My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
HE WHO SITS IN THE HEAVENS
Psalm 2:4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.
I always liked this verse, but probably for the wrong reason. Hopefully it isn’t with evil intent, imagining our God in heaven, rubbing his hands together, laughing out loud because he knows the traps He has set for the “dirty sinners’ out there. Of course, I do not include myself amongst the intended victims. Maybe something wrong there! Yes there is something wrong when this old fellow thinks others deserve judgement but he is exempt from the fate.
This passage is dealing with the kings of the earth, those earthly rulers who seek to usurp control from the rightful King. In this context, the Lord on His throne and from that perspective, is reflecting the utter futility of the efforts of mere men, though they feel they rule over others.
When our passage speaks of the Lord holding them in derision, it speaks of a mockery of the situation. He is not concerned over any effort of man to dethrone Him. He is the Lord!
Yet the leaders of this world are drunk on power. They seek more and more authority over God’s creation, and in the process, reveal their mismanagement, and selfish motivations. Any desire of man to replace God as the King over any of creation is fraught with unassailable obstacles, most of which is the man’s own evil heart and wicked imaginations. Nothing good and meaningful can rise out of the self serving motivation of man.
Consider – even the King of Kings was a sacrificially serving man, One who sought out others, seeking their good as opposed to His will. Only the One who followed after God with all His life is worthy to lead, the One who showed His leadership by serving, His love by dying and His authority by rising up from the grave.
Yes, God mocks, laughing in derision those who oppose Him. Not in the manner I imagined, but in the futility of the effort. Mere man a king to replace Jesus.
He has risen and is the ONE WHO SITS IN THE HEAVENS.
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.
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 Genesis 14:20
and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
What a great verse to begin our study. It surely teaches us that tithing is not simply a teaching that is mandated by the Law of Moses, but was practiced by Abram the father of our faith. As such, we are following in the steps of Abram in giving a tenth (a tithe).
Note that Abram, a non-Jew. gave him (Melchizedek) a tithe of everything. This example of Abram surely teaches us a practice that applies to all who have faith.
But let us consider a bit of the context of this verse.
Genesis 14 is the recounting of Abram rescuing Lot from the kings of the region. The region was ruled by nine kings, and as power structures are defined, four of these kings, led by the king of Elam, waged war on the remaining five kings. After the battle, in securing the possessions of the victor, the armies swept though the area of Sodom and Gomorrah, picking up Abram’s nephew Lot.
Abram would have none of this. He gathered his army of 318 men to chase after this victorious army in order to retrieve Lot. Surely Abram was outnumbered, outskilled and unfamiliar with the task of defeating experienced soldiers. Yet he defeated the army, retrieved his nephew and returned home. Abram did not intend to simply steal Lots away from the army under cover of darkness, but he led his men in a defeat of an experienced and recently successful army.
He was motivated to retrieve his nephew and his family. In this endeavor, he brought back “all the possessions”
Genesis 14:16 Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people.
Genesis 14:21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.”
It seems that based on the King of Sodoms request, that Abram rescued the vanquished people also, and not merely his nephew.
After the victory and return to camp, Abram was visited by two kings. The king of Sodom and the king of Salem.
King of Sodom
It is good to consider the King of Sodom’s request in light of our topic. Seemingly the king of Sodom was so grateful for Abram’s rescue of his people, he offered Abram all the goods that were retrieved in the battle. He only wanted his people back.
Abram refused, for he spoke of his dedication to God, and that since God is the possessor of heaven and earth, it is to be God that provides Abram’s wealth. Abram would not take any funds or possessions from this king in order to clearly maintain his faith in the God who possesses everything! Quite a stellar faith! When freely offered possessions for a service to others, Abram refused.
King of Salem
During this meeting, the king of Salem, Melchizedek, brought out bread and wine. Melchizedk blessed Abram in the name of God Most High, the possessor or heaven and earth. Melchizedek claimed that it was this God who delivered Abrams’s enemies into his hand.
Note the difference between these two kings. Sodom offered Abram possessions, possibly as an act of payment for his mercenary efforts. Abram reacts by rejecting this offer, not wanting to be associated with the offering of the king of Sodom.
When it comes to Melchizedek, he provides Abram a truth claim (not possessions) that Abram embraces. In embracing this truth, Abram reacts by giving Melchizedek a tithe, or a tenth of everything.
Now, an issue rises in my mind. What in tarnation is “everything” that Abram tithes of referring to. All of Abrams possessions? Did Abram have an accounting of his net worth performed and then provide a check to the King of Salem? I jest of course, but when the passage refers to Abram giving a tenth, it is good to consider what the tenth is related to. I would suggest the context demands the “everything” refers to the spoils of the battle.
A few more observations I feel are pertinent.
Although Abram gave a tenth, which suggests this was a common percentage to offer to a god in his culture (which speaks loudly to Abrams understanding who Melchizedek is), the text does not indicate this was an ongoing practice.
In summary, in this passage, I find the description of a man who is committed to the Most High God who possesses all heaven and earth. He provided what most likely was a cultural offering back to the King of Salem, whom I understand to be the Lord Jesus. Abram’s gift implies the same identification of the King as the God who provides.
This passage does not provide a prescription for any tithing practice for modern day believers after the cross. It is good to remember that descriptions of the saints lives does not translate into prescriptions of activities for the Christian.
But if there are saints who seek to emulate Abram in this practice, I would suggest they consider the other descriptive activities we find in the passage also occur. Therefore, based on this passage alone, if a believer conquers an army, rescues a blood relative, rescues a people group of another king, acquires the bounty of a battle, and is approached by at least one King, the saint will be able to also mimic Abram in providing a tithe.
Again I jest, for under our covenant, we may meet the King at any time, and our offering is not simply a tithe of some spoils of battle, but of our heart, mind and soul.
By the way, if you are headed out to conquer an army this week, you can call your accountant and tell him you don’t need a full audit of your possessions. Whatever spoil you take in your victory will be easily calculated!
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.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
HE WHO SITS ABOVE THE CIRCLE OF THE EARTH
Isaiah 40:22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers.
Isaiah is in the process of comparing the God of Israel with idols, by way of questioning his people.
Isaiah 40:21 Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
Questions are a great way to stimulate a discussion. Jesus often asked questions. Questions are a fantastic teaching tool!
Don’t you think so?
As a question is provided, a recipient naturally builds a defence in thier mind. Once a question has been understood, hopefully a discussion can occur, an argument can be entered into, and minds can be changed. And when I say minds can be changed, I am referring to the Biblical concept of repentance! This obviously is the intent of Isaiah and he is brutal!
One question would be sufficient for Isaiah to deliver to the saints, considering the topic of the discussion. One well placed question about the God of Israel should “stop thier mouths”.
Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.
Of course, when Isaiah “machine guns” multiple questions to God’s people, the recipients will not only be speechless, but dumbfounded. That is, if they are honest with themselves, with Isaiah and with the God they are related to.
Four questions were blasted to the saints regarding the difference of thier God compared with idols.
Do you not know?
Of all the people of the earth, these folks knew God was unlike idols!
Do you not hear?
Of all the people of the earth, these folks heard God speak, unlike an idol!
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Of all the people of the earth, these folks had been introduced to God at the beginning of their formation as a nation! Idols were to be rejected by this people from the very beginning.
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
Of all the people of the earth, these folks understood God hated idols.
Yet they worshipped idols.
Isaiah then begins to describe – once more for this people who knew and understood thier God – of the God they had walked away from.
Thier God is the One who is over, or above the circle of the earth.
He is over creation, not a part of it.
