Friday, July 31, 2015
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Th.7.30.15 In Honor of Adrian...Eccles.11:1-6
Who is your favorite radio pastor? We are so blessed to be able to listen to some of the best pastors and Christian teachers in the country. Let their teaching and passion rub off on you. Eat much from the banquets they set forth to increase your growth in God. My all-time favorite radio pastor was Dr. Adrian Rogers. Not only was he an outstanding preacher, with a great voice for it, he also impressed me by his great love for the Lord, his wife and the lost. I listened often to his radio program, "Love Worth Finding," as did millions of other people. His broadcasts were heard in more than 150 countries. Though he died 10 years ago, his radio programs are still being aired in many areas and available anywhere via the internet at http://www.lwf.org/.
Adrian and I were on a first name basis, though we never met. He was like a wonderful father or grandfather to many. He was so gifted at taking a passage and presenting it in such a simple yet powerful manner. Many places in my Bible you will find some of his points with his name by it. Today's passage, Ecclesiastes 11, is an example. So in honor of Adrian, I'd like to give you his six word outline of Eccles.11:1-6, followed by my comments. In his message, he applied the passage to one's financial fitness, but the passage can also be applied to one's spiritual fitness, which is what we will do here.
1. Invest- 11:1. Invest in the lives of others. Like casting God's seed, God assures that you will reap according to how much you sow or invest in others. It will come back to you. Aren't you glad you're sharing God's word and the gospel seed (such as Greatest mini-movies) with others? Only those who don't will regret it. Adrian said, "I'm a nobody telling everybody about Somebody who can save anybody."
2. Diversify- 11:2. "Give portions to seven, yes to eight" Don't keep what you have. Give. Many see a cross reference to Jesus' parable in Luke 16:1-9. When the "disaster" of death occurs, you will be very glad you gave to others. They will welcome you into eternal dwellings. May I challenge you to give to seven, yes to eight men. Strive to recruit seven or eight men over the next few years and give them lots of encouragement. They will create for you such a huge family tree as they give the same to others as well. Don't tell me you're too insignificant for God to use you in this way. Adrian said, "You can be too big for God to use, but you can never be too small for God to use."
3. Prepare- 11:3. Prepare for the certainties of life. "Where a tree falls, there will it lie." Duh! One of the certainties of life is that there will be uncertainties. That's why people buy insurance and have an emergency fund. Look down the road of your life. What do you see that you may need to prepare for? Paul saw "terrible times" coming (see 2 Tim.3:1). I think one of the best ways to prepare for such terrible times is to be in a strong band of brothers. So glad we are! Prepare. Mean business for God. "God does business with those who mean business." Adrian
4. Risk- 11:4. "Whoever watches the wind will not plant." Some will always find excuses not to improve their life or advance God's kingdom. They may fear possible failure or rejection, so they don't sow into their future or into the lives of others. Too many watch the wind, looking at people, trying to decide if they would be interested in spiritual things, rather than planting seeds. The power is in the seed of God's word. Risk sharing it with others. Take rejection as a badge of honor. The apostles were beaten for taking the risk to share God's word. They left the Sanhedrin "rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name" Acts 5:41. They said, "Yes" to the Lord's will. "Two words that will change your life- Yes Lord." Adrian
5. Trust- 11:5. Solomon reminds us again that there is so much we don't know. So how then could we possibly know or understand the work of God? Thus, we need to trust. As it's been said, "When you can't trace His hand, trust His heart." When you have sought to do what's good and right and everything seems to be going wrong, "trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding" Prov.3:5. You will discover God can be trusted. "Our great need is to discover that Jesus is all we need." Adrian
6. Work- 11:6. "Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle..." Farmers had more than one field of endeavor. So do you and I. We need to work at our job and then come home to work on our marriage and family as well as our spiritual life. If a man is not liking his sparse harvest, he often just needs to increase the quantity and quality of the seeds he is sowing. "It's what you sow that multiplies, not what you keep in the barn." Adrian
Adrian worked so long and hard for the Lord. Here's a video tribute in honor of him. May his life inspire us as well.
1.- If you have a favorite radio pastor, please share who it is and where his broadcast can be found.
If you don't typically listen to sound biblical preaching apart from church, please take advantage of so much that is available to you via the radio and the internet. Check out what your other brothers are enjoying.
2.- What is one thing that strikes you from our passage, Eccles.11:1-6, and what we covered about it on the blog today? As always, write that down and look for opportunities (take risks) to sow that good seed in others lives today.
You will note that we didn't cover all of chapter 11 today. That's because I believe that 11:8-10 actually begins a new thought that goes into chapter 12. So we will look at all of that together tomorrow.
You may recall that chapter divisions were not introduced into the Bible until 1227 AD by Stephen Langton. These weren't always the best placed, as we noted today. The Hebrew Old Testament was divided into verses by a Jewish rabbi, named Nathan in 1448. Robert Stephanus did the same for the NT in 1555. Thank God for the work of these men. How easy they've made it for us to quickly find any passage. Otherwise we would be constantly saying, "somewhere it says." Note that is what the author of Hebrews said about the words of God in an Old Testament passage, "Somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words, 'And on the seventh day God rested from all his work.'" We know those words can be found in Gen.2:2.
PS- Adrian Rogers was also a master quote-smith. Enjoy!
"Death is just a comma to a Christian, not a period."
"Some people brighten up a room just by leaving it." :)
"I'm not always what I think I am, but what I think, I am."
"Failure in the past does not nullify purpose in the future."
"The weakest ink is stronger than the best memory. Study with pen in hand."
"What you are alone is what you are."
"Meditation gives you knowledge about God. Obedience gives you knowledge of God."
"You can save a lot of time waiting on God."
"You are free to choose; but you are not free to choose the consequences of that choice."
"Light refused increases darkness."
"Never give the devil a ride. He will always want to drive."
"Discipline says, 'I need to." Duty says, 'I ought to.' Devotion says, 'I want to.'"
"We're to love people and use things, not love things and use people."
What if you could see yourself age from early childhood to old age in short order? You'll see that happen to a man tomorrow. How does that morphing man tie in with what you'll face tomorrow? Come back and see
Adrian and I were on a first name basis, though we never met. He was like a wonderful father or grandfather to many. He was so gifted at taking a passage and presenting it in such a simple yet powerful manner. Many places in my Bible you will find some of his points with his name by it. Today's passage, Ecclesiastes 11, is an example. So in honor of Adrian, I'd like to give you his six word outline of Eccles.11:1-6, followed by my comments. In his message, he applied the passage to one's financial fitness, but the passage can also be applied to one's spiritual fitness, which is what we will do here.
1. Invest- 11:1. Invest in the lives of others. Like casting God's seed, God assures that you will reap according to how much you sow or invest in others. It will come back to you. Aren't you glad you're sharing God's word and the gospel seed (such as Greatest mini-movies) with others? Only those who don't will regret it. Adrian said, "I'm a nobody telling everybody about Somebody who can save anybody."
2. Diversify- 11:2. "Give portions to seven, yes to eight" Don't keep what you have. Give. Many see a cross reference to Jesus' parable in Luke 16:1-9. When the "disaster" of death occurs, you will be very glad you gave to others. They will welcome you into eternal dwellings. May I challenge you to give to seven, yes to eight men. Strive to recruit seven or eight men over the next few years and give them lots of encouragement. They will create for you such a huge family tree as they give the same to others as well. Don't tell me you're too insignificant for God to use you in this way. Adrian said, "You can be too big for God to use, but you can never be too small for God to use."
3. Prepare- 11:3. Prepare for the certainties of life. "Where a tree falls, there will it lie." Duh! One of the certainties of life is that there will be uncertainties. That's why people buy insurance and have an emergency fund. Look down the road of your life. What do you see that you may need to prepare for? Paul saw "terrible times" coming (see 2 Tim.3:1). I think one of the best ways to prepare for such terrible times is to be in a strong band of brothers. So glad we are! Prepare. Mean business for God. "God does business with those who mean business." Adrian
4. Risk- 11:4. "Whoever watches the wind will not plant." Some will always find excuses not to improve their life or advance God's kingdom. They may fear possible failure or rejection, so they don't sow into their future or into the lives of others. Too many watch the wind, looking at people, trying to decide if they would be interested in spiritual things, rather than planting seeds. The power is in the seed of God's word. Risk sharing it with others. Take rejection as a badge of honor. The apostles were beaten for taking the risk to share God's word. They left the Sanhedrin "rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name" Acts 5:41. They said, "Yes" to the Lord's will. "Two words that will change your life- Yes Lord." Adrian
5. Trust- 11:5. Solomon reminds us again that there is so much we don't know. So how then could we possibly know or understand the work of God? Thus, we need to trust. As it's been said, "When you can't trace His hand, trust His heart." When you have sought to do what's good and right and everything seems to be going wrong, "trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding" Prov.3:5. You will discover God can be trusted. "Our great need is to discover that Jesus is all we need." Adrian
6. Work- 11:6. "Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle..." Farmers had more than one field of endeavor. So do you and I. We need to work at our job and then come home to work on our marriage and family as well as our spiritual life. If a man is not liking his sparse harvest, he often just needs to increase the quantity and quality of the seeds he is sowing. "It's what you sow that multiplies, not what you keep in the barn." Adrian
Adrian worked so long and hard for the Lord. Here's a video tribute in honor of him. May his life inspire us as well.
