Adventures in Scripture

Two Fighting Dinosaurs? - Answers in Genesis

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:19:00 +0000

Two Fighting Dinosaurs? - Answers in Genesis

Sea Otters - Answers in Genesis

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:07:00 +0000

Solomon's Blank Check

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:44:00 +0000

What would you do if God offered you anything in the world that you wanted? In "The Blank Check" we looked at a man named Lot, and what he did with his "Blank Check", and how it did not turn out very well for him. Then in "Another Blank Check" we looked at a Prophet by the name of Balaam, and what he did with his Blank Check, and how it ultimately cost him his life. Now I would like to look at a man named Solomon who was offered Yet Another Blank Check.

First of all let's take a look at who Solomon was, and why he was King over Israel. Solomon succeeded David as King of Israel; however he was not David's firstborn son. Therefore the question becomes: Why was Solomon named King over Israel? In order to answer this question we must first take a look at when and where David's sons were born.

Let's look at 1 Chronicles 3:1-9. Here we see a list of David's sons: Amnon, Daniel (Chileab), Absalom, Adonijah, Shephatiah, Ithream, Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Eliphelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet. Now according to 1 Chronicles 3:4 the first six were born to David in Hebron where he reigned over Judah for 3 years, and 6 months. The other 13 sons were born in Jerusalem. The first four mentioned in 1 Chronicles 3:5 are born to Bathsheba. Now Solomon is listed as the last son in this list; however we know from 2 Samuel 12:24 that Solomon was David and Bathsheba's first born living son, not the fourth.

Therefore Solomon was the firstborn son in Jerusalem after David was anointed King over all of Israel. David reigned as King in Jerusalem for 33 years. According to eastern tradition, the oldest son born after his father's accession to the sovereign authority would be the proper heir to the throne. Therefore Solomon is the proper heir. This why other than Adonijah (1 Kings 1:5-9, 2:13-25) he didn't receive any resistance once David named him as his successor.

This is how Solomon came to be King over Israel. As King, Solomon worshipped the Lord, and according to 1 Kings 3:3-9 he went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices to the Lord. This is when the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and offered him his Blank Check. We see the offer made in 1 Kings 3:5. The Lord asks Solomon what he desires, and the implication is that whatever Solomon would ask for it would be his.

Now you would think that if you were offered a Blank Check from the Lord God himself that you wouldn't have to worry about it going bad for you. But let's take a look at Solomon's Blank Check and see what it was, and how it turned out for him.

First of all let's see what Solomon asks for. I mean he could have asked for Riches, Health, Peace, Honor, a long life, a healthy family: The list could go on forever. Just imagine being offered limitless opportunities, resources, or desires from the creator himself. What would you ask for?

This Blank Check was worth so much more that Lot's or Balaam's checks were worth. So how did Solomon answer the Lord? Let's look at 1 Kings 3:6-10 to see. Solomon fought back the likely temptation of asking for something in a selfish way. He instead asked God to give him the wisdom that would be necessary to rule the kingdom. Now this sounds like Solomon had it together, and there is no way that this could come back and bite him as did Lot's and Balaam's checks.

We see in 1 Kings 3:11-14, and again in 1 Kings 4:29-31 that the Lord honored Solomon's request. So Solomon was offered a Blank Check, and he too cashed it in. At this point it looks like Solomon did right by his Blank Check. He wasn't selfish, or covetous, but rather was giving, and selfless with his request. He understood the great demands that would be placed on him as King, and used his Blank Check to be the best king that he could be.

In 1 Kings 3:16-28 we even have an example of Solomon using the wisdom that God gave him. Basically two women came to him disputing as to who was the true mother of a certain baby. You see they both gave birth to sons at around the same time. These women lived together in the same house, and one evening the son of one of them died. So while the other was still asleep she switched the babies. The next morning the other woman woke up to a dead baby, but realized that it wasn't hers. They then came to Solomon to straighten out whose baby was still alive. They didn't have DNA tests back then, so Solomon simply asked for a sword, and said that he would divide the baby in half so they both could have the baby. Of course the real mother protested, and said to just give the baby to the other woman; therefore Solomon knew who the true mother was. (The other woman didn't protest his decision. In fact she applauded it) Solomon then rewarded the true mother by giving her son back to her, and in so doing demonstrated his great wisdom, and ability to judge.

Finally, we have a Blank Check offered, and cashed in with the right motives. Then we find ourselves in 1 Kings 11:1-8 where we find that Solomon; in direct defiance of Deuteronomy 17:17 had 700 wives plus another 300 concubines. As if it wouldn't be bad enough to have that many wives, we see in 1 Kings 11:1 that he married women from other lands; namely daughters of Pharaoh, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites.

These women came from lands where they worshipped other gods, and when Solomon was old these wives convinced him to go after these other gods. Once Solomon started worshipping these gods, and had his heart turned away for the Lord he was commanded twice by the Lord to turn away from these gods, and back to the Lord God of Israel, but Solomon ignored these warnings.

Solomon was offered a Blank Check, he cashed it in, and at first it looks like we finally have someone doing right with his check. Solomon asked for wisdom (1 Kings 3:9), Solomon receives wisdom (1 Kings 4:29-30), but Solomon doesn't use that wisdom (1 Kings 11:5, Nehemiah 13:23-26).

So how did Solomon's Blank Check work out for him? Well if he would have used it properly it could have turned out well, but as Romans 3:23 reminds us: we are all sinners, and Solomon was no exception; Therefore in 1 Kings 11:11-13 God promises to divided the kingdom at the conclusion of Solomon's reign.

The Bible teaches in Luke 12:48 that where much is given, much is required. Solomon was given much in the wisdom that he received, but he chose not to use it. We need to take a lesson from Solomon in this area. As believers we should act upon the knowledge, and wisdom that is given to us by God. In James 4:17 we are told that if God has shown us what the right thing to do is, and we choose not to do it, than we have sinned against him.

We all make mistakes, and fall into temptation, and sin. The issue at hand is what we do when God brings our sin to light. Do we ignore his voice as Solomon did in 1Kings 11:10? Or do we repent of that sin as his father David did in 2 Samuel 12:13?

According to 1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, Jesus will forgive us, and restore us to a right relationship with him.

Do you have any un-confessed sin in your life today? If you do, confess those sins to the Lord, and repent (turn away). Once you do, then according to 1 John 1:3-4, you may once again have fellowship with Jesus.

May your joy be full in the Lord Jesus Christ today.

Another Blank Check

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:41:00 +0000

What would you do if you were offered limitless resources? In "The Blank Check" we looked at a man named Lot, and what he did with his "Blank Check", and how it did not turn out very well for him. Now I would like to look at a man named Balaam who was offered "Another Blank Check".

Balaam was a prophet. We don't have very much information about Balaam. In fact the first instance that he is mentioned in the Bible is right here in Numbers 22. We don't have any other record of his actions other that this incident. He is mentioned in the Bible 60 times in 8 different books; however Everytime he is mentioned it is in relationship to the situation that we are looking into now which begins in Numbers 22.

Before we get into where Balaam receives a Blank Check we must first look at the reason why the King of the Moabites would be afraid of the Israelites. According to Numbers 14:28-38 The Israelites rebelled against God and did not trust him to deliver them from their enemies, but instead had a complaining spirit; Therefore God said that they must wander in the wilderness for 40 years. In Numbers 14:29 God said that all of the people that were 20 years old and above (except Caleb, and Joshua because they believed God) who complained against him would die in the wilderness, and not enter the Promised Land, Even though they were currently standing at the edge of it.

