He had power over the angel...

"And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of day. And when he saw that he touched the hallow of his tigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him." (Gen. 32:24-25)

I have heard many sermons on wrestling with God in prayer. In this passage Jacob was wrestling a man. We know that this was no ordinary man, because in Hosea 12:3-4 this passage described Jacob as having 'power over the angel.' We also know this man to be God, since Jacob names the place "Penial" (translator's marginal notes say: The Face of God). Therefore we know the Jacob was really wrestling God. Ultimately, and it goes without saying, God won. However the persistance that Jacob had is exemplary. We can apply this passage in the area of prayer. We need to have a time where we seek God's face and hold on to him, in prayer, begging Him for His blessings, much like Jacob did. Persistant prayer is prevailing prayer. So often we do the work we expect God to answer our prayers on the spot, when God wants us to give more of ourselves to Him before He answers.

Repentance

"When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Mark 2:17)

Repentance is very much as important today as it was in the days of Jesus Christ. The problem is that there are some Bible teachers that have redefine repentance to mean penance. I have heard and read their writtings about the issue and they are sadly mistaken. Repentance is not just being sorry for sins commited because one is caught in sin. The Bible describes such a thing as 'worldy sorrow' or as it is recorded in 2 Cor. 9:10 "sorrow of the world." True Biblical repentance does involve certain emotional element, but it is not motivated by a sense of trying to get out of punishment, or not comming to terms with the truth; rather it is motivated by the understanding of ones sinfulness and helplessness, wherein one feels sorry for their sin and turns to a complete agreement with God and His character in relation to sin. Not only does it involve emotions, but it also involves volition. A repentant sinner is one who understands that he desrves Hell as penalty for his sin. I pray that we would never minimize the message of repentance when we deal with people about Salvation. Jesus can only save repentant sinners.

Ministry is...

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matt. 28:19-20)

We have an awesome responsibility before the Lord to win the lost and disciple them. This is what Jesus wants from each and every Christian to do. Fundamentally there are two things that we must be involved in if we are going to be the Christians that God wants us to be. First, we must be soulwinners. Simply put, we must be interested and obedient in telling others about the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. A good indication of spirituality is the answer to these questions: How is your soulwinning going? Are you truly active in leading people to Jesus Christ? Do you have a burden for those around you that they may know about Jesus and may be saved from the penalty of sin? Have you a plan to learn to become a better soulwinner for Jesus? This Christmas I visited my grandmother-in-law. Marcia and I got a chance to visit a nursing home in Ohio and listen to an 'Evangelical Methodist Pastor' speak. He spoke very well about the shepherds and why God choose to reveal the birth of the Lord to them. I was a good sermon BUT he did not tell those people HOW they can know for sure about Heaven. I could not believe I heard a message that was void of the Gospel, void of the cross-work of Jesus. I am not foolish as to expect every message to contain evangelistic overtones BUT I must confess my heart sunk as I saw all these senior citizens without a Gospel witness. I guess I would like to ask, do you have a set time where you go out perhaps door knocking of visiting new move-ins or friends and telling them about the Lord? If not, why not? Why not get involved in this great task of leading souls to the Savior?

Another aspect of the ministry in Matt. 28:19-20 is that of discipleship. We are not to just leave people alone after they confess the Lord as their Savior. We are responsible to bring them along and edify them and continue to invest time and energy so thay they can become stronger Christians. I know that the first step to growth is baptism, therefore if someone professes to know the Lord as Savior I immediately ask them if they have followed the Lord in baptism. After baptism, there is much more to teach them. It is a slow process BUT highly rewarding. I don't believe I do these things because I am a pastor -- If I wasn't a pastor I would still be involved in soulwinning and discipleship. In fact I was involved in this prior to attending Bible College, and this wonderful work was reinforced in Bible College. I guess what I am saying is that the work of the ministry is simply obeying what Jesus has said, and is to be accomplished by every blood-bought believer.