1.- If you have a favorite radio pastor, please share who it is and where his broadcast can be found.
If you don't typically listen to sound biblical preaching apart from church, please take advantage of so much that is available to you via the radio and the internet. Check out what your other brothers are enjoying.
2.- What is one thing that strikes you from our passage, Eccles.11:1-6, and what we covered about it on the blog today? As always, write that down and look for opportunities (take risks) to sow that good seed in others lives today.
You will note that we didn't cover all of chapter 11 today. That's because I believe that 11:8-10 actually begins a new thought that goes into chapter 12. So we will look at all of that together tomorrow.
You may recall that chapter divisions were not introduced into the Bible until 1227 AD by Stephen Langton. These weren't always the best placed, as we noted today. The Hebrew Old Testament was divided into verses by a Jewish rabbi, named Nathan in 1448. Robert Stephanus did the same for the NT in 1555. Thank God for the work of these men. How easy they've made it for us to quickly find any passage. Otherwise we would be constantly saying, "somewhere it says." Note that is what the author of Hebrews said about the words of God in an Old Testament passage, "Somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words, 'And on the seventh day God rested from all his work.'" We know those words can be found in Gen.2:2.
PS- Adrian Rogers was also a master quote-smith. Enjoy!
"Death is just a comma to a Christian, not a period."
"Some people brighten up a room just by leaving it." :)
"I'm not always what I think I am, but what I think, I am."
"Failure in the past does not nullify purpose in the future."
"The weakest ink is stronger than the best memory. Study with pen in hand."
"What you are alone is what you are."
"Meditation gives you knowledge about God. Obedience gives you knowledge of God."
"You can save a lot of time waiting on God."
"You are free to choose; but you are not free to choose the consequences of that choice."
"Light refused increases darkness."
"Never give the devil a ride. He will always want to drive."
"Discipline says, 'I need to." Duty says, 'I ought to.' Devotion says, 'I want to.'"
"We're to love people and use things, not love things and use people."
What if you could see yourself age from early childhood to old age in short order? You'll see that happen to a man tomorrow. How does that morphing man tie in with what you'll face tomorrow? Come back and see
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Wed.8.5.15...Diving into the Gospel of John...John 1:1-18
Are you afraid of heights? How far up the ladder at the pool would you climb to dive in? Here's a man that climbed up a crazy, high ladder to dive 177 feet below into the water. My record is only about a tenth of that.
Today we are about to climb much higher, up to the heavens, as we dive into the gospel of John. But before we dive in, we need to know a little bit about the background of this book. I found a great introduction to the gospel of John by Gary DeLashmutt of xenos Ministries http://ift.tt/1JvI1JO. He keeps it short and explains things in a clear manner. I'll add my own comments [ in brackets].
AUTHOR & DATE: It was written by John the son of Zebedee, one of Jesus' disciples, probably between 80-100 AD. [ I believe John was written before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD based on John's on words in 5:2. Bet that really changes your life, doesn't it :] Though he does not name himself, both internal evidence (elimination of the other intimate disciples--Peter and James) and external evidence (Polycarp; Irenaeus; Papias) confirm his authorship.
ORIGINAL AUDIENCE: John writes to non-Jews. This is clear because he explains Jewish customs and terms. After the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, John moved to Ephesus and worked primarily with Gentiles. The Gentiles of John's day were spiritually-oriented, but relativistic. [That means they didn't believe in absolutes. What may bad for you may be okay for me. Our country is full of "spiritual" people who don't know the truth that can set them free.]
PURPOSE: Read 20:31. This is an evangelistic account of Jesus' life. He selected his material to provide them with evidence that Jesus is the unique Messiah and Son of God, so that they may believe in him and have spiritual life through him. This is why we usually recommend that seekers start with John instead of Genesis, Matthew, etc. [ I agree. John is God's evangelistic tract. I've given out many copies in the past. Now we all are as we give out our Greatest Minimovies cards. It's first item listed under our Resources tab.]
SIMPLICITY & PROFUNDITY: John's gospel has the smallest and simplest Greek vocabulary of any New Testament book; he uses just over 400 Greek words. (That's why Greek students usually start with John.) But in spite of this simplicity, there is incredible spiritual depth and profundity in this book. One theologian said it is "shallow enough for babies to wade in, but deep enough for elephants to drown in." [Consider the short, simple words John uses in just his opening few verses. Little children can read it, but theologians marvel at it- "In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God."]
RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER GOSPELS: Written after them, John purposefully selects material which they did not include (to fill in their gaps, and to pursue his evangelistic purpose). Whereas the synoptic gospels begin with the historical account of Jesus' life and build to a conclusion about him, John begins with a summary of his conclusions about Jesus, and then records historical examples from the life of Jesus to validate his conclusions. We call this summary the prologue of John; it is perhaps the greatest distillation of Christian theology in the whole New Testament. [That is why we are going to take only a small portion of chapter 1 to look at today.]
The Logos Is Ultimate Reality (vs 1-3)
Read vs 1-3. John introduces us to an entity he calls "the Word." This is the Greek word logos. Since John is writing to Greeks, he uses their own philosophical term as the starting point for his message. From their observation of order in the external universe and human rationality, they believed there must be some universal "reason" which undergirds reality and provides meaning for the universe. They sometimes called this "cosmic rationality" (or Ultimate Reality) the logos. [Logos is the Greek word John uses which is translated "word" in this passage. In the beginning was the word (logos)...]
Their problem was that they didn't know where to go from there. There was endless speculation and disagreement about the nature of this logos: is it personal or impersonal? is it eternal or temporal? What is its relationship to the material world? Is it interested or disinterested in individual humans?
Using their own term for Ultimate Reality, [logos, the word] John answers their questions with a series of block-buster assertions. What humans can only guess at by observation, John reveals to us in this passage. [They only had "under the sun" speculation, like guessing what color eyes aliens in UFOs might have. Jesus and John's gospel gives us revelation.]
["In the beginning" is of course also how Genesis begins. So John also begins his book referring back to the beginning of creation on Earth. The Greek language, using the imperfect tense for "was" indicates that the word (logos, whom we know from 1:14 is Christ) "was already" there before the beginning of time. So we could read the verse this way- "In the beginning, already was the word, and the word was already with God and the word already was God. The Living Bible, which is a paraphrase reflects the meaning- "Before anything else existed, there was Christ, with God. He has always been alive and is himself God." Let the eternity of God the son melt your mind!]The logos is eternal (vs 1a). "In the beginning already was the logos." The logos is the uncaused Cause, the self-existent Ground of Reality beyond which it is impossible to go.
["The great Creator became my Savior and all God's fullness dwelleth in him!"]The logos is the Creator of the universe (vs 3). The universe is not eternal (NATURALISTS) [There are atheistic evolutionists that claim the universe must be eternal because they don't want to admit that there must be a Creator of creation. That is a fairy tale for gullible adults], nor is it somehow God (ANIMISM & PANTHEISM). [There are environmentalist today that worship the creation rather than the Creator.] It was "spoken into existence" by the logos.The logos is a Person. The logos is not called "it," but "he" (vs 2) and "him" (vs 3).
The logos is deity, or God (vs 1c). The Greek emphasizes this. Because of the above, the logos clearly deserves this title. [The word already was God. he didn't become a God as Mormons believe and He isn't "a god" as the Jehovah's Witnesses New World Translation perverts that verse. Their Bible is not a version it is a perversion and their authors will face the worst of God's pronounced judgments for changing God's sacred words. Examine as many translations as you can find, I've looked at more than 20, no Greek scholar has rendered the passage their way- "the word was a god." No, "the word was God." Jesus already was and forever is God. A little god, Michael the archangel cannot save us. Only almighty God can save us.]The logos is also personally distinct from God (vs 1b,2). He is both God, and was also always "face to face" with God. This is one of many passages (OT and NT) that reveal that while God is a unity in his essence, he exists as more than one Person. We call this the "Trinity." [Some rightly call the trinity a tri-unity.] Here, two of these three Persons are mentioned: God the Father ("God" and God the Son (called "the logos"). [Later in chapter one, we will see the Father, Son and Spirit all referred to- 1:33.]This sounds very abstract, but it resolves a profound question: How God can be both personal and self-existent? How can God be personal without needing to create other persons with whom to relate? But if God needed to create other persons, God is not truly self-existent. The biblical answer to this question is the Trinity: God has always existed as a community of Persons who have always loved one another. One hundred trillion years before anything or anyone else existed, God was already there forever before. But he was never lonely because he related to himselves (read Jn. 17:24). [The Lord did not create you out of loneliness, but fullness of joy. The Trinity was so full of love that love desired to express itself to others. I once got a birth announcement from friends that read something like this- "Out of our overflowing love for each other, we look forward to pouring it out on our expected child." That's how the triune God feels about you and me. Wow!
