understood it properly, was that subjective promises spoken over certain situations would be fulfilled by God, though there may be many many disappointments along the way, as long as the subject held on.

Now some who may be reading may question me for seemingly deprecating this man’s exhortation to exercise faith. That is not my message. Is faith important in the Christian life? Absolutely. It is the channel through which we lay hold the promises of God. But as I left the church, I sensed that the congregant’s faith was being directed to subjective, possibly selfish, promises that could not be specifically found in the Word of God, nor supported by the will of God.

When a believer is distracted from the Word, even for “good” intentions, and pursues a promise “as if from God”, delivered by an experience, a Christian leader or a “prophet” of God, the believer is translating his faith from the objective Word to a subjective promise, all the while associating that promise with God. Many times I wonder if God is involved in the slightest!

One possible outcome of this situation is that when the promise is not fulfilled, God is blamed, and a consequence may be the believer’s faith is diminished or possibly destroyed.

One other possibility is that when the promise is fulfilled, (through the providence of God or the manipulation of man), the believer is encouraged to ignore the Word and depend on the subjective prophecy. This too is a dangerous road to venture down.

My wife and I have been to a number of churches in the recent years, as we travel and visit friends and family, and have found that there is a certain element within Christendom that pursues this path of faith. I fear for those who are directed away from the Word of God, even as they may use it for their own purposes.

This preacher man, as he loudly read the passages above, could claim he referred to the Word, since he read large swaths of the text. But as he read the passages, he then ignored the amazing fulfillment of each prophecy in the Lord Jesus Christ, in order to prop up subjective experiences.

Oh, and did I mention how loud he was? Was he ever loud! It was as if the truthfulness of his message was dependent on the volume of his voice. I wanted to suggest he reread Isaiah 42:2, where the Word speaks of lifting up his voice, but I didn’t.

It just seemed to be of no importance! After all, he had already read the passage out loud to the congregation. It seemed to be enough for this preacher man.

New Testament fulfillment of Isaiah Prophecies

Isaiah 9:2 is fulfilled in Matthew 4:16

Matthew 4:14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
Matthew 4:15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles–
Matthew 4:16 the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”

Isaiah 42 passage is fulfilled in Matthew 12

Matthew 12:18 “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
Matthew 12:19 He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
Matthew 12:20 a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory;
Matthew 12:21 and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

Isaiah 11 passage is fulfilled in

Romans 15:12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.”

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion

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Names of God – HE WHO STRUCK DOWN GREAT KINGS – 298

2026-07-24
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.

The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.

The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.

May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.

HE WHO STRUCK DOWN GREAT KINGS

Psalm 136:17 to him who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;

We are in a psalm this morning that has the constant refrain of “for His steadfast love endures forever”. The psalmist begins with statements of praise toward the Lord, the God of God’s and the Lord of Lords, and transitions to the mighty acts of creation for 6 verses, each act of creation displaying His steadfast love.

Starting in verse nine, the psalmist focuses his description of the steadfast love of God to the nation of Israel, and how He brought the family of Abraham out of slavery and through the Red Sea.

All the previous statements regarding God’s works may be considered positive and generally a blessing. That is until verse 15, where the psalmist speaks of “shaking off”, or overthrowing the Pharoah of Egypt. The psalmist them continues speaking of those who had to be “dealt with” in order to establish and protect His new nation.

Dealing with a nation in our verse speaks of striking down great kings. Remember that when a king is struck down, the people he ruled over fall into turmoil. Sometimes the turmoil is minor, and sometimes it is a major upheaval in the nations life. Consider Egypt. Their history after the exodus was impacted greatly. For those kings that were not compliant with God’s will, they also fell and the people associated with the king suffered.

How can the psalmist claim that God’s steadfast love endures forever, when the action includes secondary impacts that are detrimental to those around the nation?

Two thoughts come to mind.

Those who opposed God and His will suffered due to their refusal to join into the work of God. Many times in the history of Israel we find a foreigner being accepted into the nation of Israel, avoiding judgement and falling under the covenantal blessing of God. Rahab is an example.

Though the psalmist is focusing on the nation of Israel, and how God has acted in the formation and continuation of the nation of Israel, the psalmist takes an interesting turn as the passage closes. The last few verses do not use the term “Israel”, but describes those who…
- were of a low estate,
- were helpless (rescued from foes)
- receive food from Him (gives food to all flesh)
The psalmist spends time narrowing down on the acts of God specifically for the nation of Israel, but finishes with God’s general “steadfast love” for all.

Our selfish “my kingdom” reactions to the will of God may place us on the hurting side of life, but the steadfast love of God endures forever.

HE WHO STRUCK DOWN GREAT KINGS is still on the move throughout the earth, conquering each man’s will, taking out those who oppose His will, and offering forgiveness through manifold and multiple opportunities for those who will be of a low estate, willing to admit their helplessness and receive the good news of a God who STRUCK DOWN GREAT KINGS, even our greatest enemy, death and destruction.

Let us remember the priorities of our God. He is a long term Planner and intermediate impacts along the way (that are surely difficult for our sensitivities), should not consume our perspective.

He is One whose steadfast love endures forever!

I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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Conditional Security – Hebrews 10:26-31 – C

2026-07-23
Hebrews 10:26-31

26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
Hebrews 10:27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.
Hebrews 10:28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.
Hebrews 10:29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?
Hebrews 10:30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”
Hebrews 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified,

Who is the subject of this passage? This is the common question that seems to be the lynchpin of this passage. It all centers around the identification of who “he” is

There are three possibilities to consider.

A Professor

The passage is describing the person who has joined the church out of curiosity, one who has not become a true believer but has joined the group externally through actions and rule keeping, not internally, by faith and love.