Whether the word “circle” can be describing the earth as a sphere or simply the horizon each man sees, the point is clear. The God they had abandoned, the God they were being called back to, the God who was leading, guiding, disciplining and teaching is not of this creation, but above.
And when Isaiah says above, though the immediate message is that God is in the heavens, above the creation in relation to distance, I want to consider it is more applicable that Isaiah is referring to God as being over the circle of the earth in relation to His authority over all.
God is in authority over all of His creation. He is in charge, unlike the idols that are merely stone and wood, made of the creation God created.
Yes, our God is more than any idol, much more! He is on His throne, and not only reigns by the authority of His creative acts, but more so through His defeat of death. Though the creation was plummetted into death by our decision, He has rescued it by defeating death itself. Death itself has died, and He rules!
Yes – Jesus is better! He is the One WHO SITS ABOVE THE CIRCLE OF THE EARTH
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.
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.
In the mid nineties, I had a little red Buick and a big ol’ bass box in the trunk, and would listen to “Christian Rock”, cranked to 11.
(What did you say? Huh? Can you say that again, I didn’t hear you….)
I have gotten away from that genre for many reasons, the least of which may be a loss of hearing, but some songs have stuck with me over the decades.
The artist’s I listened to sought to reflect Scriptural teaching for the most part. They ranged from “preaching” pop culture religion to significant theological teaching. As I listened to the lyrics, I found some to be quite challenging.
To be honest, I listened because I could justify the rock beat with “sanctified lyrics”.
Occassionaly I will post a song, supply the lyrics and make a comment or two. If you decide to listen to the tune, turn the speaker down unless you are already deaf. Some of the songs tend to have a certain “volume” about them!
This post will consider the song
Gimme – by Alice Cooper
As you might be noticing, I come back to Alice often in this series. He is such a surpise and has had such a consistent witness for the Lord for decades now.
I know all your desires Your heart is so full of pain Is there something I can provide? When you feel like life’s passed you by I’m on your side
Gimme this, gimme that Gimme this, gimme that Gimme this, gimme that Gimme this, gimme that Gimme this, gimme that Gimme this, gimme that Gimme this, gimme that Gimme this, gimme that
Please don’t ask me my name Does it matter? I’m just here for you Trust me, just let yourself go And that’s all you need to know
I’m on your side Sincerely I’m your only friend Yes I’m on your side Sincerely
Don’t you wish you had it all? Don’t you deserve to have it all? Kneel down and tell me what you need Fame and money all for you, I can make your every dream come true
Gimme this, gimme that Gimme this, gimme that Gimme this, gimme that Gimme this, gimme that Gimme this, gimme that Gimme this, gimme that Gimme this, gimme that Gimme this, gimme that
Tell me who’s more important than you? You’re the apple of my ancient eyes How could the world be so cruel? I’ll make you my own precious jewel
I’m on your side Sincerely I’m the only one that cares Yes I’m on your side Sincerely
Don’t you wish you had it all? Don’t you deserve to have it all? Kneel down and tell me what you need Fame and money all for you I can make your every dream come true
There is one thing I mean, everything has a price I really hate to repeat myself, but nothing’s free
Yes I’m on your side Sincerely I’m the only one that cares Oh, I’m on your side Sincerely
Don’t you wish you had it all? Don’t you deserve to have it all? Kneel down and tell me what you need Don’t you wish you had it all? Don’t you deserve to have it all? Don’t you wish you had it all? Don’t you deserve to have it all? Kneel down and tell me what you need Fame and money all for you I can make your every dream come true
Gimme this, gimme that Gimme this, gimme that Gimme this, gimme that Gimme this, gimme that Gimme this, gimme that Gimme this, gimme that Gimme this, gimme that Gimme this, gimme that Gimme this, gimme that Gimme this, gimme that
The song screams give me everything, fame money, status! Anything to avoid the hole in our heart that can be satisfied and completely filled (to overbrimming) by the person of Jesus.
How much stuff do you want? Someone may give it to you.
Take a listen!
Let me know what you think of the lyrics, and of the tunes!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
HE WHO SEARCHES MIND AND HEART
Revelation 2:23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.
We touched on this verse in the previous post, observing a consistency of teaching in the Word about God giving according to our works based on His searching of the mind and heart.
This general teaching of a man’s works flowing from his heart and mind is a truth all honest people give mental assent to. It is a different matter when it comes to the heart accepting it when specific instances occur in a persons life.
What do I mean?
In the theoretical world, and due to our mind craving justice, we have no qualms with works recieving appropriate judgement. Good works naturally should recieve a good reward. Bad works naturally should recieve a bad reward. This truth makes sense logically.
In the practical world, and in specific cases, our hearts and emotional sensitivities get in the way of seeing this truth worked out in our experience.
Our culture, a reflection of a societies heart, increasingly seeks to protect the wrong doer, and to punish the righteous one. There are many instances in the news where it seems justice is upside down, where the acceptance of wrong is considered right.
Isaiah spoke of the tendency of a people to call evil good and good evil.
Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
Even at the judgement of the Lord, during His humiliation in front of His accuser’s, the crowd sought the guilty and condemend the Righteous One.
Luke 23:18 But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”–
So it is natural, even expected that when we come to a harsh truth such as in the Lord’s message to the church at Thyatira in Revelation 2, that we tend to shy away from such stark statements.
Statements such as…
Revelation 2:22 ….I will throw her onto a sickbed
Revelation 2:22 ….those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation,
Revelation 2:23 …I will strike her children dead
We tend to admit in our minds that evil works demand justice, but then we see the reference to children being struck dead. That is a heart wrencher!
But wait. What is it to be a child of “that woman Jezebel”? What is it that this woman, and any association with her, causes such a seemingly harsh judgement of the Lord Jesus?
A few verses back provides some guidance.
Revelation 2:20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
The church is tolerating Jezebel. This is the rebuke to the believers. Could it be a rebuke to a specific leader in the church? Maybe, for some of the ancient transcripts speak of “your woman Jezebel”, possibly referring to a leaders wife or his close associate.
As for Jezebel herself, she claims she is a prophetess, assigning God’s authority to herself. Incredible hutzpah for one to claim the authority of God as a prophetess, but seemingly an easy thing for some to assume, even in our day!
As a self styled prophetess, she influences the saints, and possibly her husband, an elder in the church, to enjoin into sexual immorality and eating food sacrificed to idols. Immorality and idolatry? Where have we seen this attack on the faithful before? She not only teaches the mind, but seduces the heart of the saints into both of these sins for the church.
It is noteworthy to understand that both of these sins were closely associated with the trade guilds of the city this church resided in. Somewhat similar to a union nowadays, but this guild would require participation in these activities to continue finding work, and therefore make a living.
To bring this post back to our original verse, it is important to note that Jesus has a problem with the church tolerating this teaching. Bad teaching is to be rejected from the body.
But judgement was falling on Jezebel, and her children. Those children most assuredly were adherents to this sinful teaching, following this self styled sinning woman. Those within the church had to repent, or judgement would fall on them.
As an aside, if those within the church community were true believers, how does my reader understand the Lord’s reference of the Lord striking her children dead? I have addressed this topic in a past post for those who many be curious – Conditional Security – Revelation 2:18-26
One of the outcomes of this judgement is that the church would know that God is the One WHO SEARCHES MIND AND HEART. He knows what is going on in the depths of our person. Those thoughts and emotions, if allowed to fester and grow, will produce works of a similar nature, and though He is ever patient, He is not One that will allow corruption in the body forever.
Galations 6:7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
He is the ONE WHO SEARCHES MIND AND HEART. For those seeking the Lord’s will, this is a comfort, and as mentioned in our previous post, we have the mind of the Spirit, which produces the right thoughts. A blessing we surely do not deserve!
