Timothy, a man who came highly recommended.

For a long time now Timothy has been one of my favorite role models. He was appraised often, and was rarely spoken of badly. He was a man who had a genuine faith (2 Tim. 1:5) and it will be good for us to follow his example, so I have listed some of his characteristics below:

First, He was a man with good intentions. 1 Tim. 5:25: “Likewise, the good works of some are clearly evident, and those that are otherwise cannot be hidden.” His good works were seen by all who were around him, and that's why he was well spoken of by the Christians in that area. (Acts 16:2) He was also called a fellow brother, a minister, and a beloved and faithful son of Paul. In 1 Timothy 1:3 it even appears as if Paul had a hard time parting with Timothy.

Second, he was trustworthy. Trustworthy enough to be sent places if Paul couldn't go there himself, to co-author some books with Paul, and to be sent to churches and peoples that had some difficult problems.

Third, he sought Jesus Christ above all else. (Phil. 2:19-21)

Fourth, he was active as a missionary even before Paul came and took him as an apostle.

Fifth, he sincerely cared for others. (Phil. 2:20)

Sixth, he was someone who would go where he was sent, and he was sent places pretty often! He was also a good messenger and communicator.

But like everyone he had imperfections. In the two books of Timothy most of the instructions given to him are so he can know how to lead better and take care of those around him. But there are a few times that Paul talks to Timothy pretty emphatically, so that the translations often add exclamation points, two of those times being 1 Timothy 6:20 and 2 Timothy 4:2, the first one telling Timothy to use what he has wisely and to not pay attention to gossip, the second time is telling Timothy to be ready to preach the word at all times.

So there's the basic reasons why I admire Timothy. Hopefully all of us will aspire to be like him, ready to be sent and to preach the word wherever we are.

Because Providence permits,

The Adherent

Adhering to the Word while working

For most of the jobs you do there will be some unpleasantness attached. But we are told to work hard and diligently as if for the Lord and not men. (Col. 3:23) Not looking out for our own interests, but we are to work without taking praise, and work for more than just money.
We are also to work knowing that what we do is providing for and contributing to the good of the community, as well as your family. For example, the truck driver knows that he is transporting necessaries to where they are needed, the Christian book writer knows that what he is writing is having a positive influence on the readers, and the videographer knows that the events he films can now be watched more than once, and the movies he makes are touching peoples hearts and minds. As long as you work with a Protestant work ethic, for the Lord and not men, your work will most likely be a blessing to those around you, and pleasing to the Lord Most High.
But when you work, you are to give respect and honor to your co-laborers, whether your boss or you brother. Which can be hard, especially when they are mean or self-absorbed, but when they are in authority, and you are not, according to Numbers 27:18-21 we are to obey those in authority, that is unless they command something sinful.
You are to commit your work to the Lord (Prov. 16:3), and reserve to Him both the outcome and the glory that may be directed to you. Be totally reserved to His will, ready to do what He wills, and then make sure that your pride will not hinder you from recognizing where every good thing comes from. (not from you)
You are to do the work of the Lord (1Cor. 15:58) and only then will your labor not be in vain. Everything you work at is useless unless done for the right reasons.
Make sure your work actually helps and bears good fruit. (Col. 1:10)
Work hard as if for the Lord and not men. (Col. 3:23)
We are not to be busybodies, nor are we to be lazy, but we are to work quietly and earn our own living. (2 Thes. 3:12)
And you are to maintain your purity at all times in the workplace. There are very many sinful distractions out in the workplace, there will be stumbling blocks wherever you are, but whenever you are tempted to sin you must meditate on Scripture (Psalm 119:9, Col 3:8)
We should be working all the time. Working at praying constantly and doing everything to His glory. But wherever you end up working, whether it be in your own home, around the garden, on the computer, or for some company where you will be surrounded by other people, work hard, and for the right purposes. Adhere to the Scriptures while working!

Is God Sovereign Over the Laws of Nature?

Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. John 2:7-9

If you were at that wedding, and you saw Jesus carry out that miracle, no matter how simple your understanding of the universe, you would know that what had happened was out of the ordinary. Stuff like that just doesn't happen.
Some people say that when miracles happen, there is a momentary suspending of natures laws. This is the mechanistic view of the universe. This belief says that God is detached from the world, and only interacts with the world during creation, and miracles. Another view is the one that says that everything happens as God wills it at that moment. There is no real cause and effect, and God is recreating in a sort of “continuous creation” This is called Occasionalism, because every moment is an occasion for God to acts as He sees fit. But must we take sides? There must be another alternative. Because even the Occasionalist recognizes that there are regularities to nature that can be discovered and used for scientific predictions, and the Christian mechanist does not deny that God is upholding all aspects of creation, for to do so would be a denial of clear passages like Colossians 1 and Hebrews 1. But enough of these two opinions. We know that God established a regularity to Earth in Genesis 8:21-22, and He maintains that regularity. That's what a law is:

A law of nature is God's sustaining of, or man's description of, that pattern of regularity that we observe in nature as God works out His purposes towards His own ends in His covenant faithfulness, through His Son, the eternal Word, by means of His Spirit.

God is working in His creation, He has not abandoned it, and because he is the creator of the law, the maker of and the one who moves every single electron, we can expect the world to work in a predictable, orderly manner. Therefore, it is impossible for God to “suspend” the laws of nature, because doing so is not doing anything different then what He has been doing all along. And when you have a God who is the controller everything from electrons to the rising and falling of nations, the story's he works out in history have got to be awesome! That's providence. The working of God in nature, our lives, history, and the future. And aren't you glad we serve a God who sets up regularities in His world that we can count on?

Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the name of the Lord; praise him, O ye servants of the Lord. Psalm 135:1

Thinking ProPer: Thinking in a way that acknowledges God's sovereign Providence guiding the past, present, and the future. ProPer thinking is hard because to do that, we first have to recognize that we are not in control, and He is. But in addition it means three things:

1. History isn't meaningless. (Deut 28:29, Romans 8:28) There is a reason for what happened millions of years ago, when we became uni-celled creatures. No, I'm just kidding. But there is a reason for what happened hundreds of years ago, (Prov. 16:4, Eph 2:10) because It is probably influencing our lives to this day. The more you read about history from a Christian point of view, the more you can see God's control, and His plan. My pastor has encouraged his congregation many times to read the book of Esther, because it shows so plainly God's working Providence, and I also encourage you to go read it as soon as possible.

2. We have a role in making history. We are to do all things for the glory of God, with this responsibility we are to carry ourselves accordingly and use our future for the glory of God that includes making choices accordingly. (Phil. 1:22) It also means that we can not be lazy, because laziness prohibits us from using our time wisely. (Prov. 10:26)
   

3. History teaches us that God is sovereign and He rules over all. If you tell an atheist about the prophecy's in the bible, he will have a hard time telling you how that series of events happened without someone divine guiding them. (John 3:3) History speaks forth His praise! And we need to give him praise for what He has done. (Luke 2:20, 5:26)
   

And the Providential History Festival is dedicated to making known the providentiality's of history. The annual PHF has had three very successful trial runs, and is now opening it's doors to the public. This year people from as far away as Indiana are coming to Nebraska to participate. This is going to be a big event, and I greatly encourage you to come, and bring your friends and family with you. Now, some of my readers in the far out places of the USA might be intimidated at this proposition, but you should consider it.

That said, I encourage you to study history so as to understand Providence more fully, to take part in history and do your part in His kingdom, and give praise to the One who has written history.

Psalm 111:4: He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and merciful.

Adherence in Solving Disputes

When in a disagreement, most people will tend to concentrate on defending themselves and in so doing lash out at the other person. When by themselves, they will probably spend most of their time thinking about the negative aspects of the other person and every bad thing they have done in the past. But the more you concentrate on your innocence and their guilt, the more distorted the picture becomes, and it is more likely that you will misjudge their motives, and in turn reject their attempts at solving the problem.

In a small argument the biblical thing to do would be to overlook the trespass, and to not let the small things irritate us so badly. (Prov. 17:14, 19:11, 1 Peter 4:8) And often, when you deliberately focus on the positive influence that that person has, and on how hard they work, you will see how this certain reaction is one of not that many.

But sometimes that won't be the case. Not often, but sometimes. But at times when the other person is clearly in the wrong, a mediator is always very helpful. Just having someone impartial to either of you moderating the conversation will go a long ways. And remember, disputes are expensive. The longer they go on, the more the arguers are mentally and spiritually taxed. (Luke 6:27,Matt. 22:39) We are commanded to rejoice in the Lord always, but how can we rejoice when we are full of anger and strife?

Disputes and arguments will come to everyone. Christians and Atheists and everything in between will eventually have an opportunity to quarrel, but if we respond biblically, in adherence to His word, we will be able to praise the Lord more fully. And maybe bring someone to Christ in the process!

1 John 5:2 “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.”

Now you need to go read Philippians 4:2-9.

Thanks for reading!

Our Bodies Can Heal Themselves!

A few posts ago, you may have been surprised to read me say that our bodies have the capability to take care of themselves if they have the right resources. Well, it's true! There are many awe-inspiring and interesting things to be found out about the human body, and one of these ways is manifested is in sickness.
When your eating habits stray from the healthy necessity's, and you eat some stuff that is far from beneficial to your system, your body must clean that junk out somehow, and it usually does this through a cold or something. Many colds are caused, not by pathogens, but the need to get rid of the bad stuff. Even a fever is not directly caused by bacteria, but it is a reaction body creates in trying to get rid of the bacteria through raised body temperature, after it has identified that it actually has a virus. And isn't it a good thing that our immune system can identify viruses, and deal with them when it has identified them?
Next, our fingernails. Now you just look at your fingernails and tell me you don't need them. Without your finger and toe nails, the sensitivity of your fingertips would be greatly reduced, even though the nails don't have any feeling capacity's in themselves. The nails also act as a tool for diagnosing basic body health. Major illnesses and physiological imbalances will cause imperfections and maybe even damage to the nails, so that a basic diagnosis of your system can be made just by looking at your fingernails.
And earwax. Have you ever thought of why ears need that stuff? Well if something gets inside of your ear, such as dirt, earwax is created, and it manages to push that irritator out of your ear, and keep your ear clean enough to hear out of!

Psalm 117: Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples! For His merciful kindness is great toward us, And the truth of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!

It's Music – So what?

If you're like me, then you probably like music. In fact, if you're human, (and I am assuming you are) then you like music of some kind. Maybe you like ragtime, and maybe you don't. Maybe you only listen to... 'gasp' acidic rock! The question I have is, what music is wrong, and why is it wrong?

I had that same question in mind a few days ago, so I went to my dad and asked him about it. He identified three different components in music. They are: The intent of the author, the content of the words, and the tune itself. Now the last one, the tune, isn't always bad, unless you're listening to country. And the original intention of the person who wrote the song is usually pretty hard to find out. So to check a song and see how “acceptable” it is, the easy thing to do would be to read the lyrics and ask yourself, are they God-honoring? Do they break any of the Ten Commandments? And remember, even if you can't understand all of the words, you are still feeding your soul whatever you are listening to. And not just what you are listening to, these rules apply to TV. Remember what Psalm 81:13 says: "Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways!"

Now, this post doesn't mean that I am going to stop listening to tobyMac, but I will listen with different ears from now on.
Man cannot live by music alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Psalm 101:1 "A Psalm of David.
I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will make music."

