One man slept in his reclining chair. An elderly gentleman, he woke to our singing with annoyance written all over his face. He was a captive participant forced to surrender or walk out of the room. He chose staying. With no expression showing, I sensed he was slowly tuning in to our reading — the foot washing of Jesus disciples. I emphasized the personal invasiveness of this activity and how it aggravated the disciples, especially Peter. However, the deep reaching effect of Jesus loving actions penetrated them all, and also my elderly friend. He shook my hand and smiled brightly. Our little team left the assisted-living home. It was raining so we ate at the restaurant. One of our fellowship group shared the good news of Christ’ redemption with our waitress. She started into tears. It touched her deeply. I’m reading “The Baseball Brain” by Aaron Weinstein, M.A. Learning some…
Category: <span>God’s Psychology</span>
“Mine heart is turned within me.” Hosea 11:8 Conquerors, that plunder a conquered city, carry away the wealth of it, and, after some time, often return to burn it. God will not thus utterly destroy Israel. “For I am God, and not man.” “I will not carry it so far as to make a second destruction of Ephraim; so as to cut off those who escaped the first infliction of my punishments, and thereby wholly destroy them.” God’s heart here, expressed, an anthropomorphism, gives Him human traits for our understanding. In Hosea 11, God yearns for His people’s return and recoils at their reluctance. God’s chosen, unlike Admah and Zeboim, will not be utterly vanquished from the earth. Instead, God tells us, “Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths. And she shall follow after her lovers, but…
And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. Revelation 14:14 “Thrust in thy sickle and reap, for the time is come, for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. “ JFB commentary remarks, “By the harvest-reaping the elect righteous are gathered out; by the vintage the Antichristian offenders are removed out of the earth, the scene of Christ’s coming kingdom. The Son of man Himself, with a golden crown, is introduced in the harvest-gathering of the elect, a mere angel in the vintage.” Two separate “gatherings” begin at the time of Revelation 14. Earth-harvest is ripe. “The allegory of God as farmer/husbandman goes this way: “As his fields are to the farmer, so, we are permitted to think, the whole earth is…
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. Genesis 17:1 A walk before God? How? I believe we must cast all of our cares on Him! How else could we walk before Him? His eye, His Word. His glory; we lean on His all-sufficiency. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. ” Psalm 23 I shall not lack, fail, be without, decrease, be lacking, or have a need. Does it mean that we always know where we are going? Well… Hebrews11:8 teaches us, “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” It means he went “without knowing where he was going.” Next verses tell us, “By faith…
“For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Hebrews 4:10 As we, through the cross of Christ and our co-crucifixion, cease the competition of the flesh, we discover God’s seasons spoken of by Solomon, “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to count as lost,…
“A child is born, a son is given.” In Proverbs, The Son as “wisdom personified” speaks, When he (Yahweh), gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: Then I (wisdom), was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men. Proverbs 8:29-31 As a babe in swaddling wrap, as a young man at the Temple, we only must imagine the Christ child growing up. Magnificent to behold as surrounded by kings and shepherds; prophesy ushers his appearing, see Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:5-6. Bethlehem birthed Him. Luke reports: And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. Luke 2:40 “His was…
What is patience? Where do we get some? Patience is the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering calmly without getting angry, upset, or complaining. “cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy:” from the Greek translation of “hupomone” ” Luke 8:15 explains …in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. ” this is the good soil for receiving seed and growing. The best fruits require time, cultivation, patience. AT Robertson A good and honest heart? from Luke 8:15? “The expression rendered ’honest’ (better translated ’noble,’ καλός) has reference to aims or chief ends, and describes one whose mind is raised above moral vulgarity, and is bent, not on money-making and such low pursuits, but on the attainment of wisdom, holiness, and righteousness. The epithet rendered ’good’ (ἀγαθός) denotes generous self-abandonment in the prosecution of lofty ends; large-heartedness, magnanimous, overflowing devotion.” Mary…
“If you have doubts about moral matters, smash the bottle.” “Every one who debates a question within himself is already divided, and He should not be.” “There is within him the questioner and the questioned.” — all taken from Richard Wurmbrand, ” Answer to Half a Million Letters.” James 1:8 gives us “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. “ The double-minded man is two-souled, and is “at variance with one’s self, hesitating, doubting.” Thayer He exists as a “diakrino” person — he wavers between belief and unbelief. Psalm 107:27 in the Berean Bible says “They reeled and staggered like drunkards, and all their skill was useless. ” KJV says “at wits end.” But Abraham was not so, He staggered not at the promise of God, see Romans 4:20. He was a “plērophoreō,” completely assured. Not entertaining the “impossible” aspect of a positive outcome, and doubting in a depraved soul;…
The external world without focus is full of generalities, but requires deeper insight for accurate living. With my 600 ml. lens, I have opened the world of bird closeups. Colors come alive and details of body shapes, sizes and configurations. “”Species distinguishing” has become possible. Feeding habits, beak size, migration tendencies and flying techniques come alive. More and better lenses produce even more details. The world manifests itself visibly but also invisibly. In this invisible realm, the prayers of Paul speak in Ephesians –“The eyes of our understanding enlightened – hearts illuminated, — love seized upon, –and love possessed . In the same sense, The Psalmist prays, “Uncover my eyes to see previously undistinguished things.” Psalm 119:18 And a prophet, Elisha, prays for a young man to see angels — he does. 2Kings 6:17 “And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see.…
The soil of my heart, or the heart of any person, must be good and honest. This is what the parable of the sower of seed teaches in Matthew 13. Good and honest must consume my frame of reference, my supreme center for all soul activity, my source of all motivation. My emotions , conscience , mind and will , all must be saturated with this goodness and honesty. It implies God consciousness. However, the heart of man is deceitful, indeed, desperately wicked , who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9. A clean heart with truth in the inward man, and wisdom in the hidden man, is the formula of Psalm 51, created by God . Renewed in this man we find a right spirit , a sense of God’s presence , the Holy Spirit, and even joy and rejoicing. This man is renewed often , and is restored to the…