Renew The Mind; Transform Your Life: Recent Episodes
Neil McKee
Paradigm Shifting Podcast with the aim of increasing personal freedom and spiritual growth via Christian teaching based on the uncompromised Word. Primarily, I upload 'Raw Word' - the Scriptures without commentary. This ensures that you get 'Dailly Bread' using the copyright-free 'World English Bible'. Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on UnsplashI will, on occasion, add some commentary or an inspirational message.
In this diversion from the normal content on this channel, I wanted to share a moment of insight into possible pathways to prosperity - Politically, Economically, and Socially - for the United Kingdom.
This is based on mapping key principles from Ecology onto our current needs as a Nation.
If you are wondering about the voice - yesterday, for the first time, I saw the option to "Open Immersive Reader" - and I think (with a little editing from me) LinkedIn's AI Voiceover Artist has done a stunning job. If you use the Immersive Reader, you can change the speed too.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/towards-national-ecology-neil-mckee-qqjhe
The Revd Canon Richard Bartlett is Vicar of the West Purbeck Benefice, and Rural Dean of Purbeck. (That doesn't mean he drives a custom-Landrover with wide wheels, nor that he endorses Barbour wellies.)
Key Quotes:
John V Taylor
"The chief actor in the historic mission of the Christian church is the Holy Spirit. This fact, so patent to Christians in the first century, is largely forgotten in our own. So we have lost our nerve and our sense of direction and have turned the divine initiative into a human enterprise.
**(John V Taylor, The Go-Between God p3) "
And
Jurgen Moltman
“It is not the church that has a mission of salvation to fulfil in the world; it is the mission of the Son and the Spirit through the Father that includes the church, creating a church as it goes on its way****.”
Video Links**:
With Bishop Anne - Five Marks of Mission - Teach
https://youtu.be/RjxPNirBAR4?si=-bE--VGFYC04cmk0
With Bishop Anne - Five Marks of Mission - Tell
https://youtu.be/aADVG3CZvZI?si=QoRXDVb7tyckKO82
With Bishop Anne - Five Marks of Mission - Tend
https://youtu.be/x29YXQm43Js?si=ou2N0kE_P_vk5__I
With Bishop Anne - Five Marks of Mission - Transform
https://youtu.be/UcFnPhmOg50?si=kAJ1VX_ATIRjdb1y
With Bishop Anne - Five Marks of Mission - Treasure
https://youtu.be/bjBA8jKX6a0?si=_jpbAt2eob4KzF8I
24th January Living Words
Worship: Psalm 27
Old Testament: Joshua 21
Gospel: Mark 11
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 8
Wisdom: Proverbs 24
Arnold Schwarzenegger utters the famous phrase, "Come with me, if you want to live..." I sincerely believe God's Living Words are Words of Life with the potential in the Holy Spirit to minister LIFE to your mortal body. Why would so many people wilfully starve themselves of life-sustaining medication? Get on board with our 5-a-Day programme for Life-enhancing Biblical Health.
23rd January Living Words
Worship: Psalm 26
Old Testament: Joshua 20
Gospel: Mark 10
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 7
Wisdom: Proverbs 23
I believe you need 5 portions of Scripture a Day to stay Biblically Healthy.
After all, Jesus said that man and woman shall not live on bread alone but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.
Psalm 24 for Worship
OT - Joshua 18 - Go on up and possess the Land God has promised to you
NT Gospel - Mark 8
NT Epistle - I Corinthians 5
Proverbs 21 for Wisdom
20th January Living WordsReading Programme
We begin with Worship:
Psalm 23
Authorized (King James) Version
A Psalm of David.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me;
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Joshua 17
More on the need to possess the territory that God has given us. Consider this violent capture of the Land of Promise with the enigmatic Matthew 11:12
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
Do we need to struggle to enter into God’s promise?
Mark 7 – words in Red
‘This people honours me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me.
But they worship me in vain,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ See Isaiah 29:13
“Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.
…making void the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down.
“That which proceeds out of the man, that defiles the man. For from within, out of the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual sins, murders, thefts, covetings, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”
1 Corinthians 4
Therefore, judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each man will get his praise from God.
For who makes you different? And what do you have that you didn’t receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
I don’t write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have ten thousand tutors in Christ, you don’t have many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, I became your father through the Good News. I beg you therefore, be imitators of me.
For God’s Kingdom is not in word, but in power. What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?
We conclude with Wisdom:
Proverbs 20
The spirit of man is Yahweh’s lamp,
searching all his innermost parts.
Hence the central importance of a daily ‘Quiet Time’ to give the spirit space to carry out the work of sanctification.
Wounding blows cleanse away evil,
and beatings purge the innermost parts.
Now, there’s a thought…
19th January Living Words
5-a-Day
Reading Programme
Joshua 16
Notice how the descendants of Joseph’s sons get a portion each – the generosity of God to Joseph.
Mark 6
He came into his own country, and his disciples followed him. When the Sabbath had come, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many hearing him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things?” and, “What is the wisdom that is given to this man, that such mighty works come about by his hands? Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judah, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” So, they were offended at him.
Psalm 22 and John 19:30 which says, “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, “It is finished.” Then He bowed His head, and gave up His spirit.”
This is important because Psalm 22 is clearly referenced in John 19:24
And the other Gospels have Jesus quoting Psalm 22 from the Cross:
About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lima sabachthani?” That is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” [Matthew 27:46]
For the Chief Musician; set to “The Doe of the Morning.” A Psalm by David.
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?
My God, I cry in the daytime, but you don’t answer;
in the night season, and am not silent.
But you are holy,
you who inhabit the praises of Israel.
Our fathers trusted in you.
They trusted, and you delivered them.
They cried to you, and were delivered.
They trusted in you, and were not disappointed.
But I am a worm, and no man;
a reproach of men, and despised by the people.
All those who see me mock me.
They insult me with their lips. They shake their heads, saying,
“He trusts in Yahweh.
Let him deliver him.
Let him rescue him, since he delights in him.”
But you brought me out of the womb.
You made me trust while at my mother’s breasts.
I was thrown on you from my mother’s womb.
You are my God since my mother bore me.
Don’t be far from me, for trouble is near.
For there is no one to help.
Many bulls have surrounded me.
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.
They open their mouths wide against me,
lions tearing prey and roaring.
I am poured out like water.
All my bones are out of joint.My heart is like wax.
It is melted within me.
My strength is dried up like a potsherd.
My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.
You have brought me into the dust of death.
For dogs have surrounded me.
A company of evildoers have enclosed me.
They have pierced my hands and feet.
I can count all of my bones.
They look and stare at me.
They divide my garments among them.
They cast lots for my clothing.
But don’t be far off, Yahweh.
You are my help. Hurry to help me!
Deliver my soul from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dog.
Save me from the lion’s mouth!
Yes, you have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen.
I will declare your name to my brothers.
Among the assembly, I will praise you.
You who fear Yahweh, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify him!
Stand in awe of him, all you descendants of Israel!
For he has not despised nor abhorred the affl
How exciting to reach the point in history where the Church receives the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the point that will empower the Church to go on throughout history, making a transformational difference to the world (and, of course, I mean the true Church, not religious counterfeits.) Today is a great day to reach out to God and to ask Him to fill you with His Spirit. After all, He has promised that He won't give us anything else when we ask for The Holy Spirit.
CREDITS
The Bible Project has an excellent introduction and overview of the letter to the Galatians:
bibleproject.com/explore/video/galatians/
The thumbnail is adapted from the poster made freely available by The Bible Project here:
bibleproject.com/view-resource/257/
The Bible version I am using is free from copyright. Only the description, "World English Bible," is understandably trademarked.
We are making a MASSIVE push into the wisdom-world of Ecclesiastes.
12 of the free resources include downloadable audio recordings of the World English Bible version.
Also check out...
The Bible Project
Overview Video
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/ecclesiastes/
Exploratory Videohttps://bibleproject.com/explore/video/wisdom-ecclesiastes/
Posterhttps://d1bsmz3sdihplr.cloudfront.net/media/Posters%20Download/20_Ecclesiastes.jpg
We are making a MASSIVE push into the wisdom-world of Ecclesiastes.
12 of the free resources include downloadable audio recordings of the World English Bible version.
Also check out...
The Bible Project
Overview Video
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/ecclesiastes/
Exploratory Videohttps://bibleproject.com/explore/video/wisdom-ecclesiastes/
Posterhttps://d1bsmz3sdihplr.cloudfront.net/media/Posters%20Download/20_Ecclesiastes.jpg
We are making a MASSIVE push into the wisdom-world of Ecclesiastes.
12 of the free resources include downloadable audio recordings of the World English Bible version.
Also check out...
The Bible Project
Overview Video
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/ecclesiastes/
Exploratory Videohttps://bibleproject.com/explore/video/wisdom-ecclesiastes/
Posterhttps://d1bsmz3sdihplr.cloudfront.net/media/Posters%20Download/20_Ecclesiastes.jpg
We are making a MASSIVE push into the wisdom-world of Ecclesiastes.
12 of the free resources include downloadable audio recordings of the World English Bible version.
Also check out...
The Bible Project
Overview Video
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/ecclesiastes/
Exploratory Videohttps://bibleproject.com/explore/video/wisdom-ecclesiastes/
Posterhttps://d1bsmz3sdihplr.cloudfront.net/media/Posters%20Download/20_Ecclesiastes.jpg
We are making a MASSIVE push into the wisdom-world of Ecclesiastes.
12 of the free resources include downloadable audio recordings of the World English Bible version.
Also check out...
The Bible Project
Overview Video
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/ecclesiastes/
Exploratory Videohttps://bibleproject.com/explore/video/wisdom-ecclesiastes/
Posterhttps://d1bsmz3sdihplr.cloudfront.net/media/Posters%20Download/20_Ecclesiastes.jpg
We are making a MASSIVE push into the wisdom-world of Ecclesiastes.
12 of the free resources include downloadable audio recordings of the World English Bible version.
Also check out...
The Bible Project
Overview Video
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/ecclesiastes/
Exploratory Videohttps://bibleproject.com/explore/video/wisdom-ecclesiastes/
Posterhttps://d1bsmz3sdihplr.cloudfront.net/media/Posters%20Download/20_Ecclesiastes.jpg
We are making a MASSIVE push into the wisdom-world of Ecclesiastes.
12 of the free resources include downloadable audio recordings of the World English Bible version.
Also check out...
The Bible Project
Overview Video
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/ecclesiastes/
Exploratory Videohttps://bibleproject.com/explore/video/wisdom-ecclesiastes/
Posterhttps://d1bsmz3sdihplr.cloudfront.net/media/Posters%20Download/20_Ecclesiastes.jpg
We are making a MASSIVE push into the wisdom-world of Ecclesiastes.
12 of the free resources include downloadable audio recordings of the World English Bible version.
Also check out...
The Bible Project
Overview Video
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/ecclesiastes/
Exploratory Videohttps://bibleproject.com/explore/video/wisdom-ecclesiastes/
Posterhttps://d1bsmz3sdihplr.cloudfront.net/media/Posters%20Download/20_Ecclesiastes.jpg
We are making a MASSIVE push into the wisdom-world of Ecclesiastes.
12 of the free resources include downloadable audio recordings of the World English Bible version.
Also check out...
The Bible Project
Overview Video
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/ecclesiastes/
Exploratory Videohttps://bibleproject.com/explore/video/wisdom-ecclesiastes/
Posterhttps://d1bsmz3sdihplr.cloudfront.net/media/Posters%20Download/20_Ecclesiastes.jpg
We are making a MASSIVE push into the wisdom-world of Ecclesiastes.
12 of the free resources include downloadable audio recordings of the World English Bible version.
Also check out...
The Bible Project
Overview Video
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/ecclesiastes/
Exploratory Videohttps://bibleproject.com/explore/video/wisdom-ecclesiastes/
Posterhttps://d1bsmz3sdihplr.cloudfront.net/media/Posters%20Download/20_Ecclesiastes.jpg
We are making a MASSIVE push into the wisdom-world of Ecclesiastes.
12 of the free resources include downloadable audio recordings of the World English Bible version.
Also check out...
The Bible Project
Overview Video
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/ecclesiastes/
Exploratory Videohttps://bibleproject.com/explore/video/wisdom-ecclesiastes/
Posterhttps://d1bsmz3sdihplr.cloudfront.net/media/Posters%20Download/20_Ecclesiastes.jpg
We are making a MASSIVE push into the wisdom-world of Ecclesiastes.
12 of the free resources include downloadable audio recordings of the World English Bible version.
Also check out...
The Bible Project
Overview Video
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/ecclesiastes/
Exploratory Videohttps://bibleproject.com/explore/video/wisdom-ecclesiastes/
Posterhttps://d1bsmz3sdihplr.cloudfront.net/media/Posters%20Download/20_Ecclesiastes.jpg
Enjoy listening to Scripture read beside Swanage Bay, Dorset, England.
Today's NIV Scriptures are:
- Psalm 2
- Proverbs 15
- Genesis 2
- John 2
- Romans 2
That's 5-a-Day, Daily Bread!
Paul says to Timothy in chapter 4 verse 13 in his first letter:
"Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching."Since this sounds like a call to action to me, I was thinking about the popular 5-a-Day model for healthy eating.
If we were to apply that to the reading of Scripture, what mix might we have?
- A Psalm for worship
- A chapter of Proverbs for wisdom
- A portion of the Old Testament
- A section of a Gospel
- A part of the New Testament other than the Gospels and Acts
Thus we start with today's readings.
On the menu we have:
- Psalm 1
- Proverbs 14 (to match day 14 of July)
- Genesis 1
- John 1
- Romans 1
The sounds of the sea and of Swanage were recorded today from 'The Haven' on Swanage Bay. Although there are a few noisy people, I hope this natural soundscape helps give atmosphere to this first recording.
We share "The Road to Emmaus" followed by a direct quote from Tim Keller's work, "What is Gospel-Centred Ministry?"
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/conference_media/gospel-centered-ministry/
- Jesus is the true and better Adam who passed the test in the garden, a much tougher garden, and whose obedience is imputed to us.
- Jesus is the true and better Abel, who, though innocently slain, has blood that cries out, not for our condemnation, but for our acquittal.
- Jesus is the true and better Abraham, who answered the call of God to leave all the comfortable and familiar and go into the void, not knowing whither he went.
- Jesus is the true and better Isaac, who was not just offered up by his father on the mount, but was truly sacrificed for us all. What God said to Abraham, “Now I know you love me because you did not withhold your son–your only son whom you love–from me.” Now we, at the foot of the cross, can say to God, “Now we know that you love me because you did not withhold your Son–your only Son whom you love–from me.”
- Jesus is the true and better Jacob, who wrestled and took the blow of justice we deserve so we, like Jacob, only receive the wounds of grace that wake us up and discipline us.
- Jesus is the true and better Joseph, who sits at the right hand of the King and forgives those who betrayed and sold him and uses his power to save them.
- Jesus is the true and better Moses who stands in the gap between the people in the Lord and who mediates a New Covenant.
- Jesus is the true and better rock of Moses, who when struck with a rod of God’s justice now gives us water in the desert.
- Jesus is the true and better Job, who became a truly innocent suffer and now intercedes for and saves his stupid friends. (Is that a type? That’s not typology; it’s an instinct.)
- Jesus is the true and better David, whose victory becomes his people’s victory, though they never lifted a stone to accomplish it themselves.
- Jesus is the true and better Esther, who didn’t just risk losing an earthly palace but lost the ultimate heavenly one, who didn’t just risk his life but gave his life, who didn’t just say, “If I perish, I perish,” he says, “When I perish, I’ll perish for them to save my people.”
- Jesus is the true and better Jonah, who was cast out into the storm so we could be brought in.
- Jesus is the real Passover lamb.
- Jesus is the true temple, the true prophet, the true priest, the true king, the true sacrifice, the true lamb, the true light, the true bread.
A BLESSING FOR YOU!
May you receive this blessing as you listen to this psalm, recorded with you in mind.
Psalm 20
New International Version (adapted on the recording to us the Lord's name)
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
May he send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion.
May he remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings.
May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.
May we shout for joy over your victory
and lift up our banners in the name of our God.
May the Lord grant all your requests.
Now this I know:
The Lord gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
with the victorious power of his right hand.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.
Lord, give victory to the king!
Answer us when we call!
Wouldn't it be lovely to appoint a Director of Music for our Church?
Would you rather?
Choice is a wonderful blessing for most of us most of the time, and a burden for many of us much of the time! "Would you rather?" is a great question to ask when working through issues that affect our wellbeing.
The most positive presentation of the value of ageing that I've ever had the privilege to listen to.
Q. Is your church helping you to grow spiritually?
Grace Will Walk Us Home
by Thom M Shuman
Wild Goose Publications
www.ionabooks.com
Used under agreed non-commercial worship conditions as stated by the publisher.
Music
Atmos from Big Fish Audio - used under licence.
Grace Will Walk Us Home
by Thom M Shuman
Wild Goose Publications
www.ionabooks.com
Used under agreed non-commercial worship conditions as stated by the publisher.
Music
Atmos from Big Fish Audio - used under licence.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a massive blessing to the Body of Christ - helping us to value our differences. Here's a link to a free version as featured in this podcast:
16personalities.com
Shift HappensAll At Sea
Two battleships assigned to the training squadron had been at sea on manoeuvres in heavy weather for several days. I was serving on the lead battleship and was on watch on the bridge as night fell. The visibility was poor with patch fog, so the captain, remained on the bridge keeping an eye on all activities.
Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing of the bridge reported, “Light, bearing on the starboard bow.”
“Is it steady or moving astern?” the captain called out.
Lookout replied, “Steady, captain,” which meant we were on a dangerous collision course with that ship.
The captain then called to the signalman, “Signal that ship: We are on a collision course, advise you change course 20 degrees.”
Back came a signal, “Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees.”
The captain said, “Send, I’m a captain, change course 20 degrees.”
“I’m a seaman second class,” came the reply. “You had better change course 20 degrees.”
By that time, the captain was furious. He spat out, “Send, I’m a battleship. Change course 20 degrees.”
Back came the flashing light, “I’m a lighthouse.”
We changed course.
The Man on the Subway
“I remember a mini-paradigm shift I experienced one Sunday morning on a subway in New York. People were sitting quietly – some reading newspapers, some lost in thought, some resting with their eyes closed. It was a calm, peaceful scene.
Then suddenly, a man and his children entered the subway car. The children were so loud and rambunctious that instantly the whole climate changed.
The man sat down next to me and closed his eyes, apparently oblivious to the situation. The children were yelling back and forth, throwing things, even grabbing people’s papers. It was very disturbing. And yet, the man sitting next to me did nothing.
It was difficult not to feel irritated. I could not believe that he could be so insensitive as to let his children run wild like that and do nothing about it, taking no responsibility at all. It was easy to see that everyone else on the subway felt irritated, too. So finally, with what I felt was like unusual patience and restraint, I turned to him and said, “Sir, your children are really disturbing a lot of people. I wonder if you couldn’t control them a little more?”
The man lifted his gaze as if to come to a consciousness of the situation for the first time and said softly, “Oh, you’re right. I guess I should do something about it. We just came from the hospital where their mother died about an hour ago. I don’t know what do think, and I guess they don’t know who to handle it either.”
Can you imagine what I felt at that moment? My paradigm shifted. Suddenly I saw things differently, and because I saw differently, I thought differently, I felt differently, I behaved differently. My irritation vanished. I didn’t have to worry about controlling my attitude or my behavior; my heart was filled with the man’s pain. Feelings of sympathy and compassion flowed freely. “Your wife just died? Oh I’m so sorry! Can you tell me about it? What can I do to help?” Everything changed in an instant.”
Zoonami
We all have precious moments when providence or serendipity sends us a treat. One such precious moment was last night in the freezing cold on Swanage’s Victorian Pier. A crowd of us was there for the switching on the lights by Father Christmas (who arrived by boat!)
Waiting in the cold, looking out over the waves under the moonlight, a small girl asked her Dad if a big wave had ever flooded the pier. Realising she meant a Tsunami, her Dad shared the word with her as he reassured her… but here’s the thing: I heard him say, “Zoonami!”
Of course, he didn’t say that, but it was too late, my imagination was engaged! I ‘saw’ a flood of animals coming into Swanage Bay on surf boards (like the seagull I’d recently seen surfing on driftwood.) (Thought to self: I probably need to change my medication!)
And this brings me to today’s two questions:
Q. What animal would you most like to be?
And
Q. Why?
Dog or Cat?
Cat or Mouse?
Dinosaur – but which one?
Fish, Amphibian, Reptile, Bird, Mammal?
Orangutan, Gibbon (Funky, of course), Gorilla, Chimpanzee?
They say confession is good for the soul, so I’ll lead by example!
I want to be an Otter.
Why?
They are massively playful, lithe, and love fish, of course!
To me, they stay young forever through their combination of frisky fun-loving living, insatiable curiosity, and healthy diet.
Once you’ve decided on your animal or bird (and shared it with us), how could you be more like your Avatar?
How could I be ‘more Otter’? Hmm, I think that Sea Swimming is beckoning again!
I’m looking forward to a flood, a Zoonami, of witty, wise, and wonderful revelations of your favourite animals!
There’s no fruit without there first being a seed.
The man on the corner by one of Swanage’s many pubs proudly wore a T-Shirt with just two words: “Bad Seed.” I think he thought it was funny. I didn’t.
I want to sow “Good Seed” during this season of goodwill to all. The whole World knows we need this.
Specifically, I’d love, along with you, to play our part in growing the traditional seasonal fruits of hope, joy, peace, and love (or ‘charity’ if you like old-fashioned version!) Reminds me of the three angels I had branded with a spelling error: Faith, Love, and Hop. I kid you not. I’d like to have been ‘Hop’. Have you tried skipping lately? It’s liberating. Children do it all the time… naturally… freely. Be childlike today.
How do we sow seeds of hope? Hope is always to do with the future – so anytime we can make anyone feel better about their future, we’ve sown seeds of hope. Paint a picture in people’s imaginations of a brighter better tomorrow.
How do we sow seeds of joy? I think Spike Milligan had the right idea:
“Smiling is infectious,
you catch it like the flu,
When someone smiled at me today, I started smiling too.”
[The full poem can be read here: https://noc-events.co.uk/sites/conference.noc.ac.uk/files/documents/Smile%20-%20By%20Spike%20Milligan.pdfbut be careful, it’s contagious.]
Stick a grin on your chin, and see who says, “Hey, I’m ‘in’!”
How do we sow seeds of peace? That’s the answer to a big Nobel prize-winning question! Maybe it’s as simple as always looking for what we share in common with others? I watched, “Derry Girls,” for the first time this year. It was a profound experience, highlighting the humour and the tension of the troubles in Northern Ireland. In one particularly touching episode the way to peace was by finding that common ground.
And, finally, and perhaps most importantly, how do we sow seeds of love? I think that’s the easiest question to answer. Those of us who want more friendship must show ourselves to be friendly. We, very generally speaking, reap what we sow – that’s the way of Nature. What does, ‘’being shown love,” mean to you? Once you can answer that, go and do that for or to someone else.
Maybe, just maybe, we’re all about to have a very good day indeed!
I have chosen the 'Jesucristo crucificado'
By Diego Velázquez - to represent this most transformational prophecy in the book of the prophet Isaiah
https://www.museodelprado.es/coleccion/obra-de-arte/cristo-crucificado/72cbb57e-f622-4531-9b25-27ff0a9559d7 (Museo del Prado), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4214227
The Suffering Servant is the foundation of much of our theology about the sacrifice of Christ to deal with our sins and all the consequences of sin.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_Crucified_(Vel%C3%A1zquez)
The unusual use of The Amplified Bible requires a copyright notification.
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
Our theme for World Day of Prayer* was, "I Know The Plans I Have For You." The day and the service were planned and printed and prepared for well-before any knowledge of what was to happen in Ukraine. For this reason, I believe it is doubly comforting. God is in the business of restoring people who have been displaced from their homeland.
More than this, He is also committed to their wellbeing during any season of displacement. The passage we had was Jeremiah 29:1-14, some of which I share in the podcast. I do not believe the displacement of the Ukrainian people is anything other than the purpose of Russia (unlike this passage that has a very different political and historical perspective). I share the words because they show God's heart is towards those who are displaced, and His purpose for them is only good - to give them a future and a hope.
We, of course, have a part to play in making certain this is so.
[*World Day of Prayer was 4th March 2022]
"A Lover is a Giver; A Giver is a Lover." This inspirational message and sermon explores the link between giving and genuine faith.
It was recorded while Storm Eunice was raging outside. This means it's atmospheric but not using the usual broadcast level of equipment I have... after all, the power was out! Thus, I've used battery-powered kit.
Do you enjoy the benefits of having a generous heart? Those who truly love are naturally generous givers. They give without expecting to receive in return. They give without any hidden agenda. They give because they LOVE to give. They give for pleasure.
This is a ministry and a gift. It is also the secret of divine prosperity until you start giving in order to receive... then it goes a little haywire!
The path to prosperity is to realise that giving is like planting seeds. What you plant is not what is going to come up. In a similar way, what you plant may not be returned to you from the place or people where you planted it.
Become a greater Lover by becoming a greater Giver.
The 12th Day of Christmas
On the 12th Day of Christmas, we celebrate the Eve of Epiphany. This means we are on the cusp of change. We end the 12 Days of Christmas and move into Epiphany. I rather like the decision of the Council of Tours in 567 (what a great date!) that there should be celebrations from Christmas Day through to Epiphany Eve – which gave birth to the 12 Days of Christmas – or what we Brits call Christmastide. This is a splendid idea since most folks don’t really come back to work until about 10th January! Holding to this tradition and adapting it to the modern work pattern, we’d have 12 Days of feasting and 4 days to detox!
In fact, the ancient pattern wasn’t that far away from that - because there is a tradition of fasting during Advent to get ready for the feasting.
Fasting, feasting, detox!
From tomorrow, Epiphanytide will run until Candlemas. What is Epiphany? This is traditionally when the Three Kings came to adore the baby. Thus, the Irish tradition of adding the figures of the Three Kings to the Nativity scene on Twelfth Night ready for Epiphany.
But that’s tomorrow… let’s talk about partying!
The famous Carol, “Here we come a wassailing,” refers to this evening where the poor would often go door-to-door singing songs of good cheer and blessing each household in return for a drink from the wassail bowl – filled with hot ale, apples, spices, and mead! The noun, “wassail,” refers to the drink.
Where the wassail is more cider than ale, it can be connected to a more rural request for a good cider apple crop in the year to come. To wassail, as a verb, means to party on in the lively way associated with twelfth night, and also to go from house-to-house singing carols. It should, therefore, be a jolly good evening!
Another tradition you may enjoy bringing back is the King Cake – baked with a bean and a pea. I’m guessing there was a separate cake for the boys and the girls as whoever gets the piece with the pea in gets to be Queen for the night, and whoever gets the bean gets to be King… for one night. We can be heroes just for one day. Servants would become masters. This could become a fun family tradition for you and yours - if only for one night!