Glorifying God with everything we have – Part 2 – The Mental

Our minds, just like our bodies, require exercise and rest. But one more necessary item that most minds lack is good food. People feed their minds, for sure, but it is not good to rely on the appetizers, like music and blog reading, to constitute the majority of our mental meals. So the question is, what are we to think about? What food should we cram down our mental throat? Philippians 4:8 is a great guideline. It says: “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” That's a great verse to think on, isn't it. But how do we do all this? Can you just go and meditate – just like that? Since I am no expert on the matter, I will use the Navigator's hand illustration.

The first finger is hearing. First you hear the word, and this from parents or missionary's or whoever. This causes you to go and read the Bible. Then you are convinced and you jump to the third finger, and you study the Bible.

At this point whenever you read or study the Bible, you are glorifying God with your thoughts, but it is always better to make that a little more portable.¹ So hopefully you then go to the next finger and memorize the Bible. The fourth finger is very important. I know that I have talked about this topic somewhat considerably, but when thoughts wander, they must be checked. What better way to do this than to recite memorized scripture? And if you ever went to jail or you had no Bible for a prolonged period of time, what would you do for your spiritual life? If you haven't committed very much of the scripture to heart, I encourage you to do so.

Lastly, meditation. This, for no small reason, is the thumb of the hand. Deeply mulling over God's word helps keep the studying on a deeper level. And a deeper walk with our Lord is to be desired, right?

Anyway, we need to take every thought captive. Thanks for reading, and Providence permitting I will give the last part of the series, on the spiritual side of life, next Thursday.

¹This does not mean that you can not glorify God without always reciting scripture. But I won't talk about that now.

Glorifying God with our Whole Being – Part One: The Physical

Okay, so we are commanded to give our whole mind, soul, and strength to God. The question is, how do we apply that? Thus begins a three part series talking about the Physical, Mental, and Spiritual sides of life, all centered on 1 Corinthians 3:16, and on how we live all three for God.

So we start with the the physical, our bodies. First we need to remember that nothing in this world is ours. It is all God's, including us. As stewards of His creation, we need to know how to take care of His creation, starting with our bodies.

All right everyone, get down and do some push-ups! Really. If we are to be caretakers of our bodies, that entails some work. To keep ourselves in good condition, we have to do three things (among others) they are:

1. Exercise regularly. God made us so that, with the right foods and activity's, our bodies would heal themselves. But it must be regular and strenuous exercise. Studies show that exercise will do all kinds of things, including: improving quality of life, lengthening life, strengthening the immune system, and protect you from very many diseases and body part failures such as cancer and Alzheimer's and others.

2. Get enough sleep. If you don't get enough sleep you will lose your efficiency and clearness of mind. Even a loss of one or two hours of sleep will manifest itself in a lagging speed of thought. Sleep also helps to prevent weight gain! (so that's why I'm gaining weight...)

3. Eat right. Eating the wrong stuff will clog up the innards, leading to just about everything bad, from freckles on the fingernails, to kidney stones, to cancer. Eating right will starve the viruses and parasites and leave a healthy, happy, energetic person.

Hopefully I have you convinced. But anyway, as I have said many times, we are to glorify God in all areas of life, just as it says in Philipians 1:20: “It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.”

Younger Siblings are pretty annoying, aren't they?

So you're sitting there reading a book, and your little brother comes up to you and asks you to get him a cup of water. It's not a long distance to the kitchen, but you tell him to go ask another sibling. Another instance: Your friend tells you a joke and you laugh. Later your little brother tells a joke, and you ignore him.
I'm not saying that You or I have done that, but chances are something like that has happened to you. But why? Why is it so much easier to converse with our peers but not our siblings? 1 John 4:20 says: If a man says, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
So here there is shown an important link between our God and our family. So the issue of family relations is important, but still, what do we do?
We look at the three words: Love, Pride, and Duty.

#1. Love. Love is not just a feeling, and it most often feels bad because love is sacrificial. To have a close relationship with anybody, even our little brothers and sisters, you have to have the mindset that says: "I don't care if I am not the center of attention. I want to serve my family and those around me, even when that is hard for me to do."

#2. Pride. Pride is a human plague. It can be so harmful to your circles of friend and family. Usually when talking to younger people, pride is what restrains you from truly encouraging them, because your older than them right? Your supposed to be better than them, and some people will go to drastic measures to beat down people or talk down them when they feel that their younger siblings are doing better than them, or if they are smarter than them. Seeing younger or less experienced people do better than you or get more praise than you is a blow to the human nature but Proverbs 11:2 says: “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.”

#3. Duty. In Genesis 4:9 Cain doubted whether it was his responsibility to take care of his little brother or not. And this is a pretty common problem. As older siblings we don't realize just how much influence we have on the younger people. If you watch closely however, you will usually see some behavior in your little follower that looks just like yours. In a way, your relational abilities with your brothers and sisters show how you will act with your spouse and children, so if you don't teach your younger brothers now, how will you know how to teach your children? and because these little ones learn from your example, the pressure is on you as the older one to do what is right.

Fruit of Goodness

A few Sundays ago my father, elder Gary Duff, in his series of the fruit of the Spirit gave this message as a preparation for the communion supper. Enjoy!

Last week we looked at the fruit of kindness and that we are commanded and able to be kind because we are becoming more like our Father in Heaven who is kind even to those who don't acknowledge Him.

This week, to prepare for the communion meal, we will look at the fruit of goodness. The word used here is the quality in a man who is ruled by and aims at what is good, namely the quality of moral worth, what is morally honorable, that is, moral excellence.

The original Saxon meaning of "God" is "the Good", and Websters 1828 dictionary defines it using words like virtue and righteousness, and finally says that goodness means "actions which are in conformity to the moral law".

As I began studying the goodness of God, I was overwhelmed by the scope of it, and how every attribute of God is good. Goodness is the essence of God's nature. In Ex 33, after Moses asked God boldly to reveal himself, "Please show me your glory" God said, "I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you." God's goodness is here associated with His name and His character. By the indwelling Holy Spirit, we now have the possibility of seeing His glory, in a way even Moses couldn't, and growing in His character and in Christ likeness, and in goodness.

