Considering the Bible

Pay for Pew – Deuteronomy 26:12

2026-10-17
As believers, we are called by God to follow after Jesus in all our actions and attitudes. How we relate to money in included in our following after Him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This post will consider Deuteronomy 26:12

Deuteronomy 26:12 – “When you have finished paying all the tithe of your produce in the third year, which is the year of tithing, giving it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your towns and be filled,

We have been looking at tithing with each verse in a very focused, verse specific manner, but there may be benefit for us to take a bit of a broader view, a more general tack to the topic for context at this time.

I suppose I need to do this due to the phrase “year of tithing” we find in this verse. Were not all years the year of tithing? Why the specific reference to the third year as the year of tithing?

A very general view of the tithing system the faithful Israelite performed is provided below.

Regarding the question of the “year of tithing”, it appears that it is to be understood as referring to the topic of the third tithe being discussed.

You might notice that this verse introduces the obedience of the Israelite that is to be continued in the next verses. I would like to include these here as it makes sense to complete the thought.

Also, though the ESV is a super translation, they did insert the term “tithe” as a substitute for the pronoun “it”. The Hebrew does not specify the tithe here but the assumption is that this is referred to.

Let’s read what the faithful Israelite was to do in order to complete the giving of the tithe

Deuteronomy 26:13-15

13 then you shall say before the LORD your God, ‘I have removed the sacred portion out of my house, and moreover, I have given it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all your commandment that you have commanded me. I have not transgressed any of your commandments, nor have I forgotten them.
14 I have not eaten of the tithe while I was mourning, or removed any of it while I was unclean, or offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the voice of the LORD my God. I have done according to all that you have commanded me.
15 Look down from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless your people Israel and the ground that you have given us, as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.’

After the provision of the tithe for the third year, the Israelite was to recite his dedication to the Lord, his obedience in the tithe command, and concludes this offering with a prayer for blessing on the children of Israel and the land God gave them..

Note the progression
- Verse 12 – When you have finished paying all the tithe
- Verse 13 – Then you shall…
This passage speaks of the link between the faithfulness of the Israelite and the blessing of God on the land. Yet this blessing was not an automatic blessing if the Israelite simply paid the tithe. In the recitation of the Israelite, he was to confess his faith, his attitude in the giving of the tithe, and his dependance on the Lord for future blessing

Is it not true that the Lord owns the cattle on a thousand hills and does not require our offerings for His sustainment. Any offering to be sacrificed to the Lord was to be given in a humble, thankful spirit. Though the recitation of the statements may have become rote repetition for some during Old Testament, it did provide an avenue of true confession and dedication to the Lord for His faithfulness and goodness to the faithful Israelite.

Today, we do not have recitations to announce. The emphasis on the New Testament believer when giving to the Lord is to give a self determined amount of offering, whether that be of time, talent or treasure out of a thankful and willing heart.

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 – HIM WHO IS AND WHO WAS AND WHO IS TO COME – 319

2026-10-16
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.

HIM WHO IS AND WHO WAS AND WHO IS TO COME

Revelation 1:4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,

Four verses after our chosen passage, we find the same name referred to.

Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

The Lord God is declaring His name as Alpha and Omega, who is and who was and who is to come. It is apparent that this name of God applies to the Risen Savior, as some of the last verses in the the Revelation assign the same name to Jesus. (Check the context of the verses)

Revelation 22:12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.
Revelation 22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

Present

The Revelator refers to the present first, reminding us of His presence with us, His active participation in the time creation of His. Let us remember that He created time and entered into it to relate to His people. Time is not a restriction for our Savior and we should not limit Him to the constrictions of time that fall on us.

Take a moment to consider the Lord as the One who is always in the present.

Past

The Revelator speaks of the past, and of course this is in relation to our experience, our time frame. Throughout history, the Lord has been Sovereign in all.

But let me ask a pointed question.

Does the word sovereign speak of control, or authority? I ask this question, for I was linked to a teaching that assumed sovereignty was synonymous with control. This thinking necessitated that all things past were in the will of God, and forced the assignment of sin to the will of God. This caused no small storm of confusion in my mind, until I reconsidered the term sovereign.

To exercise sovereignty, One is in the place of the Ruler, the King, the Sovereign. Do Kings control all the subjects they rule over? Or do Kings generally set limits, policies, rules and laws for their citizens to come under.

Does a King over a nation of law breakers make Him less of a King? Do the actions of those in the kingdom reflect the King’s character or wisdom?

A bit of an aside, but as we consider the Lord as the One who was, it is good to consider that His character while reigning over His Kingdom is not sullied though His people may be rebels.

Take a moment to consider the Lord as the One who ruled over His people with wisdom and righteousness.

Future

The last phrase in this name is “who is to come”, and it speaks of the return of the Lord. For those receiving this revelation in the first century, is it possible the recipients understood the One to come as appearing at least two thousand years later? Possibly. There do not seem to be any time limits implied on the timing here.

Or are there?

One passage that speaks of His coming is found in Revelation 16:15. It is interesting that the future coming is now described as a present reality for those who received the letter.

Revelation 16:15 (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”)

Also, as I researched for this blog, I came across a resource that challenged my understanding of His future coming. (See Sunday Morning Greek Blog.) In summary, the author speaks of this phrase as being in the present tense, and may be translated as “Who is already coming”.

He is actively coming for the church, even as a thief in the night as Rev 16:15 declares.

Take a moment to consider the Lord as the One who is at the door, on the cusp of history, ready to break through into our lives in a very real way.

O Lord, help us be awake and ready for when You appear!

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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Prayers of an ol’ fool – Cool car

2026-10-15
Psalm 34:6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.

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

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

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

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

Cool car

I have spoke of our decision to re-enter school to provide for the family in a previous post, and may have forgot to mention that the commute between our home and the school was over 85 kilometers, or about 54 miles.

Our current vehicle at the time was an old Buick, on it’s last legs, but it was all we had, and I would have to depend on it as I travelled the 170 km each day to school and back, until the lease was up at our apartment.

When I originally went to the school for the initial visit, a kind lady by the name of Sophie, seeing our car had broke down one more time, offered me her vehicle to make the trip. Our family had befriended her and her son, and my wife had become quite close to her.

In the ensuing days coming up to my first day at school, it was apparent that the ol’ Buick may not be up to the task. I think I took her the first day, but by the time I got back that night, my wife told me that Sophie wanted us to use her car until we moved to Kirkland Lake.

What a provision! And to be honest, I was simply praying that God keep us moving with the ol’ Buick. Never did I ask for a provision such as this!

Oh – you ask what the cool car was? A Volkswagen Rabbit! Remember what I had to compare with!

He is good, and is the Great Provider, sometimes way beyond our limited prayers.

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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Life of David – 44.03

2026-10-14
David Defeats Ammon and Syria

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 10:7-14

7 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the host of the mighty men.
8 And the Ammonites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the gate, and the Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country.
9 When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians.
10 The rest of his men he put in the charge of Abishai his brother, and he arrayed them against the Ammonites.
11 And he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you.
12 Be of good courage, and let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and may the LORD do what seems good to him.”
13 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him.
14 And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.

As Joab, the commander of the armies of Israel, was sent into battle by David, and as he entered into battle at the gates of the city of Ammon, he faced a difficult situation. He found he was about to be attacked from behind by Ammons mercenaries.

It must have seemed to be an inevitable defeat, being surrounded by forces that would overwhelm him and his men. But Joab did not voice this seeming situation. He did not enter battle, considering a possible defeat, but provided two options to his leadership.

You help me if I am in trouble. I will help you if you are in trouble.

In the ensuing battle, he took some of the best men of Israel to fight the Syrians. I assume the Syrians were the greater threat. The remaining army were to continue the fight at the gate of the enemy. This was a time of a great (and unexpected) challenge for Abishai his brother, for the forces fighting at the gate were essentially stripped of their best men, and their leader Joab would be focused on a fight elsewhere.