At the end of the 40 years of wandering (we know that it had been 40 years because of the death of Aaron, Compare Numbers 20:23-29 with Numbers 33:38-39) The Israelites requested permission to pass through the land of the Amorites. As recorded in Numbers 21:21-26 King Sihon of the Amorites not only refused passage to them, but he gathered his army together to attack the Israelites, but Numbers 21:24 records the fact that the nation of Israel was victorious, and took all the cities of the Amorites. Then we read in Numbers 21:33-35 that King Og of Bashan brought his army to fight against them, but Israel was victorious once again.

Balak King of Moab had heard what Israel had done to the Amorites, and since the Amorites had previously beaten Moab in battle (Numbers 21:25-30) this made Balak very afraid of Israel.

Balak decided against taking military action against Israel and instead decided to get supernatural help. Therefore Balak sent messengers to Balaam, a well-known soothsayer. Balaam had the reputation that whoever he blessed would be blessed, and whomever he cursed would be cursed. The messengers went to see Balaam bringing with them payment for his services. In Numbers 22:8 Balaam tells these messengers to wait while he goes to see what the Lord would tell him to do.

God comes to Balaam, and told him that he shouldn't go with the men, that he couldn't curse the Israelites, and that Israel had been blessed (Genesis 12:1-4). The next morning Balaam just simply told the messengers that God said that he couldn't go. Notice that God actually said more to Balaam than what he shared with these men. God gave Balaam a 3-point message: 1. Don't Go, 2. Don't Curse, and 3. They are blessed, but Balaam only delivered the first point. This should be our first indication that Balaam wasn't totally honest.

The messengers returned to Balak, and delivered Balaam's message. Balak wouldn’t give up just yet though. He instead sends another group of messengers to Balaam with promise of even a greater reward if he will come and curse the Israelites. .In Numbers 22:17 we have Another Blank Check offered.

Balak promises Balaam that if he will come curse Israel that Balak will do whatever Balaam asks him to do.

So what did Balaam do? He told the men to wait while he asked God what he should do. Now was this even necessary? No it wasn't. God had already told him in no uncertain terms that he wasn't to curse the people. Balaam was looking for a loophole, because he really wanted to cash in his Blank Check.

Gods message to Balaam this time as found in Numbers 22:20 is that "if" the men come back to you then you can go, but you can't say anything other that what I tell you to say. So what did Balaam do? He disobeyed God. He didn't wait for the men to come to him; instead he got up in the morning, and immediately saddled his donkey, and prepared for the trip.

On the way to Moab Balaam's donkey started to act strange. It wouldn't stay on the path, and finally when they came to a narrow place in the path that had a wall on each side, the donkey crushed Balaam's foot against the wall. This enraged Balaam and he beat the donkey, and then the strangest thing happened:

The donkey started to speak to Balaam in a human voice! See Numbers 22:21-30 for the full account it's amazing.

After hearing the donkey speak to him Balaam's eyes were opened, and he could see the Angel of the Lord standing in his way with a sword. Balaam immediately realized that his true motives had been found out. (Numbers 33:23)

The Lord allowed Balaam to go, but would not allow him to curse Israel. In fact God made Balaam bless Israel; which displeased Balak. (Numbers 23:11-12)

However Balaam really wanted to cash in his Blank Check, so he came up with an alternate plan. He taught Balak how to get Israel to Sin against God, and therefore bring a curse upon themselves. In Numbers 25:1-3 we see that Israel started to worship the gods of Moab. How did this come to pass? According to Numbers 31:14-16 it was through the council of Balaam that the women of Moab infiltrated Israel, and influenced them to abandon the Lord.

So here we have Another Blank Check offered, accepted, and cashed in. But how did this work out for Balaam? Well according to Numbers 31:8 it cost him his life. And as if that wouldn't be bad enough, we have him being used in several Scripture passages as an example to avoid.

According 2 Peter 2:15 there is the Way of Balaam (The Love of the wages of unrighteousness), and in Jude 11 we see the Error of Balaam which was covetousness, and finally in Revelation 2:14 we see the Doctrine of Balaam which is that he caused Israel to stumble. Every time Balaam's name comes up in the Bible, which is 10 times outside the book of Numbers, it is in a negative context.

Even though it looked like Balaam had a pure heart when he went to God for advice we can now see that he had already made up his mind as to what he wanted to do beforehand.

We need to take a lesson from the life of Balaam. Though most of us would probably never even consider cursing Gods people; we need to remember that anytime we make up our mind to do something regardless of what God shows or tells us, we are following the Way, Error, and Doctrine of Balaam.

If you are offered a Blank Check, and you decide to seek Gods council, Make sure you submit to his council regardless the cost.

Next we will look at one more Blank Check. This one is being offered to a King. Lets see what Solomon does with his Blank Check.

The Blank Check

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:01:00 +0000

What would you do if you were given a blank check that had no limits put upon it? For most of us the thought of having limitless resources or options is unfathomable. Just for a moment; however just imagine what you would do if you were given this opportunity. A person could do a lot of good if they had limitless resources couldn't they?

I suppose that if I were given this opportunity I would first pay off all my bills. I can think of a lot of things that I could accomplish if I were given a blank check. Just think of how many missionaries you could support, or what local ministries you could support or even start if you had a blank check. Such as a bus ministry to transport local kids to church services, and activities; or maybe even fund a building project at your local church that would better enable you local assembly to reach the un-churched in your community.

One could adopt a needy family and help them with day-to-day struggles. The point is that if you were given unlimited options in the form of a blank check you could do a lot of good.

Speaking of a lot lets take a few moments and see what the Bible has to say about his subject. Lets start with a man named Lot. We find this man Lot in the book of Genesis. According to Genesis 11:27 Lot was the nephew of Abraham. He was the son of Haran the brother of Abraham.

Lots' father died so Terah Abrahams' father took Lot into his family, and they moved from Ur of the Chaldees to the land of Haran. This is the place where God spoke to Abraham as found in Genesis 12, and instructed him to go to a land that God would show him; so he took his family including Lot to the land of Canaan.

Lot also went with Abraham into Egypt in order to escape the famine. We pick up our story as Abraham, and lot come out of Egypt, as found in Genesis 13:1-12.

After they exited Egypt an increase in possessions caused a shortage of available grazing lands, which caused Abrahams' shepherds to argue with Lots' shepherds; Therefore Abraham offered Lot a Blank Check.

Lots' Blank Check was offered to him in Genesis 13:8-9. Lot had a choice to make; he could have whichever land he wanted to live in. Abraham offered Lot what most of us would desire: A limitless opportunity; No restrictions or boundaries involved. Whatever his decision Abraham would honor it. So what did Lot choose?

On one side was the land of Canaan, and on the other was the Plain of Jordan, a place of beauty, because it was well watered. Lots' decision was to move east into the Plain of Jordan; therefore Lot moved his family and set up his home toward the city of Sodom.

Here we have a Blank Check offered, accepted, and cashed in, but how did this work out for Lot and his family? Well according to Genesis 13:13 Lot by cashing in his check, and seeking the easy life exposed his family, and himself to wickedness, and therefore brought his entire family into judgment with God (Genesis 18:20-21, Genesis 19:12-13).

The end result was that Lot had lost his family. According to Genesis 19:14-16 Lot had daughters that were married, but he had lost his testimony, and spiritual leadership with them, so when he tried to warn them of the coming judgment they just laughed at him. Therefore they were destroyed with the rest of the inhabitants of the city. Only Lots' wife and two younger daughters leave the city with him. However despite the warning too not turn back and look to the city as they left; Lots' wife did, and she too was lost. So only Lot and his two daughters would survive (Genesis 19:30).

Even Though Lot escaped with his life, and the lives of his two daughters, they didn't come out of this unscarred. 2 Peter 2:7-8 tells us that Lot was vexed in his spirit because of the decisions that he had made, and according to Genesis 19:31-38 his daughters had been tainted by all the sin that they were exposed to; so as you can plainly see being offered a Blank Check is not something to be considered lightly.

