The Good Old Days
December 17, 2020 at 3:35 pm | Posted in Biblical Days, Job | 3 CommentsTags: 2 Corinthians 7, commentary on Job, Hebrews 12, Job 29, Job 30, Job 31, Job 32, Job 33, Job 36, Sunday School lessons on Job
In Job Chapter 29 Job began to reminisce about the good old days.
As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;
Job 29:4
My grandfather, whose family went through a very tough time during the Great Depression, used to say the only thing good about the “good ol’ days” is that they’re gone, but Job’s prime was indeed good, so in Chapter 29 he looked back. In Chapter 30 he looked around.
But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.
Job 30:1
They were children of fools, yea, children of base men: they were viler than the earth. And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword. They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face.
Job 30:8-10
You will sometimes hear people, going through a difficult stage in life or a season of calamitous events, say, “Just call me Job,” but looking at what Job actually went through can be encouraging to us.
After looking back and looking around, in Chapter 31 he looked ahead. Job truly believed that he would stand before God one day – and he was ready for it.
Let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know mine integrity.
Job 31:6
I wonder how many of us, in times of trouble, are ready to confidently give an account to God, or to stand before Him, prepared to answer for what we’ve done.
Now another character comes on the scene in the Book of Job – somebody who had been standing around listening to all the debates, and all Job’s vows, and his questioning God, and all the arguments of Job’s three “friends.” His name was Elihu, and he started to speak up in Chapter 32. You’ve probably heard the joke about the shortest man in the Bible being Bildad the Shuhite (“shoe-height”), but we have to wonder if, when Elihu spoke up, people said “Eli-who?” Everybody knew Job. They knew Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. But Elihu had to explain who he was.
Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God. Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he. When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled.
Job 32:2-5
Elihu was also mad at Job, but he was mad at Job’s three friends, too. In fact, he was just plain mad about the whole thing. He had waited, he had listened, he knew their arguments, and he believed he was speaking for God. This is a dangerous thing. He said some good things, but he misquoted a lot of what Job had said. He didn’t try to prove that Job was a sinner, but he did try to show that Job’s view of God was wrong. He brought up two good points. One was that God doesn’t always send suffering to punish us for sin, but sometimes to KEEP us FROM sinning.
He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword. He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain:
Job 33:18-19
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
II Corinthians 12:7
Elihu’s second point was that God sometimes sends suffering to make us better persons.
He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted. And if they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction; Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded. He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity.
Job 36:7-10
For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Hebrews 12:6
One of the toughest things to do as a parent is to let a child cause harm to himself to teach him a lesson. A child’s father can warn a child playing near a pond, and keep warning him not to get too close, but, if he keeps getting closer, ignoring the warnings, a fall into the water might scare him enough to make him more cautious, attentive, and obedient in the future. Of course, if it turns out there is a venomous snake in the pond, the father will jump in right away, willing to give up his own life to save the child. We might compare this to God’s use of the Old Testament prophets and their warnings, followed by Jesus and the Atonement. Jesus was the ransom for our sins.
This is what Elihu wanted Job to consider about his suffering. What if God is warning you for your own good? Or what if God is making you even stronger? We have to consider these possibilities when we suffer.
Thank You, Lord, that we don’t have to show off or make a show of doing what’s “right” in order to please You. You see everything we do, and reward us accordingly. Thank You that You have given us opportunities to be faithful in that which is least. Please help us to be faithful in that which is much. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
Our Daysman
September 28, 2020 at 3:59 pm | Posted in Biblical Days, Job | 2 CommentsTags: Bildad, commentary on Job, daysman, imputed righteousness, Jesus the Mediator, Job 8, Job 9, sin and suffering, Sunday School lessons on Job
Bildad the Shuhite had a real problem with anybody questioning the righteousness of God, and at first glance faithful Christians would agree wtih him. However, Bildad believed that the righteousness of man was a cause-and-effect transaction. “If you’re doing well in life, it must mean you’re righteous; if you’re having trouble, it has to be because of your sin.” He could see that Job was in BIG trouble, so he reasoned that Job must be an especially terrible sinner. He even accused Job’s kids of being terrible sinners.