Abishai was propelled into a situation he may not have been prepared for, but Joab saw no other option. Abishai would have to step in and lead a reduced fighting force. But Joab, as all good leaders, provided three motivations for the fight.

Be of good courage

Courage is a funny thing. We sometimes think it is a feeling of strength that allows others to ride through life without fear. What courage actually is, is a decision to not allow fear to overtake your life. The most courageous times I have lived through was with the realization of failure, and the occasional feeling of fear rising in my heart. Yet by the mercy and strength provided by the Lord, the fear did not overtake me. But let me tell you, the fear was dang near close to the surface at times!

Be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God

Joab reminded the armies for the reason to be courageous. There was much to be lost if victory wasn’t secured. Not only the loss of loved ones who may fall under the domination of the enemy, but entire cities of Israel may be destroyed if the armies of Israel are defeated, weakened and not able to defend the nation. This was serious stuff, and Joab laid it on the line. Buck up men – this is a big event!

May the LORD do what seems good to him

In the battles of David, and as Joab led the armies, the Lord was depended upon to continue the expansion of the nation, for He had already proven Himself to be leading David into greatness. Success upon success feeds on itself, and with the Lord providing the leadership, Joab could provide this encouragement, reminding the men of the One who was orchestrating the nations rise into power.

This passage speaks of the mutual encouragement believers are to have for each other. As Joab spoke of helping when half his army seemed to be weak, we too are to look about in the Body of Christ for those who are struggling in the battle.

This passage speaks of the possibility of great responsibility coming at an unexpected time on one in a time of emergency. Abishai was thrust into a very difficult position. He led a small army that held the battle at the gate at bay until Joab had his way with the Syrians. Abishai took the responsibility and held his position!

This passage speaks of the attitude of victory, and as Joab would not consider a defeat, it is instructive for us to remember. We are on the winning side, even when things look very dire. Defeat was not in Joab’s playbook!

Finally, this passage speaks of the importance of flexibility in a time of emergency. Joab rearranged his entire battle plan to face a changing battle situation. As a living organism called the Body of Christ, we too have a Leader looks for those who are flexible in their service to His calling. Although the principles of service to the King never change, arena’s of service, or responsibilities of service may change. Flexibility in those changes are to be considered a great strength.

This passage speaks of the Christian life in many more ways than first considered!

In what way does it speak to you?

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 – 5:2

2026-10-13
A little while ago, I produced a verse by verse series in Philippians. I really enjoyed that exercise and have been wondering if I should take on another book. Well it turns out that 1 Thessalonians is the victim of my machinations, and hopefully, the thoughts produced by this fantastic book will edify and encourage the reader.

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

1 Thessalonians 5:2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

This is not what we want to hear Paul. We want specific dates so we can prepare.

In the last 2000 years, the church has sought to provide it’s members dates and times that Paul refused to give. Attached at the end of this post is a partial list of times the Body of Christ was informed that our Savior would arrive to take us home, or at least to bring judgement on the earth. It is quite an amazing list.

Nevertheless, Paul did not succumb to this temptation, or provide to the church any specific date. And the church has been struggling to find this date for 2000 years. Quite an amazing circumstance.

Paul simply provides the first characteristic of the coming day of the Lord. He, along with the Lord, describes the day of the Lord coming as a “thief in the night”

How does a thief come in the night? This metaphor is implying that those who will be visited, will be completely surprised by the visit. But who are they who will be surprised? Might it be the church who will be surprised? Paul emphasizes that the Thessalonians are fully aware of this truth, so it seems those who are asleep are those outside of the church.

Those who are looking for the coming Day of the Lord are looking for the Son to return, and if I understand this correctly, dates and times are not of concern. It is a Person we wait on, not a date we prepare for.

But there is a term that Paul uses that raises questions in my mind. The Day of the Lord. For Paul to use this phrase provides us another indicator that Paul is speaking of those outside of the church as those surprised by the return of the Lord.

The Old Testament is rife with the prophets using this term, referring to judgement falling on a nation as the Day of the Lord.

Consider

Destruction of Babylon

Isaiah 13:6 Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come!
Isaiah 13:9 Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it.

Destruction of Egypt

Jeremiah 46:10 That day is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, to avenge himself on his foes. The sword shall devour and be sated and drink its fill of their blood. For the Lord GOD of hosts holds a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.

Destruction of All Nations

Obadiah 1:15 For the day of the LORD is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head.

Destruction of Judah

Zephaniah 1:14 The great day of the LORD is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there.

Destruction of Israel

Joel 1:15 Alas for the day! For the day of the LORD is near, and as destruction from the Almighty it comes.

The Old Testament speaks of the Day of the Lord as a bitter day. Zephaniah provides such a dark descriptive of that day.

Zephaniah 1:14 The great day of the LORD is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there.
Zephaniah 1:15 A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness,
Zephaniah 1:16 a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements.

This particular phrase carried with it much suffering, and as the Jewish population was steeped in this understanding, it is note worthy that in Peter’s first sermon, he makes reference to the Day of the Lord!

Acts 2:20 the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.

What is Peter talking about? That was 2000 years ago he spoke these words!

In his second epistle, he also describes the Day of the Lord, and I have always understood it as a catastrophic global desolation. There are some who consider Peter to be referring to 70AD, describing the nation of Israel, sometimes described as the sun, moon and stars, as being destroyed by Rome. Could Peter be describing the fall of Israel as the Old Testament prophets described the fall of a nation?

2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

But let us get back to Paul and our verse in First Thessalonians. Paul is beginning to describe the coming day, and will be outlining the characteristics of the church as opposed to the world at that day.

As believers, we are to be fully aware of the coming day of the Lord, and for the believer, because of the Son’s sacrifice for our lives, will not take us by surprise. It is to be a hopeful day, a day of expectation for the believer. In that hope and expectation, let us communicate to those who are unaware, those who are asleep, of the Savior who will rescue His people from this dying world.

Downloadable file of Second Coming Predictions

Predictions of the Second Coming Download
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Names of God – HIM WHO IS ABLE TO STRENGTHEN YOU – 318

2026-10-12
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.

HIM WHO IS ABLE TO STRENGTHEN YOU

Romans 16:25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages

In our last post we emphasized that when the Scriptures speak of God’s ability, it is speaking of the available resource we have in God, and is not necessarily describing our response to the resource.

His strength is available to us. It is for us to avail ourselves of His power.

There is a caveat! Paul describes the availability of receiving strength as being “according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ”.

Paul is not flippant in his description of Who the ultimate power is. He does not simply provide a general reference to some god who is not well defined, or a nebulous power of the universe. Paul clearly directs us to the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and no other.

God is able to provide strength through the Lord Jesus Christ.

I often hear of people speaking of God in the generic sense, not referring to the Lord Jesus Christ. I assume it is a common occurrence for my reader also, for I fear the culture is slowly accepting a homogenous generic boring religious faith. One that quietly excludes any reference to Jesus, God’s sacrifice for sinners and the Lord of Glory. Paul will not allow the Roman believers to understand this thinking as acceptable.

Jesus made this point also, when speaking to the Jews, making it clear that knowing Jesus is knowing God. If you do not know Jesus, God is unknown also.

John 8:19 They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”

And simply referring to God without acknowledging Jesus shouts out to the believer that they know neither God nor Jesus. He is the only name given amongst men whereby we might be saved. This truth reaches into every aspect of the believers life, for we have life in the Son, and in Him only.

My friend, if you refer to God only in your life, freely speaking of God this, and God that, step back and consider the Word. Without confessing Jesus, any god you speak of is suspect. Jesus is the sum total of all access to God, and is the only Mediator between man and God.

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

Back to our verse. In this passage Paul is wrapping up one of the most glorious epistles ever penned, declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ and of His sacrifice for all, to these Roman believers.

Throughout this epistle to the Romans, Paul hints at, and eventually teaches these believers of unity in the church. It seems the believers in this church were divided by cultural and religious opinions.

Paul is closing this book, directing the believers to look to Jesus for strength. Is it to much to assume the strength they needed was to fuel a love and care for others in the church in the unity of the Spirit?

