Christians are a bunch of swindlers…

Are you a swindler? Do you pick and choose what is true in scripture? Beware rewriting the Word of God to suit your needs.

For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and the things which are written in this book. He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Revelation 22:18-21

“The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand it, we are obliged to act accordingly. Take any words in the New Testament and forget everything except pledging yourself to act accordingly. My God, you will say, if I do that my whole life will be ruined. How would I ever get on in the world?

Herein lies the real place of Christian scholarship. Christian scholarship is the Church’s prodigious invention to defend itself against the Bible, to ensure that we can continue to be good Christians without the Bible coming too close. Oh, priceless scholarship, what would we do without you? Dreadful it is to fall into the hands of the living God. Yes, it is even dreadful to be alone with the New Testament.”

–Soren Kierkegaard “Kill the Commentators!” in Provocations: Spiritual Writings of Kierkegaard (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2003), 201.

Even Your Own Relatives Think You Are Almost Insane

“The Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him,
because it neither sees Him nor knows Him.” John 14:17

The world—that is, the world dead in sin, and the
world dead in profession—men destitute of the life
and power of God—must have something that it can
see. And, as heavenly things can only be seen by
heavenly eyes, they cannot receive the things which
are invisible.

Now this explains why a religion that presents itself
with a degree of beauty and grandeur to the natural
eye will always be received by the world; while a . . .
spiritual,
internal,
heartfelt and
experimental
religion will always be rejected.

The world can receive a religion that consists of . . .
forms,
rites, and
ceremonies.

These are things seen.

Beautiful buildings,
painted windows,
pealing organs,
melodious choirs,
the pomp and parade of an earthly priesthood,
and a whole apparatus of ‘religious ceremony’,
carry with them something that the natural eye can
see and admire. The world receives all this ‘external
religion’ because it is suitable to the natural mind
and intelligible to their reasoning faculties.

But the . . .
quiet,
inward,
experimental,
divine religion,
which presents no attractions to the outward eye, but
is wrought in the heart by a divine operation—the world
cannot receive this—because it presents nothing that
the natural eye can rest upon with pleasure, or is
adapted to gratify their general idea of what religion
is or should be.

Do not marvel, then, that worldly professors despise a
religion wrought in the soul by the power of God. Do not
be surprised if even your own relatives think you are
almost insane, when you speak of the consolations of
the Spirit, or of the teachings of God in your soul. They
cannot receive these things, for they have no experience
of them; and being such as are altogether opposed to
the carnal mind, they reject them with enmity and scorn.

By: J. C. Philpot, “The Abiding Comforter” 1858
Grace Gems

Brushing Your Teeth to the Glory of God…

If you find me short in things, impute that to my love of brevity. If you find me besides the truth in anything, impute that to my infirmity. But if you find anything here that serves to your furtherance and joy of the faith, impute that to the mercy of God bestowed on you and me. Yours to serve you with what little I have

John Bunyan, The Works of John Bunyan. Ed. George Offor (Carlisle, Pa.: Banner of Truth, 1991), Vol. 1: 336

What wonderful words from such an amazing man. If you are not familiar with John Bunyan, I would encourage you to go to this link and read a concise biography:

http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/bbunyan4.html

How many times do you acknowledge God for all you are and all you have? When you earned that big promotion, did you thank God first and publicly? When your doctor told you that you were in great condition did you acknowledge who got the glory? Maybe you shared with the doctor this great new eating plan you are on and gave the diet the glory…. Scripture is clear about who gets the glory.

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

A few months ago while teaching a third grade Sunday School class; I told them that while at seminary, one of our professors had challenged us to live a life in which we could brush our teeth to the glory of God… So I challenged them to go home and learn to brush their teeth to the glory of God. Why? Because when we have so internalized the Word of God, Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. Psalm 119:11We will be able to truly “do all” for the glory of God.

As you prepare for the week coming up I challenge you to, Brush your Teeth to the Glory of God.. Just thinking about this you will be amazed the thoughts that run through your mind as you brush your teeth..

I dedicate this blog entry to “Captain Zorro”… better known to students at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary as Dr. Frank Catanzaro. Thanks Dr. C for more than I can begin to list…

A Hiding Place

Do you have a secret area in your home or yard where you go to “escape” from the world? Maybe a place where you go for your devotion. How do feel in your “hiding place”? Safe, Secure?

