Saturday, November 30, 2024

God's sovereignty


attribution (not legally required): Ilya Repin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons


Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm and said:
Gird up your loins now, like a man.
I will question you, and you tell me the answers!
Would you refuse to acknowledge my right?
Would you condemn me that you may be justified?
Have you an arm like that of God,
or can you thunder with a voice like his?
Adorn yourself with grandeur and majesty,
and clothe yourself with glory and splendor.
Let loose the fury of your wrath;
look at everyone who is proud and bring them down.
Look at everyone who is proud, and humble them.
Tear down the wicked in their place,
bury them in the dust together;
in the hidden world imprison them.
Then will I too praise you,
for your own right hand can save you.
Look at Behemoth, whom I made along with you,
who feeds on grass like an ox.
See the strength in his loins,
the power in the sinews of his belly.
He carries his tail like a cedar;
the sinews of his thighs are like cables.
His bones are like tubes of bronze;
his limbs are like iron rods.
He is the first of God’s ways,
only his maker can approach him with a sword.
For the mountains bring him produce,
and all wild animals make sport there.
Under lotus trees he lies,
in coverts of the reedy swamp.
The lotus trees cover him with their shade;
all about him are the poplars in the wadi.
If the river grows violent, he is not disturbed;
he is tranquil though the Jordan surges about his mouth.
Who can capture him by his eyes,
or pierce his nose with a trap?
Can you lead Leviathan about with a hook,
or tie down his tongue with a rope?
Can you put a ring into his nose,
or pierce through his cheek with a gaff?
Will he then plead with you, time after time,
or address you with tender words?
Will he make a covenant with you
that you may have him as a slave forever?
Can you play with him, as with a bird?
Can you tie him up for your little girls?
Will the traders bargain for him?
Will the merchants divide him up?
Can you fill his hide with barbs,
or his head with fish spears? 
Once you but lay a hand upon him,
no need to recall any other conflict! 

Job 40

Whoever might vainly hope to do so
need only see him to be overthrown.
No one is fierce enough to arouse him;
who then dares stand before me?
Whoever has assailed me, I will pay back—
Everything under the heavens is mine.
I need hardly mention his limbs,
his strength, and the fitness of his equipment.
Who can strip off his outer garment,
or penetrate his double armor?
Who can force open the doors of his face,
close to his terrible teeth?
Rows of scales are on his back,
tightly sealed together;
They are fitted so close to each other
that no air can come between them;
So joined to one another
that they hold fast and cannot be parted.
When he sneezes, light flashes forth;
his eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn.
Out of his mouth go forth torches;
sparks of fire leap forth.
From his nostrils comes smoke
as from a seething pot or bowl.
His breath sets coals afire;
a flame comes from his mouth.
Strength abides in his neck,
and power leaps before him.
The folds of his flesh stick together,
it is cast over him and immovable.
His heart is cast as hard as stone;
cast as the lower millstone.
When he rises up, the gods are afraid;
when he crashes down, they fall back.
Should a sword reach him, it will not avail;
nor will spear, dart, or javelin.
He regards iron as chaff,
and bronze as rotten wood.
No arrow will put him to flight;
slingstones used against him are but straw.
Clubs he regards as straw;
he laughs at the crash of the spear.
Under him are sharp pottery fragments,
spreading a threshing sledge upon the mire.
He makes the depths boil like a pot;
he makes the sea like a perfume bottle.
Behind him he leaves a shining path;
you would think the deep had white hair.
Upon the earth there is none like him,
he was made fearless.
He looks over all who are haughty,
he is king over all proud beasts. 

Job 41 



sermon on the mount: "So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."