Maybe, but even if this wasn’t Paul’s intent, it surely is a desire of the Lord to have unity under the Son. In the Son we can find the strength of resolve to seek unity under His Lordship, instead of fighting over cultural and religious opinions! May God give us the strength we need through the Lord Jesus as we conform to the life we have in Jesus.

God is able through the Son to do this.

Are we availing ourselves of this power?

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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Jesus in the Old Testament – Daniel – 22

2026-10-11
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

Powerless Enemies

Daniel 6:8 Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.”
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.”

John 18:31 Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.”

As we have discussed in previous posts, the one condemning the righteous man (Daniel or Jesus), was sentenced to death by an unwilling judge (see Jesus in the Old Testament – Daniel – 7)

Out time this morning will consider the ones using this poor man. For both of these injustices were initiated and fueled by the envy of powerless men.

Consider Daniel’s enemies.

They could not find anything wrong with Daniel and had to deceive the king, the ultimate and only authority in the nation that could complete their plans. These men were powerless to accomplish their desires. Though they were powerless in authority, they found opportunity to achieve their plans through flattery and an appeal to the king’s ego.

Consider Jesus’ enemies.

These men also could find no sin in Jesus, other than the breaking of their own religious man made laws. This forced these religious men to appeal to the occupiers of their nation, the Roman governor, for the nation had been stripped of the right of capital punishment by the Romans.

Though the motivation of envy was similar for both of these powerless groups, with Jesus enemies, they were not on friendly terms with this authority they had to appeal to. Though powerless, they gained their objective of killing Jesus (at least for a couple days!) through political blackmail and threats. For Pilate to be threatened with not complying with Caesar, was equal to extreme punishment from the supreme ruler of Rome.

Both groups of men were powerless, yet were able to steer the one who could exercise authority over their enemy. For both of these powerless groups, they were ale to temporarily achieve their goals, but consider the cost they both suffered. But that will be for a future posting!

Both groups of men seeking the death of their enemies were powerless in and of themselves. They achieved their goals through reluctant authorities, manipulating them through a feigned loyalty to the king or to Caeser.

It is much better to have a real loyalty to the only King of Kings. Let us look to Jesus as our King, and in this trust, realize where the only power that counts resides!

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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Proverbial Thoughts on WIVES – A

2026-10-10
THOUGHTS ON THE TOPIC OF WIVES FROM THE BOOK OF WISDOM

Proverbs 31:10 An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.

Today is October 10th, 2026. It was only 16,436 days ago that I wed my excellent wife. For those scrambling to get to their calculator, let me make it easier for y’all. 540 months ago – no that isn’t as clear as I can make it.

Forty five years ago, a pretty little lady named Paula joined me in marriage and has proven to this ol’ fool that the Scripture we are considering is alive and well on planet earth. Paula and I have been through many trials, some of which have reshaped our relationship, but through it all, she has proven herself to be far more precious than jewels to me.

The Scripture above asks “who can find an excellent wife”, as if this is an impossible task. My friends, this is an impossible task if the Lord is outside of the relationship.

Before I take my wifey away for the day, I would offer the following Scriptures to those Christian husbands who may not have found in their wife this estimation of excellence. I readily admit not all of us have such a blessing as a lady like Paula who has blossomed into such an excellent wife, despite her hubby!

To those who may be seeking counsel on finding an excellent wife in your current mate. I offer Paul’s wisdom for you to consider.

Husband, lead your wife as Christ has led His church

Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.

Husband, sacrifice for your wife as Christ sacrificed for His church

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,

Husband, prioritize your wife over all other earthly relationships

Ephesians 5:31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

Husband, love for your wife.

Ephesians 5:28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

Ephesians 5:33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself….

For me, I can only thank the Lord for such a wife as Paula. She is much more precious that rubies or diamonds.

For our 16,436th day of being married, we will spend it visiting bakeries and dress shops, having a meal together and spending time just “hanging out” She seems to like those things. I am a blessed man!!

Thank you Father for Paula. I look forward to another 45 years with my girlfriend!
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Psalms for Psome – Ps 77.04

2026-10-09
My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.

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

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

Psalm 77:10 Then I said, “I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High.”
Psalm 77:11 I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
Psalm 77:12 I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.
Psalm 77:13 Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God?
Psalm 77:14 You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples.
Psalm 77:15 You with your arm redeemed your people, the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

The psalms are so relatable.

We have our author Asaph, spending the first 9 verses of this psalm asking if the Lord has spurned His people (vs 7), if His steadfast love has ceased (vs 8) and if He has forgotten to be gracious (vs 9). Asaph slung some serious accusations at the Lord in this psalm! He has really let loose on God, as he entered into very difficult times.

Yes Asaph entered dificult time, days of trouble. Out of these days of trial, he accused God of serious character flaws!

How could he? Asaph was considered a godly man, a man who wrote Scripture, a man consecrated to the service of God. How could he besmirch the name of God as he had in the previous verses.

Let me ask you a pointed question.

Have you not, in a day of trial, lashed out to God? Accused Him of forgetting you? Said things that were patently false? I admit to my shame that I have. There is no denying my sin.

But as we walk with the Lord, and time passes, we find many saints have entered the same pitfall. That is why the psalms become more and more precious as we walk with Him. We understand the continual kindness, and steadfast love of the Lord expressed towards us, even as we lash out as Asaph did.

For our verses this morning, we find, as we do in many, many of the psalms, the author remembering the goodness of God, of His past, mighty acts of provision towards His people. This is instructive for us, for as we enter difficult times, we need to rest in the mighty acts of God in our lives that are non debatable. We need to remember Him, who He is instead of the circumstances we may find ourselves in.

Asaph speaks of the deeds of the Lord. For Asaph, this surely included the exodus from Egypt, the many victories of the Israelites in establishing this new nation, of the mighty acts associated with King David and his kingdom.

To remember the deeds of God (vs 11) and to ponder on His work (vs 12) is the very foundation of strength for the believer in times of trial. Though Asaph refers to the redemption of God’s people in verse 15, the scope, depth, breadth and width of this redemption was hidden from those of Asaph’s time. For the modern believer, knowledge of the deeds of the Lord have increased exponentially.

As a matter of fact, I would confess the scope, depth, breadth and width of our redemption in the Savior is still unknown. Regarding the deeds of God, there is a certain “unfathomableness”. Is this not Paul’s teaching, even to the believer of New Testament times?

1 Corinthians 2:9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”–

But Carl, you need to continue reading Paul’s teaching for the New Testament believer. He has revealed those things of verse 9 to us!

1 Corinthians 2:10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.

And yet we lash out. We say things that are completely untrue about the God of eternity.

How desperate our condition is. How distracted from the One who loves us, cares for us, directs us, provides for us, teaches us and delivers us.

How He even recieves us, as we rant and rave. My friend, His love will eventually completely tame our hearts, but as He completes His work in us, we need to ponder His great works, His deeds, His wonders! He has not only performed the work, but provided the instructor in the Spirit of God that we might enter into this knowledge fully.

Who is a god like our God? Aspah admitted the obvious once he considered the deeds of the Lord!

Psalm 77:13 Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God?

He is like no other for He alone is holy. And as the One who alone is holy, He is the ultimate One who continues in His steadfast love, for He cannot deny Himself!
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Pay for Pew – Deuteronomy 14:28

2026-10-08
As believers, we are called by God to follow after Jesus in all our actions and attitudes. How we relate to money in included in our following after Him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This post will consider Deuteronomy 14:28

Deuteronomy 14:28 – “At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns.

A short review

Deuteronomy 12:17 introduced a tithe described as one that the offerer would take part in. Not that the offerer would take part in the giving of the tithe by placing the offering on an altar – this never happens for the priest is the only one to do that. The offerer would not even deliver this tithe to the priest to place on the altar, or to put in some storehouse.

No, the offerer would consume this tithe. That still shocks me, for I understood all tithing was for the professional religious class.