The scripture gives us several verses directing us to the best hiding place. A place where you can go no matter where you are… The hiding place is in the hands of the Lord. Read the prose below written by Elizabeth Payson Prentiss , the youngest daughter of the great revival preachers of the 1800’s Rev Edward Payson. In these verses you will be encouraged that no matter how bad you are, there is a hiding place. A place of total peace and security for you…

“You called in trouble and I rescued you; I answered you in the hiding place of thunder; I proved you at the waters of Meribah. Selah. Psalm 81:7
You are my hiding place and my shield; I wait for Your word. Psalm 119:114

The Safe Place.

I went to Jesus with a prayer
Upon a suppliant’s knee;
Low at His cross I laid me down,
Nor asked His face to see,
Yet whispered in His ear the tale
No mortal ear could bear:
The story of a faithless heart,
And of its self-despair.

I told Him how my feet had slipped,
How often gone astray;
How oft my heart refused to love,
My lips refused to pray.
In stammering words that none but He
Hearing could understand,
I made complaint of careless work
Done by a careless hand.

Of wasted hours, of idle words,
Of love oft waxing dim,
Of silence when a warmer heart
Had testified of Him.
I owned my weak and selfish ways;
How often all day long,
Moanings and sighs had filled His ears
To whom I owed a song.
And what said He? What whispered words
Responded unto mine?
Did He reproach me? Did His love
On me refuse to shine?

Nay, thus He spoke, and bent Him low
To reach my anxious ear,
My child, thou doest well to lie
As thou art lying here ;
I knew thy human weakness, knew
Each lurking bosom sin,
Knew it, and yet in loving grace
Thy heart I stooped to win.

I knew that thou wouldst often fall,
Poor work for Me wouldst do,
Wouldst give Me only half thy love,
Give praises faint and few.
And yet I choose thee. Be content
And since thou canst not fly
To heights by dearer souls attained,
Let it suffice to lie

Here at My feet; it is the place
To which My loved ones flee;
They find it sweet, and so shalt thou;
‘Tis a safe place for thee.
Yes, it is sweet, and it is safe!
And here will I abide;
Sinful, and yet forgiven, sad,
And yet so satisfied.

Eizabeth Prentiss

What is in Your Heart?

The Purpose of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draw’s them out. Proverbs 20:5

Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually Genesis 6: 5

So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, To walk in their own counsels. Psalm 81:12

When we approach any situation in life we MUST search our heart. Use the following questions and apply their principles to all areas of your life. When talking to your children, friends, spouse or even parents, use these X RAY questions to obtain the motivation of their heart. These questions are adapted from material by CCEF.

What is going on? (the situation) What is occurring at a given
moment in time?

What were you thinking and feeling when
it was occurring? (thoughts of the heart)

What did you do in response? (response
was shaped by thoughts and feelings)

Why did you do it? What did you hope to
accomplish? (Motives)

What was the result? (consequences)

For More on CCEF: www.ccef.org

Blessed and Blameless in The Word…

Blessed and Blameless? What might a blessed and blameless life look like and how may we accomplish such a lofty goal? The Psalmist makes it seem almost elementary, you only need to walk in the Law of the Lord, keep His testimonies, seek Him with a whole heart and do no iniquity, be diligent and have a God that will not forsake you. Wow!

Let us look for a minute at how the Lord Jesus outlined a blessed individual. Looking at Matthew 5 verses 3-12. In what has come to be known as The Beatitudes and The Sermon on the Mount.

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The word traditionally translated into English as “blessed” is in the Greek “Makarios”. A more literal translation into contemporary English would be “glad indeed” or happy.

In Luke’s version of the Sermon on the Mount you will find a list of “woes” along side the “blessed” verses. To be blessed is to be blameless thus absent of woes.

24″But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full.
25 “Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
26 “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way. Luke 6:24-26

Being “glad indeed” or happy does not mean you will never suffer affliction or feel woeful. What it does mean is that you will have a peace through all that allows you to “Count it all joy” James 1:2.

Look around you. Everywhere people are seeking happiness and fulfillment in their lives. Are YOU seeking fulfillment? Do YOU want to be happy? Dear one, if you desire a happy and fulfilled life, you must seek Him who came “that you may have life and have it abundantly” John 10:10.