Jacob's Dream

"And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of." (Gen. 28:15)

"And he was afraid and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of Heaven." (Gen. 28:17)

What a unique experience for Jacob to have such a divine visit from God. Jacob experienced both fear and awe upon awakening from his sleep, with the understanding that Luz should be appropriately renamed "Bethel" and that he did. He also took the stone which he used for a pillow and established a pillar and dedicated this place as a location where God had met with him and establish through Jacob the Abrahamic Covenant. God wants to do special things through Jacob. I can't help but think of how much God wants to use us. When a Christian is doing the work of the ministry he is not alone. I believe God is telling us the same thing when we are busy about doing His will. Just as much as He was with Jacob, He is with us. Just as much as Jacob enjoyed God in that special revelation, we can enjoy God in our daily devotions. There in our secret closet of prayer we can meet God! Also in church, we can know that we have a peice of Heaven here on earth, we are brought to the very gates of Heaven when we go to church.

Bitter Tears

"And Peter remembered the words of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly." (Matt. 26:75)

When I read the accounts in the Bible of Peter and how he would contradict the Lord somewhat in a bold manner, it is easy for me to think of how dumb he was for disagreeing with Jesus. Afterall Jesus demonstrated His Omniscience about this very event. It is easy to point a finger at Peter and be critcal towards him BUT what about us? How many times do we 'do our own thing' against what Jesus said. Peter wept bitterly as a result of his denying Jesus Christ. As Christians, God is very gracious to allow us to go so far even to deny the Lord, but in the end, many of us are going to weep bitterly when we see Jesus. When we realize that we could have done more for Jesus. When we are to give account for the times we could have said something about Jesus to others (especially the lost) and yet because of pride we don't say or do anything, in affect we are denying the Lord Jesus Christ.

Eternal Retribution (part 2)

"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." (Matt. 25:41)

Some deny hell to be a literal place, others say that when a lost soul is judged that annihilation will be the final end (that is they disappear like a bubble). Jesus spoke many things about hell and this verse is one of them. Here we see that eternal retribution is originally designed for Satan and his demons. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that hell will also be a place for any one who rejects the Gospel of Christ. In this verse Jesus describes that condition as being 'cursed.' We all were under the curse of sin until we recieve Jesus Christ as Savior. In verse 46 Jesus contrasts the cursed with the righteous. The condition and the final destination are at odds. Praise the Lord, He will make us righteous if we repent and trust Him.

Our Reasonable Service (part 4)

Understanding the basic ideas taught in Romans 12:1 will unlock the rest of the chapter, which tells us how we should treat one another in church. Many today do not esteem church as important as Christ treats the church. Our reasonable service includes:

1. Be not conformed to this world – v.2
2. Be Transformed – v.2 (also tells us how to be transformed).
3. Don’t think proudly – v.3
4. Think soberly – v.3
5. There are distinct offices in the church – v.4
6. The church is one body having many members, each being important - v.5.
7. There are distinct gifts that each member are to serve the Lord with -v.6-8.
8. Let love be without dissimulation (‘hypocrisy’) – v.9
9. Abhor that which is evil – v.9
10. Cleave to that which is good – v.9
11. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love – v.10
12. In honor preferring one another – v. 10
13. Not slothful in business – v.11
14. Fervent in spirit – v.11
15. Serving the Lord – v.11
16. Rejoicing in hope – v.12
17. Patient in tribulation – v.12
18. Continuing instant in prayer – v.12
19. Distributing to the necessity of the saints – v.13
20. Given to hospitality – v.13
21. Bless them which persecute you – v. 14 (‘bless’ – is repeated)
22. Curse not – v.14 (treat them right – comment mine)
23. Rejoice with them that do rejoice – v.15
24. Weep with them that do weep – v.15
25. Be of the same mind – v.16
26. Mind not high things – v.16
27. Condescend to men – v.16
28. Be not wise in your own conceits – v.16
29. Recompense to no man evil for evil – v.17
30. Provide things honest in the sight of all men –v.17
31. Live peaceably with all men – v.18
32. Avenge not yourselves, vengeance is the Lord’s – vs. 19-20
33. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. – v.21

These are just the verses found in ch. 12; ch.13-15 provides more practical truths to follow.