Do we need any deep spiritual message for today and tonight? I don’t think so. Epiphany, tomorrow, is deeply significant, but for tonight let’s enter into the spirit of celebration, blessing, thanksgiving, and generosity… and if you don’t have the energy for that, you could always watch Shakespeare’s comedy, “Twelfth Night.” (But that’s another story.)
Imagine being asked to leave a monastery for being too extreme. This was part of the journey taken by Simeon Stylites - a famous "Pillar Saint".
Focus gets results.
Jesus was presented at the Temple, as was the Jewish tradition. This involved circumcision as the child's name was presented to God.
We'd talk about a Christening nowadays, and a lot less blood and pain!
In the classic movie, "Dances With Wolves," we learn of the Native American tradition of naming someone according to their most visible or memorable characteristic or characteristic behaviour. Kevin Costner's character was seen dancing with wolves, hence the name. What would your Native American Name be from your current lifestyle? What would you prefer it to be if that's not a happy answer?
🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄THE 9TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS
Saint Basil on Social Justice (and more!)
The 16th Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations is, "Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions." Goal 10 of the 17 is, "Reduced Inequalities." Goal 1 is, "No Poverty." Goal 2 is, "Zero Hunger," and Goal 5 is, "Gender Equality." Saint Basil would approve.
Quote 1
When someone steals another's clothes, we call them a thief. Should we not give the same name to one who could clothe the naked and does not? The bread in your cupboard belongs to the hungry; the coat unused in your closet belongs to the one who needs it; the shoes rotting in your closet belong to the one who has no shoes; the money which you hoard up belongs to the poor.
Quote 2
A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.
Quote 3
While we try to amass wealth, make piles of money, get hold of the land as our real property, overtop one another in riches, we have palpably cast off justice, and lost the common good. I should like to know how any man can be just, who is deliberately aiming to get out of someone else what he wants for himself.
Enjoy more of Basil's wisdom here:
lnkd.in/gUxyujtx
and
lnkd.in/gKQ8GmmZ
"Let It Be"
When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
[Songwriters: Paul Mccartney / John Lennon]
I wonder if the Reformation was a rejection of Motherhood? It's an interesting thought given the venom against Mary. What would have happened if Sigmund Freud had access to Martin Luther? Imagine Luther on the couch and Ziggy saying, "Tell me about your Mother..."
In this very emotional recording, captured last Christmas, I realise (watching it again with some distance) that my own loss of my Mum is impacting what I share and how I share it. Mum died in 2019, and the wounds are still raw. However, this is the point of the Podcast and the Vlog - we all need a Mother figure. The Apostle Paul recognised the need of the Church to have father-figures, even though Jesus was clear that we only have One Father. If the Church needs flesh-and-blood father-figures to help the saints grow to maturity, how much more do we all need Mother-figures?
[Pauline reference is 1 Corinthians 4:15 "For though you have ten thousand tutors in Christ, you don’t have many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, I became your father through the Good News."]
Enjoy then, a fresh, if emotional, appreciation of Mary and Motherhood on this, the 8th Day of Christmas.
Oh, and also enjoy the shout outs to two other great Mother figures: Guan Yin and... Moominmamma, with her handbag full of wonders and compforts!
Not content with bringing focus back to Mother Mary, here's a bit of Eastern Philosophy! https://youtu.be/5yZ8a_zAEl0 - it includes Guan Yin.
In the Western Church, we celebrate Saint Sylvester the First - a Pope who was the Bishop of Rome for over 20 years. He was a great 'tribal' leader, holding the church strong against heresy and division.
My message for the coming year is to "Choose Your Tribe" - by which I mean find a tribe that misses you when you're not there. You need a tribe that values you even when you cannot contribute.
Any tribes you currently belong to who make no indication that you matter to them when you're not there are not worth belonging to.
Let this year, then, be the year where you are defined by the tribes you leave, the tribes you join, and the tribes you lead.
The 6th Day of Christmas
Saint Egwin (don’t think "St Eggwhisk"). Absolutely committed to supporting widows and orphans. He was very strict – promoting faithful Christian marriage, and clerical celibacy – which made him less than popular with many! He was dispatched to Rome to seek vindication from the Pope. Miracles happened en route that led to his later recognition as a saint. The miracles are mentioned in the recording so I won’t expand here.
My point – a man of principle whose actions matched his beliefs. He committed to caring for those that God places as a priority too. A man who left a powerful legacy since he went on to found the Abbey at Evesham.
I learned a new word too: “Obloquy,” which means, “strong public condemnation.”
The United Nations have identified 17 Sustainable Development Goals. To take practical action on this, I have been a member for several years of, “Buy One; Give One.” The idea is simple, and the execution is exquisite. Every time I sell a product or service, I pay it forward via a project that reflects one of the goals of the 17 SDGs of the UN. As you ‘buy one’ from me, I ‘give one’ – acknowledging gratefully that you have enabled this gift.
I am very concerned about the loss of direct educational experience that has hit our Nations for over two years now. Whilst I most certainly mean school students, I include anyone of any age who has a love of learning. In response, I am seeking to resurrect the programmes that were at the heart of my happiest times with Buzan Centres. Buzan Centres were the brainchild of the late Tony Buzan (Creator of Mind Mapping) and the birthchild of the very present Vanda North, who set up Buzan Centres Internationally.
We used to run family study weekends together where students of all ages could come and experience the joy of seeing their speed-reading skills increase, their memory boosted, and their ability to organise their thoughts revolutionised.
This recording was captured last Christmas, and in it I made a promise that I haven’t yet kept – to begin those programmes again. Now you can hold me to that promise.
And for every course place that I sell, or gracious gift to support our work that we receive (so we can provide free training too), we will honour Saint Egwin’s spirit by paying a portion forward towards fulfilling the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, via the wonderful B1G1.com
Come, let us learn together, and make a difference together, forever.
If you fancy supporting my work (and great intentions) you can give here: https://bit.ly/InvestStudySkills
If you invest, don’t be a stranger – there are a 1000 ways I can say, “Thank You!” and add value to your life. Join the tribes I belong to and feel amazing about the contribution you make.
"SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER"
🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄On the Fifth Day of Christmas🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄
we celebrate Saint Thomas à Becket.
These words, famously attributed to Henry II - "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?" allegedly provoked the murder of Thomas while in the Cathedral!!!
Why was the king so irritated with Thomas à Becket? Because Thomas didn't have a Paradigm Shift so much as a Paradigm Earthquake! He went from being a very effective fundraiser for the king through way of a profound conversion experience to become an ascetic (one who abstains from sensual pleasures in order to enhance spiritual focus).
What I'm celebrating about Thomas is his courage to "speak to power" - a core principle of Improv! When we pursue "Authenticity" in Improv we become willing to challenge convention, tradition, and the established order. We break the rules when the system they support no longer serves us.
I'm also celebrating his career shift. In this video, recorded last Christmas, I give a SHOUT out for Steve Jones FCMI who trained me in Motivational Mapping. Steve shared with me a powerful example of the difference between recruiting on the strength of your gifts and talents versus the 'authenticity' of recruiting according to what motivates you. The example of the freedom-driven, creatively motivated Barrister becoming a Landscape Gardener still makes my heart sing - thanks Steve! 🙏🥂
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
If you feel something isn't quite right with your own career journey, let's get your motivation map done and dusted with a debrief. It may be the current disatisfaction could be your best friend... a better future always lies ahead when you align yourself with what truly motivates you.
In the meatime, "Courage, mon Brave!" Speak truth to power, challenge convention, break some rules... ...and watch your back!
(+44)7990015489
motivation #disruptiveleadership #entrepreneurmindset #career
A troubling event remembered today - the slaughter, massacre by Herod, of the Holy Innocents in his attempt to kill Him, "who is born, King of the Jews."
The Feast of St John is the Third Festival of Christmas. John tells us everything starts with Words. Do you speak words of life and love?
The power of words has been experienced by all of us. When someone genuinely says, "Thank you!" there's a feeling attached to those words. When someone says, "I believe in you," there is empowering energy attached to their faith. And when someone says, "I love you," your life can be transformed.
The Apostle of Love, Saint John, is our Festival Saint for 27th December. In this very short message, we honour the spirit of every beginning: "In the beginning was the Word..."
The Second Day of Christmas is The Feast of Stephen - famously mentioned in the popular carol, Good King Wenceslas. Are YOU a heretic?
Calling all the heroic heretics on this, the Feast of Stephen.
Drawing more on Seth Godin than on Acts 6 and 7 (which you can read), we explore how our time needs people who can no longer tolerate the status quo. People who will stand up and be counted. People who will lead their tribe.
https://youtu.be/NgO2mih5eDY will take you to the same message with a display of the hundreds of candles Swanage United Reformed Church light each year. It is spectacularly peaceful!
Here is the 1st prayer used today, from George Herbert - practically a neighbour from historic Salisbury and Wilton.
"The shepherds sing; and shall I silent be?
My God, no hymn for Thee?
My soul's a shepherd too; a flock it feeds
Of thoughts and words and deeds:
The pasture is Thy Word; the streams Thy Grace,
Enriching all the place.
Shepherd and flock shall sing, and all my powers
Out-sing the daylight hours."
Psalm 23 in The Good News TranslationThe Lord is my shepherd;
I have everything I need.
He lets me rest in fields of green grass
and leads me to quiet pools of fresh water.
He gives me new strength.
He guides me in the right paths,
as he has promised.
Even if I go through the deepest darkness,
I will not be afraid, Lord,
for you are with me.
Your shepherd's rod and staff protect me.
You prepare a banquet for me,
where all my enemies can see me;
you welcome me as an honored guest
and fill my cup to the brim.
I know that your goodness and love will be with me all my life;
and your house will be my home as long as I live.
George Herbert's second prayer for Christmas"Oh Thou, whose glorious yet contracted light,
Wrapt in Night's mantle, stole into a manger,
Since my dark soul and brutish, is Thy right,
To man, of all beasts, be not Thou a stranger:
Furnish and deck my soul, that Thou mayest have
A better lodging than a rack or grave."
And
Robert Louis Stevenson"O God, our loving Father, help us rightly to remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the songs of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the wise men. May the Christmas morning make us happy to be your children, and the Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake. Amen."
2 years ago, the local Government provided me with sufficient funds to get through the first year of Covid.
I didn't know about these funds.
Someone else found out about them, and helped me claim them.
But I had to Call upon the Council, Claim the funds, and then Command where they went.
Our Christian walk with God is similar.
Learn how to master your emotions and thus your spiritual results.
If you'd like a one-to-one series of sessions to help you grow into:
- Divine Health
- Divine Wealth, and
- Divine Wellbeing
email me here: lex_mckee@me.com
Sessions are £300 per hour. One hour will change your life.
Galatians 6World English BibleBrothers, even if a man is caught in some fault, you who are spiritual must restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourself so that you also aren’t tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if a man thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each man examine his own work, and then he will have reason to boast in himself, and not in someone else. For each man will bear his own burden.
But let him who is taught in the word share all good things with him who teaches. Don’t be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let’s not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we don’t give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let’s do what is good toward all men, and especially toward those who are of the household of the faith.
See with what large letters I write to you with my own hand. As many as desire to make a good impression in the flesh compel you to be circumcised; just so they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even they who receive circumcision don’t keep the law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised, that they may boast in your flesh. But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For in Christ Jesus neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. As many as walk by this rule, peace and mercy be on them, and on God’s Israel.
From now on, let no one cause me any trouble, for I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus branded on my body.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.
Galatians 5World English Bible
Stand firm therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and don’t be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
Behold, I, Paul, tell you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing. Yes, I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that he is a debtor to do the whole law. You are alienated from Christ, you who desire to be justified by the law. You have fallen away from grace. For we, through the Spirit, by faith wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision amounts to anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love. You were running well! Who interfered with you that you should not obey the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you. A little yeast grows through the whole lump. I have confidence toward you in the Lord that you will think no other way. But he who troubles you will bear his judgment, whoever he is.
But I, brothers, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been removed. I wish that those who disturb you would cut themselves off.
For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only don’t use your freedom for gain to the flesh, but through love be servants to one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”Leviticus 19:18 But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you don’t consume one another.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, that you may not do the things that you desire. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the deeds of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts.
If we live by the Spirit, let’s also walk by the Spirit. Let’s not become conceited, provoking one another, and envying one another.
Galatians 4World English BibleBut I say that so long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a bondservant, though he is lord of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed by the father. So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental principles of the world. But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law, that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as children. And because you are children, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, “Abba,Father!” So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
However at that time, not knowing God, you were in bondage to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles, to which you desire to be in bondage all over again? You observe days, months, seasons, and years. I am afraid for you, that I might have wasted my labor for you.
I beg you, brothers, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong, but you know that because of weakness in the flesh I preached the Good News to you the first time. That which was a temptation to you in my flesh, you didn’t despise nor reject; but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
What was the blessing you enjoyed? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me. So then, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? They zealously seek you in no good way. No, they desire to alienate you, that you may seek them. But it is always good to be zealous in a good cause, and not only when I am present with you.
My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ is formed in you— but I could wish to be present with you now, and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.
Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, don’t you listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the servant, and one by the free woman. However, the son by the servant was born according to the flesh, but the son by the free woman was born through promise. These things contain an allegory, for these are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children to bondage, which is Hagar. For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to the Jerusalem that exists now, for she is in bondage with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written,
“Rejoice, you barren who don’t bear.
Break out and shout, you who don’t travail.
For the desolate have more children than her who has a husband.” Isaiah 54:1
Now we, brothers, as Isaac was, are children of promise. But as then, he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. However what does the Scripture say? “Throw out the servant and her son, for the son of the servant will not inherit with the son of the free woman.”Genesis 21:10 So then, brothers, we are not children of a servant, but of the free woman.
Galatians 3World English BibleFoolish Galatians, who has bewitched you not to obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly portrayed among you as crucified? I just want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now completed in the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain, if it is indeed in vain? He therefore who supplies the Spirit to you and does miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith? Even so, Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.”Genesis 15:6 Know therefore that those who are of faith are children of Abraham. The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the Good News beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you all the nations will be blessed.”Genesis 12:3; 18:18; 22:18 So then, those who are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who doesn’t continue in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.”Deuteronomy 27:26 Now that no man is justified by the law before God is evident, for, “The righteous will live by faith.”Habakkuk 2:4 The law is not of faith, but, “The man who does them will live by them.”Leviticus 18:5
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,”Deuteronomy 21:23 that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Brothers, speaking of human terms, though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been confirmed, no one makes it void or adds to it. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his offspring. He doesn’t say, “To descendants”, as of many, but as of one, “To your offspring”,Genesis 12:7; 13:15; 24:7 which is Christ. Now I say this: A covenant confirmed beforehand by God in Christ, the law, which came four hundred thirty years after, does not annul, so as to make the promise of no effect. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by promise.
Then why is there the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise has been made. It was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not between one, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could make alive, most certainly righteousness would have been of the law. But the Scripture imprisoned all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, confined for the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Galatians 2
World English Bible
Then after a period of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me. I went up by revelation, and I laid before them the Good News which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately before those who were respected, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain. But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. This was because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage, to whom we gave no place in the way of subjection, not for an hour, that the truth of the Good News might continue with you. But from those who were reputed to be important—whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God doesn’t show partiality to man—they, I say, who were respected imparted nothing to me, but to the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Good News for the uncircumcised, even as Peter with the Good News for the circumcised— for he who worked through Peter in the apostleship with the circumcised also worked through me with the Gentiles— and when they perceived the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, those who were reputed to be pillars, gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcision. They only asked us to remember the poor—which very thing I was also zealous to do.
But when Peter came to Antioch, I resisted him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before some people came from James, he ate with the Gentiles. But when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they didn’t walk uprightly according to the truth of the Good News, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live as the Gentiles do, and not as the Jews do, why do you compel the Gentiles to live as the Jews do?
“We, being Jews by nature, and not Gentile sinners, yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law, because no flesh will be justified by the works of the law. But if while we sought to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also were found sinners, is Christ a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I build up again those things which I destroyed, I prove myself a law-breaker. For I, through the law, died to the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. I don’t reject the grace of God. For if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nothing!”
CREDITS
The Bible Project has an excellent introduction and overview of the letter to the Galatians:
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/galatians/
The thumbnail is adapted from the poster made freely available by The Bible Project here:
https://bibleproject.com/view-resource/257/
The Bible version I am using is free from copyright. Only the description, "World English Bible," is understandably trademarked.
Galatians 1
World English Bible
Paul, an apostle—not from men, nor through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— and all the brothers who are with me, to the assemblies of Galatia: Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father— to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different “good news”, but there isn’t another “good news.” Only there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the Good News of Christ. But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you any “good news” other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed. As we have said before, so I now say again: if any man preaches to you any “good news” other than that which you received, let him be cursed. For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I wouldn’t be a servant of Christ.
But I make known to you, brothers, concerning the Good News which was preached by me, that it is not according to man. For I didn’t receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my way of living in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the assembly of God and ravaged it. I advanced in the Jews’ religion beyond many of my own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through his grace to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I didn’t immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia. Then I returned to Damascus.
Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days. But of the other apostles I saw no one except James, the Lord’s brother. Now about the things which I write to you, behold, before God, I’m not lying. Then I came to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. I was still unknown by face to the assemblies of Judea which were in Christ, but they only heard: “He who once persecuted us now preaches the faith that he once tried to destroy.” So they glorified God in me.
CREDITS
The Bible Project has an excellent introduction and overview of the letter to the Galatians:
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/galatians/
The thumbnail is adapted from the poster made freely available by The Bible Project here:
https://bibleproject.com/view-resource/257/
The Bible version I am using is free from copyright. Only the description, "World English Bible," is understandably trademarked.
The Vine and the Branches
I've published this before but this version has music and sound effects to add to your enjoyment (I hope!)
Romans 10World English BibleBrothers, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God is for Israel, that they may be saved. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they didn’t subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. For Moses writes about the righteousness of the law, “The one who does them will live by them.”Leviticus 18:5 But the righteousness which is of faith says this, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’Deuteronomy 30:12 (that is, to bring Christ down); or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’Deuteronomy 30:13 (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.)” But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart;”Deuteronomy 30:14 that is, the word of faith which we preach: that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes resulting in righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed.”Isaiah 28:16
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich to all who call on him. For, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”Joel 2:32 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in him whom they have not heard? How will they hear without a preacher? And how will they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News of peace,
who bring glad tidings of good things!”Isaiah 52:7
But they didn’t all listen to the glad news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”Isaiah 53:1 So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, didn’t they hear? Yes, most certainly,
“Their sound went out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.”Psalm 19:4
But I ask, didn’t Israel know? First Moses says,
“I will provoke you to jealousy with that which is no nation.
I will make you angry with a nation void of understanding.”Deuteronomy 32:21
Isaiah is very bold and says,
“I was found by those who didn’t seek me.
I was revealed to those who didn’t ask for me.”Isaiah 65:1
But about Israel he says, “All day long I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”Isaiah 65:2
Romans 9
World English Bible
I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brothers’ sake, my relatives according to the flesh who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service, and the promises; of whom are the fathers, and from whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God, blessed forever. Amen.
But it is not as though the word of God has come to nothing. For they are not all Israel that are of Israel. Neither, because they are Abraham’s offspring, are they all children. But, “your offspring will be accounted as from Isaac.”Genesis 21:12 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as heirs. For this is a word of promise, “At the appointed time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.”Genesis 18:10,14 Not only so, but Rebekah also conceived by one, by our father Isaac. For being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him who calls, it was said to her, “The elder will serve the younger.”Genesis 25:23 Even as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”Malachi 1:2-3
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it never be! For he said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”Exodus 33:19 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I caused you to be raised up, that I might show in you my power, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”Exodus 9:16 So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.
You will say then to me, “Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?” But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed ask him who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?”Isaiah 29:16; 45:9 Or hasn’t the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel for honor, and another for dishonor? What if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory, us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles? As he says also in Hosea,
“I will call them ‘my people,’ which were not my people;
and her ‘beloved,’ who was not beloved.”Hosea 2:23
“It will be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’”Hosea 1:10
Isaiah cries concerning Israel,
“If the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea,
it is the remnant who will be saved;
for He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness,
because the LORD will make a short work upon the earth.”Isaiah 10:22-23
As Isaiah has said before,
“Unless the Lord of Armies had left us a seed,
we would have become like Sodom,
and would have been made like Gomorrah.”Isaiah 1:9
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who didn’t follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith; but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, didn’t arrive at the law of righteousness. Why? Because they didn’t seek it by faith, but as it were by works of the law. They stumbled over the stumbling stone; even as it is written,
“Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense;
and no one who believes in him will be disappointed.” Isaiah 8:14; 28:16
I guess we shouldn't really have 'favourite' chapters any more than we should have favourite children. However, if you were only allowed one chapter of the Bible - this would be one of the top choices.
Listen to these encouraging words:
ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR OUR GOOD
"We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose."
THE HOLY SPIRIT HELPS OUR PRAYERS
"In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered. He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit’s mind, because he makes intercession for the saints according to God."
GOD IS FOR US
"If God is for us, who can be against us? He who didn’t spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how would he not also with him freely give us all things?"
MORE THAN CONQUERERS
"No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from God’s love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
And there is oh such more in this glorious and triumphant chapter...
First, check out these wonderful resources:
d1bsmz3sdihplr.cloudfront.net/media/Post…Romans.jpg
bibleproject.com/explore/video/romans-5-16/
Or don’t you know, brothers (for I speak to men who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man for as long as he lives? For the woman that has a husband is bound by law to the husband while he lives, but if the husband dies, she is discharged from the law of the husband. So then if, while the husband lives, she is joined to another man, she would be called an adulteress. But if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she is joined to another man. Therefore, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you would be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we might produce fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were through the law worked in our members to bring out fruit to death. But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that in which we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be! However, I wouldn’t have known sin, except through the law. For I wouldn’t have known coveting, unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, finding occasion through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of coveting. For apart from the law, sin is dead. I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. The commandment which was for life, this I found to be for death; for sin, finding occasion through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me. Therefore the law indeed is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good.
Did then that which is good become death to me? May it never be! But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, was producing death in me through that which is good; that through the commandment sin might become exceedingly sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold under sin. For I don’t know what I am doing. For I don’t practice what I desire to do; but what I hate, that I do. But if what I don’t desire, that I do, I consent to the law that it is good. So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For desire is present with me, but I don’t find it doing that which is good. For the good which I desire, I don’t do; but the evil which I don’t desire, that I practice. But if what I don’t desire, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the law that, to me, while I desire to do good, evil is present. For I delight in God’s law after the inward person, but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will deliver me out of the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! So then with the mind, I myself serve God’s law, but with the flesh, sin’s law.
Check out these wonderful resources:
d1bsmz3sdihplr.cloudfront.net/media/Post…Romans.jpg
bibleproject.com/explore/video/romans-5-16/
Romans 6
World English Bible
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? May it never be! We who died to sin, how could we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection; knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him; knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over him! For the death that he died, he died to sin one time; but the life that he lives, he lives to God. Thus consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Therefore don’t let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. Also, do not present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin will not have dominion over you. For you are not under law, but under grace.
What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? May it never be! Don’t you know that when you present yourselves as servants and obey someone, you are the servants of whomever you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were bondservants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were delivered. Being made free from sin, you became bondservants of righteousness.
I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh, for as you presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to wickedness upon wickedness, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness for sanctification. For when you were servants of sin, you were free from righteousness. What fruit then did you have at that time in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now, being made free from sin and having become servants of God, you have your fruit of sanctification and the result of eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Check out these wonderful resources:
d1bsmz3sdihplr.cloudfront.net/media/Post…Romans.jpg
bibleproject.com/explore/video/romans-5-16/
Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; through whom we also have our access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope: and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For while we were yet weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man. Yet perhaps for a good person someone would even dare to die. But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God’s wrath through him. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we will be saved by his life.
Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Therefore as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin; so death passed to all men, because all sinned. For until the law, sin was in the world; but sin is not charged when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose sins weren’t like Adam’s disobedience, who is a foreshadowing of him who was to come. But the free gift isn’t like the trespass. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God, and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. The gift is not as through one who sinned; for the judgment came by one to condemnation, but the free gift came of many trespasses to justification. For if by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; so much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ. So then as through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life. For as through the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous. The law came in that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace abounded more exceedingly; that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Wonderful free resources:
Poster
https://d1bsmz3sdihplr.cloudfront.net/media/Posters%20Download/50_Romans.jpg
Video introduction to chapters 1-4
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/romans-1-4/
Romans 4
World English Bible
What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather, has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not toward God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”Now to him who works, the reward is not counted as grace, but as something owed. But to him who doesn’t work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. Even as David also pronounces blessing on the man to whom God counts righteousness apart from works,
“Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man whom the Lord will by no means charge with sin.”
Is this blessing then pronounced on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. How then was it counted? When he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they might be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might also be accounted to them. He is the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had in uncircumcision. For the promise to Abraham and to his offspring that he should be heir of the world wasn’t through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of no effect. For the law produces wrath, for where there is no law, neither is there disobedience. For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace, to the end that the promise may be sure to all the offspring, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. As it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations.” This is in the presence of him whom he believed: God, who gives life to the dead, and calls the things that are not, as though they were. Besides hope, Abraham in hope believed, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, “So will your offspring be.”Genesis 15:5 Without being weakened in faith, he didn’t consider his own body, already having been worn out, (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. Yet, looking to the promise of God, he didn’t waver through unbelief, but grew strong through faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was also able to perform. Therefore it also was “credited to him for righteousness.” Now it was not written that it was accounted to him for his sake alone, but for our sake also, to whom it will be accounted, who believe in him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from the dead, who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification.
Wonderful free resources:
Poster
https://d1bsmz3sdihplr.cloudfront.net/media/Posters%20Download/50_Romans.jpg
Video introduction to chapters 1-4
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/romans-1-4/
Wonderful free resources:
Poster
https://d1bsmz3sdihplr.cloudfront.net/media/Posters%20Download/50_Romans.jpg
Video introduction to chapters 1-4
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/romans-1-4/
Here, in Romans chapter 2, is the origin of the popular phrase: "A law unto themselves." In World culture, it is associated with rebellion - people making up their own rules for themselves as they go along - but in Romans chapter 2 it means the opposite - a good conscience becoming our inner compass!
The 4th July is Independence Day in the USA. In this sermon, Lex recommends we go one step further and celebrate Interdependence Day. The natural path to maturity is from dependence as a child through to independence as an adult. However, to build anything significant we need to learn the power of the tribe, the team, the congregation where we celebrate and rely upon gifts that differ and complement one another from member to member. This is the dominant message of The Body of Christ metaphor used by St Paul.