For those following after anyone else, be it a false religion, a false prophetess, or a corrupt teacher, beware. He is seaching your heart and mind even as we draw our next breath.
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.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
HE WHO SEARCHES HEARTS
Romans 8:27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
To search implies there is an examination, an effort to find something, to investigate, even to hunt. To search is that something is being sought, that in the search there is a hunter and the hunted.
We see this image in the the Old Testament when Jeremiah reminds the saints in his 17th chapter
Vs 10 -“I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”
The Lord is looking, searching the heart of man. Pursuing after the motives, hidden though they may be from the man himself, exposing the intents of our hearts, if we are honest with Him.
But note the difference in the two passages. In the Old Testament, there was a sense of exposure and justice, that with the exposure of the heart, equal and appropriate rewards would be granted out.
Now it depends on your stance regarding the heart of man in how you see the “rewards” being granted out by the Lord in this searching, but I would suggest the context is definitely of sin, death and judgement being meted out, for the very previous verse speaks of the deceitfulness of our hearts, and of the utter frustration of the man in understanding his own heart.
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
So with Jeremiah, the context speaks of God searching out the heart of man, primarily for the exposure of this deceit, and the just recompence of his deeds, which is sourced out of his heart!
This teaching is not of the Old Testament only, for we find this very thought coming from the lips of Jesus in Revelation 2:23
Revelation 2:23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.
The churches will know that the Lord, in striking Jezebel’s children dead, is He who searches the heart. In this verse, the Lord is revealing the at the death of the (spiritual) children of Jezebel, and the tribulation/sickbed that Jezebel in thrown into, will provide ample evidence of Jesus searching hearts and rewarding according to each ones works.
Now that we have established the searching of hearts resulting in just rewards, lets come back to our beginning verse in Romans 8.
Romans 8:27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit…
No recompense is mentioned in this verse. Notice that we have the heart and mind mentioned in this verse, much like the previous verses, but it is the saints heart and the Spirit’s mind that is discussed. No just recompence due to evil hearts, and wicked minds, but as the remainder of the verse indicates,
…the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Intercession occurs by the Spirit. Prayer and pleading for the saint.
Paul knew his Old Testament, and how the heart and mind were revealed by God in His searches, and the resultant “rewards” provided. Even in the church age, when those who rebel as Jezebel, this truth remains.
But Paul is speaking of life in the Spirit, of the grace filled, sacrificial love of God ruling in the saint’s life. Consider the difference, for the gospel of the Messiah provides His people the Spirit, and in the giving, provides support and encouragement we do not deserve.
There is a very real cause and effect in our practical lives, and bad decisions cause bad consequences. Yet for the Spirit led believer, there is a very real truth that God does not “give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”
We are a most blessed people, having been offered “the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us.
Yes, we are a most blessed people!
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.
It was years ago in a tiny little brethren church that my wife and I, along with our five chillun, experienced a somewhat disturbing act.
Let me try to paint a picture of what seems so vivid in my memory.
The church was bustling with activity, with the standard chairs lined up for the formal church service on a bright sunny Sunday morning. My wifey and I, along with our youngun’s were sitting in the middle of the back row, somewhat quiet prior to the service beginning, when one of the elders of the church approached me.
Carl, can you move your family over to the left side of the sanctuary? We have a doctor and his wife that we want to provide these seats for. I was somewhat taken aback by this request. Of course we complied and as we left our seats, we noticed the doctor and his wife come into the sanctuary, with just the tiniest bit of fanfare. It turns out that this couple was considering joining the church, and as a successful doctor, he would definitely be a valuable member of the congregation.
It was the decision by this elder that left a sour taste in my mouth. I’m convinced the doctor and his wife did not know what was going on. It seemed obvious this decision of the elder was based on either a desire to attract men of status to join the church, or men of means to join the church. I simply did not have the nerve to ask this particular elder of his motivations. I think that was a mistake, but I buried my feelings and questions and soldiered on.
That particular instance was the first time my wife and I were impacted with how powerful money can influence a church body, and it’s leadership.
Little did we understand this power!
Since then, we have wrestled with how money influences a church congregation and it’s leadership. Some of these rastling matches have provided us clarity as to God’s wishes for the New Testament believer, some have caused heartache and disappointment, and some have challenged us to a rethinking of how to steward what the Lord provides.
During the last few decades of of these rastling matches, many things have changed in our minds in relation to money and the church, and this series will seek to provide some of my findings, and hopefully find Biblical correction if I appear to be falling off the rails.
Initially this series will look into the topic of tithing, for that is the initial topic that challenged us.
As for the elder I mentioned earlier, I’m afraid his efforts were for nought, for the doctor and his wife did not return. We did, and we stayed in the church until we moved away.
For this young Christian couple, things shifted in our minds that day, and as we experienced future money issues in the church we served in, we found we were touching a topic that seemed to be “perty dang” critical for some believers!
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.
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.
87
I’m a numbers guy. Numbers are a big part of my life. As an engineer, numbers help me make decisions that will benefit others. My favorite number is 73. A surprising number with many properties make it stand out amongst it’s kin. Properties that I will not bore you with.
When it comes to answered prayer, 87 became my favorite number decades ago. This post will try to tell the story of how God impressed my wife and I with 87.
My sweetiepie and I had just moved into the United States. We were seeking to serve the Lord on a mission field, and the two year training period in Michigan forced us to live by faith. As Canadians, we could not legally work in the US, and the purpose of the training was to prepare us for difficult missionary work. Prior to leaving Canada, we were blessed to have one couple offer assistance in our training. Other than that support, we were fully dependent on the Lord for tuition, rent, food, and travel needs.
Oh, and a key player in this prayer is our firstborn son. He was born in early December, and we were in Michigan for the first of January.
The initial “honeymoon” phase of moving in and beginning the training was wonderful. We met many wonderful saints. One couple took us under their wings in so many ways. I don’t know if we ever thanked Dave and Marsha properly. (If you stumble on this post, let it be known we are thankful, even these decades later, for your love and care.)
As we settled into the training, both my wife and I determined not to speak of our needs to any one, but to the Lord only.
Matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Even in our early walk with the Lord, we had seen saints who spoke of their need at every opportunity. It seemed they were trusting their skill at manipulating the emotional strings of others and not in the Lord. That surely was unfair, but we wanted to avoid that appearance.
Some suppers were popcorn, or spaghetti. One lunch was a watermelon. All the students had access to the Mission barrel and we sometimes found food stuffs there. One common source of sustenance was canned LaChoy. It showed up often, and when available, we consumed LaChoy. Funny how we haven’t purchased any since!
Now, as I mentioned, we had a small one, and my wife was breastfeeding this young one. As we entered a somewhat “restricted diet”, it became apparent to my wifey that Joshua was needing some supplementation. He was a voracious consumer, and his momma realized this problem early on.
One night, as she fed our son, she quietly reached out to the Father and asked for some additional milk for Josh. What she exactly prayed, only her and the Father know. But the next morning, after classes was finished, she retrieved Josh from the nursery as I went down to the mailbox.
The mail box was where we received support, and it had been a while since any “blessing” had been received. As I pulled a lone envelope from our box, it seemed somewhat clunky, and when I got back to the apartment, opened it up and found 87 cents. Paula’s eyes brightened, and asked if I could go to the commissary to buy a little carton of milk for Josh.
Now I ask my reader. How much do you think milk cost in 1983? At this particular store, at this particular time, for this particular need, the milk I was able to purchase cost us 87 cents. No one knew of our need and provided funds. No one knew of our need and adjusted the price at the commissary to fit the funds we received. No one knew of the amount of money we needed for that particular need.