In our next lesson we will look at another example of someone being offered a Blank Check. In the book of Numbers Chapter 22 we will be introduced to a man named Balaam.

The Woman at the well

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:34:00 +0000

Read John 4:1-42

Now that you have read the scripture, take a look at this video that is written from the Samaritan Womans point of view.

How Bible Study Differs From Bible Reading

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 21:25:00 +0000

How Bible Study Differs From Bible Reading
By Dr. Ralph Wilson

Every sincere Christian wants to have a more meaningful personal Bible study, to understand the Bible better. While learning the Bible is the joyful task of a lifetime, I'd like to offer several suggestions that can enrich your Bible studies.

Bible Reading vs. Bible Study

First, recognize that Bible reading and Bible study are both important, but different. In order to grow, you need to read the Bible every day as part of your time with God -- your devotions or quiet time. During this daily time with God I recommend prayer, wide Bible reading, praise, thanksgiving, confession, and meditation -- these are ways to reach out to God with your spirit. Bible reading is one way of letting God refresh your spirit and speak to your mind.

If you really want to learn the Bible, I recommend that you read broadly rather than narrowly. A one-verse devotional may be quick, but it won't really help you understand the Bible. I try each morning to read one chapter from the Old Testament, one chapter from Psalms or Proverbs, and one chapter from the New Testament. If I'm consistent, this will get me through the Old Testament once each year and the New Testament twice. That's an example of broad reading and takes five to 10 minutes a day -- 15 minutes if the day's chapters are long.

But Bible reading as part of your daily devotions should be separate from your times of Bible study. Let me explain.

Blocks of Time for In-Depth Bible Study

Bible study, as opposed to reading, concentrates on a single topic, Bible character, or book of the Bible for closer study.

For example, right now in the New Testament I'm reading the Epistle to the Hebrews. I'm realizing that though I've read it many times, I need to dig in and figure out what it's really saying. That's where Bible study comes in. Bible study takes a longer block of uninterrupted time. Perhaps you'll set aside 30 to 45 minutes on Tuesday and Thursday nights for in-depth Bible study, or an hour on Saturday mornings before the family is up -- or perhaps longer. Blocks of time are important to Bible study.

Don't Forget the Most Important Step

It's possible to be so engrossed in Bible study that you forget the most important purpose of Bible study. It's not Bible knowledge for its own sake nor being able to quote verses and recite orthodox doctrine. Ultimately, the purpose of Bible study is to learn exactly what the Bible teaches so that you can apply its teachings to your life.

Perhaps the simplest approach to Bible study is to use the three basic inductive Bible study questions to ask of a Bible passage:

What does it say?
What did it mean to those reading it in Bible times?
What does it mean to me as I seek to apply it to my life?

My prayer is that your Bible study results in a heart that is tender to listen to what the Spirit is saying to you through Scripture and a will that is determined to live out in your everyday life what you're learning.

Dr. Ralph F. Wilson has pioneered Bible study on the Internet since 1996 with his JesusWalk® Bible Study series (http://www.jesuswalk.com). The site offers more than a more than a dozen no-cost interactive online Bible studies, plus books and DVDs designed for personal and group study.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Ralph_Wilson
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Bible-Study-Differs-From-Bible-Reading&id=565913

The Bible bill?

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:46:00 +0000

Victoria McGrane Victoria Mcgrane – Fri May 22, 5:40 am ET

When the clock strikes midnight on Dec. 31, 2009, Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) hopes you’ll be ringing in “the Year of the Bible.”

It’s probably just wishful thinking.

Broun’s simple congressional resolution aimed at honoring the Good Book has produced a push-back of biblical proportion in the blogosphere, with critics dismissing it as either unconstitutional or a waste of time. Jews in Congress and atheist activists are dismissing the resolution, while none of the many Democrats in Congress who are Christian have bothered to sign on as co-sponsors.

According to GovTrak.us, the resolution is among the most-blogged-about pieces of legislation, with most posts less than complimentary in nature.

“Does that mean 2009 is not the year of the Bible?” mocked Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who is Jewish. “What is 2012 the year of? The Quran?”

“That’s an endorsement of religion by the federal government, and we shouldn’t be doing that,” said Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), even though he has introduced his own legislation dealing with religion.

This statement makes my blood boil. The fact that everyone in society is so against the Bible. The Bible is not just a "religious" book. The Bible contains historical facts that have been backed up by archaeological finds as well as secular history. It is not just part of a religion.

By the way the only time these Political "leaders" (The blind leading the blind if you ask me) have a problem with "religion" is if it is in any way connected to Christianity. You can mention Budah, Mohammad, or any other religious leader you want (in a positive light, otherwise you will be labeled as narrow minded or even worse), but the moment you mention the name of the Lord Jesus Christ..watch out.

Makes you wonder doesn't it? Is it that these same people really do know who it is that they will have to answer to when this life is over? They can avoid the subject all they want, but someday they will have to face the facts.

I liken it to someone who has a debt that they can not pay to a creditor. The phone rings, they check the caller ID, and decide not to answer because they don't want to deal with the fact that the person on the other end is going to ask them to pay their debt, and furthermore probably ask why they haven't been making payments already. You see they can avoid the call all they want. They can even convince themselves to put it out of their mind, but someday they will have to settle up.

It's the same way in respect to God. These people know that they owe a debt that they cannot pay (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23). So they avoid the subject, and act like the debt isn't there. But someday (sooner than they expect too) they will have to face the music, Hebrews 9:27. It's better to get the debt cleared today. Jesus came into the world to save sinners 1 Timothy 1:15. In order to get the debt paid is all that has to be done is to put all your faith and trust in the finished work that Jesus did in your place. John 3:16, John 3:36,Romans 10:9-13, 1 John 5:13.

This is why we need to pray for our leaders. Even the ones that "claim" to be christian make decisions everyday that are against Christ. You can read the entire article mentioned above Here

Was this article informative for you? Please share your comments or thoughts

Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Mon, 18 May 2009 13:24:00 +0000

Read Genesis 32:9-12

This is the 1st recorded prayer in the Bible. Sure we have instances where Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and others have spoken to God, but this is the first recorded prayer. This makes this passage significant.

Any time in your Bible study that you come across the 1st instance of something; you should take note. Given this fact here are 5 things to notice about Jacobs prayer:

1) How he approached God:

He did not just approach God as the creator, but as his Personal God.
He appealed to God on the grounds of a secure relationship with him.

According to 1 John 5:13, and Romans 5:8-9 we too can feel secure in our personal relationship with God. (If we have accepted Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior)

2) How he put his trust in Gods Word:
Jacob pleaded a definite promise. There are definite promises that the believer can cling on to:
Grace to go through trials: 2 Corinthians 12:9
(Don't be deceived; as a christian you will go through trials)
Needs Supplied: Philippians 4:19
(Notice that this verse does NOT even mention your wants.. There is a difference)
All things will work together for good: Romans 8:28
(This verse does NOT promise that all things will be good, but that all things will "work together "for good)

3) How he confesses his unworthiness
We must all come to God in Humility; See James 4:6

4) How he asks for deliverance:
We must admit that we can't deliver ourselves: See Titus 2:11-14, Galatians 1:3-4.

5) How he prayed according to Gods will:
If God was to fulfil his promise, and be glorified then Jacobs family had to survive; therefore it would appear that it was Gods will for them to survive. See 1 John 5:14.

Was this article informative for you? Please share your comments or thoughts.

How to get the dirt out of your life (Lesson 6)

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Wed, 06 May 2009 00:05:00 +0000

Read Judges 3:12-30.