You have a unique part to play. Your gifts, abilities, and talents are a once-in-Eternity manifestation of who you alone can be at this moment in time. Only you can change history in the way that you can. If we begin there, and then find others with unique callings, gifts, and talents - others who share our values and our mission - anything is possible.
The call to action is first to seek God to clarify the role you must play as part of The Body of Christ. Secondly, to answer the simple call to ministry: to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, house the homeless, and to visit those who are sick or in prison. What we do to them, we do to Christ.
To take a really positive first step, try this link:
fivefoldministry.com/static/learn-a…-fold-ministry and click on [Begin Test] at the top right of the page.
BONUS
If you'd like to watch this podcast put to pictures, the video is here:
https://youtu.be/yBekQKTa_1o
Wonderful free resources:
Poster
https://d1bsmz3sdihplr.cloudfront.net/media/Posters%20Download/50_Romans.jpg
Video introduction to chapters 1-4
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/romans-1-4/
Romans chapter 1 without commentary - raw, pure, Word!
This is a very challenging Scripture given the current trends in Society.
Much of the older established churches in the UK has waivered on this message.
Do we have the courage to align ourselves with what the Word says, or do we adapt ourselves to the modern age?
As Paul will say later - don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold but let God remake you so that your whole attitude of mind is changed.
We are the Children of God, chosen to receive messages from Him, OurFather, and Jesus, Our Great High Priest, and The Holy Spirit, Our Constant Companion and Guide.
Last night, I believe God 'quickened' (i.e. brought to life in a new and personal way) part of a Scripture I am very familiar with, Hebrews 4:12.
"For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
In the past, I've focused on the Word as a sharp sword, but last night the message's focus was upon, "living and active..." This means that any Word that God has spoken is still 'living' and, crucially, still 'active'. By active, I mean at work, working for you!
Consider Genesis Chapter 1. We still have Light because God said, "Light, Be!" and His Word is still producing Light. It is Living and Active.
Consider verse 28 of Genesis 1:
God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
God still says over you, "Be fruitful and multiply." That Word is still actively at work. That word is still 'alive' - with all the power it needs to come to pass.
This very brief message is also a "Thank You!" to all who have downloaded the podcast so far. We have hit an achievement goal (set by Buzzsprout, the hosting platform) of 3,500 downloads. As you may be able to see from the map, 70% of those downloads are in North America, which emphasises to me the power of the internet to serve God's purpose. His message is Global and He has provided us with the means to broadcast His message to the World.
Hallelujah!
Be being blessed (for His Word of Blessing is Living and Active)
and
Be fruitful and multiply!
Your Brother in Christ
Lex
Primarily written for my Christian listeners, this is an inspirational and spiritual podcast on being bold about applying your talents to being successful.
British people are famous for not talking about their talents because, culturally, it is regarded as 'boasting'. God has no such reticence! You are meant to prosper, to success, to be fruitful and multiply. In fact, if you don't, you may well be in for a shock!
I was inspired by The Armour of God in Ephesians 6 to tell a tale about overcoming the dragon of boredom.
On first listen, this may not appear to be a Biblical message - just as the tales of Narnia or Lord of the Rings is not explicitly Christian. However, I confess in the podcast that The Armour of God is where the idea came from. I also believe that many of my brothers and sisters in Christ are suffering from this strange foe: boredom.
Many of us have little or nothing to complain about but boredom is a dangerous force. The Victorians used to say, "The devil finds work for idle hands," and The Living Bible translates Proverbs 16:27 as, "Idle hands are the devil's workshop."
I believe the armour 'invented' in this story and podcast represents a positive list of actions that believers can take to stay energised, motivated, and, above all, fruitful and productive in a time where having time on our hands may not otherwise be helpful.
Wow! This was exciting and different! I was doing my Scriptural Affirmations and declaring out the fruitfulness I'd like to see manifest when my thoughts turned to how I could deliver more of what you wanted.
The message that came to me for you and for me was clear: "Output Equals Input."
By this, I mean our Output needs to match our Input. Christians are largely very good at being open to Inputs - otherwise you wouldn't be listening to this Podcast! We've had all this Word coming in for years but the shift needs to be an increased focus on Outputs.
In practice, this means speaking into our circumstances.
Jesus spoke to the storm.
Jesus spoke to the fig tree.
Jesus, every time He spoke the Word 'out' of His mouth, delivered an Output.
For example, the command, "Lazarus, come forth!" was an Output.
Thus, I believe the time has come for us to command the blessing upon our children and those we pray for, and upon our storehouses (bank accounts usually), and upon the work of our hands. The Christian Way is not passive but active.
Jesus said the wise among us would be like those who built their homes on a foundation of rock. When the storms come (and they will), our houses will stand. How do we build on rock? Jesus says this is the one who hears the Word and does it.
I want to hear from you more of what you'd like to hear.
You can email me at lex_mckee@me.com
I also want to, "redeem the time," in other words, to buy time out to create more of these podcasts. That means I need cash flow to buy the time. If you can cheerfully give into this ministry, my paypal link is:
https://paypal.me/lexmckee?locale.x=en_GB
My desire is to spend the majority of the time I have creating edifying content.
Let me know what that means for you, and help me buy that time, and together, in partnership, we'll make a bigger difference!
Then thanksgiving will overflow to God... and that's what our mission is!
Numbers 6:24-26World English Bible‘Yahweh bless you, and keep you.
Yahweh make his face to shine on you,
and be gracious to you.
Yahweh lift up his face toward you,
and give you peace.’
When you have faith, you believe.
The world says, "Seeing is Believing."
The Word says, "Faith comes from hearing..."
The two don't need to be in conflict. Physiologically, we have many brains. Two key ones are our Verbal Brain and our Visual Brain.
It makes sense that when these two are in agreement, wonderful results can be experienced. It makes spiritual sense to remember that any kingdom divided against itself must fall. Christians need to match the imagination of the mind with the confession of the mouth. This message, though not explicitly Christian, reminds us that words and pictures must be in agreement when we are believing God for a better future.
If you'd like to view a video of this podcast, here's the link:
https://youtu.be/RKOcuZtfCto
For my Christian audience, I wanted you to know that I've pitched this podcast in terms that others, too, can enjoy and benefit from without necessarily sharing our faith. I've been using Scripture for years as the basis of my affirmations. What I've learned this weekend may well shift the level of results I am achieving. I therefore felt a sense of urgency about sharing this with you.
Enjoy activiating your Faith Imagination.
Our Financial Advisor loaned us a book by Ron G Holland, "Turbo Success - How to Reprogram the Human Biocomputer."
It's sat on my shelf for well over a year.
Wish I'd read it sooner!
The content of this inspirational podcast has largely been inspired by Ron's writing. Although the book was published in 1993, it has already delivered some breakthrough distinctions I really should have known years ago. I hope it works for you too.
Credits:
Image from Freepik.com Artist: sarayut_w32
Here I am, 60 years old, no home, no substantial pension. Like Abraham and Sarah, in the natural realm I'd have to face the facts that I'm as good as dead.
But you and I don't live merely in the natural realm. We serve the Living God Who gives life to the dead and Who calls the things that 'are not' as though they 'are'.
This message is for those of us who need a financial miracle - yes, a miracle - something that goes beyond the natural expectations and delivers the improbable, even the seemingly impossible.
Against hope, Abraham, in hope, believed. Yes, we're going to talk about reprogramming the mind so that we have a new kind of hope - not a realistic one based on the evidence of the senses.
Your Heavenly Father will run to you, if you'll accept Him, and put on you His own Robe - clothing you with Christ. He will give you His own ring - His Authority and His Name. He will put on you His sandals, representing true freedom.
And there is an inheritance due to you - houses and wealth, and, if you need one, a prudent spouse!
The mediations on the Word that have resulted in this message can change your future.
Image kindly supplied by Unsplash. It's from Aditya Saxena.
Thank You!
If you'd like to say, "Thank You!" and fund the increased production of resources like this, you can support my work here: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/lexmckee
One of our most frequently downloaded Podcasts is the one about God's medicine: "Healing Scriptures - Divine Medicine."
https://www.buzzsprout.com/904987/2984476
It is a personalisation of healing scriptures as a prayerful meditation and positive confession.
Recently, I have felt inspired to create this additional prayerful meditation, rich in Scriptural references to imagine what it would be like for you and me to meet with God in His Garden, atop the Hill of the Lord.
It is thus meant to be a deeply relaxing and restorative experience. You can read the mediation for yourself in the transcript.
This version is just voice.
I intend to do a second version with gentle music and the sounds of Nature.
The image is from Unsplash, generously shared by Erda Estremera... and is used with gratitude.
Thank You!
If you'd like to say, "Thank You!" and fund the increased production of resources like this, you can support my work here: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/lexmckee
Where do we get our view of God from? God is merciful, as shown in the mathematics of mercy when we revisit the story of Sodom & Gomorrah.
I share a special message for christians who feel tormented by their own constant sense of failure.
The story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18 seems like a tale of God's wrath, but it is far more an account of His mercy.
Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13)
Thank You!
If you'd like to say, "Thank You!" and fund the increased production of resources like this, you can support my work here: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/lexmckee
I've recorded the Biblical Book of Ruth at this time for three reasons.
Firstly, it's National Storytelling Week, and this is a personal favourite.
Secondly, it celebrates an exalted form of love, Chesed, which is so rich in interpretation that no one word or phrase in English is sufficient to the task. It is loyal love, a covenant love, an enduring love, a love that never fails.
Thirdly, Ruth demonstrates the importance of seeing oneself as part of a bigger plan. She is an ancestor of King David, and thus vital to that timeline... in fact, David was born what appears to be 300 years later. When we face troubles, as the whole world is doing today, it is important to "think longer" and to see the current darkness as a blip that will pass. My Dad will never forget the War but it did pass and it is now seen in the context of a much longer time frame. Our children who have been most affected by this year (so far) of confinement will feel like it fills their whole life. It doesn't, but it will take them time to realise that. This too shall pass.
Ruth went through times of great loss, great sorrow, and great suffering... but within a larger time-frame, we hear how everything works out to the good.
There is hope.
For those of you with a strong personal faith, it is interesting to look more deeply at some of the language. Chesed is "covenant love" - and thus "loyal love". It is as unbreakable as a covenant.
Hear then, what Ruth says, with fresh ears...
"May Yahweh do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me."
This is a Covenant Oath - utterly binding.
Some commentators link it to the Blood Covenant where the parties who were binding one another to each other would split a sacrifice down the middle. This would create two walls of blood. They would walk between the pieces and then say, pointing to the pieces, "May Yahweh do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me."
Here is Ruth's full statement (Chapter 1:16-17)
16 Ruth said, “Don’t urge me to leave you, and to return from following you, for where you go, I will go; and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May Yahweh do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.”
THIS is the kind of love I want to express to others;
THIS is the kind of love I desire to experience from others;
THIS is the kind of love that God consistently demonstrates to His chosen people.
Credits
Photo by Shalitha Dissanayaka on Unsplash
Thank You!
If you'd like to say, "Thank You!" and fund the increased production of resources like this, you can support my work here: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/lexmckee
This massive revelation came to me this morning.
It revolves around the truth that God's Word is always creative.
The Creator speaks creative words.
This includes His Commandments as much as His prophesies and promises.
Thus, when He commands us to, "Be perfect, even as your Heavenly Father is perfect," those words have the power within them to create that result within you...
...those words have the creative power to make you perfect, to create perfection within you...
...if you receive them implanted by faith.
Thank You!
If you'd like to say, "Thank You!" and fund the increased production of resources like this, you can support my work here: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/lexmckee
A Prayer by Moses, the man of God.
Lord, you have been our dwelling place for all generations.
Before the mountains were born,
before you had formed the earth and the world,
even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.
You turn man to destruction, saying,
“Return, you children of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight are just like yesterday when it is past,
like a watch in the night.
You sweep them away as they sleep.
In the morning they sprout like new grass.
In the morning it sprouts and springs up.
By evening, it is withered and dry.
For we are consumed in your anger.
We are troubled in your wrath.
You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.
For all our days have passed away in your wrath.
We bring our years to an end as a sigh.
The days of our years are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty years;
yet their pride is but labor and sorrow,
for it passes quickly, and we fly away.
Who knows the power of your anger,
your wrath according to the fear that is due to you?
So teach us to count our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Relent, Yahweh!
How long?
Have compassion on your servants!
Satisfy us in the morning with your loving kindness,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
for as many years as we have seen evil.
Let your work appear to your servants,
your glory to their children.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us.
Establish the work of our hands for us.
Yes, establish the work of our hands.
....
Bible version:
World English Bible
Image:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm…ert_Museum.jpg
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Ezekiel speaks out the Sovereign LORD's judgment on an historical figure called, "The King of Tyre." Beginning with the 'Ruler' of Tyre, the prophecy has been taken to transcend the original reference point of a human ruler and, instead, has been elevated to explain the fall of the devil, himself.
It's a fascinating concept, well articulated in this article:
https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/don_stewart/don_stewart_82.cfm
Original image by Comfreak of Pixabay
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
My music for this theme utilises the Uilleann Pipes - since pipes seem import to satan's musical lietmotif. The place where the text ends and the louder music kicks in reminds me of some of the drama of Jeff Wayne's "War of the Worlds."
In the background is a "Shepard Tone" - an ever rising theme to represent the constant arrogance of those who set themselves up against the Most High.
What a joy to meet up with Sarah Marie Boyle this week and here one of her keynote messages for a business audience. Knowing her passion for ministering to people, I really enjoyed this call to action to choose to prioritise 'connection' over 'protection'. Risk and trust are interwoven as strands that support the most important priority: relationships.
Lamentations 1
See Transcript for the Transcriptures!
Recorded for Good News Church, Wimborne. Not for profit.
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Music:
Bach Double Violin Concerto in D Minor - Largo ma non tanto
musescore.com/user/3070621/scores/5117189
Lamentations 2
See Transcript for the Transcriptures!
Recorded for Good News Church, Wimborne. Not for profit.
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Music:
Bach Double Violin Concerto in D Minor - Largo ma non tanto
musescore.com/user/3070621/scores/5117189
Lamentations 3:1-36New International Version - UKI am the man who has seen affliction
by the rod of the Lord’s wrath.
He has driven me away and made me walk
in darkness rather than light;
indeed, he has turned his hand against me
again and again, all day long.
He has made my skin and my flesh grow old
and has broken my bones.
He has besieged me and surrounded me
with bitterness and hardship.
He has made me dwell in darkness
like those long dead.
He has walled me in so that I cannot escape;
he has weighed me down with chains.
Even when I call out or cry for help,
he shuts out my prayer.
He has barred my way with blocks of stone;
he has made my paths crooked.
Like a bear lying in wait,
like a lion in hiding,
he dragged me from the path and mangled me
and left me without help.
He drew his bow
and made me the target for his arrows.
He pierced my heart
with arrows from his quiver.
I became the laughing-stock of all my people;
they mock me in song all day long.
He has filled me with bitter herbs
and given me gall to drink.
He has broken my teeth with gravel;
he has trampled me in the dust.
I have been deprived of peace;
I have forgotten what prosperity is.
So I say, ‘My splendour is gone
and all that I had hoped from the Lord.’
I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.’
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
It is good for a man to bear the yoke
while he is young.
Let him sit alone in silence,
for the Lord has laid it on him.
Let him bury his face in the dust –
there may yet be hope.
Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,
and let him be filled with disgrace.
For no one is cast off
by the Lord for ever.
Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.
For he does not willingly bring affliction
or grief to anyone.
To crush underfoot
all prisoners in the land,
to deny people their rights
before the Most High,
to deprive them of justice –
would not the Lord see such things?
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Music:
Bach Double Violin Concerto in D Minor - Largo ma non tanto
musescore.com/user/3070621/scores/5117189
GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOU... AND IT'S A GOOD ONE!
I'm regularly asked to record Bible Readings for the Good News Church in Wimborne. These are from the NIV (UK edition). Imagine my delight that the rota fell in such a way that I get to share this WONDERFUL passage with you. You may say, "Lex, ALL God's Word is wonderful!" and you'd be correct. However, there is a difference between Logos - the given Word of God - and Rhema - the Word of God that He quickens and burns within our hearts as if speaking to us specifically and personally. This is one such passage.
"For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord"
The language of Exile is similar to the New Covenant understand of us being strangers, aliens, foreigners on Earth, once the New Birth has occured. If this is a good point, know then that we too are to behave like the Israelites in Exile. We are to pray for the prosperity of the places where we live. We are to seek the peace and prosperity of the places where we live - we are to engage with where we are in the world - not withdraw. We are to build homes, raise families, plant our gardens and eat their fruit. I find this most affirming and uplifting. There is hope.
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Image credit: my own image captured in The British Museum
Breaking the Yoke
I'm regularly asked to record Bible Readings for the Good News Church in Wimborne. These are from the NIV (UK edition)
"And I give it to anyone I please..." How fascinating that this is what the devil claimed when tempting Jesus - clearly a lie. (No surprises there.)
The yoke is a powerful concept in Scripture.
Compare this with Jesus's great invitation in Matthew 11
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Christ's Way is not about freedom from the yoke but rather a transfer of yoke.
The anointing of God's Holy Spirit breaks every yoke of bondage, and then we are invited to take up our cross, God's yoke, and walk in His ways.
Isaiah 10:27
"It will happen in that day that his burden will depart from off your shoulder, and his yoke from off your neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing oil."
There was a tendency at London Bible College to call the NIV the, "Nasty Idiomatic Version." I think that was pretty arrogant but on this occasion the NIV completely loses the impact of the anointing:
"In that day their burden will be lifted from your shoulders, their yoke from your neck; the yoke will be broken because you have grown so fat."
Personally, being overweight, that idiom sounds like fun, but let's not be mistaken, it is the Anointing that breaks the yoke of burden. Jesus said to His top team, "Apart from Me, you can do nothing..." and commanded them to "Wait in Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on High." This is the language of the Anointing - the Promise of the Father - the Holy Spirit.
Remember also that the religious deceivers of the day were said, by Jesus, to be in error because they did not 'know' the Scriptures (they read them, memorised them, but did not know them) nor the power of God.
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Image credit: my own image captured in The British Museum
This is what happens to false prophets.
I'm regularly asked to record Bible Readings for the Good News Church in Wimborne. These are from the NIV (UK edition)
I am often concerned at the non-sense 'prophesied' in the Name of the Lord in our charismatic churches. It's like some Management Training exercise that doesn't really matter if we don't get it right.
I've done it!
Speaking as if it was from the Lord is a Holy matter.
How much better to say, as the Apostle Paul says, "I speak as one who has been proven reliable. I say this, not the Lord..." For the exact words look at 1 Corinthians 7:12 and elsewhere.
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Image credit: my own image captured in The British Museum
Reform, Relent, Repent!
I'm regularly asked to record Bible Readings for the Good News Church in Wimborne. These are from the NIV (UK edition)
Notice here God's intention to always forgive. We must turn - the key meaning of the word 'repent' in the New Covenant.
Thankfully for us, and for Jeremiah, he had Divine and human support. Some of the sensible Elders of the Land cited history to support Jeremiah and YHWH's cause.
Every day is a good time to reform our ways, to relent from evil intent and action, and repent - turning, instead, into the Lord's ways. I am reminded of the verses that say,
"‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the Lord.
"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Isaiah 55:8-9
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Image credit: my own image captured in The British Museum
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Part of the reading plan used by Good News Church, Wimborne.
The congregation take it in turns to do the Bible Reading.
https://www.goodnews-church.co.uk
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Woe to you, destroyer,
you who have not been destroyed!
Woe to you, betrayer,
you who have not been betrayed!
When you stop destroying,
you will be destroyed;
when you stop betraying,
you will be betrayed.
Lord, be gracious to us;
we long for you.
Be our strength every morning,
our salvation in time of distress.
At the uproar of your army, the peoples flee;
when you rise up, the nations scatter.
Your plunder, O nations, is harvested as by young locusts;
like a swarm of locusts people pounce on it.
The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high;
he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness.
He will be the sure foundation for your times,
a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;
the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.
Look, their brave men cry aloud in the streets;
the envoys of peace weep bitterly.
The highways are deserted,
no travellers are on the roads.
The treaty is broken,
its witnesses are despised,
no one is respected.
The land dries up and wastes away,
Lebanon is ashamed and withers;
Sharon is like the Arabah,
and Bashan and Carmel drop their leaves.
‘Now will I arise,’ says the Lord.
‘Now will I be exalted;
now will I be lifted up.
You conceive chaff,
you give birth to straw;
your breath is a fire that consumes you.
The peoples will be burned to ashes;
like cut thorn-bushes they will be set ablaze.’
You who are far away, hear what I have done;
you who are near, acknowledge my power!
The sinners in Zion are terrified;
trembling grips the godless:
‘Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire?
Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?’
Those who walk righteously
and speak what is right,
who reject gain from extortion
and keep their hands from accepting bribes,
who stop their ears against plots of murder
and shut their eyes against contemplating evil –
they are the ones who will dwell on the heights,
whose refuge will be the mountain fortress.
Their bread will be supplied,
and water will not fail them.
Your eyes will see the king in his beauty
and view a land that stretches afar.
In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror:
‘Where is that chief officer?
Where is the one who took the revenue?
Where is the officer in charge of the towers?’
You will see those arrogant people no more,
people whose speech is obscure,
whose language is strange and incomprehensible.
Look on Zion, the city of our festivals;
your eyes will see Jerusalem,
a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved;
its stakes will never be pulled up,
nor any of its ropes broken.
There the Lord will be our Mighty One.
It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams.
No galley with oars will ride them,
no mighty ship will sail them.
For the Lord is our judge,
the Lord is our lawgiver,
the Lord is our king;
it is he who will save us.
Your rigging hangs loose:
the mast is not held secure,
the sail is not spread.
Then an abundance of spoils will be divided
and even the lame will carry off plunder.
No one living in Zion will say, ‘I am ill’;
and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,
who rely on horses,
who trust in the multitude of their chariots
and in the great strength of their horsemen,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel,
or seek help from the Lord.
Yet he too is wise and can bring disaster;
he does not take back his words.
He will rise up against that wicked nation,
against those who help evildoers.
But the Egyptians are mere mortals and not God;
their horses are flesh and not spirit.
When the Lord stretches out his hand,
those who help will stumble,
those who are helped will fall;
all will perish together.
This is what the Lord says to me:
‘As a lion growls,
a great lion over its prey –
and though a whole band of shepherds
is called together against it,
it is not frightened by their shouts
or disturbed by their clamour –
so the Lord Almighty will come down
to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.
Like birds hovering overhead,
the Lord Almighty will shield Jerusalem;
he will shield it and deliver it,
he will “pass over” it and will rescue it.’
Return, you Israelites, to the One you have so greatly revolted against. For in that day every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold your sinful hands have made.
‘Assyria will fall by no human sword;
a sword, not of mortals, will devour them.
They will flee before the sword
and their young men will be put to forced labour.
Their stronghold will fall because of terror;
at the sight of the battle standard their commanders will panic,’
declares the Lord,
whose fire is in Zion,
whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
See, a king will reign in righteousness
and rulers will rule with justice.
Each one will be like a shelter from the wind
and a refuge from the storm,
like streams of water in the desert
and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.
Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed,
and the ears of those who hear will listen.
The fearful heart will know and understand,
and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear.
No longer will the fool be called noble
nor the scoundrel be highly respected.
For fools speak folly,
their hearts are bent on evil:
they practise ungodliness
and spread error concerning the Lord;
the hungry they leave empty
and from the thirsty they withhold water.
Scoundrels use wicked methods,
they make up evil schemes
to destroy the poor with lies,
even when the plea of the needy is just.
But the noble make noble plans,
and by noble deeds they stand.
You women who are so complacent,
rise up and listen to me;
you daughters who feel secure,
hear what I have to say!
In little more than a year
you who feel secure will tremble;
the grape harvest will fail,
and the harvest of fruit will not come.
Tremble, you complacent women;
shudder, you daughters who feel secure!
Strip off your fine clothes
and wrap yourselves in rags.
Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields,
for the fruitful vines
and for the land of my people,
a land overgrown with thorns and briers –
yes, mourn for all houses of merriment
and for this city of revelry.
The fortress will be abandoned,
the noisy city deserted;
citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland for ever,
the delight of donkeys, a pasture for flocks,
till the Spirit is poured on us from on high,
and the desert becomes a fertile field,
and the fertile field seems like a forest.
The Lord’s justice will dwell in the desert,
his righteousness live in the fertile field.
The fruit of that righteousness will be peace;
its effect will be quietness and confidence for ever.
My people will live in peaceful dwelling-places,
in secure homes,
in undisturbed places of rest.
Though hail flattens the forest
and the city is levelled completely,
how blessed you will be,
sowing your seed by every stream,
and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Come near, you nations, and listen;
pay attention, you peoples!
Let the earth hear, and all that is in it,
the world, and all that comes out of it!
The Lord is angry with all nations;
his wrath is on all their armies.
He will totally destroy them,
he will give them over to slaughter.
Their slain will be thrown out,
their dead bodies will stink;
the mountains will be soaked with their blood.
All the stars in the sky will be dissolved
and the heavens rolled up like a scroll;
all the starry host will fall
like withered leaves from the vine,
like shrivelled figs from the fig-tree.
My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens;
see, it descends in judgment on Edom,
the people I have totally destroyed.
The sword of the Lord is bathed in blood,
it is covered with fat –
the blood of lambs and goats,
fat from the kidneys of rams.
For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah
and a great slaughter in the land of Edom.
And the wild oxen will fall with them,
the bull calves and the great bulls.
Their land will be drenched with blood,
and the dust will be soaked with fat.
For the Lord has a day of vengeance,
a year of retribution, to uphold Zion’s cause.
Edom’s streams will be turned into pitch,
her dust into burning sulphur;
her land will become blazing pitch!
It will not be quenched night or day;
its smoke will rise for ever.
From generation to generation it will lie desolate;
no one will ever pass through it again.
The desert owl and screech owl will possess it;
the great owl and the raven will nest there.
God will stretch out over Edom
the measuring line of chaos
and the plumb-line of desolation.
Her nobles will have nothing there to be called a kingdom,
all her princes will vanish away.
Thorns will overrun her citadels,
nettles and brambles her strongholds.
She will become a haunt for jackals,
a home for owls.
Desert creatures will meet with hyenas,
and wild goats will bleat to each other;
there the night creatures will also lie down
and find for themselves places of rest.
The owl will nest there and lay eggs,
she will hatch them, and care for her young
under the shadow of her wings;
there also the falcons will gather,
each with its mate.
Look in the scroll of the Lord and read:
None of these will be missing,
not one will lack her mate.
For it is his mouth that has given the order,
and his Spirit will gather them together.
He allots their portions;
his hand distributes them by measure.
They will possess it for ever
and dwell there from generation to generation.
