Friday, September 17, 2010
My New Blog Site
Here's my new blog site: http://whatisthegiftofgod.blogspot.com/ check me out here and please follow if you want!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
2 Chronicles 23&24
Chr23
Big bad Jehoiada, chief priest, decides after 7 years to take back the kingdom for the Lord. He devises this plan to take over the Lord's temple, and guess what!, it works. Athaliah, comes to the temple, screaming treason, but is grabbed up by Jehoiada's loyal followers. Jehoiada then proceeds to tear down the house of Baal, and the kingdom seems to be in relative peace.
Chr 24
Joash, the little guy saved back in chapter 22, is now 7, and he becomes king. The word says that he did what was right in sight of the Lord as long as Jehoiada was alive. Joash proceeds to order the temple repaired, but has some trouble from the Levites in doing so. Finally he is able to raise money for the repairs and repairs the temple.
Jehoiada dies and no sooner than he is put in the ground, Joash and the people of Israel turn away from the Lord. They start to serve the Asherim and other idols. Jehoiada's son, Zechariah, speaks out against this movement and tells them that God will judge them for these actions. Joash and the people kill Zechariah. Because of this action, God sends the Arameans to conquer Judah and Jerusalem. Joash dies and the chapter ends.
What I see in all this: There are certain people who follow the Lord and others who follow people. Joash followed Jehoiada, while Jehoiada followed the Lord. This is shown by how quickly Joash turns from the Lord when Jehoiada dies. I am reminded of two scriptures:
1 John 2:27
As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.
If you believe in the truth of Jesus Christ, you are given the holy spirit, and by him you have no need to be taught by any other person.
Romans 14:22
The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.
Your faith in God is only between God and you.
I pray that the Lord would continually remind me of this truth and that I would desire to seek him in his word each day.
Chr 24
Joash, the little guy saved back in chapter 22, is now 7, and he becomes king. The word says that he did what was right in sight of the Lord as long as Jehoiada was alive. Joash proceeds to order the temple repaired, but has some trouble from the Levites in doing so. Finally he is able to raise money for the repairs and repairs the temple.
Jehoiada dies and no sooner than he is put in the ground, Joash and the people of Israel turn away from the Lord. They start to serve the Asherim and other idols. Jehoiada's son, Zechariah, speaks out against this movement and tells them that God will judge them for these actions. Joash and the people kill Zechariah. Because of this action, God sends the Arameans to conquer Judah and Jerusalem. Joash dies and the chapter ends.
What I see in all this: There are certain people who follow the Lord and others who follow people. Joash followed Jehoiada, while Jehoiada followed the Lord. This is shown by how quickly Joash turns from the Lord when Jehoiada dies. I am reminded of two scriptures:
1 John 2:27
As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.
If you believe in the truth of Jesus Christ, you are given the holy spirit, and by him you have no need to be taught by any other person.
Romans 14:22
The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.
Your faith in God is only between God and you.
I pray that the Lord would continually remind me of this truth and that I would desire to seek him in his word each day.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
2 Chronicles 21&22
I have been having trouble for the past while retaining what I read in the morning. I seriously desire to meditate on what I am reading in the morning all day like Joshua:
Joshua 1:8
"This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success."
So I am trying better to retain what I've read by writing down here on my blog. Hopefully some of you will find it interesting. Please comment on whatever you feel would encourage me (as in Hebrews 3:13).
2 Chronicles 21
After two generations of good kings who sought the Lord and did good in the sight of the Lord, now arises Jehoram who did evil in the sight of the Lord (21:6). This dude was so far from the family tree that he actually murdered all his brothers. People revolted around him and others were led astray by the high country pagans. It seems to me that Jehoram had no clue how to rule. God speaks to him through Elijah and basically says he's gonna die in the midst of a great calamity.
I don't see this side of God today, or my eyes are just not open to it; but God actually punishes people on earth, even before they die, for their miss deeds. That makes total sense to me. Like I said, I don't know if he still does this, but I do know that every day I am alive, God has shown me patience in not killing me in my sleep (Lamentations 3:22-23).
Just for good measure, the chronicler writes that God was faithful in punishing Jehoram to exactly what he said he would do.
2 Chronicles 22
Ahaziah succeeded Jehoram. He was a wicked king, holding his mother's counsel, who taught him to do wicked things (22:3). He also allied Judah with Israel, which was not a good thing at the time because Israel walked wickedly as well.
Jehu, a man anointed by God to execute judgment on Israel and Judah, killed Ahaziah. Athaliah, Ahaziah's mother, then pulled a power move. She killed all of the royal children so that she rule over Judah, but one child, Joash the son of Ahaziah, was saved unknown to Athaliah (22:11).