Use your weapon:

The sword was Ehud's message. Your weapon won't do you any good if you don't use it. In lesson 4 we talked about the fact that in order to get the dirt out of our lives the LORD has given us a weapon; a concealed weapon to use, and that weapon is the Word of God. But if we don't use our weapon than it won't do you any good to have it. You can have the best weaponry ever invented but if it just sits there, and collects dust than you might as well not even have it in the first place.

Our weapon is the same way. God did not give us his word in our own language, and preserve it for us; just so that it can sit on the coffee table, or the book shelf, and look good. Some will even carry it around, but if they don't ever crack it open than it is not doing them any good.

Lets look at Proverbs 3 and see what it says about God's Word:

My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.(Proverbs 3:1-8)

According to this passage if we keep Gods Word in our heart then we will find favor with God, and who wouldn't want that? Proverbs 2 says that God's Word is more precious than all the money in the world.

My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.(Proverbs 2:1-5)

Notice that the dirt didn't come out for Ehud until after he used his weapon. Just having it there was not enough. Just having the intention of using it was not enough. Just knowing what he was suppose to do with it was not enough. He had to actually "use" his weapon, and the same holds true for us. If we don't use our weapon than we will never get the dirt out of our lives.

In closing I would like you to read Judges 3:20-22 again. Did you see it? Once the dagger went in it got stuck. If you will get God's Word in your heart, and your life it will get stuck, and will not come out, and that is what gets "all" the "dirt out of your life".

How to get the dirt out of your life (Lesson 5)

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Tue, 05 May 2009 23:25:00 +0000

Read Judges 3:12-30.

Do right when all alone:

If you really want to get the dirt out of your life you have to be consistent. Notice that Ehud didn't just do right when everyone else was around him. It's easy to do right when you are with a crowd of people that agree with you. The real test is what will you do when you are alone, or with others that don't necessarily agree with your position or personal convictions.

Ehud actually waited until he was all alone with Eglon before he acted on the "dirt". The hardest times are those when we are all alone. That is when Satan really goes to work on us. If we are not careful we can rationalize just about anything that we set our mind to. The mind is a very dangerous thing. This is where most of our battles are fought. According to the Apostle Paul our minds are a battlefield:

But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.(Romans 7:23)

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.(Galatians 5:17)

Your minds natural state is not to do right; that is why the Apostle Paul said that we need to renew our minds on a continual basis:

If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; (Ephesians 4:21-23)

Remember: just because you don't have any other people around you; you are not alone:

The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.(Proverbs 15:3)

If you really want the "dirt out of your life" than you have to do right when all alone.

How to get the dirt out of your life (Lesson 4)

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:09:00 +0000

Don't go empty handed:

Read Judges 3:12-30.

Next notice that Ehud was carrying a "concealed weapon". When you are trying to get the dirt out of your life you too must carry a concealed weapon. Ehud's concealed weapon was a dagger which had two edges. This is a type of another weapon; one that every believer in the LORD Jesus Christ should carry with them every where that they go. Lets look at a couple of scriptures so that you can see what I mean:

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. (Revelation 1:16)

Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. (Revelation 2:16)

The two edged sword being spoken of in these passages is the Word of God. This is the only offensive weapon mentioned in Ephesians 6 when it talks about the believer putting on the whole armor of God.

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: (Ephesians 6:11-17)

If we are to get the dirt out of our lives we must carry this weapon with us daily, and conceal it in our hearts as noted in the following passages:

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. (Psalms 119:11)

The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide. (Psalms 37:30-31)

The only way that I know to conceal God's Word in my heart is to commit it to memory. Memorizing scripture is a very important element of our lives. If we are to battle the dirt that is in our lives than we must have ready access to the only offensive weapon that we have. If you haven't considered the importance of scripture memorization before today; then my prayer is that you will give it some attention starting today.

Memorizing Scripture does not need to be intimidating. Following are a few methods that I have used to assist me in memorizing God's Word:

Repetition is the method that I use the most. I usually break the passage up into small parts, and read that over, and over again until I can recite that part without looking, and then move to the next phrase, and keep doing that until I have the whole verse or verses memorized.

It is important to make sure that you memorize the reference location with each verse that you memorize (IE John 3:16). This is important especially if you are sharing with another person so that you can let them know where it is found.

Another method is utilizing index cards. Just write the verse and reference on an index card, and carry it with you wherever you go, and read it every chance you get until it is so familiar to your that you can recite it without looking. (I know this is still a form of repetition, but what can I say it's the best way in my opinion).

Leave a comment if you have found a good technique of memorizing scripture so that we can all benefit from what God has shown you.

Remember in order to be effective at getting the dirt out of your life; don't go empty handed.

How to get the dirt out of your life (Lesson 3)

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 23:39:00 +0000

Read Judges 3:12-30.

Once you come to the realization that you have dirt in your life that needs to be cleaned up, and realize that you cannot do it yourself. The next step is that You must be willing to do your part. Ehud had a job to do, and did not matter how dangerous or scary this job was; it had to be done, and it had to be done by him. You see God had given Ehud a message, and a job to do. It would not be enough for Ehud to just recognize the fact that God had spoken to him, and shown him what to do. He had to take action on what he now knew. If Ehud hadn't taken action on what he knew that he had to do then the nation of Israel would not have been delivered. Likewise if we do not take action on what God has shown us that we need to do than we cannot be delivered from the dirt that is in our lives.

Notice that it took effort on Ehud's part in order to accomplish the task that was set before him (Judges 3:16-17), and it will take some effort on your part if you truly want the dirt out of your life. The Bible says in Acts 17:30 that God commands everyone to repent, and in Revelation 2:16 Jesus said repent or else.
In Acts 26:20 the apostle Paul wrote that after repentance that we should do good works. Notice that repentance comes before good works. Make no mistake; good works will not, and cannot save you from your sins; only repentance, and faith in Jesus can do that. In fact Jesus said in John 14:6 that he was the only way to heaven. He did not say that he was a good way, or the easiest way, or the most convenient way; he said that he was the only way. The apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9 that we are saved by Gods grace not by our works. Romans 3:20 tells us that no one ever has been, or ever will be justified by doing good, and in Galatians 2:16 he further clarifies that we are not saved by good works, but by putting our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Titus 3:5 tells us that we are saved by his grace not by works, which we have done.

Though good works will not save you from your sins this is not to say that you should not attempt to do good works. In fact the Bible says in Titus 2:14 that we are to be excited about doing good works. 2 Corinthians 5:10 says that we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and 1 Corinthians 3:9-15 says that on that day our works will be judged to see if they are worthy of a reward or not. Please notice a few things about this judgment.

1. Only born again believers will be at this judgment.

2. Salvation is not at stake in this passage (1 Corinthians 3:15).

3. The spirit of God is with the people that are present at this judgment, and Romans 8:9-11, and 1 John 4:13 say that only believers have his spirit.

In order to get the dirt out of your life make sure that you have done your part. Until you have repented of your sins, and asked Jesus to forgive you for your sins, you will not be able to get the dirt out of your life. You can cover them up, and even maybe make them more presentable, but you will never get the dirt OUT of your life until you have done business with Jesus. Don't delay; get it fixed today. Jesus has done all the necessary work for you to receive forgiveness of sins, is all you have to do is admit that you are a sinner, and that you need a deliverer (Jesus), and accept him as your personal Lord and Savior, and he will save you. The Bible says that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:9-10,13.

Do your part today!

Memory verse 1 John 1:9

How to get the dirt out of your life (Lesson 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 03:11:00 +0000

Once you come to the realization that you have dirt in your life that needs to be cleaned up the next step is realizing that you cannot do it yourself. You must be delivered from the dirt. Titus 2:11-14 shows us that it is by grace that we are saved, and that because we are saved we should desire to live a pure life. Notice that this reference shows us that Jesus came into the world to redeem us, because we cannot redeem ourselves (Galatians 1:3-4, 1 Peter 1:18-19).