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Learn how The Contribution Compass with Motivational Mapping, mixed with the 27 Key Questions to Uncover Your Purpose, can open your awareness to the maximum contribution you can deliver during your time on Earth! Nothing too dramatic then!
The free bonus is PsychoGeometrics by Dr Susan Dellinger.
Clear audio, though not in my studio, where I've taken the feed from the video.
You can watch the video here: http://bit.ly/Habit4Attitude
In this episode, we talk about the attitudinal difference between a Pearl Fisher and a pearl crusher. A Pearl Fisher finds an opportunity - possibilities even - in every adversity. (A pearl crusher finds adversities in every opportunity.) Written and recorded in the time of a great health crisis for the world, holding fast to the attitude of a Pearl Fisher means that we will adopt Possibility Thinking, not fear.
The programme also talks about 'Symbiosis' - God's ultimate model for collaborating in life with others for a Higher Win-Win result.
Thus we come to the end of the first volume in my series, "How to Think like Jesus Christ."
We explore 'Holiness' - the Eternal Life Force of God.
We will flip our idea of what Holiness is and does.
This will move us towards how to be perfect, even as our Heavenly Father is perfect.
This chapter is too long to post here verbatim, thus, in summary, it is about checking the balance of your "Spirit Level".
The message is that God is very clear about the characteristics (aspects of God's Character) that we need to develop. If these were seen as a cross-section through a fruit like a lime, we would see segments. We could then imagine each segment as a measure filled or emptier on a scale from 1-10. When all segments are filled to spirit level 10, as a wheel, it would be a smooth ride. If any are unbalanced, the ride would be rough.
The segments are:
🍇 Love
🍇 Joy
🍇 Peace
🍇 Patience
🍇 Kindness
🍇 Goodness
🍇 Faith
🍇 Gentleness
🍇 Self-Control
Is there one aspect that you are particularly well-known for?
Is there one that needs a bit of attention?
The recording comes up with multiple strategies to help you and I become more fruitful as we abide in Him and His Word abides in us.
Word in, Word out... our I Am statements are declarations of our 'identity'.
As our minds become progressively renewed from one degree of glory to another, we shall be transformed and transfigured into the Image of Christ.
The Mind of Christ knows that there is power in the Name of YHWH and of YHWH is Salvation - Yeshua - or 'Jesus' as we know Him.
In one sense, it is easy to recognise God's direction... if it is alignment with God's Word, that's 'witness' number one. We need three witnesses to establish every matter.
The second confirmation for me is the 'tone' of the Word.
The Fruit of the Spirit is a 'Spirit Level' enabling us to recognise the tone of God's voice. It is loving, joyous, peaceful, patient, kind, good, inspiring of faith, gentle, and promoting self-discipline.
But what of the third?
Jesus' Body is Living and Active and Alive and Well on Planet Earth.
It is fully acceptable for God's will for you to be confirmed through a word from the Church members to whom you are connected.
Jesus moves from the heights of what I call, "Divine Endorsement," where Our Father says to Him, "You are my beloved son in whom I am well-pleased," through to a time of temptation.
What Jesus says in those dark moments are a wonderful insight into the way He thinks.
Habit 3 - Gratitude
Those of you who know me now will see the happy, grateful chapter in my life story.
It was not always this way!
There were times when I had great success, but was a grateful? Listen to discover more!
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Habit 2 - Health - as in the health that will impact your levels of happiness.
Those of you who know me well may be wondering how an overweight chap can coach on the topic of "Health".
This is brain health, and whilst we want a healthy-mind||healthy-body fusion, the fact is there are some amazing brain-foods you can eat, weird exercises you can do without breaking a sweat, and a whole lot of fun to be had with breathing and using music 'on purpose'.
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Episode 1 in an easily accessible series on the Habits of Happiness.
The first habit is Rest.
In this episode, I will explain how Happiness begins with being rested, and how the concept of a weekly Sabbath Rest is so good for us.
I will also share with you the power of micro-sabbaths - or F.A.B. pauses for thought and reflection!
This podcast is accessible to those who have yet to commit to the Christian Lifestyle of Abundant Life.
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I promise to be a good steward
Bless You!
Do you like this?
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I promise to be a good steward
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The Word of God has within it the power to come to pass.
Jesus declares that the Parable of the Sower is the key to all the parables.
He says that if we do not understand this parable, how will we understand all the parables?
The very Word of God can be choked by:
- The anxieties of this age
- The deceitfulness of riches
- The lust for other things.
You and I have the potential to get a 3000% return on investment.
You and I have the potential to get a 6000% return on investment.
You and I have the potential to yield a 10,000% return on investment.
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I promise to be a good steward
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Do you like this?
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I promise to be a good steward
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"Stay... until you are clothed with POWER from on High."
We will stray towards error if we do not have two feet in place:
1) Knowing the Scriptures - and their Author
2) Knowing the Power of God.
BOTH are essential.
Lesson Two is much longer than Lesson One! We go DEEPER!
Enjoy this practical guide to how to go deeper with God so that we can truly begin to think like Jesus Christ.
Come aside for 30 minutes to spend time with the Holy Spirit together.
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Ha ha, how about this for a BOLD ambition?!
It arose from enjoying Michael Gelb's insights into, "How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci." That kind of innovative, expansive, Renaissance thinking is essential given that the China Crisis aka World Crisis has, so far, wiped £2.7 Trillion off the World's productivity - that is if productivity can be equated with lost working hours. [Source: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/news/global-income-falls-by-27tn-4222161/ ]
How DARE I write this? Talk about imposter syndrome on steroids! However, that's just an excuse. The thoughts of the most successful Human Being that has ever lived are clearly marked out in Red Ink in some versions of the New Testament! It's a no-brainer. Go through these like an honourable journalist and just report on the way He thinks - that's Gospel Truth!
But that would also be a bit lazy (and boring?)
Instead, whilst I promise to go through ALL the New Testament in this series, I'm not going to do it in order. I'm going to act 'as if' I'm inspired to write this to you in the order it 'comes' to me.
IT BEGINS WITH STRATEGY NOT TACTICS
What Jesus told us to do, as the equivalent of habitual behavioural tactics, really doesn't make sense without first understanding the context of the Divine Strategy for Human Well-Being.
He really was clear on His Mission:
The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.The Gospel of John chapter 10, verse 10
Right from the beginning, we are clear that there is a villain in this story - here called, "The thief." The enemy comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy. There is no confusion here. If events in your life steal, kill, or destroy, they are diametrically opposite and opposed to the Character and express Will of God.
What is God's Will, His Intent, His Purpose?
God's purpose is that YOU and I may have Life (with a Capital 'L' methinks) and to have it abundantly.
BEFORE YOU GO FURTHER
God is not a deceiver - that's the other one. There's no trick here. "Abundance" means abundance... plus a lot more!
I'd like you to pause and complete this wonderful exercise.
Write on the branches the topics you associate with the topic of "Abundance".
"Abundance" in the Greek
The Greek word is rather splendid. It's a transliteration of "Perissos" which comes from "Peri" (meaning "all-around, excess") beyond what is anticipated, exceeding expectation; "more abundant," going past the expected limit... Thus, whatever 'limits' you've put on what Abundance means to you, God can and wills to go beyond it.
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This is the most significant chapter in the whole Bible for me.
It explains how certain Christians bear fruit, and others never achieve their potential.
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No-one puts New Wine into Old Wine Skins.
Jesus, to my delight, continues to wind up the Religious nutters!
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Finally, a fusion of anointed Word and anointed music that resonates with me.
I hope it does for you too!
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One of the greatest revelations personal to me is the very name of this Podcast Channel: "Renew The Mind; Transform Your Life."
I'd like to share this episode with you - one that is accessible to my friends who don't yet share our faith. There is content in here more suitable to an audience unfamiliar with what you and I may take for granted, but stay with it and you'll realise anew how important it is for us to, "think God's thoughts after Him," - Selwyn Hughes' definition of Biblical Meditation.
Neuroscience has much to offer us in terms of exciting confirmation of good Christian habits. Neuroplasticity is consistently demonstrating that the architecture of the brain is transformed by the thoughts that flow through it.
We can literally be transformed by thinking new, better thoughts - or 'renewing the mind' as we would describe it from Romans 12:2.
[Now, if I were to offer my body as a living sacrifice - as in verse 1 - I might lose some weight, live longer, and have an even more fruitful ministry!]
I do hope this episode excites you, and encourages you to think more like God.
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This is an unusual Podcast to celebrate the fact that we've just gone 'live' on Amazon!
https://amzn.to/2ZNjIEM
This is the audio component of a video message, recorded in the back garden, to encourage my Christian and Pre-Christian friends to begin judging everything they say as, "Prophetic." It is raw and 'live' rather than my usually carefully polished productions!
Just imagine if everything you said had the power to come to pass! How would that change what you allowed to come out of your mouth?
We bless others, and we curse others, by what we say about them.
Do you judge others (and speak about them) based on their past and present performance, or on their future potential...?
This was a message broadcast to a largely secular audience... and, as such, there is some 'doubtful humour' that you may or may not approve of. However, the point remains solid: what you say should be said as if it is "Gospel" - ie. "The Truth that has either come to pass already or will come to pass soon."
With this in mind, we should say about others what we would want them to say about us!
If you are WAY too young to know about Skippy... and want to carry out your due diligence, here's an example of Skippy's channel on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/Srbg-YQp76I
Psalm 82
A psalm of Asaph.
God presides in the great assembly;
he renders judgment among the ‘gods’:
‘How long will you defend the unjust
and show partiality to the wicked?
Defend the weak and the fatherless;
uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
‘The “gods” know nothing, they understand nothing.
They walk about in darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
‘I said, “You are ‘gods’;
you are all sons of the Most High.”
But you will die like mere mortals;
you will fall like every other ruler.’
Rise up, O God, judge the earth,
for all the nations are your inheritance.
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Psalm 83
A song. A psalm of Asaph.
O God, do not remain silent;
do not turn a deaf ear,
do not stand aloof, O God.
See how your enemies growl,
how your foes rear their heads.
With cunning they conspire against your people;
they plot against those you cherish.
‘Come,’ they say, ‘let us destroy them as a nation,
so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.’
With one mind they plot together;
they form an alliance against you –
the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
of Moab and the Hagrites,
Byblos, Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia, with the people of Tyre.
Even Assyria has joined them
to reinforce Lot’s descendants.
Do to them as you did to Midian,
as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the River Kishon,
who perished at Endor
and became like dung on the ground.
Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
who said, ‘Let us take possession
of the pasture-lands of God.’
Make them like tumble-weed, my God,
like chaff before the wind.
As fire consumes the forest
or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,
so pursue them with your tempest
and terrify them with your storm.
Cover their faces with shame, Lord,
so that they will seek your name.
May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;
may they perish in disgrace.
Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord –
that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Lots of fun with this production. I felt like it warranted a Hollywood Soundtrack so I composed something simple using ReFX's Nexus 2 Synthesiser - Hollywood Sound Library.
The vision of Obadiah.
This is what the Sovereign Lord says about Edom –
We have heard a message from the Lord:
an envoy was sent to the nations to say,
‘Rise, let us go against her for battle’–
‘See, I will make you small among the nations;
you will be utterly despised.
The pride of your heart has deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rocks
and make your home on the heights,
you who say to yourself,
“Who can bring me down to the ground?”
Though you soar like the eagle
and make your nest among the stars,
from there I will bring you down,’
declares the Lord.
‘If thieves came to you,
if robbers in the night –
oh, what a disaster awaits you –
would they not steal only as much as they wanted?
If grape pickers came to you,
would they not leave a few grapes?
But how Esau will be ransacked,
his hidden treasures pillaged!
All your allies will force you to the border;
your friends will deceive and overpower you;
those who eat your bread will set a trap for you,
but you will not detect it.
‘In that day,’ declares the Lord,
‘will I not destroy the wise men of Edom,
those of understanding in the mountains of Esau?
Your warriors, Teman, will be terrified,
and everyone in Esau’s mountains
will be cut down in the slaughter.
Because of the violence against your brother Jacob,
you will be covered with shame;
you will be destroyed for ever.
On the day you stood aloof
while strangers carried off his wealth
and foreigners entered his gates
and cast lots for Jerusalem,
you were like one of them.
You should not gloat over your brother
in the day of his misfortune,
nor rejoice over the people of Judah
in the day of their destruction,
nor boast so much
in the day of their trouble.
You should not march through the gates of my people
in the day of their disaster,
nor gloat over them in their calamity
in the day of their disaster,
nor seize their wealth
in the day of their disaster.
You should not wait at the crossroads
to cut down their fugitives,
nor hand over their survivors
in the day of their trouble.
‘The day of the Lord is near
for all nations.
As you have done, it will be done to you;
your deeds will return upon your own head.
Just as you drank on my holy hill,
so all the nations will drink continually;
they will drink and drink
and be as if they had never been.
But on Mount Zion will be deliverance;
it will be holy,
and Jacob will possess his inheritance.
Jacob will be a fire
and Joseph a flame;
Esau will be stubble,
and they will set him on fire and destroy him.
There will be no survivors
from Esau.’
The Lord has spoken.
People from the Negev will occupy
the mountains of Esau,
and people from the foothills will possess
the land of the Philistines.
They will occupy the fields of Ephraim and Samaria,
and Benjamin will possess Gilead.
This company of Israelite exiles who are in Canaan
will possess the land as far as Zarephath;
the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad
will possess the towns of the Negev.
Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion
to govern the mountains of Esau.
And the kingdom will be the Lord’s.
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
And so The Preacher brings us to his conclusion:
"This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man."
It's been a fascinating journey, focusing, as it so often has, on our mortality.
Our gratitude for the good times should overflow with joy,
and our understanding of the bad times should be framed within the context of our 'vaporous' nature of existence - our impermanence - for all is, in the end, vanity!
The word used here for 'vanity' is more about impermanence, though the use of 'evil' on many an occasion doesn't detract from how we would normally understand 'vanity' in English.
Life is short.
Live it well.
Enjoy as much as you can...
- including wine
- including food
- including work you love
- including your spouse
And show your deep and abiding respect for God in all you do.
The end is nigh!
[And judgment is just around the bend! A sobering thought!]
You Can Help Me Reach More People
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If you'd like to invest as a partner with me in this rewarding work, you can use Ko-Fi to fund our passion for sharing the Word. I felt led, many years ago, to become like the loyal steward in this verse: "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?" [Luke 12:42] If you share my belief that fresh, 'Daily Bread' is essential for growth and health, then feel free to join me in this delightful task.
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Thank You!
When Jesus opened the Word to the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus, their hearts 'burned' within them.
There is nothing like the Word of God spoken out loud with boldness and confidence and faith.
Early this morning, I felt the urge to compose a positive rousing piece of music and overlay it with personalised confessions - declarations - of faith based solely on the Scriptures.
As you listen to this, or, even better, make the same declaration using the transcript, may your heart 'burn' within you - in a good way!
Once again, this is a chapter populated with many of my favourite direction from The Spirit of Wisdom...
Diversity of Investment
"Cast your bread on the waters;
for you shall find it after many days.
Give a portion to seven, yes, even to eight;
for you don’t know what evil will be on the earth."
These words encourage any investor or entrepreneur to not put their proverbial eggs in one basket! In fact, I recommend multiple-asset-streams that add value to the world without eating up your time.
No Excuses!
"He who observes the wind won’t sow;
and he who regards the clouds won’t reap."
There will always be reasons not to take action.
It is not wise to be too cautious - especially if you are spreading the risk with multiple-streams of investment.
Keep Being Diligent
"In the morning sow your seed,
and in the evening don’t withhold your hand;
for you don’t know which will prosper, whether this or that,
or whether they both will be equally good."
Keep at it, and don't be too attached to the outcome because not everything you do will succeed. Hey, it's in the Bible!
Bearing More Fruit By Supporting This Work
Together, we can multiply the resources and the reach of this Podcast.
If you'd like to invest as a partner with me in this rewarding work, you can use Ko-Fi to fund our passion for sharing the Word. I felt led, many years ago, to become like the loyal steward in this verse: "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?" [Luke 12:42] If you share my belief that fresh, 'Daily Bread' is essential for growth and health, then feel free to join me in this delightful task.
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Thank You!
Do you wonder about your Ministry type?
If you would like to know what kind of ministry God has chosen you for, there's a surprise in store for you.
Listen to this twelve-minute message in order to accelerate your progress.
Well, here's something I bet you didn't expect to find in the Good Book!
"...money is the answer for all things."Whilst the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, (see 1 Timothy 6:10), wealth is regarded as a reward and a blessing throughout the Old Testament.
The added levels of sophistication Jesus added to this message was to be wary of the point there the rewards become the focus. If we cannot "sell all you have and give to the poor," our money owns us and not the other way around. It is all too easy to let the rewards of success - money, power, honour - distract us from the reason we achieved that position in the first place: diligence and faithfulness.
To keep moving forward, blessings must be enjoyed but held loosely.
The Preacher in Ecclesiastes is a realist and down to earth even while his thoughts are on heaven and eternity.
"A feast is made for laughter,
and wine makes the life glad;
and money is the answer for all things."Jesus was not afraid of financial prosperity if it wasn't the first priority.
In fact, He sounds very much like the Preacher as He says in Matthew 6:33-34
"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
Bearing More Fruit As Partners
Together, we can multiply the resources and the reach of this Podcast.
If you'd like to invest as a partner with me in this rewarding work, you can use Ko-Fi to fund our passion for sharing the Word. I felt led, many years ago, to become like the loyal steward in this verse: "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?" [Luke 12:42] If you share my belief that fresh, 'Daily Bread' is essential for growth and health, then feel free to join me in this delightful task.
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Thank You!
This chapter contains the biggest expansion yet of the core message of The Book of Ecclesiastes...
"Go your way—eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works. Let your garments be always white, and don’t let your head lack oil. Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity, for that is your portion in life, and in your labour in which you labour under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going."
Bearing More Fruit
Together, we can multiply the resources and the reach of this Podcast.
If you'd like to invest as a partner with me in this rewarding work, you can use Ko-Fi to fund our passion for sharing the Word. I felt led, many years ago, to become like the loyal steward in this verse: "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?" [Luke 12:42] If you share my belief that fresh, 'Daily Bread' is essential for growth and health, then feel free to join me in this delightful task.
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Thank You!
Error
In the final paragraph:
"When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on the earth (even though eyes see no sleep day or night), then I saw all the work of God, that man can’t find out the work that is done under the sun, because however much a man labors to seek it out, yet he won’t find it. Yes even though a wise man thinks he can comprehend it, he won’t be able to find it."
- I say "Then" instead of "When" - my apologies.
Bearing More Fruit
Together, we can multiply the resources and the reach of this Podcast.
If you'd like to invest as a partner with me in this rewarding work, you can use Ko-Fi to fund our passion for sharing the Word. I felt led, many years ago, to become like the loyal steward in this verse: "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?" [Luke 12:42] If you share my belief that fresh, 'Daily Bread' is essential for growth and health, then feel free to join me in this delightful task.
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Thank You!
I'm not sure one is supposed to laugh out loud when reading the Scriptures, but I did!
It was this verse that made me laugh (somewhat uncomfortably):
"Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this." (verse 10)
I laughed because this thought is almost my constant companion!
So how should we respond?
Evidentially, my former days were far, far better than the life I experience currently.
What alternative does the Preacher offer us?
I'd be fascinated by your own insights.
I know that, for Job, the end of his days were better than the former. But he was a righteous man! What about for those of us who are only too 'human'?
This chapter says to us it is not good to be too righteous!
"Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?"
This is profound thinking!
[And I will have to think some more on this theme!]
Bearing More Fruit
Together, we can multiply the resources and the reach of this Podcast.
If you'd like to invest as a partner with me in this rewarding work, you can use Ko-Fi to fund our passion for sharing the Word. I felt led, many years ago, to become like the loyal steward in this verse: "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?" [Luke 12:42] If you share my belief that fresh, 'Daily Bread' is essential for growth and health, then feel free to join me in this delightful task.
https://ko-fi.com/magnanimous
Thank You!
Bearing More Fruit through supporting this work
Together, we can multiply the resources and the reach of this Podcast.
If you'd like to invest as a partner with me in this rewarding work, you can use Ko-Fi to fund our passion for sharing the Word. I felt led, many years ago, to become like the loyal steward in this verse: "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?" [Luke 12:42] If you share my belief that fresh, 'Daily Bread' is essential for growth and health, then feel free to join me in this delightful task.
https://ko-fi.com/magnanimous
Thank You!
We are going to see the same 'punchline' time and time again in Ecclesiastes - the key to a worthwhile life in the face of the futility of existence!!!
"Behold, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labour, in which he labours under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion. Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour—this is the gift of God. For he shall not often reflect on the days of his life; because God occupies him with the joy of his heart."
Bearing More Fruit
Together, we can multiply the resources and the reach of this Podcast.
If you'd like to invest as a partner with me in this rewarding work, you can use Ko-Fi to fund our passion for sharing the Word. I felt led, many years ago, to become like the loyal steward in this verse: "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?" [Luke 12:42] If you share my belief that fresh, 'Daily Bread' is essential for growth and health, then feel free to join me in this delightful task.
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Thank You!
One of my all-time favourite insights comes from this chapter:
"A threefold cord is not quickly broken."
This 'power of three' is something that drives the way I present, often write, discuss issues, and build proposals. In context, it is an appeal against the folly of isolationism. (Isolation is different from solitude - there is much strength that arises from times of solitude!) Two people can help one another in difficult times - and they can keep warm! They can defend one another too. But a cord of three strands - especially when it is woven together as cords generally are - cannot be easily broken.
Ecclesiastes very much celebrates the importance of working with a purpose that includes other people.
Bearing More Fruit
Together, we can multiply the resources and the reach of this Podcast.
If you'd like to invest as a partner with me in this rewarding work, you can use Ko-Fi to fund our passion for sharing the Word. I felt led, many years ago, to become like the loyal steward in this verse: "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?" [Luke 12:42] If you share my belief that fresh, 'Daily Bread' is essential for growth and health, then feel free to join me in this delightful task.
https://ko-fi.com/magnanimous
Thank You!
Surely one of the most famous Biblical passages to pass into our culture -
for every purpose, there is a season.
Hence the beautiful song by the Byrds, "Turn! Turn! Turn!"
https://youtu.be/W4ga_M5Zdn4
Video Version
If you'd like to see a video version of this podcast, it's here: https://youtu.be/q4MvQofeCPE
Bearing More Fruit
Together, we can multiply the resources and the reach of this Podcast.
If you'd like to invest as a partner with me in this rewarding work, you can use Ko-Fi to fund our passion for sharing the Word. I felt led, many years ago, to become like the loyal steward in this verse: "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?" [Luke 12:42] If you share my belief that fresh, 'Daily Bread' is essential for growth and health, then feel free to join me in this delightful task.
https://ko-fi.com/magnanimous
Thank You!
The English School System, in which I grew up, did at least pay 'lip service' to the Christian roots of our Civilised Society. An essential part of our daily routine was School Assembly, where we learned many magnificent hymns (although I suspect Iearned this one later in the Pentecostal Churches.)
On waking this morning, this tune was on my heart, and its refrain, "It Is Well, It Is Well, With My Soul!" Each week, I prepare an inspirational message for publication by www.moodscope.com for the Monday blog. Moodscope has an audience of mixed faiths (including humanism) so the policy is not to overtly share a spiritual message. For this reason, I started to meditate on the sensory experiences that lead me to a feeling of well-being. Kind David did a similar exercise when he wanted to self-encourage his soul.
For example, in the beginning of Psalm 42...
As the deer pants for the water brooks,
so my soul pants after you, God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
My tears have been my food day and night,
while they continually ask me, “Where is your God?”
These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me,
how I used to go with the crowd, and led them to God’s house,
with the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping a holy day.
And from Psalm 77
I will remember Yah’s deeds;
for I will remember your wonders of old.
I will also meditate on all your work,
and consider your doings.
In this message I am encouraging you to intentionally meditate on the sensory 'triggers' that lead to a sense of well-being. Then, if you're feeling proactive, go and seek them out, giving thanks to God for the joy they will bring.
Video Version
If you like video, here's a video version here: https://youtu.be/sQ0Zu4ZWrIQ
Bearing More Fruit
Together, we can multiply the resources and the reach of this Podcast.
If you'd like to invest as a partner with me in this rewarding work, you can use Ko-Fi to fund our passion for sharing the Word. I felt led, many years ago, to become like the loyal steward in this verse: "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?" [Luke 12:42] If you share my belief that fresh, 'Daily Bread' is essential for growth and health, then feel free to join me in this delightful task.
https://ko-fi.com/magnanimous
Thank You!
Some of the most contemporary wisdom you could hope to hear - and all from a book that is 3000 years old! Hence the validity of one of the main themes: there is nothing new under the sun!
Bearing More Fruit
Together, we can multiply the resources and the reach of this Podcast.
If you'd like to invest as a partner with me in this rewarding work, you can use Ko-Fi to fund our passion for sharing the Word. I felt led, many years ago, to become like the loyal steward in this verse: "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?" [Luke 12:42] If you share my belief that fresh, 'Daily Bread' is essential for growth and health, then feel free to join me in this delightful task.
https://ko-fi.com/magnanimous
Thank You!
Psalm 145New International Version - UK A psalm of praise. Of David.
I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
One generation commends your works to another;
they tell of your mighty acts.
They speak of the glorious splendour of your majesty –
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
They tell of the power of your awesome works –
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
They celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.
The Lord is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
All your works praise you, Lord;
your faithful people extol you.
They tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
so that all people may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendour of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises
and faithful in all he does.
The Lord upholds all who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all he does.
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfils the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
The Lord watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Psalm 138New International Version - UK Of David.
I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
before the ‘gods’ I will sing your praise.
I will bow down towards your holy temple
and will praise your name
for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
that it surpasses your fame.
When I called, you answered me;
you greatly emboldened me.
May all the kings of the earth praise you, Lord,
when they hear what you have decreed.
May they sing of the ways of the Lord,
for the glory of the Lord is great.
Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;
though lofty, he sees them from afar.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life.
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes;
with your right hand you save me.
The Lord will vindicate me;
your love, Lord, endures for ever –
do not abandon the works of your hands.
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Psalm 131New International Version - UK A song of ascents. Of David.
My heart is not proud, Lord,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
But I have calmed and quietened myself,
I am like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child I am content.
Israel, put your hope in the Lord
both now and for evermore.
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Psalm 143New International Version - UK A psalm of David.
Lord, hear my prayer,
listen to my cry for mercy;
in your faithfulness and righteousness
come to my relief.
Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous before you.
The enemy pursues me,
he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness
like those long dead.
So my spirit grows faint within me;
my heart within me is dismayed.
I remember the days of long ago;
I meditate on all your works
and consider what your hands have done.
I spread out my hands to you;
I thirst for you like a parched land.
Answer me quickly, Lord;
my spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me
or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I entrust my life.
