Re: The Bible
"Here, then, is the real problem of our negligence. We fail in our duty to study God's Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring, but because it is work. Our problem is not a lack of intelligence or a lack of passion. Our problem is that we are lazy."
- R. C. Sproul
"You may as well quit reading and hearing the Word of God, and give it to the devil, if you do not desire to live according to it."
- Martin Luther
"The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts."
- AW Tozer
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Exodus 13:11-16
This particular study is a 1st draft...I am thinking my way through this passage but here goes:
Read Exodus 13:11-16
We note first that just as with verse 2, the command is given that the firstborn of the people and of the animals is to be consecrated to the Lord.
Note, however, that verse 13 makes a distinction for the donkey...either it is redeemed by the blood of a lamb, or it is to be killed.
What is the significance of this?
If we look at verse 15, we see that the donkey is representaive of the natural state of man!
Israel, like the donkey, would have been destroyed were it not for the substitution of the lamb, the presence of which caused the Angel to pass over those households stained by the blood of the lamb!
Look at it this way:
What are the characteristics of a donkey?
• stubborn
• stupid
• rebellious
• defiant
Now read John 5:37-40
can we say stubbornness?
Read Ephesians 4:17-18
stupidity?
Read Romans 1:18-23
rebelliousness ?
Read 2 Timothy 3:1-9
defiant?
So what does the comparison mean for us? Well, for one, it speaks to God’s love and compassion!
Read Romans 5:6-11
Can we agree that the attributes of an ass and of the natural man are similar?
Do we see ourselves in it?
And what, then, do we deserve from God?
A broken neck? Death!
But what have we received?
Grace!
Read 1 Timothy 1:12-15
Read Luke 18:11-12
With which of these two do you align yourself?
We should be thankful that a lamb, THE Lamb, was provided for our salvation, and until we acknowledge how unworthy we are, we cannot be properly grateful to our Lord and Master!
God Bless!
Read Exodus 13:11-16
We note first that just as with verse 2, the command is given that the firstborn of the people and of the animals is to be consecrated to the Lord.
Note, however, that verse 13 makes a distinction for the donkey...either it is redeemed by the blood of a lamb, or it is to be killed.
What is the significance of this?
If we look at verse 15, we see that the donkey is representaive of the natural state of man!
Israel, like the donkey, would have been destroyed were it not for the substitution of the lamb, the presence of which caused the Angel to pass over those households stained by the blood of the lamb!
Look at it this way:
What are the characteristics of a donkey?
• stubborn
• stupid
• rebellious
• defiant
Now read John 5:37-40
can we say stubbornness?
Read Ephesians 4:17-18
stupidity?
Read Romans 1:18-23
rebelliousness ?
Read 2 Timothy 3:1-9
defiant?
So what does the comparison mean for us? Well, for one, it speaks to God’s love and compassion!
Read Romans 5:6-11
Can we agree that the attributes of an ass and of the natural man are similar?
Do we see ourselves in it?
And what, then, do we deserve from God?
A broken neck? Death!
But what have we received?
Grace!
Read 1 Timothy 1:12-15
Read Luke 18:11-12
With which of these two do you align yourself?
We should be thankful that a lamb, THE Lamb, was provided for our salvation, and until we acknowledge how unworthy we are, we cannot be properly grateful to our Lord and Master!
God Bless!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Paul Washer Sermon
I found this sermon posted on The Reformed Gadfly and liked it so much I felt the need to "steal" it and post it here! :)
I do hope at least some of you take the time to watch it because it is well worth the 15 minutes it will take.
Enjoy!
This is War - Paul Washer from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.
I do hope at least some of you take the time to watch it because it is well worth the 15 minutes it will take.
Enjoy!
This is War - Paul Washer from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.
Friday, April 24, 2009
"Album of the Damned: Snapshots From The Third Reich" by Paul Garson
ISBN #9780897335767
I read this book about 2 weeks ago but I just came across it at work again and thought I'd post a quick review while I'm on break.
As you can tell from the title, the book is made up mostly of pictures with some text. These pictures were taken by everyday Germans; soldiers, Nazi party members, housewives, children, etc...
It is this aspect that makes the pictures so powerful because it shows everyday people doing everyday things. Normal people like you and I. But then you think about what some of these people did...and the author provides details that are haunting when compared with the idyllic represtation of the photos. Like the middle aged men in uniform smiling at the camera. Could be our neighbors, our family members. They seem like the kind of people you'd like to know. Then you realize the uniforms they are wearing are those of the police battalions assigned to the cleansing of Jews and other undesirables from Poland and other conquered territories. These smiling happy men killed other men, women, and children because they felt it was the right thing; it was necessary.