Ephron - A Giver

"And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead." (Gen. 23:14-15)

Ephron displays a great attitude in giving. True friendship cannot be measured by physical 'things' (money or property, per se). The Lord has blessed me with lots of Christian friends that are just as giving as Ephron. I need to emulate that!

Yahweh sees

"And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen." (Gen. 22:14)

The Translators wrote this on the margin in reference to Jehovah-jireh: "That is, the LORD will see, or provide." There are two verses that illustrate the faith of Abraham that God would somehow see him through this trial. Verse 5 "...I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again unto you." also verse 8 "And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering..." And He did. This name was bestowed upon the place by Abraham. Jehovah-jireh helps us to know that God saw all of our need, and is interested in providing for our every need. Of course God has already provided for our greatest need: Salvation. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross, in essence to suffer the penalty for our sins.

Post Script: The picture is taken from the oil paintings of Caravaggio. If I could go back in time, I would ask Mr. Caravaggio to put a shirt on that angel, and perhaps trim his hair a little. Also, Isaac really looked troubled in this picture - I would be too, if my dad tried this one on me. While I must confess, I have a hard time with this portion of the story of Abraham, I accept it by faith, because God is the Author and God cannot lie.

Have your eyes been opened?

"And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed Him, And behold, two blind men were sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, and cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should not hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. And Jesus stood still, and called them and said what will ye, that I should do unto you? They said unto Him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes recieved sight, and they followed Him." (Matt. 20:29-34)

I think that this portion of the Gospel According to Matthew has some Salvation type of an application to it. I was blinded by sin, I was helpless to save myself, but when I heard about Jesus Christ I saw my lost condition and my need to trust Him alone as my Savior, and when I did that, something amazing happened - - I was able to see, or in other words I got 'saved.' I remember that it was not just a mental accent, or tipping my hat sort-to-say to Jesus, It was not a mere lightharted prayer. It was true geniune repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ. I believe there is just no substitute for true Salvation. By this I mean - - think of the joy that was produced when these two blind men got their sight back, I don't think they took the Lord's miracle lightly, I believe they were leaping up and down with joy (I know btw that I am reading into the text somewhat), I can imagine them returning to family and friends with a story! I can see why after Jesus took care of their need that they wanted to 'follow Him.' To me this is such a picture of Salvation. Today sadly we read of easy-prayerism, or even a controversy of 'Lordship type Salvation,' we read of a redefinition of 'repentance' or that it is not necessary for Salvation. I guess I am just thinking about how my Salvation experience lines up with some in the Bible. To my surprise its not too different. Since the day I got saved at 15, I wanted to 'follow Him.' When people tell me flipantly that they are 'saved' and yet demonstrate no clear testimony of how the Lord saved them, no clear rejoicing of the joy of their Salvation, no clear following of Him, no hint of spirituality, no love for the brethren that is standing in front of them (me and my Sat. soulwinning partner - LOL!). Its hard to think that once they were blind but now they can see, and perhaps in that case its better to err on the side of right, but I honestly don't think that it is any error. Have your eyes been opened?

Infant Baptism

"But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for such is the kingdom of Heaven." (Matt. 19:14)

"Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word." (Cathecism of the Catholic Church (c) 1995)

When I studied infant baptism in highschool (I went to a Catholic private school) I was taught that my 'baptism' at that point was an indelible mark. Infant baptism is percieved as necessesary because of the idea that it erases 'original sin.'

