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Word of Exhortation from King David

June 24, 2010 by memullin

Have you ever read a passage of scripture and pictured your self in the scene.  I came across a couple of verses in 1 Chronicles, and I could almost hear King David saying:

“Is not the LORD your God with?  And has He not given you rest on every side?  For He has given the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the LORD and before His people.  Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God.” 1 Chron. 22:18-19a

By inserting myself into the scene, I feel the strength of my King (David) giving me as part of his speech about all that he had done to prepare for the building of the temple, some very important insights about God.  For example:

  • God is with me.  I know this from other scriptures such as Deut. 31:6, 8 and Heb. 13:5 (God saying, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”)
  • God has given me rest on every side. David is talking about his Kingdom and rest from enemies coming against him, but the same is true for me.  Jesus promised me in Matt. 11:28, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
  • God has given the “inhabitants of the land” into my hand and the land is subdued before the LORD and His people. In the case of King David, the inhabitants of the land were those groups that lived in areas that Israel was occupying which God had promised to them.  The same promises are extended to me.   God wants me to possess my possessions, the spiritual “land” He has given to me.  This includes my walk with Him – He promises to give me victory over sin and self.  He promises that I am His child and that He has given me all that pertains to life and godliness.  He has promised that salvation is available to “whosoever believes”, so I can walk in the confidence and assurance of my salvation.  I have no enemy which is stronger than me when I am standing with Jesus, and nothing exists in this realm or any other that can separate me from the love of my Savior.  That is certainly evidence that God has given “the inhabitants of the land” into my hand by the power of His spirit and the blood shed on Calvary.

With those things established, David exhorts me to set my heart and my soul to seek the LORD my God.  For King David and the people in that audience, he was exhorting them to build the sanctuary of the LORD, but the exhortation can apply today as well.  Knowing what I know about God, namely He is with me, He has given me rest on every side (despite what it might look like), and He has given the inhabitants of the land (the enemies and problems that vex me) into my hand, I can stop wasting time worrying, fighting, striving or whatever it is that I do instead of what I should be doing.  I can stop doing those things and do the one thing that is needful, set my heart and soul to seek the LORD my God. What could be better than that?  Imagine the fruit that could come out of a life fully set on and seeking the LORD.

May the LORD show you who He is and what He has already accomplished on your behalf that you might set your heart and soul to seek Him.  For He has promised that if you seek Him, He will be found by you.

God Bless you!

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Bible Basics – New Testament (General Epistles and Revelation)

June 22, 2010 by memullin

The Bible, as we have discussed is divided into two parts:  Old Testament and New Testament.  There are 66 books in the Bible with 40 different authors, but one consistent message – God’s plan to save sinful man.  In the New Testament, there are 27 books which are divided into the following sections:  Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), Early Church History (Acts), Letters from Paul (Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon), General Epistles (Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2, & 3 John and Jude), and Revelation.

The Epistles are listed below each with a brief description or its content or focus.

Hebrews (Illustrates the superiority of Christ over the old covenant.  The author of Hebrews is unknown, but many believe it was Paul.  The audience was the Hebrew  believers.)

James (Anyone who has studied the book of James knows that it pulls no punches.  In this epistle to the Jewish believers, James lays out clearly what it means to live a life of faith and to evaluate one’s own faith honestly in light of scripture.)

1 Peter (Letter from Peter to all Christians that discusses the issues of holiness, submission and suffering.)

2 Peter (Letter from Peter to all Christians to warn against the danger of false teachers and exhorts the believers to grow in the true knowledge of Christ.)

1 John (Letter from John to all Christians.  The key themes found in this book are love in Christ and fellowship with God.)

2 John (Letter from John to the Elect Lady while John was in Ephesus.  The letter reminds the reader to walk in love and beware of false teachers.)

3 John (Letter from John to Gaius.  The letter thanks Gaius for his support of the gospel and criticizes Diotrephes for his pride.)

Jude (The final letter in the General Epistles written by Jude to all Christians.  The letter warns against heresy and false teachers and exhorts believers to contend earnestly for the faith.)

The final book of the Bible is the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Revelation (This books includes things which have been, which are and which are yet to be.  It gives hope to those who suffer persecution and provides a vision of Christ’s return.  It also gives good insights and images of what it is like in heaven.)

2Tim 3:14-17 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,
and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Psalm 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You!

