This is a derivative study. It did not come from a single source and is a compilation of several ideas presented by other people. The Lord has been presenting several instances of people who needed to be saved as I have been in church, in discussions, and in Bible study. Our Pastor this week put the cherry on the sundae, so to speak, with his sermon.
His sermon this week pointed out that there are no “religious types,” meaning that regardless of a person’s background, temperament, and behavior, they need Jesus. And, conversely, no one is excluded. It was centered in Acts 16. Some people are spiritually interested, like Lydia. (Acts 16:13-15) A group of women had left the city of Philippi and were gathered for some type of devotional at the river bank. Paul preached the Gospel to them.
Next, (Acts 16:16-18) Paul encountered a demon possessed girl, who was spiritually captive. She was unable to recognize her need, but Paul delivered her from the demon possession and gave her a better alternative, the Holy Spirit.
And true to the old axiom, “no good deed goes unpunished,” Paul and Silas were “ushered” into prison, where they met a spiritually indifferent jailer. (Acts 16:19-34) In fact, he may have been actively antagonistic. He was probably involved in the beating administered to them, “just because they were there.” Paul and Silas countered the oppression and wrongful imprisonment, not by a lawsuit, but by prayer and singing. God responded by a miracle, consisting of an earthquake, releasing every chain and shackle, and bringing a now-interested jailer to hear the Gospel. He, like the first two “types,” responded in belief, along with his family.
And that brings us to the question that has been highlighted in my thinking and study over the past couple of months: Who needs to be saved?
There are three distinct classes of people that are often the object of the inquiry: Do they need to be saved? The groups are devout Jews, devout believers in God, and those who could care less. We might find a hybrid of the first two, those non-Jews who are sincerely seeking to know God, who follow Judaism.
Let’s start with the disinterested. As mentioned in the Pastor’s sermon, there are people who do not care at all about spiritual things. Some are captive to an outside force, while others are actively hostile. This category would include the slave girl and the jailer. Neither of them was seeking God or even thinking about Him. Yet, the Lord intervened in their lives to free them from captivity, captivity to sin.
We can cite numerous skeptics who actively attempted to discredit the Bible, and in their search became believers. Lee Strobel is a prominent one who we can list and to whom we can refer any questioners. The trail of converted antagonists throughout history is testimony to the power of the Gospel to change lives. It changes lives that are desperate to know the truth.
On the other end of the spectrum, what about devout Jews? They are actively seeking to please God. Saul of Tarsus is perhaps the quintessential example of this group coupled with those actively opposing the Gospel. He was seeking to follow God, as he understood that concept, and attempting to exterminate those who would lead people away from that belief. He, and they were and are now following the Mosaic instructions and directions, to the best extent that they are able.
Won’t that count with God on Judgment Day? Surely He will recognize and credit them for their faithfulness, devotion, and obedience to the Law. Thankfully, we do not have to puzzle out this question for ourselves. We could cite John 14:6 as a “catch-all” answer,
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
But the Lord, through His Word, gave us specific illustrations and directions of this. Recall that Paul, on his missionary journeys, and in his general practice, preached first to the Jews, where ever he went. (Acts 13:5, 14, 43; 14:1; 17:1, 10, 17; 18:4, 19; 19:8) That, by the sheer weight of numbers illustrates the fact that Paul believed that the Jews needed to hear and respond to the message of the Gospel. Jesus died for our sins, according to the Scripture. He was buried. And He rose again, the third day, according to the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4)
Clearly, Paul did not conceive or believe that devout Jews were exempt from the need to hear and respond to the Gospel. He tirelessly, relentlessly, took the message to Jews, where ever he went. He articulated that in Romans 1:16. The Gospel applies to the Jew first, and then to the Gentiles. He repeated that again in Romans 2:9 and 10. But that means that the Jews must accept Jesus. The message went to them FIRST, but it went to them.
What about a devout seeker for God? Won’t He give them some leeway, particularly if they have no access to the Bible? Look again to the Source. Recall Lydia in Acts 16. She was part of a “seeking” group who left the city to find a place to pray and seek God. And, God sent His man to deliver the message for which they sought. In fact, in Acts 16:9 we are told of a vision given to Paul to guide him to Greece (Macedonia) and the first person he encountered was Lydia.
God had supernaturally directed Paul to this encounter with the three specific classes we saw in chapter 16. Before that, in Acts 10, Peter is supernaturally led to Cornelius, a Roman centurion. Look at verse 2 of chapter 10 specifically: Cornilius was...
2 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.
Those sound like pretty good credentials for getting into heaven. He was devout, feared God, led his household to follow, gave charity to the Jews, and prayed continually. (He sounds better than a lot of church members: a lot of us, me.) And what about Cornelius?
The Lord sent a vision to Peter, just to convince him to accept the assignment to preach to this Gentile. And Cornelius was a hated, Roman soldier, a representative of the oppressors of the Jews. Remember Herod was a Roman surrogate who killed, some count thousands of Jewish baby boys when Jesus was born. His namesake was persecuting the church, even to the extent of executing James, the leader of the church, and attempting repeat that act with Peter. Needless to say, Peter would have had several valid reasons to defer when “offered” the opportunity to witness to Cornelius.
But God sent him. And Peter went. In insurance, we have a term for a really easy sale. The client is willing and even anxious to buy whatever product you are offering. We call that a “lay down.” Peter had the ultimate lay down. He did not even get to his “invitation.” In v. 43 Peter had finished recounting the story of Jesus and said, “...that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
And before he could even get to the “invitation to buy,” well, read it for yourself.
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.
His audience was sitting (or standing) there asking themselves, “How do we get this? How do we get this?” And as soon as Peter said, “everyone who believes on Him,” the crowd, as one, thought to themselves, “I believe!” (Does that bring a tear to your eyes? What happened next will.)
The Holy Spirit baptized them: the new believers in Jesus. When they, and anyone else who believes in Jesus accepts Him, they are immediately baptized by the Holy Spirit. That is how we know that they were saved. The outward manifestation is not so evident every time, (flames of fire on head and speaking unlearned languages), but the inner work is identical. They had just as much need for salvation as the slave girl, or the jailer, or Saul of Tarsus. And Jesus was just as willing and ready to save them when they asked.
Finally, what about a seeker, following the Jewish laws? Acts again gives us the answer in chapter 8. V. 26. A little background here. Philip had left Jerusalem during Saul’s persecution of the church and was in Samaria, the area between Judah and Galilee, north of Jerusalem. His preaching had produced a wave of belief, and when supported by Peter and John, a full scale revival broke out. What a place to plant a church, right? Well, in the middle of his astounding success...
...an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.)
