POLE IN STORAGE?

POLE STORED ON PEW?

Friday, November 29, 2019



Matthew 4:18-22 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.  And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him. [Mk.1:14-20]



  A thought struck me last evening: If we’re not fishing, we are not following.

EBB4

THANKFULNESS IN ALL, FOR ALL

THANKFULNESS IN ALL, FOR ALL (From Nave’s Topical Bible)

Jesus set an example of  Mat_11:25; Mat_26:27; Joh_11:41

The heavenly host engage in  Rev_4:9; Rev_7:11-12; Rev_11:16-17

Commanded  Isa_50:14  Should be offered:

To God  Psa_50:14

To Christ  1Ti_1:12

Through Christ  Rom_1:8; Col_3:17; Heb_13:15

In the name of Christ  Eph_5:20

In behalf of ministers  2Co_1:11

In private worship  Dan_6:10

In public worship  Psa_35:18

In everything  1Th_5:18

Upon the completion of great undertakings  Neh_12:31; Neh_12:40

Before taking food  Joh_6:11; Act_27:35

Always  Eph_1:16; Eph_5:20; 1Th_1:2

As the remembrance of God's holiness  Psa_30:4; Psa_97:12

For the goodness and mercy of God  Psa_106:1; Psa_107:1; Psa_136:1-3

For the gift of Christ  2Co_9:15

For Christ's power and reign  Rev_11:17

For the reception and effectual working of the word of God in others  1Th_2:13

For deliverance through Christ, from indwelling sin  Rom_7:23-25

For victory over death and the grave  1Co_15:57

For wisdom and might  Dan_2:23

For the triumph of the gospel  2Co_2:14

For the conversion of others  Rom_6:17

For faith exhibited by others  Rom_1:8; 2Th_1:3

For love exhibited by others  2Th_1:3

For the grace bestowed on others  1Co_1:4; Phi_1:3-5; Col_1:3-6

For the zeal exhibited by others  2Co_8:16

For nearness of God's presence  Psa_75:1

For appointment to the ministry  1Ti_1:12

For willingness to offer our property for God's service  1Ch_29:6-14

For the supply of our bodily wants  Rom_14:6-7; 1Ti_4:3-4

For all men  1Ti_2:1

For all things  2Co_9:11; Eph_5:20

Should be accompanied by intercession for others  1Ti_2:1; 2Ti_1:3; Phm_1:4

Should always accompany prayer  Neh_11:17; Phi_4:6; Col_4:2

Should always accompany praise  Psa_92:1; Heb_13:15

Expressed in Psalms  1Ch_16:7

Ministers appointed to offer, in public  1Ch_16:4; 1Ch_16:7; 1Ch_23:30; 2Ch_31:2

Saints exhorted to:

General references  Psa_105:1; Col_3:15

Resolve to offer  Psa_18:49; Psa_30:12

Habitually offer  Dan_6:10

Offer sacrifices of  Psa_116:17

Abound in the faith with  Col_2:7

Magnify God by  Psa_69:30

Come before God with  Psa_95:2

Enter God's gates with  Psa_100:4

Of hypocrites, full of boasting  Luk_18:11

The wicked averse to thankfulness  Rom_1:21

HARKENING BACK TO NOAH

HARKENING BACK TO NOAH

Wednesday, November 27, 2019



… But to the rest I speak, not the Lord, If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is pleased to dwell with him, do not let him put her away. And the woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is pleased to dwell with her, do not let her leave him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; else your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. … (MKJV 1Cor. Chapter7)



  As a new believer the apostle Paul’s knowledgeable family advice to the church at Corinth puzzled me initially, especially the KJV “sanctified”. Then, duh, I too observed that a gracious John 3:3 born-again believing spouse does “set apart” their family. Then this morn I awoke with the Bible passage on my mind with further insight: The brief sentence “Noah found grace in the eyes of Jehovah.” 

EBB4

USA PUBLIC SCHOOLS PUSHING ISLAM

PUBLIC SCHOOLS AS DARK PRINCIPALITIES

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Ephesians chapter 6 … This is not a wrestling match against a human opponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world. For this reason, take up all the armor that God supplies. Then you will be able to take a stand during these evil days….