Greg Bahnsen, By This Standard, said "God's will is communicated by His commandments, telling us what his holiness means on a creaturely level". How could we possibly understand holiness and goodness, and live it, without His commandments, His law, and the power of the Holy Spirit?!

His goodness is revealed in all His providential activity. Everything He is and does is good. Ps 119.68 "You are good, and do good." Ps 31.19 "Oh how great is Your goodness which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those Who trust in You." Eph 2.10 "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

His goodness is most clearly reveled in the person of Christ and the character of His goodness in His law. The supreme example or expression of God's goodness is the saving grace of God through the atoning work of Jesus Christ.

If you were asked to describe what the goodness of God looks like in practice, in just a few minutes, or even if you had a long time, what would you say? Where are God's standards for goodness found summarized in the Word?

God's standard for goodness is in His law, as summarized in the 10 commandments. The revelation of God and His righteous character is in the Law, the Decalogue.

The law reflects God's holy character and His purposes. The law shows what pleases Him and what displeases and offends Him. It reveals His moral will. The summaries of the moral law in the New Testament such as the fruit of the Spirit or the Golden rule (Mt 7) derive their importance and binding character from the law of God which they express. The presupposition of the New Testament authors is continually and consistently that the Old Testament (moral) law is valid today."

Lev. 20.8 says "You shall keep my statutes and practice them; I am the Lord who sanctifies you". Here God connects obeying the law and sanctification. First, they condemn us and show us how far short we fall of God's goodness and righteousness, and then in the elect, after regeneration, they help us grow in sanctification.

Thomas Bolton, one of those commissioned to participate in writing the Westminster Confession wrote, "The law sends us to the Gospel that we may be justified, and the Gospel sends us to the law again to inquire what is our duty as those who are justified".

The Westminster Confession states in 16.2 that "good works, done in obedience to God's commandments, are the fruits and evidence of a true and lively faith." Thats what we pray for in this church. A congregation of saints with a true and lively faith, growing in the goodness of God and acting out that goodness by obedience to His law.

Obedience to His law can now be a delight! Ps 1 The godly man or woman delights in the law of God, and on His law meditates day and night. Ps 145.7 says that the godly "shall utter (bubble forth) the memory of Your great goodness, and shall sing of your righteousness." Phil 4.8 says we should meditate constantly on what is good and honorable, God's holy Word! When we delight in the law of God, we also take His commission seriously, that is, to teach others to observe all He has commanded us. 1 Jn 5.3 "His commandments are not burdensome" They are the delight of the person growing in love for the law of God.

So I would like to conclude by briefly observing how God's goodness is seen in the 10 commandments:

1.You shall have no other gods before Me.
He is a jealous God, alone worthy of our praise. He is good to reveal Himself, the only true, living God, our only hope and our joy!
2. If we love God and are growing in righteousness and goodness, we will abhor the idols of our hearts. We can worship the living God, who sees and hears and communes with us! God is good in removing the idols which enslave us.
3. We can reverence God's name and His character and His goodness because He has been good to reveal Himself, he is good to show us Himself! Praise God. Hallowed be Your name!
4. God is good to give us blessed relief on the Lord's day. He is good to give us rest, especially now in Jesus, a day where we can delight in Him together. He gave us this day in His goodness to remember His goodness, as we will in just a few minutes.
5. We will prosper and know the goodness of God if we respect and honor our parents, and our societies know His goodness if parents are respected and obeyed. He is so good to establish the institution of the family!
6. God showed us the sanctity of human life, and He is good to make us in His image. He removes the murder in our hearts , the anger. He is good to individuals and societies who recognize the sanctity of human life.
7. God is good to free us from the adultery of our hearts and from the destruction which it causes. He is good to help us develop right and holy relationships.
8. God is good in allowing personal property, good in giving to us and providing for us, supplying our needs so we don't steal
He is good to make us content and that we don't have to give our lives for things, for possessions. We can be free of the love of things and love Him the most!
9. God is good in showing us what is true, right, and honest. he keeps us from deceit, helps us understand and practice truthfulness and honesty. He is good to show us Absolute truth, a sure foundation.
10. God is good in helping us be content and thankful for what we have, to be happy for others and not covetous, not controlled by greed; and we can know what true wealth is!

Isn't God good to us!!??

Life as a vessel

Imagine your mind as being a big jar. Whatever you think you are putting into the jar. Whatever you forget you are taking out of that jar. If one thought dominates all other thoughts, than that thought, maybe it is tomorrow, maybe something else, whatever it is, it is filling up your jar. For a lot of us this jar is going to be lined with goo and steeping in sin, but thankfully God offers us a way to clean it out. Philippians 4:8 says: “Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is just, whatever is lovely, whatever is pure, whatever is of good repute, let your mind dwell on these things.”

Glen Durham, a pastor, said once: “Picture in your mind a pink elephant. Picture the elephant's pink trunk and it's pink wrinkly legs, and the big pink floppy ears, and even picture the pink tusks, just close your eyes and think hard about a pink elephant drinking water. Now stop thinking about the pink elephant. It's impossible, isn't it? That's because to take something out of your mind you have to start thinking about something else and fill your mind with that. Some people take pleasure in scooping massive amounts of sinful thinking into their minds, but we as Christians are called to be set apart from the world, in it but not of it, and keep our lives full of what is right. (Colo. 3:8) But to do this we first have to reach in and pull out the sin. A sixteen-ounce jar cant hold sixteen ounces of good and sixteen ounces of bad at the same time. You've got do do a hard thing and scrub out the jar. (Heb. 12:1)

There is a vacuum in your jar that only Jesus can fill. You can try to put other stuff in there but they just won't satisfy that empty space. Think about food. Humans need food to survive. At the end of the day, after working hard, you need to eat something, but not just anything. Junk food tastes good for a while, but leaves you hungry soon after. Good food on the other hand, will strengthen you in the long run and keep you healthy. The people in John chapter six saw Jesus feed five thousand of them without lack. When they followed Him to the other side of the sea He told them:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”
Let us do the same, and fill our lives with that which endures to everlasting life!