This identification hinges on other passages outside of the book of Hebrews, where a person is considered “sanctified” but is obviously a non-believer.

A popular example is in 2 Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 7:13-14 If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is made holy (sanctified) because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy (sanctified) because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy (sanctified).

This example raises a number of questions in my mind, but since we are in Hebrews this morning, I will leave this passage for my reader to consider on their own.

A Possessor

The passage is describing the person who has joined the body out of a repentance of sin, of acknowledging the person of Jesus as the expected Messiah, and is living as organic member of the congregation.

I suppose identifying the one “sanctified” as a true believer finds support in the passage itself, with the author including himself in the audience, when he offers the phrase “If we sin willfully..”

Also, within the book of Hebrews, we find the author repeatedly referring to believers as sanctified.

Hebrews 2:11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers,
Hebrews 10:10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Hebrews 10:14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
Hebrews 13:12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.

The Christ

Both of the previous identifications take the “he” as being a member (in some way) of the church. There is the possibility the One who was sanctified by the blood was the Christ Himself.

Consider the Messiah sanctified Himself for the purpose of our sanctification.

John 17:19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

It is also interesting that of these three phrases we are looking at, this is the only one that has an additional description attached to the action.
- One who has trampled underfoot the Son of God,
- One who has profaned the blood of the covenant
  - by which he was sanctified,
- One who has outraged the Spirit of grace?
However my reader considers this passage, it does leave us with questions that may never be answered. It may be wise to hold to our understanding of this passage with velvet gloves, showing grace to those who understand differently.

Yet I cannot excape the fact that it is one of five warning passages we find in the book. When we consider the book is focused on the believers estimation of the Christ, their faith in His work, and the continuance of their faith in Him, it is difficult to image the author directs his argument to those who are unbelivers.

It may be wise to reintroduce the first phrase of the authors writing for the Hebrews.

“If we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth”

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Life of David – 41.03

2026-07-22
David’s Victories

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

3 David also defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to restore his power at the river Euphrates.
4 And David took from him 1,700 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers. And David hamstrung all the chariot horses but left enough for 100 chariots.
5 And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down 22,000 men of the Syrians.
6 Then David put garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Syrians became servants to David and brought tribute. And the LORD gave victory to David wherever he went.
7 And David took the shields of gold that were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.
8 And from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took very much bronze.

Hadadezer was shooting to expand his reign, to increase his territory. One problem was that this territory was next to king David, and David had the same goals.

Our passage speaks of a defeat that was consequential for the people of Hadadezer, and the king suffered a serious blow to his army. TI have found no information on the total size of his army, but to have 1,700 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers taken from him is likely a serious blow to Hadadezer.

But Hadadezer was not a quitter. After the defeat and humiliation David provided him, he attained the services of one of David’s other enemies, the Syrians. This alliance did not bode well for Hadadezer nor the Syrians, for David again routed the enemy, striking down 22,000

Strategically, David established outposts in the region to maintain control of the area. Also, those who came to Hadadezer became vassal states of Israel, with Hadaezer also providing “gifts” for the conquering king.

Did I mention that Hadadezer was not a quitter? We will find his name pop up in chapter 10, where he joins with the Ammonites in a coalition to defeat David.

2 Samuel 10:8 And the Ammonites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the gate, and the Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country.

Unfortunately for Hadadezer, David also was not a quitter, and as David expanded his kingdom, Hadadezer, and all who joined him in his efforts to hold back David, became victims to the unrelenting success of this king of Israel. Unrelenting, for there was no stopping David in his pursuit of expansion.

6 …. And the LORD gave victory to David wherever he went.

There are those who will succeed no matter what is thrown at them. Certain men or women that seemingly cannot be stopped in their pursuits. Some are unstoppable simply due to their selfish desires, fueled by an unconquerable will power, and the allowance of God. Some are led by God into victories for a temporal purpose, to provide safety and success for their people and to display a picture of a future event in the providence of God.

But there is One who has been chosen to be the Ultimate King, One who was completely successful in establishing His Kingdom, is unstoppable in expanding His ecclesia, and offers all His citizens the perfection of safety and success .

His battles were not fought as any other king, and His victories were not anticipated by the powerful. His methods of conquering those who fought against Him were completely unconventional. He had no supporting armies in His strategies, other than the guidance of His Father, and the strength given Him by the Spirit.

His name is Jesus and He is the unstoppable, unrelenting King of all of creation, head of the church!

Colossians 1:15-18 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

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Song Squawk – FLYING

2026-07-21
In the mid nineties, I had a little red Buick and a big ol’ bass box in the trunk, and would listen to “Christian Rock”, cranked to 11.

(What did you say? Huh? Can you say that again, I didn’t hear you….)

I have gotten away from that genre for many reasons, the least of which may be a loss of hearing, but some songs have stuck with me over the decades.

The artist’s I listened to sought to reflect Scriptural teaching for the most part. They ranged from “preaching” pop culture religion to significant theological teaching. As I listened to the lyrics, I found some to be quite challenging.

To be honest, I listened because I could justify the rock beat with “sanctified lyrics”.

Occassionaly I will post a song, supply the lyrics and make a comment or two. If you decide to listen to the tune, turn the speaker down unless you are already deaf. Some of the songs tend to have a certain “volume” about them!