The logos, of course, is Jesus (vs 14a). The historical Person Jesus of Nazareth, who was born into the human race at Bethlehem around 4 BC and died around 33 AD, is in fact God, the infinite-personal-eternal Creator of the whole universe! He created the materials from which his feeding trough crib was made. He created the angels that announced his birth, and the sheep the shepherds tended, and the star that guided the magi . . .[And you! Thank You Lord Jesus for coming to rescue and relate to us. Open our hearts to love you back all the more and share this overflowing love with others.]
1.- Read John 1:1-18 (This portion is known as the prologue or introduction to the book) and then comment on something from just verses 1-3 and or anything written above.2.- Okay, speaking of fears, such as the fear of heights, when you were a boy, did you have a childhood fear? I was mildly afraid of the dark. Thank God for lights. And thank God for Jesus, the light who shines in the darkness to free us from the darkness of sin. If you didn't have any childhood fears, did you have a sibling or friend who did? (For the record, I think I would be terrified to be at the top of that 177 foot ladder contemplating diving down into the water. There's a fine line between being courageous and being crazy:)
Wed.7.29.15...Clarify...Eccles.10
As a kid I regularly watched the original Star Trek TV series (It's five year mission: to explore strange now worlds...only lasted 3 seasons). At times Captain Kirk would be given some odd data to which he would then say to Spock, "Clarify." Maybe that's what you want to say at times if your wife begins talking to you in mid-thought about people you don't know who she is referring to. "Clarify." Being able to clarify info we hear is crucial to giving good responses and making good decisions.
Several months ago, we looked at tools to better help us clarify our understanding of what God is saying to us through the Bible. We discussed how to REAP from God's word-
Read it prayerfully and carefully
Explore it by asking questions, clarifying terms, studying contexts, cross references, concordances and commentaries.
Apply it
Pass it on to others.
One way to also help clarify the meaning of a passage is to put it into your own words. So let's have fun doing so in Ecclesiastes chapter 10. I'll get us started. Here is 10:1 from the NIV.
As dead flies give perfume a bad smell,
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
Now here is my modern day paraphrase of it.
As one skunk ruins the sweet smell of roses,
so one dim-whit can ruin the careful whit and work of the wise.
If one dim-whit can ruin things, just see what three stooges can do! (This is an excerpt from one of my favorite episodes. My son and I have roared watching their amazing, creative antics!:)
Hope you enjoyed a good laugh watching such fools. You will notice Eccles.10 is dominated by contrasting fools and the wise. The fool is such a stooge, he shows everyone how stupid he is (10:2). He may get hired or put in a position for which he has no skill whatsoever (10:6). He is so dull that he doesn't figure the skillful way to do a job (10:10). Like the three stooges, his words are full of folly (10:13) and he doesn't know the most basic things (10:15). The house of his life leaks (10:18). He's so foolish, he thinks that money will solve all his problems (10:19). And his disrespectful talk is sure to boomerang on him (10:20).
1.- So read through Eccles.10 and pick out one verse and put it in a short, pithy saying as well.
This is different from sharing our thoughts about a verse. This is re-wording the verse. This forces us to think carefully about the verse and clarify its meaning to begin with. There are no right or wrong answers here. Go for it!
Paraphrasing a verse in your own words is helpful. But this brings up an important question. Should we use a paraphrase of the Bible? Here's how a good Christian question and answer site, Got Questions.org responded-
http://ift.tt/1SfargM
Question: "Should I use a paraphrase of the Bible?"
Answer:A paraphrase is a retelling of something in your own words. A paraphrase of the Bible is different from a translation in that a translation attempts (to varying degrees) to communicate as “word-for-word” or as “thought-for-thought” as possible. A paraphrase takes the meaning of a verse or passage of Scripture and attempts to express the meaning in “plain language” – essentially the words the author of the paraphrase would use to say the same thing. The most popular example of a Bible paraphrase would be “The Message” by Eugene Peterson.
Many people use paraphrases as their “reading Bible,” preferring to read straight through as with a novel. This can be particularly helpful in long narrative passages such as found in Genesis, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Chronicles. Then they use actual translations—such as the New American Standard, New King James, and New International Version—for in-depth reading and study.
Should you use a paraphrase? A paraphrase of the Bible should not be used as a Christian’s primary Bible. We have to remember that a paraphrase is what the author thinks the Bible says, not necessarily what the Bible says. Eugene Peterson did a fair job on The Message, but there are many passages in The Message that do not accurately render the original meaning of the text. A paraphrase of the Bible should essentially be used as a commentary on the Bible, a way to get another perspective. A paraphrase can be used alongside a Bible translation to give insight into what the Bible means. A paraphrase of the Bible, though, should not be viewed as the Bible, but rather as an author’s idea of what the Bible says and what it means by what it says.
Just to clarify, when I got saved in 1976, my sister gave me a Living Bible. It was a very popular paraphrase by Dr. Ken Taylor. I devoured it! I also have Eugene Peterson's The Message and find it helpful in spots. Use such tools to help you dig into the Scriptures.
To further Clarify
We are on a serious mission, but there is a time and place for laughter. "A feast is made for laughter" 10:19. Solomon wrote in his previous book that a "merry heart does good like a medicine" Prov.17:22. Laughter has been proven to be so therapeutic. If you enjoy the humor of the Three Stooges, then here is the link to the full Plumbers episode entitled, The Vagabond Loafers (1949). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08sCJVa32ik Dudley Dickerson (the black cook) played in several other episodes with the Three Stooges. He is hilarious in this one:)
For my Thoughtful Friends
The OT abounds with Hebrew poetry and word play. One technique used often in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes is contrasting thoughts. Here's an example of this in 10:6.
(A) Fools are put in many high positions,
(B) while the rich occupy the low ones.
What's worth noting is that the very next verse amplifies the same contrasting thoughts of v.6.
(A) I have seen slaves on horseback,
(B) while princes go on foot like slaves.
Bible scholars use that A,B,A,B method and other arrangements to help identify or clarify the poetic arrangement. Be on the look out for such.
Many believe he was one of the greatest preachers of modern times. What a voice! Who was he and what can he teach us from Ecclesiastes? Find out tomorrow.
Dave DeBoer has taken the opportunity to give some Greatest Minimovies cards out to custmoers of his floor cleaning business. He wrote, "I have been sharing the cards with the owners of a certain tattoo studio I've been cleaning." Way to go Dave!
Several months ago, we looked at tools to better help us clarify our understanding of what God is saying to us through the Bible. We discussed how to REAP from God's word-
Read it prayerfully and carefully
Explore it by asking questions, clarifying terms, studying contexts, cross references, concordances and commentaries.
Apply it
Pass it on to others.
One way to also help clarify the meaning of a passage is to put it into your own words. So let's have fun doing so in Ecclesiastes chapter 10. I'll get us started. Here is 10:1 from the NIV.
As dead flies give perfume a bad smell,
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
Now here is my modern day paraphrase of it.
As one skunk ruins the sweet smell of roses,
so one dim-whit can ruin the careful whit and work of the wise.
If one dim-whit can ruin things, just see what three stooges can do! (This is an excerpt from one of my favorite episodes. My son and I have roared watching their amazing, creative antics!:)
Hope you enjoyed a good laugh watching such fools. You will notice Eccles.10 is dominated by contrasting fools and the wise. The fool is such a stooge, he shows everyone how stupid he is (10:2). He may get hired or put in a position for which he has no skill whatsoever (10:6). He is so dull that he doesn't figure the skillful way to do a job (10:10). Like the three stooges, his words are full of folly (10:13) and he doesn't know the most basic things (10:15). The house of his life leaks (10:18). He's so foolish, he thinks that money will solve all his problems (10:19). And his disrespectful talk is sure to boomerang on him (10:20).
1.- So read through Eccles.10 and pick out one verse and put it in a short, pithy saying as well.
This is different from sharing our thoughts about a verse. This is re-wording the verse. This forces us to think carefully about the verse and clarify its meaning to begin with. There are no right or wrong answers here. Go for it!
