Deuteronomy 27
16 Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Proverbs 30
17 The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.
May God have mercy on those taking care of parents who are suffering from the later stages of alzheimers disease.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
The Great And Terrible God
Nehemiah 1
5 ....I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:
6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night......
I think this is just the most wonderful way to begin a prayer.....
5 ....I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:
6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night......
I think this is just the most wonderful way to begin a prayer.....
Friday, August 28, 2009
Strange Wives, Idolatrous Wives
Ezra 10
10 And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.
11 Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.
44 All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.
How painful this, God's, requirement must have been for at least some of the affected families. You can almost see the painful look on the men's faces as they listen to the nightime cries of their idolatrous wives and their children.
Thy will be done.
This is an important type and lesson for at least some of us.....poor sinners. How painful it can be to separate ones self from modern day idolatries.
This is the painful and important lesson for the day.....
10 And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.
11 Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.
44 All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.
How painful this, God's, requirement must have been for at least some of the affected families. You can almost see the painful look on the men's faces as they listen to the nightime cries of their idolatrous wives and their children.
Thy will be done.
This is an important type and lesson for at least some of us.....poor sinners. How painful it can be to separate ones self from modern day idolatries.
This is the painful and important lesson for the day.....
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Concupiscence
1 Thessalonians 4
4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:
Easton's Definition of Concupiscence:
Concupiscence: Desire, Rom 7:8 (R.V., "coveting"); Col 3:5 (R.V., "desire"). The "lust of concupiscence" (Th1 4:5; R.V., "passion of lust") denotes evil desire, indwelling sin.
A lurking danger that must always be guarded against....
4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:
Easton's Definition of Concupiscence:
Concupiscence: Desire, Rom 7:8 (R.V., "coveting"); Col 3:5 (R.V., "desire"). The "lust of concupiscence" (Th1 4:5; R.V., "passion of lust") denotes evil desire, indwelling sin.
A lurking danger that must always be guarded against....
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
A Wistful Look Back
Deuteronomy 21
10 When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the LORD thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive,
11 And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife;
12 Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house, and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails;
13 And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.
14 And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.
From John Gill's Exposition Of The Entire Bible:
The plain meaning is, that when a Jewish soldier was passionately in love with a captive, and was desirous of making her his wife, he was to take her home to his house, where she was to remain, to see whether his passion of love would subside, or the woman become a proselyte, or however till certain rites were observed, and then he was permitted to marry her:
A Wistful Look Back
This passage is about proper behavior for Hebrew soldiers. My initial reaction to this passage was a question. Where is the edification? Two other questions came to mind. Does every single Bible passage have a message for us? What message does this one have?
Even with John Gill's help, I have no answers today.
I did receive an odd blessing from this passage. I was an American soldier in a foreign country - quite a few years ago. And, studying this passage did give me the opportunity to look back - wistfully - on my overseas experiences.
10 When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the LORD thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive,
11 And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife;
12 Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house, and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails;
13 And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.
14 And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.
From John Gill's Exposition Of The Entire Bible:
The plain meaning is, that when a Jewish soldier was passionately in love with a captive, and was desirous of making her his wife, he was to take her home to his house, where she was to remain, to see whether his passion of love would subside, or the woman become a proselyte, or however till certain rites were observed, and then he was permitted to marry her:
A Wistful Look Back
This passage is about proper behavior for Hebrew soldiers. My initial reaction to this passage was a question. Where is the edification? Two other questions came to mind. Does every single Bible passage have a message for us? What message does this one have?
Even with John Gill's help, I have no answers today.
I did receive an odd blessing from this passage. I was an American soldier in a foreign country - quite a few years ago. And, studying this passage did give me the opportunity to look back - wistfully - on my overseas experiences.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
The Law of the Offerings
Leviticus 6
12 And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings.
Galatians 5
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
God wants us to live by the fruits - all day, every day, all year, every year.
12 And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings.
Galatians 5
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
God wants us to live by the fruits - all day, every day, all year, every year.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Poisonous Rye
Matthew 13
30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
38 the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42 and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
The saving grace of Jesus Christ and the profound comfort that comes it - it is hard to comprehend in the face of this parable. I can smell the burning flesh - of this burnt offering.
And yet....I pray, peacefully....with blessd assurance....
30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
38 the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42 and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
The saving grace of Jesus Christ and the profound comfort that comes it - it is hard to comprehend in the face of this parable. I can smell the burning flesh - of this burnt offering.
And yet....I pray, peacefully....with blessd assurance....
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Prayers From The Grave
Psalm 88
11 Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave?
12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
Sometimes I pray in the subway, on my way to work. I wonder if God hears my prayers down there?
11 Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave?
12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
Sometimes I pray in the subway, on my way to work. I wonder if God hears my prayers down there?
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Pillar of the Cloud - Comfort
Exodus 14
19 And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.
Comfort from the Lord.....comes in odd ways, when you need it the most.