“South” is probably a two to three day trip down past Jerusalem, to below the Dead Sea, almost to the border of Egypt. And who should appear, but...
an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure.
And what are his “qualifications” to participate in this study?
...he had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.
This is another devout seeker. He had come farther than Philip had. Ethiopia was past Egypt, several hundred miles to the south. A Google look at the map lists 1500 miles. And surely this guy, who was a seeker and had spent so much time and treasure to get to Jerusalem must have some merit with God. He did. He merited a personal visit from God’s man.
29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.”
And God’s man explained the Gospel–from Isaiah. (Any of us Bible “scholars” want to take on that task? Can you lead someone to Jesus from the Old Testament only. Better study a little, Jim.) And the eunuch believed.
To conclude, we have examined every type of “seeker,” even those who did not know that they were seeking. And what have we discovered? Everyone needed to hear the message preached to them. And invariably God sent someone.
Whew! That takes a load off my mind. God will take care of reaching the lost. Peter, Philip, Paul and others carried the message across town, across the land of Israel, across the known world. Some, like our three examples will be aided by supernatural intervention, but significantly, God will send someone. Peter saw a vision. Paul saw a vision, two actually. Philip saw a vision. Peter and Phillip were already believers and needed direction. Saul saw two visions: one to come to belief and then one to go to Macedonia. Ananias, in Acts 9, brought the message to Saul, after seeing a vision himself. The proclamation of the message was always through a person.
That is how it is today. Someone is always sent by the Lord. Maybe your name, like mine, does not start with a “P,” but that someone is you and me. We could say our name is “Preacher.”
They need to hear. We need to go and tell. What are you waiting for?
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Saturday, November 3, 2018
What is Truth?
Poor old Pilate has been vilified for nearly 2000 years for his waffling on the question of Jesus’ guilt and treatment. This is not written to address that conflict in any way. In fact, Pilate’s query, “What is truth?” has been almost as widely debated as his ethics and behavior. This will not address that either. Let’s just ask the question that Pilate did” What is truth?
Before we get to that, let’s do a little background. There are 192 references with the actual word, “truth,” in the Scripture, with 93 in the OT. That means that there are 99 in the NT. (New American Standard Translation.) So this is not an obscure concept. But what is truth? Huh. That sounds like a familiar question, doesn’t it? But what does the Bible say Truth means?
A definition is given to us in John 17:17.
Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
Before you claim that this is a circular definition, using a word to define itself, look closely. God’s Word is truth. He is true, and we will finish our discussion with that. To explain, any Word that God speaks is truth defined. It has no error in it. (I wrote an article on my blog about the Word and how it interprets itself. Since there are no errors, it will give us a reliable explanation of what anything means. We just have to ferret out the details.
Since God’s Word is true, any question that we bring and measure against it, will either line up with truth, or be shown to be false. What is “true,” therefore, is shown to be what it is. Let’s go to Jesus’ explanation. John 16:12-14
“I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.
The Spirit of Truth comes from God, so we go back to the origin of truth and He emanates from there. And now we have a Guide to point us to what is and what is not true. Turn your attention to our friend, Pilate. John 18:37-39
Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” 38 Pilate *said to Him, “What is truth?”
Jesus came, like the Holy Spirit, to guide us to truth, to “testify” to what is true. He will identify and explain truth. And if we listen to Him, we will find truth. And here Pilate utters his question for the ages. So how can we know that God is revealed through Jesus?
First, Jesus stated that He was “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” (John 14:6) We can wonder if He might have usurped this role and authority. Recall John’s baptism of Jesus and the Lord God spoke from heaven that Jesus was His beloved Son and was pleasing to Him. (Matthew 3 and Mark 1) God would not be “pleased” with a liar. Later, at the transfiguration in Mark 9, Luke 9, and Matthew 17 God, the Father goes one step farther. (V. 17:5)
...a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”
If God the Father directs us to listen to Jesus, we can assume that Jesus is truthful, as testified by God.
Now how can we know that God is true? This is not a trivial question nor a flippant one. Let’s look at what the Scripture says. Numbers 23:19
“God is not a man, that He should lie.”
What other statements verification this? 2 Timothy 2:13 says that God cannot deny Himself. Titus 1:2 tells us that God cannot lie. This is reinforced by Hebrews 6:18. It is impossible for God to lie. And finally Romans 3:4 we read that God is true. In fact, if God were to lie, He would immediately stop being God. A “true” God cannot continue to be that, if He is not that. Make sense?
Pilate, to his everlasting ignominy and regret, was looking Truth in the face, and did not recognize it. And if anyone in our society asks the same question, the should learn from Pilate. Look at Jesus. He is visible in the Bible. And to deny that there is anything such as truth is as blind and ignorant as Pilate.
Here is the test. If someone wishes to refute the concept of Truth, he must first show where and how Jesus failed to be coincident in relation to reality. Truth, as defined for us by Ravi Zacharias, is something that lines up in a one to one correspondence with reality. Show where Jesus was not “real.”
Failing that, the concept of Truth must be accepted and affirmed in a logical framework as incontestable and reliable. So what is truth? It is everything that is displayed or spoken by Jesus. Since He speaks for God, anything and everything they say, is truth. Pilate missed truth. How many people today are making the same error? Too many.
Listen and know. It’s the truth.
Before we get to that, let’s do a little background. There are 192 references with the actual word, “truth,” in the Scripture, with 93 in the OT. That means that there are 99 in the NT. (New American Standard Translation.) So this is not an obscure concept. But what is truth? Huh. That sounds like a familiar question, doesn’t it? But what does the Bible say Truth means?
A definition is given to us in John 17:17.
Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
Before you claim that this is a circular definition, using a word to define itself, look closely. God’s Word is truth. He is true, and we will finish our discussion with that. To explain, any Word that God speaks is truth defined. It has no error in it. (I wrote an article on my blog about the Word and how it interprets itself. Since there are no errors, it will give us a reliable explanation of what anything means. We just have to ferret out the details.
Since God’s Word is true, any question that we bring and measure against it, will either line up with truth, or be shown to be false. What is “true,” therefore, is shown to be what it is. Let’s go to Jesus’ explanation. John 16:12-14
“I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.
The Spirit of Truth comes from God, so we go back to the origin of truth and He emanates from there. And now we have a Guide to point us to what is and what is not true. Turn your attention to our friend, Pilate. John 18:37-39
Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” 38 Pilate *said to Him, “What is truth?”
Jesus came, like the Holy Spirit, to guide us to truth, to “testify” to what is true. He will identify and explain truth. And if we listen to Him, we will find truth. And here Pilate utters his question for the ages. So how can we know that God is revealed through Jesus?