Bildad’s theology was partly correct. He understood the idea of sowing and reaping, and it may be that Job’s children were exposed to God’s wrath because of their sin, but Bildad forgot about God’s love, God’s mercy, God’s forgiveness.
Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:
Job 8:20
We know these statements are true as general principles, but suffering and sickness are not always immediately caused by specific sins, and health and prosperity are not always the result of righteous living. God sees a bigger picture. When we read certain sections of the Book of Job, and Job is saying that God has been unjust to him, he’s not really doing what Satan claimed he would do. Job understood that God was God, and Job was a man, but he longed for some intermediary to go between them and work this out. Job knew he couldn’t win an argument with God, but he wanted God to hear his argument, and answer him.
For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment. Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both. Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me: Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.
Job 9:32-35
We have that Daysman in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. The New Testament calls Him our Mediator.
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
I Timothy 2:5
Canaanite Daylight Savings Time
May 11, 2020 at 3:33 pm | Posted in Biblical Days, Joshua | 5 CommentsTags: Biblical battles, Biblical miracles, commentary on Joshua, hail, Joshua 10, miracles, Sunday School lessons on Joshua
In Chapter 9 Joshua concluded an uneasy peace treaty with the Gibeonites. Previously, God used a failed attack on Ai as the springboard for a greater victory that followed. Now He would use Joshua’s mistake in failing to pray for wisdom and in falling for the trickery of the Gibeonites as the basis for a much easier and faster campaign of conquest against the southern nations of Canaan. These nations lived in walled cities, so a series of seiges would have proven costly and time-consuming, but:
Wherefore Adonizedec king of Jerusalem, sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying, Come up unto me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon: for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.
Joshua 10:3-4
What was supposed to have been an alliance to oppose the Israelites turned into a revenge-team-up against Gibeon. The leaders of Gibeon, naturally, turned immediately to their newly-formed covenant with Joshua and called for help.
And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us. So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour. And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee. Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night.
Joshua 10:6-9
How would the Israelites defeat the concerted forces of all these nations at once? They would do it the same way they had accomplished everything that had been successful for them since crossing into Canaan: by courageously believing God’s Word and acting upon it in faith.
These principles of courage and conquest are linked in the Christian life, as well. We believe God, we act in accord with our belief, and we overcome our enemies (sin and Satan) in God’s power.
How did God demonstrate His power in this particular situation? First, He physically and miraculously and personally joined the battle.
And the Lord discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah.
Joshua 10:10
The Lord is metaphorically described as the warrior doing the actual fighting. He threw the enemy into confusion and chased them.
And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.
Joshua 10:11
At first it sounds like God threw boulders from the sky, but then they are revealed to have been hailstones. These accounted for more deaths, although the Israelites were still fighting too. This was a quadruple-miracle: (1) the supernatural confusion of the enemy troops; (2) the successful fighting of the Israelites against presumably superior numbers; (3) the hailstorm itself; and (4) the fact that the hailstones somehow only hit their opponents and not the Israelite soldiers.
Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
Joshua 10:12
This was bold on the part of Joshua, but also astute. Whatever conditions existed were favorable for the complete annihilation of the entire southern alliance of Canaan, if only the day were long enough.
And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
Joshua 10:13
What exactly happened is not clear. Did the sun and moon stop shining? Did their movements change to follow the rotation of the Earth? Did the Earth’s rotation stop or significantly slow down? Did God do something supernatural concerning the refraction of light? Did He miraculously alter the tilt of the planet? God controls all elements, celestial bodies, astronomical principles of movement, light itself, and all of creation, so, however He did it, this was clearly a miracle… and yet the Bible makes it sound as if there was an even greater miracle that day: God did what He did in response to the prayer of a mortal man!