Paraphrasing a verse in your own words is helpful. But this brings up an important question. Should we use a paraphrase of the Bible? Here's how a good Christian question and answer site, Got Questions.org responded-
http://ift.tt/1SfargM
Question: "Should I use a paraphrase of the Bible?"
Answer:A paraphrase is a retelling of something in your own words. A paraphrase of the Bible is different from a translation in that a translation attempts (to varying degrees) to communicate as “word-for-word” or as “thought-for-thought” as possible. A paraphrase takes the meaning of a verse or passage of Scripture and attempts to express the meaning in “plain language” – essentially the words the author of the paraphrase would use to say the same thing. The most popular example of a Bible paraphrase would be “The Message” by Eugene Peterson.
Many people use paraphrases as their “reading Bible,” preferring to read straight through as with a novel. This can be particularly helpful in long narrative passages such as found in Genesis, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Chronicles. Then they use actual translations—such as the New American Standard, New King James, and New International Version—for in-depth reading and study.
Should you use a paraphrase? A paraphrase of the Bible should not be used as a Christian’s primary Bible. We have to remember that a paraphrase is what the author thinks the Bible says, not necessarily what the Bible says. Eugene Peterson did a fair job on The Message, but there are many passages in The Message that do not accurately render the original meaning of the text. A paraphrase of the Bible should essentially be used as a commentary on the Bible, a way to get another perspective. A paraphrase can be used alongside a Bible translation to give insight into what the Bible means. A paraphrase of the Bible, though, should not be viewed as the Bible, but rather as an author’s idea of what the Bible says and what it means by what it says.
Just to clarify, when I got saved in 1976, my sister gave me a Living Bible. It was a very popular paraphrase by Dr. Ken Taylor. I devoured it! I also have Eugene Peterson's The Message and find it helpful in spots. Use such tools to help you dig into the Scriptures.
To further Clarify
We are on a serious mission, but there is a time and place for laughter. "A feast is made for laughter" 10:19. Solomon wrote in his previous book that a "merry heart does good like a medicine" Prov.17:22. Laughter has been proven to be so therapeutic. If you enjoy the humor of the Three Stooges, then here is the link to the full Plumbers episode entitled, The Vagabond Loafers (1949). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08sCJVa32ik Dudley Dickerson (the black cook) played in several other episodes with the Three Stooges. He is hilarious in this one:)
2.- What was a favorite TV show you liked as a boy?
For my Thoughtful Friends
The OT abounds with Hebrew poetry and word play. One technique used often in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes is contrasting thoughts. Here's an example of this in 10:6.
(A) Fools are put in many high positions,
(B) while the rich occupy the low ones.
What's worth noting is that the very next verse amplifies the same contrasting thoughts of v.6.
(A) I have seen slaves on horseback,
(B) while princes go on foot like slaves.
Bible scholars use that A,B,A,B method and other arrangements to help identify or clarify the poetic arrangement. Be on the look out for such.
Many believe he was one of the greatest preachers of modern times. What a voice! Who was he and what can he teach us from Ecclesiastes? Find out tomorrow.
Dave DeBoer has taken the opportunity to give some Greatest Minimovies cards out to custmoers of his floor cleaning business. He wrote, "I have been sharing the cards with the owners of a certain tattoo studio I've been cleaning." Way to go Dave!
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Monday, July 27, 2015
Friday, July 24, 2015
Fri.7.24.15...Man's Search for Meaning...Eccles.7:15-29
His name was Viktor Fankl, a Jewish psychiatrist, who suffered the horrors of the Auschwitz Nazi concentration camp for three years. Frankl realized he needed to appear willing to work if he was to have any chance for survival, and also have a reason for living beyond the gates of that death camp. He witnessed horrific things and the degrading of humanity. He saw prisoners fight over the little food they were given. Yet he also saw how others gave the last they had to their comrades. He discovered that one's attitude was the one thing the Nazi's could not take away from a man. Frankl was one of the very few who survived. (Only 224 out of the 1.1 million who were put to death in Auschwitz survived to the end of the war.) Later, he wrote about his harrowing experiences in his world famous book, Man's Search for Meaning. But even Frankl couldn't tell you the meaning of life.
It was a search to try and come up with one's own meaning for existing. He was limited to his observations and speculations, just as Solomon was in his "under the sun" view of life. Solomon saw a lot, and concluded that life was meaningless. Both Solomon and Frankl saw good or righteous people dying tragically, while the wicked managed to live on. Solomon saw people who were legalistic "overrighteous"and "overwise" (7:16; think of the Pharisees), as well as those who were "overwicked" (think of the Nazis and Isis). What he did rightly conclude was that "the man who fears God will avoid all such extremes" 7:18. He also rightly concluded that "there is not a righteous man on earth who does right and never sins" 7:20.. I'm sure Frankl also concluded that based on what he saw. You and I can conclude that as well, just by looking into our own hearts. "You know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others" (spoken badly of others) 7:22.
What is the meaning of life? Solomon was determined to find out God's ultimate scheme of things. Like a great research scientist, Solomon said, "I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things" (7:25). "Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things" (7:27). But despite his determination, he had to admit, "this was beyond me. Whatever (God's ultimate) wisdom may be, it is far off and most profound- who can discover it?" (7:23-24). But he did find some things along the way- "I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare...(7:26). "I found one upright man among a thousand, but not one upright woman among them all" (7:28). Some have accused Solomon of being down on women. But perhaps he simply needed to expand his sampling data beyond the confines of his huge harem of 700 foreign wives and 300 concubines (see 1 Kings 11:3). Solomon had so many women, yet found that to be empty as well. Playboys need to realize they are on a dead end pursuit chasing sexual encounters (7:26).
Men are no better than women. Solomon found that too. "God made mankind upright, but men have gone in search of many schemes" 7:29. The Hebrew word here for "schemes" is chishshabon. It's used only one other place in the OT (2 Chron.26:15), and it has the meaning of inventions. Lost man would rather search for and invent their own meaning in life, than follow God's meaning and will for their lives. Want evidence? Vicktor Frankl's book, Man's Search for Meaning has sold over 10 million copies and has been translated in 24 languages. I'm not bashing the book. His tales of concentration camp life and death are gripping. But many people have gone in search of their own meaning, having turned their backs on their Creator, who offers them meaning. Man invents his own meaning for life. It's like buying a dictionary with terms in it, but no definitions. Those are left for each person to invent and fill in. How crazy is that!
How much better to search through God's book to find the meaning for our existence. One place it's revealed to us is in a story, not set in a concentration camp, but in a wilderness. The devil sought to lead the Son of God astray from the meaning and purpose God had for him and for all of us. He sought to get Jesus to bow down and worship him. But Jesus declared, "Away form me Satan! For it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only'" Mt.4:10. There it is! Man's search for meaning is over. What is the meaning of my life- "Worship the Lord your God and serve him only." I am not to search for and invent my our meaning, but to embrace the meaning and purpose God has created and redeemed me for. Thank you Lord, for it is a good, pleasing and perfect will and plan that you have for my life.
1.- Read Eccles.7:15-29 and pick out a verse or phrase and share it and some of your thoughts about it.
If you search in the Webster's dictionary for the definition of manly, you will find this: "having the qualities generally regarded as those that a man should have..." But once again, that leaves man to search for his own meaning. Instead, based on God's revealed word, I believe the following acronym reflects God's meaning and purpose for our lives. Man's search for meaning is to be MANLY:
Mature in character- for example- Hungry, Obedient, Unstoppable, Strong in the Lord, Encouraging.
Active in mentoring- pursuing G.R.E.A.T. things to help ourselves and others mature and multiply.
Noble in battle- being at W.A.R. to live Worthy lives, to Activate the sidelined saints and to Release the locked up lost.
Loving in relationships- for example, seeking to devotedly love my family
Yoked to Christ and a band of brothers- being devoted to Christ and your fire team, squad and the men of M3 to advance God's kingdom.
Yes, we certainly have reviewed that MANLY acronym before. But do you know it? Our mission is to Multiply MANLY Men. So do you know the meaning of a MANLY man? Could you share it with someone who asked you, "What is a MANLY man?" I use it often as a guide for praying for men we want to recruit and for ourselves. Please try it. I do.
2.- What's one aspect of our MANLY acronym that you're glad we focus on?
Did you know former fire captain, George Rabiela runs O'Leary's Fire Truck Tours? Here's what he wrote recently. "Took some people out on a tour, but didn't have any business cards, so I gave them a mini movie card with my telephone number on it." Way to go George! Each man in M3 can now have his own sharp looking, personal business cards.
How does the death of Al Capone relate to Ecclesiastes and to us today? We'll discover that together Monday.