Rescue me from my enemies, Lord,
for I hide myself in you.
Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.
For your name’s sake, Lord, preserve my life;
in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.
In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;
destroy all my foes,
for I am your servant.
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
If you ever need encouragement, this Psalm delivers comfort every time.
Psalm 139New International Version - UK For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,’
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand –
when I awake, I am still with you.
If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.
Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord,
and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Psalm 144New International Version - UK Of David.
Praise be to the Lord my Rock,
who trains my hands for war,
my fingers for battle.
He is my loving God and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield, in whom I take refuge,
who subdues peoples under me.
Lord, what are human beings that you care for them,
mere mortals that you think of them?
They are like a breath;
their days are like a fleeting shadow.
Part your heavens, Lord, and come down;
touch the mountains, so that they smoke.
Send forth lightning and scatter the enemy;
shoot your arrows and rout them.
Reach down your hand from on high;
deliver me and rescue me
from the mighty waters,
from the hands of foreigners
whose mouths are full of lies,
whose right hands are deceitful.
I will sing a new song to you, my God;
on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,
to the One who gives victory to kings,
who delivers his servant David.
From the deadly sword deliver me;
rescue me from the hands of foreigners
whose mouths are full of lies,
whose right hands are deceitful.
Then our sons in their youth
will be like well-nurtured plants,
and our daughters will be like pillars
carved to adorn a palace.
Our barns will be filled
with every kind of provision.
Our sheep will increase by thousands,
by tens of thousands in our fields;
our oxen will draw heavy loads.
There will be no breaching of walls,
no going into captivity,
no cry of distress in our streets.
Blessed is the people of whom this is true;
blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Bearing More Fruit
Together, we can multiply the resources and the reach of this Podcast.
If you'd like to invest as a partner with me in this rewarding work, you can use Ko-Fi to fund our passion for sharing the Word. I felt led, many years ago, to become like the loyal steward in this verse: "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?" [Luke 12:42] If you share my belief that fresh, 'Daily Bread' is essential for growth and health, then feel free to join me in this delightful task.
https://ko-fi.com/magnanimous
Thank You!
Philemon is a loving account of the transformation of Society that Christianity provokes.
Slaves become free, even as the free become servants to Christ.
These readings were one of my daily readings for the excellent Read Scripture app.
I wholeheartedly recommend this structured way to enjoy reading through the whole Bible.
The image of Philemon and Onesimus was sourced from here:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Philemon_and_Onesimus.jpg
I'm not certain of the pronunciation of either 'Philemon' or 'Onesimus'!!
Whatever we do, let's do it, as Paul says here, "...for love's sake..."
As we come to the conclusion of the book of James, the rich once more are the target of his focus.
James tells us to be humble and don't grumble!
Persevere, become resilient, and, echoing chapter 1, move towards perfection through patience, and elsewhere in James through controlling what we say.
Our "Yes!" needs to mean what it says. Integrity is an essential part of the Christian character... the Character of Christ.
We also have a 100% expectation of healing when the elders of the Church pray over any sick Christian. Now there's a can of worms! Let's not shrink back from what the Bible explicitly declares: "The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective."
Are you ready to wage war against double-mindedness?
All double-standards begin with double-mindedness.
The Christian Way is to be single-minded, devoted to God and thus to our 'neighbour'.
In fact, James is expanding upon the power of the twin-commands:
- Love God with everything you've got: mind, body, soul, spirit, strength, thoughts
- Love Your Neighbour As Yourself.
...except James does not spare the rod and thus 'spoil the child' (the emerging mature Christian in us. Consider his words that blister the conscience.
"To him therefore who knows to do good, and doesn’t do it, to him it is sin."
Also, for those of you who like to spot the links to other wisdom literature, we have references to Proverbs 3:34 here and a link to Ecclesiastes: "For you are a vapour that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away."
Deo volente - God willing
FEEDBACK
Friends, I'm publishing almost in the dark here. I can see when there is interest in the podcasts. We went from almost nothing to over a 1000 downloads in a matter of days. I can guess at the reasons for this but I don't know for certain.
The last two chapters of James are recorded with less reverb. I don't know whether you prefer the Church-like reverb of chapters 1-3, or the style of most of the podcasts here.
If you'd be kind enough to let me know, I'd be grateful.
My email is lex_mckee@me.com
Thank you
Neil 'Lex' McKee
By far the best book I read at Bible College (other than the Bible) was the double volume of, "Poet and Peasant," and, "Through Peasant Eyes," by Kenneth E Bailey.
It's an exploration of some of Jesus' teaching through a cultural and literary perspective.
That's a very long-winded way of saying, Kenneth brings the parables alive in a new way for me.
In this sermon, I share some of his insights into the so-called 'Parable of the Prodigal Son' - which, it transpires, turns out to be the Parable of the Two Lost Sons.
For me, it was life-changing.
I trust it will become so for you too.
Neil 'Lex' McKee
For me, James, as in Proverbs and the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7) are full of 'stuff you can do'.
In chapter three, we hear again the importance of character... and character expressed through what we allow out of our mouths.
Jesus, of course, has much to say on the topic of what we say. If our Heavenly Father can create the universe by the Word that proceeds from His mouth, and if He watches over His Word to perform it, and if the angels harken unto the voice of His Word... clearly words matter.
Are you creating fresh water blessings in your life? Or are you experiencing the bitter water through what you allow to come out of your mouth? One of the first Godly ambitions I recommend to any Christian are to:
- Store up the Word in your heart - get that treasure in there
- Speak out the Word from your heart - get that seed out there!
- Watch over your words so that you don't dig up your seed!
Remember John the Baptist's earthly dad - who was struck dumb after the revelation of John's birth. He was unable to dig up his crop by words of unbelief. Without faith it is impossible to please God, and if you are struggling to believe at the moment, take a proverbial vow of silence and stock up on the Word instead of confessing your circumstances.
To understand James, you need to immerse yourself in
- The Book of Proverbs, and
- The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7
For that reason, these resources are also available here on this Podcast.
In another powerful and punchy episode, James makes it clear we are not to show favouritism to those who may do us 'good' - i.e. the rich. In fact, James says the equivalent of, "Wake up! Look at your experience! Isn't it the rich who oppress you?"
We also have the most significant reason why so many Christians live a life without spiritual success: faith without corresponding action is... dead. It's the same as the body apart from the spirit. Take MASSIVE action on your faith and you will experience MASSIVE results.
The wonderful book of James is rooted deeply in Matthew chapters 5-7 - the Sermon on the Mount - and in the book of Proverbs. This is why you can find these resources as downloads here too.
This podcast has gone from almost no downloads to new heights where we've had a little bit of recognition from Buzzsprout.
This is only because of kind folks who have downloaded some of the episodes.
As a "Thank You" - I have started recording a bonus series: Song of Solomon.
Whilst I do not yet understand the beauty of this romantic poetry, I can nevertheless enjoy it and share it with you, you who have encouraged me.
Are you comparing your 'mess' with someone else's 'masterpiece'?
Christians, just like everyone else, have to compare themselves with other reference points - that's the way our nervous system works. Whether it's how we hear, or how we see - we use two reference points to get a sense of where something fits in space. Unsurprisingly, then, we do a similar thing when we are trying to understand where we 'fit' in the world. Any Minister you see on YouTube or other channels will, for very sensible reasons, be presenting a very edited and finished version of themselves. This podcast, originally created for my business and mental health connections, has important relevance for my Christian sisters and brothers.
You are enough in and of yourself and Jesus, by His Spirit, is at work in you to bring you to maturity. the process, however, is a messy one!
If you look at most people's lives through the lens of Instagram, or Facebook, Twitter, or even LinkedIn, you would be forgiven they've got everything 'together' and their lives are amazing. This is an illusion.
The truth is we don't see the messy process it takes to make good, finished art. We are ALL in a mess - while we are a work-in-progress. If we judge our progress by other people's finished work, it will be well nigh impossible to feel encouraged. Understanding that mess is part of the process and not something to be avoided is a great leap forward in maturity.
Enjoy the podcast and then embrace your mess! There is no Scripture in this podcast because of its original audience, nevertheless, I believe it is an important message for all of us to understand.
In fact, I remember a slogan from my early days in the faith, "Please be patient with me, God is not finished with me yet!"
And when you see someone else's life in a huge mess, trust that with the right creative vision, and the grace of God, there's a masterpiece in there... somewhere!
Messily Yours
Neil
A prayer of David.
Hear me, Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; have mercy on me, Lord,
for I call to you all day long.
Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
for I put my trust in you.
You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
abounding in love to all who call to you.
Hear my prayer, Lord;
listen to my cry for mercy.
When I am in distress, I call to you,
because you answer me.
Among the gods there is none like you, Lord;
no deeds can compare with yours.
All the nations you have made
will come and worship before you, Lord;
they will bring glory to your name.
For you are great and do marvellous deeds;
you alone are God.
Teach me your way, Lord,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name for ever.
For great is your love towards me;
you have delivered me from the depths,
from the realm of the dead.
Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God;
ruthless people are trying to kill me –
they have no regard for you.
But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
Turn to me and have mercy on me;
show your strength on behalf of your servant;
save me, because I serve you
just as my mother did.
Give me a sign of your goodness,
that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
A song of ascents. Of David.
I rejoiced with those who said to me,
‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’
Our feet are standing
in your gates, Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
That is where the tribes go up –
the tribes of the Lord –
to praise the name of the Lord
according to the statute given to Israel.
There stand the thrones for judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
‘May those who love you be secure.
May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.’
For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, ‘Peace be within you.’
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your prosperity.
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit.
When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night
your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, ‘I will confess
my transgressions to the Lord.’
And you forgave
the guilt of my sin.
Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
while you may be found;
surely the rising of the mighty waters
will not reach them.
You are my hiding-place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.
Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the Lord’s unfailing love
surrounds the one who trusts in him.
Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you.
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
you who are God my Saviour,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.
May it please you to prosper Zion,
to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
in burnt offerings offered whole;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Acts chapter 9 brings us the first account of the transformation of Saul, the persecutor of the Church, into St Paul, the Apostle.
We all need an encounter with God. In today's chat about Acts 9, I discuss the difference between two equally valid roads: The Road to Damascus and The Road to Emmaus (Luke 24).
Whichever road God chooses to meet us upon, may our hearts burn within us as He opens the Scriptures to us.
I thought we'd try an experiment. The purpose of this podcast is to share 'raw' Word - and for you to be led to a personal understanding by The Holy Spirit. However, in this chapter, it is clear how helpful it was for Philip to share understanding with the Ethiopian Treasurer for Candace, Queen of the Ethiopians.
Verses 30-31
Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
He said, “How can I, unless someone explains it to me?”I have deliberately labelled this bonus recording as a 'chat'. It's not a sermon, as such, more a gentle sharing of thoughts, but it may be of assistance to you in noticing more in this passage.
Let me know if it's a blessing.
And may God bless you as you listen to this and the chapter it supports.
Neil
Are you frustrated by unanswered prayer?
It may be that you are praying in the wrong direction!
There are many occasions when we must pray towards God:
- intercession
- gratitude
- praise and worship and thanksgiving
However, the Biblical pattern where the Kingdom of God - the rule of God's government - is to be manifest, is to speak into the situation as God's mouthpiece.
Jesus spoke to the storm
Jesus rebuked fevers
Jesus cursed the fig tree
Have a listen to this word and check out if you've been praying when you should have been saying!
Let the Lame Leap for Joy!
"In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"
Not by our own power or godliness - so say Peter and John.
What they had, they gave to the man, lame from birth.
The result?
He went walking, and leaping, and praising God.
Wonder and amazement was the experience of those who were witnesses to this transformation.
And then Peter preaches...
We don't seek a fresh outpouring of the Spirit for entertainment.
No, we seek it as a witness to the truth of the resurrection of Christ Jesus.
Father wants to send times of refreshing.
I'm thirsty, are you?
Bearing More Fruit
Together, we can multiply the resources and the reach of this Podcast.
If you'd like to invest as a partner with me in this rewarding work, you can use Ko-Fi to fund our passion for sharing the Word. I felt led, many years ago, to become like the loyal steward in this verse: "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?" [Luke 12:42] If you share my belief that fresh, 'Daily Bread' is essential for growth and health, then feel free to join me in this delightful task.
https://ko-fi.com/magnanimous
Thank You!
The Day of Pentecost
Any Christian with a Charismatic or Pentecostal heritage is going to LOVE Acts Chapter 2. This is the day when 'The Promise of My Father' arrives with dramatic power and impact.
It is my belief that the key to bearing much fruit is to be filled (continuously) with The Holy Spirit. As Jesus bore fruit by knowing what His Father was doing, and by having the Spirit without measure, how much more so we need the help of The Helper, The Counsellor, The Comforter, The Guide. Now, is the time of The Holy Spirit.
The need for wonders and signs, for signs and wonders has not passed. The Day of the Lord has not yet come, and so The Spirit is still being poured forth as a witness to our Father in Heaven.
I am surprised that more people are not turning towards God at this time, but perhaps this is because we are not manifesting the signs and wonders so prevalent in the Book of Acts. Those chosen ripe for harvest must see and hear what God is pouring out in these Latter Days.
“Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.” vv38-39 is still valid!
Bearing More Fruit
Together, we can multiply the resources and the reach of this Podcast.
If you'd like to invest as a partner with me in this rewarding work, you can use Ko-Fi to fund our passion for sharing the Word. I felt led, many years ago, to become like the loyal steward in this verse: "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?" [Luke 12:42] If you share my belief that fresh, 'Daily Bread' is essential for growth and health, then feel free to join me in this delightful task.
https://ko-fi.com/magnanimous
Thank You!
Wow! Today, we begin together, The Book of Acts!
We will learn how the First Church, the Early Church, found its feet, and hear from Jesus' own mouth one of the most important instructions we ever need to hear in our walk with Him:
“Don’t depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me. For John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
This weaves together so beautifully the first book of Luke, his Gospel, that concludes with these words in the final chapter:
"Behold, I send out the promise of my Father on you. But wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high.”If you are at all like me, you will have, for the very best of intentions, sought to do good in His Name. When this effort is not 'clothed with power from on high' it can end up with disappointing results. How much better to wait upon the Lord until He renews our strength and gives us direction. However, this is not an excuse to shrink back from doing good when it is in our hand to do it. Christians can be proactive in 'loving their neighbour' whenever need presents itself. I'm merely suggesting that much fruit comes from doing what the Lord says when we clearly discern His will, and when He equips us with power from on High.
Bearing More Fruit
Together, we can multiply the resources and the reach of this Podcast.
If you'd like to invest as a partner with me in this rewarding work, you can use Ko-Fi to fund our passion for sharing the Word. I felt led, many years ago, to become like the loyal steward in this verse: "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?" [Luke 12:42] If you share my belief that fresh, 'Daily Bread' is essential for growth and health, then feel free to join me in this delightful task.
https://ko-fi.com/magnanimous
Thank You!
Wait for the Promise!
I love all the Scriptures, but this chapter, I feel has a direct, personal message for you and I this very day.
The Road to Emmaus
This is the kind of encounter I desire! Jesus walking with us and opening the Scriptures to us!
"Beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he explained to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself."
The disciples from that blessed Emmaus experience said,
“Weren’t our hearts burning within us, while he spoke to us along the way, and while he opened the Scriptures to us?”
Opening Our Minds
"Then he opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures. He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send out the promise of my Father on you. But wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high.”
Is there any less need today to be clothed with power from on high? No, of course not.
Let's seek the Lord's Spirit to equip us to bear fruit that will abide.
The Blessing
"He lifted up his hands, and blessed them."
In the Old Testament, the final blessing of a leader is dearly sought. Think of Jacob and Esau! This is not a weak blessing lacking power. It is the very blessing of God.
Bearing More Fruit
Together, we can multiply the resources and the reach of this Podcast.
If you'd like to invest as a partner with me in this rewarding work, you can use Ko-Fi to fund our passion for sharing the Word. I felt led, many years ago, to become like the loyal steward in this verse: "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?" [Luke 12:42] If you share my belief that fresh, 'Daily Bread' is essential for growth and health, then feel free to join me in this delightful task.
https://ko-fi.com/magnanimous
Thank You!
How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together in unity!
It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
down on the collar of his robe.
It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,
even life for evermore.
New International Version - UK(NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Photo by Chi Nguyen Phung on Unsplash
Psalm 128 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
A song of ascents.
Blessed are all who fear the Lord,
who walk in obedience to him.
You will eat the fruit of your labour;
blessings and prosperity will be yours.
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
round your table.
Yes, this will be the blessing
for the man who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion;
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
May you live to see your children’s children –
peace be on Israel.
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Photo by Chi Nguyen Phung on Unsplash
Psalm 123 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
A song of ascents.
I lift up my eyes to you,
to you who sit enthroned in heaven.
As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
till he shows us his mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
for we have endured no end of contempt.
We have endured no end
of ridicule from the arrogant,
of contempt from the proud.
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Photo by Chi Nguyen Phung on Unsplash
Psalm 124 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
A song of ascents. Of David.
If the Lord had not been on our side –
let Israel say –
if the Lord had not been on our side
when people attacked us,
they would have swallowed us alive
when their anger flared against us;
the flood would have engulfed us,
the torrent would have swept over us,
the raging waters
would have swept us away.
Praise be to the Lord,
who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
We have escaped like a bird
from the fowler’s snare;
the snare has been broken,
and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Photo by Chi Nguyen Phung on Unsplash
Psalm 121 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
A song of ascents.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains –
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip –
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you –
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm –
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and for evermore.
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Photo by Chi Nguyen Phung on Unsplash
Psalm 125 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
A song of ascents.
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but endures for ever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people
both now and for evermore.
The sceptre of the wicked will not remain
over the land allotted to the righteous,
for then the righteous might use
their hands to do evil.
Lord, do good to those who are good,
to those who are upright in heart.
But those who turn to crooked ways
the Lord will banish with the evildoers.
Peace be on Israel.
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Photo by Chi Nguyen Phung on Unsplash
Psalm 130 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
A song of ascents.
Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
Lord, who could stand?
But with You there is forgiveness,
so that we can, with reverence, serve You.
I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
and in His Word I put my hope.
I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.
Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
for with the Lord is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.
He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Photo by Chi Nguyen Phung on Unsplash
Psalm 129 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
A song of ascents.
‘They have greatly oppressed me from my youth,’
let Israel say;
‘they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,
but they have not gained the victory over me.
Ploughmen have ploughed my back
and made their furrows long.
But the Lord is righteous;
he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.’
May all who hate Zion
be turned back in shame.
May they be like grass on the roof,
which withers before it can grow;
a reaper cannot fill his hands with it,
nor one who gathers fill his arms.
May those who pass by not say to them,
‘The blessing of the Lord be on you;
we bless you in the name of the Lord.’
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Photo by Chi Nguyen Phung on Unsplash
"WHO IS MY NEIGHBOUR?"
“Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
A teacher of the Law, seeking to justify himself, triggers the telling of the powerful parable of the 'good' Samaritan.
To put 'good' and 'Samaritan' in the same sentence would have been offensive to Jesus' Jewish hearers as the Samaritans and Jews were bitter enemies. They are, stereotypically, the 'enemy' - and yet here it is the 'enemy' of the Jews who shows how we define how to love our neighbour. In equally offensive contrast, the Jews who fail to love their neighbours as themselves are 'heroes' of the faith. The characters are a priest and a Levite... both of who 'pass by on the other side' - in other words, crossed over the road to go out of their way to avoid helping the stranger.
Jesus concludes:
"Now, which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbour to him who fell among the robbers?”
He said, “He who showed mercy on him.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
DISTRACTED WITH SERVING
We can be too busy about good work to hear God or really serve His purpose. The Levite and the Priest risked becoming ritually unclean by helping the man who was left for dead. That would have compromised their Temple service and cost them money. Martha was 'distracted with serving' and so missed the message.
Today, remember mercy is showing help to anyone in need.
And sitting at God's feet to listen is more important than other good chores that need to be done.
Has the Kingdom of God changed? I'd suggest not.
"He sent them out to preach God's Kingdom and the heal the sick."
God is able to do immeasurably more than anything we ask or imagine (Eph 3:20-21) and now is the perfect time for the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven to be manifested even in the West (where some have 'thought' that we don't need the realm of the miraculous provision and protection and blessing of God.)
Jesus sent them out thus, “Take nothing for your journey—no staffs, nor wallet, nor bread, nor money. Don’t have two coats each."
Jesus then feeds the multitude through the disciples. God still wants to work through us.
Shifting Priorities
"For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits his own self?"
We want to be true in our experience: "They were all astonished at the majesty of God."
But there's a cost, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake, will save it."
I find this problematic because I am forever looking back, how about you?
"Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plough and looking back, is fit for God’s Kingdom.”"
Does God still have a place for those of us who have 'failed' in discipleship but desire to press into more of God?
Let's rejoice in the fact that this chapter also includes the Transfiguration. He is great, even if we fail, and, as Ephesians says, "Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to him be the glory in the assembly and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."
His is the power that works in us; His is the glory.
SO much wealth in this chapter.
1) People supporting those in ministry - even Jesus accepted support. That would be nice. This ministry is always in danger of ceasing to publish because it lacks support from those who benefit from it. This surprises me. Some support would be good. Zero support is questionable. Is it really worthless?
2) The reason why some of us don't get our prayers answered - the Parable of the Sower. The Word doesn't always work. You might be along the road, or on rock with no moisture or root, or among thorns which choke the Word.
It is a Mystery of God's Kingdom. The seed is the Word of God. It isn't guaranteed to bear fruit.
Satan, as is his nature, steals much of it. Some of us have no root... so we wither when circumstances contradict the Word. We can be choked with cares, riches, and the pleasures of life and bring no fruit to maturity.
Do you have an honest and good heart? Do you hold onto the Word 'tightly'? Will you produce fruit with perseverance?
3) The Storm comes as soon as you share revelation knowledge. But Jesus says, "Where is your faith?" God expects much more from us than we may have preached.
4) A woman who had spent all her living on Physicians FOR TWELVE LONG YEARS got her healing from Jesus in an instant. Even Jesus didn't know who had drawn on His power by faith. This is phenomenal. Faith drew on results aside from begging prayer. BIG Pharma is evil. It is focused not on healing but on profit for its stakeholders. Jesus' blessing makes well, and He adds no sorrow with it... but we need to find Churches where the Power of the Spirit is present. That discounts about 99.95% of UK churches.
"Someone did touch Me for I perceive that power has gone out from Me."
Do you have faith to draw upon the power of God that is available?
5) God doesn't need PR. Jairus' daughter was healed but Jesus commanded that no one be told what He had done. Jesus speaks a language beyond 'reality'. "She is not dead but sleeping." Let us put a watch on our mouths.
On Authority and Compassion, Worship and GratitudeOh, how I love listening to the Gospel of Luke.
In this chapter, we begin with a healing and a resurrection with no reference to sin but rather a specific reference to 'unworthiness'. If you are feeling 'unworthy' of God's blessing, learn a lesson from the Centurion. God's Authority triumphs over a sense of unworthiness.
THE CENTURION
“Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I am not worthy for you to come under my roof. Therefore I didn’t even think myself worthy to come to you; but say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man placed under authority, having under myself soldiers. I tell this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned and said to the multitude who followed him, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith, no, not in Israel.” Those who were sent, returning to the house, found that the servant who had been sick was well. [End quote]
This shows an understanding of the Authority of Christ and also of true worthiness for the religious elders regarded this Centurion as 'worthy' because he'd built the synagogue.
THE WIDOW OF NAIN
I really love this. No prayer. No faith. Just the unilateral compassion of God for a suffering woman who'd lost her son. Read it and let your heart sing.
Notice how Jesus sends a message to comfort John the Baptist, reflecting back what He'd preached from Isaiah 61:1-2.
WORSHIP FROM A SINNER, AND GRATITUDE
Whilst there is SO much to share from this chapter, space here is limited. Let's highlight the worship of the woman who was a 'sinner'. She washed Jesus feet with her tears, wiped His feet with her hair, and anointed his feet. Notice it was the religious leader who brought up the issue of 'sin' NOT Jesus.
"Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” Gratitude should flow from the hearts of those who, like us, know that we are forgiven much.
GRATITUDE
If you find these podcasts helpful, you can help me reach more people. The cost of the hosting has jumped up and there is a cost for production. If you'd like to help offset those costs, you can send me some support via paypal. paypal.me/lexmckee Thank you!
Daily Bread for 6th July: God is Kind
This chapter has had such an impact on me.
Recently, the significance of this verse is especially meaningful:
"...and you will be children of the Most High; for He is kind toward the unthankful and evil."
If you've ever wondered why a good prayer, in alignment with the Scriptures, nevertheless seems unanswered, a doubt can often arise that you're 'good enough'. See here, God's own word that even if you were 'unthankful' and 'evil' He would still be kind to you.
The Gospel is Good News - and often not in the way we would think. Stay faithful and meditate on the Nature of God, then your focus will be in the right place.
“Therefore be merciful,
even as your Father is also merciful.
Don’t judge,
and you won’t be judged.
Don’t condemn,
and you won’t be condemned.
Set free,
and you will be set free.
“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you.”
#biblereading #dailybread
GOD'S GENEROSITY
There is literally not enough space here to effectively share the many messages in this wonderful chapter. I can point, however, to what stood out for me.
1) God is Generous
Having asked to use Peter's boat, God 'pays back' (even though He owes us nothing) by such a large catch of fish that it nearly sinks two ships. Compare this beginning of Peter's discipleship with his restoration into ministry after another miraculous catch of fish at the end of John's gospel.
Notice that Peter falls at Jesus' knees. The boat was SO full of fish, he couldn't fall at Jesus' feet.
2) God is willing to heal. “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.” Without hesitation, Jesus touches the man full of leprosy, and says, “I want to. Be made clean.”
3) Jesus 'recharges' by praying in solitude.
4) Faith can be seen through actions - like friends who will tear off a roof for you! Faith can be seen through corresponding action.
5) Healing is a visible demonstration of the forgiveness of sins - if we still have sins to forgive, there is still a place for healing.
6) God loves sinners - even Tax Collectors!
7) It's time for New Wine... again.
"Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil."
Luke 4, on this Independence Day, reminds me of two of the key aspects of the Disciples' or the Lord's Prayer. Jesus knows what we're made of! Luke 4 begins with the Power of the Holy Spirit and immediately the devil attacks.
This is something that frequently happens to Christians who are beginning to walk in the Spirit. Any sensible enemy would seek to crush such strength before it was fully developed - and thus the devil comes to tempt Jesus.
Jesus' responses are key to our future success, though I strongly suggest we should get in line with the Family Prayer and pray, "Lead us not into temptation."
1) We will never live the abundant life on material resources alone:
“It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’”
2) Seeking our own glory and authority, and seeking worldly success is off-course:
For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’”
3) It's 'tempting' to try our Christianity to see if it works.
“It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”
At the launch of His Synagogue ministry, we have another "It is written..."