Except for One. He knew, and He provided. Let that sink in!
It was a few days later that I was chatting with the financial office of the school, and I asked him about the 87 cents. It turns out that a previous gift we had received in Canadian funds had been exchanged at an improper rate. 87 cents was the result.
Our God is good, even to the answering of a young mother’s quiet prayer in the middle of the night for her child.
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.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
HE WHO SANCTIFIES
Hebrews 2:11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers,
The apostle, (or his representative) is writing to the Hebrews, describing the salvation provided by Jesus, and that Jesus is far superior to every past blessing and experience of the faithful. In every instance of comparison, Jesus far outshines any claim to fame the faithful Hebrew might make.
There is simply no comparison! Jesus is better! Better than anything or anyone associated with the prior covenant.
Our passage highlights the act of sanctification, and the first consideration is to note that it is God who sanctifies. It is not that God tries to sanctify, or that He wants to sanctify, or that it is His pleasure to sanctify, but the He Himself sanctifies.
But what does that mean?
Well…
In the book of Hebrews there are two truths regarding sanctification, and to review these truths it is necessary to consider Hebrews 10
Hebrews 10:10-14
10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
Notice in verse 10, that belivers are sanctified by the body of Jesus Christ once for all. The sanctification of the believer is complete, and completely dependent on the Lord Jesus, His past act on the cross, and according to the covenant He has provided.
It is done!
But wait. In just a few short verses, the apostle brings to us a process of being sanctified, for we must notice that he states that “by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified”
The eternal perfecting of the believer, is for those who are currently being sanctified.
Hold up now. Are we sanctified once and for all or are we in process of being sanctified?
You see now why I was hesitant earlier to define what is going on in the book of Hebrews. When we see a portion of Scripture that seems to contradict itself, we must consider that a mark of inspiration, a sort of proof that truth may have two faces. Let me try to explain, at least the way I understand it .
For the believer, the blood and body of Christ on the cross was the defining moment of sanctification for the believer. In the mind and heart of God the Father, the saint was one with the Savior, fully accepted, fully set apart and fully committed to the will of the Father.
But the apostle goes further, helping the believer understand that ths sanctification is to be experienced, pursued, chased after, desired and clung to. Our positional sanctification, which is such a precious truth, such a lofty possession of the believer, such a blessing only found in Jesus, is to be experieinced in our daily lives.
It is not enough to only be sanctified in the heavens, but to be sanctified in the earth, where we get dirty, where we stumble and toss about. Sanctification in the war we live in is the battle for the believer today. To know we are fully sanctified before the Father due to the body of Christ is the magnet that keeps pulling us to Him. The draw of the Son on the believer is never ending, a ceaseless effort of the Holy One to make us holy, to be sancitified before Him.
To be before Him, we must be holy.
Hebrews 12:14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
For this we must be thankful that HE WHO SANCTIFIES is He who has sanctified us by His own death.
It is an astounding salvation, and I just need to say it one more time.
Jesus is better!
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.
My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
HE WHO REMEMBERED US IN OUR LOW ESTATE
Psalm 136:23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever;
In our psalm this morning, if we were to read the entire 136th Psalm, we would find the psalmist referring to the Lord’s mercy and steadfast love in the past for His people.
Over and over again the psalmist recounted the many acts of the God of Israel for His people. From creation through the deliverance of the exodus, along with battles fought to gain and maintain their time on the promised land, the Lord had proven His steadfast love to the nation in the past.
Our verse this morning speaks of the current time, of the times the psalmist lived in. It was no longer recounting days of old that the Lord proved His love, but the very time the psalmist lived in, the present situation.
And the psalmist claims the Lord remembered.
Now of course the psalmist is not merely referring to the fact that the Lord, who is all knowing, has a set of facts about His people before His eyes. The psalmist isn’t speaking of the Lord’s ability to recall He has a people. Does that even make sense, knowing the God we serve?
When the Old Testament speaks of the Lord remembering, it is not merely that God recalls his people. God never “recalls” a fact or a situation. He is all knowing. When the Old Testament speaks of God remembering, it is telling us that God is acting for His people, delivering them from a trial, or even refraining from a justified discipline. Examples are many.
Noah is a good example.
Genesis 8:1 But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided.
God remembered Noah and acted. Another example was Rachel, and her childbearing.
Genesis 30:22 Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb.
God remembered Rachel and acted. An example of God remembering not, (or not acting) may be found in Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 34C… For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
God’s act of remembering in this instance, or should I say His active non-remembrance, entailed the death of His Son, the torture and crucifixion of His Only begotten.
Even in His promise to not remember, God acted.
So for our passage this morning, the psalmist speaks of the Lord remembering His people. For us today, we need the Lord to act on our behalf, to bring to life the Body of Christ that is dormant, quiet and self satisfied.
The psalmist speaks to us today, for if we are to see God “remember” us, it will be due to our lowly state, a time of humility, of lowliness.
A people of God that is proud, self sufficient and haughty will not see God remember them, acting on their behalf.
Yes it is likely the psalmist was speaking of an inflicted lowliness for God’s people, a difficult time for the people of God due to outer forces being unleashed on them. They had been humbled, and in the humbling, God acted.
The humbling of the people of God continues to be the playbook of the Lord, that those who are humbled are ready for grace, they are open to God “remembering” them. It is a consistent truth we would do well in remembering!
James 4:6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
The psalmist may have spoke of an inflicted humbling, yet for us today, we have the command to humble ourselves.
James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,
In both of the verses above, the humbling comes with an exaltation, with the Lord remembering and acting on behalf of the humble.
Our God hasn’t changed. He is the God Who remembers us in our lowly state. May we experience the exaltation, understanding it is through humility and seeking the low estate!
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.
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.
North or South
Many who have followed this blog realize I am a transplanted Canadian, settled deep in the heart of Texas. All my siblings remain in the Great White North, and at times I think they don’t quite understand our desire, determination and delight in living in the Lone Star state. But this isn’t about Texas! This post is about the timing and kindness, and the evident direction provided by the Father above for a drifting saint.
We had been in Texas for over a decade when I began to wonder if we were to remain. You see, the economy had soured and though we had attained a green card, allowing me to work anywhere in the states, career opportunities for yours’s truly were few and far between. The rare interview that I did gain, I found I was woefully unprepared for. My previous skill set was not matching the employment opportunities in the region, and my times of unemployment were extending into months. Things were become strained.
During a scouring of employment sites, I tripped over an opportunity in Canada, in the province of Alberta. In my desperation to provide for my loved ones, (and understanding that Alberta is basically a Texas wannabe culture), I reached out and provided my resume.
And then I was convicted.
Carl – you have fought to stay in Texas, and now you are loosing patience? Can you not trust God, and lean on Him? Thoughts swirled in my mind, swinging my attentions from a need to provide to a need to trust. If you have been in a similar situation, I am sure you can relate.
But I was convicted. I knew that even if the position in Canada was promising, and the position in Canada was perfect, the position in Canada would be a wrong move! Or at least I hoped it would be a wrong move. (I wanted to stay in Texas!)
It felt like I was between a rock and a hard place. But what am I going to do. I have to provide. I have to support my family. No matter what I did, I felt I would be disappointing God. Stay here and not provide. Move back to Canada and give up on the direction we had received.
So, as you may have expected, because the subject of the blog is prayer, I began to ask for direction. Specific direction. If I needed to go to Canada, I could work there and have my family follow after I was established in the position. If I was to stay in Texas, I needed to have that direction provided also.
I just wanted to have direction from the Lord.