In the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew, CHAPTER 5 | USCCBthe theme of righteousness is prominent, and even at this early stage of the ministry the note of opposition is struck between Jesus and the Pharisees, who are designated as “the hypocrites” (Mt 6:2, 5, 16). The righteousness of his disciples must surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees; otherwise, in spite of their alleged following of Jesus, they will not enter into the kingdom of heaven (Mt 5:20). Righteousness means doing the will of the heavenly Father (Mt 7:21), and his will is proclaimed in a manner that is startling to all who have identified it with the law of Moses. The antitheses of the Sermon (Mt 5:2148) both accept (Mt 5:2130, 4348) and reject (Mt 5:3142) elements of that law, and in the former case the understanding of the law’s demands is deepened and extended. The antitheses are the best commentary on the meaning of Jesus’ claim that he has come not to abolish but to fulfill the law (Mt 5:17). What is meant by fulfillment of the law is not the demand to keep it exactly as it stood before the coming of Jesus, but rather his bringing the law to be a lasting expression of the will of God, and in that fulfillment there is much that will pass away. Should this appear contradictory to his saying that “until heaven and earth pass away” not even the smallest part of the law will pass (Mt 5:18), that time of fulfillment is not the dissolution of the universe but the coming of the new age, which will occur with Jesus’ death and resurrection. While righteousness in the new age will continue to mean conduct that is in accordance with the law, it will be conduct in accordance with the law as expounded and interpreted by Jesus (cf. Mt 28:20, “…all that I have commanded you”). 

Jesus teaches his followers to pray to the Father to "forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us" and "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6: 5-15).

"Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:48 




attribution: James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons



Friday, November 29, 2024

matthew 14: 22-33

Then he made the disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.

After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone. Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. At once [Jesus] spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how [strong] the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”
matthew 14: 22-33 


sometimes at night my nightmares make me feel like I'm in a small boat on stormy seas. does God love me? I don't love me. I'm not worthy of God's love. my soul is damaged by my many sins. why would God love me? it's difficult for me to believe, particularly at night when it's dark and I'm alone with my sinfulness, that God loves me. when I calm myself down, I realize that, despite my unworthiness, God does love me. I know that God loves me because the bible, God's word, tells me so.





Thursday, November 28, 2024

bible study


attribution: Ken Horn and flickr

The New Testament is not chronological. I have found that studying the New Testament chronologically can be helpful. 
  1. Read the gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles first, including the introductions.
  2. Read Paul's epistles next in chronological order.
  3. then go back and read Mark, Matthew, John and the rest of the New Testament.
  4. "The Book of Revelation or Book of the Apocalypse is the final book of the New Testament (and therefore the final book of the Christian Bible). ... Revelation was written in the 60s, as there was a widespread belief in later decades that Nero would return.[18][5] source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Revelation 




Apostle Paul's public ministry to the Gentiles spanned more than three decades. He wrote thirteen epistles that for two decades were the only writings available on christianity. 
  • Which epistle came first and where was Paul when he wrote it? 
  • Which one was last and where was it written? 
  • How was the last epistle different from the first one and all of the others in between? 
Students of Apostle Paul want to know.



Wednesday, November 27, 2024

"The Lord is my shepherd"

Both the old and new testaments include images of God as a shepherd. It's a beautiful image that should inspire us to believe, trust and love God deeply. Psalm 23 is one of the most popular. 

1 A psalm of David.

I

The LORD (1) is my shepherd;
there is nothing I lack. (2)

2 In green pastures He makes me lie down;
to still waters He leads me;

3 He restores my soul (3).
He guides me along right paths
for the sake of His name (4).

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear (5) no evil (6), for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff comfort me.

II

5 You set a table before me
in front of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

6 Indeed, goodness and mercy will pursue me (7)
all the days of my life (8);
I will dwell in the house of the LORD
for endless days.


(1) "LORD". God. more specifically, God in the person of God the Father. 

(2) God created me with everything that I need to believe in God faithfully, trusting God and loving God, and the rest of God's creation and creatures. 

(3) restores: to bring back to or put back into a former or original state. renew.

(4) Righteousness belongs to God alone. It's Jesus' sacrifice alone that makes us sinners right and acceptable to God. 

(5) In Matthew 10 28-31 Jesus. God in the person of the Father's only Son. Jesus tells us not to fear anything.

(6) In Matthew chapter 23 Jesus warns His followers about the hypocrisy of scribes and pharisees. He tells his disciples that they must realize the difference between church, which is a human institution, and God. 