Take a look at the book...sometimes the author can get a tad melodramatic (for example in a picture of a pre-war matronly woman photographed before some trees he points out the shadows cast and comments that they bring to mind the shadow of war looming!); overall, however, it is quite an experience.
"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them"
- Romans 1:28-32
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Quotable
"If Christ is to be our life we must look, in the first place, at Christ before us as our Example. When I speak of Christ as my life, it must not be a vague indefinite thing, but I must know. Life always works itself out in conduct and action, and if Christ comes into me as my life, it must not only be something hidden in my heart, but something that proves itself in every action and in every moment of my existence. And if I want to know how it will show itself, what my sentiments and words and actions and habits will be if I have Christ's life, I must go to the life of the Lord Jesus upon earth and study that. And as I study the life and walk of God's own beloved Son, I must remember that before God took Him up to heaven, God let Him live here upon earth, that in His life I might have a picture, a revelation, a complete representation of what my God wanted me to be, and was willing to make me. That is the light in which you must study the life of Christ in the Gospels- not the only, but one most important, light."
- Andrew Murray in "Absolute Surrender" page 77
As I contemplate these words this evening I think to all those whom I know that profess to be Believers but who do not hold to any of the basic doctrines of the faith. They claim that Christ is their Savior, but deny that the Bible is actually the Word of God...or if it is, then it is certainly not inerrant or infallible. How can they claim to know the One that is proclaimed only in the Bible which they don't believe? Or they claim to have a relationship with the Lord and go without gathering together with other Believers in church for corporate worship. How can they relate to the One that loves the church if they forsake the assembly? Can they love Christ and be apathetic towards the local body that is His Bride?
How true Murray speaks when he says that "if Christ comes into me as my life, it must not only be something hidden in my heart, but something that proves itself in every action and in every moment of my existence."
I hear echoes of James 1:22 here, where the brother of the Lord exhorts us to be doers and not just heares of the Word of God.
Oh for a people of God zealous to exercise their faith in deed AND word!
God bless!
- Andrew Murray in "Absolute Surrender" page 77
As I contemplate these words this evening I think to all those whom I know that profess to be Believers but who do not hold to any of the basic doctrines of the faith. They claim that Christ is their Savior, but deny that the Bible is actually the Word of God...or if it is, then it is certainly not inerrant or infallible. How can they claim to know the One that is proclaimed only in the Bible which they don't believe? Or they claim to have a relationship with the Lord and go without gathering together with other Believers in church for corporate worship. How can they relate to the One that loves the church if they forsake the assembly? Can they love Christ and be apathetic towards the local body that is His Bride?
How true Murray speaks when he says that "if Christ comes into me as my life, it must not only be something hidden in my heart, but something that proves itself in every action and in every moment of my existence."
I hear echoes of James 1:22 here, where the brother of the Lord exhorts us to be doers and not just heares of the Word of God.
Oh for a people of God zealous to exercise their faith in deed AND word!
God bless!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Exodus 13:1-10
Read Exodus 13:1-10
"Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens th womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine."
With these words, we see that God lays a claim upon the people of Israel. He sets apart the firstborn all the nation for Himself.
What do you suppose is the significance of the firstborn being consecrated to God?
Remember that all of these are the very ones whom God spared from death in Egypt!
So God claims Israel as His own, again, not because of any implicit worth in them, but because of what He did for them! He redeemed them, meaning He paid a price for them. This being the case, He has set them apart for a particular purpose. For His purpose, for His glory.
In verses 3-7 we see how God demands they remember what He has done for them...and a part of this remembering involves the unleavened bread.
Read 1 Corinthians 5:7-8
The fact that we are saved and that we have been bought by the blood of Christ, just as Israel was redeemed by the blood of the lamb, does not free us to sin without fear of eternal punishment. On the contrary, our redemption imposes upon us a higher duty to keep away from evil, to not indulge the desires of the flesh, and to not keep worldly company.
What does it mean that we should not keep worldly company? This is not saying we need to avoid people who are not Believers, for how else could we "win" them to Christ? No, to understand the meaning behind this, ask yourself the following:
Who are the people you have the most contact with?
Who are those whom you spend the most time with recreationally?
Who do you seek out for friendship?