Some facts to consider: 1. Faith alone justifies (Rom. 3:26) . 2. Everyone who ever got baptized in the New Testament excersized faith first, infants cannot do this (Acts 2:41; 8:36-38; 9:15-18; 10:44-47; 16:14-15, 30-34). 3. Jesus laid his hands on these children, he did not baptize them, in fact He did not baptize anyone (John 4:2).

From Bethel to Sodom (Lot lost a lot)

"And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly: And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)" (2 Peter 1:8).

We know Lot to be the son of Haran who accompanied Terah from Ur to Haran (Gen. 11:31). Lot having lost his father, was taken care of by Abram (who also lost his dad) - seemed like a perfect combination - Uncle and nephew taking care of each other. Lot was with Abram when he went to Egypt and back to Bethel. Lot choose to move closer to Sodom, having examine to the best of his abilities which portion of the land was well watered and suitable. His attitude of carpe diem blinded him to his spiritual need. Although for a period of time he was enjoying this community of sodomites - it was only for a season.

1. Lot lost his separation - "And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly." (Gen. 19:7) - It was as if there were some camaraderie with the sodomites.

2. Lot lost his morals - "Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man;..." (v.8)

3. Lot lost his possessions - "Lot hast thou any here besides?...For we will destroy this place..." (vs. 12-13)

4. Lot lost his influence - His daughters and sons-in law did not listen to him (see v.14).

5. Lot lost his children - They were burned up in the destruction of Sodom because they did not listen to their father (v.14 and v.24)

6. Lot lost his wife - "But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt." (v. 26)

7. Lot lost his sobriety - He became a drunkard (v.32)

8. Lot lost his purity - with the incestous relationship with his daughters (vs. 32-38).

Sin is ugly, and it affects everyone around it.

Seeking after a sign

"A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed." (Matt. 16:4)

This verse reminds me of an adage: "There are none so blind as one who will not see." In the case of the Pharisees and the Saduccees they wanted Jesus to perform some miraculous feat. It was as if they were going to believe on Him, repent of their sin, and be saved. Fortunately the Bible gives us insights into their hearts: "...tempting desired Him that He would shew them a sign..." (v.1) In response, Jesus basically told them that His ressurection would be the only sign that He would show them, to prove to them that they are indeed lost.

The Resurrection occured and some of them (most likely most of them) still refused to acknowledge Jesus to be God's only begotten Son. In Matt. 27:62-66 They requested that Pilate secure the tomb since they feared that Jesus' disciples might steal His body, and that would cause a commotion.

In doing just that, both Pilate and the Pharisees, along with the chief priests sealed their own fate. Because what Jesus said would happen, happened. It is sad to know that despite much of what God has and is doing, unsaved man would rather seal their hearts to their own destruction, than repent and recieve the Savior, who is risen indeed!

Ex Libris

"The Eternal Sonship of Christ" By George W. Zeller and Renald E. Showers. This book is certainly one of a kind. An extremely helpful book in combating the false teaching known as the "Incarnational Sonship" theory (that Jesus became the Son of God at His birth). I was reading the book "Kingdom of the Cults" (W. Martin) - which happens to be a good book on Cults -except where Dr. Martin promotes the false view of the Sonship issue trying to defend his position against the Jehovah's Witnesses teachings. Also another proponent of the false view is John MacAurthur, Jr. With this book the issue is laid out in simple to understand terms. Any student of the Bible can profit greatly from this book, basically it is an easy read. The kind of book that if you owned it, you probabbly will be highlighting it or underlining it (or whatever you do or don't do). 10 relatively short chapters are:

Chapter 1 - The Diety of the Son
Chapter 2 - The Pre-existence of the Son
Chapter 3 - The Incarnation of the Son
Chapter 4 - The Doctrine of Eternal Sonship
Chapter 5 - The Denial of Eternal Sonship
Chapter 6 - The Defense of Eternal Sonship
Chapter 7 - The Meaning of the Term "Son of God"
Chapter 8 - The Meaning of Ps. 2:7
Chapter 9 - Dealing with Problems and Objections
Chapter 10 - The Necessity and Importance of the Doctrine

