Considering the Bible

Jesus in the Old Testament – Daniel – 8

2026-05-26

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

Sentenced to Death out of Envy

Daniel 6:4-5 Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”

Matthew 12:13-14 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

If there is anything in the life of Daniel that reflects the life of the Lord Jesus, this one aspect stand out!

Daniel was a stellar man. The enemies of God admitted they could find nothing of a convictible nature in this man’s life. They would have to create a law that drove Daniel away from his God, and therefore corrupt him, or better yet, use the law to condemn him, and put him to death.

It had to be a trap that included a capital offence. Nothing less would do, for these men were frustrated with this Hebrew. He was rising through the ranks, and was fast becoming a favorite of the King. Take him out and the paying field is leverls out again.

It is amazing the twistedness of envy, for as envy sinks it’s hooks in a mind, the resulting thinking is completely without reason. These men would risk their own standing before the king in an effort to condemn a good man, a man favored by the king, and that would become obvious to the king of their intent after the trap had been laid.

This is absolutely crazy on the part of these “wise” men, but they had had enough. Envy had gripped thier minds and they were committed to killing Daniel in any way availalbe, and since they could not find a just reason, an unjust conviction suited them just fine!

Centuries later, the Greater Daniel was not rising in the ranks amongst government officials. That was not a condition Jesus ever experienced. But in the midst of rising in the ranks of the peoples admiration, the Pharisees of His day also sought a way to kill Jesus.

It was right after Jesus had healed the withered hand of a man, that the Pharisees had had enough. They let the demon of envy eat away at all sense they may have had, throwing caution and reason out the door, and ventured onto the path of lunacy.

They killed him using the Roman laws, twisting Pilate to their will by fear of exposing his lack of loyalty to Caesar. Political power. Religious envy. A righteous man. These three are always destined to a conflict, resulting in death.

May we be on the right side!

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 HAS PITY ON THEM – 283

2026-05-25

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.

283

HE WHO HAS PITY ON THEM

Isaiah 49:10 they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them.

How often have we watched a poor sucker on the silver screen yell out “I don’t want your pity”, or “I don’t need your pity”? Admit it – even as this character is expressing his rejection of any pity, we tend to identify with him.

No one that I know seeks pity. Pity is a somewhat negative expression in our current understanding, toward those in a trial or difficulty. Pity in the English dictionary is defined as “sympathetic or kindly sorrow evoked by the suffering, distress, or misfortune of another”.

In our culture, to receive pity may be perceived as an expression of helplessness, of an inability to resolve a problem. It also places the one expressing pity as somewhat superior over the one receiving the pity, though I think this may be unintended many times. Nevertheless, the one receiving pity often considers the pity to be coming from someone who may never experience trials or troubles, and therefore cannot identify with them.

So when we see a passage such as today’s we may have incorrect thoughts regarding it. Let’s consider if this is a correct reaction.

First, for one to show pity, as expressed in this verse is to express compassion, as in a sharing of the burden. Per Gesenius’ Hebrew – Chaldee Lexicon, the term “pity” in Isaiah 49:16 has the idea of “cherishing, soothing, and in a gentle emotion of the mind, to behold with tenderest affection, to be compassionate”.

There doesn’t appear to be any expression of superiority in this display of pity over the one needing help. It is an expression of love. That is perty dang good news, if it was only in relation to those of our own peers. The simple understanding of “pity” in our verse as expressing “being with someone” in a trial is comforting to say the least.

To further assist in our correct reaction to this somewhat negative word is to consider the One offering compassion (pity).

He is superior, far above our condition and status, greater in every way, and if our understanding of pity was correct in the original discussion, we could assign it to the One above and it would correctly fit in expressing His possible reaction to those of us in trouble. All of us, that is!

But for the only One who is actually superior to us, He uses a different concept of pity, a pity that is better expressed as compassion in our understanding. He is “with us” in our trials. To have compassion is to be moved with the pity, to take action instead of simply feeling bad.

As the Lord walked this earth, He expressed compassion on many. Note that when He expressed compassion, actions accompanied this emotion.

Mark 8:2, 8 “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat.
And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.

So in summary, God truly is greater than us and in our current understanding of pity, could rightly express this emotion. Yet there is much more to this passage than applying our incorrect understanding of pity to our God.

He not only enters into our trial, but He takes action. It is not only an expression of emotion, but a solution provided, an action taken to assist in the trial.

For those Isaiah was preaching to, this assistance from the hand of God was His leading and guiding them through the wilderness and to the springs of water.

As I grow older in the Lord, this leading and guiding is becoming much more critical in my faith. To think the Sovereign of the Universe is willing, no, not only willing but desires to guide us is an incredible truth.

I will take His pity! I will seek His compassion. For HE WHO HAS PITY ON THEM has had much pity (compassion) on me.

May you find the compassion of God in His leading also. It is a blessing that should not be ignored nor rejected.

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 – 4:4

2026-05-24

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 4:4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,

Paul continues with his teaching about sexual immorality, reminding the people of Thessalonica of the will of God for them.

The first topic out of Paul’s pen is the topic of sex. He had taught them of God’s will previously (vs2), and now is reminding them of God’s will (v 3), getting in this verse very specific as to who this applies to.

Each one of them. He does not allow the readers to gloss over this specific requirement, as if it applies to someone else but not them.

Each one of them (us)!

Ok Paul, you told us to abstain in the previous verse, which is the negative command, the command to “not” do something. This verse addresses the positive command, that which we are to “do”.

Control our own body. Self control. A fruit of the Spirit. It is the flip side of just abstaining, in that this particular fruit of the Spirit is not produced merely by our efforts in the sexual arena, but in the relationship we have with the Spirit.

Are we controlled by the Spirit? If so, self control is a “natural” experience we experience from the Lord.

Our effort to obey? Abstain. God’s work in our lives? Self control, a fruit of the Spirit. Both are to work in the believers life to bring about the will of God for each believer.

This is a common refrain in the Word. Compare Paul’s expanded teaching on this topic of our work and God’s work in the believers life for the Philippians.

Philippians 2:12-13 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

We are to abstain, but if our abstaining from sexual immorality is a work of the flesh, the evil we seek to avoid will erupt in some other area of our life. Self, without the control of the Spirit, will not be stopped. It is a voracious consumer of all things not of God, and though some may find success in abstaining from sexual sin, unless we are controlled by the Spirit, the self will simply find satisfaction in some other area of sin.

Our effort is to abstain, but if we ignore the repeated command to be controlled by the Spirit, to dwell in the Lord, to walk in His strength, we will simply be chasing our tail, experiencing no victory in our lives.

Be controlled by the Spirit, and find self control in God!

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Names of God – HE WHO GIVES FOOD TO ALL FLESH – 282

2026-05-23

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.

282

HE WHO GIVES FOOD TO ALL FLESH

Psalm 136:25 he who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever.

We find this Name of God in a psalm that begins by thanking God for His enduring, steadfast love.

Psalm 136:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psalm 136:2 Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psalm 136:3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;

I have been considering what it means for His love to endure forever, and the implications are somewhat disruptive to my current thinking of our God, but for this post, I would like to consider one expression of this enduring, steadfast love of God.

This one expression of the steadfast love of God towards His creation (all flesh) is His continual provision of food.