Did you notice how long they stayed in bondage before seeking to be delivered? Read Judges 3:14-15 again. Eighteen years seems like an awful long time to go without asking for deliverance now doesn't it? When looking at someone else's life this seems ridiculous, but how long have you tried to fix your own problems? Have you come to the realization yet that you need help?

One of the most difficult things for some people is to admit that they need help. All too many times we allow our pride to get in the way of receiving the help that we truly need. Pride is a very dangerous thing. The Bible says in Psalm 10:4 that Pride will keep you from seeking God. Furthermore the Bible teaches that anything that we set up before God, or that we allow to keep us from God is an Idol, and we are commanded in 1 John 5:21to keep ourselves from idols. The book of Proverbs shows us five things that pride will cause:

Pride will lead to shame (Proverbs 11:2)

Pride brings conflict into your life (Proverbs 13:10) internal, and external

Pride causes us to do and say foolish things (Proverbs 14:3)

Pride will cause you to fall (Proverbs 16:18)

Pride will bring you down (Proverbs 29:23)

Don't let pride get in your way of being delivered from the dirt that is in your life. Isaiah 1:5 asks why would you want to be stricken? This is a good question if you think about it. Why do we continue to do the same things getting the same responses, but expecting different outcomes? That is the definition of insanity. The Lord is willing to deliver you, and clean you up, but you have to ask for, and accept the help. What is keeping you from asking God to deliver you from the dirt in your past? Don't wait for eighteen more years before you decide to submit to God; Submit today, and you will be glad that you did.

In the next lesson we will be looking at the fact that after being delivered, you still have a part to do.

Memory Verse 1 John 2:16

How to get the dirt out of your life (Lesson 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 17:39:00 +0000

Read Judges 3:12-30.

1. Must recognize the fact that you have dirt in your life. (Judges 3:22)
2. Must realize that you need to be delivered from this dirt. (Judges 3:15)
3. Must be willing to do your part. (Judges 3:20)
4. Must not go empty handed (Judges 3:16)
5. Must do right when you are all alone (Judges 3:18-19)
6. Must use your weapon. (Judges 3:21-22)

Each of these methods will be discussed in detail.

In order to get the dirt out of your life you must first recognize the fact that you have dirt. You can't clean something up that isn't dirty. I mean you go through the process, but why would you if it wasn't necessary? Have you ever tried to convince a seven-year old that they need a bath? They don't think that they are dirty, and therefore can't see the point in taking a bath. People as a general rule don't clean what isn't dirty. The dirt in your life is much the same way. Most people believe that they are good, and therefore don't see the necessity of getting rid of the dirt out of their lives. They may realize, and even sometimes admit that they do, or have done some bad things, but still believe that ultimately they are good people. The Bible says in Proverbs 30:12, that all men think that they are good in their own eyes. We can't see the forest for the trees so to speak.

So lets take a look at our lives from Gods perspective shall we? Lets look first of all at what it is that Jesus said would defile us. In Mark 7:18-23 Jesus said that it was not the things on the outside that would defile us, but the things that are on the inside. It is easy to cleanup on the outside; it's the stuff on the inside that is hard to get clean. So how do we know what it is that we need to clean out of our lives? Well that is what the Bible is for. If you read, and study your Bible on a daily basis the Holy Spirit will show you what you need to get out of your life.

If you are still not convinced that you have dirt that needs to be cleaned out then take this simple little quiz, and be honest with yourself; it will not do you any good to lie to yourself.
1. Have you ever used Gods name in vain?
Exodus 20:7

2. Have you ever stolen anything, no matter how small?
Exodus 20:15

3. How many times have you told a lie?
Exodus 20:16

4. Have you ever brought dishonor to your parents?
Exodus 20:12
(Before you answer this one don't forget that you most likely answered yes to numbers 2 and 3, and this would not bring honor to your parents)

5. Have you ever lusted after a member of the opposite sex?
Exodus 20:14
Jesus said in Matthew 5:27-28 that if you look upon someone with lust than you have committed adultery in your heart.

6. Have you ever murdered anyone?
Exodus 20:13
Jesus said in Matthew 5:21-22 that if you are angry without a cause that you have committed murder in your heart.

As you can see (if you were honest) you have broken Gods laws, and if you have broken his laws than in His eyes you are NOT a good person. A lawbreaker needs to be judged, and that is what we all deserve. Thanks be to God that he made a way for us to escape this judgment. The Bible says in 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The Apostle Paul said in Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. So if you have accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior than you have Eternal Life; however it is still a struggle to get the dirt that you have grown so accustomed to living in; out of your life.

In Lesson 2 we will deal with the second method which is to realize that you are going to need help if you wish to get the dirt out of your life.

Memory verse for today is 1 John 2:15.

Reconciliation with GOD part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 03:48:00 +0000

How Reconciliation is Possible:

Through Faith in Jesus

* 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
* Colossians 1:19-22
* Romans 5:10
* Ephesians 2:12-19

How Reconciliation is proclaimed:

* Ambassadors were sent to spread the message (2 Corinthians 5:20-21, Acts 4:20)

Now Born Again Christians are the Ambassadors for Christ with a mission to:

* Proclaim his praises (1 Peter 2:9-10)

* Teach others (2 Timothy 2:2)

* Some send, and some are sent (Romans 10:14-17)

* Invite (John 1:43-46)

* This is just a Reasonable expectation (Romans 12:1-2)

Is Reconciliation important?

* God is begging you to be reconciled (2 Corinthians 5:20)

* God has done everything he can in order for you to be reconciled to him (2 Peter 3:9)

* Jesus would not have come in the flesh, and died on the cross of Calvary if reconciliation isn't important (Luke 19:10)

Life is temporary (James 4:14), and judgment day is sure (Hebrews 9:27); today is the day to make sure that you are ready. Are you reconciled to God? If not than you need to get it fixed today.

Put your faith and trust in Jesus today, and have your sins forgiven (1 John 1:9). If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9-10)

Reconciliation with GOD

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 02:06:00 +0000

2 Corinthians 5:18-21

Reconciliation defined: Websters 1828 Agreement of things seemingly opposite different or inconsistent.

Why Reconciliation is needed:

Your Sins have separated you from God.

Your lips have spoken lies.

No one calls for justice, or desires truth.

Violence is in your hands.

Your feet run to evil.

Your thoughts are contrary to God.

(Isaiah 59:1-8)

Reconciliation was predicted:

The serpent was told that a man was to come which would bruise his head (Genesis 3:15)

The suffering at the first coming of Christ prophesied (Isaiah 53:1-12)

Reconciliation was demonstrated:

Jesus was crucified to make a way for us to be reconciled to God (Luke 23:34)

Jesus does not condemn us in our sins, he intercedes for us (Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25)

Continued on next Post:

Eight rules for maintaining a proper thought life

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 03:50:00 +0000

As a Christian you will find that your mind is a battlefield. The Apostle Paul said that our spirit wars against our sinful nature, and this is the internal battle that every born again believer deals with (Romans 7:23). There are those who would attempt to convince you that once you are saved that you will no longer have to deal with the sin nature, but this is just simply NOT what the Bible teaches.

There is no doubt that the Apostle John was a saved man. He walked the earth with, and followed Jesus for over 3 years. The Bible refers to him as the beloved apostle. This saved man tells us in 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he (Jesus) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Notice that he used the word "we", this means that he himself still had the need to confess his sins, even after he was saved; in order to maintain a close, and personal relationship with Jesus; which is the goal of every Christian.