One lesson I am reminded of through all this is summed up best in psalm 1:
"How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!"
I pray that my delight is in the Law of the Lord and in seeking his face above all else!
Joshua 1:8
"This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success."
So I am trying better to retain what I've read by writing down here on my blog. Hopefully some of you will find it interesting. Please comment on whatever you feel would encourage me (as in Hebrews 3:13).
2 Chronicles 21
After two generations of good kings who sought the Lord and did good in the sight of the Lord, now arises Jehoram who did evil in the sight of the Lord (21:6). This dude was so far from the family tree that he actually murdered all his brothers. People revolted around him and others were led astray by the high country pagans. It seems to me that Jehoram had no clue how to rule. God speaks to him through Elijah and basically says he's gonna die in the midst of a great calamity.
I don't see this side of God today, or my eyes are just not open to it; but God actually punishes people on earth, even before they die, for their miss deeds. That makes total sense to me. Like I said, I don't know if he still does this, but I do know that every day I am alive, God has shown me patience in not killing me in my sleep (Lamentations 3:22-23).
Just for good measure, the chronicler writes that God was faithful in punishing Jehoram to exactly what he said he would do.
2 Chronicles 22
Ahaziah succeeded Jehoram. He was a wicked king, holding his mother's counsel, who taught him to do wicked things (22:3). He also allied Judah with Israel, which was not a good thing at the time because Israel walked wickedly as well.
Jehu, a man anointed by God to execute judgment on Israel and Judah, killed Ahaziah. Athaliah, Ahaziah's mother, then pulled a power move. She killed all of the royal children so that she rule over Judah, but one child, Joash the son of Ahaziah, was saved unknown to Athaliah (22:11).
One lesson I am reminded of through all this is summed up best in psalm 1:
"How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!"
I pray that my delight is in the Law of the Lord and in seeking his face above all else!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
pmpurser.us
Check out the online gospel track I put together at pmpurser.us. Click on the link to http://crescentcay.com/shdwst/index.htm and then click the upper left icon, wait to load, and then click it again. This track was fun going over and a good way to remind myself of the Love God has for us.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Salvation is from the Jews!
Jesus said, "You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews" ( John 4:22).
"For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; nor are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: " THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED ." That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. (Romans 6:6-9)"
Is this talking about spy's inside of Israel. No! It shows that just because some were born to Israel does not give them a right to enter the kingdom of heaven.
"If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?" (Romans 11:16-24).
Is this talking about olive trees? No! It's talking about the descendants of Israel, of the flesh, and those who have been grafted are... those who believe in Christ. These Christians are brought into the olive tree, that is the true Israel, including those who had gone before that believed God and were credited with Righteousness (Romans 4:3).
So what does this mean for me as a Christian? 1 Timothy 3:16-17 says that this scripture should be able to train me in righteousness and equip me for good works. Let's go back to Romans.
" 25For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery--so that you will not be wise in your own estimation--that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB." 27"THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS."28From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers;for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience. 31so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. 32For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all. 33Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? 35Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? 36For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things To Him be the glory forever. Amen" (Romans 11:25-36).
Following the example and instruction from Paul in this passage, I think that we should keep our focus on 2 things:
1 God' mercy/Our Thankfulness
2 God's Wisdom
And do as Paul called the Philippians to do: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:4-7).
For you who are reading this, you should be a Berean: "Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so" (Acts 17:10-11).
"For they are not all
Is this talking about spy's inside of Israel. No! It shows that just because some were born to Israel does not give them a right to enter the kingdom of heaven.
"If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say
Is this talking about olive trees? No! It's talking about the descendants of Israel, of the flesh, and those who have been grafted are... those who believe in Christ. These Christians are brought into the olive tree, that is the true Israel, including those who had gone before that believed God and were credited with Righteousness (Romans 4:3).
So what does this mean for me as a Christian? 1 Timothy 3:16-17 says that this scripture should be able to train me in righteousness and equip me for good works. Let's go back to Romans.
"
Following the example and instruction from Paul in this passage, I think that we should keep our focus on 2 things:
1 God' mercy/Our Thankfulness
2 God's Wisdom
And do as Paul called the Philippians to do: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:4-7).
For you who are reading this, you should be a Berean: "Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so" (Acts 17:10-11).
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Family Life
I have been meditating on several verses lately that have to with Family life. A couple weeks ago a friend of mine shared Matt 25:13-30.