Like all good 'juicy' books it has an Appendix (two as a matter of fact):
Appendix A - The Term "Son of God" In Light of Old Testament Idiom
Appendix B - The Testimony of Men

End notes and Resources for further study are also included in the book. Well documented!
(All that in just 128 pages)

Aloneness - A Spiritual Principle

"And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, He was there alone." (Matt. 14:23)

A true walk with God necessitates a certain degree of aloneness. A time where we get alone with God for the purpose of prayer. I honestly don't think that a Christian could be a spiritually minded Christian without a season of aloneness. So many times we like to be with family and friends, even work and neglect time alone with the Lord. If we say we are too busy for this, then we are too busy and need to reprioritize.

The Sower, the Seed and the Soil

Matt. 13 presents us with what we commonly call the "Parable of the Sower." There are other parables in this chapter (such as Wheat and Tares in vs. 24-30; Mustard Seed vs.31-32; A woman who hid three measures of meal in v.33; Hid Treasure v. 44; Pearl of Great Price vs. 45-46; The Net vs. 47-51; and The Scribe in v.52). He spake in parables partly as a fulfillment of prophecy, and part because the unsaved would not want to understand the truths or the point of the various parables, both of these ideas and more are found in vs. 10-17.

The Parable of the Sower speaks about the various 'hearers' (represented by the soil) of the Word (the seed). Because of the condition of the soil, the seed was either effectual or not. To be certain the Lord (which is the Sower) could not possibly be blamed for the results since He was diligent to do His work. The seed could not be at fault neither, we read how when it found good soil that it did yeild fruit abundantly. So the fault lies at the heart or the hearer (which is the soil). The responsiblility is ours to recieve God's Word so that our lives can have the results that God wants us to have. This is why Jesus in Luke 8:18 (a parallel passage) warns us to: "Take heed therefore, how ye hear..."

Eternal Retribution

"Woe unto thee Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: For it thy mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee." (Matt. 11:21-24)

"The men of Nineveh shall raise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and behold, a greater than Jonas is here. The queen of the south shall raise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here." (Matt. 12:41-42)

It could be (based on the principles of these verses) that the worst occupants of the Lake of Fire will be those who are in our dispensation, have heard of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ, maybe even sat in church services hearing the Word of God preached, and yet continue to rebel against the Lord Jesus Christ by not repenting of their sin and recieving Him as their Savior. It is so easy to condemn someone who is an outright blatant sinner to Hell (I am not suggesting that this is ok, at least for now), but these verses serve as a reminder that God's scales of justice are different from ours, and that there are degrees of torments in that fiery Lake, and apostates will recieve a worse condemnation than perhaps an atheist.

God's Mercy

We often think (and rightly so) that God's mercy is Soteriological. The fact that it is should not take away from the reality that our very lives revolve around God's mercies. As I looked at some verses on this topic of God's mercy, It really was a blessing to me that I would like to share, and thus this blog:
"The earth, Oh Lord, is full of thy mercy: teach me thy statutes." (Ps. 119:64) - I need to recognize that! This earth, the various 'natural laws' are there not because of some evolutionary process, not even the sanctified 'theistic evolution' theories. I get to enjoy breathing fresh air, and walking without floating off into space, because all things consist by Jesus Christ. Because God in His Mercy declared that there be such a law as gravity. Failure to recognize this is one reason why the unregenerate man is still in his present state of being unsaved. The Bible is true when it tells us that God's goodness should lead men to repentance in Romans 2:4.

God's mercy is not bound by geography: "For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.” (Ps. 108:4); Not bound by chronology: "“But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him…” (Ps. 103:17); Not bound politically, in fact the State is truly dependant on God's mercy: "Mercy and truth preserve the king…” (Prov. 20:28). There is mercy in healing physical sickness or ailments (Matt. 17:15; 20:30-31). I have seen the Lord do some healing, and I have seen that there are times when healing is not His will, either way we have so much of the mercy of God everyday we should be thankful to the Lord!