Another example would be the Apostle Paul, another obvious Christian. He tells us that he still had struggles with the old nature (Romans 7:14-25). With these two examples it is pretty obvious that the sin nature is not eradicated upon salvation. Our sins are forgiven in whole once we repent, and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior; however we are still in these bodies of sin, and will therefore have to battle with these bodies, and our minds until we are reunited with Jesus in the air.

The Bible makes it clear that the thought life is important, and gives us a guide as to what sorts of things we as Christians are to fill our minds with. Following are eight questions found in Philippians 4:7-9 to ask in order to ensure that your thought life is proper:

Is it true? Truth is not subjective or relative. Jesus said that Gods word is true (John 17:17); therefore if something lines up with the Bible then it is true, and if it opposes what the Bible says then it is not true. Fill your mind with the Bible, and it will become much easier to weed out the untrue thoughts that come across your mind.

Is it Honest? Honesty is not the same thing as truth. The definition of something being honest is: honorable in principles, intentions, and actions upright and fair. If the thought is not honorable, or does not have good intentions then you should dismiss it immediately.

Is it Just? We should fill our minds with what we know to be right. It has been well said that it is not the things we are unsure of that trips us up; it's the things that we know are right, and decide to ignore that will be our downfall. We are supposed to learn to do well (Isaiah 1:17).

Is it Pure? For something to be pure it has to be free from guilt or evil. Purity is a scarce thing in society today. If the thoughts in your mind cause a guilty feeling than that is your conscience warning you that it is not a pure thought, and it should therefore be avoided.

Is it Lovely? Does it have a beauty that appeals to the heart or mind as well as to the eye, and is it of a great moral or spiritual beauty? Loveliness is another characteristic that the world has messed up. Just look at the youth in your community, and you will notice that they have no idea what the true meaning of lovely or beauty is. We are so preoccupied with how something, or someone looks, that we don't notice what is really important. You must endeavor to guard your mind in this area, because lovely things are getting more, and scarcer in this world.

Is it of Good Report? Watch the news tonight and I will bet you that the bad reports will outweigh by far the good ones. People are more interested in bad news than good news. Good news just doesn't sell, but society can't seem to get enough bad news. That is why we now have a twenty-four hour news cycle. People just can't seem to get enough. As a Christian you should desire, and fill your head with good news not bad. This means that we should not even flirt with gossip. You need to understand that by nature you love to hear bad things about others. The reasons are numerous, but none of these reasons are laced with good intentions; therefore this is a very dangerous area of our thought life. We are commanded in the Bible to not be busy bodies (1 Timothy 5:13).

Is it Virtuous? Virtue is defined as: moral excellence, goodness, and righteousness. If the things that you find yourself thinking about cannot be defined as being moral, or righteous then they are not thoughts that you as a Christian should entertain.

Is it Praise? We are commanded in the Bible to give thanks always (1 Thessalonians 5:18). God is worthy of Honor, and Praise. If our thoughts don't cause us to remember how good God is then we are thinking about the wrong things. Remember to Praise God everyday, and thank him for all his benefits.

Once you begin to move beyond basic background information, you begin to realize that there's more to your thought life than you may have first thought. Remember that our enemy is not visible, but spiritual. The Bible tells us that we must cast down our imaginations, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

My hope is that this article provided some encouragement and help for your Christian walk.

Treasure Hunting in Gods Word

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:52:00 +0000

"Treasure" hunting is a lot of fun. I like to Gold Prospect, Metal Detect, and Geocache. These are all fun and rewarding hobbies, but the most rewarding "treasure" hunt is found in Gods Word Proverbs 2:1-9. If you want to find some real treasure that will benefit your life you should follow the instructions found in this passage.

Hidden treasure is fascinating. That is why people are always interested in maps, pirates, lost history etc. The funny thing is that folks are usually willing to work very long and hard to find a possible hidden cache. See the oak island money pit for an example: Oak island is located off the coast of Nova Scotia in Canada. Since the mid-19th century people have been looking for loot on this island. (Lost Histories by Joel Levy 2006 pp 145-153) Franklin D Roosevelt, and John Wayne have even spent money trying to excavate the "pit" on this island in order to retrieve the supposed hidden treasure, not to mention the fact that at least 5 men have died in the pursuit, but to no avail. At this point so many parallel shafts have been dug (in order to offset the flooding problem) that the original "pit" cannot even be located for certain.

The reason this is funny to me is that even if such treasure were uncovered no matter how much was found, the benefits of such a treasure would be temporary. In opposition however the treasure found in Gods Word are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18). Even though men would give their very life in pursuit of temporal things they don't even want to give an hour of there day to eternal things. I am going to liken studying Gods Word to Gold Prospecting in order to illustrate my point.

When gold prospecting you must know where to look. I mean you could just go out into your backyard and start digging, and maybe you would get lucky and find some gold, but it is not likely. You would be much better off to do some research, and pick a more likely area to search. The best places to look these days is going to be in an area that has access to some water; weather that be a stream, river, ocean or the like. Then you must decide where to look in that area. Once you have determined that (which is the easy part) then the real work must begin. It would be beneficial to have the right tools. A shovel, bucket, and gold pan are essential. It would be helpful to have some other equipment as well. Such as a sluice box of some sort. The better your equipment the more material you can sift through in order to find the gold.

You will have to sift through a lot of material in the process. In fact you will have to sift through the same material a couple different times. You will need to classify the material (get rid of the big obvious stuff that doesn't belong). Then you will run the material through the sluice box in order to further classify the material (getting down to the nitty gritty now). The first and second sifting gets rid of most of the over-burden, and leaves you with what is commonly referred to as the concentrates. Once you are down to the concentrates is when the gold pan comes into play.

The panning process can be learned quite easily. Once you are down to your concentrates you need to fill your pan up about half way. Secondly you should completely submerge your pan in water (if panning on location it would be a good idea to use another pan or a tub underneath your gold pan in order to eliminate loss.) next begin swirling your pan while under water slowly until about half of the material has washed out. This gets rid of most of the overburden, and leaves you with super concentrates. Next lift the pan out of the water, and begin to slowly swirl it while tilting down in the direction of the ridges in your pan; when the water is all gone re-dip the pan in the water to refill. Continue this process until most of the material is gone, you should be left with very little material, and if you have any gold it should be visible now.

The final step is to separate, and retrieve your gold; using a snuffer bottle can do this. As you can plainly see it takes a lot of work to end up with any gold; not to mention the fact that most of the time you can go through this process and not end up with any gold at all, but this small fact doesn't seem to deter people from the hobby.

Bible study is much the same way, lets take another look at Proverbs 2:1-9:
"My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searches for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path." (KJV)

In order to find the treasure that God has in store for you the first thing you must consider is where to look. Just like gold prospecting; if you're not looking in the right place you will never find what it is that you are looking for. Deuteronomy 30:11-14 shows us that

Gods word isn't hidden: According to Isaiah 45:18-19 God says that he hasn't spoken in secret; Not in a language that only a select few know so that you would have to rely on someone else to tell you what God said. Vs 19

Isaiah 29:10-14

In Proverbs 8 Gods word is called wisdom. You can plainly see that the wisdom that is being described is in form of words by what Proverbs 8:8 says, and we can also see that these words are written plainly so that they can be understood. According to Isaiah 29:10-14 The Bible is sealed to those that don't have the right heart. In other words: if your approach to Gods word isn't right than God will not show you what it is that you need from him. If not searched for with the right motives the treasure you are seeking will evade discovery by you. If you approach Gods Word with the right heart, that is not trying to find something wrong with it, but rather allowing it to show what is wrong with you, then the word will be plain to you. However if you find yourself unwilling to change, and are just seeking justification for your wants, act, and desires than God promises to seal the book up so that you will not gain any understanding from it. Gods Word will show you what to or what not to do, and if you will listen to Gods Word it will bring peace, and righteousness into your life. See Isaiah 48:12-18

Psalm 119:89 tells us that Gods Word was settled in heaven so we can trust what it says. According to Psalm 119:97-106 we can see that by reading, studying, and giving head to Gods Word we can gain more understanding than the professors down at the college, and we can see the path that we should follow. Psalm 119:105 says that Gods Word is out lamp in this dark world. If you went on an expedition of a cave with no light you would undoubtedly bump your head on rocks above, trip over rocks below, and probably fall down a time or two. Who in their right mind would go into a dark cave, room or even an alley without the proper light? Yet how many times do we try to go through our lives without utilizing the Light that God has given us? Proverbs 30:5-6 shows us that Gods words are pure; this means that we can fully trust what it says. They are right, and they are profitable to us. How else would we know what to do, and where to go, and how to be pleasing to God; if it wasn't for the fact that we have his word on it, and know it Psalm 119:9-11, and 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Next must know how to classify the material you have studied in order to eliminate the over burden (the things that don't apply in today's situation), and get to the concentrates (the things that you need to concentrate on today) 2 Timothy 2:15.