And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.
Joshua 10:14
In a sense, Joshua was a shadow or a type of Jesus. He pointed to a time when God would answer the greatest prayers of a Man (who was also God).
And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal. But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah.
Joshua 10:15-16
Joshua had these kings trapped, and he allowed them to remain there while the battle continued, but he had great stones rolled into the mouth of the cave so they could not escape, and he set guards.
And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace: none moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.
Joshua 10:21
All their enemies were silenced, and (note the pun) none dared open his mouth or move his tongue until Joshua commanded that the “mouth” of the cave be opened.
Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave.
Joshua 10:22
He put them face-down on the ground and had the captains put their feet on their necks to demonstrate the totality of the victory, but also for an action sermon to encourage the people that this was how the Lord would cause them to treat all their future enemies in the land.
And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.
Joshua 10:25
Joshua told the people what God had told him. He didn’t elaborate or embellish. He didn’t try to “freshen up” God’s Word or get fancy with it. I hope that you are passing along to others what God has told you in the Bible. It’s worth memorizing it, or at least understanding it fully and faithfully. Paraphrasing God’s Word can be very dangerous.
Joshua put the kings to death and hanged their bodies just as he had done with the king of Ai. Then he put them back in the cave and made another memorial out of stones at the cave entrance.
And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel. And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.
Joshua 10:42-43
The Days Will Come
March 19, 2019 at 1:20 pm | Posted in Biblical Days, Jeremiah | 6 CommentsTags: Biblical outcasts, Biblical restoration, commentary on Jeremiah, Jeremiah 30, Outcasts of Ministry, personal baggage, poetic justice, promise of restoration, Sunday School lessons on Jeremiah
Thus speaketh the Lord God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book.
Jeremiah 30:2
Jeremiah Chapters 27-29 appear to be grouped together under the theme of Jeremiah’s battle against the false prophets. Chapters 30-33 seem to be grouped together as promises of restoration. They are yet another turning point in the Book of Jeremiah, and are in stark contrast to the vast majority of what comes before. They are intended to give comfort, encouragement, and hope to the future generations after the purging and refining which would take place in the years of the exile and captivity. The purpose of having Jeremiah record these in a “book” (a scroll that held official records or a document containing important information) written by Jeremiah’s scribe, Baruch, was so that God’s Words could be preserved and read years later by people who would look back and see God’s prophecies and the fulfillment of His promises.
For, lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the Lord: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.
Jeremiah 30:3
“The days will come” indicates that this was a promise for both Israel and Judah, and, though it is not a circumstantially identical promise for Christians today, it is certainly a “principle-promise” that we can claim. “Days will come,” whatever you are going through today, if you are a Christian, that will “come to pass,” because they did not “come to stay.” If you ever find yourself “trapped,” “stalled,” “stuck,” remember that God is the Deliverer. Your “captivity” may consist of “days,” but new days WILL come – and those days are in God’s hand, and He will bring a blessed change when the time is right. We must “wait upon the Lord” in both senses of the word “wait:” look to Him patiently and expectantly AND serve Him while we wait.
Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it. For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him:
Jeremiah 30:6-8
There is some strange imagery here, but the reference to “the time of Jacob’s trouble” and to a future heir of David reigning as king in Verse 9 lets us know that this prophecy is going beyond even the return of the exiles after 70 years, all the way to the time of the appearance of the Messiah.
There will be men acting like pregnant women in labor, clutching their groins in pain, white-faced, but Verse 7 says “he SHALL be saved out of it” (emphasis added). God will break the yoke and break the chains, and the only one they will be serving is God Himself, which is what they (and we) were created to do.
Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured; and all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey. For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.
Jeremiah 30:16-17
Israel and Judah, which had been punished severely by their enemies, would see God punish those who had punished them. Note the poetic justice: the devourers would be devoured; the spoilers would be spoiled; the predators would be preyed upon. This is often God’s way. It’s not “karma” – some impersonal cosmic balancing scale. No, it’s personal – an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, with what measure you mete, it shall be meted unto you. What you sow, that’s what you’ll reap. Be careful how you treat others.