Dueteronomy 14:23 added the intent of this tithe. The intent of this particular tithe was that the nation, and in particular the one partaking of the tithe might learn to fear the Lord always.

We now are taught of the third year tithe.

This third year tithe was to be stored up. If I understand this tithe properly, the faithful Israelite was to take the tithe of the third year, and instead of delivering it to the Levite in the place the Lord was to choose, was to keep it local.

Now there are some who interpret this tithe as an additional tithe that was to be collected on the third year, without impacting the tithe that was to be provided to the priest. Coincidentally those who advocate for this seem to be those who gain from this, but it may be a valid interpretation. I will let the reader consider.

I am of the opinion this tithe is not an additional burden on the faithful Israelite, but simply a redirecting of the yearly tithe to the poor of the land, those who had no land and that were within the gates.

A number of items rise to the surface in my thinking.

Direct sacrifice

This tithe did not enter the temple, or pass through the priests hands. Any produce that was offered up as a tithe was provided directly to the poor of the area. This act would provide the faithful Israelite a number of benefits.

First, the faithful Israelite would be in contact with the poorest of the land, with the most vulnerable, and with those who may be different. This should have a humbling effect on the offerer, causing a thankful spirit to rise up in thier hearts.

Secondly, this tithe would provide the potential of creating community with those inhabitants of the land who may not be comfortable to be around. Community is a continuing theme though the tithing commands, and as I study this topic, I am finding this benefit to the faithful Israelite a somewhat unexpected outcome of the tithing experience!

Local sacrifice

As for the tithe to be local, this reminds me of the last words the Lord directed to His people. Note that when the Master provided the future experiences of the disciples, He spoke locally first.

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

As you may know, my wife and I were in training to take the gospel to the ends of the earth decades ago, and though we were not able, distant mission fields have always caught my attention. This passage is a corrective for myself, as the heart of God considers the people around me to be worthy of good news also. A bit of a rebuke!

One additional aspect of this tithe rises in my consideration. Moses directs the faithful Israelite to lay up his tithe for the local needs. Did not Paul speak similar language in 1 Corinthians?

1 Corinthians 16:2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.

Granted, this passage does not mention tithing, nor the poor, but there is the element of setting aside my goods, and storing these goods up for opportune times. For Paul, it was to be provided when he arrived, in order to minister for the poor in Jerusalem. Local? Not really, but this verse has provided much freedom for my wife and I in our giving. More on this topic later as we continue this series.

Motive

As for the motive behind this command, we have considered possible reasons for this command being the benefits of humility and community. Moses does not disapoint in providing the actual motive for this command.

In performing this command, the faithful Israelite would experience the blessing of the Lord in all the work of their hand. This blessing is brought up in a second passage, not describing a tithe, but in the allowance of the poor to glean the fields, of not completely stripping the field of product.

Both times the phrase “bless you in all the work of your hands” occurs, it is in relation to providing for the less fortunate, for those who cannot pay back.

God is seeking those who trust Him, who will translate His love into action for the poor, for those who can not pay back. This must not surprise us! Is this not His very character, for He has provided all our needs, and much more in our Savior. The abundance of blessing He has provided cannot be calculated. He has provided this massive blessing to the poorest, the most vulnerable and for those who are different. He has provided this massive blessing to us!

Let us be like Him in blessing those like us, the poor, the vulnerable and the stranger.

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 – HIM WHO IS ABLE TO KEEP YOU – 317

2026-10-07
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.

HIM WHO IS ABLE TO KEEP YOU

Jude 1:24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,

It was years ago, when I had the priviledge to teach an adult Sunday School class, that this verse, or more specifically one word in this verse, caused a bit of a commotion.

You see, at that time, I was a committed OSAS (Once Saved Always Saved) disciple, and clung to this teaching. So many verses supported my thinking that I simply disregarded any that might challenge it. I was in a church that was committed to the teaching. Most, if not all the folks in the class were followers of this teaching. It was a safe environment!

Until we welcomed a new friend into the class. I still remember she sat at the back in the center, and was very excited about the Lord and His love for the church. I was thrilled to have her.

She participated in the class, and as we were venturing through 1 Corinthians, for some reason she referred to this verse we are considering this morning, specifically associating it with OSAS.

Ever the trouble maker, I challenged her in her understanding of one word. I sensed she was open to discussion! Little did I know I was touching a nerve in my very own understanding of God’s salvation of sinners!

That word you ask?

Able.

He is able. What a great term to describe the Lord of glory in relation to our lives down here. He is able to keep us from stumbling. He is able.

But let us consider the message of Jude. You know what, let’s do a quick study.

Able

Judes uses the Greek term δύναμαι dýnamai in this verse, a very common greek term used in the Word. This term speaks of the power one has to perform a work. It speaks of possibility, of the strength to perform a potential act.

Of course God is able. He is the Almighty.

But is Jude communicating to his audience that believers never stumble or fall? Is that his message? Or might it be that we have such a strong God, that His power provides us the potential life of not stumbling?

Jude is describing our powerful ABLE God. But is Jude describing our life experience, or the potential life we may have? Let ‘s also consider the two phrases connected to God’s abilities.

God’s Abilities

In Our walk with Him

He is able to keep us from stumbing. I take this as referring to our current walk with Him in this current life.

As for me, I have stumbled. I have fallen. I have slipped and tripped. His ability in those times are not questioned. My sin is the problem in those times. He was able, but I did not trust, did not seek, did not rely and follow after Him.

Is Jude speaking of our day to day life on this blue ball, of our connectedness to God and His strength pouring through us to walk properly? Me thinks so.

In Our presentation before Him

He is able to present us blameless before His glory with great joy.

I initally thought this description of God’s ability referred to the future presentation of our lives before the King at our going home. And it may be so, but the verb used “to present” is in the aorist tense, which does not define past, present, or future. The verb also is active in voice, speaking of the subject (God) performing an action.

Ok, so God is able to keep us from stumbling, but we sometimes do. God is able to present us blameless. Though we stumble, God is still able to present us blameless before His presence.

Back to our new friend in Sunday School. Once we discussed this topic, and questions were raised, (which is a sign of a healthy Christian life), the conclusion was that this verse does not directly support an OSAS thinking. It does focus on God’s ability. Our resource in God, and not our responses are discussed in this verse.

God’s abilities, great and powerful, are referred to in this verse. He is able!

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 – 5:1

2026-10-06
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 5:1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you.

As we left the fourth chapter, we found that Paul was providing information to the Thessalonians in order to comfort them, encouraging them to comfort each other regarding the coming of the Lord.

I sought to emphasize that there was little “meat on the bones” in those verses that inidicated any time interval or condition of culture that would provide the Thessalonians information on the date of the return.

Paul now comes out and clearly states that he did not need to communicate any chronological specifics about when the Lord would return. The already knew!

What? They knew when the Lord was coming back?

Hold up. As we venture through this portion of Scripture (verse 1-11) Paul continues with his pastoral heart, seeking to comfort the believers, and not simply provide a specific time of the return!

But Carl, Paul specifically starts this portion, referring to the “times” and “seasons”. Surely he is about to describe the date of the Lord’s return.

Woah. Hold up and let’s take a moment to consider what his letter says and doesn’t say.

Times

χρόνος chrónos. This term speaks of a space of time, but not a specific time or portion of time, or a particular period of time. This term is of the more generic terms in relation to the topic of time

The term speaks of a quantiative measure of duration.

Seasons

καιρός kairós. This term speaks of a particular time, often associated with a specific action or occurence, a time that is consequential or appointed, It may simply define a point in time, usually containing specific circumstances.

In using these two terms, Paul is speaking of the Thessalonians understanding of the general passage of time (chrónos) , and of some specific circumstances in a period of time (kairós).

Now as we continue reading this passage, I have always assumed Paul is speaking of the times the Thessalonians lived in. This only makes sense since Paul was not providing the Thessalonian church information that would be directed only to the 12th century church in Madagascar, or the 21st century church in North Bergen New Jersey. He is addressing a first century church.