"Not by works of righteousness which we have have done, but according to His mercy He saved us..." (Titus 3:5) - I don't ever want to forget the beauty of this verse.

A City, A Tower, and A Name

Pride is something we know God hates (Pro. 6:16-17). The Genesis account of "The Tower of Babel" in chapter 11 is a great reminder of how sinful man wants independence from God. They wanted a city and tower 'whose top may reach unto heaven.' Seems to me that they were in some kind of competition with God. Why would anyone desire to aspire to such heights? It reminded me of how Lucifer wanted to ascend higher than the throne of God. "and let us make us a name..." Again pride: "Oh look what we have done," I can imagine that something of that magnitude would generate some attention.

-----------------------------

Stranger: "Oh excuse me sir, but who is in charge of this massive project?"

Sir: "Who are you? (just kidding) His excellency, the honorable Mr. Nimrod."

Stranger: "I am sure you are going to dedicate this construction project to the Lord, aren't you?"

Sir: "Who? (this time not kidding), oh no, not the Lord, He wanted us to break up into colonies and scatter ourselves abroad, He wanted us to take dominion over creation and raise our families for Him, BUT we know better, you see we are Shinarians! We want to make a name for ourselves."

all of a sudden confusion sets in...

Sir: Anong pangalan mo? (Tagalog)

Stranger: ¿Qué? (Spanish)

-----------------------------

Moral Lesson: Don't be like the Shinarians.

In thinking about judges (particularly Mr. Sam Alito)

Our country has a rather remarkable process of seeking for the next Supreme Court Justice. In this case it will be a decision concerning a replacement of one Mrs. O'Connor. Mr. Alito has been chosen by the President and now we are in the midst of his 'hearings' by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The Bible presents us with Jesus Christ as being The Judge. 2 Tim. 4:1 speaks of 'Him who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and His kingdom.' To me the most striking of verses is found in Rev. 20:11-15. We commonly know this fateful event as the "Great White Throne Judgement." A terrible day for all who do not know (or trust) The Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. If you think about it, the events in Revelation are so overwhelming that God had to tell John in 21:5 to 'write' these things and that these things are 'faithful' and 'true.' This is the day that Paul was speaking of in Romans 2:16 "In that day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel."

I also believe that day will be the day when every knee shall bow to the Lordship of Jesus Christ (Phil. 2:10-11). Hopefully friend, by repentance and faith, you are trusting the Lord Jesus as your Savior now or maybe you know a time when you have been 'born again.' Because if you wait till then it is too late, in fact a judgment is place upon every unrepentant sinner - John 6:18b "...but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

Reminiscing with Thankfulness

"And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes."

'these sayings' - referring to 'The Sermon on the Mount' (Matt. 5, 6, and 7).

I have sat in classes at Bible College where the teacher really knew his material and taught authoritatively. It was a blessing to say the least. It is sorta awkward when you know that class has to be 'academic' but the richness and power of the Word of God comes through the lesson (you feel like shouting amen! BUT you hold back because its a class). It is truly an amazing experience; I am not saying that every class session was like that all the time. I wonder what it would have been like to sit besides the Lord on the mount and listen to Him teach.

One thing to really be thankful for is that we do have His 'doctrine' (in the Bible - the ones He wants us to have). We have chapters 5, 6, and 7; really we have so much (66 Canonical Books in fact).

I also believe that good Bible preaching is another way of hearing the 'word of God.' I love listening to good preaching, it really feeds my soul. I am so thankful for the preaching ministry of my Pastor. Week after week he is diligent in preaching the Word (and I mean the Word - not an illustration, not story telling, just good old fashion preaching!)

I guess when I read Matt. 7:28-29, it reminds me of teachers and preachers that have invested so much of their time and talents into teaching me.