Enjoy the weekend and make sure to get all your points on the board for the sake of your team, yourself and even me. And text me if you're joining me for a walk tomorrow (8:00 AM starting at 9541 S. Oakley. Thanx :)
Please send a birthday greeting to Rick Barrera. His big day is tomorrow, but please encourage him today- c.309-242-0843.
Also please send an email to Ed Lake whom we've missed all this week as they are getting settled in to Kazakhstan from
Singapore- edwardlake2006@gmail.com.
What is the meaning of life? Solomon was determined to find out God's ultimate scheme of things. Like a great research scientist, Solomon said, "I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things" (7:25). "Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things" (7:27). But despite his determination, he had to admit, "this was beyond me. Whatever (God's ultimate) wisdom may be, it is far off and most profound- who can discover it?" (7:23-24). But he did find some things along the way- "I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare...(7:26). "I found one upright man among a thousand, but not one upright woman among them all" (7:28). Some have accused Solomon of being down on women. But perhaps he simply needed to expand his sampling data beyond the confines of his huge harem of 700 foreign wives and 300 concubines (see 1 Kings 11:3). Solomon had so many women, yet found that to be empty as well. Playboys need to realize they are on a dead end pursuit chasing sexual encounters (7:26).
Men are no better than women. Solomon found that too. "God made mankind upright, but men have gone in search of many schemes" 7:29. The Hebrew word here for "schemes" is chishshabon. It's used only one other place in the OT (2 Chron.26:15), and it has the meaning of inventions. Lost man would rather search for and invent their own meaning in life, than follow God's meaning and will for their lives. Want evidence? Vicktor Frankl's book, Man's Search for Meaning has sold over 10 million copies and has been translated in 24 languages. I'm not bashing the book. His tales of concentration camp life and death are gripping. But many people have gone in search of their own meaning, having turned their backs on their Creator, who offers them meaning. Man invents his own meaning for life. It's like buying a dictionary with terms in it, but no definitions. Those are left for each person to invent and fill in. How crazy is that!
How much better to search through God's book to find the meaning for our existence. One place it's revealed to us is in a story, not set in a concentration camp, but in a wilderness. The devil sought to lead the Son of God astray from the meaning and purpose God had for him and for all of us. He sought to get Jesus to bow down and worship him. But Jesus declared, "Away form me Satan! For it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only'" Mt.4:10. There it is! Man's search for meaning is over. What is the meaning of my life- "Worship the Lord your God and serve him only." I am not to search for and invent my our meaning, but to embrace the meaning and purpose God has created and redeemed me for. Thank you Lord, for it is a good, pleasing and perfect will and plan that you have for my life.
1.- Read Eccles.7:15-29 and pick out a verse or phrase and share it and some of your thoughts about it.
If you search in the Webster's dictionary for the definition of manly, you will find this: "having the qualities generally regarded as those that a man should have..." But once again, that leaves man to search for his own meaning. Instead, based on God's revealed word, I believe the following acronym reflects God's meaning and purpose for our lives. Man's search for meaning is to be MANLY:
Mature in character- for example- Hungry, Obedient, Unstoppable, Strong in the Lord, Encouraging.
Active in mentoring- pursuing G.R.E.A.T. things to help ourselves and others mature and multiply.
Noble in battle- being at W.A.R. to live Worthy lives, to Activate the sidelined saints and to Release the locked up lost.
Loving in relationships- for example, seeking to devotedly love my family
Yoked to Christ and a band of brothers- being devoted to Christ and your fire team, squad and the men of M3 to advance God's kingdom.
Yes, we certainly have reviewed that MANLY acronym before. But do you know it? Our mission is to Multiply MANLY Men. So do you know the meaning of a MANLY man? Could you share it with someone who asked you, "What is a MANLY man?" I use it often as a guide for praying for men we want to recruit and for ourselves. Please try it. I do.
2.- What's one aspect of our MANLY acronym that you're glad we focus on?
Did you know former fire captain, George Rabiela runs O'Leary's Fire Truck Tours? Here's what he wrote recently. "Took some people out on a tour, but didn't have any business cards, so I gave them a mini movie card with my telephone number on it." Way to go George! Each man in M3 can now have his own sharp looking, personal business cards.
How does the death of Al Capone relate to Ecclesiastes and to us today? We'll discover that together Monday.
Enjoy the weekend and make sure to get all your points on the board for the sake of your team, yourself and even me. And text me if you're joining me for a walk tomorrow (8:00 AM starting at 9541 S. Oakley. Thanx :)
Please send a birthday greeting to Rick Barrera. His big day is tomorrow, but please encourage him today- c.309-242-0843.
Also please send an email to Ed Lake whom we've missed all this week as they are getting settled in to Kazakhstan from
Singapore- edwardlake2006@gmail.com.
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Th.7.23.15...How Do You Want to be Remembered?...Eccles.7:1-14
"A good name is better than fine perfume,
and the day of death better than the day of birth
It is better to go to a house of mourning than go to a house of feasting,for death is the destiny of every man" Eccles.7:1-2.
It's vital to have a good name both here and in the hereafter. One day you will die and so will I. Going to a wake is a good reminder of that date with destiny that we shall have. Perhaps our funeral won't be as well attended as Chris Kyle's was as we saw in yesterday's blog. But it would be good now to think about what that day will be like. Chris Kyle, in his autobiography, "American Sniper" reflected on the day of his death. "I am a strong Christian. Not a perfect one- not close. But I strongly believe in God, Jesus, and the Bible. When I die, God is going to hold me accountable for everything I've done on earth. He may hold me back until last and run everybody else through the line, because it will take so long to go over all my sins...I believe the fact that I've accepted Jesus as my savior will be my salvation. But in that backroom or whatever it is when God confronts me with my sins, I do not believe any of the kills I had during the war will be among them. Everyone I shot was evil. I had good cause on every shot. They all deserved to die."
Kyle is credited with 160 kill shots during his four tours in Iraq as a Navy SEAL. "Because of his track record as a marksman during his deployment to Ramadi, the insurgents named him Shaitan Ar-Ramadi (English: 'The Devil of Ramadi'), and put a $21,000 bounty on his head that was later increased to $80,000. They posted signs highlighting the cross on his arm as a means of identifying him.[3][14] In his book, "American Sniper", Kyle describes his longest successful shot ever: in 2008, outside Sadr City, he killed an insurgent about to fire a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) at a U.S. Army convoy with "a straight-up luck shot" from his McMillan Tac-338 sniper rifle from about 2,100 yards (1.2 miles) away."
http://ift.tt/1vWsl7g. He saved many fellow soldiers lives and they loved and admired him for it.
What was it that Navy SEALs adorned Chris Kyle's coffin with?
It was their Trident pin that they earned by becoming a Navy SEAL.
Navy SEALs have such a good name. To become a Navy SEAL (SEa Air, Land), each man must complete BUD/S training- Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL training. "Candidates who have made a full commitment to their goal of becoming a SEAL and those who decide ahead of time that quitting is not an option, regardless of how challenging the training becomes, dramatically increase their chances." (http://ift.tt/1KmbowP)
I like that a lot. They decided ahead of time that quitting was not an option. That reminds me of one of those "Pass It On" billboards and bus stop signs I saw recently-
Aren't you glad Christ wasn't a quitter?! We would all be doomed if he quit in the garden of Gethsemane. We so admire him because he didn't quit. Despite the horrors ahead of him he prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done...And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground" Luke 22:42,44. Because He didn't quit, he now has more than a good name. He has a name above all other names! (see Phil.2:8-9)
Perhaps you've met people who have quit pursuing the will of God. They may have stopped going to church altogether, or maybe they have become merely Sunday morning spectators. Their good name has become tarnished. If they continue on this quitters course, no hero's funeral or heavenly celebration will await them. We don't know what lies from the enemy may have led them to coast or quit fighting. I don't think it is tough times in themselves that cause a person to quit. It is a lie they believe. No amount of torture in a Japanese prison camp could cause Louie Zamperini to become a quitter. He remained unbroken. (What an inspiring movie Unbroken was!) What a good name he gained, especially since he came to Christ after the war. Don't be a quitter. Be unbroken. Be unstoppable.
1.- In light of the day of our death and the good name we want to maintain, think soberly with me right now. What do you think the enemy might seek to use to get you to quit the mission and battle we are in?
To be forewarned is to be forearmed. We can be far better prepared to deal with those enemies who have "put a bounty on our heads" to take us out of the fight. Do what Chris Kyle did- put them to death, spiritually of course, Col.3:5.
2.- Read through the first half of Ecclesiastes chapter 7, verses 1-14, and pick a verse and share some of your thoughts regarding it.