This post will consider the song

Flying – by Grammatrain

Last night I dreamt a strange, peculiar dream
A child slept underneath a great bird’s wing
Laid on the ground where warmth was found
Until he woke and crawled away on hands and knees

Flying in my dream
Flying in my dream

A snake told stories to the child untrue
The child bent down and felt its poison tooth
Started to die, the bird did fly
Swallowed the snake to save the child, and then he died

Flying in my dream
Flying in my dream

The dead bird laid, for three whole days
Then spread its wings and flew away

I woke up early while the sun still slept
This strange dream circulating in my head
Stared at the ceiling, pondered its meaning
The dream would not leave me although I left my bed

Flying in my dream
Flying in my dream

The dead bird laid, for three whole days
Then spread its wings and flew away

In my dream
In my dream
My dream

Take a listen!

Let me know what you think of the lyrics, and of the tunes!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion

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Jesus in the Old Testament – Daniel – 13

2026-07-20
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.

I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.

SEEING JESUS IN

Daniel

Vindication by God

Daniel 6:25-26 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end.

1 Timothy 3:16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

To be saved out of a terrible situation is one thing. Daniel was protected by God until the morning when the rope dropped down to pull him out from amongst the lions. The king, his closest servants and the guards at the pit witnessed this deliverance of God.

It all could have ended with Daniel being rescued from death, with the gossip mill spreading a story in the palace. Eventually the story may spread amongst the locals, resulting in some twisted narrative being repeated, eventually watered down and relegated to a fable.

But this was not to be. Daniel was unjustly accused, convicted and condemned by the government he served faithfully. Immediately after Daniels deliverance, the King wrote a decree, declaring Daniel’s vindication. The king informed the entire empire that all the charges against Daniel were wrong and that the God of Daniel was the True and Living God.

Daniel was vindicated by God and the king before all the empire. He was delivered from certain death by His God, and was vindicated before all the people by the king.

Is this not an incredible picture of the resurrection of Jesus? Jesus entered death defamed, that He was a criminal, a rebel rouser, a revolutionary and worthy of death. His resurrection was God’s public vindication that He is the True and Living Savior of all mankind, that He is Who He said He was. The story that was used to condemn Him was a lie, and all the people would find out!

The resurrection provided clear and abundant proof of Jesus’ identity, of His mission and of His claims being based in truth. Jesus was vindicated before all of creation, being brought back from the dead.

To be vindicated. To be proven right after condemned. Yes, both Daniel and Jesus were publicly vindicated, but only Jesus was vindicated through a physical resurrection, with the message spreading even until this day.

Jesus is the King, and He is the Lord.

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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1 Thessalonian Bits – 4:12

2026-07-19
A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 4:12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

Paul is summing up the topic of brotherly love he started a few verses back, and naturally his thoughts flow towards those whom we rub shoulders with in our day to day lives. Our witness before those outside of the church.

Paul speaks of this many many times in his writings, for those outside of the church don’t know (and don’t care) about the intricacies of our faith, of our doctrines and of our internal debates. All of that is for the Body to handle and if we are obeying the Master in relating to one another per the New Testament commands, the impact will be beyond the family of God and towards those outside of the faith.

As an aside, I found a great site that freely provided the “One Another” commands graphic to the left. Check it out – https://overviewbible.com

To return to this verse, Paul is speaking of the result of the believers obedience to verse 11 commands. (Note the “so that” link at the start of the verse.)

What were those three commands?
1. Aspire to live quietly
2. Mind your own affairs
3. Work with your hands
Three commands that enable us to walk properly before outsiders. Without these traits, no matter how great our message is, (and it is great!), we are not enabled properly to approach or witness of any work of God in our lives.

Boisterous, nosy and lazy believers bring nothing to the table in presenting a godly lifestyle for those watching from outside of the Body. I firmly believe those outside of the church are all from Missouri – the show me state – for they want to be shown a life that is desirable, peaceful, loving and giving.

Who can argue against that?

It is interesting that though Paul summarizes the three “tasks” of the previous verse for believers to exhibit before those outside of the church, he goes on with a specific requirement for those in the church. Be dependent on no one. Surely he is breaching the topic of a believers dependence on those outside of the church. But Paul – you have already told them to work with their own hands. Now telling them to not be dependent on anyone? Are you beating a dead horse here?

This topic is not the only time Paul addressed this trait amongst the Thessalonians. One of my wife’s favorite verses, as we raised our kids and developed thier work ethic was in Paul’s second letter to this church

2 Thessalonians 3:10b ….If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.

What is going on with these saints? Was there a tendency amongst the saints to depend on government handouts? Is this a common problem for the modern day saint? Do you know some saints afraid of a good day’s work, preferring a life of leisure, willing to abuse state handouts and government “gifts”? An ol’ Jewish man once told me – “With shekels, come shackels.” Depending on government assistance removes God from the position of provider in the saint’s life. I firmly believe that depending on government assistance is a costly, possibly deadly, decision.

I personally have not met many believers who openly depend on the government for a handout, but I have witnessed many believers that are in the habit of constantly expressing their needs. It is this challenge or that expense that they are “waiting on God” for. Though the family of God is called to bear each other’s burdens, each blessing can be abused. I have personally witnessed many that have become highly skilled with manipulation strategies seeking support to live off the Body. ‘Nuff said.

With my little rant over, I would end with the admonition for each believer to reach those outside the church as Paul has provided guidance. That guidance included the goal to live quietly, to mind our own affairs, and to work with our hands. Out of this foundational lifestyle, we can bring to the table a life changing message for the unbeliever to consider. This is the saints proper walk towards those outside of the church. We have much to give, and no need to depend on those who know not the Lord.
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Psalms for Psome – Ps 76.04

2026-07-18
My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.

This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.

I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.

Psalm 76:10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise you; the remnant of wrath you will put on like a belt.
Psalm 76:11 Make your vows to the LORD your God and perform them; let all around him bring gifts to him who is to be feared,
Psalm 76:12 who cuts off the spirit of princes, who is to be feared by the kings of the earth.