First, Jesus stated that He was “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” (John 14:6) We can wonder if He might have usurped this role and authority. Recall John’s baptism of Jesus and the Lord God spoke from heaven that Jesus was His beloved Son and was pleasing to Him. (Matthew 3 and Mark 1) God would not be “pleased” with a liar. Later, at the transfiguration in Mark 9, Luke 9, and Matthew 17 God, the Father goes one step farther. (V. 17:5)
...a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”
If God the Father directs us to listen to Jesus, we can assume that Jesus is truthful, as testified by God.
Now how can we know that God is true? This is not a trivial question nor a flippant one. Let’s look at what the Scripture says. Numbers 23:19
“God is not a man, that He should lie.”
What other statements verification this? 2 Timothy 2:13 says that God cannot deny Himself. Titus 1:2 tells us that God cannot lie. This is reinforced by Hebrews 6:18. It is impossible for God to lie. And finally Romans 3:4 we read that God is true. In fact, if God were to lie, He would immediately stop being God. A “true” God cannot continue to be that, if He is not that. Make sense?
Pilate, to his everlasting ignominy and regret, was looking Truth in the face, and did not recognize it. And if anyone in our society asks the same question, the should learn from Pilate. Look at Jesus. He is visible in the Bible. And to deny that there is anything such as truth is as blind and ignorant as Pilate.
Here is the test. If someone wishes to refute the concept of Truth, he must first show where and how Jesus failed to be coincident in relation to reality. Truth, as defined for us by Ravi Zacharias, is something that lines up in a one to one correspondence with reality. Show where Jesus was not “real.”
Failing that, the concept of Truth must be accepted and affirmed in a logical framework as incontestable and reliable. So what is truth? It is everything that is displayed or spoken by Jesus. Since He speaks for God, anything and everything they say, is truth. Pilate missed truth. How many people today are making the same error? Too many.
Listen and know. It’s the truth.
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Psalm 119 The Love Chapter
Quick, how many verses are there in Psalm 119? If you said 176 you get the Bible Quiz prize of the week. How many of them directly speak of loving or valuing God’s law? Not as easy a question is it? And before I did this study, I could not have told you. But my count came up with at least 31 verses that specifically law that they love, delight in, or value God’s commandments, precepts, testimonies, and laws.
We won’t read the entire chapter, though you should when you get a chance. In fact, that might be a weekly or monthly challenge for us. What a wonderful passage. Verse 103 describes God’s Words as “sweeter than honey to my mouth!” But we will pray.
1 Corinthians 13 is called the love chapter. But Psalm 119 beats it all hollow in terms of absolute volume of verses. The Corinthians passage tells us how to love each other. Psalm 119 tells us how the Psalmist loved God’s Word. Both are good. Let’s dive in.
First notice verse 1.
Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!
It does not talk of love, but is reminiscent of Psalm 1:1 and 2.
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
Neither of these verses specifically mention love but 1:2 does use “delight.” My quick look found eleven specific times when “delight” is used in reference to our attitude toward the law. Love is mentioned 13 times, long or long for is 7 times and praise is 3 times. Recall that different translations will affect our “count,” but the sentiment will be the same. Verse 11 is “stored in my heart,” in ESV, while NASB says, “treasured.” We love, value, and treasure the Law.
Before we go to Psalm 119, let’s take a quick look at the Law, the Ten Commandments to refresh our memories. They can be found in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21. The passage is preceded by verse 5.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
Jesus reprised it in Matthew 22:37-40 where He added, “And your neighbor as yourself.” The focus of the Ten Commandments is to love God and love neighbor. And why would we love those commands? Let’s look at them.
I. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
God brought the Israelites out of slavery. And He did the same for us, only instead of a physical slavery, He freed us from the slavery of sin. (And some indeed have been physical slaves, addicted, to sin and sinful things.) And “sin” is anything that rebels against God, so having any “other gods” is literally slavery. Especially since they are inferior to the One True God. We can and do love that freedom.
II. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.”
Again we are struck with the inferiority of any possible substitute and love God for pointing that out. Further notice the promise to those who keep (and love) the commandments. God is protecting us from fraudulent claims of other so called gods.
III. “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain."
Holding God in high esteem is another option for love. Hopefully we will not curse with our lover’s name.
IV. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”
How can we help but love the God who made us and provided rest for us? This is a protection for us and not to pacify a vengeful, truculent Deity. And our interaction with God is contained in Jesus’ summary. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God.” Next comes the second phase: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
V. “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”
We thank God for mothers and fathers, and love Him for this provision. Notice the promise of long life that accompanies this. We get a loving set of parents and long life. Lots to love there.
VI. “You shall not murder.“
I love life and most people do. The protection of our lives definitely extends to concern for others’ lives as well. And God, the source of life, is the author of our life and holds our days in His hands. (Ps 37:18)
VII. “You shall not commit adultery.”
Remember the father and mother that the Lord gave us? Well He keeps them together and the intact family reflects the unity of the Trinity and the bond between Christ and the Church. Lots to love there.
VIII. “You shall not steal.”
God gave us property, in fact all that we have. We love Him for that, and we are thankful for the protection He offers. We must respect others’ rights to property as a demonstration of love.
IX. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
Again, God is Truth. Anything less than that is an affront to Him and His nature. I love it when people saw the truth about me, and react negatively when they do not. Our “witness” likewise is loving when we stick with “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” Show love.
X. “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.”
This is probably the most extensive of all commandment. Most, if not all, of our other actions are founded in this.
Coveting is the internal motivation that ultimately leads to action. It ties into number VIII in protecting the possession of property. Number VII is the result of desiring to have someone else’s wife. Even if she is not yet married. (Sex is transferable here, goes for male and female.) Telling untruths can usually be traced to a selfish motive. (Number IX.) And of course, wanting to take someone else’s life is the ultimate offense against people. (Number VI.)
Coveting is more than just admiring other peoples’ possessions, it is a want to have it myself. Sometimes we shade it by saying, “I want one like it,” but in reality, we want that one. This is ultimately a symptom of placing more value on material things than we put on God. That is Idolatry, Number I.
The shelter built around us by these commandments is cause for praise and worship. No wonder the Psalmist loved the law. Let’s take a quick look at his words. Most of them need little or no comment.
2 Happy are those who keep His decrees and seek Him with all their heart.
11 Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.
14 In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. (Chapter 1)
16 I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.
18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
20 My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times.
23 Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes. (Chapter 1 again)
24 Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.
31 I cling to your testimonies, O Lord; let me not be put to shame!
34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.
35 Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.
36 Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!
40 Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life!
43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in your rules.
44 I will keep your law continually, forever and ever, 45 and I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts.
47 for I find my delight in your commandments, which I love.