Ex Libris (from the books)

"A Guide to the Textual Criticism of the New Testament" By Edward Miller is a book worthy of consideration. Although it is writen some time ago (1886) it is available (thanks to the ministry of Dr. Donald Waite and Bible For Today) and an 'easier' read in comparison to Burgon's works. I am not shifting the blame: I am at fault for not being able to 'read Burgon' but at least Edward's level of writing is on a shelf where I can reach (hopefully the cookie jar is there too).

"THE ensuing treatise is intended to be a brief Manual on the Textual Criticism of the New Testament for ordinary students of the Bible, and induce those who may be disposed to enter more deeply into the important subject of it to prosecute further research in "The Plain Introduction" of Dr. Scrivener, the learned works of Dean Burgon, and in other well-known sources of information upon Textual Criticism." (Preface by Miller)

Chapter 1 Intro. Importance of the Subject - a short chapter laying the foundation of the seven verses in question: Luke 11:2-4; 22:19-20, 43-44; 23:34; 24:15; Matt. 6:13; among many others 'by addition of other omissions.'

Chapter 2 - History of Textual Criticism - great insights in the early stages of text crit.

Chapter 3 - " "- enter the chop shop (mine): Greisbach,Lachmann, Tregelles, Tishendorf, Wescott, and Hort. Also Miller introduces the opposition to the modernist Revision Committe: Scrivener, Burgon, Cook among many others.

Chapter 4 - School of Extreme Textualism - an asessment and refutation of Wescott and Horts theories.

Chapter 5 - The Rival School - highlighting Burgon and companies expertise on the issue. (relatively short chapter - but thoughtful and carefully worded).

Chapter 6 - History of the Traditional text till the era of Chrysostom - an amazing chapter that answers a lot of question: particularly who were the gnostics in Alexandria that corrupted the MSS (manuscripts).

Chapter 7 - From Chrysostom till the Printing Era (title mine - his was too long) - Covering the supremacy of the Traditional Text.

Chapter 8 - Materials of Criticism - exploring the actual documents.

Chapter 9 - Principles of Criticism - basically if any one does their homework they would not chuck the verses out that was thrown out by the modernists.

Like every good book there is an appendix and index to this one also. ( All that in just 147 pages).

Our Reasonable Service (part 3)

The manner of our service is outlined in Rom. 12:1 - we are to be as a 'living sacrifice,' 'holy,' and 'acceptable unto God,' This can only be accomplished after a full surrender of ourselves completely to the Lord thus the 'presenting' of our bodies. Just like the sacrifices of the Old Testament animals had no choice but surrender - so must we relinquish our all to the Lord. The glorious difference of course is that we don't have to be 'dead' in our service towards God. Here we also see that God is interested in holiness. Worldy methodology cannot accomplish our reasonable service. I remember as a young Christian I did not understand why Christians couldn't use some rock music with Christian lyrics to worship God with. I did not realize then as I do now that the heart of "Contemporary Christian Music" (falsely so-called) is lust and idolatry. That God is infinitley Holy, therefore our service to Him should reflect that. Holiness is void of carnality, earthliness, worldliness which leads to death. Finally, 'acceptable unto God.' Do I have God's approval? Often we look for man's approval, but this verse is an important reminder to seek God's approval instead. What a priveledge it is to be able to look at a verse like Rom. 12:1 and think on the wonderful truths concerning our service towards God.

To God be the glory for He is worthy!

Our Reasonable Service (part 2)

The basis of our service to God is given to us in this verse: "by the mercies of God..." This is the foundation for our worship, and indeed everything that we could ever be and do for the Lord. Praise the Lord, He could have done away with us and given us what we justly deserve, but He choose to extend to us His 'mercies.' In Luke 7:47b, I believe that Jesus taught a powerful principle of service (worship) [actually love] in relation to God's mercy - "...but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little." Dwight Moody said: "The more you know God, the more you'll love Him; the more you love Him, the more you'll serve Him better." And that is the truth. Serving God is the easiest thing to do when we stop and consider how truly sinful we are and how merciful God truly is.