In the background of all my worrying, a little woman started throwing out my resume to firms in the area that were not associated with the headhunters I was leaning on. It has been over a decade ago, but if I recall, I think she simply scoured the area for engineering firms and sent my resume off in a shotgun approach. This little woman sent my resume off to a particular firm in the city just days prior my prayer. And lo and behold, a day after my prayer, an email popped up in my inbox asking me to come for an interview.
The timing of the Lord in His answers to prayer is such a blessing. How is it that in the midst of all that was going on, I had a Father who was actively orchestrating a situation even before my will was bent to His.
I was at that firm for close to seven years, met many good folks, learned much, and never looked back.
God is good, even to those who are slipping in their trust!
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.
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.
289
HE WHO RAISED CHRIST JESUS
Romans 8:11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Notice how clear Paul is in his description of the God who gives us life. He brings to the believer’s attention a number of clarifications that may be worthy of considering.
First, Paul speaks of the God who raised Christ Jesus as Spirit. His emphasis is on the person of God, not any moral codes, regulations, rules, bylaws or religion that we may be associated with. It is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Jesus, dwelling in each of us that Paul speaks of.
Which brings to our attention a second point to consider, that is the dwelling of the Spirit of God in the believer. Some may refer to this as the indwelling, and is an emphasis of the apostle Paul in this passage. His first reference to “dwelling” is in 7:17, where he speaks of sin dwelling in the body.
Romans 7:17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
For the remainder of chapter 7, he speaks repeatedly of sin dwelling in the body, but shifts gears in chapter 8.
Now in chapter 8, we are not considering death and sin in the body, dwelling and destroying, but the Spirit of God dwelling and enlivening the body.
Paul had laid a framework in our minds regarding the concept of dwelling in the previous chapter, helping us identify a parallel condition. Sin dwelled in our bodies. Dwelled throughout our lives, deeply in our innermost being, permanently in our actions and thoughts (seemingly), and without any respite or rest from it’s ravages.
It is that type of dwelling that we carry over into the next chapter, yet all the negative aspects of this dwelling will be turned on it’s head. It is not death dealing sin that dwells in our body as believers, but life giving Spirit permeating our lives.
Easy to say Paul, for you surely are using flowery words to build up your teaching. Au contraire, mon ami, Paul is not one to make a claim and then hope for the best. Paul is linking the life giving Spirit in our lives with the Life giving Spirit that RAISED JESUS from death. He refers to the most astounding, historically proven, evidentiary phenomenon ever witnessed on earth. The raising of the Son of God from a cruel torturous death.
Story Time
We had our grandsons out on the farm this weekend and as I was reading the Word to them as a bedtime story, I so happened to be in John 11, with the story of Lazarus.
As I provided more and more expression to the story of Jesus amongst those crying at the death of His friend, I ended the story as Lazarus came out of the grave, and then closed the Bible. I looked at my oldest grandson, and emphasized that no one has done this before. A man was dead and Jesus simply said to come forth. And he did!
His eyes expanded a wee bit, and though he has not experienced death in his young life, his expression reinforced the wonder of this miracle.
Yet as I considered the Messiah’s resurrection, I was reminded again that it is unlike Lazarus in many ways. Lazarus was raised to die again. It was as if he was resuscitated from death. Now I do not want to make light of the miracle of Lazarus, but in comparison to the raising of Jesus from the dead, it was a mere shadow of the reality.
Jesus was raised from the dead, never to die again. Never. Death has been killed, dying by the hand of God as the Messiah was called forth from the tomb!
This is the God we serve.
HE WHO RAISED CHRIST JESUS is the Spirit that resides in us, dwelling in our lives and providing guidance, compassion, strength and love.
He is good!
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.
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.
288
HE WHO OPENS AND NO ONE WILL SHUT, WHO SHUTS AND NO ONE OPENS.
Revelation 3:7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.
The concept of control is emphasized in this verse, of access to opportunities, to privileges and to greater blessings by the use of this terminology. It is somewhat common in the Word to find this over explanation of the authority over a situation.
Consider the Old Testament passage in Job
Job 12:14 If he tears down, none can rebuild; if he shuts a man in, none can open.
Centuries later, Isaiah picked up on this saying, expanded the emphasis and described the Messiah and His authority to provide access (or restriction) to the kingdom.
Isaiah 22:22 And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.
This passage is the very passage John was referring to in our verse this morning. Isaiah is initially speaking of His “servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah”, and of how this man would be a “peg in a secure place”. It is a wonderful passage, speaking of the steadfastness and security of the Lord, that all the promises of God hang on God’s “Peg in a secure place” – that is the Lord Jesus in His ministry to His people.
A reiteration of a similar truth, that is of one having complete authority over a situation is recalled in Matthew when the Lord speaks to Peter this amazing promise.
Matthew 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
For our passage, the Lord is describing Himself with this name in the context of the Philadelphians being rejected from the synagogue. These young believers were being barred from the only religious community they had known, that they had grown up in, and that may still had many of their loved ones in.
Man, and any religion he is controlling, have just a few tools to influence their adherents. Peer pressure, fear and guilt are common, but their most powerful weapon is exclusion.
Take it from one who has been asked to leave a church body, a church body that we served in, we taught in, we gave to and we prayed for. People that we loved and prayed with, joined together under the church leadership and asked us to leave. It was heartbreaking, destructive and painful.
For these Philadelphians, they were rejected due to their allegiance to the Suffering Savior. The Jewish synagogue was committed in their denial of their Savior, and pain was the result.
Pain for the the Philadelphians, for they lost connections with loved one. Yet in the midst of this pain, they maintained a faith in the One who has the keys to the Kingdom, and not merely power over membership in a religious “club”. The Body of Christ is the greater good, the greater blessing, the greater connection. He is the One we need to look to for access that matters.
It is good to remember that the Body of Christ is a living organism that is not dependent on man’s rules, laws or organizations.
All of man’s religions have no authority like HE WHO OPENS AND NO ONE WILL SHUT, WHO SHUTS AND NO ONE OPENS.
Let’s be so thankful, that though we may pass through some rejection from those around us, He who is above us has provided us access!
May God’s name be praised.
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.
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.
THE Lord’s Supper and A BBQ
The topic for this morning includes a somewhat convoluted application of my favorite story of the great missionary Adoniram Judson. The story goes that he was in prison, with little hope of ever being let go, and was allowed to receive an article from his wife on her next visit.
What did he request? The utensils to perform the Lord’s supper. The plate for the bread, and the holder for the wine. He was in a terrible prison, with little sustenance provided. Yet he had the faith to request the utensils for the church the Lord had called him to establish in Burma.
That is the story this prayer is based on.
Now to give you some background on how my twisted little mind works. Warning – this application of the story was honored by the Lord, but it may not have been the wisest use of the great missionaries example. The Lord is good.
Nevertheless, as I have mentioned earlier in my posts, our family were guests in the USA for many years, and in our efforts to attain citizenship, we encountered many disappointments. I have mentioned how three of our children were placed in deportation for periods of time, with one deported to Canada. This story is about my third son, and our experience during his time in the federal deportation prison.
His was a lengthy stay, as the legal system was exceptionally slow, with judges being transferred, lawyers dragging their feet and prison systems seeking to keep paying customers. Months and months passed, and with every visit, we became a little less hopeful. My second son had already been removed from the county, and we knew it was very possible for it to happen again.
Each visit, we were allowed to bring some books, writing tools, and funds to transfer into his account for phone calls, and treats from the commissary.
As mentioned, his stay was lengthy, and in my readings, I saw my son in a somewhat similar condition as Mr. Judson. A hopeless situation from all appearances. And then it occurred to me in my prayers, that we had to provide a physical anchor for my son to cling to for when he got out. Not if, but for when he got out.