Speaking of good names, did you know that many believers misname Ecclesiastes? They call it Ecclesiasticus, which is actually the name of an apocryphal book in the Catholic Bible. Easy mistake. For those who want to learn more about Ecclesiasticus, here's a link to a short article about it from Got Questions- http://ift.tt/1LEY1Js
Armando took an opportunity to give out a Greatest Mini-movies card again. Here's what he wrote- "Today I gave a mini-movie card to a co-worker who said he will watch it and said to me, "There's a purpose to this." He also said that the Lord works in mysterious ways." Way to go Armando!
What does the survivor of a Nazi death camp have to do with finding meaning in life? Find out tomorrow :)
Announcements
You're making my day by remembering to put up your points on the scoreboard right after commenting on the blog. :)
If you are free to join me for a walk by my house (9541 S. Oakley) Saturday at 8:00 AM, just text me. I would enjoy your company.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Wed.7.22.15...When Wealth is Meaningless...Eccles.6
John D. Rockefeller was the richest men who ever lived in a America. Adjusting for inflation, he was worth $336 billion, He was once asked, "How much money does it take to satisfy a rich man?" He famously quipped, "Just a little more." Today in Eccles 6 you will read the words of the richest man of antiquity, King Solomon on wealth. But to get a running start, begin reading with Eccles 5:18.
How meaningless and such a sickening misfortune to have a fortune and not to enjoy it. John D. Rockefeller at one point was a sick man. But his health and happiness turned around when he began to give his fortune away. He lived to the ripe old age of 97. How sad when God blesses a man with great wealth, but he doesn't enjoy the joy of enriching others. Paul reminds us of the words of our Lord Jesus, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" Acts 20:35. The enjoyment of life begins by being thankful for what you have, and it spills over by giving to others. God has given us this great present called life in Christ. Remember, a few weeks ago, we opened this PRESENT and found what to focus on to enjoy life-
Praise God for who he is
Rejoice in who you know are in Him- His dearly loved son whom He rejoices over with singing
Enjoy the moment- come to your senses- taste and see the Lord is good.
Smile and sing :)
Encourage others
Never dwell long on the negatives
Thank God and others often
Solomon's view of life from under the sun, not from the Son, led him to a pessimistic outlook, which all of chapter 6 reflects. Again, those that don't grasp this understanding of the book, come up with twisted views of life. Consider Solomon's words regarding lost mankind- "All man's efforts are for his mouth, his appetite is never satisfied" 6:7. But Christ has given us new life to our spirits and now we are to make every effort to grow in Christlikeness. Jesus also said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied" Mt.5:6. The lost need to heed Jesus' words, "Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you" John 6:27.
Again, from only an "under the sun" perspective, Solomon asks, "Who can tell him what will happen under the sun after he is gone?" 6:12. However, we are not limited to an under the sun speculation of life and death; we have been given revelation as to what will happen after a man dies. "Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment" Heb.9:27. Thus, Paul said, "we try to persuade men...For Christ's love compels us...he died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again...we implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God" (excerpts from 2 Cor.5:11-20).
"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation...we are therefore Christ's ambassadors as though God was making his appeal through us" 2 Cor.5:18,20. What a great honor to be ambassadors, representatives of Christ the King. May we evermore be on the lookout to share the good news that people can be reconciled to their Creator. They don't have to live alienated from God. You and I were once lost and separated from God too. But others shared the good news with us. Now we are doing the same. It was good reading the stories you shared yesterday of people you have passed out the message of salvation to via our Greatest Mini-movies.
1.-Please watch a new Greatest Mini-movie and share it's name and briefly what it was about. Then be on the look out to pass this message of reconciliation on to others. (Let's do this on a weekly basis until we've viewed them all. I want you to know well what is available to point people to. Paul would compare these to spiritual weapons (2 Cor.10:3-5). So know your weapon well.
Nic recently gave out a couple more Greatest Mini-Movie cards to his driver's ed students. Here's what he wrote- "I gave a card to an 84 year old driving student. I prayed that God will touch her heart. She may not be around many more years. Also gave one to a christian teen student and told him to check out the videos." Very good Nic! Wow, she's 84 and still learning! May we all be lifelong learners.
2.- Read Eccles. 5:18-20 and 6:1-12 and then write out the verse you picked and a cross reference you found to it.
Speaking of death, Solomon bemoaned the man who died without a proper burial (6:3). So long as you are in M3, you will be honored by us upon your home-going. It may not be as big of a turn-out as Chris Kyle, the American Sniper, received upon his tragic death, but we will honor you in a special way as one of our own- a MANLY M3 man.
How meaningless and such a sickening misfortune to have a fortune and not to enjoy it. John D. Rockefeller at one point was a sick man. But his health and happiness turned around when he began to give his fortune away. He lived to the ripe old age of 97. How sad when God blesses a man with great wealth, but he doesn't enjoy the joy of enriching others. Paul reminds us of the words of our Lord Jesus, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" Acts 20:35. The enjoyment of life begins by being thankful for what you have, and it spills over by giving to others. God has given us this great present called life in Christ. Remember, a few weeks ago, we opened this PRESENT and found what to focus on to enjoy life-
Praise God for who he is
Rejoice in who you know are in Him- His dearly loved son whom He rejoices over with singing
Enjoy the moment- come to your senses- taste and see the Lord is good.
Smile and sing :)
Encourage others
Never dwell long on the negatives
Thank God and others often
Solomon's view of life from under the sun, not from the Son, led him to a pessimistic outlook, which all of chapter 6 reflects. Again, those that don't grasp this understanding of the book, come up with twisted views of life. Consider Solomon's words regarding lost mankind- "All man's efforts are for his mouth, his appetite is never satisfied" 6:7. But Christ has given us new life to our spirits and now we are to make every effort to grow in Christlikeness. Jesus also said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied" Mt.5:6. The lost need to heed Jesus' words, "Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you" John 6:27.
Again, from only an "under the sun" perspective, Solomon asks, "Who can tell him what will happen under the sun after he is gone?" 6:12. However, we are not limited to an under the sun speculation of life and death; we have been given revelation as to what will happen after a man dies. "Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment" Heb.9:27. Thus, Paul said, "we try to persuade men...For Christ's love compels us...he died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again...we implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God" (excerpts from 2 Cor.5:11-20).
"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation...we are therefore Christ's ambassadors as though God was making his appeal through us" 2 Cor.5:18,20. What a great honor to be ambassadors, representatives of Christ the King. May we evermore be on the lookout to share the good news that people can be reconciled to their Creator. They don't have to live alienated from God. You and I were once lost and separated from God too. But others shared the good news with us. Now we are doing the same. It was good reading the stories you shared yesterday of people you have passed out the message of salvation to via our Greatest Mini-movies.
1.-Please watch a new Greatest Mini-movie and share it's name and briefly what it was about. Then be on the look out to pass this message of reconciliation on to others. (Let's do this on a weekly basis until we've viewed them all. I want you to know well what is available to point people to. Paul would compare these to spiritual weapons (2 Cor.10:3-5). So know your weapon well.
Nic recently gave out a couple more Greatest Mini-Movie cards to his driver's ed students. Here's what he wrote- "I gave a card to an 84 year old driving student. I prayed that God will touch her heart. She may not be around many more years. Also gave one to a christian teen student and told him to check out the videos." Very good Nic! Wow, she's 84 and still learning! May we all be lifelong learners.
2.- Read Eccles. 5:18-20 and 6:1-12 and then write out the verse you picked and a cross reference you found to it.
Speaking of death, Solomon bemoaned the man who died without a proper burial (6:3). So long as you are in M3, you will be honored by us upon your home-going. It may not be as big of a turn-out as Chris Kyle, the American Sniper, received upon his tragic death, but we will honor you in a special way as one of our own- a MANLY M3 man.
What was it that the Navy SEALs adorned Chris Kyle's coffin with?
Find out tomorrow.
Find out tomorrow.
Speaking of wealth today, if I gave you $1,000 each day you went from the blog to the scoreboard and put your points there, how many days would you skip doing such? Never right? So you can do this. It's not even hard work. So please imagine you are getting that amount put in your bank account. Help me, yourself and your team by doing this. Ka-ching! Ka-ching! :) Thanks for your faithfulness here. If need be, go back and fill in for Monday and Tuesday. I'll be looking to see your good work. :)
Some may not have understood the request from Monday or Tuesday. It was to contact the one or two men who are in your newly formed fire team and write down the names of the guys they are seeking to recruit to M3. Please do that today if you haven't yet. See the scoreboard to confirm your fire team members. Go to the Contacts tab to find their phone numbers and load them into your phone if you haven't done so yet. Note: Your Squad leader is over both of the two fire teams in your squad, so he is not in your fire team. They have to put up with me as their coach :)
Some may not have understood the request from Monday or Tuesday. It was to contact the one or two men who are in your newly formed fire team and write down the names of the guys they are seeking to recruit to M3. Please do that today if you haven't yet. See the scoreboard to confirm your fire team members. Go to the Contacts tab to find their phone numbers and load them into your phone if you haven't done so yet. Note: Your Squad leader is over both of the two fire teams in your squad, so he is not in your fire team. They have to put up with me as their coach :)
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Fri.7.31.15...Remember
"However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all.