At first I thought nothing of it, but as the days passed by, I began to notice this dissatisfaction with where I was in life. Life is busy. I want my focus to be on teaching and leading my family, but constantly, I am taken away to find work to provide for these. I am working on the apartment for Rachel or taking the dogs for a walk. My devotions are to these external menial tasks (which need to be done), but I am either not finding time to spend time in the morning with Piper or I am finding time to spend with my wife in word; but I consistently say the wrong thing or am not caring enough, and so our time in the word is not spent in the word, but rather spent discussing how I am not doing it right.
Clearly, I need to spend more time with my family, and Praise the Lord! He has revealed that to me through verses like Proverbs 16:8 - "Better is a little with righteousness Than great income with injustice." - which shows me that my satisfaction should be found in God's righteousness and not in the many things that I acquire to my person if they do come with righteousness.
The above verses in Matthew, the parable of talents, shows me that I have been given some things from the Lord (i.e. children - psalm 127:3 & a wife - proverbs 19:14). These, I will be called to give an answer for at the returning of our Lord, and I DO NOT want to be called "you evil and lazy slave" at his returning. I want to give everything I can to my children and my wife. I want to show Christ to them. Ephesians 5 says that I should love my wife as Christ loved the church, giving himself for her. I want to be this to my wife.
In closing, I want to offer encouragement to you men who have wives. Don't give up speaking the word to your wife, no matter how hateful she is towards you. Seek gentleness (2 timothy 2:24-25) and respect her as a fellow heir and the weaker vessel (1 peter 3:7). Show her the gospel through your actions!
Shalom
13 “Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour. 14 For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work270 and gained five more. 17 In the same way, the one who had two gained two more. 18 But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money in it. 19 After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. 20 The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ 21 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 The one with the two talents also came and said, ‘Sir, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more.’ 23 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered, ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? 27 Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! 28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. 29 For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’”
At first I thought nothing of it, but as the days passed by, I began to notice this dissatisfaction with where I was in life. Life is busy. I want my focus to be on teaching and leading my family, but constantly, I am taken away to find work to provide for these. I am working on the apartment for Rachel or taking the dogs for a walk. My devotions are to these external menial tasks (which need to be done), but I am either not finding time to spend time in the morning with Piper or I am finding time to spend with my wife in word; but I consistently say the wrong thing or am not caring enough, and so our time in the word is not spent in the word, but rather spent discussing how I am not doing it right.
Clearly, I need to spend more time with my family, and Praise the Lord! He has revealed that to me through verses like Proverbs 16:8 - "Better is a little with righteousness Than great income with injustice." - which shows me that my satisfaction should be found in God's righteousness and not in the many things that I acquire to my person if they do come with righteousness.
The above verses in Matthew, the parable of talents, shows me that I have been given some things from the Lord (i.e. children - psalm 127:3 & a wife - proverbs 19:14). These, I will be called to give an answer for at the returning of our Lord, and I DO NOT want to be called "you evil and lazy slave" at his returning. I want to give everything I can to my children and my wife. I want to show Christ to them. Ephesians 5 says that I should love my wife as Christ loved the church, giving himself for her. I want to be this to my wife.
In closing, I want to offer encouragement to you men who have wives. Don't give up speaking the word to your wife, no matter how hateful she is towards you. Seek gentleness (2 timothy 2:24-25) and respect her as a fellow heir and the weaker vessel (1 peter 3:7). Show her the gospel through your actions!
Shalom
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Power of God
I am somewhat nostalgic right now. I just got on Facebook for the first time in a while and saw all kinds of new events taking place in my old friends' lives. It seems that life is moving quicker and quicker and it's hard to keep up, I guess. I thank the Lord that it is moving though. Praise God for taking me from that which I was and turning me into that which I am becoming. I pray continually that the Lord would bring new revelations to me that may renew my mind in Him (rom 12:2).
I long and am burdened for others to know him, but my flesh is not strong enough change anything. It's only by God's spirit, the Holy Spirit, that others can be changed. I've been meditating on 1 Thessalonians 5:19. If I consider the power of the spirit to come by the word of God (Eph 6:17), then to quench the spirit in some instances may just be me trying to speak words of wisdom (not coming from the word, 1 cor 1:18-29) as opposed to encouraging others with the word of God, which is truth (john 17:17).
My encouragement to myself and you today is to NOT quench the spirit! It's the power of God (rom 1:16, 1 cor 2:5).
I long and am burdened for others to know him, but my flesh is not strong enough change anything. It's only by God's spirit, the Holy Spirit, that others can be changed. I've been meditating on 1 Thessalonians 5:19. If I consider the power of the spirit to come by the word of God (Eph 6:17), then to quench the spirit in some instances may just be me trying to speak words of wisdom (not coming from the word, 1 cor 1:18-29) as opposed to encouraging others with the word of God, which is truth (john 17:17).