Some may argue that this provision is simply the “circle of life” or the ongoing process of nature. For the non-domesticated animal, the wildlife all around us, God’s provision is evident.

Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

These non-domesticated animals are wholly dependent on the Father, and all of creation exhibits this truth.

For the domesticated animal, farm critters that is, humans get involved, and these animals existence is directly dependent on a human intermediary. Of course this implies in both the man’s thinking, and the animal’s thinking (I assume) that man is the source of all provisions.

This passage forces us to reconsider that assumption. We will let the animal think what it wants, but for us who know the Lord, two things grow out of this statement.

A Thankfulness.

This is the natural, obvious result of a man or woman who understands all provisions come from the hand of the Lord. Whether it is through the sweat of our brow, (as a tradesman) or the pain of our brain, (as an office geek) or the reward of our labors (as a retired soul), each of us have been given in measure the ability, the energy, the desire and the work ethic to accumulate provisions for ourselves and for others. And we are thankful!

A Challenge.

In the day to day push and shove of all the trials in gaining our necessary provisions, we easily fall into the trap of thinking it is all about us. We go through the stress and worry (which is unnecessary and wrong), we go through the grind of employer’s and client’s expectations, and of course we endure the constant peer pressure of others. On top of all that, we may tend to want to escape, just to have a short time when the pressure has been removed.

No matter how much you may love your job, pressures mount, and we may very (very) easily fall into thinking it is all about us, that everything is dependent on our performance, our efforts, our work.

It takes a focused heart to reject that thinking and to see in each of our situations the hand of God providing (through our efforts) the good things we are provided.

Let me share a short story of my learning this truth a few years back.

I was fired from a job due to my wife being sick. A bit of a long story, but I gave my employer short notice, since the sickness did arrive abruptly, and he told me to get in to the office in 30 minutes or not come in at all. I lived 40 minutes away, but beside that, I was not about to leave my wife’s side!

For the next two months, we saw the Lord provide our needs, though we told absolutely no one of this situation other than Him. He was the One we prayed to, and He was the One who provided. In the end, He also provided a position with a firm that has given me opportunities beyond my imagination.

I am thankful for His provisions, whether it is through the sweat of my brow, the pain of my brain, or the direct intervention of the Father above.

He is good, and He is the One WHO GIVES FOOD TO ALL FLESH.

By the way, I saw that old boss at a conference lately. He thought I had died. (He is 15 years older than I!) Nevertheless, it was good seeing him and reconnecting!

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 – Coppin’ an Attitude

2026-05-22

I had the best of intentions. I really did. At least that is what I told myself. And then I took it. It seems as soon as I could take it, I took it. Inside I knew it was wrong, but the temptation was incredible and I took it, and I kept it for days

I knew I shouldn’t have, and theoretically, in my mind, I knew that as soon as I took it, I was in the wrong. Everything fell apart after that.

But let me back up a bit and give you a bit of history

It was months ago when I was chatting with a brother on Whatsapp, when I asked a pointed question. He had repeatedly confessed great peace and joy in the Lord, and yet, even though we were texting back and forth, it seemed he was overstating his peace, exaggerating his joy. It seemed forced.

It may have been my dullness, or lack of empathy, or weakness in discerning my brother’s statements, but I blurted out a very practical question regarding relationships he should be enjoying, relationships with those close to him, those who have stayed with him for decades.

“Congratulations. I will never speak to you again.”

A drastic turn of events in my mind, and I was hoping it was a snap response that wouldn’t hold, but after weeks and weeks of reaching out to him via text, it became obvious things were bad.

I ached for a solution, and I simply had to call him. He is in a foreign country and super busy with his growing business but I had to take a chance.

One ring a dingy, two ringa dingy.

“Well Carl – how are you, I was just thinking about you last night.”

I was taken aback by the friendly answer, and let him know I was calling about the last text he had sent. Mentally I was off balance, and after a moment, the conversation drifted into him telling me I was in the wrong, I was “doing it again”. When I asked what he was talking about, he simply talked over my request, said he had no time for me, and hung up.

And that is when I took it. Yes, I took offence, all of it, gulping it down like a drowning man!

You see, I have struggled with this sin of taking offence for many years, and have thought I had some victory. Obviously not in this instance, for as soon as I got home, all my pride and hurt feelings came pouring out.

What is wrong with him? Why did he hang up on me? Did he not understand I was trying to repair a relationship? Did he not know I was going out on a limb for him?

Such are the thoughts of a man centered on self. If I was concerned about him, and not my own feelings or pride, my inner anger would not have reared it’s ugly head. But I did, and I took that offense, and let it feed my hurt pride, feed my anger and starve my peace into a slow death.

You see, when I speak of my taking offence, it is related to my inner stance towards those who have stepped on my pride, ignored my assistance or even slandered my thoughts. (I told you I struggle with this problem!)

Can I make my brother change by taking offence? No, it actually works against any ministry towards the healing of a relationship.

The only result of my taking offence was the slander I spread of my brother, and the loss of my own peace, my joy, and my sleep. I stumbled bad, and it took far too long to practice the forgiveness the Lord has provided us.

Psalm 119:165 Great peace have those who love your law;
nothing can make them stumble.

He has called us to peace, even peace within ourselves.

Proverbs 19:11 Good sense makes one slow to anger,
and it is his glory to overlook an offense.

He has told us to overlook an offence. This includes the swallowing of your pride, which is something I readily admit I struggle with.

Ephesians 4:2-3 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Humilty. Only by resting in the Lord can we experience the humility that is of Him, and not something we can take pride in. (If you connect with that thought, welcome to the club of the self humbled!)

He is good, and we all give offence, but we need not take offence. Not if we understand who the Lord is, and how He has acted towards us. Which brings me to a passage that haunts me in the midst of times of taking offense. Consider how He has “pleased not Himself”

Romans 15:1-3

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”

May we all be a blessing to others, and not a curse to ourselves!

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 – Sell Your Soul

2026-05-21

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

Sell Your Soul – by Grammatrain

As you might be noticing, I come back to Grammatrain often in this series. Their lyrics and energy always hit me.

Sunsets fade to night
And flowers die away
The world is turning ’round
And you are turning grey
Money burns a hole
Inside the wealthy’s heads
Why do you insist
Pretending you’re not dead?

Sell your soul, sell your soul for
Sell your soul, sell your soul for free
Sell your soul, sell your soul for
Sell your soul, sell your soul for free

Bottles always empty
Leaves their prey alone
Lovers often leave you
Waiting by the phone
Nothing seems to satisfy
The need for peace
Jesus stands before you
Wanting you to see

Sell your soul, sell your soul for
Sell your soul, sell your soul for free
Sell your soul, sell your soul for
Sell your soul, sell your soul for free
Sell your soul, sell your soul for
Sell your soul, sell your soul for free

The song speaks of the never ending desire to find fulfillment in anything or anyone other than Jesus. Giving your life away, in an attempt to find fulfillment, only to realize

He is standing before you, wanting you to see

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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Life of David – 40.01

2026-05-20

David’s Prayer of Gratitude

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.

Prayer of GRATITUDE – David’s Lineage

2 Samuel 7:18-22
18 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?
19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord GOD. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord GOD!
20 And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord GOD!
21 Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it.
22 Therefore you are great, O LORD God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

David has just been told he will have an everlasting kingdom, with a son on the throne forever. How would you respond to such news? Can we consider his reaction to God’s message in this prayer to God.