Ok – so what would be appropriate for my son. He was not a believer, and to provide him the utensils for the Lord’s supper would make no sense, but the spirit of Adoniram’s request could be followed. So what to do? What to do?
My son has always been a cook. He has worked the kitchen since he was eight years old, providing a thanksgiving meal for the family. Yes – at 8 years old!
So, knowing our background, our mental state of being worn down, our concern over loosing another son to a bureaucracy, and having read the story of a great missionary, our prayers went from discouragement to hopeful.
What was the anchor that we provided to our son?
I brought a picture of a fancy bbq in on a visit, held it up to the glass and told him it was being delivered this week. I told him he would be using it when he got out. He somewhat made fun, and I understand that, but as he went away from that visit, I would like to think he had some hope.
The sausage he smoked on that BBQ the first weekend he enjoyed his freedom were some of the best ever.
Thankyou Lord for working in the prayers of an ol’ fool.
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.
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 8:1 1 After this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and David took Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines.
As soon as David reunited the kingdom, the Philistines gathered together for a visit.
2 Samuel 5:17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard of it and went down to the stronghold.
The most troublesome people group of the region were not going to let David get away with uniting the people of God, and becoming more of a threat to their dominance. This could not be, so they gathered their forces and marched to Israel, just like every other time in the past.
At that time, David sought the Lord for guidance, and soundly defeated the enemy.
Our passage this morning is short but indicates a turning of the tide for the nation of Israel. No longer was Israel the Philistines water boy, existing in the area under threat of another attack.
Yes David has shown defensive moves that effectively gave notice to the Philistines in chapter 5. Since then, he has taken Jerusalem as his city, and received the promise of his Son ruling forever, his family becoming a dynasty under God.
It is time to give notice that the kingdom of Israel is about to explode in the region, and the first (of many) recorded victories were against the Philistines.
There is a subtle but important item to notice in this verse that shows a mindset change in the Israelite army, and their commander.
David did not simply defend, he aggressively took a Philistine city.
David took Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines
Methag-ammah. I had never heard of this location during my readings, and assumed it was a small hamlet on the edge of the Philistine territory. A good first step in David’s dominance over Israel’s enemies.
But alas, I was wrong again. Methag-ammah, meaning “the chief city” was no small victory for David. As a matter of fact, according to a parallel passage in 1 Chronicles, the city was also known as Gath. A principle, arguably the most important city of the Philistines.
1 Chronicles 18:1 After this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Gath and its villages out of the hand of the Philistines.
This was no small victory. In one campaign against the Philistines, the Israelites dominated the entire people group of the Philistines, turning the tables and becoming the nation tribute would flow to. Influence, authority and respect had landed in the nation.
Israel was on the march.
For us today, this small verse has a challenge for us. Are we in a defensive position regarding some sinful attitude, or weakness in our Christian life?
David, knowing the promise of God, took the offensive stance toward his enemies. He overcame the resistance that had plagued the Israelites since they entered the land. David did not let the past dictate the future.
How about us? Are we excusing something in our life because that is how we have always done it? It is just the way it is?
I have been in a defensive mode with a certain behavior, and with David’s example and the help of David’s Greater Son, I want to turn the tides.
May we all find a habit or attitude we can consecrate to the Lord, commit to attacking the problem instead on simply asking forgiveness, and move on to more victories.
David did.
Remember, as believers, we only have one offensive weapon. To find the victory in any battle, we need a passage, portion or verse that will be the weapon to use against any sin.
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.
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.
287
HE WHO MADE THE PLEIADES AND ORION
Amos 5:8 He who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning and darkens the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the LORD is his name;
Amos is struggling with the people of Israel. He is pleading for them to repent, to consider the God they have abandoned.
His refrain throughout the first portion of chapter 5 is for Israel to “seek God and live”. Amos refers to Pleiades and Orion, major constellations referred to a number of times in the Old Testament and he speaks of the Lord making these two constellations. His hope is that the nation will understand the mighty Creator they have abandoned.
I’m afraid Israel did not “seek God and live”. Amos’ ministry was between 750 and 760 BC. Israel fell to the Assyrians, never to rise again, in 722.
They did not seek the One who made Pleiades and Orion, but another saint was challenged with these two constellations in his confrontation with the Creator God. That man was Job, and his encounter is worth considering, as we think of the Creator who made Pleiades and Orion.
God, in His response to Job’s whining, asks questions. A lot of questions. For our purposes, lets dwell on Job 38:3.
Job 38:31 “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loose the cords of Orion?
Notice that God is asking Job if he can “bind” Pleiades, or “loose” the cords of Orion? In my imagination, these were simply poetic declarations of the Lord when speaking of Job’s inabilities. Simply a statement regarding Job’s inabilities when compared to the Creator of all.
I understood that no further details were intended for Job. But thousands of years later, astronomers have found that Pleiades, a grouping of 7 stars sometimes called the seven sisters is considered a “gravitationally bound” grouping of stars. These seven sisters are always together, always in the same position with each other. They are a stable constellation.
Now when I read that verse in Job, and consider His question to Job, I no longer simply think He was demonstrating Job’s inabilities. He was provided Job information that that he may not have understood. Did the ancients know of this trait of Pleiades?
Well, sit down, for the loosing of the cords of Orion also has additional truths revealed to Job and his friends they may not have known.
For you see, Orion with it’s seven stars, is unlike Pleiades, for it is a constellation that is drifting away from itself, gradually “falling apart” from its form. It is as if the cords keeping the seven stars together are being loosed.
Now doesn’t that make you thank God for being the Great and Awesome Creator that He is. He not only made the great constellations, but has revealed to his saints details beyond our comprehension.
For our Savior, the One who bled and died for us, is HE WHO MADE THE PLEIADES AND ORION.
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.
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.
286
HE WHO MADE GREAT LIGHTS
Psalm 136:7 to him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;
We are visiting Psalm 136 again, and it is fitting that we do, for the psalm is a repetition of God’s great love for His people.
Throughout this psalm, the author has a refrain for every act of the Lord He has performed for His people.
That refrain is “His steadfast love endures forever.”
This must surely, I thought be the same psalm that in other translations speak of “His mercy endures forever”. But I am mistaken! The psalm I am thinking of is Psalm 118, where the psalmist picks up the same refrain, praising God for His steadfast love (again!)
Throughout the Old Testament, the scoffer and unbeliever focus on tragic history that occurs in the narrative, some of which occurred to accomplish God’s plan. This is a common, (and somewhat justified) complaint of those who have never met the Messiah. It is a method of deflecting blame from their own sin problem, blaming God for something they (and I) don’t fully understand!
Yet, it is repeated over and over again, not only instatements, but in His actions, that the Old Testament describes our Master as the One who is steadfast in His love for His people. Once the soul has tasted that the Lord is good, all complaints of prior history fades, for He suffered more than any, and He suffered for all.
We must remember that those who may have seemed to have died prematurely in a battle, in a war, or in fights that extended an earthly theocracy, were souls that belonged to God, that He is sovereign, and though I personally have struggled with some of the stories revealed in the Old Testament, it is of the will of God that has not only allowed or directed difficult times, but the same God who has revealed these actions to His people.
It is wise to not sit in judgement on the Creator!
Nevertheless, to Him who made the great lights, the great lights are referring to the sun, moon and stars as the following verses describes.
Psalm 136:8,9 the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever; the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever;
I could speak of the sheer magnitude of His creation of the lights, especially the sun. How massive in size, and critical for our existence is the sun. Yet the sun is simply one of a hundred billion million gazillion (alot!) stars spun out into space, that the psalmist could not have known of, yet the Creator provided.