Our passage this morning is closing on some great truths, but to bring us to this point, lets remember some of the context.

The psalm was written due to a great victory by the Lord over the enemies of Israel, most likely the Assyrian army as it proceeded with a massive invasion of the nation, and the eventual, imminent destruction of Jerusalem. The Assyrian army was on the threshold of entering Jerusalem, the City of the Great King, having starved the city and suffered the mockery of thier God of Israel as spewed forth by Sennacherib’s representative.

Out of the mouth of Hezekiah came forth a prayer to a God that Sennacherib didn’t understand.

2 Kings 19:14 -19

Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD and spread it before the LORD.
And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said: “O LORD, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made the heavens and the earth.
Incline your ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God.
Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands
and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed.
So now, O LORD our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O LORD, are God alone.”

Asaph, the author of this psalm describes the Lord as a lion, using a word in an earlier verse that is typically used for a den, or a lair lions resort to. It is a striking picture of a lion crouching in his den, waiting to pounce on a it’s victim. Little did the Assyrian commander understand who was in the city!

Sennacherib’s anger, even his wrath against the God of Israel, his disdain and mockery, brought about great praise of God within the City of Jerusalem.

Get this in your mind. Sennacherib and his army were the greatest power in the known world. They had decimated every town and city they touched, and Jerusalem was one more city for thier consumption. Yet, even fueled by this unholy anger towards the God of Israel, and powered by the largest army on the threshold of Israel, Senacherib was not above the call to fear God.

Senacherib was humbled, with his pride crushed, and God was lifted up.

Asaph mentions the fear of God twice in the last two verses, specifically instructing the kings of the earth. The victory of God, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, as He pounced on the Assyrian army that fateful night, not only humbled this proud man but provided instruction for the proud king, and all who would mock our God. Fear, for the Lion of the Tribe of Judah is alive and well, having conquered not only human enemies, but the greatest enemy of all humans. He rose from a cruel death, to ever be the King.

All are wise to fear the Mighty Lion of the Tribe of Judah!
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Names of God – HE WHO STRETCHES OUT THE HEAVENS – 297

2026-07-17
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.

The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.

The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.

May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.

HE WHO STRETCHES OUT THE HEAVENS

Isaiah 40:22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;

It was a few days back when we considered this verse, but in relation to the name of God being HE WHO SITS ABOVE THE CIRCLE OF THE EARTH.

As a refresher, Isaiah is speaking to the people of God as he compares their God with the idols they have chased after. In this passage, and specifically with this name. Isaiah provides a picture of One who stretches out the heavens.

Though the ancients didn’t have telescopes, radar satellites, or rockets into space, they did spend time under the stars. The life of the ancient Hebrew was not a life of ignorance regarding the heavens, for they spent much more time under the stars than the average modern. We may talk of light years, and galaxies beyond any distance we can comprehend, but the ancients, dare I say, comprehended the skies even as we do. With our eyes. And our minds, as much as possible.

Ask yourself – what is a light year? What impact is that on your life? Dare I say that one night under the stars, will communicate the vastness of the heavens better than a number that cannot be comprehended.

As some may know, I am an early bird, waking in the morning before 5 always, and sometimes before that. If it isn’t a work day, and I have the opportunity, I will venture outside to get in my hammock, and simply star gaze with the naked eye. The longer I stare, the greater the mystery of the heavens, the beauty of the stars, and the littleness of me. Stargazing is a very humbling experience!

How could Isaiah explain this other than to speak of the act of stretching out the heavens as a merely human activity, as if the wife was stretching the curtain over the window. A seemingly effortless task, and that is the point. Isaiah is describing a God who is not worn out by this impossible to imagine task, but completes it as if it was the simply pull of a curtain.

One additional item occurs to me. Isaiah mentioned our God stretches out the heavens, as if it was a current action on behalf of the Lord. Did he understand the idea of an expanding universe? Is this another incidence that the prophet spoke a truth that he may not have even understood in his day? The Scriptures are wild, and to find these nuggets of truth buried in the Word is truly a blessing to consider.

Let us be thankful to HE WHO STRETCHES OUT THE HEAVENS, for His mighty creative work, and the sacrificial blood He spilt for our lives. He is an incredible God that we will never be able to fully understand, or come close fathoming His incredible love for us.

I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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Conditional Security – Hebrews 10:26-31 – B

2026-07-16
Hebrews 10:26-31

26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
Hebrews 10:27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.
Hebrews 10:28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.
Hebrews 10:29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?
Hebrews 10:30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”
Hebrews 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Last we visited on this passage, I had provided some background to the passage and my current understanding that this passage was intended for those who had entered into following after the Messiah. The author himself, most assuredly a believer, includes himself in the warning.

For the next three posts on this passage, I hope to consider each of the phrases the author provides in expanding his understanding of “sinning willfully”.

A very serious condition that has dire consequences!

trampled underfoot the Son of God

To be trampled underfoot. It seems obvious the intended meaning, that the object being trampled underfoot is that which is spurned, treated with with rudeness, disrespect and neglect.

This term is used elsewhere in the New Testament and is helpful in considering the impact of our authors intent.

Matthew 5:13 You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

Jesus Himself used this term in His teaching, and this first verse provided indicates the worth associated with anything that is trampled underfoot. It is “good for nothing” other than to be thrown out and trampled under foot.

To be trampled underfoot is an expression of worth. Specifically, it is the estimated worth of an object in the minds of those considering it.

Matthew 7:6 Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

The true value and the estimated value of an object can be radically different amongst those considering it. In this verse, the true value of the object is precious, holy and likened to pearls. The estimated value is worthlessness in the way it is used, or distributed. The holy was distributed to the unholy.