My encouragement to myself and you today is to NOT quench the spirit! It's the power of God (rom 1:16, 1 cor 2:5).
Friday, May 14, 2010
Hebrews 6:1
Faith towards God: If I'm not to lay another foundation of Faith towards God, then I guess I should know what that means.
Romans 14:23: Whatever is not from Faith is sin. To me this means that there is a way to do things by faith and some other way of doing things.
Romans 10:17: If I know that I can acquire faith through hearing the words of Christ, then I should be reading!
Romans 9:31-32: Faith is not acquired by doing good works, but rather good works come as a result of faith.
John 15:3: I believe that (and you should check this for yourself [1 john 4:1]) the cleansing, Christ is referring to here is that which makes us righteous (Romans 4:5).
All this to say, that if I start doing something because it sounds good or it comes from a credible source, but I don't look to the God and his teaching; then I am not doing it by faith and I am in sin. I must be taught by God (1 Thessalonians 4:9 & John 14:26) and from his word in order to be subject to God (Romans 10:2-3).
One more encouragement: Hebrews 13:17 "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you." My concept of who my leaders are should come from the word. A study of the word subject, subjection, submit, submission, etc. would be a good start in figuring this out.
I pray these words are sweet to your ears, and that the Lord gives you understanding and perception!
Romans 14:23: Whatever is not from Faith is sin. To me this means that there is a way to do things by faith and some other way of doing things.
Romans 10:17: If I know that I can acquire faith through hearing the words of Christ, then I should be reading!
Romans 9:31-32: Faith is not acquired by doing good works, but rather good works come as a result of faith.
John 15:3: I believe that (and you should check this for yourself [1 john 4:1]) the cleansing, Christ is referring to here is that which makes us righteous (Romans 4:5).
All this to say, that if I start doing something because it sounds good or it comes from a credible source, but I don't look to the God and his teaching; then I am not doing it by faith and I am in sin. I must be taught by God (1 Thessalonians 4:9 & John 14:26) and from his word in order to be subject to God (Romans 10:2-3).
One more encouragement: Hebrews 13:17 "Obey
I pray these words are sweet to your ears, and that the Lord gives you understanding and perception!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Joy (that's from the Lord)
Paul said that the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but it is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit in Romans 14:17.
How do we have Joy in the Holy Spirit?
Well... here's how I have been seeing it, not holistically what should be seen about this issue, but just what the Holy Spirit has revealed to me:
Jesus says, "The holy spirit will guide you into all truth (John 16:13)."
Also, "Sanctify them in truth, your word is truth," he prays in the garden (John 17:17).
I say it has something to do with the word of God.
Well, looking to the word, I see many ways that God gives joy:
Shalom
How do we have Joy in the Holy Spirit?
Well... here's how I have been seeing it, not holistically what should be seen about this issue, but just what the Holy Spirit has revealed to me:
Jesus says, "The holy spirit will guide you into all truth (John 16:13)."
Also, "Sanctify them in truth, your word is truth," he prays in the garden (John 17:17).
I say it has something to do with the word of God.
Well, looking to the word, I see many ways that God gives joy:
- through others who are walking by faith and not by sight, by the spirit and not by the flesh (phil 2:2, phil 2:17-18, 1the 2:19-20, 2tim 1:3-5, Philemon 1:7, 1 joh 1:3-4, 3 joh 1:4, luk 15:7-10, 2 cor 2:3, 2cor 7:4)
- through testing our faith (jam 1:2-3, jer 17:--7-8, acts 5:41)
- through the knowledge of our salvation, and here, you must determine for yourself if you believe God's word or if you just know a lot about it (1 pet 1:8-9, Joh 16:-20-22, zeph 3:14-17, isa 35:4-10)
- through 'pleasing' God (1 joh 1:4, 1 joh 2:28, 1 the 4:1)
- through being in God's presence (psa 16:11, luk 24:52, joh 3:29)
Shalom
Monday, February 15, 2010
On the cutting edge of... 30 AD
Luke 16:1-17
1Now He was also saying to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was reported to him as (A)squandering his possessions. 2"And he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.' 3"The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4'I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.' 5"And he summoned each one of his master's debtors, and he began saying to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' 6"And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' 7"Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.' 8"And his master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of (B)this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the (C)sons of light. 9"And I say to you, (D)make friends for yourselves by means of the [a](E)wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, (F)they will receive you into the eternal dwellings. 10"(G)He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. 11"Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous (H)wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? 12"And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? 13"(I)No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other You cannot serve God and (J)wealth." 14Now the Pharisees, who were (K)lovers of money, were listening to all these things and (L)were scoffing at Him. 15And He said to them, "You are those who (M)justify yourselves in the sight of men, but (N)God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God. 16"(O)The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time (P)the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. 17"(Q)But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail.