Posted in Bible, Bible Basics, Bible Study, Books of the Bible, General Epistles, Hebrews, James, New Testament, Revelation | Tagged , , , , |

Bible Basics – New Testament (Paul’s Epistles – Part 2)

June 17, 2010 by memullin

In the last post, we began the discussion of Paul’s Epistles.   There were too many to do all in one post, so here’s the rest of the group with a brief description of the highlights of each:

1 Thessalonians (Written during Paul’s second missionary journey to the church in Thessalonica.  One of the main themes is an exhortation to holiness for believers in light of the LORD’s imminent return.)

2 Thessalonians (Also written during Paul’s second missionary journey and to the church in Thessalonica.  Christ’s return is a theme as is encouragement of believers.)

1 Timothy (The first of the “pastoral” epistles, those letter written by Paul to individuals who were pastors of churches.  This letter is written to Timothy during Paul’s first imprisonment.  It is a guide to leadership of a church and it addresses the issues of false teachers, public prayer, the role of women, and the qualifications for elders and deacons.)

2 Timothy (The second of the “pastoral” epistles, this is also written to Timothy, but it is written during Paul’s second imprisonment, near the time of his death.  Its purpose is to encourage Timothy in his ministry to be faithful even through adversity and hardships.)

Titus (This is the third of the “pastoral epistles”, and it was written to Titus while Paul was in prison in Rome.  It gives the qualifications for elders and gives Titus instructions for dealing with different groups in the church.)

Philemon (This is a letter from Paul to Philemon, a believer, regarding his runaway slave, Onesimus.  Paul asks Philemon to forgive Onesimus and receive him for Paul’s sake.)

Posted in Bible Basics, Bible Study, Books of the Bible, New Testament, Paul's Epistles | Tagged , , , , |

Bible Basics – New Testament (Paul’s Epistles – Part 1)

June 15, 2010 by memullin

The Bible, as discussed previously is divided into two main sections, the Old and New Testaments.  The New Testament is divided into 5 sections:  the Gospels, Early Church history, Paul’s Epistles, General Epistles and the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Paul’s Epistles and a brief description of their content are as follows:

Romans (Written to the Roman Christians.  The main topics discussed are the law and God’s plan for salvation through faith.  It also contains many important exhortations for believers including chapter 8, verse 28.)

1 Corinthians (Written to the church in Corinth to address issues that were going on in the church that involved division in the body and immorality.  An important discussion of love is found in chapter 13).

2 Corinthians (Written to the church in Corinth.  In this book Paul defends his call as an apostle, and he addresses deceivers.)

Galatians (Written to the churches in Galatia.  A major theme is grace and liberty in Christ and a rejection of the legalism that was affecting the churches in Galatia.  A well-known list of the fruits of the spirit is found in 5:22-23)

Ephesians (Written to the church in Ephesus.  Important discussion of what God had done for the believer in chapter 1 and where the believer was before being saved by faith in Christ in chapter 2.  Chapter 6 is the well-known discussion of the armor of God and the importance of prayer.)

Philippians (Written to the Church in Philippi while Paul was in prison in Rome.  One of Paul’s “prison” epistles.  Focuses on Paul’s love for the Philippians.  There are no corrections or rebukes in this book.  He exhorts them to godly living.)

Colossians (Written to the Church in Colosse while Paul was imprisoned in Rome.  Major emphasis is on the preeminence of Christ in all things.  Paul was responding to false teachers that were deceiving believers.)

to be continued . . .

Posted in Bible Basics, Bible Study, Books of the Bible, New Testament, Paul's Epistles | Tagged , , , , |

Bible Basics (New Testament Overview)

June 8, 2010 by memullin

The Bible, as we have been discussing, is made up of 2 testaments, the Old Testament and the New Testament.  It is important to remember that between the last prophet of the Old Testament (Malachi) and the coming of John the Baptist, the forerunner for the Messiah, Jesus, there were 400 years.  These are sometimes called the silent years because during them, God was silent.  He did not speak through any prophets, dreams or visions that are recorded for us.

The New Testament is also divided into sections which are:

  • Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John)
  • Early Church History (Acts)
  • Paul’s Epistles [Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, and Hebrews (maybe*)]
  • General Epistles [Hebrews (maybe*), James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1,2 & 3 John, and Jude)
  • Revelation of Jesus Christ (Revelation)

There are only 27  books in the New Testament compared to the 39 in the Old.  There are 9 or 10* authors compared to 30 authors of the Old Testament.  It was also written over a much shorter period of time than the Old Testament.

*Paul is believed by some, but not all, to be the author of Hebrews.

Posted in Bible Basics, Bible Study, Books of the Bible, New Testament | Tagged , , |

Bible Basics (Part 6)

June 7, 2010 by memullin

In this 6th post in the series of “Bible Basics”, we continue coverage of the books of the Old Testament and their groupings.  The following is a summary of what has been covered previously:

The Bible has 2 testaments: The Old Testament and the New Testament.