  Caleigh Wood is a Maryland 11^th grade public school student. She received a failing grade for refusing, with her father’s backing, to deny her Christian faith by making a written profession of the Muslim conversion prayer. An assignment that if in reverse directing Muslim students to write a prayer of faith based in the Lord’s Prayer or John 3:16 would result in Islamic outrage. And rightly so, as forced proselytization, even if as a so-called educational exercise, is contrary to Biblical choice and our USA First Amendment.

  The USA Supreme court has decided against reviewing Caleigh’s case.

  Is this to say that Caleigh’s experience is common to public schools across our nation? No, but the practice is spreading.

  Richard Thompson, president and chief counsel of Thomas Moore Law Center, said “This issue isn’t going to go away . . . We have other cases right now where we are challenging school districts where seventh-graders are being taught that the only true faith is Islam.”

EBB4

Excerpted from: OneNewsNow.com 10/16/19 “Schools Pushing The Envelope On Islamic Proselytization”

THE 400 SILENT YEARS

THE 400 SILENT YEARS  

GotQuestions.org: "What happened in the intertestamental period?"   The time between the last writings of the Old Testament and the appearance of Christ is known as the “intertestamental” (or “between the testaments”) period. It lasted from the prophet Malachi’s time (about 400 BC) to the preaching of John the Baptist (about AD 25). Because there was no prophetic word from God during the period from Malachi to John, some refer to it as the “400 silent years.” The political, religious, and social atmosphere of Israel changed significantly during this period. Much of what happened was predicted by the prophet Daniel. (See Daniel chapters 2, 7, 8, and 11 and compare to historical events.)   Israel was under the control of the Persian Empire about 532–332 BC. The Persians allowed the Jews to practice their religion with little interference. They were even allowed to rebuild and worship at the temple (2 Chronicles 36:22–23; Ezra 1:1–4). This span of time included the last 100 years of the Old Testament period and about the first 100 years of the intertestamental period. This time of relative peace and contentment was just the calm before the storm.   Prior to the intertestamental period, Alexander the Great defeated Darius of Persia, bringing Greek rule to the world. Alexander was a student of Aristotle and was well-educated in Greek philosophy and politics. Alexander required that Greek culture be promoted in every land that he conquered. As a result, the Hebrew Old Testament was translated into Greek, becoming the translation known as the Septuagint. Most of the New Testament references to Old Testament Scripture use the Septuagint phrasing. Alexander did allow religious freedom for the Jews, though he still strongly promoted Greek lifestyles. This was not a good turn of events for Israel, since the Greek culture was very worldly, humanistic, and ungodly.   After Alexander died, Judea was ruled by a series of successors, culminating in the Selucid king Antiochus Epiphanes. Antiochus did far more than refuse religious freedom to the Jews. Around 167 BC, he overthrew the rightful line of the priesthood and desecrated the temple, defiling it with unclean animals and a pagan altar (see Mark 13:14 for a similar event to take place in the future). Antiochus’ act was the religious equivalent of rape. Eventually, Jewish resistance to Antiochus, led by Judas Maccabeus and the Hasmoneans, restored the rightful priests and rescued the temple. The period of the Maccabean Revolt was one of war, violence, and infighting.   Around 63 BC, Pompey of Rome conquered Israel, putting all of Judea under control of the Caesars. This eventually led to Herod being made king of Judea by the Roman emperor and senate. This is the nation that taxed and controlled the Jews and eventually executed the Messiah on a Roman cross. Roman, Greek, and Hebrew cultures were now mixed together in Judea.   During the span of the Greek and Roman occupations, two important political/religious groups emerged in Israel. The Pharisees added to the Law of Moses through oral tradition and eventually considered their own laws more important than God’s (see Mark 7:1–23). While Christ’s teachings often agreed with the Pharisees, He railed against their hollow legalism and lack of compassion. The Sadducees represented the aristocrats and the wealthy. The Sadducees, who wielded power through the Sanhedrin, rejected all but the Mosaic books of the Old Testament. They refused to believe in resurrection and were generally shadows of the Greeks, whom they greatly admired.   The events of the intertestamental period set the stage for Christ and had a profound impact on the Jewish people. Both Jews and pagans from other nations were becoming dissatisfied with religion. The pagans were beginning to question the validity of polytheism. Romans and Greeks were drawn from their mythologies toward the Hebrew Scriptures, now easily accessible in Greek or Latin. The Jews, however, were despondent. Once again, they were conquered, oppressed, and polluted. Hope was running low; faith was even lower. They were convinced that now the only thing that could save them and their faith was the appearance of the Messiah. Not only were people primed and ready for the Messiah, but God was moving in other ways as well: the Romans had built roads (to aid the spread of the gospel); everyone understood a common language, Koine Greek (the language of the New Testament); and there was a fair amount of peace and freedom to travel (further aiding the dissemination of the gospel).   The New Testament tells the story of how hope came, not only for the Jews but for the entire world. Christ’s fulfillment of prophecy was anticipated and recognized by many who sought Him out. The stories of the Roman centurion, the wise men, and the Pharisee Nicodemus show how Jesus was recognized as the Messiah by those from several different cultures. The “400 years of silence” of the intertestamental period were broken by the greatest story ever told—the gospel of Jesus Christ! Recommended Resource: Introduction to the Intertestamental Period by Raymond Surburg More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free!