48 I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your
statutes. (Chapter 1 again.)
50 This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.
52 When I think of your rules from of old, I take comfort, O Lord.
70 their heart is unfeeling like fat, but I delight in your law.
72 The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
74 Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word.
77 Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight.
78 Let the insolent be put to shame, because they have wronged me with falsehood; as for me, I
will meditate on your precepts. (More meditate.)
81 My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word.
82 My eyes long for your promise; I ask, “When will you comfort me?”
92 If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.
97 Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. (CH 1)
103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
111 Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart.
112 I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end.
113 I hate the double-minded, but I love your law.
114 You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.
119 All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross, therefore I love your testimonies.
123 My eyes long for your salvation and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.
127 Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold.
131 I open my mouth and pant, because I long for your commandments.
140 Your promise is well tried, and your servant loves it.
143 Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight.
147 I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words.
148 My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise. (Ch 1)
159 Consider how I love your precepts! Give me life according to your steadfast love.
162 I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil.
163 I hate and abhor falsehood, but I love your law.
164 Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules.
165 Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.
166 I hope for your salvation, O Lord, and I do your commandments.
167 My soul keeps your testimonies; I love them exceedingly.
174 I long for your salvation, O Lord, and your law is my delight. (Get a two-fer there.)
175 Let my soul live and praise you, and let your rules help me.
Whew! That is a lot. And, we skipped a lot. We have passed over a lot of “keep Your laws” and the like, because it may imply “love” and value, but we are out of time. There are numerous other great verses, but.... As suggested, read the chapter. More than once. In fact, do this study with a different version. Oh yes, look at the times when the testimonies and law are declared to be true and right. Another study there. Selah.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ps+119&version=HCSB
We won’t read the entire chapter, though you should when you get a chance. In fact, that might be a weekly or monthly challenge for us. What a wonderful passage. Verse 103 describes God’s Words as “sweeter than honey to my mouth!” But we will pray.
1 Corinthians 13 is called the love chapter. But Psalm 119 beats it all hollow in terms of absolute volume of verses. The Corinthians passage tells us how to love each other. Psalm 119 tells us how the Psalmist loved God’s Word. Both are good. Let’s dive in.
First notice verse 1.
Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!
It does not talk of love, but is reminiscent of Psalm 1:1 and 2.
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
Neither of these verses specifically mention love but 1:2 does use “delight.” My quick look found eleven specific times when “delight” is used in reference to our attitude toward the law. Love is mentioned 13 times, long or long for is 7 times and praise is 3 times. Recall that different translations will affect our “count,” but the sentiment will be the same. Verse 11 is “stored in my heart,” in ESV, while NASB says, “treasured.” We love, value, and treasure the Law.
Before we go to Psalm 119, let’s take a quick look at the Law, the Ten Commandments to refresh our memories. They can be found in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21. The passage is preceded by verse 5.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
Jesus reprised it in Matthew 22:37-40 where He added, “And your neighbor as yourself.” The focus of the Ten Commandments is to love God and love neighbor. And why would we love those commands? Let’s look at them.
I. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
God brought the Israelites out of slavery. And He did the same for us, only instead of a physical slavery, He freed us from the slavery of sin. (And some indeed have been physical slaves, addicted, to sin and sinful things.) And “sin” is anything that rebels against God, so having any “other gods” is literally slavery. Especially since they are inferior to the One True God. We can and do love that freedom.
II. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.”
Again we are struck with the inferiority of any possible substitute and love God for pointing that out. Further notice the promise to those who keep (and love) the commandments. God is protecting us from fraudulent claims of other so called gods.
III. “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain."
Holding God in high esteem is another option for love. Hopefully we will not curse with our lover’s name.
IV. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”
How can we help but love the God who made us and provided rest for us? This is a protection for us and not to pacify a vengeful, truculent Deity. And our interaction with God is contained in Jesus’ summary. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God.” Next comes the second phase: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
V. “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”
We thank God for mothers and fathers, and love Him for this provision. Notice the promise of long life that accompanies this. We get a loving set of parents and long life. Lots to love there.
VI. “You shall not murder.“
I love life and most people do. The protection of our lives definitely extends to concern for others’ lives as well. And God, the source of life, is the author of our life and holds our days in His hands. (Ps 37:18)
VII. “You shall not commit adultery.”
Remember the father and mother that the Lord gave us? Well He keeps them together and the intact family reflects the unity of the Trinity and the bond between Christ and the Church. Lots to love there.
VIII. “You shall not steal.”
God gave us property, in fact all that we have. We love Him for that, and we are thankful for the protection He offers. We must respect others’ rights to property as a demonstration of love.
IX. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
Again, God is Truth. Anything less than that is an affront to Him and His nature. I love it when people saw the truth about me, and react negatively when they do not. Our “witness” likewise is loving when we stick with “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” Show love.
X. “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.”
This is probably the most extensive of all commandment. Most, if not all, of our other actions are founded in this.
Coveting is the internal motivation that ultimately leads to action. It ties into number VIII in protecting the possession of property. Number VII is the result of desiring to have someone else’s wife. Even if she is not yet married. (Sex is transferable here, goes for male and female.) Telling untruths can usually be traced to a selfish motive. (Number IX.) And of course, wanting to take someone else’s life is the ultimate offense against people. (Number VI.)
Coveting is more than just admiring other peoples’ possessions, it is a want to have it myself. Sometimes we shade it by saying, “I want one like it,” but in reality, we want that one. This is ultimately a symptom of placing more value on material things than we put on God. That is Idolatry, Number I.
The shelter built around us by these commandments is cause for praise and worship. No wonder the Psalmist loved the law. Let’s take a quick look at his words. Most of them need little or no comment.
2 Happy are those who keep His decrees and seek Him with all their heart.
11 Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.
14 In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. (Chapter 1)
16 I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.
18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
20 My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times.
23 Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes. (Chapter 1 again)
24 Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.
31 I cling to your testimonies, O Lord; let me not be put to shame!
34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.
35 Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.
36 Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!
40 Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life!
43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in your rules.
44 I will keep your law continually, forever and ever, 45 and I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts.
47 for I find my delight in your commandments, which I love.
48 I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your
statutes. (Chapter 1 again.)
50 This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.
52 When I think of your rules from of old, I take comfort, O Lord.
70 their heart is unfeeling like fat, but I delight in your law.
72 The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
74 Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word.
77 Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight.
78 Let the insolent be put to shame, because they have wronged me with falsehood; as for me, I
will meditate on your precepts. (More meditate.)
81 My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word.
82 My eyes long for your promise; I ask, “When will you comfort me?”
92 If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.
97 Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. (CH 1)
103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
111 Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart.