First off, may I suggest David’s reaction is one of a God fearing man, a man who considers himself a servant to God, though a king with an eternal lineage promised to him. I bring up the servant topic, because in the prayer David prays, he refers to himself as a servant of God ten times.

Ten times.

For those of us in the modern world, when a preacher gets in front of an audience, and speaks of receiving a message directly from God, it is as if he was “chatting with a friend” A couple buds considering each others opinions. This is not David’s witness! I have mentioned this contrast previously in other posts, where men of God have received a promise or direction from God and the reaction is one of self deprecation, lostness and an utter confession of worthlessness. Consider multiple Old Testament saints as I sought to describe in Psalms for Psome – Ps 36.00.

The man who speaks of meeting God in a casual off handed manner does not reflect the reactions we find of the saints in the Word.

David begins his prayer being astounded by how far the Lord had brought him thus far. After becoming king, he sought to provide an offering of thanksgiving to God in the form of a temple, a glorious offering to the God who had made him the king. This “obvious”‘” assumption on the part of David, though a noble gesture, was not in the mind of God, for God was looking for an eternal kingdom, an eternal temple, an eternal city and an eternal people, all centered in the Eternal King.

David was a lynchpin in this plan to build God’s will in this world, and David’s bloodline would produce non other than the Messiah, King Jesus.

I suppose the best thing David speaks of is that all of this is dependent on God’s promise, on God’s heart, and the revealing of God’s eternal plan to David. Nothing in this prayer speaks to me of David’s accomplishments, but only of God and His will to perform His work.

Although this prayer continues for a few more verses, and the topic changes to the people of God, it is good to see such a prayer as being relatively short. In my reading of the prayer, my watch clocked in at 59 seconds. Under a minute. David had just been given one of the greatest promises revealed to any man, and he spoke for one minute before his God.

Does this observation provide an excuse for short prayers?

Yes and no.

Yes – for if all we do is ask, ask, ask, provide flowery statements and repeat requests over and over, some may consider that to be as the gentiles pray.

Matthew 6:7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

No, for if in our prayers we are humble in our confessions of weakness, focused in our communication of praise and adoration, specific in our requests and remain God centered (as opposed to us centered), the length of prayer may not be a factor.

As a matter of fact, true prayer before the Lord may erase the time factor totally. For if I am thinking of the time, I am not thinking of Him.

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 – 7

2026-05-19

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

Sentenced to Death by an Unwilling Judge

Daniel 6:14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him.

Matthew 27:24 So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.”

As those who were hunting for Daniel’s life finally delivered Daniel up to the king, they found the king an unwilling participant in his own laws and edicts.

Yes the laws of the Medes and Persians, once codified could not be rescinded or changed, and this was the strength of those who plotted Daniel’s destruction.

But it fell on the king himself to actually pass judgement on the “crime” Daniel perpetrated, and how it must have struck King Darius’s conscience and heart to think he was led into this trap through his pride and arrogance.

King Darius must have had his own “night with the lions”, after having failed to rescue Daniel, and then spent the night struggling with his thoughts.

Daniel 6:18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.

This trap haunted King Darius, for Daniel was a trusted servant, one who deserved nothing remotely like this! And the king was the first to approach Daniel’s “tomb”, and it appears he had hope, for he called out to Daniel.

Daniel 6:20 …. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”

That night changed King Darius.

Centuries later, a Roman official by the name of Pilate also was forced to condemn an innocent man by the pressure of the people. He used multiple methods to rescue Jesus, but to his utter shock, the death was demanded, and the people used the laws of the Romans to make it happen!

Pilate might not have been changed by this event, for we only have the lightest of records that may hint he might have converted. Most historians think not, although it appears his wife did seek to follow the Crucified One.

Might she have prayed him into the Kingdom? Would that not be a trophy of grace?

Nevertheless, we see both Daniel and Jesus condemned to death by unwilling judges, having their lives snuffed out by those without authority pressuring those in authority.

The more things change, the more they stay the same!

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 COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD – 281

2026-05-18

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.

281

HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD

Matthew 21:9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

To come in the Name of the Lord.

What does that mean? What did it mean when these crowds shouted out “in the name of of the Lord”

In the Name of the Lord, we may understand the Lord’s…

IDENTITY

Did the crowds understand this Rabbi’s true identity? Were they openly confessing He was Emmanuel, God with us?

Some identified His person clearly and without hesitation.

Matthew 16:16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

As He was heralded by the crowd as coming in the Name of the Lord, His disciples must have been beaming. They had hitched their horse to a winner! Little did they understand the extent this Rabbi would go to display the heart of God, revealing the identity of our God beyond what we and they could have imagined. Jesus identified the True God as a sacrificially loving Servant to those who despise and would crucify Him.

Who could have identified God in such a way, providing to all such a glorious act of love to those who hate Him, even to death. None other than the One who came in the Name of the Lord. He revealed the identity of God in a manner beyond any of our imaginations.

In the Name of the Lord, we may understand the Lord’s…

CHARACTER

Surely, after watching His miracles, listening to His message and seeing His life amongst them fully on display, the crowd most surely associated this Rabbi as God’s prophet. The Rabbi lived a life that could not be condemned and though He was sentenced to death, it was through deceit and malice. His character was stellar, without a blemish, and perfect for a sacrifice.

1 Peter 1:19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

Perfect, without blemish as a sacrifice.

In the Name of the Lord, we may understand the Lord’s…

AUTHORITY

Authority is the right to command an action without being challenged. Of course, the Lord is the Almighty, the One who spoke and galaxies began their existence, a small blue ball grew a garden and He granted life to two souls. He parted the waters, and defeated the enemies.
Jesus, as He came down to be with His people, continued exhibiting His authority, over and over again. We see Him exercising His authority over the laws of nature (calming the wind and sea), the laws of physics, (walking on the water) the laws of biology (healing the blind and deaf), and the law of sin and death (raising multiple dead people). He displayed His authority over and over again, yet not for Himself. Throughout His time with us, He did not exercise His authority for His own sake, from not in creating bread for His hunger, through to deliverance from His suffering.

The One Coming in the Name of the Lord truly exhibited God’s identity, character and authority more than any in the crowd could have imagined.

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 – 4:3

2026-05-17

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 4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;

Let’s remember that Paul is reminding these dear folk of his instructions for life in this and following passages. And he starts this list, describing the sanctification believers are to follow after with the topic of sex.

I find that very instructive, as we live in a culture drowning in sex. A culture that has not only exposed everyone to every sexual temptation, but is perverting in every way the sexual aspect of our lives.

And what does Paul say regarding sex? Abstain.

Well not absolutely!

It is sexual immorality that the believer is to abstain from. Let me remind my reader that Scriptural passages speak of sex within a marriage is “to be rejoiced in” and a pleasure to be experienced between two people. The Proverbs get quite explicit in describing the sexual intimacies!

Proverbs 5:18-19 Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love.

I will let me reader peruse the book of Songs, where Solomon speaks of his love, and sexual desire, for the object of his love.