This alone should stop us in our tracks, considering the incredible, unimaginable vastness of the creation! Yet the psalmist speaks of these creations, these great lights as they relate to the day to day order for lowly men and women on the earth.
Each day, the sun provides light, heat, and specific time periods for mankind to have order and experience a consistency of expectations. Each day, the sun will provide light, each night the stars will provide guidance and beauty. God’s people can rely on the Lord’s creation, and this provides a comfort to the saint, knowing God has provided a faithful creation, reflecting a faithful God.
But the psalmist speaks of steadfast love being the reason for this faithfulness in the performance of the great lights. It is the motivation of the Lord that the psalmist highlights, and that which we might do well to dwell on this morning.
His intention to us is fuels by a great steadfast love through creation, through our daily lives, through the food He supplies and the rest He provides. God has made the great lights because of His great love for us, even though we go about without recognizing this great blessing
Take a moment this day, in your travels, in the quiet, in that alone time and consider the great lights, whether daytime or nighttime, and give the Lord the recognition He so richly deserves.
For He is the God who made the Great Lights, and has given us the Light of Life to know Him.
Thank you Jesus.
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.
As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.
Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.
Prayer of GRATITUDE – David’s God
2 Samuel 7:25-29
25 And now, O LORD God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. 26 And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The LORD of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. 27 For you, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. 28 And now, O Lord GOD, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. 29 Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord GOD, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”
David has been informed he is to be the recipient of one of the greatest promises made to a mere mortal, a sinful man under the law, a man who has a heart for God but who has slipped into sin a number of times, and sadly will slip into egregious sin again.
At this point in his life, may I suggest, he understands his nature to sin, his propensity to wander and his ability to go against the God he loves. At times, David seems to be a man out of touch with his own time!
His prayer concludes with a focus on the Lord Himself, with the Lord’s abilities to perform the Word He has declared to His servant. David, after being told he will be the father of a dynasty, a man whose name will be remembered forever, since his Son will be on the throne for all eternity, speaks not of himself, but of the Lord’s name being magnified.
David repeats truths back to the Lord, speaking of God’s relation to His people Israel, and of His revealing the dynasty of God through David. But again, as a servant, David is taking the back seat, a passive receptor of the Lord’s goodness and mercy, of the Lord’s unbridled grace to a man who sees himself as a servant.
David had consistently taken the position of a servant in this prayer, not unlike that which the Lord described in Luke 17.
Luke 17:7 “Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? Luke 17:8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Luke 17:9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? Luke 17:10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”
In taking this position of servant, David is now experiencing the greatest of gifts, and proves his commitment to a servant life by his humble reaction to this revelation.
In the last two verses, as David seeks to please the Lord in his prayer, he refers to himself as a servant three times.
David was a servant of the Lord, and the Lord’s name will be magnified in David, and even more so in the greater Son of David! For the house of David was to be established by the Word of God in this promise, and is blessed forever through the Son of David! Jesus the Messiah has fulfilled all the promises of the Word, and this promise to David is clearly fleshed out in the Son of Man, the promised Messiah.
May we also take the position of servant to the Most High, and seek to please Him in our daily efforts, walking in the Spirit, resting in His provisions and trusting His promises.
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.
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.
285
HE WHO KEEPS WATCH OVER YOUR SOUL
Proverbs 24:12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?
Feigning ignorance is so common. In this world of knowledge, access to knowledge, abundant facts and figures, calculations, methods of analysis and data accumulation, to claim ignorance is a difficult sell.
Yet the argument can easily be made that with the abundance of knowledge available to the modern man, two results can occur.
With the flood of data pouring into our eye sockets, we may be numb to the impact of any specific piece of knowledge. We often do not have the time to consider the data, the impact of the data of our lives, and the proper response, if any. By the time we have consumed that morsel of information, another piece of information is knocking at the door of our minds, screaming to get in.
It is all a bit of an information overload!
Beyond the sheer over-abundance of information available to the modern man, we have an additional problem. Crappy data.
Information that is simply worthless, merely a distraction at best. I would suggest this is the bulk of information that is available today, and the motive is to gain the attention of a consumer, that soul who may not discriminate the data or the claims of the salesman, and simply be led into an agreement that will cost them more than the purchased product is worth.
Now, don’t get me wrong on this point, as the worthless data that I refer to is not simply associated with goods and services in the practical, physical world. Worthless data may also be information that is intended to distract the reader from better, wholesome, spiritual information.
Of course worthless data may be lumped in with data that is intended to deceive, to lead astray or to destroy.
Nevertheless, to feign ignorance in this modern age is a hard sell for the average person. Too much information is available, and our problem nowadays is sifting through to find the correct, factual and edifying information to build a correct and godly life upon.
Of course the data we can rely on is the Word, but as we read this passage above, I do not think Solomon is addressing scientific facts, mathematical equations or general truths all who breathe can know.
Solomon is talking of the responsibilities we have to live properly in relation to those around us. To love those whom we know, to care for those we may not know well, and to relate properly to those who may be our enemy.
After all, Solomon mentions our soul and heart, those containers of our lives that hold the important “stuff”, the stuff that we cannot feign ignorance of if we care about God and men.
If we are honest with ourselves, and avoid the distracting relentless barrage of data, we can know what Solomon is referring to. I suggest the Word provides guidance in this area through a prophet called Micah.
Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
We know inside and the Lord provides the external data to confirm our responsibilities before Him and His people.
He is the God who keeps watch over our soul, and though we know the best, He is the One who provides strength, guidance and external verification of our internal data, so we may be sure before Him.
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
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.
284
HE WHO IS MIGHTY
Luke 1:49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
Grade 4, and Lyle was my bully. As a matter of fact, he was everyone’s bully. As I try to remember the times of grade 4, I can’t remember a time when Lyle actually proved his might, to establish this bully persona. He was all talk and never exercised any of the bravado he spoke.
What a great talker, and the threats he made to keep his people in order were poetic, majestic and terrifying. Remember – I was in grade 4 and Lyle was my first bully, (other than my two big brothers).
In that little mind of grade 4 Carl, Lyle was mighty. He had the power , the authority and the right to rule over all the kids in Miss Claxton’s class.
But was he mighty? Or is the secret of the bully fear induced submission? I think so, and there are a multitude of religions that are based on this model. Fear induced submission, from a bully type God.
The problem for the bully is that when push comes to shove, the bully usually collapses. His reign of fear begins to crack, and eventually those under him realize it was a might not based on fact but on fear!
Not so with the God of Israel, for He is mighty, and He proves it. The write of this verse confesses that God has “done great things for me”.
There are some in the Christian community that would view God as a bully type of deity, one who demands rule keeping, using threats to create obedience in his people. Is this the God we serve? Is this the message we see in the Messiah as He walked amongst us?
In this verse the Lord is one who is doing great things for his people. No hint of threatening, or danger of “being beaten up” if not compliant to his wishes. Nothing like that is mentioned in this verse. It is not the Lord who is speaking great swelling words, seeking to induce a fear based obedience, but the recipient of God’s goodness declaring the might of God because of God’s actual work the saint experienced.
So different than Lyle. Bullies have no might other than fear. God’s might is actual, experiential and evident.
We need to understand He who is Mighty is the God who shows His might by providing for His people, doing mighty things for those who love Him and even for those who don’t know Him.
He who is Mighty is better than Lyle. So much better, in so many ways!
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.
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
The book of Hebrews has always been a challenge in my reading, as I am not a first century Hebrew, a saint who may pick up on nuances of truth the ancient saint might see.
