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Archive for the ‘Bible’ Category

Two are better than one

Posted in Bible, Old Testament, Poetry and Wisdom, tagged , , , , on June 1, 2011|

In Ecclesiastes Chapter 4:9-12, Solomon wrote:  “Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor.  For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.  Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone?  Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

Breaking it down, two are better for:

  • Labor – Two produce more and can accomplish more
  • When accident occurs – Assistance available
  • For comfort – Two are warmer than one alone
  • For defense – Two are better able to withstand an enemy
God knows our frame, that we do better when we are not alone.

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Holiness is a matter of the heart

Posted in Attributes, Bible, God, Holiness, Holy, Legalism, Walking with God, tagged , , , , on May 20, 2011|

Jesus said,  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.”  Matthew 23:27.

He meant they appeared to be clean on the outside, but inside they were nothing but a grave, full of the bones and carcases of dead men.  Jesus was getting at the issue of holiness.  Holiness is not outward compliance with rules and regulations . . . that is the definition of legalism.

Holiness is a heart transformed, desiring to go God’s way.  For the  truly holy man or woman, no outward rules are required.  The desire to please God, to obey God, to maintain fellowship with God will keep him or her from evil.  The Christian has very few outward restraints on his or her conduct.  The restraint is borne out of relationship with God.

May your heart be transformed so that you require no outward rules to make or keep you holy, but only a desire to please the heart of the Father, a love for the Son and the power of the Holy Spirit.

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Born of the Spirit?

Posted in Bible, Bible Basics, Born of the Spirit, Devotional, God, salvation, tagged , , , , on May 18, 2011|

The expression “born of the Spirit” is used by the Apostle John in Chapter 3 of his gospel.  Being born of the Spirit means to become a new creation by the spiritual washing or purification of the soul, by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God at Salvation.

2 Corinthians 5:17-18 says, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.”

As a result:

  • What was before (the old life) is gone
  • The past does not control the  future
  • All things have become new (they are not what they were)
  •  All things are now of God (God is ruling my life, so everything is subject to Him)

Hallelujah!  What a Savior!

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Standing . . .

Posted in Bible, God, In times of difficulty, Jesus, Relationship with God, Walking with God, tagged , , , , on May 16, 2011|

One of the most anticipated and exciting times in a new parent’s life is when his or her child hints at walking.  Even before it is close to being a reality, the parent will stand the baby up on his wobbly legs and encourage him to take a step.

So it is with God.  Like the parent of the child learning to walk who doesn’t condemn the child when he fails to walk the first time up or falls after only a few steps, God is focused on our standing and not our falling.  He is most concerned with our progress and not bogged down with our failures, our fits and starts, our do-overs.

For our failures, which will surely come and perhaps more often than we’d like, God has provided the blood of Jesus.

God has also given us tools, weapons to help us stand.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  Ephesians 6:13.

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Battling Fear . . .

Posted in Bible, Faithful Companion, Fear, Friend, God, Joshua, Old Testament, Relationship with God, the LORD, Walking with God, tagged , , , , , on May 13, 2011|

As with everything worth conquering, fear is a worthy adversary.  Fear can be rational like when you fear for your life when driving in a snow storm and your car makes a 180 degrees turn, so you are facing oncoming traffic with just as little traction as you.

Or fear can be irrational, totally disproportionate to age, experience, or actual conditions.  Irrational fear is more crippling.  It keeps one from starting or finishing, from forgiving or leaving, from loving or risking, from living or dying (to self).

Joshua gives great encouragement,  “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Whew . . . the LORD your God is with you wherever you go?!!  Problem solved.  Fear banished . . . for now.

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Keeping oneself?