So when Paul is directing the believers to abstain from sexual immoralities, he is directing them to be faithful to their wives as a first step. Entering an unfaithful union outside of the marriage bond is strictly forbidden per multitudes of Scriptural commands, but I think Paul is going further than simply informing them of this restriction.

I think this way due to the term he uses in describing the actions the believers are to follow. They are to abstain.

Now, when I hear the term abstain, I think – Don’t do it! Simply don’t get involved. It is like the old saying that I hear from some – “You can look but you can’t touch”.

As long as we “don’t do it”, we may feel we have obeyed this instruction from Paul. Yet the term “abstain” in the Greek seems to carry with it the concept of distance.

Strong’s Dictionary actually defines the term for us.

ἀπέχω apéchō, ap-ekh’-o; from G575 and G2192; (actively) to have out, i.e. receive in full; (intransitively) to keep (oneself) away, i.e. be distant…. (italics mine)

How should we understand this alternate idea? Does it allow for viewing of sexual immorality, as long as we “don’t do it”? I would suggest this might not be Paul’s intent. And the application for those of us in our sexually dominated culture may be quite extensive.

How do we choose the movies we watch? If scenes of sexual immorality come up, (and when do they not?), do we turn away, do we skip the scene or do we simply turn off the flick?

If we go to a party and the music starts, with the dancing becoming explicit, as we have seen become popular in days past, do we jump on the dance floor and participate, or do we turn away, even leaving the celebration? This particular case needs wisdom, as some responses to this experience may be perceived as a “holier than thou” stance. It may appear as a judgmental position that is not, in my opinion, a good witness!

How about when you are grocery shopping and the magazine covers show too much skin – whatever that may be in your estimation – do you turn away, do you seek to honor God?

Even as you are interacting in the office or the work site, there may be some who seek attention and provide temptation for the eyes. How can we be “distant” from the sexual immorality that may be offered to the eye-gate for consumption.

Paul’s command to abstain from sexual immorality is far reaching, and is not restricted only to those who are in a married relationship. It is a challenge for each of us as we seek to honor the God we love.

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Let Me Tell You a Story – I BELIEVE

2026-05-16

It was early Monday morning, and I was on the feeder road coming into the office, when the following passage came across the speakers.

Mark 9:22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
Mark 9:23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”
Mark 9:24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

You know, it is becoming somewhat consistent that as I am driving in the morning, listening to the Good Book, a passage lights up in my head, a thought is triggered and as I park my little beast, I come to realize that the Word has spoken to me once more.

Let me try to explain.

As I read this passage many time previously, I considered this man’s faith to be like a factory packaged commodity, a generic, one size fits all type of decision or reaction to a person or to God.

Joe and Frank and Tom, along with this father all have the same pre packaged generic faith, and this understanding of mine made it difficult to comprehend the fathers plea to help his unbelief. My goodness – You said you had faith, why confess your unbelief in the next breathe.

Well there may be many reasons for this mans statements, but as I stepped out of my car, it occurred to me that this man’s faith was expressed for a reason – he wanted something.

Was the man admitting the weakness of his faith, that it was self serving and not God honoring? Maybe, but that may be assuming he understood Jesus as God, and I’m not sure he was there yet. One thing for sure, he had an agenda, and it was immediate! He would say anything to save his son. I know I would.

And even with this confession, with a faith that was not 100% pure, a faith that may be considered somewhat hypocritical, the Lord reached out to this family and delivered this man’s son.

So as I pondered on this incident, I started to do a bit of self reflection, remembering times when I exercised faith in the Messiah, driven by various motivations

a Self Serving Faith

It goes without saying that I identify with this man in the area of self serving faith. Seeking the Lord for my will, not thine. It is a low bar of spiritual maturity, but as the afflicted son’s father admitted, I too want to confess.

Help my unbelief.

a Fear based Faith

This faith is somewhat linked to my previous description, for to try to exercise faith due to fear is first of all, to be centered on myself, and secondly to consider the King has left His throne. How can any faith that is born out of fear, (if it can be called faith), be of any value when thought of in this light. He is on the throne, and He is the King. If I believe that, fear will not control me constantly.

A favorite verse that helps me when an overwhelming fear attacks my heart is in the Proverbs.

Proverbs 3:25 Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes,

I usually remember it as “Fear not sudden fear”, for the old KJV phrased it that way, and it has often calmed my heart, helping me exercise my weak faith in the Strong One.

A Truth based Faith

Truth. This motivation, or basis of belief has strong foundations (if the Word is the authority), yet it can be cold, hard and heartless. Pure unadulterated doctrine has been my passion for decades, yet I found I became a believer who hunted for error, who set unreasonable limits for others, while allowing gaping wholes in my own faith. This type of faith can blind the saint, puffing them us and making them offensive, off putting and ones to avoid. After all, a judge doesn’t attract guilty people!

Yet the Lord speaks of the One who is full of grace and truth, and for the remaining years I have on this blue ball, that mixture of grace and truth will be a goal to pursue. To express truth in a gracious manner is to mirror the Master, but it isn’t simply the message that comes out of my mouth. It is the life that is lived

a Love based Faith

I have a hard time relegating “truth faith” to a secondary position of faith in my mind, but as I am aging in the Lord, there appears to be a better faith, a cleaner, simpler, truer faith that I see on the horizon. It is a faith that is gracious, residing in truth – should I use the term “dwelling” in truth. It is a faith that is somewhat based on a life of walking with the Lord and experiencing His faithfulness, His goodness, His continual interjection into our lives for our good. A faithful ministry in each of our lives providing mercy in the midst of trial, bounty in the midst of difficulties, and rest in the times of stress and strain.

Yes, for a faith to be based in love is the best. And even in my description above, I was thinking of a faith that was fueled by my love for Him.

But ….. There is an even greater faith as I think on this topic.

A faith that rests in His love for us. That faith is unshakable, unrelenting and everlasting.

You know – I have spent over 1000 words to get to this core truth. John has told us this truth in seven simple words.

1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us.

Yes – for a faith based on His love for us! The best faith, I would suggest. The best!!!

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 THAT WORKS MIRACLES AMONG YOU – 280

2026-05-15

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.

280

HE THAT WORKS MIRACLES AMONG YOU

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–

I am going to confess to those who follow and read my rants, that I am a cessationist. A hardcore cessationist? It is a conviction I have developed over the last four decades, in my studies and in outworking of those who propose the continuation of the gifts in this age.

Before I go any further, let me explain. To be a cessationist is to say that I do not believe prophecy, speaking in tongues, and apostolic healing have continued throughout the church age. These gifts to the church were provided to establish and authenticate the church, and once established as God’s Temple, was no longer required. We have the apostolic teaching, and the very present Spirit of the Lord with us each and every moment. The sign gifts are no longer required.

Is this a stance that should separate true brothers and sisters in the Lord? Absolutely not, for I know I have things in my life many may consider “blind spots”, areas that may need correcting or at least discussion.

Let each man have his faith, as long as it is in the Messiah!

Habakkuk 2:4 “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.

So when a passage describing the “One who works miracles among you” comes up in my reading, do I automatically refer that to the old days, to the times when God was establishing the church, authenticating His new Temple?