(7) mercy: compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within One's power to punish or harm.

(8) In John chapters 14 through 16 Jesus promises His apostles that He will send the Paraclete, God in the person of the Holy Spirit, as Advocate and Comforter.


God loves His children deeply. With God as our Father there is nothing that we lack. Father God provides everything that we need. 

He restores our souls. He guides us (if we allow Him to do so). He protects us from our enemies. 

Our cups overflow. God's goodness and mercy pursue us all the days of our lives. We will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. 

Our shepherd God loves us. He will provide for and guide us, restore our souls, protect us from our enemies, shower us with goodness and mercy and promise to be with us forever as long as we believe in Him, follow Him and trust Him with all of our heart, soul and mind, and love Him deeply all the days of our lives. 



Tuesday, November 26, 2024

hebrews 6: hope is our anchor

Therefore, let us leave behind the basic teaching about Christ and advance to maturity, without laying the foundation all over again: repentance from dead works and faith in God, instruction about baptisms and laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And we shall do this, if only God permits. For it is impossible in the case of those who have once been enlightened and tasted the heavenly gift and shared in the holy Spirit and tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to bring them to repentance again, since they are recrucifying the Son of God for themselves and holding him up to contempt. Ground that has absorbed the rain falling upon it repeatedly and brings forth crops useful to those for whom it is cultivated receives a blessing from God. But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is rejected; it will soon be cursed and finally burned. 

But we are sure in your regard, beloved, of better things related to salvation, even though we speak in this way. For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name by having served and continuing to serve the holy ones. We earnestly desire each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of hope until the end, so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who, through faith and patience, are inheriting the promises. 

When God made the promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, “he swore by himself,” and said, “I will indeed bless you and multiply you." And so, after patient waiting, he obtained the promise. Human beings swear by someone greater than themselves; for them an oath serves as a guarantee and puts an end to all argument. So when God wanted to give the heirs of his promise an even clearer demonstration of the immutability of his purpose, he intervened with an oath, so that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge might be strongly encouraged to hold fast to the hope that lies before us. This we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm, which reaches into the interior behind the veil, where Jesus has entered on our behalf as forerunner, becoming high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. 

Hebrews 6 








Sunday, November 24, 2024

" ...faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love"

If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
 

1 Corinthians 13 


image by Martin LaBar





         faith 
                      hope 
                                    love





Saturday, November 23, 2024

Revelation 12: 7-12


7 Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back,

8 but they did not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.

9 The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it.

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have salvation and power come,
and the kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed.
For the accuser of our brothers is cast out,
who accuses them before our God day and night.

11 They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
love for life did not deter them from death.

12 Therefore, rejoice, you heavens,
and you who dwell in them.
But woe to you, earth and sea,
for the Devil has come down to you in great fury,
for he knows he has but a short time.”

Revelation 12: 7-12



Friday, November 15, 2024

psalm 145

1 Praise. Of David.

I will extol you, my God and king;
I will bless your name forever and ever.

2 Every day I will bless you;
I will praise your name forever and ever.

3 Great is the LORD and worthy of much praise,
whose grandeur is beyond understanding.


4 One generation praises your deeds to the next
and proclaims your mighty works.

5 They speak of the splendor of your majestic glory,
tell of your wonderful deeds.

6 They speak of the power of your awesome acts
and recount your great deeds.

7 They celebrate your abounding goodness
and joyfully sing of your justice.

8 The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in mercy.

9 The LORD is good to all,
compassionate toward all your works.

10 All your works give you thanks, LORD
and your faithful bless you.

11 They speak of the glory of your reign
and tell of your mighty works,

12 Making known to the sons of men your mighty acts,
the majestic glory of your rule.

13 Your reign is a reign for all ages,
your dominion for all generations.
The LORD is trustworthy in all his words,
and loving in all his works.

14 The LORD supports all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all look hopefully to you;
you give them their food in due season.

16 You open wide your hand
and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

17 The LORD is just in all his ways,
merciful in all his works.

18 The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.

19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.