Posted in 1 John, Bible, Books of the Bible, Knowing God, New Testament, Relationship with God, Surrender, Walking with God, worship, tagged , , , , , , on May 11, 2011|

We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.  1 John 5:18

It is much preferable to read about what God had done for me, what God is doing for me and what God will do for me.  My part doesn’t seem as interesting, so when I come across a verse like 1 John 5:18, it begs the question:  “How do I keep myself?”  The following are some ideas:

  • We need to submit or if you prefer, surrender ourselves to the will of God (as clearly stated in His Word)
  • We need to know what the scriptures say about where our help and hope lies
  • We need to be committed to worshiping God for who He is
  • We need to be committed to serving Him only (e.g. we need to be about the LORD’s business)

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1 John 5 on Prayer

Posted in 1 John, Bible, Crying out to God, Prayer, Relationship with God, tagged , , on May 9, 2011|

John, in his first epistle, has several observations on prayer in 1 John 5:14-16:

  • God uses us in prayer
  • God gives us confidence in prayer (confidence in Him, not the prayer itself)
  • God hears us pray which should give us boldness, but not arrogance
  • God give us knowledge of needs, of those who are sinning, so we can pray for them
Prayer is man speaking with God, seeking God.  The quiet after the petitions, the time of waiting on God,  is when God communicates with man.   If he leaves the time of prayer without listening for God, he has had only 1/2 of the communication, a one-sided conversation.

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Repent?

Posted in Bible, Repentance, tagged , , on May 7, 2011| 2 Comments »

The idea that we need to repent is not new.   In the Old Testament, God speaking through the prophets, called the people of Israel to repent.  Jeremiah 25:5; Ezekiel 14:6, 18:3   After 400 years of silence, John the Baptist came telling people,  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”  Matthew 3:2   From the beginning of His ministry, Jesus  preached, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  Matthew 4:17  Jesus was emphatic about the fate of one who failed to repent.   “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. ”  Luke 13:3 and 5  In time, this became Peter’s message also.  Acts 2:38

What does “repent” really mean?  Is it the same as saying sorry?  Is it the same as asking for forgiveness?  Repent has elements of both being sorry and asking for forgiveness, but it is more.

Repentance:

  • Requires you change your mind about your sin
  • Requires you change your direction (turn in the opposite direction from the sin in which you were engage)
  • Requires you take sides with God against yourself about your sin
  • Requires you obey when Jesus says, “turn to me”
At its core, repentance is a change of heart coupled by a change in direction.

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No Scar?

Posted in Amy Carmichael, Bible, God, Jesus, tagged , , , , , on April 15, 2011|

[from Toward Jerusalem by Amy Carmichael]

Hast thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot, or side or hand?
I hear thee sung as might in the land;
I hear them hail thy bright, ascendant star.
Hast thou no scar?
 
Hast thou no wound?
Yet I was wounded by the archers; spent,
Leaned Me against a tree to die; and rent
By ravening beast that compassed Me, I swooned.
Hast thou no wound.
 
No wound?  No scar?
Yet, as the Master shall the servant be,
And pierced are the feet that follow Me.
But thine are whole; can he have followed far
Who has no wound nor scar?
 

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Gospel of John (John 1:5 – more on the light)

Posted in Bible, Bible Study, Books of the Bible, Gospels, John, Light, New Testament, tagged , , , , on April 4, 2011|

John 1:5  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

John uses the contrast of light and darkness is several places in his gospel.  In John 3:16. he writes, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.

The condemnation is already upon those who love darkness.  The reality is that those who love and practice evil don’t want light to expose them or their deeds.  They prefer to hide in darkness.  But from whom do they hide?  From the God who created them.  It has been so from the beginning.  If we go back to Genesis 3:8, we read:  “And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.  9 ¶ Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”  10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”    You know the rest of the story, but the point here is that those who violate God’s rules, seek to hide from God.  It is this desire to hide from God that makes darkness their friend.  They hate the light.  It reminds them of the God they have rejected.

The good news is that just like Adam and Eve, God seeks after those who live in darkness.  He would that none would perish.  It is from darkness that many of us were plucked.  As children of God, we bring His light into dark places.  The light in us will dispel the darkness around us.  That is why Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”  Matthew 5:16

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