19 And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.
Comfort from the Lord.....comes in odd ways, when you need it the most.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Suffering Christians
1 Thessalonians 3
4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.
Christians should expect to suffer for Christ.....I guess? I've seen very few Christians who have suffered for Christ. Mostly, being Christian provides incredible benefits - temporal and spiritual benefits.
4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.
Christians should expect to suffer for Christ.....I guess? I've seen very few Christians who have suffered for Christ. Mostly, being Christian provides incredible benefits - temporal and spiritual benefits.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Afflictions
2 Timothy 1
8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
Definition of Afflictions From Easton:
Common to all (Job 5:7; Job 14:1; Psa 34:19); are for the good of men (Jam 1:2, Jam 1:3, Jam 1:12; Co2 12:7) and the glory of God (Co2 12:7; Pe1 4:14), and are to be borne with patience by the Lord's people (Psa 94:12; Pro 3:12). They are all directed by God (Lam 3:33), and will result in the everlasting good of his people (Co2 4:16) in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:35)
For the most part, life is not a whole lot of fun.
8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
Definition of Afflictions From Easton:
Common to all (Job 5:7; Job 14:1; Psa 34:19); are for the good of men (Jam 1:2, Jam 1:3, Jam 1:12; Co2 12:7) and the glory of God (Co2 12:7; Pe1 4:14), and are to be borne with patience by the Lord's people (Psa 94:12; Pro 3:12). They are all directed by God (Lam 3:33), and will result in the everlasting good of his people (Co2 4:16) in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:35)
For the most part, life is not a whole lot of fun.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Hymns
Psalms 81
1 Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.
2 Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.
3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.
4 For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.
God loves our gospel music. It's the law. I think maybe this passage refers to worship - not specifically hymns.
1 Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.
2 Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.
3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.
4 For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.
God loves our gospel music. It's the law. I think maybe this passage refers to worship - not specifically hymns.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Fire
Leviticus 2
3 And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,
4 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.
5 And Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which is upon the wood that is on the fire: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD.
Matthew 13
30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Fire in old testament was for burnt offenings. In the New Testament, fire is for the unsaved.
3 And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,
4 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.
5 And Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which is upon the wood that is on the fire: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD.
Matthew 13
30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Fire in old testament was for burnt offenings. In the New Testament, fire is for the unsaved.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Humility
41 Mark 9
37 Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me; and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me..
From John Gill's Exposition Of The Entire Bible
Whosoever shall receive one of such children....That is, any believer, who is like to such a child for humility, meekness, and lowliness of mind;
in my name.....on account that he belongs to Christ, is one of his, bears his image, partakes of his grace, is loved by him, and shall be glorified with him: such is Christ's great regard to his humble followers, that he takes it all one as if done to himself:
This is my Bible Passage for the day....
37 Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me; and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me..
From John Gill's Exposition Of The Entire Bible
Whosoever shall receive one of such children....That is, any believer, who is like to such a child for humility, meekness, and lowliness of mind;
in my name.....on account that he belongs to Christ, is one of his, bears his image, partakes of his grace, is loved by him, and shall be glorified with him: such is Christ's great regard to his humble followers, that he takes it all one as if done to himself:
This is my Bible Passage for the day....
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Longsuffering
Galatians 5
22 ...longsuffering...
Jesus, thank you for tempering my longsuffering with the comfort that comes from your saving grace, from your sacrifice on the cross at Calvary...
22 ...longsuffering...
Jesus, thank you for tempering my longsuffering with the comfort that comes from your saving grace, from your sacrifice on the cross at Calvary...
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Soul Liberty
Psalm 119
45 And I will walk at liberty,....
Frow John Gill's Exposition Of The Entire Bible:
Not in licentious way, but in Gospel liberty, under the influence of the free spirit; where is liberty, in the exercise of grace and discharge of duty. Or, "I will walk at large" {g}; or, "in a broad way," as Aben Ezra and Kimchi supply it: not in the broad road that leads to destruction, but in the law of God, which is exceeding broad, Psalm 119:96; as the Targum, "in the breadth of the law." So a man walks when he walks in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord: and who also may be said to walk at large when delivered out of straits and difficulties; when he is brought into a large place, and his steps are enlarged under him; and having his heart enlarged with the love of God, and fear.
This, to me, is a reasonable explanation of 'Soul Liberty.'
45 And I will walk at liberty,....
Frow John Gill's Exposition Of The Entire Bible:
Not in licentious way, but in Gospel liberty, under the influence of the free spirit; where is liberty, in the exercise of grace and discharge of duty. Or, "I will walk at large" {g}; or, "in a broad way," as Aben Ezra and Kimchi supply it: not in the broad road that leads to destruction, but in the law of God, which is exceeding broad, Psalm 119:96; as the Targum, "in the breadth of the law." So a man walks when he walks in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord: and who also may be said to walk at large when delivered out of straits and difficulties; when he is brought into a large place, and his steps are enlarged under him; and having his heart enlarged with the love of God, and fear.
This, to me, is a reasonable explanation of 'Soul Liberty.'
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