God is zealous for His own name. The nations called Judah and Israel “Outcasts.” They had been “cast out” by their God, but God will not allow His name to be mocked forever. As Christians we ought to be accustomed to the role of outcasts in society, but we need to remember that we are accepted by God in Christ.
Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob’s tents, and have mercy on his dwellingplaces; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof.
Jeremiah 30:18
There are so many great promises and images of restoration in Jeremiah Chapter 30. Not only would the people be restored to safe homes, but in many cases their restored homes would be rebuilt right on the “heap” of the wreckage of the old ones. The new houses would be better houses, higher houses. If you’ve got some wreckage in your past, you probably never want to see it again, but don’t discount the possibility that God may give you a victory right on top of it, and that He might even use that wreckage as part of the foundation of your future blessings or future ministry.
We use the word “engage” to mean interaction with someone or some activity: “During an election year, more people engage in the political process.” Or: “When the whistle sounded, we engaged the other team at midfield.” However, another common use of the term is its application to a proposal and promise of marriage. When a man pops the question and a lady says “yes,” we say that the couple got “engaged.” The Lord promised to renew His covenant (30:22) with the people He had chastened, but only after they “engaged their hearts” to come back to Him (30:21). Have you made a verbal commitment to approach the Lord, and to follow and obey Him? If so, that’s great, but only if your heart is fully engaged. God is not interested in people who only profess outwardly that they belong to Him. He wants people to be inwardly committed, and motivated by a true desire to know Him and make Him known.
Jesus Saves the (Wedding) Day
March 7, 2019 at 4:36 pm | Posted in Biblical Days, John | 9 CommentsTags: commentary on John, John 2, mariolatry, miracles, miracles of Jesus, miraculous signs, Sunday School lessons on John, water into wine, wedding at Cana
And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
John 2:1
“The third day” is probably referring to the third day after the call of Nathanael (John 1:45-51). Jesus performed the first miracle (sign) of His earthly ministry at a wedding in Cana – a wedding to which He had been INVITED. Jesus (not the pastor or officiant, not the groom, not even the bride!) should be the guest of honor at every wedding. During the wedding celebration, when the wine ran dry, threatening to put a damper on the festivities, and further threatening to embarrass the groom and his family who were charged in Jewish culture with having enough provisions to supply the invited guests for a week, Mary, who would have been a close friend of the family or families, came to Jesus with the problem.
And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
John 2:4
Jesus’s response was a balance between filial respect and a declaration of His own authority – almost as if He knew that one day people would sinfully want to call Mary a redemptrix or mediatrix between human beings and God, or as if they would erroneously claim that she belonged in a similar category of deserved adoration, veneration, or even worship (idolatry/Mariolatry) as Jesus Himself.
Actually, Mary’s response to Jesus’s response is a good example of what everyone’s response should be: Whatever Jesus says to do, do it.
His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
John 2:5
Mary pointed to Jesus, not herself, and He solved the problem, not Mary.
And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
John 2:6
The Greek term translated as “firkin” referred to a container that held about 11-30 gallons, depending upon which commentator you favor. In English “firkin” originally meant a “fourth,” as in a fourth of a barrel (however helpful that may be without knowing the size of the barrel). The point is, though, that they were large containers, and Jesus had people fill them with water, and then miraculously turned the water into wine. There is an interesting contrast here when we remember that Moses turned water into blood (a sign of judgment), whereas Jesus turned it into wine (a symbol of blessings and joy).
This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
John 2:11
The phrase “beginning of miracles” indicates that the tales of Jesus supposedly performing miracles in His childhood are myths. The word for “miracles” in the Greek is semeion, meaning that they were miracles performed for a purpose. They were acts of supernatural power done to point to eternal truths so that people “might believe.” “Signs” point to something greater, something more “sign”ificant.