But then again, those folk have passed long ago, and as long as we see Jesus in the book, I think we do well, for the book of Hebrews is brimming with statements, claims, truths and passages teaching of the superiority of the Christ over Old Testament saints, Old Testament covenants, Old Testament Temples, Old Testament rules, Old Testament promised lands, Old Testament Sabbaths…. Need I go on?
He is the culmination of all Old Testament teaching, the principal and only King over God’s Kingdom. There is no truth greater than we find in Jesus, and the outworking of His kingdom will only magnify Him more and more.
Our passage speaks of two results of His sacrificial offering on the cross, that He has provided for His people. Two results of His sacrifice are that we, an undeserving group are now able to enter before the Lord.
With confidence due to His blood
Through a new and living way due to His flesh
We have access before the Lord, the Holy and All-Powerful God of creation. This, at least in my life, has become such a “common” truth, I sometimes (most of the time) do not realize or appreciate the tremendous honor it is to have access before the throne of God.
Beyond that privilege, we have acquired through our faith in the Son, the Great Priest, One who rules over the house of God, One who represents us before the highest throne. He is not only the One who offered the greatest sacrifice, but became the sacrificial Lamb, and now stands before the Father, representing His brothers and sisters.
The apostle has laid it out once again in this book. God has performed His mighty work. He has lined out three blessings provided to us.
What are we to do?
He provides us three directions, each of them with the familiar “Let us”
Before we dive in to the three “let us”, I want to suggest this direction is given primarily for the church body to exercise as a body, and not as I often think of as direction primarily to individuals. Throughout these injunctions, the apostle continually address “us”, “we”, “our” and “one another” A definite injunction for body life.
So how does this apply for conditional security Carl? Good question my friend. As these injunctions, or commands are aiming for the outworking of faith in a body life, the claim may be made that any individual that is not partaking in Body Life (of some sort) is not exhibiting a grateful heart towards the One who has provided the previous blessings.
Let us consider the apostles three “Let us” commands.
Let us…
Draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Draw Near.
This is the response we are to have in realizing the blessing He has provided. A response, but also a responsibility, the appropriate response of the heart, mind and body towards the Great Priest.
Hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
Hold Fast
This is the ongoing protection, and ownership of this blessing we have been granted. The term used translated as “hold fast” in this passage is defined within Strongs Dictionary as “to hold fast, keep secure, keep firm possession of” This speaks of responsibility on our part. We are to keep firm possession of this blessing!
Consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together… but encouraging one another
Consider How.
To hold fast speaks of maintaining or keeping a position or possession. To consider how speaks of advancing the position, spurring others onto greater works of love. The apostle is not content to have these folk maintain. The march is to go forward!
Each of these “Let us” phrases speak of our responsibility before the Great Priest over the House of God who has provided us access to the Throne of God.
Let us hear His direction and respond accordingly!
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
As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.
Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.
Prayer of GRATITUDE – David’s Nation
2 Samuel 7:23-24
23 And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? 24 And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O LORD, became their God.
David has just been informed by the prophet Nathan, of his kingly lineage being established as an eternal dynasty. Not only that his kingdom would be eternal in length, but the Messiah would be the King. The Deliverer would come through David’s bloodline. David’s dynasty would not just have an endless quantity of years, but the highest quality of rule.
But as any one who may recieve blessing from God knows, those recieving a gift automatically think of others in their lives that are also the recipients of God’s mercy. In this regard, David pulls into his prayer his nation over whom this dynasty will rule.
He speaks of Israel being redeemed by the hand of God two times in as many verses, and describes this redemption as great and awesome. He brought them out of Egypt, a slave state, and cleared the path for this people as they entered the land He promised.
As New Testament believers, we can look back at all of this tremendous work of God and realize this was looking forward to the Son redeeming His people. His people who have made the Lord their God. Even as David spoke of his gratitude to God for His many blessings, he was careful to describe Israel as God’s people, those who made the Lord their God.
24 And you, O LORD, became their God.
Was David thinking of the political nation of Israel? The theocratic kingdom? Or might he have been considering the remant within the nation that had an active and living faith. That remant that did not bow to baal, or ashtoreth, or any such abboration for the people of Israel.
David’s prayer was breathed from a man who was reduced to simple gratitude. It is interesting that throughout this prayer, He uses “I” only once, and that was earlier in describing himself as nothing. “Who am I?”
He constantly refers to himself as a servant though a king, a king who has just been informed his bloodline will rule for eternity. His bloodline will rule not only in quantity of years, and in quality of rule, but also over a people who look to God, a people who seek to honor the king and that bless others.
An ideal kingdom!
To those who have trusted the King, may we be the people David describes, a people who have made the Lord our God, reflected in our decisions each day as we live in the Messiah’s Kingdom.
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.
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.
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HE WHO HAS PITY ON THEM
Isaiah 49:10 they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them.
How often have we watched a poor sucker on the silver screen yell out “I don’t want your pity”, or “I don’t need your pity”? Admit it – even as this character is expressing his rejection of any pity, we tend to identify with him.
No one that I know seeks pity. Pity is a somewhat negative expression in our current understanding, toward those in a trial or difficulty. Pity in the English dictionary is defined as “sympathetic or kindly sorrow evoked by the suffering, distress, or misfortune of another”.
In our culture, to receive pity may be perceived as an expression of helplessness, of an inability to resolve a problem. It also places the one expressing pity as somewhat superior over the one receiving the pity, though I think this may be unintended many times. Nevertheless, the one receiving pity often considers the pity to be coming from someone who may never experience trials or troubles, and therefore cannot identify with them.
So when we see a passage such as today’s we may have incorrect thoughts regarding it. Let’s consider if this is a correct reaction.
First, for one to show pity, as expressed in this verse is to express compassion, as in a sharing of the burden. Per Gesenius’ Hebrew – Chaldee Lexicon, the term “pity” in Isaiah 49:16 has the idea of “cherishing, soothing, and in a gentle emotion of the mind, to behold with tenderest affection, to be compassionate”.
There doesn’t appear to be any expression of superiority in this display of pity over the one needing help. It is an expression of love. That is perty dang good news, if it was only in relation to those of our own peers. The simple understanding of “pity” in our verse as expressing “being with someone” in a trial is comforting to say the least.
To further assist in our correct reaction to this somewhat negative word is to consider the One offering compassion (pity).
He is superior, far above our condition and status, greater in every way, and if our understanding of pity was correct in the original discussion, we could assign it to the One above and it would correctly fit in expressing His possible reaction to those of us in trouble. All of us, that is!
But for the only One who is actually superior to us, He uses a different concept of pity, a pity that is better expressed as compassion in our understanding. He is “with us” in our trials. To have compassion is to be moved with the pity, to take action instead of simply feeling bad.
As the Lord walked this earth, He expressed compassion on many. Note that when He expressed compassion, actions accompanied this emotion.
Mark 8:2, 8 “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.
So in summary, God truly is greater than us and in our current understanding of pity, could rightly express this emotion. Yet there is much more to this passage than applying our incorrect understanding of pity to our God.
He not only enters into our trial, but He takes action. It is not only an expression of emotion, but a solution provided, an action taken to assist in the trial.
For those Isaiah was preaching to, this assistance from the hand of God was His leading and guiding them through the wilderness and to the springs of water.
As I grow older in the Lord, this leading and guiding is becoming much more critical in my faith. To think the Sovereign of the Universe is willing, no, not only willing but desires to guide us is an incredible truth.
I will take His pity! I will seek His compassion. For HE WHO HAS PITY ON THEM has had much pity (compassion) on me.
May you find the compassion of God in His leading also. It is a blessing that should not be ignored nor rejected.
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Considering the Bible 