Paul considered himself less than the least. “…these have the meanest thoughts of themselves, and the best of others; they rejoice in the grace of God manifested to others; they are willing to receive instruction, nay admonition, from the meanest believer; they have the least opinion of their own works, and are the greatest admirers of the grace of God” “they have the largest discoveries of the love and grace of God and Christ, which are of a soul humbling nature; they are the most sensible of their own sinfulness, vileness, and unworthiness, which keeps them low in their own sight; they are commonly the most afflicted with Satan’s temptations, which are suffered to attend them, lest they should be exalted above measure;” Gill I spoke to a fisherman and found out he was a believer in Christ. He exhibited confidence, and a positive outlook. I wondered how much…
Category: <span>Walk, for Christians</span>
Love, with heat and moisture, irons out a wrinkle, mends a broken heart. It even unifies a division, straightens a crooked or double mind. An animal may respond to love, so might a tree; these have some form of life in them. But, a man or woman cannot survive without love! The sophisticated psyche of a man checks his barbaric side. He remains cool. He would like to run amok all over the planet, but stifles his urges. Then he is told of “liberation” and feels cheated and hypocritical. He begins to explore his dark barbarism, but has no understanding of its depth. He senses that the cost for “liberation” will be rejection from the sophisticates, but the feeling of “free” empowers him forward. He affirms his rights of individuality; becomes more and more barbaric. He wonders where love has gone, but he has forsaken its initiation; he has chosen…
Job 5:7 …man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. KJV — (As sure as the wild birds fly, Aramaic; and even so the vulture’s young seek the high places, Septuagint.) As sure as the laws of nature; as birds of prey scavenge from on high or fire flickers upward, so men will see trouble. Psalm 119:67-75 teaches, ” Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.” …”It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.”… “I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.” It seems that trouble should not surprise us, but must come. A word from Jeremiah: ” …the Lord will not reject for ever.” ” But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.” “For he doth not…
But rather, those members of the body which are considered to be delicate are necessary. 1 Corinthians 12:22 Who might these delicate members be? First lets define the “delicate” generally pleasant, as: “the climate’s delicate, the air most sweet”— William Shakespeare pleasing to the sense of taste or smell especially in a mild or subtle ways. aromatic marked by daintiness or charm of color, lines, or proportions. marked by fineness of structure, workmanship, or textures. marked by keen sensitivity or fine discrimination as delicate insights. Fastidious, squeamish a person of delicate tastes. not robust in health or constitution : a delicate child. easily torn or damaged : fragile – delicate wine glasses, a delicate flower. requiring careful handling. easily unsettled or upset — a delicate balance. requiring skill or tact — in a delicate position. involving matters of a deeply personal nature : sensitive marked by great precision or sensitivity — a delicate instrument The Latin root, (delicatus), means dainty, refined. Synonyms include: Beautiful, birdlike, bonny, breakable, brittle….etc. etc. Have we met any of these kinds of…
Change of mind, change of heart — the possibility of such must never forsake us. The eternal aspect of our nature allows it; there we fear not dying, for death is a thing past. The freshness of new possibilities invigorates our new and resurrected day. Can we discern the progression of being set-apart unto God, closer and closer we go, the depths of life shake us, but outcomes never disappoint us. James Whitcomb Riley writes “The Shower.” The landscape, like the awed face of a Child, Grew curiously blurred, a hush of death. Fell on the fields, and in the darkened wild, The zephyr held it’s breath. No wavering glamour-work of light and shade, Dappled the shimmering surface of the Brook: The frightened ripples in their ambuscade of willows thrilled and shook. The sullen day grew darker, and anon dim flashes of pent anger lit the sky: with rumbling wheels…
Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 1 Corinthians 15:55-56 Have you ever begged God for His true heart concerning death and dying? I have, along with many who have lost beloved family and friends to death. I discovered something profound. ” 1 Corinthians 15:25 speaks loudly. “Then comes the end, when He (Jesus), shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under his feet.” “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death!” Death is an enemy to God. to be destroyed. Indeed it has been destroyed. 2 Timothy 1:10 gives us “… our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” Wait a minute.…
“And my soul is removed far off from peace, I forgot prosperity And I said: ‘My strength is perished, and mine expectation from the Lord. Remember mine affliction and mine anguish, the wormwood and the gall. My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.” Lamentations 3:17-21 JPS I have given much attention to my capacity to respond to truth. This capacity, can we call it hunger? — is not self perpetuated, or self taught. It requires action on the part of God. So, in the writer’s hopeless state, he reflects on God’s coming initiations, they are sure to restore hope. In Psalm 42 the writer exclaims “hope thou in God,” as he instructs his own soul. Micah the Prophet wrote these words, “Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; though I am fallen, I shall…
Let’s move from grace to graciousness. 1Peter 1:13 teaches, “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Lets look closer: Wherefore . “Because of ‘the glorious free grace opened for Gentiles and Jews in Christ.’” Girding up. “…vivid metaphor for habit of the Orientals, who quickly gathered up their loose robes with a girdle when in a hurry or starting on a journey.” The loins, “Old word for the part of the body where the girdle was worn. A metaphor. “The believer is to have his mind (mental powers) collected and always ready for Christ’s coming. “Gather in the strength of your spirit.” A.T Robertson Mind, “Old word for the faculty of understanding, of seeing through a thing.” A.T. Robertson Be sober. “spiritual self-restraint, lest one be…
Let’s move from grace to graciousness. 1Peter 1:13 teaches, “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Lets look closer: Wherefore . “Because of ‘the glorious free grace opened for Gentiles and Jews in Christ.’” Girding up. “…vivid metaphor for habit of the Orientals, who quickly gathered up their loose robes with a girdle when in a hurry or starting on a journey.” The loins, “Old word for the part of the body where the girdle was worn. A metaphor. “The believer is to have his mind (mental powers) collected and always ready for Christ’s coming. “Gather in the strength of your spirit.” A.T Robertson Mind, “Old word for the faculty of understanding, of seeing through a thing.” A.T. Robertson Be sober. “spiritual self-restraint, lest one be…
Science, traditions, myths, stories and of course, movies, and television create in a man fabrications of what exists truly — in many becoming their functional belief. Through these and more, Christians must navigate, forever exalting God’s Word to be their Word of truth, and then disseminating, discerning, ignoring, and approving — sometimes all day long! Frankly, we will do well to read, speak, meditate on, fellowship around, counsel, hear, teach and forsake not our yardstick for life, lest lies, partial truths, spins, twists and opinions deceive us. In his book, “Toward the Final Solution,” George L. Mosse writes about “A History of European Racism.” He relates to the birth of stereotypes — “In social psychology, a stereotype is an over-generalized belief about a particular category of people.” “It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. …for example, an expectation about the group’s…