Yes and no. You see, I have lived under His leadership and care for over forty years, and have seen His gracious provision in many quiet miracles in my life. The restoration of my grandson from a drowning, to the timely supply of 87 cents needed to feed my first born for a night. I might claim there is no global need for miracles, no global need for signs, no global need for establishing the church. The church is here and the church is established globally.

But that does not restrict the Lord from providing miracles out of a gracious heart to His people. The time of providing authentication has passed. His Body is alive and active globally, triumphing over His enemies.

But for the individual saint, the one who is following hard after Him, or for that saint who may be struggling, considering his options and in a place of weakness, the Lord provides miracles according to His wisdom, according to His kindness and care for His people, according to His mercy.

Is He a God who works miracles among you? Definitely! Open your eyes and be willing to see the work of God in your life!

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 – Galatians 5:19-21

2026-05-14

Galatians 5:19-21

Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,
Galatians 5:20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,
Galatians 5:21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Paul has raked these folks over the coals.

From claiming they are listening to angels/teachers that are to be cursed (1:6-10), to retraining them in the fundamental teaching of justification by faith (2:15-21), to calling them foolish, and being bewitched (3:1), to describing the inability of the law to justify anyone (3:10-14), calling them slaves as opposed to their rightful status of sons (4:1-7) and decrying his heart for them in their errors (4:16-20), Paul was astounded at the condition of this church.

We have previously considered Galatians 5:4, where Paul comes right out and says they are severed from Christ. Severed! Attached at one time, and now severed!

Now we come to a passage that provides proof of the life these “believers” were exhibiting, with the fruit of the Spirit being evidence of the Spirit controlled life.

As an aside, to be Spirit filled, or led by the Spirit, or to walk by the Spirit is the equivalent of Spirit controlled! Any who claims to be Spirit filled and yet is not exhibit self control is suspect. Those who insult and abuse others in an effort to “show how spiritual” they are, are not impressing Paul, and should not impress us!

Paul begins to list a number of life characteristics that he describes as “the desires of the flesh”. The list is extensive and Paul indicates these “works of the flesh” are evident, easily recognized by those observing!

Works of the Flesh are evident!

sexual immorality
impurity
sensuality
idolatry
sorcery
enmity
strife
jealousy
fits of anger
rivalries
dissensions
divisions
envy
drunkenness
orgies

Paul provides such a list, so daunting and all encompassing. How many believers that may be reading are not susceptible to at least one of the vices above? To make matters worse, Paul opens up the list of problem vices with the general description of “things like these”

Oh my goodness! Is there no hope? If I fall into one of these vices, is it all over for me?

My friends, it is critical, at least in my thinking, that Paul is describing the outcome of two types of life. One of dependence on the Lord Jesus, of waiting and listening, learning from the One who is meek and lowly, One who is forgiving, good and patient.

The other life Paul is describing is the life that depends on the fulfillment of the law based on their own efforts. The Law is not (never was) the focus of the truly faithful, but a teacher, showing us how weak and disobedient we naturally are. To trust in that school teacher, and to refuse the One who the schoolteacher is pointing to is truly foolish.

Paul provides this list to give the believers in Galatia a check list, or a guide as to the root of their actions. Bad actions means a bad root! The next list, describing the fruit of the Spirit, not only describes only the highest of good characteristics in a person, but attributes the effort and work of producing the fruit to the Lord. They are not the works of our efforts, or the fruit of our labor. They are the natural out growth of our commitment to learning of the One who leads us.

Paul finishes this passage with a warning.

I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

To reiterate, when Paul mentions “do” in this verse, he is describing a continual practicing of these horrible characteristics.

As believers, maturing in the faith, we all fall into periods of weakness or times when we struggle with some of these works of the flesh. To actively pursue these characteristics, or to ignore the warning signs these evidentiary works provide us is to find ourselves the subject of Paul’s warning. He warned them once. He warns them again in the passage. Hopefully the warning took and many in the Body of Christ repented of their dependence on the false teachers in their midst, and the Law for their salvation.

Trust in the Person of the Messiah, and refuse any teacher or spirit that pulls you back to a performance/law based life. Follow Him, and in the following, find joy, peace, love and the fulfillment of the law in your life.

Romans 8:3-4 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

To be Christian is great! May His name be praised for all His mighty works.

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Life of David – 39.04

2026-05-13

The Lord’s Covenant with David

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.

2 Samuel 7:11b-17

11b Moreover, the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house.
12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.
13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men,
15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.
16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’”
17 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

We continue in the passage describing God’s efforts, His plans to build a house, an empire for David, through his lineage. What started out as a well intentioned dream to build a temple for God, becomes God’s plans to build the church through the Son of David.

A continual refrain throughout this passage is the “foreverness” of the kingdom God will establish through the line of David.

But David would have to pass away, enter into death, prior to the realization of this kingdom. And so he entered the grave for a thousand years, waiting to see his Son arrive on the scene. Waiting after multiple sons came and went on the throne, eventually becoming corrupt and worthy of the discipline spoken of above.

This covenant with David (the Davidic Covenant) spoke of the Lord’s training of David’s lineage, and though privileged highly, would not escape the need for discipline when the king sins.

It is not a given that all David’s sons sin, for the passage speaks of discipline “when” those in the house of David sin. As a lineage that had the inherent capacity to veer from obedience to the Father, this inevitably became a reality in each of David’s sons.

Until One came on the scene who obeyed. He obeyed the law, fulfilled the righteous requirements of the Law, and was not required to suffer for His own disobedience. Yet He suffered, a terrible beating, a whipping that should have in itself killed the Man, and then the humiliation and suffering of being nailed to a cross, experiencing the taunting, the ridicule, the helplessness of His experience, the abandonment!

He was disciplined “with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men”, but not for His own iniquity, for He was spotless. His suffering was vicarious, in our place, for our rebellion and sinfulness.

Yet there is a portion of this passage that makes me stop and think.

When Nathan is told that God “will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son” gives me no pause. Surely there was never a father /son relationship that was clearer, cleaner and consistently based from love than that of the Father and the Son.

What shocks me is that the next verse speaks that the father’s “steadfast love will not depart from him.”

A verse to consider that may impact this promise.

Matthew 27:46 …Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Even in the Father’s abandonment of the Messiah on the cross, as the Messiah cries out to His Father of abandonment, are we to consider this equal to the Father removing steadfast love from Him.

Can this abandonment, this turning of the Father away from the Son while He carries our sins, can this be combined in the heart of God. Can the Father turning from the Son, and the Father’s everlasting love for the Son be one and the same? Is the love of the Father large enough, complex enough, committed enough to allow pain to enter the Son for the sake of the outcome?

Hebrews 12:2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

The depths of God’s love for His Son is beyond us, and will always be beyond our understanding. Thankfully we do not need to understand everything that happened that horrible day. We simply need to accept the truth of the One who hung for our sins, and that rose from the dead, providing us salvation and security!

He is the Great Son of David, the One who has established the forever Kingdom God promised David.

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 – 6

2026-05-12

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

A Righteous Life

Daniel 6:13 Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”

Those of the king’s court, buttering up the king, had him sign a decree of worship for the king, and then leveraged this specific decree into a weapon against a man they could find no dirt on.

Daniel was of such a stellar character these men, peers within the court of the king, those who rubbed shoulders with Daniel, or knew those who knew him, understood Daniel’s righteous living, his righteous character, his stellar relationship with the king and could only lay a trap out of His allegiance to the God of Israel.

