A Blessing from God's Word (1 John 3:1)

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” (1 John 3:1)

Thoughts on Psalm 1: Things a Blessed Man Does Regularly (part 5)

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. (v.2)But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” (Psalm 1:1-2)

The Bible is a book that is to be read, understood, studied, and applied. In the course of one’s study of the Bible a useful tool is given to us, namely meditation. The world has its own idea of meditation therefore we need to distinguish Christian meditation from transcendental meditation. In contrast to each other the former fills one’s mind with objective truths (the Bible) and the latter starts with emptying one’s mind. Bible meditation is a useful tool that will aid in applying God’s Word. Meditation in the Bible sense fills one’s mind with God’s Word however it starts with filling one’s heart first. The word meditate carries the idea of muttering. There is a need to mutter, or rehearse God’s Word to one’s self as a significant aspect of meditation. The Bible tells us that this activity takes place “day and night.” This suggests that meditation can and should take place everywhere and anywhere. The point is that whether you are at work or leisure you can rehearse God’s Word in your heart and head, and that meditation is vital to spiritual growth. This can take place throughout the day and even at night. This is not something a person does in order to check off the list, and not return to it. Rather, it is something that constantly remains in one’s heart and mind as an act of obedience and devotion to the Lord. Wouldn’t it be great to say what the Psalmist says in Ps. 119:97 “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.” It can happen. Christians can enjoy meditating on God’s Word. Someone said: plan your work, and work your plan. It is no wonder why this man is a blessed man.

Thoughts on Psalm 1: Things A Blessed Man Does Regularly (part 4)

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” (Psalm 1:1-2)

Do you delight in the Word of God? In the text the word “law” refers to the first five books of Moses, also known as the Pentateuch. We are very fortunate to be living in a day and age where we have the complete revelation from God in the Bible. How much time do you spend with things that you delight in? Can you say that you spend as much time in the Word? A simple evaluation of time can determine what one truly delights in. We are so blessed to have God’s Word available to us through the Bible, but do we really delight in it? The question is not “do you believe the Bible?” The question is “do you delight in it?” It could be said that every Christian believes the Bible (basically, they couldn’t be one if they didn’t to begin with), but unfortunately not every Christian delights in the Bible. It is no wonder why this person is a blessed person in Psalm 1; He has a particular sentiment towards God’s Word: It is his delight.

Some Helpful King James Version Tools

I love the KJB. I believe that it is God's Word for the English speaking people. I would like to suggest some helpful tools that would be a big help to any serious student of the Bible. These are "helps." These are tools. They are there to aid one in the pursuit of words and meanings. The King James Bible having been around for some number of years has a degree of "archaisms." But a little work goes a long way and is absolutely rewarding. So here are my recommendations, and perhaps you have some you would like to share.

1. The Defined King James Bible - Published by Bible For Today. The antiquated words in the KJ are put to bold print with the corresponding definition placed in the footnotes. Excellent idea, I wonder why we don't see more of this. Thank you Bible For Today staff for an excellent tool! For more information click here: http://www.biblefortoday.org/kj_bibles.asp

2. The Concise King James Bible Dictionary - Published by Way of Life Literature. A booklet format easily stored inside a Bible Book cover. It not only has KJB words but it also features doctrinal terminologies. An excellent tool, thanks to Dr. David Cloud. For more information click here: http://www.wayoflife.org/catalog/categories/books.html

3. Bible Word List and Reading Scheme - A small yet amazing pamphlet published by the Trinitarian Bible Society. It is a tad tricky to maneuver through the TBS website, but you'll get there eventually. http://www.trinitarianbiblesocietyusa.org/

Thoughts on Psalm 1: Things The Blessed Man Refuses To Do (part 3)

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” (Psalm 1:1)

Because the blessed man refuses to associate himself with the wrong crowd, he spares himself from becoming the wrong crowd. A scorner is someone who is consumed with mockery. In Psalm 1 the scorner is the ungodly, the sinner, only this time he is fleshing out his rebellion towards God. The progression is sure. The scorner occupies a terrible spot, the scorner’s bench. Satisfied to stay where they are at, mocking God and the things of God. Blessed men would rather move forward than be numbered among the scorners who are characteristically swift to criticize true godliness.

Thoughts on Psalm 1: Things The Blessed Man Refuses To Do (part 2)

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful." (Psalm 1:1)

The word "stands" in this verse carries the idea of "loitering." The blessed man refuses to hang out with the wrong crowd. We must be careful who we choose to "buddy up" with. Friends exert an influence on us and so we must choose the right kind of friends. We have a Scriptural reason for not being close to someone who is characteristically a "sinner." This means someone who is deliberate in their disobedience towards God. A sinner is someone who totally disregards God. That is not to say that we are to separate ourselves completely from sinners. Rather, we must be a true friend to sinners; it involves lovingly warning them about the results of continued sin, teaching them through the Bible, the path to pleasing God. If that be the case then we are not necessarily loitering with them since we are really not "with" them. (Some verses to consider: John 15:19; 17:6, 14, 15, 16; 1 Cor. 5:9-10)