But now, let's ask a few questions:

1. What do you find yourself thinking about most of the time?
2. How much scripture have you memorized?
3. Of all the books you read, how many of them are Christian?
4. Out of all the time you spend reading, how much of that time do you spend reading the bible?
5. What would you do with a thousand dollars? No really.
6. What thought worrys you the most?
7. Again, what do you think about most?

Forest fires are destructive. Right?

Some people (the greenies) are obsessed with protecting Earth at all costs. Even if it means killing themselves off. And one of their enemies in “protecting the world” is a forest fire. When you ask them why a forest fire, they will tell you that when a fire comes it destroys all those trees that are putting oxygen into the air, thereby allowing more CO2 and other waste to take over the atmosphere! Oh horrors! Which sounds logical to me, so what's wrong?

To answer that question we need to know what good a forest fire does. First, a forest fire helps to remove the brush and clutter and leaves and stuff that tend to build up and choke out and prohibit the new plants from growing. But when a fire comes along, it removes all those hindrances to new growth, and provides a clean floor that the seeds can push through as they were designed to do.
Another thing we need to consider is the pine cone. These cones will sit on a tree, unopenable. You can hit them with a hammer, or jump on them, but they just will not open! Until a fire comes along. For some reason unknown to me, when a fire comes, it will cause these cones to open their jaws, and after the fire leaves the seeds will come rolling on out and replace the seeds that were all burnt. Wow! Talk about a testimony to God's plan! When destruction comes in the form of a fire, God uses it and not only does the brush get removed, but new seeds just appear out of nowhere. To me, that is one more reason to look at creation and know that God created it.

Why Adhere? - (Part 4) Because of the people who have adhered

Another reason, although slightly lesser than because the Bible is God's word, to believe in the Bible is because of all the examples of the people who have been converted to Christianity and all the people who were Christians all their life – for whatever reason. Some Christians might include the following:

Johann Sebastian Bach was a musical genius and believed that every note he wrote should be good enough to be dedicated to God. For every song he wrote, at the top he would write J. J., which stood for Jesu Juva, Jesus help me. At the end of every song he would write S. D. G., Soli Deo Gloria, to God alone the glory. He was such a great musician that he could have easily made his fortune playing for princes, but he decided to play and write music for the church instead.

Lord Kelvin, whom the Kelvin scale is named after, also a mathematical physicist and engineer, said: “The atheistic idea is so nonsensical that I cannot put it into words.”

Woodrow T. Wilson, a devout Presbyterian and United States President said: “When you have read the Bible, you will know it is the word of God, because you have found in it the key to your own heart, your own happiness and your own duty.”

Some other scientists might include:

Louis Agassiz, Francis Bacon, Robert Boyle, George Cuvier, Henri Fabre, Michael Faraday, John Ambrose Flemming, William Herschel, James Joule, Lord Kelvin, Johann Kepler, Carolus Linnaeus, Joseph Lister, James Mazwell, Gregor Mendel, Samuel F.B. Morse, Issac Newton, Leonardo Da Vinci, Blaise Pascal, Louis Pasteur, Lord Raleigh.

Professors and doctors might have:

Alexander Balmain Bruce, Alfred Edersheim, Ernst Wlhem Hengstenberg, Fenton Hort, C.S. Lewis, Benjamin Warfield, Brooke Foss Westcott, Aage Bentzen, Edgar Sheffield Brightman, Umberto Cassuto, Thomas Kelly Cheyne, Martin Diberlius, Samuel Rolles Driver, Burton Scott Easton, William H. Green, Abraham Keunen, Melvin Grove Kyle, T.W. Manson, Rev. Alan Hugh M'Neile, Rev. Cuthbert Simpson, Julius Wllhausen.

Historical figures could include:

Franklin Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, John Winthrop, Alex de Tocqueville, David Brewer, George Sutherland, William Douglas, Benjamin Rush, George Ashington, Benjamin Banneker, Haym Salomon, John and Abigal Adams, Noah Webster, Victor Hugo, Daniel Defoe, Johann S. Bach, Ludwig Van Beethoven, George Frederick Handel, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, John Knox, Martin Luther.

Some contemporaries would include:

J. Duncan, Randy Stinson, John Piper, Wayne Grudem, Raymond Ortlund Jr., James Borland, Thomas Schreiner, D. A. Carson, S. Johnson Jr., George Knight the third, Douglas Moo, John Frame, Vern Poythress, William Weinrich Gregg Johnson, George Rekers, Donald Balasa, H. House, Dorothy Patterson, Weldon Hardenbrook, Dee Jepson Elisabeth Elliot, Dr. David Menton, Dr. A. Charles Ware, Dr. Terry Mortenson, Dr. Andy McIntosh, Timothy Ball, Calvin Beisner, Den Chilton, Jonh Christie, Richard Land, Jason Lisle, Michael J. Oard, Roy Spencer, George Taylor, Larry Vardiman, Jay Wile, J.N.D. Anderson, Gleason Archer, F. F. Bruce, Ralph Earl, Joseph Free, Norman Geisler, Canon Green, Harold Greenlee, Ernest Kevan, Paul Little, Bruce Metsger, John Montgomery, Henry Morris, William Nix, W. J. Sparrow-Simpson, Peter Stoner, John Stott, Merrill Tenney, Merrill Unger, Howard Vos, Donald Wiseman, E. J. Young, James Perloff.