But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many.
Everything to come is meaningless...youth and vigor are meaningless."
Eccles.11:8,10.
Our bodies age quicker than we want. Our strength fades. Consider these two world records for bench pressing. In 2013, at age 37, Eric Spoto, set a new record for bench pressing- 722 lbs. Wow, what strength! That same year, at age 91, Sy Perlis set a new record for those 90+, bench pressing 187 lbs. Ugh! That reminds us of what we would rather not remember- we lose so much strength as we age. Yet Ecclesiastes stresses that it is important to remember that we are decaying and to remember our Creator in the days of our youth. For many of us, our youth is in the rear-view mirror. What awaits us? Read Eccles.11:7-12:8 now for a very poetic description of old age awaiting us.
Old age does not sound inviting, does it? I lived with my aged grandfather while I went to Kellogg Community College before going off to Bible college in W.Va. He did not see, hear or walk well in his late years. He was unsaved and more than once declared, "There's not one good thing about growing old! Name me one!" My dad tried to comfort him by answering, "Memories." Grandpa lived to age 88. And my dad made it to 89. I'd like to think I could make it to age 90. Ever tried to guess-timate how long you might live? Will you make it to 90? What will you look like? Here's a great video of a man who was born in 1919, showing his appearance morphing until he died at age 90. Ugh!
Why all this talk about old age and death here and in Ecclesiastes? Because as Solomon has already declared that since "death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart" Eccles.7:2. So remember to honor Him before your life breaks down at the well of life. That's what 12:6 is describing-
"Remember him before the silver cord is severed, (the cord to the bucket)
or the golden bowl is broken;
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring (which the water would be put in)
or the wheel broken at the well" (the wheel over which that the cord and bucket were lowered into the well.)
Remember, Solomon has repeatedly commended the enjoyment of food, family, friends, work, rest, etc, as gracious gifts from God. Enjoy them in the midst of life that can be down-right confusing, frustrating and fleeting (meaningless). In light of our decaying and death, he is not advocating living for pleasure (hedonism), but living for the Lord, the Giver of all these good things (see James 1:17). And he calls us to remember that "for all these things, God will bring you to judgment" 11:9.
With the progress of revelation, the NT reminds us to not only enjoy God's gifts, but to live to advance God's kingdom. A well said quote reminds us, "Only one life, 'twill soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last." Pastor Adrian Rogers told about visiting a dying old Christian man from his congregation. The man said to him, "I'm not afraid to die, but I am ashamed to die." He had not lived to advance God's kingdom, to reach or teach others, to mature and multiply others. He had lived for himself. "A Christian wrapped up in himself makes a pretty small package. I'm so glad you are wrapped up in Christ and his kingdom cause. You are remembering what is vitally important.
"Remember your Creator in the days of your youth" Eccles.12:1
"Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David" 2 Tim.2:8.
Remember your epitaph and your GREAT co-mission- to Multiply MANLY Men.
1.- What's one verse from Eccles.11:7-12:8 that grabs your interest? Share it and some of your thoughts about it.
2.- The average lifespan of an American male now is
Imagine it's your 75th birthday. Let's say that each year until then you just recruited one new man to M3. Do the math. How many men would you have recruited by then?
That's a lot of M3 men to come to your birthday party! But here is where it gets mind blowing. Imagine that each one of the men you recruited also recruited only one man each year. How many would be at your party? The math is mind bending. It doubles every year- 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 254 (to make it easier, call it 250), 500, 1,000! And that's just reaching one person a year for 10 years! Several of you have reached 2 or more in 7 months.
2.- Who are the men you are now seeking to recruit to M3?
Tues.7.21.15...DUST in the Wind...Eccles.5
"all come from dust and to dust return" 3:20
As a man comes so he departs,
and what does he gain since he toils for the wind" 5:16
If there was a modern day theme song for the book of Ecclesiastes, it might be a 1977 hit by Kansas, entitled, Dust in the Wind. It must strike a nerve with people because this depressing song is still being played on the radio and in stores today. Guitarist, Kerry Livgren wrote it, revealing the utter emptiness and meaninglessness he found in life. Consider the words of this haunting, pre-evangelism song. You can also watch the well done music video of it below. It might be worth sending to an unsaved person to ask his thoughts on it and the meaning of life.
I close my eyes only for a moment, and the moment's gone
All my dreams pass before my eyes, a curiosity
Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind
Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see
Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind
Now, don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away, and all your money won't another minute buy
Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind (all we are is dust in the wind)
Dust in the wind (everything is dust in the wind), everything is dust in the wind
The song ends mourning, "Everything is dust in the wind."
Solomon begins and ends his book crying, "Everything is meaningless" Eccles.1:2; 2:11; 3:19; 12:8. Why? You'll soon see.
Kerry Livgren wrote Dust in the Wind after exploring various world views and religions and finding them empty. Two years later, a Christian had several discussions with him and he came to discover the true meaning to life, when he invited the Lord Jesus to be his Savior.
Man's search for meaning is so empty apart from a saving relationship with his Maker. Apart from Him, DUST plagues man's very existence. (You'll note these four points throughout Ecclesiastes.)
Death- "Like the fool, the wise man too must die! So I hated life" 2:16-17
Uncertainty- "Who knows...?" Solomon asks that question 11 times throughout the book.
Suffering- "I saw all the tears of the oppressed..." 4:1a
Tyranny- "power was on the side of the oppressors" 4:1b
These things made life so meaningless to Solomon, so momentary, crumbling, slipping away, just dust in the wind.
1.- Songs like Dust in the Wind are still popular because they speak to the inner emptiness people struggle with. So you can see why it's important that we be on the lookout to share the good news with others or give them a Greatest Mini-movies card. Please share of a new opportunity you've had recently to do so.
2.- Yesterday, I asked you to contact your fire team brothers and find out who they are seeking to recruit to M3. Did you find out and write down their names?
(If not, do so today please.
Build strong, supportive bonds with your fire team brothers. So especially seek to encourage him on the blog when you see he has commented.)
Man's search for meaning is so empty apart from a saving relationship with his Maker. Apart from Him, DUST plagues man's very existence. (You'll note these four points throughout Ecclesiastes.)
Death- "Like the fool, the wise man too must die! So I hated life" 2:16-17
Uncertainty- "Who knows...?" Solomon asks that question 11 times throughout the book.
Suffering- "I saw all the tears of the oppressed..." 4:1a
Tyranny- "power was on the side of the oppressors" 4:1b
These things made life so meaningless to Solomon, so momentary, crumbling, slipping away, just dust in the wind.
2.- Yesterday, I asked you to contact your fire team brothers and find out who they are seeking to recruit to M3. Did you find out and write down their names?
(If not, do so today please.
Build strong, supportive bonds with your fire team brothers. So especially seek to encourage him on the blog when you see he has commented.)
3.- Read through Ecclesiastes 5. You'll see it covers a number of subjects in short order. Pick a verse and share some of your thoughts regarding such. Then be on the lookout to share with others.
Thanks for going from here to the scoreboard. Work out on the things that make us GREAT in God's kingdom. Don't forget to give yourself a point in the A column when you go out of your way to do an Act Of Kindness. That's A-OK :)
Thanks for going from here to the scoreboard. Work out on the things that make us GREAT in God's kingdom. Don't forget to give yourself a point in the A column when you go out of your way to do an Act Of Kindness. That's A-OK :)
Monday, July 20, 2015
Friday, July 17, 2015
Fri.7.17.15...Acts of Kindness...Eccles.2:24- 3:22
Yesterday we read how Solomon was in the pits. Like Dr. Jekyll, he had tested all kinds of "potions" on himself to find fulfillment and meaning in life but they all left him empty. He tried pursuing pleasure and also tested accomplishing much, yet whatever he chased, it was a chasing after the wind. So he ended up hating life. Death made all of what he tried so meaningless. "Why am I dying to live if I'm just living to die?" Thus, as we've said, this is a great pre-evangelism book. But what about for us believers, isn't there anything he discovered that can point us in the right direction? Yes indeed. We will see that in today's passage- Eccles.2:24-3:22. In this portion Solomon three times sings a chorus of happiness after singing the blues in so much of the book. Let's learn the tune and sing along. Read through that passage now, and especially focus on his chorus of happy discovery in 2:24-26; 3:12-13 and 3:22. In each of these, you'll note some similarities, such as a man can do "nothing better..." You'll also notice that God becomes prominent in our passage today. He is named 11 times, whereas only once in our last two days of readings. Here God is presented as good and giving.