The Old Testament has 39 books divided into 5 sections:  The Law, The History, The Poetry & Wisdom, The Major Prophets and The Minor Prophets.

The Law consists of:  Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

The History consists of:  Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.

The Books of Poetry and Wisdom consist of: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon.

The Major Prophets consist of: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel and Daniel.

The final grouping of books in the Old Testament is the Minor Prophets which includes:

  • Hosea (Story of a prophet whom the LORD commands to marry an unfaithful prostitute presenting a picture of the unfaithful nation of Israel.)
  • Joel (The prophet warns  Judah of the coming day of the LORD and uses a recent locust infestation to draw the attention of the people to God’s coming judgment.)
  • Amos  (The prophet pronounces judgment on the surrounding countries and then Israel whom he calls to repent for their sins.)
  • Obadiah  (The prophet speaks of the judgment on Edom.)
  • Jonah  (The prophet refuses to go where he was sent to prophesy by the LORD, and as a result, he ends up in the belly of a great fish and then repents.  He later delivers the word of the LORD to Ninevah, and a great revival follows.)
  • Micah  (The prophet speaks of coming judgment against Israel and Judah for their corruption but promises fulfillment of God’s promise through a Messiah.)
  • Nahum  (The prophet pronounces judgment on Nineveh and the Assyrian Empire.)
  • Habakkuk  (The prophet tells the people that the just shall live by faith and God is in control and the wicked will not prosper forever.)
  • Zephaniah  (The prophet tries to motivate the nation of Judah to repent with prophecies of the coming Day of the LORD.)
  • Haggai  (The prophet tries to convince the people to make God a priority and finish building the temple.)
  • Zechariah  (The prophet also encourages the nation to complete the temple and speaks of the coming Messiah.)
  • Malachi  (Last word from the LORD for 400 years.  The prophet encourages the people to stop compromising and return to God with sincerity, so they can receive the blessing.)

Posted in Bible Basics, Bible Study, Books of the Bible, Old Testament | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments »

Psalm 84 – A Closer Look (Part 2)

June 1, 2010 by memullin

Psalm 84, verse 5 says, “Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.” We looked at the first part of verse 5 of Psalm 84 in the last post.  We examined what it means for a man’s strength to be in God.   The second part of the verse is really the part that drew my attention as I was reading.  I began to think about what it means for one’s heart to be set on pilgrimage.

Usually, my heart is set on permanence.  I want to have a home, “to put down roots” in a community, to be part of something.   At first glance, permanence seems to be the opposite of what the “blessed man” seeks after.  That led me to explore the term “pilgrimage”.

“Pilgrimage” according to the dictionary is “a journey, especially a long one, made to some sacred place as an act of religious devotion” or “any long journey, especially one undertaken as a quest or for a votive (dedicated in accordance with a vow) purpose, as to pay homage.”

The word “pilgrimage” packs a lot of meaning:

  • It is a type of long journey
  • Destination is a sacred place
  • Purpose is to show religious devotion or to honor a vow (to God)

What does the Psalmist mean when he uses “pilgrimage’ here?

  • What is the long journey?    Is he talking about a life lived walking daily with God, what Enoch, Abraham or Paul had?  Is this a journey that is never complete this side of eternity?
  • What is the sacred place to which the man is traveling or journeying?    Is it Heaven?  Eternal Life with God?
  • What is the devotion or vow which the man is to show by the journey?  Is it simply devotion to God?  Is it the promise to take up the cross of Jesus and follow after Him?

I think this idea of a heart set on pilgrimage requires more consideration and mediation.  I know that it speaks to traveling light and not being at home here in the world.  One who is on a pilgrimage has his primary focus on the object of his devotion.  As I live my life, my pilgrimage, I need to keep my primary focus on God, the object of my devotion, the one to whom I made the vow to be a bond servant.

I invite you to share any additional thoughts you might have regarding what it means to have your heart set on pilgrimage.  The blog is a two-way communication.  Send me a post!

Posted in Devotional, God, Pilgrimage, Psalms | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment »

Psalm 84 – A Closer Look

May 30, 2010 by memullin

I ran across a verse in Psalm 84 that I don’t remember noticing before.  I love that about the Bible.  I can read it from cover to cover every year, and still God has surprises and “new” things to show me.