Why Adhere? - (Part 3) Because the Bible tells us where to go from here

Because the Bible is the inspired word of God given to us by revelation and therefore it must be dependable, when it tells us to do something, we had better do just that with the knowledge that these words are from God.
Thankfully the Bible tells us how to act, and how to live and gain eternal life, how to talk and relate, and thankfully the Bible tells us how the world will end, and how it started. The fact is, the Bible tells us everything we will ever need to know in order to give praise to God. Luke 21:33 says that heaven and earth will pass away but His words will never go. Jesus also said in Matthew 4:5 that "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Now how often do humans eat? Usually two to three times a day. (at least the people who can afford that) So maybe the message here is that you should be reading the Bible longer than you spend eating. If that is the case I have fallen very short, but it would sure be worth it!
2 Tim. 3:16 says that scripture is where we are to go for education in doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. Since the human mind is far inadequate, the Bible determines our moral code of conduct along with our reaction to certain issues.
Most readers turn out to be leaders. So if you read the Bible longer and more often than you spend reading other books, when you turn out actually leading somebody, what book do you will be leading from, and what book do you think will be at the top of your head all the time?

Christians have the advantage of the Bible in that it tells them how to act and react. Such passages (like Matthew 19:19) are very helpful if you take the time to examine them thoroughly and apply them to your life. The Bible can be the greatest road map, if we open up our hearts to receive it like the Thessalonians did in 1 Thes. 2:13. But if we just “read” it without actually listening to it, it will appear as a dry, boring, stop sign on the side of the path of life.

Bible-readers also have the advantage in that they know how the world will end. But I wont talk about that because pre, post, and all-millennialism it is a very debatable topic. But one of the biggest advantages of having a Bible, and actually reading it and keeping it's commands, (John 14:21) is the knowledge it gives us of Jesus' death and resurrection. The whole Bible is centered around this very story and for a very good reason too. It is where we find our life, and our forgiveness. The death of Christ gives me life! And I know this because I have a Bible. So as we go about our daily lives we need to remember what the Bible says, and then act accordingly, because the Bible does have an antidote for whatever situation you are in. In short, the Bible tells us where to go from here.

NOTE: The picture above is a picture of my friend David, and no offense is meant. you can check out his blog here

Why Adhere? - (Part 2) Because the Bible is Dependable

There have been many debates on whether the Bible is dependable, historically or scientifically, but since our knowledge of science has been growing constantly over the last 2000+ years, you would think that what we as humans have learned in the past should be able to help us in our pursuit of proving the validity of the Bible, and decide whether the world evolved, or was created. Such is the case. As we have found that the universe does not revolve around the Earth, and we have gone deeper and deeper into space, we are able to make rational judgments off of that knowledge, such as, this great span of space is way too complex to have come out of nothing, and the Bible must be correct! That is what we should do as Christians, we should be out in the fields of science, advancing our knowledge of this fabulous world that we are stewards of for God.

When the Bible is shown to be in sync with science, people have two choices: receive the Bible for what it is, God's word, or discard that portion of science-that-fits-with-the-Bible as irreverent. Often when someone chooses the latter, they will go farther than ignoring evidence, or ignoring the person who discovered that evidence and try to find some scrap of evidence that shows just the opposite of what contradicts their presuppositions, and glorify it as solid proof (The Nebraska man, for example). When you come across someone like that, someone who will just not listen, there is not much that you can do to influence that person. They have a blind eye towards the Bible, and their problem is rooted in the heart. They should be loved and prayed for just as any non-believer. But sometimes people will look at all that the Bible teaches and their eyes will be opened, and they will be able to see how the Bible fits everything together so perfectly, and because of that, they will become Christians.

But sometimes it is appropriate to give some examples of how the Bible fits together so seamlessly, if it will be edifying to the person. Some examples might be the prophecy of Tyre, or the intricacy of the hummingbird, or the giraffe, seashells, the position of the sun in relation to the Earth, the position of the moon in relation to the Earth, the absurdity of evolution, or a religion that contradicts itself or allows it's people to lie to infidels.

Just remember that the goal is not to win the argument. The goal is to win souls for Christ, and to give Him all the recognition.

Why Adhere to the Bible? - (Part 1) Because it's God's Word

Because the Bible is the inspired word of God (2 Tim 3:16), it provides us with something that we can not get anywhere else, it gives us God's perspective on things.
This world contains a wealth of information, and our library's are stuffed full of books on science and theology and stuff, but only God can speak to us with absolute certainty about eternity and the future. Though much can be learned of God through nature, we need to go to the Bible daily, and study it long and hard in order to gain this knowledge, but we should never just skim it and kind of “read” it in our spare time. We need to devote the greater part of our memory and time to the studying and application of the the only divinely inspired word, and ask for God's direction in those pursuits.
The Bible also tells us about God, and of His characteristics, and His feelings toward a certain action. Without that knowledge that is stored in the Bible, we are blind to all He has said and done for us.

Most people will say that because the Bible was put to paper by finite humans that it can not be excellent enough to be the word of God. Or because the Bible was written way back in the “Bible times” and they didn't know that much back then, it couldn't be applicable to us today. Some people will bring up the example of Luke 10:4: “Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road.” Does this mean that missionary's are supposed to go barefoot? Is it still valid in a shoe-wearing world? How literally should we take this passage? Those are very good questions, and people run into questions like them all the time. Now you probably don't think that we should all go barefoot, but let's look at the following questions: Is this verse entirely custom, entirely principle, partly principle-partly custom, or partly principle? Whenever you are looking for the answer, it is important to always take an exegetical approach, and ask God for the wisdom to understand His scriptures.

There's a reason why the Bible is the worlds best seller. Adhere to that book and the Writer of that book!

The Prophecy concerning Tyre

I am thinking about giving this speech sometime, so tell me what you think.

In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: "Son of man, because Tyre said concerning Jerusalem, 'Aha, the gate of the peoples is broken; it has swung open to me. I shall be replenished, now that she is laid waste,' therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves. They shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers, and I will scrape her soil from her and make her a bare rock. She shall be in the midst of the sea a place for the spreading of nets, for I have spoken, declares the Lord God. And she shall become plunder for the nations, and her daughters on the mainland shall be killed by the sword. Then they will know that I am the Lord. They will plunder your riches and loot your merchandise. They will break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses. Your stones and timber and soil they will cast into the midst of the waters. I will make you a bare rock. You shall be a place for the spreading of nets. You shall never be rebuilt, for I am the Lord; I have spoken, declares the Lord God. I will bring you to a dreadful end, and you shall be no more. Though you be sought for, you will never be found again, declares the Lord God."