"It was written,
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim release to the captives,
recovering of sight to the blind,
to deliver those who are crushed,
and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” quoting Isaiah 61:1-2
This chapter, thus, is a clash between the Living Word of God and evil in the forms of the devil, prejudiced 'religious' people, unclean spirits, healing, and fever spirits.
The Kingdom of Heaven breaking in on the occupied territory of the kingdoms of this world, is a dramatically 'active' Kingdom. Time for The Kingdom of God to be active again!
Daily Bread: Luke Chapter 3 - Setting the Scene
We meet John the Baptist entering into his ministry, Jesus being baptised and blessed by the Father, and Jesus genealogy - all setting the scence for Jesus forthcoming ministry.
JOHN'S ROLE
"He came into all the region around the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for remission of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
‘Make ready the way of the Lord.
Make his paths straight.
Every valley will be filled.
Every mountain and hill will be brought low.
The crooked will become straight,
and the rough ways smooth.
All flesh will see God’s salvation.’"
JESUS BAPTISED
Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus also had been baptized, and was praying. The sky was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form like a dove on him; and a voice came out of the sky, saying “You are my beloved Son. In you I am well pleased.”
JESUS TEACHING
"Jesus himself, when he began to teach, was about thirty years old..."
In tomorrow's reading, we'll begin to understand Jesus' ministry and His teaching.
And thus, the glorious Gospel According to John, comes to its close.
Herein we have the gentle restoration of Peter.
From three denials we have three affirmations of his affection for Jesus and then the all important recommissioning command, "Follow Me!"
The Greek is fascinating. Jesus says, "Do you love me?" using Agape (described by some as the God-kind-of-love.) Jesus uses this twice and then finally shifts to the form of love Peter uses.
Peter answers each time using Phileo (brotherly affection). I may be reading too much into the difference of the two Greek forms of love. Something to meditate on now that we know the text makes a distinction, and we know that no Word of God is wasted...
GONE FISHING
The most profound part for me, was the fishing trip.
In the confusion after the death and, arguably, understanding the resurrection, I love Peter's response: stick to what you're good at. In his case, fishing.
I see this in my life, and I think it is so for many Christians - when we are unclear about what is going on, confused even, we defaul to what we are good at. There is comfort in competence.
I've now had nearly nine years of fruitlessness and utter frustration - both in business and in faith. It is destroying me. It's been a living death. My response? To do what I'm 'good' at in the vain or vague hope that something will shift if I remain faithful.
What happens here is utterly fascinating. Peter and the disciple all agree to go and do something they know how to do well. It is their profession - fishermen.
The result? Zilch. Nothing. No joy. Former competence produces no results. What worked before doesn't work anymore.
I think it's not too much to read their frustration into their typically 'male' answer when Jesus says, "Children, have you anything to eat?"
They answered Him, "No!"
I'd be tetchy too. I am tetchy.
Jesus' answer was for them to violate their professional practice, casting the net on the wrong side of the boat, or the 'right' side in this example.
The results were miraculous - a catch of 153 great fish - not tiddlers. This was prosperity, and it came without trouble. "The blessing of YHWH makes rich, and He adds no sorrow with it." Exit 'toil' - the curse of the Fall from the Garden of Eden - enter 'abundance' in line with Jesus' declared mission in John: "I have come that they may have LIFE and have it MORE abundantly." 153 fold.
My own experience is SO far away from this that I must currently consider myself virtually deaf to God's guidance and blind to His path. I signed up to a living faith that promised the Living God would guide and lead, but I've certainly lost the way over the last nine years, if not longer! However, I believe in 'Unconditional Hope'.
"Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead – since he was about a hundred years old – and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why ‘it was credited to him as righteousness.’" Rom 4:18-22
May we all hear His voice, and His instruction guiding us to where the 153 great fish are that won't break our nets. Perhaps there is hope, unconditional hope.
We'll see in the last two chapters, how Jesus was not instantly recognisable.
His Resurrection look was clearly different and changeable.
I don't think the angels were being funny when they asked Mary, "Woman, why are you weeping?" I genuinely think they find it hard to understand how we don't 'get' it.
I love the fact that Mary recognised Jesus when He called her name. "My sheep know my voice..."
As for Thomas Didymus, he's a delight and a great cause for hope for the Western Church which is so slow to believe. Notice his will was involved. He said, "Unless...
...I will not believe!"
Jesus had some things to say about this:
"Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed.”"
If Chapter 19 was significant for, "It Is Finished," this chapter also has its most powerful moment:
“Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit! If you forgive anyone’s sins, they have been forgiven them. If you retain anyone’s sins, they have been retained.” Receive the Holy Spirit! Mind you, there were a few days yet before this gift was delivered on the Day of Pentecost. Such is prayer - the answer is 'yes' and 'amen' in Him, but the experience of that answered prayer in time may take longer than we expect.
Honestly?
I find this one of the most distressing chapters of the Bible to read - and you may even hear that in my tone.
Such unnecessary cruelty.
And such a sad loss to Judaism.
However, this chapter has one of the most important three words ever uttered by God:
"It is finished."
One word in the Greek:
Τετέλεσται
From Bible Hub:
HELPS Word-studies
Cognate: 5055 teléō (from 5056 /télos, "consummation, completion") – properly, to complete (consummate), i.e. finish (qualitatively) the necessary process – with the results "rolling-over" to the next level (phase) of consummation. See 5056 (telos).
[This root (tel-) means "reaching the end (aim)." It is well-illustrated with the old pirate's telescope, unfolding (extending out) one stage at a time to function at full-strength (capacity effectiveness).]
Quoted from: https://biblehub.com/greek/5055.htm
It is the definitive moment in History.
COMPASSION
Before this, consider that in His moments of torment, Jesus, even then, had the compassion to care for His mother and the disciple whom He loved:
"when Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour, the disciple took her to his own home."
Finally, let's remember that whilst Pilate thought he had the power to release Jesus or crucify Him, Pilate had nothing in his hands that wasn't given to him by God:
Jesus answered, “You would have no power at all against me, unless it were given to you from above.
God is in control. God has compassion even in the darkest moments. God finished the job.
Amen
Whilst I shrink back from this chapter because it is so sad on so many levels, I am foolish to do so.
In here is so much hope.
Firstly, Jesus is utterly in control. He calls the way it will go. Pilate thinks he is in control, Caiaphas and Annas think they are in control, and I suspect the devil thinks he is getting his way. But Jesus is in control to such an extent that all His followers are set free. He 'keeps' them all.
"Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If therefore you seek me, let these go their way,” that the word might be fulfilled which he spoke, “Of those whom you have given me, I have lost none.” See also John 6:39
Secondly, Jesus is YHWH. The Greek text is very clear on the use of "I Am," The Divine Name. When Jesus says, "I Am He," they fall prostrate to the ground! He has kept the disciples in the Father's Name and He continues to manifest the Name.
Thirdly, we take strange comfort from Peter's failure. This bold man, who wields a sword in the Garden, nevertheless denies Jesus in the High Priest's courtyard. After walking on water, after seeing miracles performed through his own hands, after being with Jesus for three years of outstanding, glorious, powerful ministry, he still stumbles. And yet Jesus knew this and chose Peter to be the 'Rock' on which His Church would be built.
This same Peter, after Pentecost, sleeps so soundly and peacefully in jail (like Jesus in the ship in the midst of a storm) that the angel has to kick him to wake him up! We can do nothing of ourselves - our focus must be 80% at least on building a partnership with The Holy Spirit since without Him we can achieve nothing. Jesus said the same thing of Himself. He only did what the Spirit revealed to Him and He had the Spirit and the Word without measure.
JESUS' PRAYER FOR YOU
Surely some of the most important words you will ever hear, read, or listen to.
This is God's will for you.
John 17 World English Bible (WEB)
Jesus said these things, then lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may also glorify you; even as you gave him authority over all flesh, so he will give eternal life to all whom you have given him. This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on the earth. I have accomplished the work which you have given me to do. Now, Father, glorify me with your own self with the glory which I had with you before the world existed. I revealed your name to the people whom you have given me out of the world. They were yours, and you have given them to me. They have kept your word. Now they have known that all things whatever you have given me are from you, for the words which you have given me I have given to them, and they received them, and knew for sure that I came from you. They have believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I don’t pray for the world, but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All things that are mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them through your name which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in your name. I have kept those whom you have given me. None of them is lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to you, and I say these things in the world, that they may have my joy made full in themselves. I have given them your word. The world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that you would take them from the world, but that you would keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth. [see Psalm 119:142] As you sent me into the world, even so I have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. Not for these only do I pray, but for those also who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me. The glory which you have given me, I have given to them; that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them, and you in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that you sent me and loved them, even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me be with me where I am, that they may see my glory, which you have given me, for you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world hasn’t known you, but I knew you; and these knew that you sent me. I made known to them your name, and will make it known; that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
World English Bible (WEB)
by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.
“I have said these things to you so that you wouldn’t be caused to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time comes that whoever kills you will think that he offers service to God. They will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have told you these things, so that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you about them. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, & none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have told you these things, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I don’t go away, the Counselor won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment; about sin, because they don’t believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to my Father, and you won’t see me any more; about judgment, because the prince of this world has been judged.
“I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. However when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming. He will glorify me, for he will take from what is mine, & will declare it to you. All things that the Father has are mine; therefore I said that he takes of mine & will declare it to you. A little while, & you will not see me. Again a little while, & you will see me.”
Some of his disciples therefore said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, & you won’t see me, & again a little while, & you will see me;’ &, ‘Because I go to the Father’?” They said therefore, “What is this that he says, ‘A little while’? We don’t know what he is saying.”
Therefore Jesus perceived that they wanted to ask him, & he said to them, “Do you inquire among yourselves concerning this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you won’t see me, and again a little while, and you will see me?’ Most certainly I tell you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman, when she gives birth, has sorrow because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she doesn’t remember the anguish any more, for the joy that a human being is born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
“In that day you will ask me no questions. Most certainly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, & you will receive, that your joy may be made full. I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. But the time is coming when I will no more speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name; & I don’t say to you that I will pray to the Father for you, for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, & have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father, & have come into the world. Again, I leave the world, & go to the Father.”
His disciples said to him, “Behold, now you are speaking plainly, & using no figures of speech. Now we know that you know all things, & don’t need for anyone to question you. By this we believe that you came from God.”
Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, the time is coming, yes, & has now come, that you will be scattered, everyone to his own place, & you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have troub
I woke up with a greater spring in my step this morning after I felt the Holy Spirit leading my thoughts.
Those thoughts were that HE is the Spirit who gave Life to me physically at my first birth, and Life to the Full, Eternal Life, the God-kind-of-Life, Zoe, to me at the New Birth.
Listen to Deuteronomy 34:7
"Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died. His eye was not dim, nor his strength gone."
That's for you and me too, did you know that?
I had a breakthrough "Aha!" moment many months ago hearing the story of Joe Polish and his failing cleaning business. He had an opportunity to spend time with a financially successful entrepreneur. He wanted to ask this chap what business he should go into next. The guy asked if anyone in his CURRENT business was making a success of it. Joe assured him that there were people succeeding in his line of business. "Then the problem is you," said the chap, not unkindly. Joe then decided that if the problem was him, so also was the solution! He chose not to move on to a new endeavour until he had financially succeeded in his present work.
What's my point? The Heroes of Faith, such as Moses, and Peter, and James and John, and Paul and Barnabus... they are all there as examples of what is possible - the Ultimate being Jesus. Now, Jesus is clear on this: "Apart from Me you can do nothing!" But we are NOT apart from Him. We did not choose Him but He chose us and APPOINTED us - almost as if there was a ceremony commissioning us - SO THAT we might bear MUCH fruit.
This is GREAT News... and it gets even better!
The Power of the Glory of God was so 'on' the Ark of the Covenant that is killed Uzzah when he touched it. That Power has a Name - it is the HOLY SPIRIT, and He has now come to dwell on Earth, not in the Ark of the Covenant but IN you and me!
There is a Force of such personalised purity and love and power and goodness and kindness DWELLING in your innermost being, that you could experience a like-faith of the Heroes of Faith. God is not finished with this Earth... otherwise, Jesus would have returned. This is still the Year of Jubilee - the Time of God's Favour - and the Harvest Fields are still ripe. It's time to bear fruit, for this is what we were appointed for, though not in our own strength or cleverness. It is time to be co-labourers with God in the Ministry of Reconciliation, as Jesus says though us, "Be reconciled to God!"
John 15 World English Bible (WEB)
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer. Every branch in me that doesn’t bear fruit, he takes away. Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already pruned clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can’t bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me. I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man doesn’t remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you.
“In this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; and so you will be my disciples. Even as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and remain in his love. I have spoken these things to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full.
“This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant doesn’t know what his lord does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you. You didn’t choose me, but I chose you and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you will ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
“I command these things to you, that you may love one another. If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his lord.’John 13:16 If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But they will do all these things to you for my name’s sake, because they don’t know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me, hates my Father also. If I hadn’t done among them the works which no one else did, they wouldn’t have had sin. But now they have seen and also hated both me and my Father. But this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’Psalm 35:19; 69:4
“When the Counselor has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me. You will also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
World English Bible (WEB)
by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.
John chapter 14 'spoke' so clearly to me today as I prepared our Daily Bread Bible Reading, I simply had to 'press pause' in my schedule and share what this means for us.
All Scripture is 'God-breathed' Paul said to Timothy. This passage is a GUST of God's breath blowing inspiration our way today. There is a difference between Logos - the given revelation of God that stands forever - and Rhema - the spoken revelation of God into our current circumstances.
You and I shouldn't go and attempt to walk on water just for the fun of it. Jesus walked on the water 'on purpose' and 'on mission'. But when need arises, we should have the faith to walk on water, as Peter successfully did for a while when Jesus said (Rhema) to him, "Come!"
I believe God is going to speak to YOU today via John chapter 14.
Are you ready?
“Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many homes. If it weren’t so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also. You know where I go, and you know the way.”
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on, you know him, and have seen him.”
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you such a long time, and do you not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How do you say, ‘Show us the Father?’Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I tell you, I speak not from myself; but the Father who lives in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me; or else believe me for the very works’ sake. Most certainly I tell you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also; and he will do greater works than these, because I am going to my Father. Whatever you will ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you will ask anything in my name, I will do it. If you love me, keep my commandments. I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, that he may be with you forever: the Spirit of truth, whom the world can’t receive; for it doesn’t see him and doesn’t know him. You know him, for he lives with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more; but you will see me. Because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. One who has my commandments and keeps them, that person is one who loves me. One who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will reveal myself to him.”
Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, what has happened that you are about to reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?”
Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him. He who doesn’t love me doesn’t keep my words. The word which you hear isn’t mine, but the Father’s who sent me. I have said these things to you while still living with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, I give to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful. You heard how I told you, ‘I go away, and I come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I said ‘I am going to my Father;’ for the Father is greater than I. Now I have told you before it happens so that when it happens, you may believe. I will no more speak much with you, for the prince of the world comes, and he has nothing in me. But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father commanded me, even so I do. Arise, let’s go from here.
"Jesus, knowing that his time had come..."
We've been told throughout John's Gospel so far that now is not yet Jesus' time. When we get to chapter 13 EVERYTHING changes. Jesus KNOWS that His time has come.
In this chapter we get the astonishing washing of the disciples' feet - imagine have your feet washed not only by your Lord and Teacher, but, with hindsight, they will realise they have had their feet washed by God Himself!
There is massive encouragement here, led by Peter's example, that we will continue to need the spiritual equivalent of our feet washed, when we stumble and get 'dirtied' by the world, but the fundamental judgment is that we are clean.
Once satan is out of the way, on the leaving of Judas from the group, Jesus is then ready to do something even more astonishing: to add a New Commandment. Even in human terms, this puts Jesus on a par with Moses - he who received the former commandments. But we know that Jesus is far greater than Moses. This is the language of the New Covenant, the New Testament, one that surpasses and exceeds what was achieved under the former covenant.
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Reading this, I could seriously weep.
If we could get just this piece correct, pain and suffering on Earth would dim into insignificance in most scenarios. Jesus doesn't say that those who recognise their need for God will recognise us by the powerful signs and wonders done through us. No, He says that everyone will know we are His disciples if we have love for one another.
I weep also for Peter - such a bold spirit, about to be broken by his denial of the one he loves most in the Universe.
Let us take vast comfort from the fact that Jesus chose to build His Church on this wonderful yet fragile man of God.
Read this, listen to this, and NEVER doubt again that God's pattern of blessing - of Life to the full - includes material prosperity.
It says in this chapter that this is a CHOICE!
"Now choose life, so that you and your children may live..."
or in full in verses 19-20:
"This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may liveand that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years..."
Yes, this is a promise to Israel, but the Character of God and His promises remain.
He wants us to come to Him that we may have LIFE - in CAPITALS! Or as Jesus described this 'Eternal Life' as Life 'abundantly'.
Other aspects we should harken to:
- the Lord your God will restore your fortunes
- He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors
- the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your ancestors
- See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction
- then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess
Of course, this is a covenant, so there a joint-obligations! We are to LOVE God with EVERYTHING we've got! And we are to a very old-fashioned thing: OBEY!
Here is the Word of Faith
11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, ‘Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so that we may obey it?’ 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, ‘Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so that we may obey it?’ 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so that you may obey it.
Thanks be to God for Jesus
I look at these promises and long for them.
I also know that I don't have it in me to keep them 100%, at least not 100% of the time.
Thus I thank God for Jesus - the Covenant Keeper and the Covenant Creator and the Covenant Completer. In Him (as we are), ALL the promises of God find their "Yes!" and "Amen!"
How many times does God have to tell us:
- Be strong and courageous?
The answer is three times in this passage alone!
Why? Because the temptation will be for us to be weak and fearful.
Reading on through the history of Israel and into the New Covenant, fear brings the most terrifying consequences. If we are to rise up and possess our inheritance, we must be strong and courageous. Without faith, it is not only impossible to please God (because those who come to God must believe that He is, and that He is the rewarder fo those who diligently seek Him), but it is also impossible to lay hold of the promises of God.
Be strong, be courageous, have faith, and have a good confession!
I remember the account of Mrs Copeland boxing the ears of a preacher.
He'd come to her for prayer, having been diagnosed as being at serious risk of a heart attack. The problem ran in the family - like a curse.
She said to him, "Now, tell the truth!"
When he began to share the 'truth' that the medical experts 'confessed' - she boxed his ears, looked him in the eyes, and exhorted him, "I said, 'Tell the Truth!'"
Thankfully, the boxing of the ears opened his ears to what she was saying, and he declared, "By His stripes I have been healed!"
Sense-knowledge can kill you.
What the World needs now as it goes into a New World phase is Revelation-Knowledge!
We need God's Word spoken into this new world we find ourselves entering.
Why can we have faith? Because, "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
Imagine how exciting it would be to uncover a clay pot in which there were manuscripts declaring the very words of God.
John's Gospel is every bit as exciting. I wonder, have we grown complacent because we have such easy access to the Word? Today, I also recorded Deuteronomy 30 and 31 for The Good News Church. In it, there's a moment where Moses says that they should gather every seven years and have the whole Law read to them. That's not easy or regular access! If man does not live on bread alone but on every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, those generations were in great danger of famine!
We have such a privilege. We have access. AND we have The Holy Spirit to teach us the meaning of Jesus in the Old Testament - richly explained in this chapter with references to:
Pslam 118:25-26 "Hosanna! Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of YHWH
Zechariah 9:9 "Don't be afraid, daughter of Zion. Behold, your King comes, sitting on a donkey's colt."
Moses lifting up the serpent on a pole in the wilderness.
Isaiah 9:7
Daniel 2:44
Isaiah 53:8
Isaiah 53:1
Isaiah 6:10
Isaiah 6:1
The consistency of the Scriptures over such a long period of time, and through the work of so many different co-labourers with God, is a powerful testimony to their truth and their difference from any other faith.
Let's listen to these 'Red Letter' Words of Jesus as if hearing them afresh, and let us imagine the scent of pure Nard filling the house, poured out in worship by Mary, the brother of the raised Lazarus.
John 11 World English Bible (WEB)
"Jesus wept." The shortest verse in the Bible.
I see a flow in these passages (remember that the chapter and verse numbers were added much later to help us structure our Bible sharing.) The man born blind answered a very big (and rather destructive) belief of the day: who sinned? Was it this man or his parents that he should be born blind? Jesus said a definitive, "Neither!" Instead, it was an opportunity for the glory of God to be manifest.
Lazarus is similar. I may be imagining it, but both Martha and Mary are saying, "This could have been avoided...." Jesus once again assures us that things are as they are meant to be. He seeks to re-educated the Disciples' language - talking of sleep instead of death - and then, when they don't understand, He does something rare - He talks 'plainly' in their language: “Lazarus is dead. I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe. Nevertheless, let’s go to him.”
The language of 'Faith' and the language of natural reality are often at odds, especially when we want to see the glory of God - His Kingdom, Dominion, and Reign manifested. In Jesus words...
Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see God’s glory?”
There are different kinds of prayer here to the sort heard in most churches. Firstly, listen to Jesus' confidence...
Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, “Father, I thank you that you listened to me. I know that you always listen to me, but because of the multitude standing around I said this, that they may believe that you sent me.”
Jesus lifted up His eyes... none of this eyes-closed stuff. And then prayer to the Father is then followed by the command of the Word of God spoken INTO the situation:
When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
I am also struck with two mentions of Jesus groaning in the Spirit:
1)When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled...
2) Jesus therefore, again groaning in himself, came to the tomb.
This reminds me of the groaning in the Spirit mentioned by Paul in Romans 8. It clearly takes effort and discomfort to birth new realities into this existence. However, the more likely association is a snort of disgust. Jesus is not pleased with them!
Romans 8:26 is more of a sigh - a very different movement from the Spirit within.
Clearly, prayer is an emotional experience... and one we can go into, eyes wide open!
John 10:10 gives us Jesus' Manifesto.
"The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly."
I'm sure you are fascinated by what 'abundantly' means.
I quote...
perissós (an adjective, derived from 4012 /perí, "all-around, excess") – properly all-around, "more than" ("abundantly"); beyond what is anticipated, exceeding expectation; "more abundant," going past the expected limit ("more than enough . . . ")
We are told in the Scriptures that any matter is confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses. Here are four!
This is why I also love 1 John 3:8
"To this end, the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil."
In the Wycliffe Bible, it says, "...undo the works of the devil."
Wouldn't you love the works of the devil to be 'undone' in your life?
Thirdly, 3 John 2 - John the beloved's prayer (and thus certainly the will of God for us):
"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be healthy, even as your soul prospers."
And, Fourthly, Luke4:18ff (quoting Isaiah 61:1-2)
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim release to the captives,
recovering of sight to the blind,
to deliver those who are crushed,
and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began to tell them, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Thus, I proclaim, with you, the Acceptable Year of the Lord - the time and season of God's Favour.
Are you brokenhearted?
It's time to heal!
Are you crushed?
It's time to be delivered!
Are you poor?
It's time for some good news!
From the previous chapter, it is clear that Jesus has come to give us spiritual sight - expressed and proven through His healing of the man born blind. We love the same Father. We have the same Father. And He still is the same Living God, seeking to do His works. Jesus's ascension wasn't the end of the works of the Father but the means to the multiplication of His mercies on Earth.
It's time for jubilation!
Are you ready to both dance and weep?
This is such a powerful chapter where something happens that has never been heard of since the world began:
"Since the world began it has never been heard of that anyone opened the eyes of someone born blind."
This wonderful miraculous healing is met with a mixed response!
It is clear that there is a culture of fear prevalent - so much so that the parents of the man born blind were frightened of being put out of the Synagogue. This isn't like gettting chucked out of church! If you or I are thrown out of church, we'd just go to another one. Not so in this time.
The Synagogue was at the centre of all aspects of society - business and personal. To be thrown out would be to cut the parents off from Society. How sad then that the Synagogue instilled a culture of fear.
Jesus came to change all that.
I find this passage slightly frightening too - since I believe I 'see' a little bit spiritually. The Pharisees believed they were guides to the spiritually 'blind' but Jesus wasn't impressed. He closes with these chilling words:
"Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains."
It is thus vital that those of us who teach, even in the smallest capacity, remain deeply humble.
Let's finish with the triumphant message: Jesus has come to bring sight to the blind - both those physically blind, and all of us who have been spiritually blind until 'our eyes were opened' by the new birth and the blessing of The Holy Spirit.
Lord open our eyes that we may see more clearly!
Amen
"Before Abraham was, I AM!"
The definitive statement that Jesus is YHWH.
He was not a mere prophet.
He was not a mere man.
He was fully man and He IS fully God.
This puts Christianity - True Christianity - in an utterly exclusive league when compared with any other Philosophy or Religion.
A glorious chapter containing one of my favourite Scriptures of all time:
"Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.” But he said this about the Spirit, which those believing in him were to receive. For the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus wasn’t yet glorified."
Now is the time of YHWH's favour.
Now is the acceptable time of the Lord.
Now is our year of Jubilee where God has come to tabernacle with us.
Rejoice that you've been born at a time after the outpouring of The Holy Spirit.
Rejoice that you have such ready access to the fullness of God's Word.
Rejoice that His favour rests upon you.
This chapter feels to me like the Whole Bible in One Chapter!
Jesus is redefining what we should expect of God and what He expects of us. He has already demonstrated that the religious view of the Sabbath was in error - God was still working His works, even, or even especially, on the Sabbath.
After 400 'quiet' years between Malachi and the arrival of John the Baptist, I'm wondering how much prophetic and miraculous activity there had been. Now, suddenly, we have this amazing Teacher demonstrating signs that God was very much living and active in the affairs of humankind.
In this chapter, first up the sick get healed. Then we have three examples of transcendence over the laws of Physics. Firstly, the miraculous multiplication of matter as Jesus feed the 5000. Notice that He does this THROUGH His disciples. They would have seen this multiplication at their own fingertips with their own eyes. Can you imagine the sense of awe? Then, to make the point even more powerfully, Jesus gets them to gather the leftovers after people are fully satisfied and have eaten all they desired. This was a feast... like the feast of Passover. 12 baskets left over will be a sign that will stay in their minds... and I wonder what they did with the leftovers?
I love the way that Jesus regularly reconnects with our Father by going off to secluded places. I can well imagine the disciples scratching their beards in confusion. At least they were proactive and started travelling across the sea to the other side. I find this utterly fascinating. There was no sail used because the weather was so rough. They had to row for many miles, which must have been exhausting. Another great lesson is about to be revealed. They are labouring against the storm. It is toil - like Adam's toil under the curse. Jesus, on the other hand, WALKS on the water... strolling through the storm. I think I'd be bewildered and frightened, wouldn't you?
Look at the Physics: 1) multiplication of matter, 2) suspension of gravity, and then 3), the boat IMMEDIATELY arrives at where they were trying to get to.