Several years ago Robert Schuller wrote a book called “The Be Happy Attitudes”, in this he attempted to outline some of the attitudes and lifestyles sought after by those wishing to be “Happy”. I propose for you today that you have no better guidebook for lifelong happiness then The Holy Bible.

The “Word of His grace” proclaims . . .
rest for the weary,
pardon to the guilty,
justification to the ungodly,
adoption to the outcast,
eternal heavenly treasures for spiritual paupers!
A.W. Pink

Acknowledge the Power of the Word of God

We will begin our journey into Psalm 119 with Psalm1. Often this is referred to as “The Preface” as it contains a hint of the entire book of Psalms. King David is credited with the authorship of most of the Book of Psalms and considering his early life as a shepherd you can see him throughout. Historians believe that the shepherd boy David studied The Torah and the creation, thus delighting in the Law of the Lord and all of creation.
It would be my prayer that as you study the Word of God, three things will occur:

You will Learn The Word;
You will Love The Word;
You will Live The Word;

By this you will become One with The Word…

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers, But his delight is in the Law of the Lord and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers!
Not so the wicked. They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the Righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. Psalm 1.

As you read the scripture, which would you say best describes you? The first three verses or the last three verses. Hopefully it is the first three as they illustrate the blessedness of a child of God…The last three….the life of the ungodly!

Oh! therefore, before all and above all:
search the Scripture,
study the Scripture,
meditate on the Scripture,
delight in the Scripture,
treasure up the Scripture!

Thomas Brooks Apples of Gold

 

 

 

 

 

For the  word of God is living  and active  and sharper than any two-edged sword,  and piercing as far as the division of soul  and spirit,  of both joints and marrow, and able  to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews  4:12.

 

The Word of God…

While in school at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, my professor Dr. Patterson gave us an assignment; read Psalm 119. As this was not a graded assignment I put it off. One day I took a break from my other reading and read Psalm 119. Well I read it and read it and read it… and was hooked! I loved it and all that it said. I had become thirsty for all The Word of God had for me.

Psalm 119 is an acrostic representing each letter of the Hebrew Alphabet with eight verses per letter. This fascinated me. During the spring of 2007 as I completed teaching an exegesis of the book of Colossians to my Women’s Sunday School Class I pondered what to teach during the summer months. I had noted that several in the class had a genuine love and hunger for The Word of God and thus purposed to teach Psalm 119.
I looked at several books on Psalm 119 and though each had their strengths I wanted a study that would not only be faithful to the scripture but illustrate to the class how to use the Word of God to apply to your life.

While teaching the Book of Colossians I had stressed the biblical concept of Putting off and Putting on. Sharing with the class that when you put off the old man you MUST put on the new man. As I read and re-read Psalm 119 I prayed the Lord would show me how I might present His Word. As only Christ can, He provided the way.

Looking at the acrostic and pondering on how this may be converted to the English alphabet I was stumped… The most obvious obstacle was that the Hebrew alphabet consisted of 22 letters while the English alphabet had 26! What would I do with the additional four letters? There must be other lessons that could be taught and stay true to the scripture, and so there was.

Over the next six weeks I will share with you the English Acrostic for the study of Psalm 119 and sincerely pray that the Lord will use this mightily in your lives. He ministers to me each time I approach His Word.

Another valuable lesson I learned from Dr. Patterson was to stay true to Scripture. Scripture does not contradict itself. She encouraged us to be like the Bereans as illustrated in Acts 17:11 “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
Acknowledging that those teaching Scripture will be held to a higher accountability I humbly request that if you see anything in this blog that does not seem to square with the scripture you would first go to the Scripture and ask The Holy Spirit to illumine to you the truth. If this does not square let me know!

Christ is the substance of the Gospel. All….
its divine doctrines,
its holy precepts,
its gracious instructions,
its precious promises,
its glorious hopes, meet, center, and
fill up their entire compass in Jesus.

He is the Alpha and the Omega of the Bible, from the
first verse in Genesis to the last verse in Revelation.

Oh, study the Scriptures of truth with a view of learning Christ.

Do not study the Bible as a mere history.
Do not read it as a mere poem.
Do not search it as a book of science.
It is all that, but infinitely more.
The Bible is the Book of Jesus!
It is a Revelation of Christ!

Octavius Winslow