So let’s recap.
- He is seeking to comfort his current church. This is very applicable to the modern church. The return of the Lord is truth the church should use to “encourage one another and build one another up”. (verse 11)
- He is speaking of their current knowledge of the “times and seasons”. Some in the modern church may have this knowledge.
- He is reminding the Thessalonians of their general knowledge of the time they lived in, and of the characteristic of the times (seasons) prior to the end. This is not directly applicable to the modern church, as we did not have the opportunity to hear his teaching, nor are we in their specific time condition. We may glean much of this knowledge from his writings, and for that we are thankful, but let us not think we know more than the Thessalonians. We know enough.
In verse 2, he will begin to describe their full knowledge of the times and seasons, but Paul will not specifically indicate any date. (Argh!) He will describe to the Thessalonians characteristics of the times of the day of the Lord, which is much more helpful for the modern church. We can look around our culture and find many of the characteristics Paul speaks of. Some periods of time are laden with these characteristics, and should bring us great hope.

In all of this discussion on times and seasons, the overriding message we need to remember is that the Lord Jesus is returning, and our knowledge of the times should encourage us, not worry us.

He is coming back! Whether it be today (hopefully) or February 19th, 3247 each of us will meet Him soon. We all have our own date of meeting if He tarries!

Come Lord Jesus!
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Life of David – 44.02

2026-10-05
David Defeats Ammon and Syria

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 10:6-8

6 When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, the Ammonites sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with 1,000 men, and the men of Tob, 12,000 men.
7 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the host of the mighty men.
8 And the Ammonites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the gate, and the Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country.

Let’s pick up where we left off last time. David had sent emmisaries to the new king of the Ammorites, seeking to provide a sign of loyalty in showing respect to the nation at the death of their king. The newly crowned son took counsel from inexperienced cousellors and treated David’s representative with malice, shaming them publicly.

The final verse of the last passage, David focused on providing an opportunity for these men of his court to regain honor.

Nothing in the previous text indicates David’s response to the new king of the Ammorites. He does not initiate an arm’s buildup, strategy sessions on a pre-emptive strike on the Ammorites, or develop a battle plan for decimating the new kings rule. Nothing is stated in the text regarding a violent response to the Ammorites by David

But we see the king of the Ammorites, the one who spit in David’s face, interpret the situation and begin the arms build up. They understood that any normal king would have to enter into war because of this hostility to the emmisaries. Hunan, the new king of the Ammorites continued his actions based on the counsel of those in his administration. In understanding the emmisaries visit incorrectly, it started a path to eventual war.

How critical wise counsel is!

Proverbs 20:18 Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war.

The plans the Ammorite counsellors provided Hunan the king, when taken to their logical conclusion, required war. Whether David intended to keep peace or enter war is not discussed, but as for the Ammorites, the die was set, and people would die.

How critical wise counsel is!

The Ammorites amassed armies of their own, along with hiring Syrian soldiers, men of the king of Maacah and the men of Tob. The mercenary army alone was 33,000 soldiers! Upon this arms buildup of the Ammorites, David needed to respond. Joab and David’s mighty men approached the opposing forces. The battle would occur based on misunderstanding, mininterpretation of actions and the foolishness of young counsellors.

How critical wise counsel is!

For a moment let’s consider wise counsel, and where we might find it.

Experience

As we venture through life, we often need to find wise counsel. As one who has taken counsel from many in my years, may I witness to the benefit of listening to those who have experience in life. One of Hunan’s greatest mistakes was to refer to the young counsellors of his court.

Character

Of course, not all those who have lived long have lived wisely. This is a narrowing of potential counsellors that each of us need to consider. Those who have experience, and yet are of bad character should be avoided.

Humility

An aged man that has made wise choices, but is living in pride can distort counsel though a self centered desire to simply duplicate what he has done in his circumstances. Wise counsel considers the current circumstances of the one seeking and not necessarily the previous conditions of the counsellors success.

Truth

The final arbiter of good counsel is the appeal to the Scriptures. Those counsellors of experience, good character and humilty by directing the seeker to the Word, provides them the fountain of wisdom found in God’s Word. Some counsel to be given may need to be difficult to hear, and the Scriptures have the authority to provide this difficult truth from one sinner to the other. Judgement is of the Word and not of the counseller, thereby avoiding a condemning perception, or a potential bias of the counsellor.

The Word supplies a “Third Party”, that is God to enter the discussion and provide counsel that is enduring!

In this little review of wise counsel, it might be obvious that Hunan’s counsellors lacked much in every aspect we discussed. May we seek the counsel that honor’s God, and not simply satisfy our selfish ego!

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 – 21

2026-10-04
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 man of prayer

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.

Luke 22:39 And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him.
Luke 22:40 And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
Luke 22:41 And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed,

Both men prayed.

This may not be a specific picture of Jesus found in Daniel, but it is a common thread throughout the Word, that when great trial or trouble is confronting the saint, a posture of prayer in kneeling is often defaulted to.

Both men kneeled down in prayer.

Yes, there are times when particular saints in the Word are confronted by the pre-incarnate Son of God, and they fall to thier face, but by far the common position is that of kneeling before the Lord.

Daniel, once he knew he was condemned, and that the help of any man was not available, resorted to the Lord in an open display of piety. You see, the very position of kneeling provided evidence that Daniel was resorting to prayer to all who witnessed his act of defiance. He may as well have went to the roof top and screamed that he still believed in God and it wouldn’t have been as obvious as his humble act of kneeling before his window, praying to his God.

Jesus also, as He brought his disciples to the garden, prayed openly before them, kneeling in posture, reaching out to His Father, exhibiting to those with Him his trust in God.

Both men prayed, openly, before witnesses, in a kneeling position, to seek the God of Israel prior to their death, and to give witness to those around of thier dependence on the God of Israel.

And both men entered their experience of death, strengthened by this pracitce of prayer.

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 – HIM WHO DIVIDED THE RED SEA – 316

2026-10-03
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.

HIM WHO DIVIDED THE RED SEA

Psalm 136:13 to him who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever;

In our last post, we considered HIM WHO ALONE DOES GREAT WONDERS, found in Psalm 136:4. One of those great wonders in this psalm is the dividing of the Red Sea, and is called out as a specific act of God highlighting the exodus.

The dividing of the Red Sea is an epic act of God in the deliverance of His newly rescued people out of Egypt. They had been released after considerable plaugues forced the hand of Pharoah, yet he would not give up, even after his own son died in the last plague.

Exodus 14:6-7 So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him, and took six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them.

The Pharoah, leading 600 of his chosen chariots, along with all other chariots of Egypt, and his army, chased after the fledgling nation, blocking them into a trap up against the Red Sea. The Pharoah must have been ecstatic! Such an easy retrieval of his slaves.

Such a short freedom for the children of Israel.

For the nation of Israel, the act of splitting the Red Sea was a pivotal act of deliverance by God. Yes, God had provided them physical escape from the land of Egypt, but to be truly delivered from Egypt, the power of Egypt had to be destroyed. And at the shore of the Red Sea, the power of Egypt seemed insurmountable, with the Pharoah advancing towards them against the sea shore. Yes, the power of Egypt was very evident, for the people knew the former slave owners were after them.

It is good to remember that One other power was on the scene. The presense of the Lord in the pillar of fire by night and the pillar of cloud by day was with the freed slaves.

Exodus 14:19 Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them,

And night fell. The Israelites, under a stong east wind, had one light to reference to. The pillar of God’s presence moved from leading them to the Red Sea, to being between the Egyptians and their former slaves.

Exodus 14:20 coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night.

During the night, the strong east wind blew, and the people of God ventured between walls of water. Now stop right there and think about this situation. The wind blew all night, the waters parted, the Israelites walked between walls of water, and the Egyptians pursued them. Did this wind separate the water? Was the wind simply a physical occurence that accompanied the splitting of the sea. Verse 16 indicates the Lord split the sea by command through the prophet Moses, with the wind possibly drying up the sea bed.