20 The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he destroys.

21 My mouth will speak the praises of the LORD;
all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.


God is greater than this planet.
God is greater than this solar system.
God is greater than this galaxy.
God is greater than all the stars, planets and galaxies in the universe.
God is greater than the universe.

Sunday, November 10, 2024

psalm 91. john 14: 1-6

I

You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, 
who abide in the shade of the Almighty, Say to the LORD, “My refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust.”

He will rescue you from the fowler’s snare, from the destroying plague, He will shelter you with his pinions, and under his wings you may take refuge; his faithfulness is a protecting shield.

You shall not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day, Nor the pestilence that roams in darkness, nor the plague that ravages at noon.

Though a thousand fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, near you it shall not come. You need simply watch; the punishment of the wicked you will see. Because you have the LORD for your refuge and have made the Most High your stronghold, No evil shall befall you, no affliction come near your tent. 

For he commands his angels with regard to you, to guard you wherever you go. With their hands they shall support you, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You can tread upon the asp and the viper, trample the lion and the dragon.

II

Because he clings to me I will deliver him; because he knows my name I will set him on high. He will call upon me and I will answer; I will be with him in distress; I will deliver him and give him honor. With length of days I will satisfy him, and fill him with my saving power.
psalm 91



Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way.”
Thomas said to him,
“Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.”
john 14: 1-6


attribution: Angie Thornton and flickr





Thursday, November 7, 2024

Isaiah 41:10

Keep silence before me, O coastlands;
let the nations renew their strength.
Let them draw near and speak;
let us come together for judgment.

Who has stirred up from the East the champion of justice,
and summoned him to be his attendant?
To him he delivers nations
and subdues kings;

With his sword he reduces them to dust,
with his bow, to driven straw.
He pursues them, passing on without loss,
by a path his feet scarcely touch.


Who has performed these deeds?
Who has called forth the generations from the beginning?

I, the LORD, am the first,
and at the last I am he.

The coastlands see, and fear;
the ends of the earth tremble:
they approach, they come on.

Each one helps his neighbor,
one says to the other, “Courage!”

The woodworker encourages the goldsmith,
the one who beats with the hammer, him who strikes on the anvil,
Saying of the soldering, “It is good!”
then fastening it with nails so it will not totter.

But you, Israel, my servant,

Jacob, whom I have chosen,
offspring of Abraham my friend—

You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth
and summoned from its far-off places,
To whom I have said, You are my servant;
I chose you, I have not rejected you—

Do not fear: I am with you; 

do not be anxious: I am your God. 
I will strengthen you, I will help you, 
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

Yes, all shall be put to shame and disgrace
who vent their anger against you;
Those shall be as nothing and perish
who offer resistance.

You shall seek but not find
those who strive against you;
They shall be as nothing at all
who do battle with you.

For I am the LORD, your God,
who grasp your right hand;
It is I who say to you, Do not fear,
I will help you.

Do not fear, you worm Jacob,
you maggot Israel;
I will help you—oracle of the LORD;
the Holy One of Israel is your redeemer.

I will make of you a threshing sledge,
sharp, new, full of teeth,
To thresh the mountains and crush them,
to make the hills like chaff.

When you winnow them, the wind shall carry them off,
the storm shall scatter them.
But you shall rejoice in the LORD;
in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.

The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain,
their tongues are parched with thirst.
I, the LORD, will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

I will open up rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the broad valleys;
I will turn the wilderness into a marshland,
and the dry ground into springs of water.

In the wilderness I will plant the cedar,
acacia, myrtle, and olive;
In the wasteland I will set the cypress,
together with the plane tree and the pine,

That all may see and know,
observe and understand,
That the hand of the LORD has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.

Present your case, says the LORD;
bring forward your arguments, says the King of Jacob.

Let them draw near and foretell to us
what it is that shall happen!
What are the things of long ago?
Tell us, that we may reflect on them
and know their outcome;
Or declare to us the things to come,

tell what is to be in the future,
that we may know that you are gods!
Do something, good or evil,
that will put us in awe and in fear.

Why, you are nothing
and your work is nought;
to choose you is an abomination!

I have stirred up one from the north, and he comes;
from the east I summon him by name;
He shall trample the rulers down like mud,
like a potter treading clay.