And what was the reaction? The holy object was trampled underfoot by the unholy. The unholy also estimated the value to be of no value. But with the unholy, they not only trampled underfoot the holy, they turned on the one who did not estimate the object as holy, and protect it from abuse. They cast the holy to the unholy. And because of this error in estimating the value of the object, the unholy turned on them.

Consider this in relation to our passage in Hebrews.

The verse speaks of a judgement, even by the unholy, on the one who initially did not estimate the true value of a holy object.

Our author asks..

How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God.

In our earlier verse, it was the unholy performing the judgement. In the passage of Hebrews, we face the Holy One in the punishment.

The trampling underfoot is a severe estimation of worthlessness of the object, and this estimation of worthlessness brings consequences.

But the object in our verse in not some precious commodity, or some costly truth, or a valuable piece of wisdom, but the very Person of the Christ. Not an object with holiness assigned to it, but the very Holy One, the Person who embodies and provides the standard of holiness.

He is the One who has given everything to rescue us. What a complete and utter failure to estimate the true worth of Him, which will take an eternity to understand.

May we trample underfoot every effort, thought or action in our lives that would diminish our estimation of Him who is Holy.

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you would like to receive daily posts from Considering the Bible, click on the “Follow” link below
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Prayers of an ol’ fool – Praise Alone

2026-07-15
Psalm 34:6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.

As many who follow may know, I have had the privilege to know the Lord for over 40 years. During those decades, He has proved Himself to be a faithful, kind and loving Savior. And as I have learned to lean on Jesus, He has shown Himself to be a merciful Savior, never wavering, even in some very dark times.

This topical series will try to provide a snapshot of an ol’ fools prayers, the weakness and selfishness of his prayers, and the ever increasing goodness of God in His responses the those prayers.

I hope my witness to the goodness and faithfulness of God will be an encouragement to those reading, and will spur us all on to a deeper, more consistent time of being in the Lord’s presence.

Please visit with me as I tell the story of a faithful God and His care for an ol’ fool. Though David considered himself a poor man, I freely admit, I am just an “ol’ fool” looking to the Lord.

Praise Alone

Three in the morning, on a quiet street in London Ontario. Not a vehicle on the streets, and I was out doing my newspaper deliveries, waiting for my firstborn to enter the world.

It was a great job for a young married man, who was in transition, not knowing where to go or what to do for God. I had been in school for a degree program in the Architectural discipline when I met my future wife, and subsequently the Savior Jesus Christ.

Everything turned upside down, or should I say everything turned itself right side up. Leaving my degree program, I found myself walking the streets delivering over 400 newspapers every night of the week, spending my time memorizing the Word and being quiet.

Looking back on those days, they were great, and I am thankful the Lord placed me in that position. The work only required a couple-three hours each night, and I could spend the remainder of the day with my wife, establishing our family. I had read in the book of Deuteronomy of the importance of that first year with the wife. I can attest to the blessing!

Deuteronomy 24:5 “When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or be liable for any other public duty. He shall be free at home one year to be happy with his wife whom he has taken.

But I am getting sidetracked to the purpose of this post, for that night in London at 3:00 am, as I walked about those lonely streets carrying 80 pounds of papers, I began to thank God for His working in our lives, for His direction, for His salvation. Then it slipped from being simply thankful for what He has done for us, and for me specifically, to praising Him for who He is.

This shift in prayer was not a part of some scheduled required exercise as a disciple, but one of the purest times of praise to the God above that I had ever entered into as a young believer. I don’t recall asking for anything, asking for anyone, asking asking asking. My prayer of praise slipped from thankfulness for things in my life, my experience, my needs being fulfilled, my my my, into simply considering who our God is, and His amazing character, His spotless life, His complete abandonment for His people, His entering into a life of poverty and trial, His fight to get on the cross and to provide a totally selfless sacrifice for those who loved and hated Him.

That night was a foretaste of being before the throne someday. Nothing ’bout me, all ’bout Him.

As it should be!

Thanks for joining and Considering The Bible with me. Your thoughts are always welcome, and I look forward to hearing of the faithfulness of God in your lives.
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Pay for Pew – Leviticus 27:30-32

2026-07-14
As believers, we are called by God to follow after Jesus in all our actions and attitudes. How we relate to money in included in our following after Him.

As mentioned in my introduction to this series, my family and I have been impacted a number of times in our church attendance by what appears to be the pull of money on church leadership. During our Christian pilgrimage, a number of churches, through thier leadership, have made decisions that directly impacted our status within the body of believers.

Some of these instances provided us reason to dig into the Word, to find correction in our own personal relationship to money, to try to understand the wisdom of a church leader’s decision, and in the end to apply God’s will for our own finances.

Little did we know the tremendously corrosive power the love of money has over our own hearts, and by extrapolation, the church as a whole. This should not surprise the believer for Paul provided a harsh truth on this topic.

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Alternately, the writer of Hebrews also provided no better command, (and for some believer’s no harder command) than found in Hebrews 13.

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Many of our experiences have included the topic of tithing in the church. Personally, our denominational background considers tithing to be Biblically mandated on the New Testament believer. I understand many denominations consider tithing to be an important commmittment of the believers relationship to the church body.

Let’s take a look at this topic, and consider each passage that contains a reference to tithing.

This post will consider Leviticus 27:30-32

30 “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the LORD’s; it is holy to the LORD. 31 If a man wishes to redeem some of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it. 32 And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman’s staff, shall be holy to the LORD.

A lot of water has passed under the bridge between our last instance of tithing and this particular reference. To be fair, there are some believers that may include Jacob in his reference to giving 10 percent as an example of tithing prior to the giving of the law.