Exodus 14:16 Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground.

So in my mind, the parting of the sea happened at command, with access for the Israelites to the path early in the evening. Though physically dark, the light of God in the pillar of cloud was between them and their pursuers.

And Egypt thought it wise to follow.

Though I have often considered the Red Sea miracle to provide deliverance to the children of Israel by escaping the impending doom of the Egyptian armies, it is very much the deliverance of God’s people in the destruction of the armies of Egypt.

The path of salvation for one became the path of destruction for another.

Exodus 14:28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained.

In the destruction of the power of Egypt, the Isrealites were truly freed from their former masters. They had the opportunity to forge a new life and a new future beckoned to them.

HIM WHO DIVIDED THE RED SEA provided not only access away from the dominating power they had been under for centuries, but also eliminated the influence of Egypt over them in the present.

More so today, as believers, we have been provided the path of Salvation, having trusted in the way, the truth and the life. Jesus is our path through the Red Sea, and for those who rebel against Him, find Him to be their judge.

As the dead Egyptian soldiers lay on the shore before the Israelites, they had proof of the ruination of their former masters.

We also have experienced the death of the world to our hearts. The believer has been given new life, with the influence of the old life, like Egypt over the Israelites, dead on the shore.

Galatians 6:14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (italics mine)

Let us seek not to go back to the old life. We see in the life of the nation of Israel the utter disaster it is to return to the ways of the world, to our old desires and habits.

We need to continue to follow HIM WHO DIVIDED THE RED SEA, in our desires, thoughts intentions and actions.

Is He not worthy?

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

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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Life of David – 44.01

2026-10-02
David Defeats Ammon and Syria

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 10:1-5
1 After this the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place.
2 And David said, “I will deal loyally with Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father dealt loyally with me.” So David sent by his servants to console him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the Ammonites.
3 But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? Has not David sent his servants to you to search the city and to spy it out and to overthrow it?”
4 So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved off half the beard of each and cut off their garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away.
5 When it was told David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return.”

David was a man who sought to communicate the kindness of God in tangible manners. We have just considered his kindness to Mephibosheth, and now we enter a time when he sends delegates of Israel to a foreign nation on the death of their king.

This kindness was somewhat different that with Mephibosheth. This kindness was in return for kindness, an act of the former king that showed toward David in the past. What was that kindness?

Although the Scripture does not provide any details, there are two possibilities.

David had left his parents and brothers with the king of Moab during Saul’s persecution of David. Jewish tradition speaks of the king of Moab killing David’s parents and family during this time of refuge from Saul, except for one brother. This brother escaped to King Nahash of Ammon.

One other tradition speaks of a time when David fled from Achish, coming to the king of Ammon, and finding in Nahash a hatred of Saul, found refuge.

Whatever the kindness showed to David by Nahash, the king of Ammon, David sought to provide comfort. Sending a delegation to Ammon should have been received by the king’s family for what it was. An act of kindness.

But some young counsellors, advising a young king in a period of great change, understood this action completely wrong. They attributed evil for David’s kindness. And as they were in the presence of this newly crowned young king, they counselled him in like manner. David is going to take over the country.

And they were right, but not because of David’s plans but due to their foolish counsel. The young, inexperienced king listened to these foolish inexperienced counsellors and committed the highest indignity to David’s representatives.

It is said that the beard of the Israelite is of his greatest glory, a sign of his maturity, representing the honor he had attained to in his life. These delegates of David, expecting to be received in honor, but rejected in dishonor, experienced great shame. As David’s delegates, this shame was directly aimed at David.

Let’s remember that this culture was a shame based culture. To be shamed in this manner was of the highest insult, and of the deepest cut. David, in hearing of this disgrace, honored these men be not requiring them to be exposed to their own people, thereby providing some relief.

But relief was not to be experienced by a young inexperienced king.

In like manner, we are delegates of the King, and at times, we may be treated shamefully. We have been informed of the world’s motivation by the Lord, and should not be surprised.

John 15:18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.

But also, as the delegates greatest glory grew back, our treatment, or any shame we experience is temporary. Hang on to the promises of God, for we shall be comforted in the midst of the trial, and provided an eternal reward.

Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

As for the those who perpetrate any act of shame or hatred on the King’s delegates, we will leave that to the King to resolve.

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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Pay for Pew – Deuteronomy 14:23

2026-10-01
As believers, we are called by God to follow after Jesus in all our actions and attitudes. How we relate to money in included in our following after Him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This post will consider Deuteronomy 14:23

Deuteronomy 14:23 – And before the LORD your God, in the place that he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.

In our last post discussing Deuteronomy 12:17, we found that the tithe discussed was to be consumed by the offeror, and the location was the only parameter stipulated.

Deuteronomy 12:17 – You may not eat within your towns the tithe of your grain or of your wine or of your oil, or the firstborn of your herd or of your flock, or any of your vow offerings that you vow, or your freewill offerings or the contribution that you present,

We considered the idea of group worship and community established through the shared experience of eating together. We also suggested that this practice of consuming the tithe may have connections to the modern church ordinance of the Lord’s supper. I understand it is directly linked with the Passover Seder, and I am not seeking to separate it from that shadow of the past. It is simply an observation that in this tithe there is the concept of consumption with the faithful, under the watchful hand of the Lord in His presence.

Our verse this morning is addressing the same tithe, that is the tithe that is to be consumed by the offeror, but our verse adds an interesting “twist”.

That twist is the intent of the tithe. Why did God demand that the tithe was to be consumed “in the place that he will choose, to make his name dwell there” with all the faithful?

Can you find the intent? The desired outcome of this command?

The passage speaks of the consumption of the tithe with the faithful to teach the faithful Israelite that they “may learn to fear the LORD your God always.”

Now I am going to ask the proverbial chicken egg question here. Is it not the faithful Israelite who is already offering up the tithe, who is already attending to the place the Lord chooses for His name to dwell, that is already obeying this command. Is it not the faithful Israelite that has already learned to fear the Lord always?

What am I missing? Might it be that this practice brings to mind to the faithful Israelite the importance of constancy in their obedience? Might that be the message, especially since the last phrase speaks of “always”?

This may be the intent. The faithful Israelite, who fear the Lord, when he attend s this tithe feast, in reminded of the goodness of God, of God’s command and may find in his heart the opportunity to recommit to the God of Israel.

One other intent may be one that I lean to. To have such a tithing feast for those of the Faithful Israelites family would surely impact the youth, even the children. Might it be much like a large get together, when many youth and children find times to reconnect with others, be away from farm duties, enjoy the social interaction with other families etc. Very possibly a very good memory for the faithful Israelites of tomorrow, of the coming generation, where they would become the men and women that fear the Lord.

In all of this conjecture of mine, I find it quite refreshing to think of this tithe to be one of a shared experience with the people of God in the presence of the Lord, where He seeks nothing material from the people, and coordinates a time, place and provision for a “national party”.

It is not the picture of a God who demands a tithe, threatens poverty if it is not offered, or promises wealth if a tithe is provided. Our God is not into the tit for tat relationship game.

He is the God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills. To think He set up a system to manipulate His people is beyond my understanding.

An attitude of fearing the LORD our God, with a cheerful and thankful heart, should be the motivation in all of our giving.

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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1 Thessalonian Bits – 4:18

2026-09-30
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 4:18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Most who follow my posts know my background. A rebellious teenager, saved by the grace of God, only to be swept away with a teaching called Dispensational Theology. I was committed to the Pretribulational Rapture teaching, a teaching that provided an escape for believers prior to a supposed seven year tribulation, where an anti-christ would take power and rule the world.

Many verses were called upon to create this narrative, and for most of my walk of faith I thought this was the way. In the 80’s, with Israel being established as a nation in 1947, it was common to think the Lord was coming back in 1987. (Reference was made to the Lord’s speaking of a generation of 40 years in His Mount Olivet discourse.)