If you are a Child of Christ, then the answer to all of the above should be that it is other Christians! If we find that the people we most seek out, whethet at work or wherever else, are not Believers, then we should ask ourselves why! How could we say we love our Risen Lord and not love those for whom He perished and rose again?
Read Matthew 16:6-12
Note the warning which Jesus gave to His disciples:
To impose upon the Word something that is not there, to impose traditions that supersede the Scriptures, and to put ritual ahead of true faith is the essence of what Jesus warned about. This is the leaven of hypocrisy.
In Mark we also read about the leaven of Herod. What do you suppose this speaks to? The leaven herein speaks to friendship with the world!
So that when we join the world in mocking our Lord, we sin.
When we allow ourselves to compromise our standards for the sake of being friendly, we sin.
And when we keep silent and our Lord is being degraded, we sin.
Basically then, we as Believers have the obligation of obedience to our Lord. He has the right to expect us to live lives differently than the unbeliever does. And He has the right to expect us to remember His sacrifice for us.
It can be said, then, that the Passover for the Believer is now the Lord’s Supper. We must remember this and we must do so regularly.
You see, as Believers, our lives were saved from eternal damnation, and we no longer belong to ourselves, we are slaves to Christ. It is not for some simple reason that Luther taught on the bondage of the will...and it was not out of thin air that Luther spoke on this, for look to Romans 6:15-23 and you will see that Luther did nothing but echo the inspired words of Paul!
One final comment...note Exodus 13:8
"And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, "This is done because of what the Lord did for me when I came up from Egypt."
The most important thing for us to do is to tell our children about the hope that is in us! What the Lord did for me!!! Oh that all of us parents would make this a priority instead of leaving it to others!
"Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens th womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine."
With these words, we see that God lays a claim upon the people of Israel. He sets apart the firstborn all the nation for Himself.
What do you suppose is the significance of the firstborn being consecrated to God?
Remember that all of these are the very ones whom God spared from death in Egypt!
So God claims Israel as His own, again, not because of any implicit worth in them, but because of what He did for them! He redeemed them, meaning He paid a price for them. This being the case, He has set them apart for a particular purpose. For His purpose, for His glory.
In verses 3-7 we see how God demands they remember what He has done for them...and a part of this remembering involves the unleavened bread.
Read 1 Corinthians 5:7-8
The fact that we are saved and that we have been bought by the blood of Christ, just as Israel was redeemed by the blood of the lamb, does not free us to sin without fear of eternal punishment. On the contrary, our redemption imposes upon us a higher duty to keep away from evil, to not indulge the desires of the flesh, and to not keep worldly company.
What does it mean that we should not keep worldly company? This is not saying we need to avoid people who are not Believers, for how else could we "win" them to Christ? No, to understand the meaning behind this, ask yourself the following:
Who are the people you have the most contact with?
Who are those whom you spend the most time with recreationally?
Who do you seek out for friendship?
If you are a Child of Christ, then the answer to all of the above should be that it is other Christians! If we find that the people we most seek out, whethet at work or wherever else, are not Believers, then we should ask ourselves why! How could we say we love our Risen Lord and not love those for whom He perished and rose again?
Read Matthew 16:6-12
Note the warning which Jesus gave to His disciples:
To impose upon the Word something that is not there, to impose traditions that supersede the Scriptures, and to put ritual ahead of true faith is the essence of what Jesus warned about. This is the leaven of hypocrisy.
In Mark we also read about the leaven of Herod. What do you suppose this speaks to? The leaven herein speaks to friendship with the world!
So that when we join the world in mocking our Lord, we sin.
When we allow ourselves to compromise our standards for the sake of being friendly, we sin.
And when we keep silent and our Lord is being degraded, we sin.
Basically then, we as Believers have the obligation of obedience to our Lord. He has the right to expect us to live lives differently than the unbeliever does. And He has the right to expect us to remember His sacrifice for us.
It can be said, then, that the Passover for the Believer is now the Lord’s Supper. We must remember this and we must do so regularly.
You see, as Believers, our lives were saved from eternal damnation, and we no longer belong to ourselves, we are slaves to Christ. It is not for some simple reason that Luther taught on the bondage of the will...and it was not out of thin air that Luther spoke on this, for look to Romans 6:15-23 and you will see that Luther did nothing but echo the inspired words of Paul!
One final comment...note Exodus 13:8
"And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, "This is done because of what the Lord did for me when I came up from Egypt."
The most important thing for us to do is to tell our children about the hope that is in us! What the Lord did for me!!! Oh that all of us parents would make this a priority instead of leaving it to others!
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