Of course this is the lynchpin of all traps that the righteous “fall” into, and once fallen into, find the Lord is sufficient to provide the strength, the wisdom, the patience and the outcome that honors Him the greeatest.

For Daniel, this trap was known by him, yet he went home and did that which had moments ago had become illegal, to the point of a death sentence.

A righteous life is not a life that considers the outcome of an action, other than how it affects the God we worship.

Daniel’s obedience in his prayers are but a shadow of the complete obedience of the Savior, of His utter disregard of the consequences His decisions would have on His own earthly existence, seeking only of pleasing the God of Israel, His Father above.

One difference between Daniel and the Master is that Jesus actually described the manor of His death, the method His enemies would use to cause His death and the motivation of those who pursued His death.

Daniel may not have been surprised by these circumstances. Jesus actually described His entrance into death!

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 – 4:2

2026-05-11

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 4:2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

Paul is the proverbial teacher, teaching his people what he is going to teach them, teaching them the subject matter, and then reminding them of what he taught them.

For our verse this morning, Paul introduces the subject of the next set of verses, informing them (and us) of his general teaching of the responsibility of believers in their walk of faith. Before we get to Paul’s repetition (for them, not us) of his teaching, I think it wise to remind each believer of the value of repetition.

For a young convert, the repetition of Godly teaching in a grace filled, loving Bible believing church is critical. Beyond that, the reading of the Word is to be repeated over and over in our lives, being constantly reminded, and thereby strengthened by the grace of God and His mercies.

After a period of establishment in the faith, the repetition of hearing and or reading of the Word continues to be a lifeline to the truth for the maturing believer. There is never a time when a believer can safely walk away from the Word, thinking he has acquired sufficient information. After all, the Word is not simply a book to provide information but the message of a loving Father to His children.

Paul instructed Timothy to remind his people

2 Timothy 2:14 Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers.

Peter was of the same opinion, going so far as to say he will always remind his people of truth.

2 Peter 1:12 Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.

But what is it that we are to be reminded of? For Paul, he was speaking to a small body of believers that were fully committed to the Lord, and he would begin in the next few verses getting somewhat specific – at least for their consciences!

Generally, the greatest subject of remembrance is revealed by the apostle Paul in his last letter to Timothy. He boils it all down to One subject

2 Timothy 2:8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead…

Even the Lord Himself directed the disciple that deserted Him to feed, to tend and (then again) to feed His sheep, to remind them of His teachings and then to simply follow Him

John 21:15 …”Feed my lambs.”
John 21:16 …”Tend my sheep.”
John 21:17 … “Feed my sheep.
John 21:19 … “Follow me.”

Remember Jesus Christ today, and if you have a chance, remind someone of Who the Messiah is. We have clear instruction that this will not displease the Father!

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Let Me Tell You a Story – Alice

2026-05-10

I was in grade six, trying to be cool, hanging in the back of the classroom with Terry, Randy Mary Dawn and Rhonda. It was a Friday lunch time, prior to being released from lunch, when Terry asked Rhonda if she saw Alice Copper on TV the night before.

“”Oh ya’, it was great”, as she beamed. She had been waiting dall the day before for itay. ‘

“How bout you Carl, did you see Alice last night?” Of course I hadn’t, but for the sake of coolness, I simply lied to my crew.

“O ya man”, I grinned. “She was great!”

She? Laughter rolled throughout our little corner, as everyone realized I how much of a dweeb I really was. At that moment, something snapped in me, something deep down that said no one would ever catch me in musical ignorance again!

For the remainder of grade school, through high school and into college, I spent nights and weekends learning about music, about the famous bands, about the obscure bands, about the up and coming bands, of the bands that everyone knew of and the bands no-one knew of. I became an LP junkie, spending any money I could find on the new by some artist I had heard on Magic FM 94. I eventually became the goto guy for music at the weekend parties, providing s of cassettes to play. Cassettes? Only cassettes were provided, for every album I bought, I recorded it once, and never pulled it out of the album cover again. I was (and am) a bit anal about some things!

Peer pressure, or peer acceptance is a powerful motivator.

It was just last week when my wife and I were on the way home from a trip, listening to the last part of Matthew, when the narrator spoke of the disciples r. Wifey looked over at me and said we would have done the same.

And Alice came to mind.

time when around me ca certain mindset. When my friends laughed, I heated up and I walked away I curled up inside and began to pull away from “hanging” with my friends. It was just one , and I ould have laughed it off with my friends, but the pride of life was , and it bit me hard. So hard that it would impact my entire life.

Similarly, the disciples fell into a crucible of pressure that forced them to react, and to run, only moments after they had committed their undying love for the Master.

As my wife has said, we all would have done the same.

My reaction to the Alice guffaw was to dedicate the next decade of my life to the unfulfilling quest of musical knowledge. If only I had simply picked up an instrument to learn to play it, but alas, I took the easy way out. But my dedication to this goal was defined in my life within a moment, in the back of the classroom, with four of my friends and a bunch of laughter ringing in my ears.

For the disciples, it was a much more serious circumstance. Their Master was being hauled off by the authorities, with one of the crew being the betrayer. Yes – one of them off one of the mighty enemies ear servant But the shame, the failure, the embarrassment, the abandonment – the pain must have dwelled deep in the men.

For years and years the disciples had to live with this failure, but it produced in them a devotion that drew them closer to the Master, closer to the truth, and farther from their pride.

Have you let your failures, your times of embarrassment or periods of shame become a motivator to know Him better, to realize He is the One who knows our weakness’s and still loves us?

Every difficult time we experience, we can learn from, shar our weakness with othersour failures

Even if Alice s a g!

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Prayers of an ol’ fool – Convictions

2026-05-09

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.

Convictions

We were at a point on our lives, having to leave mission training due to lack of support, where we were unsure where we were to head next. We asked the Lord, and then requested each of the churches we had established relationships with to pray for direction for our little family. Most churches agreed to pray, but one church that we had visited the year before, in Rouyn-Noranda, called us back. Come up to work in the ministry up here. The pastor, Richard, was a brother we knew from our days in London Ontario.

After the initial invitation, we understood we would be assisting Richard in building up a protestant church amongst the good people of this Quebecois town. Little did we know that once we were on our way, Richard decided to move south to London Ontario to further his education. This decision caused a full blown hollowing out of the church congregation, for many of those in the church also left once Richard, the pastor, announced his relocating to London.

When our family of four arrived in Rouyn-Noranda, we were directed to a rental home by our pastor friend, and proceeded to unload our stuff from the U-haul we rented. Before he left, Richard told me he would drop by in the morning to help me get set up with the provincial government offices. Government offices? That seemed strange to be a priority, but we had just travelled from south Ontario into northern Quebec, and the trip had us a bit frazzled.

True to his word, he showed up in the morning, and took me down to the provincial offices, setting me up to receive welfare/unemployment.

Ok – bells started ringing off in my head. At this point, I don’t recall if Richard had informed me of his intentions to leave the city, or that the church had shrunk down to one small family and an elderly woman, but to look to the government to support the work of the Lord seemed so foul, so offensive. At that moment in that office, I asked for a rescue, a deliverance from being dependent on the government.