To be honest with my own heart, I didn’t want to know of any other teaching. This one was good for me. I liked it. I mean I liked it a lot!

But one night on a long drive into Oklahoma all alone, I was challenged with a Scripture teaching that shocked me. It is commonly called a preterist theology, and I had never heard of it. I had been a believer for decades and had avoided it successfully. Amazing, since it has been the dominant teaching in the history of the church since the apostles, but I was consumed with my teaching.

To get to our verse for the morning, Paul just spent four verses teaching the Thessalonians about the gathering of the saints and the return of the Lord, hoping to relieve those still living Thessalonians of the good future of their sleeping brothers. This passage is pastoral in the infinite, and yet I had made it into a chronological tool to justify a certain teaching.

In our verse this morning, he provides the reason he taught them these famous verses.

To encourage one another.

Nothing to do with timing of the Lord’s return, or any mention of a tribulation, or an antichrist or beast or the devil on earth. No persecution of believers is emphasized, or some mark of a beast. Not one mention of 666!

Let’s remember that in verses 9-12 Paul emphasized..
- Love – verse 9 …you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another,
- More Love – verse 10 ….. But we urge you, brothers, to do this (that is, love one another) more and more, (italics my insert)
- A Quiet Life – verse 11 …to aspire to live quietly,
- A Circumspect Life – verse 11 …mind your own affairs
- A Life of Labor – verse 11 …to work with your hands…
- A Proper Witness – verse 12 …so that you may walk properly before outsiders
- A Life of Independence – verse 12 …be dependent on no one.
Note that Paul said nothing about selling all your goods and sitting on a hill waiting for a rapture. Nothing about trying to determine who the antichrist is. Nothing about escaping the wrath to come.

He simply wanted to calm his church down, teach them of their joining their brothers in the air as the Lord returns, and that this should be a comfort to them, and a opportunity to encourage one another.

My I encourage those reading, especially if you may be consumed with future events, rapture timing, antichrist identification, and Armageddon. Be encouraged in the Lord, for He is your shelter, your High Tower and your Strength.

Being consumed with end time scenarios, from my own experience, feeds a sort of self survivalism, short term thinking, and a stress that does not belong in the believers heart.

Rejoice in the Lord, be thankful for His many mercies, and encourage those who may have lost a loved one in the faith, that the day is coming when we will be rejoined.

I’m waiting to see you Jed!
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Conditional Security – Hebrews 10:32-39

2026-09-29
Hebrews 10:32-39

Hebrews 10:32 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings,
Hebrews 10:33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.
Hebrews 10:34 For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.
Hebrews 10:35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
Hebrews 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.
Hebrews 10:37 For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay;
Hebrews 10:38 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”
Hebrews 10:39 For But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

For our passage this morning, we find a portion of Scripture that provides tension for the reader as he reads through it.

At least it did for me. Let me try to explain.

As we enter this passage we find the author reminding the Hebrew believers of their commitment to the Messiah, and the suffering they originally entered into and endured for a time.

Then the key verse which addresses our subject matter of conditional security in this series.

Hebrews 10:35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.

It appears the apostle is counselling the believers to hang on, to not apostatize, to not throw away their confidence (the boldness of the faith). The apostle uses this term of confidence a number of times in this epistle, exhorting these believers to endure.

Hebrews 3:6 …..And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 10:19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,

The apostle then proceeds to describe their need to endure, and of the righteous man’s walk is that of faith. To add to the argument of this post, we have the apostle stating the possibility of the righteous man shrinking back, causing no pleasure in the Lord.

Hebrews 10:38 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

Yet, at the end of the passage, we have a tension added to the message. Obviously the apostle speaks of all believers when he speaks – “we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed”.

Hebrews 10:39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

Surely the apostle speaks of the danger of the Hebrew believers letting go of their confidence, and then, in order to encourage them, (dulling the concern he just expressed), tells them that they are not those who shrink back.

Wait – what is going on? Is this apostle speaking out of both sides of his mouth?

The tension disappears if we consider the apostle referring to himself and his close companions as “we who do not shrink back”. Could the apostle be speaking this last verse as a proof of stability in the Christian life, of a certain standard that the Hebrews may be ignoring, or worse yet, abandoning? Might verse 39 be given as a witness of victory to those who are shrinking back.

I will leave my readers to consider their approach to this difficult chapter. We have dwelt in it for many posts, and there are many interpretations available. My hope is that your time in our study may have helped (or challenged) you in your walk with the Holy One.

May the Lord be honored in all our seeking 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 would like to receive daily posts from Considering the Bible, click on the “Follow” link below
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Jesus in the Old Testament – Daniel – 20

2026-09-28
Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.

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

SEEING JESUS IN

Daniel

A Troubled Condemner

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.
Daniel 6:16 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions.

Luke 23:15 Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him.
Luke 23:20 Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus,
Luke 23:24 So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted.

Both Daniel and Jesus were condemned to death by a troubled official. Both men were reluctant, knowing they were condemning an innocent man, forced by the cunning of evil men.

For Darius, he was pulled into the trap by the evil men plying his ego, stroking his self importance, only to be duped and to suffer the regret of condemning his confidant.

We also get “sucked into” traps by those who wish us harm by an appeal to our ego. How wise it was of Paul to counsel us in this regard.

Romans 12:3 … I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment…

It is our pride that allows us to be drawn into the same trap Darius found himself in, that brought Daniel to a point reflecting the Lord Jesus, in being condemned by a troubled man.

For the Master’s situation, Pilate had his own pressures, and the Roman government was not pleased with the constant uprising and rebellion of the Jews. Too often this little sliver of land on the east Mediterranean was like a splinter in the eye of Caesar, and Pilate was responsible to keep the peace. Having a bunch of zealot Jews begin a mob riot over a Carpenter Preacher, along with his wife counselling him to avoid “this Man”, must have weighed heavily on Pilate, but he condemned the Son of God, even as he looked into the very eyes of truth.

Both men were troubled in condemning those before them, yet condemn them they did. Their troubled minds could not stop the unjust condemnation of these two righteous men.

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 – HIM WHO ALONE DOES GREAT WONDERS – 315

2026-09-27
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.

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

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

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

HIM WHO ALONE DOES GREAT WONDERS

Psalm 136:4 to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;

Great wonders. As we read through this psalm, we find that in this verse the Psalmist speaks of great wonders, and then immediately describes the Lord’s great wonders of creation for verses 5 though 9. Verses 10 through 16, the Psalmist speaks of God’s deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt, and then continues through verses 17 through 22, speaking of the Lord’s placing of Israel in the promised land, defeating those who stood in the way.

In all of these great wonders of the Lord, the common refrain of “his steadfast love endures forever” is repeated as the basis of each and every work of God.

In all of these great wonders of the Lord, it is He alone who works these works. No one is guiding Him, helping Him, leading Him or supporting Him. It is HIM WHO ALONE DOES GREAT WONDERS, and the Psalmist tells us this in our verse, proceeding to describe the wonders and also to give us the motivation for each of these great wonders, which is so wonderful.

HIM WHO ALONE DOES GREAT WONDERS is motivated by His steadfast love, His mercy towards His creation.

The depth of His mercy in our psalm provides us a picture of God who is surprising, unlike any god that religion produces. A God of mercy and love Who is reaching out, but the picture is incomplete in this psalm.

Paul speaks of the mercy of God in Romans, describing God’s actions in the condemnation of all, in order that all may have mercy.

Romans 11:32 For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

HIM WHO ALONE DOES GREAT WONDERS has provided a salvation that reaches all, His mercy that is extended to all. The wonders of our psalm are truly overshadowed by the GREAT WONDER of His resurrection from the tomb. His mercy in providing the Suffering Servant to rescue us out of condemnation is His GREATEST WONDER.

May we walk in that truth, continually remembering HIM WHO ALONE DOES GREAT WONDERS performs His wonders out of sheer love and mercy towards us.