Not saying that this applies or does not apply to money, but if you look at it with the idea that Jesus is speaking of money as "unrighteous wealth," (and I believe that this is what he speaks of when he says unrighteous wealth) then what is most apparent to me is that the 'wealth' is unrighteous. Fair enough? At the same time, Jesus says, "Make friends for yourselves by the wealth of unrighteousness." I do not believe that this at all means that we take part in the "unfruitful deeds of darkness" (eph 5:11) or sin against God to make friends, but I do see that there is a calling to use that which is worthless (ie money in this instance) for that which is precious (Jer 15:19).
It is also good to remember that within this context, Jesus directly addresses how we choose to justify our actions to others.
1Now He was also saying to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was reported to him as (A)squandering his possessions. 2"And he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.' 3"The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4'I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.' 5"And he summoned each one of his master's debtors, and he began saying to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' 6"And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' 7"Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.' 8"And his master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of (B)this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the (C)sons of light. 9"And I say to you, (D)make friends for yourselves by means of the [a](E)wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, (F)they will receive you into the eternal dwellings. 10"(G)He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. 11"Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous (H)wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? 12"And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? 13"(I)No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other You cannot serve God and (J)wealth." 14Now the Pharisees, who were (K)lovers of money, were listening to all these things and (L)were scoffing at Him. 15And He said to them, "You are those who (M)justify yourselves in the sight of men, but (N)God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God. 16"(O)The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time (P)the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. 17"(Q)But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail.
Not saying that this applies or does not apply to money, but if you look at it with the idea that Jesus is speaking of money as "unrighteous wealth," (and I believe that this is what he speaks of when he says unrighteous wealth) then what is most apparent to me is that the 'wealth' is unrighteous. Fair enough? At the same time, Jesus says, "Make friends for yourselves by the wealth of unrighteousness." I do not believe that this at all means that we take part in the "unfruitful deeds of darkness" (eph 5:11) or sin against God to make friends, but I do see that there is a calling to use that which is worthless (ie money in this instance) for that which is precious (Jer 15:19).
It is also good to remember that within this context, Jesus directly addresses how we choose to justify our actions to others.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
What is Godliness?
Godliness - transliterated from Hebrew: eusebeia
1 Tim 6:3-6
If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited {and} understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness {actually} is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.
1 Tim 3:11
But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance {and} gentleness.
It is separate from righteousness.
1 Tim 3:16
By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory.
It is the gospel, played out in our lives.
Acts 3:12
(same word: eusebeia)
But when Peter saw {this,} he replied to the people, "Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk?
It is piety, or the act of revering God.
Acts 10:12
(same word: eusebeia)
a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the {Jewish} people and prayed to God continually.
It is the act of being devout.
From 1 tim 6:3-6, we can be devout/pious/Godly, but without contentment, it is something to be despised! But with contentment, it is great gain! Question is... how do we get that contentment?
I say it's from the cross (1 tim 3:16). It is the gospel! Christ died for our sins. He has given us a gift that, number one, is undeserved, and, number two, could not be acquired without him. I can be content with only food and covering (later in 1 tim 6:7) because Christ was content with death! Praise the Lord for his mercy towards me, the sinner, transgressor of his law.
1 Tim 6:3-6
If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited {and} understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness {actually} is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.
1 Tim 3:11
But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance {and} gentleness.
It is separate from righteousness.
1 Tim 3:16
By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory.
It is the gospel, played out in our lives.
Acts 3:12
(same word: eusebeia)
But when Peter saw {this,} he replied to the people, "Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk?
It is piety, or the act of revering God.
Acts 10:12
(same word: eusebeia)
a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the {Jewish} people and prayed to God continually.
It is the act of being devout.
From 1 tim 6:3-6, we can be devout/pious/Godly, but without contentment, it is something to be despised! But with contentment, it is great gain! Question is... how do we get that contentment?
I say it's from the cross (1 tim 3:16). It is the gospel! Christ died for our sins. He has given us a gift that, number one, is undeserved, and, number two, could not be acquired without him. I can be content with only food and covering (later in 1 tim 6:7) because Christ was content with death! Praise the Lord for his mercy towards me, the sinner, transgressor of his law.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Praise the Lord for he is good!