Let's press pause for a moment. Either this is the Truth, or it is utter nonsense. If it is the Truth, and you and I are struggling, we are out of His Will. When God is active in our lives, lack of provision is irrelevant because God can multiply our food. When God is for us, toil should be a thing of the past - for He can still the storm, help us walk on the waves OVER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, and He can even transport us to where we need to get to.
Jesus spoke the Word without limit, He had the Holy Spirit without limit, and He was without sin - but this was all as a demonstration of what is possible for a son of man.
He finishes the chapter with COVENANT language - eating His flesh and drinking His blood. Here, we have powerful encouragement that He will never lose us, and that what He experienced in covenant with the Father is what we should expect too. This isn't a comfy christian club... it is the Church of the Living God!
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+5&version=WEB
The Chapter is too long to cut-and-paste here, thus I recommend that you read along as you hear the word, thereby doubling the sensory impact.
Every chapter of the Word is packed full of gems.
Reading this today, I was struck how being the child of God (Jesus as Son of God - making Him out to be His own Father) is regarded by the religious leaders as claiming equality with God. There's one to meditate on!
I also found the Pool of Bethesda fascinating - the agency of an angel being applied to bring healing until Jesus came.
Jesus continues His reframing of what the Sabbath truly means.
Our ambition should be to see what the Father is doing, and what He is saying, through the Holy Spirit, and thus continue Jesus' ministry.
There is no doubt that the works that we do should act as a testimony to the truth of the Gospel. This is a Living Faith just as the Word is the Living Word. It has lost none of its power to heal, especially now that Jesus has sent the promise of the Father - the Holy Spirit.
I believe the text is too long for the allowance on here, so let me encourage you to look up John Chapter 4 in the World English Bible.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+4&version=WEB
This begins with a delightful exchange between Jesus and a Samaritan woman, who had led an interesting and full life. Culturally, we see the revolution that John is drawing our attention to. Firstly, Jews and Samaritans were not on speaking terms. Secondly, it was frowned upon for a man to speak to a woman in circumstances like this. But as Jesus says in this chapter, "Don’t you say, ‘There are yet four months until the harvest?’ Behold, I tell you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, that they are white for harvest already."
There is a massive harvest field out there, ready to be harvested - but perhaps not where we might first be looking. When we realise that this is the first major outreach, my heart jumps with delight that it is begun with an encounter that would have been looked down on by the religious professionals, and the revival is with the Samaritans - a race strongly disliked by Jesus' own people.
YHWH is great and gracious, and wants all peoples to come to repentance and thus to salvation. Such is His patience.
I doubt if the rich and favoured of our own age are any more open to the 'Good News' than the rich of Jesus' earthly ministry were. However, it's a sobering thought to also wonder if the religious professionals of our own time are as off-target as the pros in Jesus' time of earthly outreach. Who are our 'Samaritans'? Where is the harvest?
The last part of the chapter has the wonderful "Healing-by-Word-alone" of the Nobleman's son. At least one rich and favoured guy who got it right and took Jesus at His Word. There is hope!
John 3 World English Bible (WEB)Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. The same came to him by night, and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.”
Jesus answered him, “Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see God’s Kingdom.”
Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”
Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom.That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Don’t marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’ The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don’t know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus answered him, “How can these things be?”
Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and don’t understand these things? Most certainly I tell you, we speak that which we know, and testify of that which we have seen, and you don’t receive our witness. If I told you earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him. He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and doesn’t come to the light, lest his works would be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God.”
After these things, Jesus came with his disciples into the land of Judea. He stayed there with them and baptized. John also was baptizing in Enon near Salim, because there was much water there. They came, and were baptized; for John was not yet thrown into prison. Therefore a dispute arose on the part of John’s disciples with some Jews about purification. They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, he baptizes, and everyone is coming to him.”
John answered, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven. You yourselves testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. This, my joy, therefore is made full. He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all. He who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. What he has seen and heard, of that he testifies; and no one receives his witness. He who has received his witness has set his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for God gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand. One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
Proverbs has 31 Chapters.
It is the Management Development Manual for life in the Court of the King. The lessons are timeless.
I match the chapter number to the date, thus beginning this recording sequence on the 29th March, I start with Proverbs chapter 29!
All the verses are powerful, and today's stand-out verse for me is v18:
"Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint;
but one who keeps the law is blessed."
In the King James Authorised Version, it says,
"Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."
Now is a time where our Nations need vision.
Now is a time when we need to seek for and hear from God.
Now is a time when we need God's Rhēma - His Revelation Knowledge spoken transformationally and creatively into the circumstances.
Proverbs 29 World English Bible (WEB)
He who is often rebuked and stiffens his neck
will be destroyed suddenly, with no remedy.
When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice;
but when the wicked rule, the people groan.
Whoever loves wisdom brings joy to his father;
but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.
The king by justice makes the land stable,
but he who takes bribes tears it down.
A man who flatters his neighbor
spreads a net for his feet.
An evil man is snared by his sin,
but the righteous can sing and be glad.
The righteous care about justice for the poor.
The wicked aren’t concerned about knowledge.
Mockers stir up a city,
but wise men turn away anger.
If a wise man goes to court with a foolish man,
the fool rages or scoffs, and there is no peace.
The bloodthirsty hate a man of integrity;
and they seek the life of the upright.
A fool vents all of his anger,
but a wise man brings himself under control.
If a ruler listens to lies,
all of his officials are wicked.
The poor man and the oppressor have this in common:
Yahweh gives sight to the eyes of both.
The king who fairly judges the poor,
his throne shall be established forever.
The rod of correction gives wisdom,
but a child left to himself causes shame to his mother.
When the wicked increase, sin increases;
but the righteous will see their downfall.
Correct your son, and he will give you peace;
yes, he will bring delight to your soul.
Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint;
but one who keeps the law is blessed.
A servant can’t be corrected by words.
Though he understands, yet he will not respond.
Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
He who pampers his servant from youth
will have him become a son in the end.
An angry man stirs up strife,
and a wrathful man abounds in sin.
A man’s pride brings him low,
but one of lowly spirit gains honor.
Whoever is an accomplice of a thief is an enemy of his own soul.
He takes an oath, but dares not testify.
The fear of man proves to be a snare,
but whoever puts his trust in Yahweh is kept safe.
Many seek the ruler’s favor,
but a man’s justice comes from Yahweh.
A dishonest man detests the righteous,
and the upright in their ways detest the wicked.
Proverbs chapter 31 brings us instructions to Kings and Princes, and to the celebration of the finest woman - she whose worth is far above rubies. My soul delights that she is clearly an entrepreneur!
Proverbs 31 World English Bible (WEB)
The words of king Lemuel; the revelation which his mother taught him.
“Oh, my son!
Oh, son of my womb!
Oh, son of my vows!
Don’t give your strength to women,
nor your ways to that which destroys kings.
It is not for kings, Lemuel,
it is not for kings to drink wine,
nor for princes to say, ‘Where is strong drink?’
lest they drink, and forget the law,
and pervert the justice due to anyone who is afflicted.
Give strong drink to him who is ready to perish,
and wine to the bitter in soul.
Let him drink, and forget his poverty,
and remember his misery no more.
Open your mouth for the mute,
in the cause of all who are left desolate.
Open your mouth, judge righteously,
and serve justice to the poor and needy.”
Who can find a worthy woman?
For her price is far above rubies.
The heart of her husband trusts in her.
He shall have no lack of gain.
She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
She seeks wool and flax,
and works eagerly with her hands.
She is like the merchant ships.
She brings her bread from afar.
She rises also while it is yet night,
gives food to her household,
and portions for her servant girls.
She considers a field, and buys it.
With the fruit of her hands, she plants a vineyard.
She arms her waist with strength,
and makes her arms strong.
She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp doesn’t go out by night.
She lays her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
She opens her arms to the poor;
yes, she extends her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household;
for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
She makes for herself carpets of tapestry.
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Her husband is respected in the gates,
when he sits among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them,
and delivers sashes to the merchant.
Strength and dignity are her clothing.
She laughs at the time to come.
She opens her mouth with wisdom.
Kind instruction is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household,
and doesn’t eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed.
Her husband also praises her:
“Many women do noble things,
but you excel them all.”
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain;
but a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands!
Let her works praise her in the gates!
World English Bible (WEB)
by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.
Proverbs 30 World English Bible (WEB)
The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; the revelation:
the man says to Ithiel,
to Ithiel and Ucal:
“Surely I am the most ignorant man,
and don’t have a man’s understanding.
I have not learned wisdom,
neither do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.
Who has ascended up into heaven, and descended?
Who has gathered the wind in his fists?
Who has bound the waters in his garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if you know?
“Every word of God is flawless.
He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Don’t you add to his words,
lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar.
“Two things I have asked of you.
Don’t deny me before I die.
Remove far from me falsehood and lies.
Give me neither poverty nor riches.
Feed me with the food that is needful for me,
lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is Yahweh?’
or lest I be poor, and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God.
“Don’t slander a servant to his master,
lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.
There is a generation that curses their father,
and doesn’t bless their mother.
There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes,
yet are not washed from their filthiness.
There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes!
Their eyelids are lifted up.
There is a generation whose teeth are like swords,
and their jaws like knives,
to devour the poor from the earth, and the needy from among men.
“The leech has two daughters:
‘Give, give.’
“There are three things that are never satisfied;
four that don’t say, ‘Enough:’
Sheol,[a]
the barren womb,
the earth that is not satisfied with water,
and the fire that doesn’t say, ‘Enough.’
“The eye that mocks at his father,
and scorns obedience to his mother:
the ravens of the valley shall pick it out,
the young eagles shall eat it.
“There are three things which are too amazing for me,
four which I don’t understand:
The way of an eagle in the air,
the way of a serpent on a rock,
the way of a ship in the middle of the sea,
and the way of a man with a maiden.
“So is the way of an adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth,
and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’
“For three things the earth trembles,
and under four, it can’t bear up:
For a servant when he is king,
a fool when he is filled with food,
for an unloved woman when she is married,
and a servant who is heir to her mistress.
“There are four things which are little on the earth,
but they are exceedingly wise:
The ants are not a strong people,
yet they provide their food in the summer.
The hyraxes are but a feeble folk,
yet make they their houses in the rocks.
The locusts have no king,
yet they advance in ranks.
You can catch a lizard with your hands,
yet it is in kings’ palaces.
“There are three things which are stately in their march,
four which are stately in going:
The lion, which is mightiest among animals,
and doesn’t turn away for any;
the greyhound;
the male goat;
and the king against whom there is no rising up.
“If you have done foolishly in lifting up yourself,
or if you have thought evil,
put your hand over your mouth.
For as the churning of milk produces butter,
and the wringing of the nose produces blood;
so the forcing of wrath produces strife.”
Proverbs 28 World English Bible (WEB)
The wicked flee when no one pursues;
but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
In rebellion, a land has many rulers,
but order is maintained by a man of understanding and knowledge.
A needy man who oppresses the poor
is like a driving rain which leaves no crops.
Those who forsake the law praise the wicked;
but those who keep the law contend with them.
Evil men don’t understand justice;
but those who seek Yahweh understand it fully.
Better is the poor who walks in his integrity,
than he who is perverse in his ways, and he is rich.
Whoever keeps the law is a wise son;
but he who is a companion of gluttons shames his father.
He who increases his wealth by excessive interest
gathers it for one who has pity on the poor.
He who turns away his ear from hearing the law,
even his prayer is an abomination.
Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way,
he will fall into his own trap;
but the blameless will inherit good.
The rich man is wise in his own eyes;
but the poor who has understanding sees through him.
When the righteous triumph, there is great glory;
but when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.
He who conceals his sins doesn’t prosper,
but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
Blessed is the man who always fears;
but one who hardens his heart falls into trouble.
As a roaring lion or a charging bear,
so is a wicked ruler over helpless people.
A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment.
One who hates ill-gotten gain will have long days.
A man who is tormented by life blood will be a fugitive until death;
no one will support him.
Whoever walks blamelessly is kept safe;
but one with perverse ways will fall suddenly.
One who works his land will have an abundance of food;
but one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.
A faithful man is rich with blessings;
but one who is eager to be rich will not go unpunished.
To show partiality is not good;
yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.
A stingy man hurries after riches,
and doesn’t know that poverty waits for him.
One who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor
than one who flatters with the tongue.
Whoever robs his father or his mother and says, “It’s not wrong,”
is a partner with a destroyer.
One who is greedy stirs up strife;
but one who trusts in Yahweh will prosper.
One who trusts in himself is a fool;
but one who walks in wisdom is kept safe.
One who gives to the poor has no lack;
but one who closes his eyes will have many curses.
When the wicked rise, men hide themselves;
but when they perish, the righteous thrive.
World English Bible (WEB)
by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.
Matthew 6 World English Bible (WEB)“Be careful that you don’t do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Therefore, when you do merciful deeds, don’t sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you do merciful deeds, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand does, so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
“When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most certainly, I tell you, they have received their reward. But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. In praying, don’t use vain repetitions as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking. Therefore don’t be like them, for your Father knows what things you need before you ask him. Pray like this:
“‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
Let your Kingdom come.
Let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also forgive our debtors.
Bring us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
“Moreover when you fast, don’t be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward.But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
“Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
There's more...
Matthew 7 World English Bible (WEB)“Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye? Or how will you tell your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ and behold, the beam is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.
“Don’t give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
“Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened. Or who is there among you who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, who will give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! Therefore, whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
“Enter in by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter in by it. How the gate is narrow and the way is restricted that leads to life! There are who find it.
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree produces good fruit, but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit. A good tree can’t produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn’t grow good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will tell me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?’ Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’
“Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell—and its fall was great.”
When Jesus had finished saying these things, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them with authority, and not like the scribes.
I love this mature concept of letting go of the unrealistic sense that we can control virtually anything! "Don't boast about tomorrow," says Solomon, "for you don't know what a day may bring."
And, for those of you feeling low at the moment, that door swings two ways. Yes, life can get rough in the space of 24 hours, but it can also suddenly turn around too! Keep the faith!
Also the importance of getting testimonials from relative strangers to build social proof... and that's just the first few verses! I do also love the idea of brightening up a friend's 'countenance'! Let's wipe a smile onto someone's face today!
I like the idea of paying attention to our flocks too - or in YouTube terms - our subscribers. Too many 'famous' Social Media gurus fail to pay attention to their followers!
Proverbs 27 World English Bible (WEB)
Don’t boast about tomorrow;
for you don’t know what a day may bring.
Let another man praise you,
and not your own mouth;
a stranger, and not your own lips.
A stone is heavy,
and sand is a burden;
but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.
Wrath is cruel,
and anger is overwhelming;
but who is able to stand before jealousy?
Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.
The wounds of a friend are faithful,
although the kisses of an enemy are profuse.
A full soul loathes a honeycomb;
but to a hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet.
As a bird that wanders from her nest,
so is a man who wanders from his home.
Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart;
so does earnest counsel from a man’s friend.
Don’t forsake your friend and your father’s friend.
Don’t go to your brother’s house in the day of your disaster.
A neighbour who is near is better than a distant brother.
Be wise, my son,
and bring joy to my heart,
then I can answer my tormentor.
A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge;
but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.
Take his garment when he puts up collateral for a stranger.
Hold it for a wayward woman!
He who blesses his neighbour with a loud voice early in the morning,
it will be taken as a curse by him.
A continual dropping on a rainy day
and a contentious wife are alike:
restraining her is like restraining the wind,
or like grasping oil in his right hand.
Iron sharpens iron;
so a man sharpens his friend’s countenance.
Whoever tends the fig tree shall eat its fruit.
He who looks after his master shall be honoured.
Like water reflects a face,
so a man’s heart reflects the man.
Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied;
and a man’s eyes are never satisfied.
The crucible is for silver,
and the furnace for gold;
but man is refined by his praise.
Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain,
yet his foolishness will not be removed from him.
Know well the state of your flocks,
and pay attention to your herds:
for riches are not forever,
nor does the crown endure to all generations.
The hay is removed, and the new growth appears,
the grasses of the hills are gathered in.
The lambs are for your clothing,
and the goats are the price of a field.
There will be plenty of goats’ milk for your food,
for your family’s food,
and for the nourishment of your servant girls.
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Matthew 5 World English Bible (WEB)Seeing the multitudes, he went up onto the mountain. When he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He opened his mouth and taught them, saying,
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.Isaiah 57:15; 66:2
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.Isaiah 61:2; 66:10,13
Blessed are the gentle,
for they shall inherit the earth. Psalm 37:11
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
“Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
“You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted? It is then good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.
You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden. Neither do you light a lamp and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house. Even so, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
There's more!
Proverbs 26 World English Bible (WEB)
Like snow in summer, and as rain in harvest,
so honour is not fitting for a fool.
Like a fluttering sparrow,
like a darting swallow,
so the undeserved curse doesn’t come to rest.
A whip is for the horse,
a bridle for the donkey,
and a rod for the back of fools!
Don’t answer a fool according to his folly,
lest you also be like him.
Answer a fool according to his folly,
lest he be wise in his own eyes.
One who sends a message by the hand of a fool
is cutting off feet and drinking violence.
Like the legs of the lame that hang loose,
so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
As one who binds a stone in a sling,
so is he who gives honour to a fool.
Like a thorn bush that goes into the hand of a drunkard,
so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
As an archer who wounds all,
so is he who hires a fool
or he who hires those who pass by.
As a dog that returns to his vomit,
so is a fool who repeats his folly.
Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road!
A fierce lion roams the streets!”
As the door turns on its hinges,
so does the sluggard on his bed.
The sluggard buries his hand in the dish.
He is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
than seven men who answer with discretion.
Like one who grabs a dog’s ears
is one who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own.
Like a madman who shoots torches, arrows, and death,
is the man who deceives his neighbour and says, “Am I not joking?”
For lack of wood a fire goes out.
Without gossip, a quarrel dies down.
As coals are to hot embers,
and wood to fire,
so is a contentious man to kindling strife.
The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels,
they go down into the innermost parts.
Like silver dross on an earthen vessel
are the lips of a fervent one with an evil heart.
A malicious man disguises himself with his lips,
but he harbours evil in his heart.
When his speech is charming, don’t believe him,
for there are seven abominations in his heart.
His malice may be concealed by deception,
but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
Whoever digs a pit shall fall into it.
Whoever rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
A lying tongue hates those it hurts;
and a flattering mouth works ruin.
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Proverbs 25 World English Bible (WEB)
These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing,
but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth,
so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.
Take away the dross from the silver,
and material comes out for the refiner;
Take away the wicked from the king’s presence,
and his throne will be established in righteousness.
Don’t exalt yourself in the presence of the king,
or claim a place among great men;
for it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,”
than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince,
whom your eyes have seen.
Don’t be hasty in bringing charges to court.
What will you do in the end when your neighbour shames you?
Debate your case with your neighbour,
and don’t betray the confidence of another,
lest one who hears it put you to shame,
and your bad reputation never depart.
A word fitly spoken
is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold,
so is a wise reprover to an obedient ear.
As the cold of snow in the time of harvest,
so is a faithful messenger to those who send him;
for he refreshes the soul of his masters.
As clouds and wind without rain,
so is he who boasts of gifts deceptively.
By patience a ruler is persuaded.
A soft tongue breaks the bone.
Have you found honey?
Eat as much as is sufficient for you,
lest you eat too much, and vomit it.
Let your foot be seldom in your neighbour’s house,
lest he be weary of you, and hate you.
A man who gives false testimony against his neighbour
is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.
Confidence in someone unfaithful in time of trouble
is like a bad tooth or a lame foot.
As one who takes away a garment in cold weather,
or vinegar on soda,
so is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat.
If he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
for you will heap coals of fire on his head,
and Yahweh will reward you.
The north wind produces rain;
so a backbiting tongue brings an angry face.
It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop
than to share a house with a contentious woman.
Like cold water to a thirsty soul,
so is good news from a far country.
Like a muddied spring and a polluted well,
so is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.
It is not good to eat much honey,
nor is it honourable to seek one’s own honour.
Like a city that is broken down and without walls
is a man whose spirit is without restraint.
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Proverbs 24 World English Bible (WEB)Don’t be envious of evil men,
neither desire to be with them;
for their hearts plot violence
and their lips talk about mischief.
Through wisdom a house is built;
by understanding it is established;
by knowledge the rooms are filled
with all rare and beautiful treasure.
A wise man has great power;
and a knowledgeable man increases strength;
for by wise guidance you wage your war;
and victory is in many advisors.
Wisdom is too high for a fool.
He doesn’t open his mouth in the gate.
One who plots to do evil
will be called a schemer.
The schemes of folly are sin.
The mocker is detested by men.
If you falter in the time of trouble,
your strength is small.
Rescue those who are being led away to death!
Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter!
If you say, “Behold, we didn’t know this,”
doesn’t he who weighs the hearts consider it?
He who keeps your soul, doesn’t he know it?
Shall he not render to every man according to his work?
My son, eat honey, for it is good,
the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste;
so you shall know wisdom to be to your soul.
If you have found it, then there will be a reward:
Your hope will not be cut off.
Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous.
Don’t destroy his resting place;
for a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again;
but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.
Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls.
Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown,
lest Yahweh see it, and it displease him,
and he turn away his wrath from him.
Don’t fret yourself because of evildoers,
neither be envious of the wicked;
for there will be no reward to the evil man.
The lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
My son, fear Yahweh and the king.
Don’t join those who are rebellious;
for their calamity will rise suddenly.
Who knows what destruction may come from them both?
These also are sayings of the wise.
To show partiality in judgment is not good.
He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
peoples will curse him, and nations will abhor him—
but it will go well with those who convict the guilty,
and a rich blessing will come on them.
An honest answer
is like a kiss on the lips.
Prepare your work outside,
and get your fields ready.
Afterwards, build your house.
Don’t be a witness against your neighbour without cause.
Don’t deceive with your lips.
Don’t say, “I will do to him as he has done to me;
I will repay the man according to his work.”
I went by the field of the sluggard,
by the vineyard of the man void of understanding:
Behold, it was all grown over with thorns.
Its surface was covered with nettles,
and its stone wall was broken down.
Then I saw, and considered well.
I saw, and received instruction:
a little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to sleep,
so your poverty will come as a robber
and your want as an armed man.
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Proverbs 23 World English Bible (WEB)When you sit to eat with a ruler,
consider diligently what is before you;
put a knife to your throat,
if you are a man given to appetite.
Don’t be desirous of his dainties,
since they are deceitful food.
Don’t weary yourself to be rich.
In your wisdom, show restraint.
Why do you set your eyes on that which is not?
For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky.
Don’t eat the food of him who has a stingy eye,
and don’t crave his delicacies:
for as he thinks about the cost, so he is.
“Eat and drink!” he says to you,
but his heart is not with you.
The morsel which you have eaten you shall vomit up,
and lose your good words.
Don’t speak in the ears of a fool,
for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
Don’t move the ancient boundary stone.
Don’t encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
for their Defender is strong.
He will plead their case against you.
Apply your heart to instruction,
and your ears to the words of knowledge.
Don’t withhold correction from a child.
If you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
Punish him with the rod,
and save his soul from Sheol.
My son, if your heart is wise,
then my heart will be glad, even mine.
Yes, my heart will rejoice
when your lips speak what is right.
Don’t let your heart envy sinners,
but rather fear Yahweh all day long.
Indeed surely there is a future hope,
and your hope will not be cut off.
Listen, my son, and be wise,
and keep your heart on the right path!
Don’t be among ones drinking too much wine,
or those who gorge themselves on meat:
for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor;
and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
Listen to your father who gave you life,
and don’t despise your mother when she is old.
Buy the truth, and don’t sell it.
Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding.
The father of the righteous has great joy.
Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.
Let your father and your mother be glad!
Let her who bore you rejoice!
My son, give me your heart;
and let your eyes keep in my ways.
For a prostitute is a deep pit;
and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
Yes, she lies in wait like a robber,
and increases the unfaithful among men.
Who has woe?
Who has sorrow?
Who has strife?
Who has complaints?
Who has needless bruises?
Who has bloodshot eyes?
Those who stay long at the wine;
those who go to seek out mixed wine.
Don’t look at the wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup,
when it goes down smoothly.
In the end, it bites like a snake,
and poisons like a viper.
Your eyes will see strange things,
and your mind will imagine confusing things.
Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the middle of the sea,
or as he who lies on top of the rigging:
“They hit me, and I was not hurt!
They beat me, and I don’t feel it!
When will I wake up? I can do it again.
I can find another.”
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Proverbs 21 World English Bible (WEB)The king’s heart is in Yahweh’s hand like the watercourses.
He turns it wherever he desires.
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
but Yahweh weighs the hearts.
To do righteousness and justice
is more acceptable to Yahweh than sacrifice.
A high look and a proud heart,
the lamp of the wicked, is sin.
The plans of the diligent surely lead to profit;
and everyone who is hasty surely rushes to poverty.
Getting treasures by a lying tongue
is a fleeting vapor for those who seek death.
The violence of the wicked will drive them away,
because they refuse to do what is right.
The way of the guilty is devious,
but the conduct of the innocent is upright.
It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop
than to share a house with a contentious woman.
The soul of the wicked desires evil;
his neighbour finds no mercy in his eyes.
When the mocker is punished, the simple gains wisdom.
When the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.
The Righteous One considers the house of the wicked,
and brings the wicked to ruin.
Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor,
he will also cry out, but shall not be heard.
A gift in secret pacifies anger,
and a bribe in the cloak, strong wrath.
It is joy to the righteous to do justice;
but it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity.
The man who wanders out of the way of understanding
shall rest in the assembly of the departed spirits.
He who loves pleasure will be a poor man.
He who loves wine and oil won’t be rich.
The wicked is a ransom for the righteous,
the treacherous for the upright.
It is better to dwell in a desert land,
than with a contentious and fretful woman.
There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise;
but a foolish man swallows it up.
He who follows after righteousness and kindness
finds life, righteousness, and honour.
A wise man scales the city of the mighty,
and brings down the strength of its confidence.
Whoever guards his mouth and his tongue
keeps his soul from troubles.
The proud and arrogant man—“Scoffer” is his name—
he works in the arrogance of pride.
The desire of the sluggard kills him,
for his hands refuse to labour.
There are those who covet greedily all day long;
but the righteous give and don’t withhold.
The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination—
how much more, when he brings it with a wicked mind!
A false witness will perish.
A man who listens speaks to eternity.
A wicked man hardens his face;
but as for the upright, he establishes his ways.
There is no wisdom nor understanding
nor counsel against Yahweh.
The horse is prepared for the day of battle;
but victory is with Yahweh.
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Proverbs 22 World English Bible (WEB)A good name is more desirable than great riches,
and loving favour is better than silver and gold.
The rich and the poor have this in common:
Yahweh is the maker of them all.
A prudent man sees danger and hides himself;
but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.
The result of humility and the fear of Yahweh
is wealth, honour, and life.