The Lord’s Day
July 5, 2018 at 12:43 pm | Posted in Biblical Days, Jeremiah | 3 CommentsTags: 4th Commandment, commentary on Jeremiah, Fourth Commandment, Jeremiah 17, Sabbath, Sabbath Day, Sabbath rest, Sunday School lessons on Jeremiah, Sunday worship
Among the many sins for which God was allowing the destruction of Jerusalem was the failure of His people to keep the Sabbath.
But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.
Jeremiah 17:27
One of the chief differences between God’s people and the pagans was that God’s people did not do “business” one day out of every week. On the Sabbath day they were not supposed to try to make money or earn a profit. One day out of every seven was set aside as a day of rest to remind them that they were different, and that, despite their labor on the other six days, they really depended upon God for all the blessings of life. Their failure to keep the Sabbath revealed that they did not believe God, did not obey God, and, therefore, did not arrange their lives as if He were real.
For New Testament Christians, observing the Lord’s Day (Sunday, the first day of the week) is the proper way to observe this principle. Sunday worship for Christians is not an optional thing, and don’t fool yourself into thinking that you really believe Him if you don’t arrange your weekly schedule to reflect that He is your Owner and your Lord.
Yesterday Must be Eclipsed
March 20, 2018 at 11:58 am | Posted in Biblical Days, I Corinthians, V.I.C.T.O.R.Y. | 9 CommentsTags: 1 Corinthians 15, commentary on Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiastes, living for today, living for tomorrow, living in the past, the past, victorious Christian living, Victory in Jesus
The victory that Christ has achieved for us means that, as we live for Him in this temporal world:
V.anity must be expelled;
I.mmortality must be entered into;
C.orruption must be eliminated;
T.hankfulness must be expressed;
O.pportunity must be embraced;
R.eality must be encountered;
and
Yesterday must be eclipsed.
The past should not be ignored, but it must be kept in the shadow of what is to come if we are to be victorious. Past failures and sins can’t be denied, but they can be covered with the light of the Truth about Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
I Corinthians 15:58
We must be steadfast, meaning faithful, and unmovable, meaning stubborn about standing on the Word of God. We must be abounding – going further AND farther – challenging ourselves to do more for Christ, and to overcome our fears and the things that make us uncomfortable. We must know that what we are doing for Him is not vain – it does make a difference in eternity.
This is the antidote to the worldly philosophy – especially highlighted in Ecclesiastes – that nothing really, ultimately matters – that what happened before is going to happen again. No, the past is in the past, and it must be eclipsed by our hope in the future victory and in the battle for victory that we are waging right now.
Immutability for Today
June 30, 2016 at 1:12 pm | Posted in Biblical Days, Hebrews | 10 CommentsTags: Christians leadership, commentary on Hebrews, Hebrews 13, immutability of God, Jesus Christ, pastors, spiritual leaders, Standing of the Promises, Sunday School lessons on Hebrews
Hebrews Chapter 13 is a very practical chapter of God’s Word. It contains doctrine that can be applied to everyday life. In fact, throughout the whole Bible, duty is never divorced from doctrine.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Hebrews 13:8
This verse is often cited as a proof-text to try to convince people that God always works the same way, and that He does not operate differently in His relationship to creation during different dispensations or historical periods. That is not a correct use of the verse, but it is true that God’s character does not change. His qualities of love, mercy, grace, holiness, righteousness, and power are everlasting. He has been Father, Son, and Holy Ghost forever, and He will be forever. He cannot lie. That’s a comforting thing to know, a nice thing to know, and an important thing to know, but, in addition to providing comfort and assurance about the trustworthiness of God, it also has very practical outworkings in the daily lives of Christians.
Take, for example, the responsibility of the believer toward his or her spiritual leaders.
Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.