I've been busy with school, family, friends, and... the birth of my daughter. Sorry I haven't had time to blog, but I now have found some time. Let me set the scene: Piper's asleep next to me; Rachel's asleep in the bedroom; twenty or so kids are playing on the front deck of the house next door, which I now have a great view of because of the feng shui we performed on the living room; I have read through half of The Gospel According to Mark, a sunday tradition; I have been sick for the past few days, but I feel better today, though... (well Piper was asleep; now she's with Rachel) ... I missed pot luck dinner with the Body here @ North Hinds; I'm listening to some good hymn music (come thou fount, currently); the Lord has indeed blessed me life, breath, and everything else (i.e. Piper, Rachel, family, friends, his word).
So I've been studying faith (I know... I was studying that over a month ago) and I've found a lot of cool stuff that shows me how to live my life concerning faith, or pistis as the Greeks would say.
3 Practical Applications that I have seen:
1 Our love for man should not be held in partiality (James 2:1&8-9), meaning that I should not any man above another, save the Lord Christ. I am not to hold different levels of love for different people.
2 By faith I am to abide in Christ (1 John 2:28 & 1 Peter 1:7), meaning that I am to read his word daily (Deuteronomy 17:19-20 & John 14:23), Rejoice Always, pray continually, give thanks in ALL things (1 Thessalonians 5:16-19), and anything else that the Lord brings to my attention in his word.
3 I am to be sober and resist the devil's temptations by faith (1 Peter 5:8-9). Other verses that I am reminded of are 1 Peter 1:13 and Ephesians 6:16.
I was also reminded today, while reading Mark 4:26-29. Those in the kingdom are called to plant seeds. Food for thought: What is a seed? What is the kingdom?
I've been busy with school, family, friends, and... the birth of my daughter. Sorry I haven't had time to blog, but I now have found some time. Let me set the scene: Piper's asleep next to me; Rachel's asleep in the bedroom; twenty or so kids are playing on the front deck of the house next door, which I now have a great view of because of the feng shui we performed on the living room; I have read through half of The Gospel According to Mark, a sunday tradition; I have been sick for the past few days, but I feel better today, though... (well Piper was asleep; now she's with Rachel) ... I missed pot luck dinner with the Body here @ North Hinds; I'm listening to some good hymn music (come thou fount, currently); the Lord has indeed blessed me life, breath, and everything else (i.e. Piper, Rachel, family, friends, his word).
So I've been studying faith (I know... I was studying that over a month ago) and I've found a lot of cool stuff that shows me how to live my life concerning faith, or pistis as the Greeks would say.
3 Practical Applications that I have seen:
1 Our love for man should not be held in partiality (James 2:1&8-9), meaning that I should not any man above another, save the Lord Christ. I am not to hold different levels of love for different people.
2 By faith I am to abide in Christ (1 John 2:28 & 1 Peter 1:7), meaning that I am to read his word daily (Deuteronomy 17:19-20 & John 14:23), Rejoice Always, pray continually, give thanks in ALL things (1 Thessalonians 5:16-19), and anything else that the Lord brings to my attention in his word.
3 I am to be sober and resist the devil's temptations by faith (1 Peter 5:8-9). Other verses that I am reminded of are 1 Peter 1:13 and Ephesians 6:16.
I was also reminded today, while reading Mark 4:26-29. Those in the kingdom are called to plant seeds. Food for thought: What is a seed? What is the kingdom?
Monday, November 2, 2009
Faith (How do we know what it is?)
Knowing that our lives are short in comparison to eternity (Psa 39:5), I acknowledge that I can't know anything apart from the Lord. I'm not even sure what faith is, but I know that I can find out about it in the word of God!
Below are a few verses that I have found the Greek word, pistis, the word for faith, in the new testament (concordances are great!):
God requires faith:
Matt 23:23; Mark 11:22; Luke 7:50, 8:25, 18:8; Acts 20:21; Rom 1:17, 11:20, 14:22-23
God gives faith:
Luke 17:5, 22:32; Acts 14:27, 15:9; Rom 12:3-6; 1 Cor 12:9
These are very encouraging to me to know that all I have to do to find faith is to pray and look to what God has already given to establish faith. Faith come by hearing the words of Christ (Rom 10:17)!
Below are a few verses that I have found the Greek word, pistis, the word for faith, in the new testament (concordances are great!):
God requires faith:
Matt 23:23; Mark 11:22; Luke 7:50, 8:25, 18:8; Acts 20:21; Rom 1:17, 11:20, 14:22-23
God gives faith:
Luke 17:5, 22:32; Acts 14:27, 15:9; Rom 12:3-6; 1 Cor 12:9
These are very encouraging to me to know that all I have to do to find faith is to pray and look to what God has already given to establish faith. Faith come by hearing the words of Christ (Rom 10:17)!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Praise be to God!
