What God Has Been Teaching Me Lately LXIX (69)…
Greetings My Friends~
As a simple pilgrim
following the Lord Jesus
through the rainforests and deserts of this earthly life,
I would like to humbly share
some of what God has been bubbling up in my mind/heart lately
through the Bible.
I pray that these thoughts are
cushions in your shoes,
balm to your burns,
umbrellas for the rain,
and shade to the scorching heat
as you too follow the Lord Jesus each day.
(please click on the Bible books/chapters/verses below
to read the actual Scripture passages)
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Focus Not On The Waves But On Him Who Stands On The Waves
Paraphrase of Deuteronomy 4:39:
With your conscious mind & your choices, desires & emotions,
focus now,
no matter what you’re going through,
that the Lord
is God—
not our dreams, decisions or dilemmas—
both above & here among us!
He’s the only true Celebrity worth following.
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Desire The Giver More Than The Gifts
A. May we desire the Lord Jesus Himself above all—
more than getting into a palace
(where we want to get to),
more than getting out of a prison
(where we want to get away from).
B. The goal of the Cross of Christ:
our forgiveness, new birth & adoption
so that we can have direct, personal access to God the Father:
not Him giving us our hearts’ desires
but Him BECOMING our Desire,
not just getting stuff from God
but knowing Him!
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Postmodernism and Skepticism
A. Postmodernism can make a compelling case against
parents’ chore list for children:
- “Is the list authentic?
- Did the parents REALLY write the list? Prove it!
- Analyze the handwriting and type of pen and paper used.
But deep down, postmodern humans simply dont want to do the chores…
B. No more reclining in the self-induced postmodern comfort
of uncertainty regarding Truth
(i.e “oh how can we ever really know what’s true?”).
You can’t hover forever—all helicopters either land or crash, it’s not if but where…
C. Assembly instructions imply they can be rightly understood & acted on.
Thus God’s Word implies we can know Truth,
not just have a perspective/opinion.
John 8:32: “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
D. No more proud post-modern agnosticism:
[shrug] “Oh how can we ever know a Bible passage’s true meaning?
Everyone has their own valid perspective that is true for them.”
By God’s grace we can know the Truth…
We’re commanded to seek & submit to it:
Deuteronomy 29:29; Proverbs 23:23, 25:2; 2 Timothy 2:15; 2 Corinthians 4:1-3; Mark 12:24-27
E. The Lord Jesus asks a man’s interpretation of Scripture,
the man replies &
Christ says he answered correctly—
Truth, correct interpretation, not just one opinion among many.
F. Sometimes we ask questions simply to
justify ourselves/clear our conscience—Luke 10:29.
Only repentant faith in Christ’s death & resurrection can do both.
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
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What Clothes Are You Wearing?
May God help us not
to put on the outfit this weekend
that we are “dying” to wear
to showcase ourselves…
May God help us
to put on every day the robe of righteousness
that the Lord Jesus died for us to wear
to showcase Him…
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A Simple Equation
As we know the LORD,
we grow in Him.
As we go with the LORD,
we grow in Him.
As we go with the LORD,
we know Him.
Rinse & repeat—the beautiful cycle starts again!
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True Humility
Oh the utter importance of having
a teachable spirit (Proverbs 5:12-13)
& mature Christian mentors (Philippians 4:9).
2 Kings 12:2—”Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD
all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him.”
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Salvation From Jesus Before Service For Jesus
A. Thru salvation, the Lord Jesus doesnt move us from “good to better”
but from “worst to best”, from death to life;
He doesn’t initially refine us, but recreate us.
Ephesians 2:1-10; Colossians 2:13-14
B. Kneeling at the Lord Jesus’ feet
with confessing hearts & open hands (repentance)
prepares us
to stand & follow Him
& BE His hands & feet in the world (missions).
2 Timothy 3:14-17; Ephesians 2:1-10 (see above)
C. The LORD’s New Testament commands are not:
“Do all this to inherit eternal life”
but rather
“Do all this once you have inherited eternal life.”
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The Real, Biblical Lord Jesus Christ
A. Jesus is the eternal King not just an ethical consultant,
He is the Sovereign Lord not a suggesting lobbyist.
The New Testament has many commands for Christians
yet our spiritual rebirth must come first…
Philippians 2:1-18; John 3:1-16
B. Regardless how many “votes” He gets,
the Lord Jesus is King of the universe.
Luke 19:12-15: “We dont want this man to be our king. He was made king, however…”
C. May we not copy Israel (who worshipped other gods),
may we copy Judah,
who “stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem”—
2 Samuel 20:2: Biblical Jesus, Biblical Gospel, Biblical life…
D. Like Sheba in 2 Samuel 20:1-2—
voices outside of (and sometimes inside of!) the Church
tempt us
to follow
- a gospel we approve of
- a jesus we’ve made
- beliefs getting the most cultural “likes”.
E. The Lord Jesus was & is the “Man of the Book, the Bible.”
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Worry & Worship: Oil & Vinegar
Opposite of worry isnt primarily calmness (i.e. the absence of worry)…
The opposite of worry is worship for the LORD:
“to bestow on them…a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair”—Isaiah 61:3.
