Hello Americans, friends and neighbors, brothers and sisters in Christ, I welcome you to Monday, November 2, 2009 and I am thankful that we are back in the plus range for rain in terms of our annual target. However, as we learn in this life nothing is ever quite as simple as it looks. That rainfall total is good for the majority since we have some 4 million folks in the metro area that require water each day, but for those whose houses were flooded last week due to overflowing bayous and creeks, well, it is a different story. Good news for farmers may not always be good news for those who live near a waterway. This is why we need truth as the basis for our living. This is why God preserved His Word throughout all of these years so that we can have a foundation to build upon that will not fail when the storms of life beat upon it. That 'when' comes to every one of us at some point and time. It is an absolute truth of this life. We will face adversity, trouble, and difficult times. That's why we need God and His Word to uphold us and guide us as we make our way forward.Many people consider me to be a Bible scholar because I've been a teacher for nearly forty years and I have completed two different terms through a seminary program. They corre
ctly think that facts and information about the Bible makes someone a scholar, but knowing information alone will never constitute living the truth that God has given to us. I suppose one of the things that I have noticed more than ever in my studies is how little I really do know. It is amazing to appreciate the unfathomable depths contained in Holy Spirit revealed truth as found in our Bible. I believe we should do our best to understand as much as we can about the language, the setting, and the context of every passage given. However, it is the Holy Spirit directed understanding that provides foundation, sustenance, and direction for day by day living. It is in this area that we can see how much we need God's help as we deal with all that happens in this life. That includes the good times as well as the bad because everything that happens to us is a potential for choosing how we will react and respond and that's where we need God and His direction.
ctly think that facts and information about the Bible makes someone a scholar, but knowing information alone will never constitute living the truth that God has given to us. I suppose one of the things that I have noticed more than ever in my studies is how little I really do know. It is amazing to appreciate the unfathomable depths contained in Holy Spirit revealed truth as found in our Bible. I believe we should do our best to understand as much as we can about the language, the setting, and the context of every passage given. However, it is the Holy Spirit directed understanding that provides foundation, sustenance, and direction for day by day living. It is in this area that we can see how much we need God's help as we deal with all that happens in this life. That includes the good times as well as the bad because everything that happens to us is a potential for choosing how we will react and respond and that's where we need God and His direction.Seeking God through prayer and the study of His preserved Word is a major component of a life lived that is pleasing to Him. One of the things that concerns me most is how so many today live base
d on a sound bite approach to Christianity. Bible verses are bantered forth and back that have no basis within the context of their use in their respective passages. Songs are heralded as great sources of strength and comfort but their message is not consistent with thus says the Word of the Lord, although they have a great musical form. Much of what is passed off as truth is primarily psychological power of thought types of nonsense when compared to the life changing power that comes from knowing God and His truth. When someone stands up and questions this approach to the Christian life they are treated as if they crawled out from under a rock somewhere without a clue as to the 'new' way of seeing things. One thing about life that we all should know is that with God there is only His way if we are to please Him. Why is all of this so important on a Monday morning? Because when trials do come and they will, Jesus said only the house built upon the rock will stand. All around me I am seeing way too many houses (lives and families) collapse as the veneer of Christianity-Lite takes its toll. This is why I seek to start with, stay with, and end with the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth as it is written! May God help us and may we be blessed as we seek Him through His word. Amen. ....More later.
d on a sound bite approach to Christianity. Bible verses are bantered forth and back that have no basis within the context of their use in their respective passages. Songs are heralded as great sources of strength and comfort but their message is not consistent with thus says the Word of the Lord, although they have a great musical form. Much of what is passed off as truth is primarily psychological power of thought types of nonsense when compared to the life changing power that comes from knowing God and His truth. When someone stands up and questions this approach to the Christian life they are treated as if they crawled out from under a rock somewhere without a clue as to the 'new' way of seeing things. One thing about life that we all should know is that with God there is only His way if we are to please Him. Why is all of this so important on a Monday morning? Because when trials do come and they will, Jesus said only the house built upon the rock will stand. All around me I am seeing way too many houses (lives and families) collapse as the veneer of Christianity-Lite takes its toll. This is why I seek to start with, stay with, and end with the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth as it is written! May God help us and may we be blessed as we seek Him through His word. Amen. ....More later.
No comments:
Post a Comment