112 I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end.
113 I hate the double-minded, but I love your law.
114 You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.
119 All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross, therefore I love your testimonies.
123 My eyes long for your salvation and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.
127 Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold.
131 I open my mouth and pant, because I long for your commandments.
140 Your promise is well tried, and your servant loves it.
143 Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight.
147 I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words.
148 My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise. (Ch 1)
159 Consider how I love your precepts! Give me life according to your steadfast love.
162 I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil.
163 I hate and abhor falsehood, but I love your law.
164 Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules.
165 Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.
166 I hope for your salvation, O Lord, and I do your commandments.
167 My soul keeps your testimonies; I love them exceedingly.
174 I long for your salvation, O Lord, and your law is my delight. (Get a two-fer there.)
175 Let my soul live and praise you, and let your rules help me.
Whew! That is a lot. And, we skipped a lot. We have passed over a lot of “keep Your laws” and the like, because it may imply “love” and value, but we are out of time. There are numerous other great verses, but.... As suggested, read the chapter. More than once. In fact, do this study with a different version. Oh yes, look at the times when the testimonies and law are declared to be true and right. Another study there. Selah.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ps+119&version=HCSB
The Word in the Word
With thanks to David Jeremiah we extend our contemplation of the Bible. It is his daily devotional for Friday, October 19. And David made a comment that I did not know, but suspected. (This will be a composite consideration, using his devotional interspersed with my thoughts and his comments on his radio program, “Turning Point.” The devotional will be in gold.)
As noted before, (http://reflectionsfromjim.blogspot.com/2018/10/repetition-isaiah-2220.html) the New Testament reprises or reaffirms the Old Testament. David Jeremiah documents the extent of this repetition or reaffirmation, as a friend corrected me.
There are around one thousand quotes, references, and allusions to the Old Testament in the New Testament. When New Testament writers wrote their Gospels and letters, they might have had Old Testament scrolls with which to check their quotations and references.
But more important than the number of statements and phrases repeated, is the manner in which the New Testament speakers and author quoted them. They didn’t have their Concordances or Bible Gateway apps available.
But what about when Jesus and the apostles quoted the Old Testament “on the fly”—during the course of their ministry? In those cases they were quoting from memory, not from a scroll. They took the Old Covenant admonition seriously to know God’s Word by heart. Psalm 119:11
Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.
Such was the case when Jesus responded to Satan’s three temptations in the wilderness—He quoted three verses from Deuteronomy from memory (Matthew 4:1-11). If we are going to defeat Satan’s lies and temptations with the truth of God, we must store up the Word of God in our heart like the psalmist—“that [we] might not sin against [God]."
Notice the source of Jesus’ quotations. How many times have you read Deuteronomy? Jesus had not only read it, He had memorized it. David further suggested that, as we read Psalm 1:1-3. I will “BibleGateway” it for you. (That is a mimicking of “Google it.”)
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! 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.
Delight in the Law. I wrote an article recently about the times (over 30 I believe) that Psalm 119 talks about loving God’s law. That is Leviticus. ((I will post that online shortly.)) Watch for it in your choice of receiving this message. So David and Jesus loved the law. And why not? Jesus used it with great success in defeating Satan.
The mechanism we use to delight in God’s law is meditation. And to meditate, we need to first memorize the Word. Read, memorize, meditate, and finally delight. That is the path we follow to verse 3. To be like a tree planted by water, and to enjoy success in that we do. RMMD is a good prescription for mental and spiritual health.
Thought: if Jesus felt it necessary to quote Scripture to counter the force of Satan’s attack temptations, wouldn’t that indicate that you and I might consider such protection as well? David Jeremiah agreed.
While in the midst of temptation is not the time to begin your search for Scriptures. Begin today to be prepared—to commit God’s Word to memory. (Psalm 119:11 is a good place to begin.)
The Old Testament traces the godly line from Adam, through Seth, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and from there, to Judah. A professor of mine once said that there is a crimson thread running through the Old Testament to the New, right up to Calvary. A wise student will find and follow it. David Jeremiah quoted John Owen as a final thought.
Meditate on the word in the Word.
And, of course we can’t forget Adrian Rogers. He said the Scripture is the best commentary on the Bible. It is like gold in a mountain. We may have to dig a little to get it, but it is worth the effort. Only this analogy collapses, because we are not going through detritus. We are going through other undiscovered and unrecognized valuables.
“Read the Bible. It is great for the soul.” Alexander Scourby
Happy digging.
As noted before, (http://reflectionsfromjim.blogspot.com/2018/10/repetition-isaiah-2220.html) the New Testament reprises or reaffirms the Old Testament. David Jeremiah documents the extent of this repetition or reaffirmation, as a friend corrected me.
There are around one thousand quotes, references, and allusions to the Old Testament in the New Testament. When New Testament writers wrote their Gospels and letters, they might have had Old Testament scrolls with which to check their quotations and references.
But more important than the number of statements and phrases repeated, is the manner in which the New Testament speakers and author quoted them. They didn’t have their Concordances or Bible Gateway apps available.
But what about when Jesus and the apostles quoted the Old Testament “on the fly”—during the course of their ministry? In those cases they were quoting from memory, not from a scroll. They took the Old Covenant admonition seriously to know God’s Word by heart. Psalm 119:11
Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.
Such was the case when Jesus responded to Satan’s three temptations in the wilderness—He quoted three verses from Deuteronomy from memory (Matthew 4:1-11). If we are going to defeat Satan’s lies and temptations with the truth of God, we must store up the Word of God in our heart like the psalmist—“that [we] might not sin against [God]."
Notice the source of Jesus’ quotations. How many times have you read Deuteronomy? Jesus had not only read it, He had memorized it. David further suggested that, as we read Psalm 1:1-3. I will “BibleGateway” it for you. (That is a mimicking of “Google it.”)
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! 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.
Delight in the Law. I wrote an article recently about the times (over 30 I believe) that Psalm 119 talks about loving God’s law. That is Leviticus. ((I will post that online shortly.)) Watch for it in your choice of receiving this message. So David and Jesus loved the law. And why not? Jesus used it with great success in defeating Satan.
The mechanism we use to delight in God’s law is meditation. And to meditate, we need to first memorize the Word. Read, memorize, meditate, and finally delight. That is the path we follow to verse 3. To be like a tree planted by water, and to enjoy success in that we do. RMMD is a good prescription for mental and spiritual health.
Thought: if Jesus felt it necessary to quote Scripture to counter the force of Satan’s attack temptations, wouldn’t that indicate that you and I might consider such protection as well? David Jeremiah agreed.
While in the midst of temptation is not the time to begin your search for Scriptures. Begin today to be prepared—to commit God’s Word to memory. (Psalm 119:11 is a good place to begin.)