In Psalm 84, verse 5, the Psalmist states, “Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage.”  I noticed two parts of the description of this blessed man:

  1. His strength is in God
  2. His heart is set on pilgrimage

I thought about what it meant to have one’s strength be in God.  It seems to me the strength here can be compared to the strength of an army:

  • God is his fortress
  • God is his strong tower
  • God is his rear guard
  • God is his shield and buckler (his weapons of defense)

It could also be that strength here has the meaning of the one who “strengthens” the man, who cares for and befriends the man, who makes sure his physical and emotional needs are met:

  • God is his provision
  • God is his guide, the light to his path
  • God is his comfort
  • God is his hope (gives him the will to go on)

It could also be that God is his strength because God makes him stronger:

  • God is the father who chastens his beloved son
  • God is the refining fire that purifies him

With God, strength can mean so many things.  When my strength is in God, I don’t rely on my own reasoning, my own resources or my own abilities.  I cast myself entirely on my God, keeping no area of my life in which I am “strong” apart from God.  May the LORD bless you and may He be your only strength.

I will have to save the discussion of the second part of the verse, “whose heart is set on pilgrimage”  for my next post.

Posted in Devotional, God, Psalms | Tagged , , |

Bible Basics (Part 5)

May 28, 2010 by memullin

Continuing with our discussion of the Bible ands its organization and content, the following is a summary of what we covered in the last 4 posts on Bible Basics:

The Bible has 2 testaments: The Old Testament and the New Testament.

The Old Testament has 39 books divided into 5 sections:  The Law, The History, The Poetry & Wisdom, The Major Prophets and The Minor Prophets.

The Law consists of:  Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

The History consists of:  Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.

The Books of Poetry and Wisdom consist of:  Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon.

The next grouping of books in the Old Testament is the Major Prophets which include the following:

  • Isaiah [A prophet to the southern kingdom of Judah, Isaiah predicts God’s judgment on Judah was well as the surrounding countries and the world, but also promises a future salvation and restoration.  Many important Messianic prophecies (prophecies about Jesus) are found in this book.]
  • Jeremiah [A prophet to the southern kingdom of Judah also, Jeremiah declares the certain Judgment of God.  He also tells of God’s promise of a new covenant with His people.]
  • Lamentations [A series of 5 poems of lament by the prophet Jeremiah]
  • Ezekiel [A prophet to Israel in captivity in Babylon.  Ezekiel tells of the fate of Judah’s enemies and its future.]
  • Daniel [The book of Daniel includes some well-known Bible stories such as Daniel in the lion’s den and the three Hebrew boys in the firey furnace.  It also shows the future of the 5 world kingdoms and shows Israel during the period of Gentile power in the world.]

Posted in Bible, Bible Basics, Bible Study, Books of the Bible, Old Testament, Prophets | Tagged , , , |

Bible Basics (Part 4)

May 18, 2010 by memullin

Continuing with our discussion of the Bible and its organization and content, the following is a summary of what we covered in the last 3 posts on Bible Basics:

The Bible has 2 testaments: The Old Testament and the New Testament.

The Old Testament has 39 books divided into 5 sections:  The Law, The History, The Poetry & Wisdom, The Major Prophets and The Minor Prophets.

The Law consists of:  Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

The History consists of:  Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.

The third grouping of books in the Old Testament is the Books of Poetry and Wisdom which included the following:

  • Job (Is the story of a man who has everything, loses everything, doesn’t understand why, is visited and counseled by friends who are totally off base about God, and finally God has to show up and make it clear that He doesn’t have to explain anything.)
  • Psalms (The book of Psalms is the hymn (Him) book for the church.  It includes songs of worship, praise, repentance, and others that pour out the psalmist greatest fears and defeats.)
  • Proverbs (The book of Proverbs is sometimes called the book of “wisdom” because it contains proverbs which teach wisdom on any number of subject that affect the common man including marriage, raising children, handling wealth, handling poverty, adultery, and other issues in life.)
  • Ecclesiastes (The book of Ecclesiastes is believed to be  written by Solomon, and it reflects his search and study of the meaning of life.  His conclusion is that the only true source of meaning and fulfillment in life comes from God.)
  • Song of Solomon (This book, believed to be written by Solomon,  is actually a song which on the surface appears to be the love story of Solomon and his Shulamite bride.  It is often seen as having much to say about emotional love in the context of marriage, but it is also a picture of Jesus and His love for His bride.)

The books of poetry and wisdom do not follow a chronology or tell a history, rather they are superimposed on the history and show the struggles that men of faith like Job, David, Solomon and Asaph have in learning about God and how to draw closer to Him.  These books show us insights into their thinking, their emotions, how they deal with trials and opposition, and how they worshiped the God that they served.

Posted in Bible, Bible Basics, Bible Study, Books of the Bible, History, Law, Old Testament, Poetry and Wisdom | Tagged , , |

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