Bad news continued to be provided in the next few days, and the situation we had entered started to become clearer. We were a family of anglaise in the middle of a francophone society, without a church to support us, without a mentor to guide us, without any believers we could confide in.

Most of that first week is a blur in my mind now, other than the continual disappointments we were informed of. I immediately began to look for work, and as the Lord is the great provider, I found two jobs to support the family for the next two years. Yes we had committed to two years in this church and we were determined to keep our word.

Flyer delivery in the mornings, and transport truck unloading after that. Both of these “career choices” allowed me to experience the temperature drops of the city we lived in, falling to -40 F in the winter. But we were able to survive, and we saw our two little boys begin to grow up. We experienced the birth of our third child in Rouyn-Noranda, (which is another answer to prayer for later), but found the work to be very challenging.

Additional prayers the Lord answered in relation to the work in this church will be offered in future installments on this series, but for this post, I want to thank the Lord for providing the support we needed as we sought to serve Him in a strange land amongst a foreign people.

He provided work for a “dirty anglaise” to keep his family fed and warm during our time in the church. He answered our prayers for support, giving me enough work to bring home the bacon! Yes we entered into a difficult situation, yet he protected our little family and provided me an opportunity to work amongst those we lived among.

He is good.

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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Names of God – HE MAKES THE CLOUDS HIS CHARIOT – 279

2026-05-08

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.

279

HE MAKES THE CLOUDS HIS CHARIOT

Psalm 104:3 He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters; he makes the clouds his chariot; he rides on the wings of the wind;

He rides His chariot.

This word “chariot”, is only found in the Word once, in this verse and no where else in the Old Testament. It is from a root word that speaks of riding, and the implication is that the One on the chariot is riding, even driving the chariot.

Also, the common chariot during ancient Israel’s days was that of a one man cart, hooked up to a horse, or a couple of horses, with a front wall protecting the soldier, giving him a a somewhat caged area to stand in while riding.

It was a form of transportation that was utilized primarily by soldiers, entering into the battlefield to wage war.

In this set of verses that we have dwelled on in the last few posts, we see a picture of a King who is in His lofty chamber. A chamber that is near His people.

We also saw that the King was surrounded with those bent totally to His will, those that are “happy” even taking on less than desirable services for Him as He wishes. For the sake of those He is near.

In this short phrase, we see a King who is on His chariot, riding, even driving the chariot. My assumption is that He is entering into battle, as He is on His chariot, entering in a war that has the destiny of those He is near to at stake.

Each of these descriptions of the King speak to the actions He has entered into for those He is near to, for those He wants to be with, to minister to and in this case, fight for.

His chariot is of the clouds, and from that point of view, He can see all that is going on in the battlefield below. He has the information required to make accurate strategic battle plans, that will surprise the enemy, completely defeating those who enter into battle with Him.

There will come a time when the clouds will no longer be His chariot, where we will see the clouds break open, and the King will abandon His chariot to ride on the victors horse, a white stallion that will complete the battle.

Revelation 19:11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.

Even so Lord Jesus – Come.

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 – 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

2026-05-07

2 Corinthians 6

14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?
16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,
18 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”

Let’s remember that Paul birthed this church, ministered in this church longer than in many of the churches he was associated with. If Paul could claim to know those of his churches, the Corinthians would be the top of his list.

He is not writing to believers he had never met. No no no. These were people that he lived amongst, prayed over and struggled spiritually with. His first epistle was basically a letter of shock and correction, as to the issues that the Corinthians allowed in their midst.

Now, in this epistle, he is defending his apostleship from those in the Corinthian church that are defaming him, false apostles that are providing the fleshly Corinthians excuses to indulge in their wants.

Paul pleads with his people, and eventually pulls out the stopper. Get off the fence. The Corinthians can not partner with the enemy and consider themselves right with God. He calls believers the temple of the Living God, not only in this passage but twice in the previous letter.

His first reference to the temple of the Living God is referring to the congregational body as the temple of the Living God.

1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?

His second reference is to the physical body of each believer, being the temple of the Living God.

1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

The Corinthians were taught of this privilege and in our verse this morning, Paul reminds the Corinthians of this truth, starts to ask some tough questions.

What partnership has righteousness with lawlessness?
What fellowship has light with darkness?
What accord has Christ with Belial?
What portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?
What agreement has the temple of God with idols?

Paul is really drawing a line in the sand, and I want to remind my reader of the context this passage is found after.

The previous verse speaks of Paul

2 Corinthians 6

11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open.
12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections.
13 In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.

The Corinthians need to make a decision. Paul is closing his plea to the believers regarding his apostleship, and to whom the believers are to listen to. He has opened his heart to them, speaking things of his suffering and his experiences that have been reluctantly provided for the believers to consider.

Now they need to decide. Righteousness or lawlessness. Light or darkness. Christ or Belial. Believer or unbeliever. Temple of the Living God or idols. They, and we, cannot have both.

Considering the context, it appears Paul is not mincing words. The false teachers are the enemy, and to bend the ear to them is to join with them, restricting their affections to the apostle Paul, and his message.

These believers, at least some if not many, having turned to the false apostles, whom Paul called angels of light earlier in the letter, are now on the outskirts of the church, with the invitation from God that if they repent, He will welcome them back.

These believers are being called to reject the false teachers, go out from amongst them, and return to the Living God. They were in a very precarious position before the Lord and Paul needed them to know of the danger!

For us this morning, one truth stands out! Let us not be drawn away from the truth of the apostolic teaching the Lord has provided us by listening to fancy pastors, showy personalities, humorous teachers, or lecherous men who make excuses for sin. These agents of the enemy will pull us away!

The written Word, with the enabling of the Spirit of God is sufficient for the believer to remain in the Temple of God. Teachers that seek to draw us away fron the Temple will attack the authority God gave His apostles, and the teaching they left us.

Is the Word and His presense sufficient for you?

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Life of David – 39.03

2026-05-06

The Lord’s Covenant with David

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.

2 Samuel 7

8 Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel.
9 And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth.
10 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly,
11a from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.

The Lord is continuing to speak to Nathan, telling His side of the story after the king and the prophet both assume He wants a massive, impressive temple. It makes sense doesn’t it, for the Lord to want a house that will impress all the nations and the people of Israel.

No, not from the Lord’s point of view. The Lord is about to illuminate Nathan in relation to David and the people of Israel. And it is all about the Greater David. But I am getting ahead of myself.

This initial portion of the great prophecy of David’s Greater Son, begins with the work the Lord has performed in David’s life, taking him from humble beginnings and making him a prince over His people. Because of the Lord’s work, enemies fell before David, and Israel’s second king will become a man of renown, famous not only in the major religions of the world, but on the national scale, a historic figure.

Through David, the nation will be secure.

Note that the security promised is not necissarily immediate. When I read this passage, I assume the promise will be within David’s lifetime, or at least within his immediate son’s life. But it is important to understand that a son, in the Wordm may refer to a grandson, or a greatgrandson, or any of his lineage. Solomon was a son. So was Joseph. And so was Jesus.

Why do I belabor this point? The prophecy speaks of the future, and it may be months, it may be years, it may be decades or it may be centuries before the promise is realized.

So when Nathan hears verse 10, where the Lord’s promise includes the appointment of a place for my people Israel and that He will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more, it sounds awsome. The Lord continues with the promise of violent men not afflicting them, as formerly.