Our Reasonable Service

In Rom. 12:1 the word 'service' carries the idea of 'worship.' The idea is not foreign to us. Some churches advertise their services like "Morning Worship," some say "Morning Service," yet others would even say "Morning Worship Service." I am not suggesting that one is right over another, but rather service does mean worship. God is interested in worship. Jn. 4:23-24 teaches us that He is seeking for worshippers. Everytime the curtain of Heaven is pulled back and we get a glimpse of what is going on in Heaven, we see that the Lord is recieving worship (e.g. Isa. 6:1-6; Rev. 4:8-11). Every day, when we serve the Lord, we need to understand that this is part and parcel of true worship.

The Glory of God

I have heard this phrase over and over again in prayer, when we as believers talk about serving the Lord, and it catches my attention just about everytime I hear it. What is the 'glory of God?' How can I live a life that 'brings' glory to God? I mapped out some definitions of the word 'glory' and this is what I came up with:

1. Glory according to Mirriam-Webster (current dictionary) - 'great honor, praise, or distinction accorded by common consent; renown." - The main idea I believe is RECOGNITION. I believe Romans 11:36 captures this idea. How often do I recognize the Lord or acknowledge Him?

2. Glory according to Noah Webster (much older dictionary about 178 years ago) - His primary definition is 'Brightness; luster; splendor' The main idea being SPLENDOR. I think of the passage in Matt. 17:2,5 and how Peter descibes the transfiguration account as 'excellent glory' in 2 Peter 1:17. Does my life reflect the splendor of the Lord?

3. Glory is the Greek word 'Doxa' (older than English - of course) - Primarily means "HIGH OPINION" - Do I live in such a way that elevates God?

4. Glory in Hebrew carries the idea of 'weight or heaviness,' The main idea is the PRESENCE OF THE LORD - We need to remember that God is with us. Our lives will not be the same if we consciouly remember that the Lord is with us.

"Give unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength." (1 Chr. 16:28)

"For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (2 Cor. 6:20)

Anyway just some thoughts. Have a God-glorifying day!

"In the beginning..."

Since it is January and my Bible schedule reading begins with Gen.1 and Matt.1. I'd like to do a plan concerning reading the Bible through in one year (OT once and NT twice), I have never done this particular plan before BUT there's always a first time for everything (or so 'they' say - but whose the they?) ANYWAY - I do read the Bible more than just once a day, just wanted to clarify that the schedule is a routine I would like to keep and is not the same as the other times that I get to read God's Holy Word.
Somethings that I have picked up on: I guess I would call it Principles from Gen.1 and 2 or a more fancier one would be Principles in the Creation Order (I don't know, something like that):

1. God is Triune - Gen.1:1 "God" (Elohim) the word means more than one person. Also consider Gen. 1:26 "Let US make man in OUR image..."

2. God is a "Separatist"- Gen. 1:4-10 He believes in separation and so should we. Separation is also part of what He called 'good.' We should try to live our lives with a great degree of separation from sin.

3. God is a "Worker" - He is interested in His work and loves to evaluate (Gen. 1:31). He even took a break (Gen. 2:1-2). We need to aspire to God's work ethic. Honest, hard work is godly! Along with that we should learn how to enjoy our 'day offs.'

4. God made man in His image - Man is not a product of some accident. Man is also a free moral agent. Man is also to take charge and dominion over God's creatures (it is man's responsibility to lead!). Marriage is godly! (Gen. 2: 21-25). Marriage is One man and One woman ONLY! I am sure almost everyone knows the the cliche: Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. The Fall of Man (Gen. 3) and the promise of God (which is Man's redemption Gen. 3:15).

These are just somethings that I have been meditating on.