Been reading numbers... some pretty cool stuff in there... God definitely wanted Israel to do exactly what he told them to do... usually they didn't do it... so they'd get plagued or some other punishment... Thank the Lord for Christ's death and sacrifice, so that no longer does God requires us to be sinless. We just can't do it!
All we have to do is believe in Christ (John 3:36)! But true belief does not result in "believing" Christ, becoming merely hearers of the word and not doers (James 1:22). It begins with asking Christ for a repentant heart. This repentance leads to acts that are done to please the Lord, not to get to heaven (Matt 3:8; Luke 3:8; Eph 6:6). Thank the Lord that he spells it out for us in his word!
Rachel and Piper and doing well these days. Rachel's worried that she's not big enough (thinking that Piper is not big enough), but last night it looked like Piper was playing basketball inside Rachel's belly! My hope is in Christ that he might call Piper to repentance just as he has Rachel and I. I look forward to a life of teaching and leading both Rachel and Piper and any other children that the Lord allows us to keep.
Praise be to God from whom all blessings flow!
All we have to do is believe in Christ (John 3:36)! But true belief does not result in "believing" Christ, becoming merely hearers of the word and not doers (James 1:22). It begins with asking Christ for a repentant heart. This repentance leads to acts that are done to please the Lord, not to get to heaven (Matt 3:8; Luke 3:8; Eph 6:6). Thank the Lord that he spells it out for us in his word!
Rachel and Piper and doing well these days. Rachel's worried that she's not big enough (thinking that Piper is not big enough), but last night it looked like Piper was playing basketball inside Rachel's belly! My hope is in Christ that he might call Piper to repentance just as he has Rachel and I. I look forward to a life of teaching and leading both Rachel and Piper and any other children that the Lord allows us to keep.
Praise be to God from whom all blessings flow!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Who should I follow? Why JC of course!
Romans 14:22
"The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. "
Ecclesiastes 12:11-12
"The words of wise men are like goads (a pointed spear, used to direct animals), and masters of {these} collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd. But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion {to books} is wearying to the body."
John 14:26
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you."
1 John 2:27
"As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him."
Matthew 15:3
"Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?"
Mark 7:10
"Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men."
"The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. "
Ecclesiastes 12:11-12
"The words of wise men are like goads (a pointed spear, used to direct animals), and masters of {these} collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd. But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion {to books} is wearying to the body."
John 14:26
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you."
1 John 2:27
"As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him."
Matthew 15:3
"Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?"
Mark 7:10
"Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men."
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Our Call to Teach
John 14:16-17,26;16:5-14
We have the holy spirit if we believe on Christ!
1 John 2:26-27
The Holy spirit teaches us through God's word!
Hebrews 5:7-12
Bam! Who is called to teach? We are are called to teach. Do you know the elementary principles of the Gospel? (Hebrews 6:1-2)
Matthew 28:18-20
Christ has called us to teach.
2 Timothy 2:24-25
Paul tells us how to teach.
REMEMBER. It is all to be done in Love with Love!
We have the holy spirit if we believe on Christ!
1 John 2:26-27
The Holy spirit teaches us through God's word!
Hebrews 5:7-12
Bam! Who is called to teach? We are are called to teach. Do you know the elementary principles of the Gospel? (Hebrews 6:1-2)
Matthew 28:18-20
Christ has called us to teach.
2 Timothy 2:24-25
Paul tells us how to teach.
REMEMBER. It is all to be done in Love with Love!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Broken with Perserverance
I came into Architecture studio thinking that people's lives were going to be changed by God just as soon as I was able to tell them of the Love of God and the peace of Christ. It just seems that this is not happening. I am finding that God may be using this to build perseverance in me. I see that in Romans 8:28-29, All good things work for good to those who are called to God's purpose, being foreknown and predestined to be conformed into the image of Christ. As far as I can tell, I think that God is testing to see if I will continue to speak his name and not become worn down by despair. If anyone has examples of this from the Word and other scripture that might encourage me, please share.
Christ has Died for our sins and risen for our salvation! There is no refuting that. If a man foretells his death and resurrection and then fulfills his prophesy, I know I will trust him to be faithful at his word. Praise Christ for giving me freedom so that I might not be bound by a yoke of slavery again (gal 5:1)!
Christ has Died for our sins and risen for our salvation! There is no refuting that. If a man foretells his death and resurrection and then fulfills his prophesy, I know I will trust him to be faithful at his word. Praise Christ for giving me freedom so that I might not be bound by a yoke of slavery again (gal 5:1)!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Christ offers peace...