Hebrews 13:7
Though leaders change from one to another, and though they might change in the sense of moral failure or being undependable, we must remember that our ultimate responsibility is to follow and serve God, and that He is always the same when it comes to trustworthiness and dependability. We chiefly put our faith in God’s Word and His promises.
Standing on the promises I cannot fall;
Listening every moment to the Spirit’s call;
Trusting in the Savior as my ALL in ALL;
Standing on the promises of GodStanding on the promises that cannot fail;
When the howling storms of fear and doubt assail;
By the living Word of God I shall prevail;
Standing on the promises of God
R. Kelso Carter
One Crazy, Wonderful Day
December 21, 2015 at 10:35 am | Posted in Biblical Days, Uncategorized | 6 CommentsTags: anniversaries, anniversary, Biblical marriage, Christian love, Christian marriage, marriage, wedding anniversaries
Today my wife and I celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary. Since there are 24 hours in a day, I suppose we might think of our marriage so far as one long day, with each year representing an hour. If so, this has been one crazy day!
From the rush and panic of getting ready for a busy day, to the quick interlude of a lunch-hour break, to a long grueling afternoon of hard work, to the relief of a “happy hour,” to the excitement of a romantic evening on the town (or in the home!), to late-night discussions, arguments, tickle-fights, cuddling, and laughter, to the darkest, most frightening midnight hours of learning to trust and lean on each other for support and comfort, to a morning of new hope and joy, it has been a “day” given to us and arranged by God for our good and His glory.
I am thankful beyond expression for my wife. When I woke up this morning, by her side, I realized she is just as stunningly beautiful today as when we first met. She is my sister in Christ, my friend, my counselor, my partner, my helper, my passion, and the love of my life. When God (the same God Who had already given me eternal life and salvation in His Son, Jesus!) wanted to do something else really, really special and wonderful for me, He gave me Laura Hampton to be my wife. I thank Him and praise Him for her, and I ask Him, by His grace, mercy, and love, to bless us and keep us together all the days of our lives.
The Deep End 
The Days of Our Lord
March 5, 2021 at 12:21 pm | Posted in Biblical Days, Joel | 3 CommentsTags: commentary on Joel, Joash, Joel, Joel 1, Joel 2, Joel 3, Sunday School lessons on Joel, the Day of the Lord, the prophet Joel
Lord, please bless each and every one of us now. I pray that we and our families would receive the gifts of good health, stable finances, peace with our neighbors, and joy like a river in our souls. If it brings glory to You, or helps to sanctify us, in Your good providence, then I pray you would take anything away from us that would make us self-centered or world-centered rather than Savior-centered and God-centered. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
The prophet Joel ministered around 800 B.C. in Judah during the reign of King Joash (835-796 B.C.). Joash became king at age seven. He had to learn on the job, mentored by the priest Jehoiada. Two of the biggest problems in Joel’s day were a locust plague and a drought. Joel prophesied concerning the “Day of the Lord.” Generally speaking, in the Bible there are three “Days of the Lord:” the one that’s here now; the one that’s just around the corner; and the ultimate Day of the Lord.
The immediate Day of the Lord:
Joel 1:2-4
Locusts ate the food staples, bread and grapes, but this was a picture of another Day of the Lord that was just around the corner: the Assyrian invasion.
Joel 2:1
Joel 2:11
God would use His people’s enemies.
The ultimate Day of the Lord will be what is known as the Tribulation. It will be preceded by a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Joel 2:28-32
There will be judgment against the enemies of the Jews.
Joel 3:14
The “decision” in that verse is not referring to the decision of individuals as to whether or not to trust Christ for eternal salvation. It is a reference to Christ executing His decision to punish the gentile nations. Then, there will be blessings for Jerusalem:
Joel 3:18
For God’s people to be RESTORED, God’s people must be CLEANSED.
Joel 3:20-21
This is a good prayer to pray:
Joel 2:17
God keeps His promises for His Own sake, and He uses His people to bring glory to His Own name.