When studying Gods word you must always take it literally when possible. That is how it is written. If a passage is intended to be spiritualized it will be evident in the context of the passage: see John 6:51-63. John 6:63 makes it clear that Jesus was not having them gnaw on his actual flesh. That would be a violation of the Law (commanded not to eat blood in Leviticus 7:26, and Leviticus 17:11-14. Jesus never broke the Law of Moses according to Hebrews 4:14-15.

The Bible has divisions, and they must be adhered to in order for it to be understood in its proper light. The divisions are self-evident, they are not up to individual interpretation as seen in 1 Corinthians 2:12-14, and 2 Peter 1:16-20, we are to interpret scripture with scripture.

These divisions are referred to as dispensations: a dispensation is nothing more than a dispensing of something. Hebrews 1:1 says that God has dealt with different people in different ways at different times. If you are to understand what God is saying you must see who he is saying it too, and see how it could possibly apply to you today.

All scripture was written for our admonition, and our learning, and it is profitable to us if applied properly.

Once the material has been classified we must then begin the sifting process. Just like when panning for gold, in order to get the true treasure out of scripture you must sift through a lot of material. In most cases going through the material just one time is not going to reveal the nuggets of scriptural truth. You must dig deeper and deeper, asking yourself discovery questions along the way in order to un-earth the treasures that God has in store for you inside his Word.

If you want to find some treasure that will not pass away, but have everlasting effect on your life than I suggest you get digging in Gods Word today. The treasure that can be found in Gods Word is limitless. Here are a few treasures that you may want to start out with.

1 John 1:1-14 shows us that it is possible to a personal relationship with your creator The Lord Jesus Christ.
John 14:22-26 shows us that Gods Word itself is a treasure to be coveted after, because it is the way in which the Lord has chosen to manifest (or show) himself to his believers.
2 Corinthians 4:1-11, along with 1 Corinthians 15:1-3 shows us the Gospel; by which if you believe, and accept you will gain Eternal Life which is a gift from God by Jesus Christ, and is the best treasure known in the universe.

So start a daily Bible reading plan today, which you may start on a real treasure hunting adventure right from home.

Salvation

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 23:14:00 +0000

When you think about Salvation, what do you think of first? Which aspects of Salvation are important, which are essential, and which ones can you take or leave? You be the judge.

Most of this information comes straight from the Faith pros. Careful reading to the end virtually guarantees that you'll know what they know.

5 Things that will not Save You:
(Acts 10:1-8,24-43)

The first thing that won't save you is: Being Devout
The Definition of one being devout according to Websters 1828 Dictionary is as follows:
1. Yielding a solemn and reverential attention to God in religious exercises, particularly in prayer.

We must be constant and devout in the worship of God.

2. Pious; devoted to religion; religious.

Simeon was a just man and devout. Luke 2.

Devout men carried Stephen to his burial. Acts 8.

3. Expressing devotion or piety; as, with eyes devout.

4. Sincere; solemn; earnest; as, you have my devout wishes for your safety.

Cornelius is said to have been a devout man, But that wasn't enough to please God, or to save his soul.

Also notice that in Acts 13:50, and Acts 17:16-17 that we find devout people fighting with the Man of GOD; which is obviously not pleasing to God. A person can be completely devoted to something, but still be completely wrong.
See for instance Romans 10:1-4: "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." The religious leaders of Israel at the time had a zeal for God or were Devouted to their cause, but they were wrong. They thought that by living by the law (which no-one outside Jesus Christ has ever been able to do) they could be saved. We can look all the way back to Genesis to see that this is not the case. The whole conflict that Cain had with Able was over what type of sacrafice was acceptable to God. Cain thought that a sacrafice of his works should be good enough, but Able realized that only a blood sacrafice would do.

Second we notice that Fearing GOD can’t save you:
Notice that in James 2:19 we read that even the Demons fear GOD. In 2 Kings 17:31-34 we see that the Unsaved fear GOD as also in Jonah 1:16.
So the question is what does it mean to fear God?
Again according to the Websters 1828 dictionary defines fear: To reverence; to have a reverential awe; to venerate.
In scripture, fear is used to express a filial or a slavish passion. In good men, the fear of God is a holy awe or reverence of God and his laws, which springs from a just view and real love of the divine character, leading the subjects of it to hate and shun every thing that can offend such a holy being, and inclining them to aim at perfect obedience. This is filial fear.
Slavish fear is the effect or consequence of guilt; it is the painful apprehension of merited punishment. Rom. 8.
So we can plainly see that Fearing God either in reverance or in the light of realizing the punishment deserved because of a sinful life will not save a person. The later is quite obviously not a path to salvation, but it said as to how many deceived people believe that to reverance God will in some way give them some merit on judgement day.

Thirdly we see that the act of Giving Alms (Money to the Church) can not, and will not save a person from their sins. Notice what the Bible says in Matthew 6:1-2.
First of all I would like for you to notice the word salvation is not even found in this passage. Rewards are the outcome of a gift given with the right heart, not eternal life. If giving alms or money could save a persons soul don’t you think the Lord Jesus Christ would have said so while he was on the subject?

Next we see that Praying to GOD does not give anyone eternal life see Luke 16:23-31. The act of prayer of and in itself will do nothing for your relationship with God. Unbelievers Pray all the time when it suits their needs.
Finally notice that Having a good reputation will in no wise offer eternal life. We see in Acts 26:1-12 that the apostle Paul before he was saved had a good reputation in the eye’s of the Pharisees, but once he was saved and started preaching the gospel that these same men wanted his life taken from him. What "men" think of you is of no consequence.

So WHAT WILL SAVE YOU?
It’s only by the Grace of God that anyone can be saved. None of us deserves to be saved, and that is the first thing that a sinner must realize, and admit of him or herself. The Bible says in Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” We are all sinners and have fallen short of God’s glory. Not so sure this pertains to you? Well take this simple test to see how you measure up to God’s standards:
1) Have you ever told a lie?
2) Have you ever stolen anything no matter how large or small?
3) Have you ever committed adultery?
Jesus said in Matthew 5:27-28 that even if you look upon a woman (or man) with lust in you heart than you have committed adultery in your heart. God ponders the heart he doesn’t just look at our actions but he looks on our motives, and thoughts. Most people if honest would have to answer yes to all three of these questions, and in so doing you will find that you are guilty of breaking three of God’s laws. On judgment day Jesus will stand as judge (see Romans 2:16, and II Timothy 4:1) and find us guilty in his court.
In Romans 6:23 we can see that the penalty for being a sinner is death. That is what we all deserve, but this is where Gods grace comes into play; the second part of that verse says “but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:8 says” While we were yet sinners Christ died for us” Jesus died on the cross and rose again on the third day for us not for himself. Jesus said in John 15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” and that is exactly what he did for us. Ephesians 2:8-9 says “For by grace are ye saved through faith; that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” So without grace no-one could be saved.