Genesis 28:22 and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”

I have left the passage out, for it was a promise from a negotiator, a business man seeking an edge. The Word does not indicate he followed through. Jacob made a vow, but it rings of an effort to give if he gets.

I love how he vows a full tenth. That is cute! Pass on that example.

It is somewhat amazing that a cardinal teaching such as tithing in the modern church finds so little support prior to the law being given, the sacrifices established, the priesthood being ordained and the nation being established in the land of promise. Of course one instance of a clear command is sufficient for the believer to heed unto, yet so far, that command has not been evident.

Let’s see how we fare with this passage in Leviticus.

It has been over 400 years since the prior incident with Abram, when he conquered a victorious army to bring back his nephew, and meeting up with the King of Salem. Mighty momentous times for Abram, and an offering of 10% of his plunder may be considered a perfectly acceptable offering to the God who provided the victory. (PS I think Melchizedek was Jesus!)

400 years have passed, with the establishment of the nation of Israel, based on the covenant “cut” on Mount Sinai between God and His nation. At this time, tithing becomes a teaching that attains to the status of a command.

Under this covenant, which included animal sacrifice, the existence of the tabernacle and the ordination of a priestly class, (many of which could own no land), God’s people were commanded to tithe.

As an aside, I recently asked myself about the way of life for the ancient Israelite, especially in regards to the taxation he suffered under. Back at my computer, and try as I might, I can’t seem to find the term tax or taxation in the Old Testament, nor the concept of taxation until we get to the kings of Israel.

God warned them that a king would exact a “taxation” and that it would be burdensome. He counselled them to not ask for a king. But they did, and they acquired a tax burden like they had never experienced.

So if there was no taxation prior to the era of the kings, how did the priests support themselves. They had no land, and their major skill was butchery, the slaying of animals. Thankfully they could consume some of the offering, and some of the fruits and seeds were available for them. So was the tithe established to support the priests of Israel in their work for the people before God? Is that a fair assumption?

Seed or Fruit

Verse 30 speaks of tithing the seed or fruit of the land. But it is interesting that God does not make a command, but states “every tithe of the land” implying that any tithe given should be given in this manner. Or might it be better to consider that the phrase does not say “every piece of land” is to be tithed of it’s seed or fruit. Is there a difference? I will let my reader consider.

But consider being directed by this passage at harvest season. What if the land produced both seed bearing plants and fruit bearing trees. Seeds and fruit. Now how is the Hebrew to tithe that? Base it on the square acreage, the percent of land covered by the trees as opposed to the plants, then prorate the 10% tithe based on the coverage of the trees as compared to the plants on the land? And what if the trees produced much but the plants withered? Too many arguments to muddy the water!

In all of this the motivation to tithe is the kicker. The tithe, (however the details were worked out) was holy unto the Lord. This seemingly minor phrase is the hinge point for the obedient Hebrew.

If the tithe is the Lord’s and it is holy, no faithful Hebrew will seek to find excuses or reasons as this author did above. He would gladly provide his tithe, and provide enough to safely satisfy the intent of the command, and not argue with the law as I did previously. (Am I not the worst?)

To tithe of the seed and the fruit is to tithe of the future goods the farmer needs to continue in his life. It is an expression of obedience, and an expression of his faith in a God who provides.

As the risk of appearing as a hard nosed literalist, it is good to recognize that the tithe consisted of seed and fruit. It was not the assined value of the seed or fruit converted into a denarius or shekel. The faithful Hebrew was to bring food stuffs to the tabernacle, and later by extension to the temple. Food stuffs. That minor fact might be important later on.

Redemption

Now this one was unexpected when I first read it. When a faithful Jew provided his tithe, the Lord gives the option to recover it. A bit of a price to add to it, being a 20% markup, and it would be certainly a strange occurrence to redeem a basket of fruit or a sack of seeds. But the next verse may give a clue as to the reason this particular practice was allowed.

Herd or Flock

The faithful Jew was to provide the best of his herd and flock. This is the message of the Old Testament, and we often consider the spotless lamb as the typical perfect sacrifice for the Hebrew to bring for one of the required sacrifices.

For tithing, it is a different. This tithe was indescriminate. If a herdsman were to tithe, the method of choosing the tithed animal was to let the herd pass under a staff. The tenth animal was to be the tithe. Pure chance. The best or the worst animal, if it passed as the tenth animal under the staff was to be chosen.

Consider a man with nine sheep. No tithe required. Ten sheep? One is to be offered as the tithe, a true 10%. Nineteen sheep. The herdsman provides one of his nineteen sheep, or 5.2% of his herd. The rate of tithing was varying, and not a simple 10% portion of the flock. That is until the herdsman approaches massive flocks. At that point, the tithe approaches an exact 10%.

But consider the herdsman that loves a specific sheep. Let me offer a case in point.

My wife and I have a couple goats and one of them (Sir Poopsalot!) is her favorite. If we had eleven goats, and we were under this covenant, and as our herd passed under the staff, and Sir Poopsalot was chosen, my wife would gladly pay the 20% extra to redeem that stubborn, entertaining, silly goat.

This command, or maybe I might better describe it as an allowance, exhibits the mercy of God in the law. He considers our frailties, our emotions and connections we have in our lives, provides allowances to minimize unnecessary hurt as the believer obeys.

I can’t help but close this short study on the tithe command of the old covenant with the consistency of the Messiah’s mercy as He spoke of His yoke.

Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

This is the same God who provided an allowance in the regulated tithing, that has also expressed His severe mercy in the giving of His life for all.