The Old Testament traces the godly line from Adam, through Seth, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and from there, to Judah. A professor of mine once said that there is a crimson thread running through the Old Testament to the New, right up to Calvary. A wise student will find and follow it. David Jeremiah quoted John Owen as a final thought.
Meditate on the word in the Word.
And, of course we can’t forget Adrian Rogers. He said the Scripture is the best commentary on the Bible. It is like gold in a mountain. We may have to dig a little to get it, but it is worth the effort. Only this analogy collapses, because we are not going through detritus. We are going through other undiscovered and unrecognized valuables.
“Read the Bible. It is great for the soul.” Alexander Scourby
Happy digging.
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Repetition Isaiah 22:20
Reading the New Testament is just about like reading a condensed version of the Old Testament. Every major doctrine is previewed in the Old Testament. For instance, “Abraham was justified by faith.” That is found at least 7 times in the New Testament. (Romans 1:17; 3:28; 5:1; Galatians 2:16; 3:11; 3:24, and James 2:24) And it all began in Genesis 15:6
Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.
That was mirrored in Habakkuk 2:4
But the righteous will live by his faith.
And even the “mystery” of the Gospel going to the Gentiles, articulated by Paul, was foreshadowed in the Old Testament. That is why he went to Peter and the “elders” in Galatians 2:2 to confirm that what he was teaching was corroborated by the Old Testament, even though it had some “new revelations.” It is all consistent.
Here is another interesting one. Psalm 107:29
He caused the storm to be still, So that the waves of the sea were hushed.
Does that sound familiar? Matthew 8 tells about Jesus sleeping in a boat when the seas got rough. Verses 26 and 27:
Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. 27 The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
Matthew 14, Mark 6, and John 6 repeat this and similar events. When John the Baptist sent disciples to ask if Jesus was “the one,” or should they look for someone else, He responded. (Luke 22 and Matthew 11)
Luke 7:22 And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them.
These were all prophesies of Jesus in the Old Testament. Jesus could have told John the Baptist to just read his Old Testament and find how many times it was fulfilled in Jesus life. Yes, He was definitely “the One.” (And the death, burial, and resurrection had not yet happened.)
We find that the fulfillment of Old Testament prophesy goes on and on. An enticing one is found in Isaiah 22:20-25. The Lord is speaking here.
20 “Then it will come about in that day, That I will summon My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah...22 “Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder, When he opens no one will shut, When he shuts no one will open.
The abbreviated explanation is that an official in Judah, during Isaiah’s ministry, before the Babylonians captured and destroyed Jerusalem, was corrupt. So Eliakim was appointed to replace him. The key phrases we are looking at is v. 22. The Key of David; and the phrase, “When he opens no one will shut, When he shuts no one will open,” accompanies it.
This is repeated in Revelation 3:7 during the message to Philadelphia.
“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens...”
This is Jesus, He has the Key of David, and is the fulfillment of the prophesy in Isaiah 22. It is partially invoked in Matthew 18:18 when Jesus was commissioning Peter.
Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth (shut) shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth (open) shall have been loosed in heaven.
It is so invigorating to Bible study to see the interlocking nature and interconnectedness of the whole Book. No unbiased observer could ever claim that it is merely a human invention. From Job (estimated early 2nd century BC, 1700-1900 BC) to Revelation (AD 95) we have approximately 2000 years or more in which the author must coordinate events, people, and dialogue. All of this must coincide and be reconciled with the 40 or so recognized and identified authors.
God “breathed” it according to Peter (2 Peter 1:21) and Paul (2 Timothy 3:16). Even in this conjunction of statements, we see the Sovereign hand and influence. What a privilege to read and study this masterpiece. I want to get back to the study.
As my wife, the librarian says, “Read.”
Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.
That was mirrored in Habakkuk 2:4
But the righteous will live by his faith.
And even the “mystery” of the Gospel going to the Gentiles, articulated by Paul, was foreshadowed in the Old Testament. That is why he went to Peter and the “elders” in Galatians 2:2 to confirm that what he was teaching was corroborated by the Old Testament, even though it had some “new revelations.” It is all consistent.
Here is another interesting one. Psalm 107:29
He caused the storm to be still, So that the waves of the sea were hushed.
Does that sound familiar? Matthew 8 tells about Jesus sleeping in a boat when the seas got rough. Verses 26 and 27:
Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. 27 The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
Matthew 14, Mark 6, and John 6 repeat this and similar events. When John the Baptist sent disciples to ask if Jesus was “the one,” or should they look for someone else, He responded. (Luke 22 and Matthew 11)
Luke 7:22 And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them.
These were all prophesies of Jesus in the Old Testament. Jesus could have told John the Baptist to just read his Old Testament and find how many times it was fulfilled in Jesus life. Yes, He was definitely “the One.” (And the death, burial, and resurrection had not yet happened.)
We find that the fulfillment of Old Testament prophesy goes on and on. An enticing one is found in Isaiah 22:20-25. The Lord is speaking here.
20 “Then it will come about in that day, That I will summon My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah...22 “Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder, When he opens no one will shut, When he shuts no one will open.
The abbreviated explanation is that an official in Judah, during Isaiah’s ministry, before the Babylonians captured and destroyed Jerusalem, was corrupt. So Eliakim was appointed to replace him. The key phrases we are looking at is v. 22. The Key of David; and the phrase, “When he opens no one will shut, When he shuts no one will open,” accompanies it.
This is repeated in Revelation 3:7 during the message to Philadelphia.
“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens...”
This is Jesus, He has the Key of David, and is the fulfillment of the prophesy in Isaiah 22. It is partially invoked in Matthew 18:18 when Jesus was commissioning Peter.
Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth (shut) shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth (open) shall have been loosed in heaven.
It is so invigorating to Bible study to see the interlocking nature and interconnectedness of the whole Book. No unbiased observer could ever claim that it is merely a human invention. From Job (estimated early 2nd century BC, 1700-1900 BC) to Revelation (AD 95) we have approximately 2000 years or more in which the author must coordinate events, people, and dialogue. All of this must coincide and be reconciled with the 40 or so recognized and identified authors.
God “breathed” it according to Peter (2 Peter 1:21) and Paul (2 Timothy 3:16). Even in this conjunction of statements, we see the Sovereign hand and influence. What a privilege to read and study this masterpiece. I want to get back to the study.
As my wife, the librarian says, “Read.”
Friday, September 21, 2018
Lies Men (and Women) Believe
Robert Wolgemuth wrote a book named, “Lies Men Believe.” He was on the radio the other day discussing that book. Coincidentally, just a day earlier, a friend of mine told me one of those lies. She did not mean to do it, and possibly did not even recognize that it was a lie.