Who announced this from the beginning, that we might know;
beforehand, that we might say, “True”?
Not one of you foretold it, not one spoke;
not one heard you say,

“The first news for Zion: here they come,”
or, “I will give Jerusalem a herald of good news.”
When I look, there is not one,
not one of them to give counsel,
to make an answer when I question them.

Ah, all of them are nothing,
their works are nought,
their idols, empty wind!


isaiah 41




attribution: UnlockingTheBible and flickr



Tuesday, November 5, 2024

The Conspiracy Against Jesus - A Plan, A Plot, And Preparation – Matthew 26:1-5; 14-19; Mark 14:1-2; 10-16; Luke 21:37-22:13

"Man would like to think he is autonomous and can control what will happen in the future, but only God is autonomous and only God can control the future. Jesus was knowingly following precisely God’s predetermined plan.

The chief priests and elders along with Satan and Judas all were under the delusion that their plot would accomplish their purposes, and it would appear that way to them for a very short time, but in reality, though they were pursuing utter evil, they were still unwittingly accomplishing the predetermined plan of God. The truth of their utter failure to get rid of Jesus would be proved when Jesus rose from the dead just as He said He would. Their refusal to repent would seal their condemnation. They will be, as Romans 9:22 describes, vessels of wrath.

Those, who like the disciples, will follow the Lord’s commands, will be used of God to accomplish His will and will receive His praise. They will be vessels of God’s mercy upon whom He will make known the riches of His glory (Romans 9:23).

God’s is sovereign and He will glorify Himself in you as either a vessel of wrath or a vessel of mercy. The question is which will it be? Which do you want it to be? Remember, God gives grace to the humble, but He resists the proud."

https://www.gracebibleny.org/a-plan-a-plot-and-preparation-matthew-261-5-14-19-mark-141-2-10-16-luke-2137-2213 


attribution: Duccio di Buoninsegna, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons



Saturday, November 2, 2024

How Many People Have Ever Lived on Earth?

Have you ever wondered how many people have ever lived on earth? According to the National Institute of Corrections in 2020 it's somewhere between 117 and 121 billion people. 

WOW! that's a lot of people! It makes me think of endless swarms of ants.


attribution: Mark Demers and flickr


Does knowing that you are only one of 120 or so billion people make you feel small? 

How do we pray? Like we're one of 120 billion people? or do we pray like we're the center of the universe? 

We should know better. Creator God is the center of the universe.




And how does Creator God think about each one of us?


attribution: Sharon Tate Soberon and flickr


Faith
           Hope
                      Love



Friday, November 1, 2024

psalm 51

1 For the leader. A psalm of David,

2 when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

I

3 Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love;
in your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions.

4 Thoroughly wash away my guilt;
and from my sin cleanse me.

5 For I know my transgressions;
my sin is always before me.

6 Against you, you alone have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your eyes
So that you are just in your word,
and without reproach in your judgment.

7 Behold, I was born in guilt,
in sin my mother conceived me.

8 Behold, you desire true sincerity;
and secretly you teach me wisdom.

9 Cleanse me with hyssop, that I may be pure;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

10 You will let me hear gladness and joy;
the bones you have crushed will rejoice.

II

11 Turn away your face from my sins;
blot out all my iniquities.

12 A clean heart create for me, God;
renew within me a steadfast spirit.

13 Do not drive me from before your face,
nor take from me your holy spirit.

14 Restore to me the gladness of your salvation;
uphold me with a willing spirit.

15 I will teach the wicked your ways,
that sinners may return to you.

16 Rescue me from violent bloodshed, God, my saving God,
and my tongue will sing joyfully of your justice.

17 Lord, you will open my lips;
and my mouth will proclaim your praise.

18 For you do not desire sacrifice or I would give it;
a burnt offering you would not accept.

19 My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a contrite, humbled heart, O God, you will not scorn.

III

20 Treat Zion kindly according to your good will;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.

21 Then you will desire the sacrifices of the just,
burnt offering and whole offerings;
then they will offer up young bulls on your altar.