This is incredible news for Nathan to communicate to David. The assumption is for the promise to be immediate. Let me remind you that although there was a short period under Solomon that the nation enjoyed a security and peace, it was short lived, and the earthly kingdom split apart. Violence continued through Davids reign, Solomon’s reign, through the Babylonian captivity and past the time of Jesus.

That is for those who were of national Israel. For those of the remnant, the faithful, those who followed after the Lord, the promise was real even if physically the promise seemed to be unrealized. Centuries passed and a Teacher arrived, One who would appoint a place for God’s people, and plant them that they be disturbed no more.

For the One who would effectively complete this promise for the people of God was the very One who became the place of residence and rest for the people of God. He is that place where the believer is planted, and where the believer is no longer afflicted by evil men, without the protection of the Master’s permission.

We will go on in our next passage finding out that the Lord not only reminds Nathan of His work in David’s life and his reign over Israel, but more importantly, declares the line of David to be an eternal dynasty, a house of David that will be reigned over by His Son.

It is truly amazing that the promise given to a king in Israel over 3,000 years ago has developed into the full blown expansion of the Body of Christ, the New Testament church where believers find securty and peace in the Son, and have a place of rest under His reign.

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 – 5

2026-05-05

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

Willing Sacrifice

Daniel 6:10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.

John 10:17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.

Daniel knew. He knew his death sentence had been signed, and the the king had been duped into legislating his death by envious men he oversaw.

Remember, Daniel had been elevated to the position of overseer of the wisemen. He had authority over these men and thought the law could not be changed, one option for Daniel was revenge. He could have went to the Kings house, berated King Darius, exposing the evil of those who entrapped him, and caused an uproar within the royal court. He too could provide a law, in like manner, for the king to sign, and to exact some justice upon those evil counsellors.

But he didn’t go to the king’s house. He went home, as was his practice. He went home to enter the very trap these evil, envious men laid for him. He remained faithful in his practice of worship towards Jerusalem, towards his homeland, towards the God who had called and equipped him. And by being faithful, willingly entered the death trap.

How can we not see the Lord Jesus in this act of willingly entering circumstances that would lead to His own death. Envious men had been plotting against the Lord from the start, and the Lord had frustrated their plans numerous times. But on that night when Judas provided assistance in identifying the Master to a group of soldiers, He entered a death trap not unlike Daniel.

One difference though. Daniel was rescued from death, for God secured the lions from touching him. Jesus suffered, bled, was nailed to a cross, and hung to die.

Daniel was pulled from the pit, having never entered a physical death, but providing us a picture of the reality of the Lord’s resurrection.

Daniel was a willing sacrifice, and was rescued from death. Jesus was a willing sacrifice, and was rescued through death.

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 MAKES HIS MINISTERS A FLAMING FIRE – 277

2026-05-04

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.

277

HE MAKES HIS MINISTERS A FLAMING FIRE

Psalm 104:4 he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire.

Our last post sat on the previous verse, and I took the opportunity in that verse to consider the type of writing we encounter in the Psalms. Picturesque, image producing word phrasing that appeals to our imagination.

The psalmist spoke of beams on the water, and hearkened to the image of a great chamber of God’s finding it’s foundation on the water.

Here, we find that the created beings called angels, are at His beck and call, being His angels and His ministers. Those that when we encounter, tend to continually tell us to “fear not” since they are so incredible, so intimidating and so otherworldly, in their original state.

And yet they are His servants, His ministers, waiting to be of service to Him.

Coupled with the previous verse, we find the Lord in His upper chamber, in a place of solitude and calmness, established on the waters, His created world, overseeing those He created and ready with servants to provide Him service.

Is it that He needs help in the management of all things? Absolutely not, for He is the Almighty God, eternal and all knowing. The servants, His ministers speak of His Royal Court, of His authority within His creation, of His otherness, that He is above even those that are beyond our own imagination!

The psalmist saw a majestic vision of the glory of the Lord, of the residence of the Lord on the waters, and of His servants, His created angels at the ready to perform to His pleasure.

Hundreds of years later, a man wrote a letter to the people of the Hebrews, and provided them (and us) some clarity on this verse. He specifically defined who the Lord was in this picture.

Hebrews 1:7-8 Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.” But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

As the Psalmist describes the One in the chamber, the One who is on the waters, the One who has His servants ready to do His bidding, whether as flames of fire or mighty winds, we find that the author identifies this One who rules amongst us.

The entire book of Hebrews is a treatise on the superiority of Jesus. Chapter 1 speaks of His ruling over the angels, of Him not being of the angels (as some may propose) but of Him ruling over them from His throne, ruling over His created angels from an eternal throne!

The author of Hebrews reveals to us the Psalmist’s God.

His name is Jesus and He makes His ministers a flaming fire..

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 – 4:1

2026-05-03

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 4:1 Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.

Consider the humility of the apostle Paul. He has been singularly appointed to be the apostle to the gentiles, to release the gospel of Jesus on the masses, while the original apostles work amongst those who should know better.

Paul, a man who was a force to be reckoned with, that led the charge to kill and stomp out that false religion sprouting up amongst the followers of that false prophet. This man was a go getter, and when he was arrested by the Lord on that road to Damascus, everything changed. Was he still strong willed, a force to be reckoned with? Yes of course, but now under the reign of the Patient One, Pauls metamorphosis is evident as we see him interact with those he ministers to.

He asks them to walk properly and please God. But watch out. Now he is getting forceful with his adherents. He urges them!

What happened to that force that took the bull be the horns and caused things to happen? Where is that man that force his will on others, even his will of death on others?

He asks. He urges. Come on Paul. Crack the whip!

But such is the servants life. A life of seeking the best for others, of appealing to the heart and not the mind, of reaching out in love as opposed to forcing by fear.

I realize I may have mentioned this passage before in previous writings, but consider 1 Corinthians 16:12

1 Corinthians 16:12 Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity.

Here Paul goes out on a limb “strongly urging” Apollos to do his will in visiting the Corinthians. Yet Apollos walked. WHAT? Was not Paul the Apostle of the Freaking Apostles? Apollos should have bent the knee immediately to Paul’s wishes, but he had the freedom to choose otherwise. And Paul allowed this to take place.

Amazing! This freedom amongst the apostle is hard to fathom.

But I have gotten distracted from the core of this verse a bit. Note that Paul is admitting the Thessalonians are walking well, but he is seeking greater love, more compliance to the will of God, greater pleasure for the Father with His children.

And to consider the very idea that our walk may be pleasing to God. That very concept blows me away. That our frail efforts, broken intentions, weak obedience and soft desire for His will actually may please the eternal One.

My friends – this should cause us great amazement if we consider this response of God. The God who has provided us all things, provided us His very Son, and yet finds pleasure in us.

But alas – before the head expands to bursting, it is good to remember that the Father finds pleasure in His children as they reflect the Greater Son, the Lord Jesus. Our efforts are as nothing to the Father if we are off the vine, away from the life of God.

John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

My friends – please God. Follow Jesus!

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Prayer of GRATITUDE – David’s Lineage

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a Self Serving Faith

a Fear based Faith

A Truth based Faith

a Love based Faith

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Convictions

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