I have been working hard at school and have been involved in two group projects. Through talking with my group mates, I find myself searching for words to say that might bring them to Christ. They both have very hard outlooks on life, lacking Christ first but also missing out on the peace of Christ through faith. I wish I knew something to say. Proverbs 1:5 says "A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel." I will ask the church what to say that might bring them to the Lord. The only way I can learn better how to speak Christ to someone is to read his word. So I will be sure to continue to Abide in my Lord, also.
I pray that I might speak my mind more often to my wife.
I pray that I might speak my mind more often to my wife.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Starting School
So... I just started school yesterday, again... I'm really excited about finishing this year! I have to keep reminding myself to fix my hope completely on the grace of Christ (1 Peter 1:13) to keep myself grounded and in the present. It keeps me grounded by making me realize, from 1 John 2:28, that I do not want to be in shame when my savior returns. It's going to be a busy year, but the Lord is my strength and in his word I will rest!
I'm praying for:
Matthew 24:42-51
42"Therefore (BC)be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.
43"But be sure of this, that (BD)if the head of the house had known (BE)at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.
44"For this reason (BF)you also must be ready; for (BG)the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.
45"(BH)Who then is the (BI)faithful and (BJ)sensible slave whom his master (BK)put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time?
46"Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.
47"Truly I say to you that (BL)he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
48"But if that evil slave says in his heart, 'My master is not coming for a long time,'
49and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards;
50the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know,
51and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be (BM)weeping and gnashing of teeth.
I'm praying for:
- my family
- Piper Ruth
- Myself, that I may speak boldly and truthfully
Matthew 24:42-51
42"Therefore (BC)be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.
43"But be sure of this, that (BD)if the head of the house had known (BE)at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.
44"For this reason (BF)you also must be ready; for (BG)the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.
45"(BH)Who then is the (BI)faithful and (BJ)sensible slave whom his master (BK)put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time?
46"Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.
47"Truly I say to you that (BL)he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
48"But if that evil slave says in his heart, 'My master is not coming for a long time,'
49and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards;
50the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know,
51and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be (BM)weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Livin, Lovin, Laughin
Praise the Lord for giving us the Holy spirit through Christ that we may be able to be conformed to the image of Christ (Rom 8:29) who is the exact representation of God (Heb 1:3). It is only by his word that we may be sustained (Heb 1:3). In Psalm 51:11, David mentions that he does not want the Holy spirit to depart from him, so apparently certain people had the spirit of God before Christ came, but Praise God that now we are all able to take part in the spirit of God!
We have lived on the Farm for just two weeks now, picking cucumbers and building decks. I really enjoy living within a community of believers, sharing all things just as in Acts 2. We must all, in the body of Christ, consider how to encourage each other to love and good deeds (Heb 10:24), but we should also remember that we are called to spread the gospel, creating disciples as we are going (Matt 28:19-20). I look forward to being given the opportunity to be hospitable to my family and those I am in school with (Titus 1:8), not forgetting that the Gospel of Christ is for all (Gal 3:8), so I should be hospitable to all and not just these that I have mentioned!
I am very much still looking forward to the blessing of my daughter, Piper Ruth. I pray that God would save her soul, and not harden it like pharaoh's. I know that if I bring her up the way of the Lord, she will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6). I can rest in Lord with that promise. She has been kicking Rachel so much lately, I think she's going to break out even before it's her time! However she arrives into our midst, I will have the Holy Spirit as my guide to love her and raise her.
I am praying for:
We have lived on the Farm for just two weeks now, picking cucumbers and building decks. I really enjoy living within a community of believers, sharing all things just as in Acts 2. We must all, in the body of Christ, consider how to encourage each other to love and good deeds (Heb 10:24), but we should also remember that we are called to spread the gospel, creating disciples as we are going (Matt 28:19-20). I look forward to being given the opportunity to be hospitable to my family and those I am in school with (Titus 1:8), not forgetting that the Gospel of Christ is for all (Gal 3:8), so I should be hospitable to all and not just these that I have mentioned!
I am very much still looking forward to the blessing of my daughter, Piper Ruth. I pray that God would save her soul, and not harden it like pharaoh's. I know that if I bring her up the way of the Lord, she will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6). I can rest in Lord with that promise. She has been kicking Rachel so much lately, I think she's going to break out even before it's her time! However she arrives into our midst, I will have the Holy Spirit as my guide to love her and raise her.
I am praying for:
- Healthy Piper
- Teaching from the Holy Spirit
- People, my friend Rob may be able to relate to better than those that are already with him
- Opportunities to show hospitality
- Work that I might be able to provide for my family
The Joy of Children!
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