He has rescued us from the old covenant and provided us life in Him. Could it get any better than that? He is so good!
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1 Thessalonian Bits -4:11

2026-07-13
A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

As with Philippians I am going to limit each post to one verse, and hopefully produce a short, succinct read for my friends who follow.

1 Thessalonians 4:11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you,

I admit it. I am not a showy evangelist, one who can enter a room and start preaching the gospel, sharing my faith easily and with abandon. I struggle with that image in my mind, and my nature is one of some reservation.

I have spent years seeking to find ways to share the gospel, from door knocking, asking surveys, and handing out tracts. None of it seemed natural, and though I take the command to evangelize seriously, it is definitely not my gift.

That is where a verse like todays provides some comfort for an ol’ fool like me.

Three commands encourage me. Let me work it out for us.

aspire to live quietly

I am a relatively quiet man, (except when my grandbabies are around!) When Paul speaks of aspiring, it has the intent of ambition in this term. As believers, we can be ambitious to be quiet, which seems to be a contradiction in terms in our modern society. We are often told to be ambitious, do things is a big way, to “show off” and enter the competition of life.

Paul seems to think otherwise. Be ambitious to lead a quiet, godly life before the Lord. Seek the quiet, rest in the silence, exhibit a calmness that is the fruit of being before Him quietly.

There are times when I fear our modern faith is dependent on entertainment, action, activity and commotion. Granted, much of this is the impact of our modern society, with a constant barrage of news, movies, videos, television and internet bombarding our eyes, yet Paul speaks of a quiet life.

A quiet life, where our hearts and minds are at rest, and our lives exhibit this truth. Even when I git ’round those grandbabies!

mind your own affairs

Some may tell the evangelist, of which I am not, to mind your own business. This is the throwing of a Biblical command into the face of a believer who is following after the Lord. What a diversion the enemy has in this!

To mind our own affairs is not addressing those who are gifted in the work of winning souls, but in the gossippy lifestyle of those who always are correcting others while they ignore their own issues.

You know the type. Those who interfere in other’s lives unnecessarily, judge others constantly, or spread stories (known as gossip) to those who have no power to remedy any situation.

We all have fallen victim to this type of “busybody”, but that is the course of life we live. The issue is that Paul is telling believers to be concerned with our own lives before the Lord, and not to dwell on other’s apparent failings.

We have enough to deal with. Focus on our lives before the Lord, and let our brother or sister do the same. Getting involved unnecessarily may only distract from an issue in our own life.

I say unnecessarily due to the teaching that is throughout the Word regarding the “one another” lives we are to live. We are to love one another, encourage one another, exhort one another. All of these commands beckon us to be involved with our brothers, and as life rears it’s head in areas of weakness, we are to humbly visit with our brother or sister, knowing we are prone to falling, and offer assistance.

Galatians 6:1-2 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

We need the wisdom of the Lord, and a humbleness that is not of our own heart.

work with your hands

I like to use a hammer, and if you give me a shovel, I can be happy for hours. I don’t know what it is about mixing concrete in a wheelbarrow, or planting a tree with a spade, but I like it! I like it alot!

Nevertheless, for Paul to tell the Thessalonians to work with their own hands, might have rubbed them a bit the wrong way, for it was common thinking in their day (and ours) that to avoid manual labor is a sign of success.

To sit behind a desk and to bark orders to underlings is considered by many to be the goal, to signify success, and to show worth of person.

Paul says to work with our hands. Manual labor. Consider our Savior. A carpenter. The apostles, many of which were mere fishermen. And the one writing to the Thessalonians? A tent maker.

It seems God is not offended by His people working manual labor. If I read Paul right, God may prefer manual labor to be an important part of the believers life.

One thing I do know. There is a certain satisfaction in working with my hands. And one thing that occurs to me is that when I am working with my hands, my interfering, gossipy mouth seems to be less active.

Amazing!
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Psalms for Psome – Ps 76.03

2026-07-12
My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.

This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.

I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.

Psalm 76:7 But you, you are to be feared! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused?
Psalm 76:8 From the heavens you uttered judgment; the earth feared and was still,
Psalm 76:9 when God arose to establish judgment, to save all the humble of the earth. Selah

Jerusalem was a den for the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. As the Assyrian commander taunted the king, and threatened the City of the Lord’s people, we saw Asaph describing the city as a den for the Lord, not unlike a den for a lion, ready to pounce on a hapless victim. I think the picture Asaph paints in the passages before is awesome, showing a personal link with the Lord of creation.

But Asaph goes from what might appear to be a tribal, local deity protecting a city state to the truth of who this Lion is that has roared.

Asaph no longer is describing a God that is relegated to a small city, a local protector of a geographical region or a God who is concerned with a tribal power structure. No – not at all, for these verses speak of our God uttering judgement from the heavens, and the result was that the earth feared and stood still.

He clarifies one additional point. He isn’t there to protect the proud and arrogant. Those who by their religion feel they have a right to this protection, that they have all the right rules and practices, and because of this will be protected. No – Asaph clears that up for us also. The Lord is the One who will save all the humble of the earth. That is His goal. Now if some in a city are protected though they be proud, that may be considered collateral “blessing”, but make no mistake about the goal of the Lord.

Psalm 76:9 when God arose to establish judgment, to save all the humble of the earth. Selah

One more point at the danger of overelaboration – Note that it is the humble of the earth, not simply those who claim a physical lineage with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. His goal is not territorial, but global.

My friend, as Asaph opened our passage this morning, consider who you fear.

Psalm 76:7 But you, you are to be feared! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused?

Asaph makes it clear that the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the heavenly God who is on the throne and is the One to be feared. If you have angered Him, (and which of us have not!) run – do not walk – to the only refuge available. The very same Lion of the Tribe of Judah has shed His own blood to provide those who hate Him with a salvation none could have imagined.