The reason Jesus had to die on the cross in order to save us is because a blood sacrifice had to be made, but our blood is infected with sin, so God himself in the person of Jesus Christ came to the earth to be that sacrifice for us. The bible says that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. So The Blood of Jesus had to be shed on our behalf. Ephesians 2:13 says that we “were made close to God by the blood of Christ.” According to Romans 5:9-11 we see that The Blood of Jesus is what makes us justified in God’s sight, and this is what reconciles us to him.

How do we get The Blood of Jesus applied to our account? The Lord has made it simple for us to get in on this reconciliation. We don’t have to earn it, there are no pre-requisites to receiving it we simply must accept the Gospel. We find the Gospel in I Corinthians 15:1-5. Gospel means good news. The good news is “how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” The Gospel shows us that all the necessary work has already been done by Jesus we just need to accept him has our Lord and Savior.

Receiving Jesus as Lord & Savior is the only thing that we must do to obtain eternal life. Jesus said “ I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6), and in Romans 10:9-10 we see “that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” The Bible also say in Romans 10:13 “that whosoever calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
When you have put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ and only in him for salvation than you have eternal life. According to I John 5:13: which states “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Hopefully the sections above have contributed to your understanding of Salvation. Share your new understanding about Salvation with others. They'll thank you for it.

Icicle Teeth

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 20:09:00 +0000

And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Matthew 4:19

I awoke at 3am to go on the first Fishing trip of the season. It's early April in Indiana. The weather is suppose to be warm and sunny the high around 70 degrees. I got all my gear together the night before. I use the old reliable Zebco 33 on a Shimano rod. Made sure I had plenty of 1/0 hooks, and grabbed my tub of night crawlers. The pond that I was heading too in reality is a stripper pit located in the middle of the woods in southern Indiana. No one ever fishes these ponds therefore the fish are plenteous.

When I went out to load my gear into the car I was met with a blistery atmosphere. It was cold enough to put Icicles on your teeth. Although it was to be in the 70's today it started out at a chilling 34 degrees. That means that the fish are not going to be very active, but I was determined to go anyhow. Isn't it funny that when we get excited about something than it does not matter what happens; (obstacles in our way, bad weather, circumstances of all kinds) we refuse to get derailed.
I was willing to go on my "fishing" trip no matter how the weather turned out. I didn't care that the fact that it was so cold was going to make it a miserable trip all around. The fish aren't very active when it's that cold, and neither am I. But I had plans to go, and waited all winter for the opportunity; so I wasn't going to let anything get in my way

This makes me wonder though, how many times have I had the opportunity to "fish for men", and found any old excuse at all not to go. I should be more excited about fishing for men than I could ever be about fishing for bass. Even if I have a great time, and catch a whole mess of fish, the best that could happen is that I would get a meal or possibly two for my efforts. This would be fine with me, but when you put it into contrast with the benefits of catching even one person for the Lord, (Luke 15:7) there is not even a comparison.

After meeting two buddies we headed on down the road. It didn't take us as long to get to the pond as we thought it would, so it was still dark when we arrived. It was a beautiful morning. Being out in the woods, and away from "civilization" is so peaceful. The sky was clear therefore all the stars illuminated the darkness. We waited until the sun started to come up and then ventured out on our quarter mile hike to the pond. This pond is sick with fish, Largemouth Bass, Crappie, and of course Bluegill. Crossing an old wooden bridge gives us access to fish from the shore.

The morning started out pretty slow, it was just way to cold out. My fingers were so cold that it was hard to tie the hook onto the line. We were there for 30 - 45 minutes before the fish started to bite, and they were not nearly as aggressive as they normally are. They didn't hit the bait hard, and as a matter of a fact they didn't "take" it at all. They seemed perfectly happy to just try and "suck" the worm right off the hook; so you had to be very careful and attentive or else you would just loose your worms.

It takes a lot of work, and patience to fish successfully in these conditions, and it takes a lot of patience, and work to fish for men in the conditions of the world today. There are plenty of things in our lives, which could serve as distractions from evangelism. From our busy lives trying to balance work, and family; not to mention hobbies, television, sporting events, and the like; Therefore we must make a conscience decision to be a good testimony to others, and to seek opportunities in which we can share our testimony with others. In order to be successful with your testimony you have to always be ready to share your faith; 1 Peter 3:15. If we sit around and just wait for the perfect circumstances to occur before we can share the Gospel with someone, then unfortunately we will never get around to it.

In order for someone to ask us about the hope that lives in us, we have to demonstrate that hope. Colossians 1:27 "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:" This means that we can not go around acting like everyone else in the world. The Apostle Paul told us two different times: 1 Corinthians 6:12, and 1 Corinthians 10:23 that all things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. I believe that he told us this twice for a reason. That reason being that we can no longer just do the things that we want, we must now consider what all the possible ramifications of our actions might be; He tells us in Romans 14:21 that we must not do anything that could make a weaker brother stumble, or cause an unbeliever to reject Christ.

It is up to us to ensure that we demonstrate this hope to everyone that we come into contact with. If we don't than that person may never hear the gospel, and on judgment day we will be ashamed for all the opportunities that we did not take advantage of. The apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:34 "Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame." So we will be ashamed when we come face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ on that day.

In John 4:4-42 Jesus gave us an excellent example as to how to witness in the face of adversity. First of all notice that he used natural openings. You should learn verses that talk about everyday things like: weather, wages, politics, finances etc. the point is to get the conversation centered on the Bible. Jesus used Living water to explain the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. John 4:10-14. Next notice how he uses wisdom: He didn't allow himself to get sidetracked with a side argument in John 4:13-14.

Jesus didn't answer her question. He refused to get into an argument about who was greater. When witnessing do not get distracted with questions; stay on point. The question isn't who is greater Jesus was showing her a contrast of the two types of water. The water from the well doesn't last, but the water that he could give as a free gift would last forever. Jesus used natural things to get her attention: she wanted the water (wanted to get saved) Jesus first had to establish with her the fact that she was a sinner, and needed to repent. He brought to light the fact she was living in sin. She brings up another religious question John 4:19-26 (the same thing happens when you try to witness) notice once again Jesus doesn't allow her to get sidetracked. He doesn't even address her comment he just moves on to the subject of proper worship.

This passage shows you how to get past the conflicts that you will experience while trying to witness.

Can't get their attention.
Side arguments. If you will follow the example that Jesus gives us in this passage you too will be able to effectively witness to anyone.

When my fishing trip was over we had managed to catch a mess of fish, and if you will work as hard at witnessing, and utilize the tools that we learned from John 4 your fishing for men trip will be just a successful.

Lilly Pond

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:25:00 +0000

Taking the kids out on a fishing date is a great way to encourage them to enjoy nature. Sitting in front of the television or the computer, or game system will never help kids to appreciate our natural resources.

Spending time with your kids outdoors is a time that they will always remember. Just taking hikes in the woods, or camping is just the thing to get your kids interested in their surroundings.

Nothing compares to the joy on a childs face the first time they land a fish. They will remember the time you spent with them in this adventure more favourably and longer than they will remember about the best gift that you could give them. Your time and love "is" the best gift you could ever give them. Not to mention the education and realization of the importance of how they treat the world around them could make.

Once they discover the outdoors they will be more conscience of how they treat the land, woods, ponds, and rivers can have an effect. The exercise and fresh air will also do them and you alot of good.

So get outside and enjoy!!

Make sure your kids stay out of trouble on the internet with this handy tool.

Click Here!