We see here that there are seven prophecy's made against Tyre, one, that many nations would rise up against Tyre, two, the island would turn out flat like the top of a bare rock, three, fisherman would spread their nets over the island, which requires a very flat surface. Four, it would never be rebuilt, and five, never found again. Six, Concerning the mainland, it would be destroyed, and seven, the debris would be thrown in the water.

But why all this destruction? What did Tyre do to deserve this? Well as it says in the Bible, the city of Tyre was feeling pretty happy because of the of the downfall of Jerusalem. Tyre is rejoicing over over that fact, and feeling that they will be the greatest city in the world. Now that Jerusalem is out of the way, they will be the biggest, richest, most powerful trading city ever. Everybody's happy, especially the prince of Tyre.

(Read Ezekiel 28:2) Wow! The prince of Tyre has got a lot of pride!

And because of this excessive pride of both the people and the prince of Tyre, they will be destroyed. Remember, pride comes before a fall, and a lofty spirit before destruction.

The first of the “many nations” brought against Tyre was Nebuchadnezzar, who made a thirteen-year siege on the Tyrian city through the years 585 and 573 B.C. First destroying all the city's that provided Tyre with food, the daughter villages. When Nebuchadnezzar finally broke through the gates of the mainland city, he found that nearly all of the people had moved by boat to the island for safety. So Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the mainland citys, left it in a pile, and moved on, not bothering with the island. Leaving Tyre just as proud as ever. Then Tyre set about fortifying their island, they made walls one hundred and fifty feet high, extending to the very edge of the island, They made underwater obstacles that would pierce any unwary ships, and over the next two hundred years they built ships like crazy until they had a first class navy.

The next of the many nations was Alexander the Great. And he had an odd habit. Every time Alexander would destroy a city, he would throw the rubble of that city into the nearest body of water. He would do that with every city he conquered, as a testimony to his power. When he came upon Tyre in 333 B.C., he had no fleet of ships like Tyre's, so he took the rubble from the old Tyre, and cast it into the water, with the intention of making a mole, or a causeway, 200 feet wide, as a passageway to the island. During this process, he even scraped the dirt off of the island to use it in the construction! But about halfway there, both the depth of the sea, and the attacks from Tyre increased. The Tyrians were so greatly hindering the progress that eventually Alexander realized that to take the fortress, he would need ships. Since he had no navy with him, he told the nations he had conquered to build him some ships. Byblus gave about 80, a big one came from Macedon, 120 from Cyprus, and they came from many other places. With this now very large naval force at Alexander's command, the conquest of Tyre was now just a question of time. After a gruesome year of battles, Tyre fell. Alexander then scraped the rubble of the island into the sea and walked away victorious. Most of the site is now flat, and bare like the top of a rock, a place where fishermen still spread their nets to dry.

Eighteen years later, when Antigonus came, the city of Tyre had recovered significantly, but after fifteen months of battles, they were again destroyed.

About thirty years later, Ptolemy Philadelphus built the harbor of Berenice on the Red Sea and made a road to Coptos with rest stops and everything. He also reopened the canal that went from the Pelusiac branch of the Nile to the Gulf of Suez. Because the traffic of the Red Sea had originally passed by Tyre, but it now flowed to Alexandria instead, Tyre took a great hit.

About fifteen hundred years later the Muslims easily took Tyre, and held it until the crusaders came, and then the crusaders destroyed it. Now the only remnants of the city are some broken down pillars and walls that remain from the crusaders time period. All that remains is the standard rubble.

The Bible also says that the island would not be built upon any more. Now, if you visit the modern day island of Tyre, you will not be able to tell where the old city was! Even though it covered the whole island. You can't see any remains there. There are freshwater springs supplying the island with thousands of gallons of water per day, but they are just running into the sea. The island would be a great place to build a city, but this prophecy has stood true, and no one is there today, Except for the occasional fisherman, because if you are going to spread your nets on an island, you are not going to live ten miles up the coast are you?

The Bible also says that the city would never be found again, as in, the riches that the city knew before will never be found again.

If Ezekiel had looked at Tyre in his day, he would have seen that there was only one chance in every 75,000,000 that all seven of these prophecy's would come true. But they all came true to the smallest detail.

So we see that because of the pride and gloating of Tyre, they were brought low, and humiliated through the men and nations that God said He would send against them. We also see that God will bring everything to pass that He says will come to pass. So when He says that some rich city is going to turn out flat, and scraped clean into the sea, it will happen!

Encouragement

There is a point where the strongest man can be brought low by discouragement. When people are brought to this point, for whatever reason, they can either accept the fact that they need God, or they can continue in their self-pity, or cover it up with worldly pursuits. Encouragement comes from the Hand of God working in our lives, but often God works through you and I, ministering in the person's life. So we need to remember that there are certain people in this world that need our support.
To list a few, there are...

1.Fellow Christians and missionary's around the world.

Hebrews 13:3: “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.” The Christian missionary's all over the world have to deal with local governments restricting Christianity and the importation of Bibles, but still they keep reaching out towards the non-believer. Many times they will be cut off from their family communicationally, and have will have very little contact with friends, or even Christians. A good organization to look into that supports missionary's over the world is Voice of the Martyrs.

2.Your nation's soldiers.

America has soldiers all over the world, and some soldiers have no family connections. Others will be away from home maybe for several years. They will endure both physical and spiritual attacks from their enemy. Some, when they come home, will have post-traumatic stress syndrome, or they might be frightened with firecrackers, or just have lots of bad dreams. I don't know of that many soldier friendly organizations, but it would be a good thing to check out

3.Your neighbor.