She told me that she was planning to attend a family affair and would be gone over Sunday. She asked if I thought it would be okay. She was not sure if God would like it. LIE! She didn’t exactly articulate is as such, but the question was, “Do you think God will like me less if I miss church and Sunday School?”
This lie ran through my head just before she called. “May the good Lord take a likin’ to you.” With apologies to Roy Rogers, that is a pernicious lie. It implies several things. First, it could mean that God doesn’t like you, He is just neutral and you have to “tip the scales” to get on His good side. Or worse, that He dislikes and you have to make up a lot of ground. The third, and probably not last, is that whatever His attitude, you can improve it by being likable. Lie, lie, lie.
God loves you. Turn back to old faithful, John 3:16. “For God so loved the world.” That is everyone, no exceptions. How much did He love? “...that He gave His only Son.”
When I go to a garage sale and see something that I like, I ask, “How much?” If the answer is within the range of my “liking” I go ahead and get it. So far, nothing has been likable enough that I would give one of my sons. But God heard the price for me, and the price for you, and paid it! He sent His one and Only Son, to die. He died for me. He died for you.
We cannot make Him love us more. We cannot make Him love us less. He does not love me more since I “believed on Him (Jesus)” than He did before I believed. He loves each one of us with His entire being. “God is love.” ((1 John 4:8)
Having a background in science and math helps here. You cannot diminish infinity if you take something away. You cannot increase infinity if you add something to it. Infinity is infinite: No end, no limit. It is indivisible. God’s love is infinite.
I had the privilege to share that with my friend. God will not, and indeed, cannot love you more than He does. It is not performance based. It is God based. Since He does not change, His love does not change. (Incidentally, that is why God cannot hate a sin in the past and now accept it. But I digress.) If you went to church every day for the rest of your life, He would not love you any more than He does right now.
“The good Lord’s” liken’ has nothing to do with my doin’ or not doin.” We hear that lie a lot, in one form or another. Don’t you believe it!
What a story we have to tell. “God likes you.”
She told me that she was planning to attend a family affair and would be gone over Sunday. She asked if I thought it would be okay. She was not sure if God would like it. LIE! She didn’t exactly articulate is as such, but the question was, “Do you think God will like me less if I miss church and Sunday School?”
This lie ran through my head just before she called. “May the good Lord take a likin’ to you.” With apologies to Roy Rogers, that is a pernicious lie. It implies several things. First, it could mean that God doesn’t like you, He is just neutral and you have to “tip the scales” to get on His good side. Or worse, that He dislikes and you have to make up a lot of ground. The third, and probably not last, is that whatever His attitude, you can improve it by being likable. Lie, lie, lie.
God loves you. Turn back to old faithful, John 3:16. “For God so loved the world.” That is everyone, no exceptions. How much did He love? “...that He gave His only Son.”
When I go to a garage sale and see something that I like, I ask, “How much?” If the answer is within the range of my “liking” I go ahead and get it. So far, nothing has been likable enough that I would give one of my sons. But God heard the price for me, and the price for you, and paid it! He sent His one and Only Son, to die. He died for me. He died for you.
We cannot make Him love us more. We cannot make Him love us less. He does not love me more since I “believed on Him (Jesus)” than He did before I believed. He loves each one of us with His entire being. “God is love.” ((1 John 4:8)
Having a background in science and math helps here. You cannot diminish infinity if you take something away. You cannot increase infinity if you add something to it. Infinity is infinite: No end, no limit. It is indivisible. God’s love is infinite.
I had the privilege to share that with my friend. God will not, and indeed, cannot love you more than He does. It is not performance based. It is God based. Since He does not change, His love does not change. (Incidentally, that is why God cannot hate a sin in the past and now accept it. But I digress.) If you went to church every day for the rest of your life, He would not love you any more than He does right now.
“The good Lord’s” liken’ has nothing to do with my doin’ or not doin.” We hear that lie a lot, in one form or another. Don’t you believe it!
What a story we have to tell. “God likes you.”
Monday, September 3, 2018
Random Ruminations on Rain
In the still of this morning I heard loud thumps on the roof. It sounded like hail. Just one or two, then more, then a steady drum beat, then what seemed like a cloudburst. It was not hail, but must have been enormous rain drops. And a question occurred to me.
First, do raindrops reach terminal velocity as they fall from clouds, or are they still accelerating when they hit the roof? Since they were very loud, I wondered it they had fallen from a long way up and the energy of their fall was making the loud impact sounds.
A very enlightening look at the internet yielded an article that reported that rain drops probably reach terminal velocity and that varies for the size of the rain drops. Ones that are about 0.25 of a millimeter will have a top speed of about 17 mph. Larger ones about 1 mm will top out at about 37 mph. (https://www.wired.com/2011/08/how-fast-is-falling-rain/)
You can calculate how far they would have to fall using the g=vt formula. (g is 32 feet per second squared) 37 mph is about 54.3 feet per second. So the time is 32/54.3 or 0.59 seconds roughly. So a rain drop will fall for less than a second before reaching terminal velocity. Velocity times time gives distance. vt=d The speed starts at zero and gets to 54.3 in about a second for an average of 27.2 (rounded) off so the average velocity times time, would equal about 27 feet. So after falling 27 feet, the rain drop is at terminal velocity. (All of the above calculations ignore the resistence of air.)
The answer is yes, they are at terminal velocity. And recall smaller drops will fall more slowly. Moving on, a second thought hit me. How do rain drops form? Here is an interesting thought. Water in air will condense at the dew point. So whenever water-laden air is cooled to the dew point, water will begin to condense from vapor. So how do rain drops form?
The water cannot just “pop” out vapor in liquid. Something is required to provide a nucleation spot. Steam condenses on the sides or top of a pot. On the ground, it will condense on the blades of grass or on your car or windshield. But up in the air, the only solid objects are microscopic grains of dust.
After the water “soaks” the dust, the microscopic bits coalesce into larger bits and eventually become recognizable as drops. When they become large enough to overcome the buoyant forces of air and air currents, they will fall. (Small drops remain suspended and are clouds or, on the ground, fog.) So the “miracle” of rain produces falling drops that we recognize as normal rain.
Incidentally, the idea of “clean” rain is slightly in error. Each drop has at least one speck of dirt that was the nucleus about which the original drop formed. But I digress.