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

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

2026-09-26
It was 101 degrees in the shade today, as I was grading out the back yard for our future raised bed gardens. It was a lot of back and forth, repetitious work that might drive a fella crazy, but it needed to be done. Back and forth, grading out the earth until I had a semblance of a drainable surface.

Just when I began to see the work take shape, I actually rip up an old power line to the pole barn. Somewhat disappointing!

Recently the days have had some minor disappointments. Nothing compared to those who are under persecution, who are struggling in the face of powerful people who hate the Messiah. I pray for them, asking that the Lord would strengthen them.

In no way am I trying to communicate that my trials are in any way comparable to those who suffer active persecution. May God be working in those saints to bring about the victory they seek.

For myself, this short story is simply recounted to describe mild disappointments in an old saint’s life. Mild disappointments that seem to be piling up.

The last few months have been rough at the office. It is very slow at work, with very few projects available to justify our employment.

My daughter has had some very difficult days lately, and when trials touch one of my children, I tend to be affected, tend to be a bit consumed with concern.

Don’t even ask me about my wife. She had a minor traffic accident a week back, and I just about lost my mind when she called me. Of course I put on a brave front, but when it comes to my wife, that nerve is a raw one!

I think the transmission is going out on our truck.

Invoices for my work are not being paid, leaving us holding a bag of bills.

Recently one of my clients threatened legal action. It was a baseless threat, but the initial impact on my thought life was a bit more than expected.

I could go on, but I fear I am sounding like a whiner.

But I named this post “Blue Skies”, for a reason. As I finished up the grading work this evening, realizing I still had hours of work left, I turned the old beast off and took a moment to sit still.

During my grading, I am constantly looking down at the earth, checking for level, checking the box blade, checking the front bucket. Consumed with looking down.

For that brief moment as I shut the beast down, I looked up. I looked up to blue skies, crystal blue skies, with cumulus clouds scattered about.

The bluest of skies.

And everything drained out of me. All the minor disappointments, those little paper cuts of life that I recounted above, and others that are deeper in my heart, disappeared.

I looked up. And in looking up, I had a few moments when all the stressors of life, all the concerns I dwell in, all the anxiety I allow simply didn’t exist.

The sky was blue, and I sensed it was fathomless, with no deviation of color, and that it had always been above me.

I looked up and experienced an unexpected peacefulness, and in the midst of that peacefulness, sensed the Lord’s presence.

I am truly an unworthy man, blessed by the Lord of Glory, the Crucified One. He suffered and died on an old rugged cross to rescue sinners, giving us a path of reconciliation with the Father of Peace.

Truly the Lord is good.

Psalm 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

Psalm 100:5 For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 135:3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing to his name, for it is pleasant!

Psalm 145:9 The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.

Look up when life is constantly drawing your attention to the earth. Look up and see that the Lord is good.

He is so good.

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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Psalms for Psome – Ps 77.03

2026-09-25
My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.

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

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

Psalm 77:6 I said, “Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart.” Then my spirit made a diligent search:
Psalm 77:7 “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?
Psalm 77:8 Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time?
Psalm 77:9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah

In our last passage, Asaph was describing troubling times, times when the Lord Himself was keeping him awake at niight

As a refresher, let’s look back at verse 2 & 4 to remember Asaph’s confession.

Psalm 77:2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted.

Psalm 77:4 You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.

Imagine, claiming that the Lord is holding open your eyes, keeping you from sleep, even forcing Asaph to look at something difficult. It is in this condition that Asaph, the man of God begins to question the very nature of God, His favor towards him, His steadfast love, His promises to the nation and His apparent anger, even to the evaporation of His compassion.

How is it that when we are being confronted with difficult information, we default to assuming God’s nature and character has changed? Is He not the eternal One, the One who does not change?

Malachi 3:6 “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.

And yet, this is a common temptation for each of us, as we face trials. We tend to assume the never changing One has changed, and that for the worse. But before we go much further, it is good to remember that though the Lord is constant in His love for us, there are periods when we have brought sorrow or disappointment on Him.

Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

So how should believers relate to the Lord in times of trial, when we may be facing difficult truths in our lives? It is only natural to lash out to the One who loves us most, claiming He has changed, that His love has vanished, that He is “mad at us”.

This is the natural way my friend, and is the path of least resistance. As we rub shoulders with those around us, we witness this reaction to trial constantly. If we are having a difficult time with another, we tend to attack, either through gossip, slander, or defaming their character. When we relate to God in the midst of a trial, we tend to do the same, but if there is any justification in relating with another sinner in this fleshly way, I trust you will agree there is never justification for dragging the name of the Lord through the mud. After all, as Paul upbraided the Corinthians, we are not “mere men”, living as those around us!

But we have a saint that is asking some harsh questions. Questions that in a perfect world should never be asked. But Asaph is asking. As we go through this psalm, we will find that at the end of this struggle in Asaph’s life, he returns to the truth of the Mighty One.

The struggle of faith is very real as we enter difficult times. We do not live in a perfect world, but as we wrestle with circumstances that warp our understanding of God, we have a God who stretched out His hands toward us, even in His death, proving He is a Savior who welcomes us, even as we don’t understand properly.

If you are in the midst of a struggle in your faith, be honest with the Lord and seek Him instead of naturally lashing out at Him. As we will find out in the next portion of the Psalm, as Asaph recalls the Lord’s past deeds and actions, a part of our seeking the Lord is simply remembering the history we have with Him.

It is good to to take time each day to remember the Lord’s goodness toward us in His past actions! He is good.
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Proverbial Thoughts on Labor – C

2026-09-24
THOUGHTS ON THE TOPIC OF LABOR FROM THE BOOK OF WISDOM

Many of the proverbs we have considered in this series on labor have provided us a connection with financial success, stability and surety of needs being satisfied. For our verses this morning, I think the passages speak of something far more lasting than coin in the bank.

Proverbs 12:24 The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.

Authority

In Proverbs 12:14, we see that diligence will place the worker in positions of authority. This statement proves itself over and over again in my work experience, for those who are continually providing service to the corporation, are continually being elevated to higher levels of authority.

We have all heard of the young worker who starts in the mailroom in the basement, and rises to the president of a business. This upward elevation in authority may be coined the American dream, but it is simply the outworking of this truth. Working diligently will bring respect and authority to one’s life.

Proverbs 12:14 From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good, and the work of a man’s hand comes back to him.

Reputation

At first glance, I considered this verse to be describing the diligent man’s efforts and labors as returning upon his life as a good reputation, a man or woman who is known for their quality work ethic.

That is not necessarily true, for the passage simply states that the reputation (good or bad) will come back to him. It is an inescapable judgement one carries of his life, and as time passes, the reputation solidifies. We are constantly leaving behind us history that defines us. In relation to labor, is our reputation that of a diligent worker, one who not only is increasing in authority, but enjoying the reputation of one who cares about their work?

In the Body of Christ, we revel in the grace of God, knowing of the Savior who provided a complete and eternal salvation that cannot be earned. And yet I fear this profound eternal truth may be twisted into a teaching that allows for a laziness about our lives, a freedom to let things slide, to not be “overly” concerned about our responsibilities.

As I am aging to the reward, I am becoming more and more senstive to the opportunities to labor for the Lord. Oh to labor properly in His plan for the remaining time we have!

1 Corinthians 15:58 herefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
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Present

Past

Future

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Cool car

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Be of good courage

Be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God

May the LORD do what seems good to him

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Destruction of Babylon

Destruction of Egypt

Destruction of All Nations

Destruction of Judah

Destruction of Israel

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SEEING JESUS IN

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Powerless Enemies

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Husband, lead your wife as Christ has led His church

Husband, sacrifice for your wife as Christ sacrificed for His church

Husband, prioritize your wife over all other earthly relationships

Husband, love for your wife.

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Direct sacrifice

Local sacrifice

Motive

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Able

God’s Abilities

In Our walk with Him

In Our presentation before Him

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Times

Seasons

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Experience

Character

Humility

Truth

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SEEING JESUS IN

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A man of prayer

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SEEING JESUS IN

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A Troubled Condemner

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