Romans 15:2: “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.”
But you might be wondering “encourage in what? What are we encouraging these people in? Just to be happy people?” My answer is no. We are to encourage our fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord in their walk with the Lord, and to show the non-believers, in love, that they need the Lord.

Eccles. 4:9-10: "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!"

I'll tell a story about a man with Operation Mobilization named Don Nichols. He went to India in 1967, and contracted TB just after arriving, and he decided to go to the local, government-run sanitarium. He wasn't able to speak their language yet, and had tried to give out tracts and literature in their language to the patients, doctors, and nurses. But everyone refused.
The first few nights I woke up around 2 a.m., coughing. One morning during my coughing spell, I noticed one of the older and sicker patients across the aisle trying to get out of bed. He would sit up on the edge of the bed and try to stand, but in weakness would gall back into bed. I didn't understand what he was trying to do. He finally fell back into bed exhausted. I heard him crying softly.
The next morning I realized that he had been trying to get up and walk to the bathroom! The stench in our ward was awful. Other patients yelled insults at the man. Angry nurses moved him roughly from side to side as they cleaned up the mess. One nurse even slapped him. The old man curled into a ball and wept.
The next night I again woke up coughing. I noticed the man across the aisle again trying to stand. Like the night before, he fell back whimpering. I don't like bad smells, and I didn't want to become involved, but I got out of bed and went over to him. When I touched his shoulder, his eyes opened wide with fear. I smiled, put my arms under him, and picked him up.
He was very light due to old age and advanced TB. I carried him to the washroom, which was just a filthy, small room with a hole in the floor. After he finished, I picked him up, and carried him back to his bed. As I laid him down, he kissed me on the cheek, smiled, and said something that I could not understand.
The next morning another patient woke me and handed me a steaming cup of tea. He motioned with his hands that he wanted a tract.
As the sun rose, other patients approached me and indicated that they also wanted the booklets I had tried to distribute before. Throughout the day nurses, interns, and doctors asked for literature.
Weeks later an evangelist who spoke the language visited me and discovered that several had put their trust in Christ as a Savior as a result of reading the literature.
What did it take to reach these people with the gospel? It wasn't health, the ability to speak the language, or a persuasive talk. I simply took a trip to the bathroom.

Encouragement comes in many different forms. Let your life be one that incites others closer to God.

The Importance of Knowing the Scriptures - Hermeneutics

Reading the Bible is important, but often we interpret what we read in the wrong way. When this happens we can not make an accurate defense of the Scriptures. Likewise, we can take verses out of context, or use them the way we see fit, imposing our own beliefs upon the scriptures, and not looking for the meaning of that passage. That is what the devil wants. If he can help it, no one will know the true meaning of the scripture. To prevent this, we go into hermeneutics: "the art of finding the meaning of an author's words and phrases." (Webster Dictionary)
One of the components of the above practice is going back to the original language(s) that the Bible was written in. Once we go back to that language (Hebrew or Aramaic for Old Testament, Greek for New Testament) we can find out how each word could be translated.

Example: John 21:15
"When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?'
"Yes, Lord," he said, 'you know that I love you.'
Jesus said, 'Feed my lambs.'"
The love that Jesus talked about and the love that Simon Peter talked about came from different Greek words, they were not talking about the same love!

Example #2: Ezekiel 26:6 KJV vs. NIV
"Also her daughter villages which are in the fields shall be slain by the sword. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.’" (KJV)

"And her settlements on the mainland will be ravaged by the sword. Then they will know that I am the LORD." (NIV)

Do you see the importance?

Application:
Next time you read a controversial passage, or an interesting or perhaps thought provoking verse, go to a Bible commentary such as Calvin's Commentary and they should give you the background for that verse along with some explanation. Or better yet, get a Greek New Testament, and a Hebrew/Aramaic Old Testament, and learn some new languages! But whatever you do, don't be selfish in your Bible readings, give God all the glory.
The Adherent

Why Campaign?

All of creation is theocentric, therefore when we go campaigning for a political candidate, we must remember that we are not replacing the theocentric order with our own, we are acknowledging the order that already exists. I am a Calvinist, and I believe in honoring God in every area of life, and I see politics as just one more arena for us to bear witness to the Lordship of Jesus Christ (Daniel 4:34). Christian political engagements are to be our declaration that Jesus is Lord!. For Christians to ignore this is to ignore the God's rule over that area. When that happens, and the political realm is devoid of Christians, atheists rush to fill that void with something else (Psalms 33:12). We must ground our political and cultural activity in an understanding of the ultimate sovereignty of God Almighty. We are called to be in the world, but not of the world. So as the elections come up, get involved and show your support.

Have a good day!
The Adherent

Quick note

Hello readers!
Just letting you know that I have another blog at:
theadherent.blogspot.com
although this is just a duplicate of the blog you are looking at right now.
Thanks!
The Adherent

Do Not Sin

Situation ethics is the belief that sometimes man can sin. The “situation ethics people” will say that because of the norm, or the present situation, it is “demanded” that you sin. They will try to come up with a time when you are “forced” to sin. Once the sin is justified by being the only thing to do, it is suddenly transformed to being “good”. Other times they will say that the Bible contradicts itself, then you can just choose the portion of scripture you would rather follow! But so called “Christian” situation ethics is defeated by 1 Corinthians 10:13:
"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." (KJV) and also in Romans 6:1-2:
"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (KJV)
Another problem with those who hold fast to situation ethics is that they do not take the sovereignty of God, or the power of the Holy Spirit into account. It sees God as stupid, Because He was stupid in not foreseeing that His laws would contradict.
And if you were forced to sin, you did not really sin, therefore you do not even have to confess your sins! So you will never need the saving blood of Jesus. So you see, situation ethics is another way of covering up your sins. May you never do the same. Have a good day!
The Adherent