The second question was, how big are those drops anyway? Or at least how do they make so much noise? And, I will probably not be able to answer that. I did find one source that said that as they reach a certain size and speed in falling, they fracture into smaller droplets. The largest ones were up to a centimeter, but that was in clouds and not falling to the ground. Air currents hold them up, almost like a glider. But eventually they overcome the air resistance and begin to fall. Here is an interesting article about all things rain. Article.http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2016/07/the-largest-raindrop/
Rain was unknown on the original earth. Genesis 2:6
6 But a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground.
That tells us that there was so much water vapor in the air (relative humidity) that a small drop in temperature would cause the water to condense on the ground and plants. Incidentally, as water condenses, it gives off heat energy, that heat the air, raising the temperature. So once a lot of water has condensed, the temperature would rise, above the dew point, so no more water would condense. No rain. Interesting, isn’t it? God’s plan is perfectly in accord with science.
A second consideration of rain is where it goes. We know that some rain runs off of the land in brooks, streams, and rivers, eventually reaching a lake or ocean. But where else does rain water go? An interesting note in Genesis 21:19. Hagar has been evicted from her home with Abraham and Sarah and is lost in the wilderness. He son, Ishmael, is dying of thirst and the Scripture says that, “Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the skin with water and gave the lad a drink.”
But a third idea arose from this. In the past two nights, I have had dreams about people believing on Jesus, to the accompaniment of hard rain on the roof. The rain had no part in the dream, it was just present when I awoke. Perhaps the backdrop of rain, triggered the dreams.
Where does the water come from to charge a well? We are pretty sure that it does not come up from the depths of the earth. (Partially because some wells are contaminated by what we can call “surface pollutants.” So the water, rainwater, is absorbed by the soil and descends until it hits an impervious layer and becomes trapped. Without going into too much technical detail, just realize that these underground reservoirs eventually begin to flow across the landscape, and when a surface opening is produced, usually by digging or drilling in modern times, the water can be extracted back to the surface to sustain life.
The exact science of this is interesting, but more importantly, is critical to maintaining life on earth. Without wells, much of the land would have been uninhabitable in the past. Only recently have we developed the technology to move sufficient quantities of water to sustain a society in a remote, arid region. Wells have been around for several thousands of years, and probably since creation.
There is an interesting story in Genesis 21 where Abraham and Abimelech are contesting over a well. I posted that study on Facebook and you are welcome to check it out if you are interested. This is a little additional information to enhance your understanding.
Have a great day.
First, do raindrops reach terminal velocity as they fall from clouds, or are they still accelerating when they hit the roof? Since they were very loud, I wondered it they had fallen from a long way up and the energy of their fall was making the loud impact sounds.
A very enlightening look at the internet yielded an article that reported that rain drops probably reach terminal velocity and that varies for the size of the rain drops. Ones that are about 0.25 of a millimeter will have a top speed of about 17 mph. Larger ones about 1 mm will top out at about 37 mph. (https://www.wired.com/2011/08/how-fast-is-falling-rain/)
You can calculate how far they would have to fall using the g=vt formula. (g is 32 feet per second squared) 37 mph is about 54.3 feet per second. So the time is 32/54.3 or 0.59 seconds roughly. So a rain drop will fall for less than a second before reaching terminal velocity. Velocity times time gives distance. vt=d The speed starts at zero and gets to 54.3 in about a second for an average of 27.2 (rounded) off so the average velocity times time, would equal about 27 feet. So after falling 27 feet, the rain drop is at terminal velocity. (All of the above calculations ignore the resistence of air.)
The answer is yes, they are at terminal velocity. And recall smaller drops will fall more slowly. Moving on, a second thought hit me. How do rain drops form? Here is an interesting thought. Water in air will condense at the dew point. So whenever water-laden air is cooled to the dew point, water will begin to condense from vapor. So how do rain drops form?
The water cannot just “pop” out vapor in liquid. Something is required to provide a nucleation spot. Steam condenses on the sides or top of a pot. On the ground, it will condense on the blades of grass or on your car or windshield. But up in the air, the only solid objects are microscopic grains of dust.
After the water “soaks” the dust, the microscopic bits coalesce into larger bits and eventually become recognizable as drops. When they become large enough to overcome the buoyant forces of air and air currents, they will fall. (Small drops remain suspended and are clouds or, on the ground, fog.) So the “miracle” of rain produces falling drops that we recognize as normal rain.
Incidentally, the idea of “clean” rain is slightly in error. Each drop has at least one speck of dirt that was the nucleus about which the original drop formed. But I digress.
The second question was, how big are those drops anyway? Or at least how do they make so much noise? And, I will probably not be able to answer that. I did find one source that said that as they reach a certain size and speed in falling, they fracture into smaller droplets. The largest ones were up to a centimeter, but that was in clouds and not falling to the ground. Air currents hold them up, almost like a glider. But eventually they overcome the air resistance and begin to fall. Here is an interesting article about all things rain. Article.http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2016/07/the-largest-raindrop/
Rain was unknown on the original earth. Genesis 2:6
6 But a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground.
That tells us that there was so much water vapor in the air (relative humidity) that a small drop in temperature would cause the water to condense on the ground and plants. Incidentally, as water condenses, it gives off heat energy, that heat the air, raising the temperature. So once a lot of water has condensed, the temperature would rise, above the dew point, so no more water would condense. No rain. Interesting, isn’t it? God’s plan is perfectly in accord with science.
A second consideration of rain is where it goes. We know that some rain runs off of the land in brooks, streams, and rivers, eventually reaching a lake or ocean. But where else does rain water go? An interesting note in Genesis 21:19. Hagar has been evicted from her home with Abraham and Sarah and is lost in the wilderness. He son, Ishmael, is dying of thirst and the Scripture says that, “Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the skin with water and gave the lad a drink.”
But a third idea arose from this. In the past two nights, I have had dreams about people believing on Jesus, to the accompaniment of hard rain on the roof. The rain had no part in the dream, it was just present when I awoke. Perhaps the backdrop of rain, triggered the dreams.
Where does the water come from to charge a well? We are pretty sure that it does not come up from the depths of the earth. (Partially because some wells are contaminated by what we can call “surface pollutants.” So the water, rainwater, is absorbed by the soil and descends until it hits an impervious layer and becomes trapped. Without going into too much technical detail, just realize that these underground reservoirs eventually begin to flow across the landscape, and when a surface opening is produced, usually by digging or drilling in modern times, the water can be extracted back to the surface to sustain life.
The exact science of this is interesting, but more importantly, is critical to maintaining life on earth. Without wells, much of the land would have been uninhabitable in the past. Only recently have we developed the technology to move sufficient quantities of water to sustain a society in a remote, arid region. Wells have been around for several thousands of years, and probably since creation.
There is an interesting story in Genesis 21 where Abraham and Abimelech are contesting over a well. I posted that study on Facebook and you are welcome to check it out if you are interested. This is a little additional information to enhance your understanding.
Have a great day.
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