1.- What do you think is the difference between a pleasure seeking life apart from God, which so many pursue today, and what Solomon is commending in his three rephrased choruses of 2:24-26; 3:12-13 and 3:22?
In yesterday's reading Solomon twice mentioned what he did "for myself." The self-focused life is not a fulfilling life. "The person wrapped up in himself makes a pretty small package." But today, Solomon declares "I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live" 3:12. Research has only confirmed that happiness is a byproduct of being thankful and helpful- doing good. The NT is full of exhortations for us to do good. Even your going off to work is a good deed, especially when others won't. Solomon encourages us to enjoy our work, and to find satisfaction in our work. We can do that better when we remember that being employed is a gift from God. It's also a way of bringing honor to God and even to yourself as others see the quality and faithfulness you autograph your work with.
Some of the most enjoyable good deeds are ones that are a bit out of the ordinary. Jesus himself went out of his way at times to help people. Here's a short video in tribute to police officers who went out of their way to do acts of kindness.
I also want to honor you for those "out of the ordinary" good deeds you do, and I want to stimulate you toward even more. How so? Please feel free to give yourself a point in the A column (which we also use for Attacking in Prayer) for an any out of the ordinary Acts Of Kindness that you do for others. Here's how it can help. Imagine you are asked to do something above and beyond the call of duty. Sometimes it can frustrate you because you had other things you wanted to do with your time. That happened to me recently. My daughter was sick and needed to be picked up an hour away. I gladly picked her up, but that was two hours of may day to the highway. Then she got a call from her director, saying that she had an item that they needed back that day. So I spent four more hours driving in rainy, Friday rush hour traffic to return it and return home- a total of 6 hours of my day spent, not the way I wished. Ugh! What could help us when we face such frustrating times? Let's seek to make a game of such. When you are asked to do something that you would rather not, give yourself a point, if you do it with a good attitude. You did an Act of kindness. (Fortunately, by the time I got home that evening of driving I had a good attitude:) And if you go out of your routine to voluntarily help someone else, also give yourself a point. Thanks for doing that Act of kindness. No, we're not bragging about what we did. It's only a point on the board. But may this help us to all the more abound in good deeds and enjoy the good feelings as well. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" Mt.5:16.
When someone goes out of their way to help, sometimes it's unforgettable. I remember getting a flat on the expressway in the winter of 1981 when I was sick and discouraged with a youth retreat I had just run. The theme of the retreat for those teens was "Growing in Love" but they were growing in hate! Ugh! Anyway, this guy stopped by in his pickup truck, saw he needed a special wrench (my lug wrench was cracked, that's why I couldn't change it), so he then drove off to get it, came back and happily changed my tire, without taking any money. Wow! He was the closest thing to meeting an angel I've ever experienced. What an unforgettable Act of kindness!
2.- Share a time when you recall someone went out of their way to help you.
Announcements
I want to commend James as he was on mission even when he was on vacation. He wrote, "I was able to pass out 2 mini movie cards when I was out in Florida. I gave one to my sister and told her to share with her boyfriend. I also gave one to this guy who was walking in the middle of the street. Not sure if he was homeless but he seemed like he needed good news." Very good James!
Anybody up for a walk this Saturday from 8:00 to 9:00 AM? We'll meet at my house and walk over to a near by forested area. I'm at 9541 S. Oakley Ave. in Chicago. Text or call me if you plan on coming- c.708-543-6544. I know it's last minute, but I will seek to do this each Saturday morning that my schedule and the weather permit.
1.- What do you think is the difference between a pleasure seeking life apart from God, which so many pursue today, and what Solomon is commending in his three rephrased choruses of 2:24-26; 3:12-13 and 3:22?
In yesterday's reading Solomon twice mentioned what he did "for myself." The self-focused life is not a fulfilling life. "The person wrapped up in himself makes a pretty small package." But today, Solomon declares "I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live" 3:12. Research has only confirmed that happiness is a byproduct of being thankful and helpful- doing good. The NT is full of exhortations for us to do good. Even your going off to work is a good deed, especially when others won't. Solomon encourages us to enjoy our work, and to find satisfaction in our work. We can do that better when we remember that being employed is a gift from God. It's also a way of bringing honor to God and even to yourself as others see the quality and faithfulness you autograph your work with.
Some of the most enjoyable good deeds are ones that are a bit out of the ordinary. Jesus himself went out of his way at times to help people. Here's a short video in tribute to police officers who went out of their way to do acts of kindness.
I also want to honor you for those "out of the ordinary" good deeds you do, and I want to stimulate you toward even more. How so? Please feel free to give yourself a point in the A column (which we also use for Attacking in Prayer) for an any out of the ordinary Acts Of Kindness that you do for others. Here's how it can help. Imagine you are asked to do something above and beyond the call of duty. Sometimes it can frustrate you because you had other things you wanted to do with your time. That happened to me recently. My daughter was sick and needed to be picked up an hour away. I gladly picked her up, but that was two hours of may day to the highway. Then she got a call from her director, saying that she had an item that they needed back that day. So I spent four more hours driving in rainy, Friday rush hour traffic to return it and return home- a total of 6 hours of my day spent, not the way I wished. Ugh! What could help us when we face such frustrating times? Let's seek to make a game of such. When you are asked to do something that you would rather not, give yourself a point, if you do it with a good attitude. You did an Act of kindness. (Fortunately, by the time I got home that evening of driving I had a good attitude:) And if you go out of your routine to voluntarily help someone else, also give yourself a point. Thanks for doing that Act of kindness. No, we're not bragging about what we did. It's only a point on the board. But may this help us to all the more abound in good deeds and enjoy the good feelings as well. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" Mt.5:16.
When someone goes out of their way to help, sometimes it's unforgettable. I remember getting a flat on the expressway in the winter of 1981 when I was sick and discouraged with a youth retreat I had just run. The theme of the retreat for those teens was "Growing in Love" but they were growing in hate! Ugh! Anyway, this guy stopped by in his pickup truck, saw he needed a special wrench (my lug wrench was cracked, that's why I couldn't change it), so he then drove off to get it, came back and happily changed my tire, without taking any money. Wow! He was the closest thing to meeting an angel I've ever experienced. What an unforgettable Act of kindness!
2.- Share a time when you recall someone went out of their way to help you.
Announcements
It's Friday! Please make sure to get all your points on the board. I do the tallying for Monday over the weekend. Thanks!
Today is also Pastor Mike Berry's birthday. Please wish him well- 773-701-9789. He came to visit New Life right out of college when I first started leading the young adult's ministry in the summer of 1988. He's been a good friend ever since and very excited about how God is using M3. (Can you keep a secret? He's planning on joining M3 in August! Don't you mention this to him :)
I want to commend James as he was on mission even when he was on vacation. He wrote, "I was able to pass out 2 mini movie cards when I was out in Florida. I gave one to my sister and told her to share with her boyfriend. I also gave one to this guy who was walking in the middle of the street. Not sure if he was homeless but he seemed like he needed good news." Very good James!
Anybody up for a walk this Saturday from 8:00 to 9:00 AM? We'll meet at my house and walk over to a near by forested area. I'm at 9541 S. Oakley Ave. in Chicago. Text or call me if you plan on coming- c.708-543-6544. I know it's last minute, but I will seek to do this each Saturday morning that my schedule and the weather permit.
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Th.7.16.15...The Mad Scientist...Eccles.2:1-23
"Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good" Eccles.2:1
Remember the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? Dr. Jekyll drank a potion that twisted and ruined his life. That's one potion you wouldn't want to drink.
1.- Read Eccles.2:1-23 and share a verse from it and some of your thoughts on it.
2.- After so much depressing news that we've read today, it's time for some good news. Please go to our website- greatestminimovies.com and watch a good news video. Share it's title and briefly what it was about. Then be on the look out to give out more of our Greatest Mini-movies cards or send the link to others. (An average of 22 people per day are watching our minimovies!) The world desperately needs what you have to offer- Christ, the one who came to give them and us life, life to the full.
I really liked what Eddie shared a couple days ago- "I was busy giving cards away this weekend. One of the guys I've been meeting with for a few months now told me that he has been listening to pastor Mark's sermons. He can't go to church at the moment, but it was encouraging to hear he's consistently being connected. I gave him a mini movies card and said here's some movies you can watch as well. Simple, but I jumped on the opportunity since he was/is open." Excellent Eddie!
Announcements
I am pleased to introduce another new brother joining us. He is a young adult who attends New Life Midway, whom William first invited to join M3. His name is Elijah Hernandez and he is eager to get growing with us. Welcome Elijah!
Since William recruited Elijah and has already earned his Unstoppable award pin, he now graduates from Basic Training (affectionately known as Boot Camp:), and advances from being a Pro to a Coach. Congratulations William!
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