PRIDEFULNESS

EVIDENCES OF PRIDE

Sunday, November 24, 2019

  “Finally, everyone must live in harmony, be sympathetic, love each other, have compassion, and be humble.” (GW 1Pet.3:8) 

  When it come to pride versus humility, there is no neutral ground.

  As with all characteristics favorably beneficial or otherwise detrimental, there are evidences, some very obvious, others not so; pride quite easily recognized in others; while comparatively the most difficult evidence to see is personally that pride is spelled “life is all about me”. (Note 1Cor.12 & 13, especially 13:11)

  Here is a checklist I compiled first of all for myself and to assist others in the recognition our pride:

1.     Passing judgment on, complaining against God. Num.14:1-11; Rom.9:20.

2.     A general lack of gratitude and thankfulness. 2Chron.32:25.

3.     Anger, ever-present “my rights”. Mt.20:1-16.

4.     Intolerant, easily disgusted. Lk.7:36-50.

5.     Inflated view of importance, intelligence, gifts, abilities, talents. 1Cor.4:7.

6.     Focusing on # 5. list of lacks. 1Cor.12:14-25.

7.     Driven in perfectionism and expecting it in others. Mt.23:24-28.

8.     Vociferous loose lips. Pr.10:19.

9.     Boastfulness. Pr.27:2; Gal.6:3.

10.  Difficulty in working or serving under authority; wanting to control. 1Cor.1:10-13; Eph.5:21.

11.  Disproportionately concerned or regulated by other’s opinions of you, resulting in man-pleasing instead of God-pleasing manner. Gal.1:10. (There’s also the contrary side of this pridefulness; not giving a hoot about manner and reputation.)

12.  Ravaged and riled by advice or criticism. Pr.13:1.

13.  Unteachable. Pr.19:20; Jn.9:13-14.

14.  Sarcastic and demeaning toward people. Pr.12:18, 23.

15.  No recognition = no service. Gal.5:13; Eph.2:10.

16.  Without concern for others. Mt.5:7; 18:23-35.

17.  Defensiveness and blame-shifting. Gen.3:12-13; Pr.12:1.

18.  Self-excusing or half-heartedly apologetic. Pr.10:17.

19.  Prayers centered in self, not others, not God. Lk.18:10-14.

20.  Disrespectful. 1Pet.2:13-17.

21.  Untimely or inconsiderate opining. Phil.2:1-4.

22.  Not asking forgiveness of God or man. Mt.5:23-24.

23.  Underrating sins and limitations. Mt.7:3-5.

24.  Maximizing others’ sins and limitations. Mt.7:3-5; Lk.18:9-14.

25.  Irritable and impatient with others or even self. Eph.4:31-32.

26.  Jealous and envious. 1Cor.13:4.

27.  Using others for self-interest or gain. Mt.7:12; Phil.2:3-4.

28.  Deceitful, secretive. Pr.11:3; 28:13.

29.  Fishing for compliments and attention. 1Pet.3:3-4.

30.  Abstaining from close relationships. Pr.18:1-2; Heb.10:24-25.

  Additionally: another mark of pride versus humility is refusal to examine self using a checklist such as this one. 

  After editing and setting aside the above to ponder a bit more, an afterthought: Hours after completing EVIDENCES OF PRIDE, the absolute incongruity of pride’s manners struck me. Living in and by pride we may all at the same time despise authority while being a man-pleaser while bragging of sinful exploits while deceitfully hiding or denying others while fishing for recognition while apologetic about accomplishment while ___________. O’ but how sinful we are!

EBB4