He wants to save the humble. Will you humble yourself, bend the knee to Him, confess your sin, both your acts of sin and your nature of rebellion, and turn to the Living God who walked out of a tomb?

Will you?
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Names of God – HE WHO STIRS UP THE SEA – 296

2026-07-11
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.

The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.

The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.

May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.

HE WHO STIRS UP THE SEA

Jeremiah 31:35 Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar– the LORD of hosts is his name:

It seems like forever since I published on this general set of verses back in 2020. I was addressing the outworking of Jeremiah’s prophecy of the continual existence of Israel despite the obvious destruction and decimation of the nation in AD 70.

If this seeming unfulfilled promise of God to national Israel disturbs you, or fuels your unbelief in the God of the Bible, it may be to your benefit to consider what took me 20 years to figure out. The post should only take a few minutes to read, and hopefully my explanations make some sense for those who want to understand. Anyway, venture over to Nation or Church – Jeremiah 31:35-37 if I have piqued your interest.

For our verse this morning, we want to focus in on how the Lord is called the One WHO STIRS UP THE SEA. Is this phrase simply a description of the tumult on the seas during vicious storms, how the winds and rains pummel the sea and make it a monstrous enemy for those on the sea? Is Jeremiah communicating to the saints of old the mighty power of God as demonstrated on the seas?

Yes, I want to say that is the message, and yet as I have learned in the past, the words chosen in this verse may pack more than simply a picture of the mighty power of nature.

There is a pattern in the Old Testament that represents the people of God as the “land” and the nations being the sea. A stable people as compared to a restless people. A people with foundation as compared to a people who have no support.

A few verses to review to make this point. First, let’s consider Isaiah. He speaks of the abundance of the sea as compared to the wealth of the nations. A very common Hebrew parallellism!

Isaiah 60:5 …the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.

Isaiah also likens the wicked to the foaming sea, with the mire and dirt being thrown on the shore.

Isaiah 57:20 But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt.

Again, whne Isaiah likened the wicked, or the nations to a tumultuous sea, bringing it’s filth to the land, is it not picturesque of the influence of the nations on the people of God?

Even with this very short study, we can see the connection of the nations with the sea. Might we extend that thought in our phrase we are considering? (Hang on folks, for this gets knotty!) Is the picture of the Lord stirring up the nations an accurate picture? Might we see that the Lord is active in the tumult of the world for His will to be accomplished? This is difficult stuff, but consider.

Like Jeremiah, Isaiah also describes our God as HE WHO STIRS UP THE SEA.

Isaiah 51:15 I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar– the LORD of hosts is his name.

Consider the image and the impact of his name, for we certainly see much tumult in the world today. Thankfully, we know that as the people of God, we have a refuge in Jesus, a place where confusion is absent, where peace of heart and a quiet mind can rule the life of the saint and reside in the family of God.

1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,

No matter how you see this verse in relation to the nations, let us thank God for the Savior Jesus, who is the ONE WHO STIRS UP THE SEA.

I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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Let Me Tell You a Story – Effortless

2026-07-10
I work on the eighth floor of a skyscraper in the fourth largest city of America, looking out on highways, subburbs, industrial sites, apartment buildings, parking lots, and miles of four lane highway. Restaurants line the highway, and no matter when I am at the office, there is raucous activity below me.

Horrendous traffic and related traffic accidents, firetrucks, ambulances, police cars, 18 wheelers, passenger cars, dump trucks – you get the idea!

In my office, at times it is not that dissimilar, for I am usually slammed with questions, concerns, comments, client needs, supervisor demands, people management, and all around miscellaneous emergencies.

Except for today. There was a lull, a few minutes where everything was somewhat peaceful, at least in my mind and heart. During those few minutes, I took the time to look outside and enjoy the view of the clouds in the sky. No use looking down, for I know about the highway and infrastructure – it never changes. But the clouds have always fascinated me, and I took a moment to consume thier beauty.

It was a beautiful day with a few cumulus clouds – you know the puffy ones, nice and bright white, without holding the threat of a downpour. Very perty!

And then I noticed something in the air. A large bird, easily 400 ft above ground, sailing in the air. And for some reason, this bird, this hawk or eagle, held my attention. As it kept my attention, I considered the effort it must be putting out to maintain it’s position. Yet no flapping of the wings, no struggling, no work was evident in this birds flight. It simply rode the air currents, raising and lowing at will, without a single flap of it’s wings.

And I considered. As I mentioned, when at work, I tend to push, to be on the edge, seeking efficiencies, trying to squeeze out a profit from a well drained project. At times, it seems I forget to breathe, but we all know I am exagerating when I say that!

But today, that bird, that hawk, as it glided effortlessly in circles in the bright afternoon sky, I was reminded of the air currents under the believer.

We have a God who provides the “air currents” of the Spirit for us to “relax” on, to rely on, to find support in and to carry us in our journeys.

Isaiah 40:31 but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Yes I understand the verse speaks of mounting up, and I have always considered the verse to speak of the eagles efforts being included in the “mounting up”, but for some reason, the verse speaks differently to me today.

Yes, I will continue to expend energy at my office, at my home, in my hobbies and those side hustles. Yes – that will not change, for there is much to do, but precious little time to do it.

But as that eagle was supported by invisible air currents, I can take refuge in the truth that the Lord gives support, that He provides the “air currents” needed to complete the efforts during the day.

The secret will be that in the midst of each of my daily tasks, to have a somewhat “effortless” attitude, trusting in Him for each challenge.

That bird was awesome, and the picture in my mind will reside many many days. May I learn this truth!

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion

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