Thorns and snares are in the path of the wicked:
whoever guards his soul stays from them.
Train up a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not depart from it.
The rich rule over the poor.
The borrower is servant to the lender.
He who sows wickedness reaps trouble,
and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.
He who has a generous eye will be blessed;
for he shares his food with the poor.
Drive out the mocker, and strife will go out;
yes, quarrels and insults will stop.
He who loves purity of heart and speaks gracefully
is the king’s friend.
Yahweh’s eyes watch over knowledge;
but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.
The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!
I will be killed in the streets!”
The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit.
He who is under Yahweh’s wrath will fall into it.
Folly is bound up in the heart of a child:
the rod of discipline drives it far from him.
Whoever oppresses the poor for his own increase and whoever gives to the rich,
both come to poverty.
Turn your ear, and listen to the words of the wise.
Apply your heart to my teaching.
For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you,
if all of them are ready on your lips.
I teach you today, even you,
So that your trust may be in Yahweh.
Haven’t I written to you thirty excellent things
of counsel and knowledge,
To teach you truth, reliable words,
to give sound answers to the ones who sent you?
Don’t exploit the poor, because he is poor;
and don’t crush the needy in court;
for Yahweh will plead their case,
and plunder the life of those who plunder them.
Don’t befriend a hot-tempered man,
and don’t associate with one who harbours anger:
lest you learn his ways,
and ensnare your soul.
Don’t you be one of those who strike hands,
of those who are collateral for debts.
If you don’t have means to pay,
why should he take away your bed from under you?
Don’t move the ancient boundary stone
which your fathers have set up.
Do you see a man skilled in his work?
He will serve kings.
He won’t serve obscure men.
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This wonderful book always delights me.
Jonah is my kind of prophet.
He procrastinates and avoids what he is called to do.
When he does deliver, he moans about the mercy and kindness of God on those Jonah views as wicked!
Hey, makes me feel there's hope for me too!
Proverbs 20 World English Bible (WEB)Wine is a mocker and beer is a brawler.
Whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
The terror of a king is like the roaring of a lion.
He who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life.
It is an honour for a man to keep aloof from strife,
but every fool will be quarreling.
The sluggard will not plough by reason of the winter;
therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing.
Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water,
but a man of understanding will draw it out.
Many men claim to be men of unfailing love,
but who can find a faithful man?
A righteous man walks in integrity.
Blessed are his children after him.
A king who sits on the throne of judgment
scatters away all evil with his eyes.
Who can say, “I have made my heart pure.
I am clean and without sin?”
Differing weights and differing measures,
both of them alike are an abomination to Yahweh.
Even a child makes himself known by his doings,
whether his work is pure, and whether it is right.
The hearing ear, and the seeing eye,
Yahweh has made even both of them.
Don’t love sleep, lest you come to poverty.
Open your eyes, and you shall be satisfied with bread.
“It’s no good, it’s no good,” says the buyer;
but when he is gone his way, then he boasts.
There is gold and abundance of rubies,
but the lips of knowledge are a rare jewel.
Take the garment of one who puts up collateral for a stranger;
and hold him in pledge for a wayward woman.
Fraudulent food is sweet to a man,
but afterwards his mouth is filled with gravel.
Plans are established by advice;
by wise guidance you wage war!
He who goes about as a tale-bearer reveals secrets;
therefore don’t keep company with him who opens wide his lips.
Whoever curses his father or his mother,
his lamp shall be put out in blackness of darkness.
An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning,
won’t be blessed in the end.
Don’t say, “I will pay back evil.”
Wait for Yahweh, and he will save you.
Yahweh detests differing weights,
and dishonest scales are not pleasing.
A man’s steps are from Yahweh;
how then can man understand his way?
It is a snare to a man to make a rash dedication,
then later to consider his vows.
A wise king winnows out the wicked,
and drives the threshing wheel over them.
The spirit of man is Yahweh’s lamp,
searching all his innermost parts.
Love and faithfulness keep the king safe.
His throne is sustained by love.
The glory of young men is their strength.
The splendour of old men is their grey hair.
Wounding blows cleanse away evil,
and beatings purge the innermost parts.
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Proverbs 19 World English Bible (WEB)Better is the poor who walks in his integrity
than he who is perverse in his lips and is a fool.
It isn’t good to have zeal without knowledge,
nor being hasty with one’s feet and missing the way.
The foolishness of man subverts his way;
his heart rages against Yahweh.
Wealth adds many friends,
but the poor is separated from his friend.
A false witness shall not be unpunished.
He who pours out lies shall not go free.
Many will entreat the favor of a ruler,
and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.
All the relatives of the poor shun him:
how much more do his friends avoid him!
He pursues them with pleas, but they are gone.
He who gets wisdom loves his own soul.
He who keeps understanding shall find good.
A false witness shall not be unpunished.
He who utters lies shall perish.
Delicate living is not appropriate for a fool,
much less for a servant to have rule over princes.
The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger.
It is his glory to overlook an offense.
The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion,
but his favor is like dew on the grass.
A foolish son is the calamity of his father.
A wife’s quarrels are a continual dripping.
House and riches are an inheritance from fathers,
but a prudent wife is from Yahweh.
Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep.
The idle soul shall suffer hunger.
He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul,
but he who is contemptuous in his ways shall die.
He who has pity on the poor lends to Yahweh;
he will reward him.
Discipline your son, for there is hope;
don’t be a willing party to his death.
A hot-tempered man must pay the penalty,
for if you rescue him, you must do it again.
Listen to counsel and receive instruction,
that you may be wise in your latter end.
There are many plans in a man’s heart,
but Yahweh’s counsel will prevail.
That which makes a man to be desired is his kindness.
A poor man is better than a liar.
The fear of Yahweh leads to life, then contentment;
he rests and will not be touched by trouble.
The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.
Flog a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence;
rebuke one who has understanding, and he will gain knowledge.
He who robs his father and drives away his mother
is a son who causes shame and brings reproach.
If you stop listening to instruction, my son,
you will stray from the words of knowledge.
A corrupt witness mocks justice,
and the mouth of the wicked gulps down iniquity.
Penalties are prepared for scoffers,
and beatings for the backs of fools.
World English Bible (WEB)by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.
Proverbs 18 World English Bible (WEB)A man who isolates himself pursues selfishness,
and defies all sound judgment.
A fool has no delight in understanding,
but only in revealing his own opinion.
When wickedness comes, contempt also comes,
and with shame comes disgrace.
The words of a man’s mouth are like deep waters.
The fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook.
To be partial to the faces of the wicked is not good,
nor to deprive the innocent of justice.
A fool’s lips come into strife,
and his mouth invites beatings.
A fool’s mouth is his destruction,
and his lips are a snare to his soul.
The words of a gossip are like dainty morsels:
they go down into a person’s innermost parts.
One who is slack in his work
is brother to him who is a master of destruction.
Yahweh’s name is a strong tower:
the righteous run to him, and are safe.
The rich man’s wealth is his strong city,
like an unscalable wall in his own imagination.
Before destruction the heart of man is proud,
but before honor is humility.
He who answers before he hears,
that is folly and shame to him.
A man’s spirit will sustain him in sickness,
but a crushed spirit, who can bear?
The heart of the discerning gets knowledge.
The ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
A man’s gift makes room for him,
and brings him before great men.
He who pleads his cause first seems right;
until another comes and questions him.
The lot settles disputes,
and keeps strong ones apart.
A brother offended is more difficult than a fortified city.
Disputes are like the bars of a fortress.
A man’s stomach is filled with the fruit of his mouth.
With the harvest of his lips he is satisfied.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue;
those who love it will eat its fruit.
Whoever finds a wife finds a good thing,
and obtains favor of Yahweh.
The poor plead for mercy,
but the rich answer harshly.
A man of many companions may be ruined,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
World English Bible (WEB)by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.
The GREAT thing about Proverbs is that you can GUARANTEE that there will be verses that will 'SPEAK' to you each day. Which of these speak to you?
Proverbs 17 World English Bible (WEB)
Better is a dry morsel with quietness,
than a house full of feasting with strife.
A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who causes shame,
and shall have a part in the inheritance among the brothers.
The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold,
but Yahweh tests the hearts.
An evildoer heeds wicked lips.
A liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.
Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker.
He who is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished.
Children’s children are the crown of old men;
the glory of children are their parents.
Excellent speech isn’t fitting for a fool,
much less do lying lips fit a prince.
A bribe is a precious stone in the eyes of him who gives it;
wherever he turns, he prospers.
He who covers an offense promotes love;
but he who repeats a matter separates best friends.
A rebuke enters deeper into one who has understanding
than a hundred lashes into a fool.
An evil man seeks only rebellion;
therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.
Let a bear robbed of her cubs meet a man,
rather than a fool in his folly.
Whoever rewards evil for good,
evil shall not depart from his house.
The beginning of strife is like breaching a dam,
therefore stop contention before quarreling breaks out.
He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous,
both of them alike are an abomination to Yahweh.
Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom,
since he has no understanding?
A friend loves at all times;
and a brother is born for adversity.
A man void of understanding strikes hands,
and becomes collateral in the presence of his neighbor.
He who loves disobedience loves strife.
One who builds a high gate seeks destruction.
One who has a perverse heart doesn’t find prosperity,
and one who has a deceitful tongue falls into trouble.
He who becomes the father of a fool grieves.
The father of a fool has no joy.
A cheerful heart makes good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
A wicked man receives a bribe in secret,
to pervert the ways of justice.
Wisdom is before the face of one who has understanding,
but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.
A foolish son brings grief to his father,
and bitterness to her who bore him.
Also to punish the righteous is not good,
nor to flog officials for their integrity.
He who spares his words has knowledge.
He who is even tempered is a man of understanding.
Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is counted wise.
When he shuts his lips, he is thought to be discerning.
Proverbs 15 World English Bible (WEB)A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,
but the mouth of fools gush out folly.
Yahweh’s eyes are everywhere,
keeping watch on the evil and the good.
A gentle tongue is a tree of life,
but deceit in it crushes the spirit.
A fool despises his father’s correction,
but he who heeds reproof shows prudence.
In the house of the righteous is much treasure,
but the income of the wicked brings trouble.
The lips of the wise spread knowledge;
not so with the heart of fools.
The sacrifice made by the wicked is an abomination to Yahweh,
but the prayer of the upright is his delight.
The way of the wicked is an abomination to Yahweh,
but he loves him who follows after righteousness.
There is stern discipline for one who forsakes the way:
whoever hates reproof shall die.
Sheol and Abaddon are before Yahweh—
how much more then the hearts of the children of men!
A scoffer doesn’t love to be reproved;
he will not go to the wise.
A glad heart makes a cheerful face,
but an aching heart breaks the spirit.
The heart of one who has understanding seeks knowledge,
but the mouths of fools feed on folly.
All the days of the afflicted are wretched,
but one who has a cheerful heart enjoys a continual feast.
Better is little, with the fear of Yahweh,
than great treasure with trouble.
Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is,
than a fattened calf with hatred.
A wrathful man stirs up contention,
but one who is slow to anger appeases strife.
The way of the sluggard is like a thorn patch,
but the path of the upright is a highway.
A wise son makes a father glad,
but a foolish man despises his mother.
Folly is joy to one who is void of wisdom,
but a man of understanding keeps his way straight.
Where there is no counsel, plans fail;
but in a multitude of counselors they are established.
Joy comes to a man with the reply of his mouth.
How good is a word at the right time!
The path of life leads upward for the wise,
to keep him from going downward to Sheol.
Yahweh will uproot the house of the proud,
but he will keep the widow’s borders intact.
Yahweh detests the thoughts of the wicked,
but the thoughts of the pure are pleasing.
He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house,
but he who hates bribes will live.
The heart of the righteous weighs answers,
but the mouth of the wicked gushes out evil.
Yahweh is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
The light of the eyes rejoices the heart.
Good news gives health to the bones.
The ear that listens to reproof lives,
and will be at home among the wise.
He who refuses correction despises his own soul,
but he who listens to reproof gets understanding.
The fear of Yahweh teaches wisdom.
Before honor is humility.
Proverbs 16 World English Bible (WEB)The plans of the heart belong to man,
but the answer of the tongue is from Yahweh.
All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes;
but Yahweh weighs the motives.
Commit your deeds to Yahweh,
and your plans shall succeed.
Yahweh has made everything for its own end—
yes, even the wicked for the day of evil.
Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to Yahweh:
they shall certainly not be unpunished.
By mercy and truth iniquity is atoned for.
By the fear of Yahweh men depart from evil.
When a man’s ways please Yahweh,
he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Better is a little with righteousness,
than great revenues with injustice.
A man’s heart plans his course,
but Yahweh directs his steps.
Inspired judgments are on the lips of the king.
He shall not betray his mouth.
Honest balances and scales are Yahweh’s;
all the weights in the bag are his work.
It is an abomination for kings to do wrong,
for the throne is established by righteousness.
Righteous lips are the delight of kings.
They value one who speaks the truth.
The king’s wrath is a messenger of death,
but a wise man will pacify it.
In the light of the king’s face is life.
His favor is like a cloud of the spring rain.
How much better it is to get wisdom than gold!
Yes, to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
The highway of the upright is to depart from evil.
He who keeps his way preserves his soul.
Pride goes before destruction,
and an arrogant spirit before a fall.
It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor,
than to divide the plunder with the proud.
He who heeds the Word finds prosperity.
Whoever trusts in Yahweh is blessed.
The wise in heart shall be called prudent.
Pleasantness of the lips promotes instruction.
Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it,
but the punishment of fools is their folly.
The heart of the wise instructs his mouth,
and adds learning to his lips.
Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
There is a way which seems right to a man,
but in the end it leads to death.
The appetite of the laboring man labors for him;
for his mouth urges him on.
A worthless man devises mischief.
His speech is like a scorching fire.
A perverse man stirs up strife.
A whisperer separates close friends.
A man of violence entices his neighbor,
and leads him in a way that is not good.
One who winks his eyes to plot perversities,
one who compresses his lips, is bent on evil.
Gray hair is a crown of glory.
It is attained by a life of righteousness.
One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty;
one who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city.
The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from Yahweh.
Proverbs 14 World English Bible (WEB)Every wise woman builds her house,
but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
He who walks in his uprightness fears Yahweh,
but he who is perverse in his ways despises him.
The fool’s talk brings a rod to his back,
but the lips of the wise protect them.
Where no oxen are, the crib is clean,
but much increase is by the strength of the ox.
A truthful witness will not lie,
but a false witness pours out lies.
A scoffer seeks wisdom, and doesn’t find it,
but knowledge comes easily to a discerning person.
Stay away from a foolish man,
for you won’t find knowledge on his lips.
The wisdom of the prudent is to think about his way,
but the folly of fools is deceit.
Fools mock at making atonement for sins,
but among the upright there is good will.
The heart knows its own bitterness and joy;
he will not share these with a stranger.
The house of the wicked will be overthrown,
but the tent of the upright will flourish.
There is a way which seems right to a man,
but in the end it leads to death.
Even in laughter the heart may be sorrowful,
and mirth may end in heaviness.
The unfaithful will be repaid for his own ways;
likewise a good man will be rewarded for his ways.
A simple man believes everything,
but the prudent man carefully considers his ways.
A wise man fears and shuns evil,
but the fool is hot headed and reckless.
He who is quick to become angry will commit folly,
and a crafty man is hated.
The simple inherit folly,
but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
The evil bow down before the good,
and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
The poor person is shunned even by his own neighbor,
but the rich person has many friends.
He who despises his neighbor sins,
but he who has pity on the poor is blessed.
Don’t they go astray who plot evil?
But love and faithfulness belong to those who plan good.
In all hard work there is profit,
but the talk of the lips leads only to poverty.
The crown of the wise is their riches,
but the folly of fools crowns them with folly.
A truthful witness saves souls,
but a false witness is deceitful.
In the fear of Yahweh is a secure fortress,
and he will be a refuge for his children.
The fear of Yahweh is a fountain of life,
turning people from the snares of death.
In the multitude of people is the king’s glory,
but in the lack of people is the destruction of the prince.
He who is slow to anger has great understanding,
but he who has a quick temper displays folly.
The life of the body is a heart at peace,
but envy rots the bones.
He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for his Maker,
but he who is kind to the needy honors him.
The wicked is brought down in his calamity,
but in death, the righteous has a refuge.
Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding,
and is even made known in the inward part of fools.
Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a disgrace to any people.
The king’s favor is toward a servant who deals wisely,
but his wrath is toward one who causes shame.
Proverbs 11 World English Bible (WEB)A false balance is an abomination to Yahweh,
but accurate weights are his delight.
When pride comes, then comes shame,
but with humility comes wisdom.
The integrity of the upright shall guide them,
but the perverseness of the treacherous shall destroy them.
Riches don’t profit in the day of wrath,
but righteousness delivers from death.
The righteousness of the blameless will direct his way,
but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.
The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them,
but the unfaithful will be trapped by evil desires.
When a wicked man dies, hope perishes,
and expectation of power comes to nothing.
A righteous person is delivered out of trouble,
and the wicked takes his place.
With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor,
but the righteous will be delivered through knowledge.
When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices.
When the wicked perish, there is shouting.
By the blessing of the upright, the city is exalted,
but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
One who despises his neighbor is void of wisdom,
but a man of understanding holds his peace.
One who brings gossip betrays a confidence,
but one who is of a trustworthy spirit is one who keeps a secret.
Where there is no wise guidance, the nation falls,
but in the multitude of counselors there is victory.
He who is collateral for a stranger will suffer for it,
but he who refuses pledges of collateral is secure.
A gracious woman obtains honor,
but violent men obtain riches.
The merciful man does good to his own soul,
but he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.
Wicked people earn deceitful wages,
but one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.
He who is truly righteous gets life.
He who pursues evil gets death.
Those who are perverse in heart are an abomination to Yahweh,
but those whose ways are blameless are his delight.
Most certainly, the evil man will not be unpunished,
but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered.
Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout,
is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.
The desire of the righteous is only good.
The expectation of the wicked is wrath.
There is one who scatters, and increases yet more.
There is one who withholds more than is appropriate, but gains poverty.
The liberal soul shall be made fat.
He who waters shall be watered also himself.
People curse someone who withholds grain,
but blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.
He who diligently seeks good seeks favor,
but he who searches after evil, it shall come to him.
He who trusts in his riches will fall,
but the righteous shall flourish as the green leaf.
He who troubles his own house shall inherit the wind.
The foolish shall be servant to the wise of heart.
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.
He who is wise wins souls.
Behold, the righteous shall be repaid in the earth,
how much more the wicked and the sinner!
Proverbs 12 World English Bible (WEB)Whoever loves correction loves knowledge,
but he who hates reproof is stupid.
A good man shall obtain favor from Yahweh,
but he will condemn a man of wicked plans.
A man shall not be established by wickedness,
but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.
A worthy woman is the crown of her husband,
but a disgraceful wife is as rottenness in his bones.
The thoughts of the righteous are just,
but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.
The words of the wicked are about lying in wait for blood,
but the speech of the upright rescues them.
The wicked are overthrown, and are no more,
but the house of the righteous shall stand.
A man shall be commended according to his wisdom,
but he who has a warped mind shall be despised.
Better is he who is little known, and has a servant,
than he who honors himself, and lacks bread.
A righteous man respects the life of his animal,
but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
He who tills his land shall have plenty of bread,
but he who chases fantasies is void of understanding.
The wicked desires the plunder of evil men,
but the root of the righteous flourishes.
An evil man is trapped by sinfulness of lips,
but the righteous shall come out of trouble.
A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth.
The work of a man’s hands shall be rewarded to him.
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
but he who is wise listens to counsel.
A fool shows his annoyance the same day,
but one who overlooks an insult is prudent.
He who is truthful testifies honestly,
but a false witness lies.
There is one who speaks rashly like the piercing of a sword,
but the tongue of the wise heals.
Truth’s lips will be established forever,
but a lying tongue is only momentary.
Deceit is in the heart of those who plot evil,
but joy comes to the promoters of peace.
No mischief shall happen to the righteous,
but the wicked shall be filled with evil.
Lying lips are an abomination to Yahweh,
but those who do the truth are his delight.
A prudent man keeps his knowledge,
but the hearts of fools proclaim foolishness.
The hands of the diligent ones shall rule,
but laziness ends in slave labor.
Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down,
but a kind word makes it glad.
A righteous person is cautious in friendship,
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
The slothful man doesn’t roast his game,
but the possessions of diligent men are prized.
In the way of righteousness is life;
in its path there is no death.
Proverbs 13 World English Bible (WEB)A wise son listens to his father’s instruction,
but a scoffer doesn’t listen to rebuke.
By the fruit of his lips, a man enjoys good things,
but the unfaithful crave violence.
He who guards his mouth guards his soul.
One who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
The soul of the sluggard desires, and has nothing,
but the desire of the diligent shall be fully satisfied.
A righteous man hates lies,
but a wicked man brings shame and disgrace.
Righteousness guards the way of integrity,
but wickedness overthrows the sinner.
There are some who pretend to be rich, yet have nothing.
There are some who pretend to be poor, yet have great wealth.
The ransom of a man’s life is his riches,
but the poor hear no threats.
The light of the righteous shines brightly,
but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.
Pride only breeds quarrels,
but wisdom is with people who take advice.
Wealth gained dishonestly dwindles away,
but he who gathers by hand makes it grow.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but when longing is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.
Whoever despises instruction will pay for it,
but he who respects a command will be rewarded.
The teaching of the wise is a spring of life,
to turn from the snares of death.
Good understanding wins favor,
but the way of the unfaithful is hard.
Every prudent man acts from knowledge,
but a fool exposes folly.
A wicked messenger falls into trouble,
but a trustworthy envoy gains healing.
Poverty and shame come to him who refuses discipline,
but he who heeds correction shall be honored.
Longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul,
but fools detest turning from evil.
One who walks with wise men grows wise,
but a companion of fools suffers harm.
Misfortune pursues sinners,
but prosperity rewards the righteous.
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,
but the wealth of the sinner is stored for the righteous.
An abundance of food is in poor people’s fields,
but injustice sweeps it away.
One who spares the rod hates his son,
but one who loves him is careful to discipline him.
The righteous one eats to the satisfying of his soul,
but the belly of the wicked goes hungry.
Proverbs 3 World English Bible (WEB)My son, don’t forget my teaching;
but let your heart keep my commandments:
for they will add to you length of days,
years of life, and peace.
Don’t let kindness and truth forsake you.
Bind them around your neck.
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favor,
and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
Trust in Yahweh with all your heart,
and don’t lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Don’t be wise in your own eyes.
Fear Yahweh, and depart from evil.
It will be health to your body,
and nourishment to your bones.
Honor Yahweh with your substance,
with the first fruits of all your increase:
so your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will overflow with new wine.
My son, don’t despise Yahweh’s discipline,
neither be weary of his correction;
for whom Yahweh loves, he corrects,
even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights.
Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
the man who gets understanding.
For her good profit is better than getting silver,
and her return is better than fine gold.
She is more precious than rubies.
None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her.
Length of days is in her right hand.
In her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness.
All her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her.
Happy is everyone who retains her.
By wisdom Yahweh founded the earth.
By understanding, he established the heavens.
By his knowledge, the depths were broken up,
and the skies drop down the dew.
My son, let them not depart from your eyes.
Keep sound wisdom and discretion:
so they will be life to your soul,
and grace for your neck.
Then you shall walk in your way securely.
Your foot won’t stumble.
When you lie down, you will not be afraid.
Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.
Don’t be afraid of sudden fear,
neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it comes;
for Yahweh will be your confidence,
and will keep your foot from being taken.
Don’t withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in the power of your hand to do it.
Don’t say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again;
tomorrow I will give it to you,”
when you have it by you.
Don’t devise evil against your neighbor,
since he dwells securely by you.
Don’t strive with a man without cause,
if he has done you no harm.
Don’t envy the man of violence.
Choose none of his ways.
For the perverse is an abomination to Yahweh,
but his friendship is with the upright.
Yahweh’s curse is in the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the habitation of the righteous.
Surely he mocks the mockers,
but he gives grace to the humble.
The wise will inherit glory,
but shame will be the promotion of fools.
World English Bible (WEB)by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.
Proverbs 9 World English Bible (WEB)Wisdom has built her house.
She has carved out her seven pillars.
She has prepared her meat.
She has mixed her wine.
She has also set her table.
She has sent out her maidens.
She cries from the highest places of the city:
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
As for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,
“Come, eat some of my bread,
Drink some of the wine which I have mixed!
Leave your simple ways, and live.
Walk in the way of understanding.”
One who corrects a mocker invites insult.
One who reproves a wicked man invites abuse.
Don’t reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you.
Reprove a wise person, and he will love you.
Instruct a wise person, and he will be still wiser.
Teach a righteous person, and he will increase in learning.
The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom.
The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
For by me your days will be multiplied.
The years of your life will be increased.
If you are wise, you are wise for yourself.
If you mock, you alone will bear it.
The foolish woman is loud,
undisciplined, and knows nothing.
She sits at the door of her house,
on a seat in the high places of the city,
to call to those who pass by,
who go straight on their ways,
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here.”
as for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,
“Stolen water is sweet.
Food eaten in secret is pleasant.”
But he doesn’t know that the departed spirits are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
World English Bible (WEB)by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.
Proverbs 6 World English Bible (WEB)My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor,
if you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger,
you are trapped by the words of your mouth;
you are ensnared with the words of your mouth.
Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself,
since you have come into the hand of your neighbor.
Go, humble yourself.
Press your plea with your neighbor.
Give no sleep to your eyes,
nor slumber to your eyelids.
Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,
like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
Go to the ant, you sluggard.
Consider her ways, and be wise;
which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
provides her bread in the summer,
and gathers her food in the harvest.
How long will you sleep, sluggard?
When will you arise out of your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to sleep:
so your poverty will come as a robber,
and your scarcity as an armed man.
A worthless person, a man of iniquity,
is he who walks with a perverse mouth,
who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet,
who motions with his fingers,
in whose heart is perverseness,
who devises evil continually,
who always sows discord.
Therefore his calamity will come suddenly.
He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.
There are six things which Yahweh hates;
yes, seven which are an abomination to him:
arrogant eyes, a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are swift in running to mischief,
a false witness who utters lies,
and he who sows discord among brothers.
My son, keep your father’s commandment,
and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching.
Bind them continually on your heart.
Tie them around your neck.
When you walk, it will lead you.
When you sleep, it will watch over you.
When you awake, it will talk with you.
For the commandment is a lamp,
and the law is light.
Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
to keep you from the immoral woman,
from the flattery of the wayward wife’s tongue.
Don’t lust after her beauty in your heart,
neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.
For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread.
The adulteress hunts for your precious life.
Can a man scoop fire into his lap,
and his clothes not be burned?
Or can one walk on hot coals,
and his feet not be scorched?
So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife.
Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.
Men don’t despise a thief
if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry;
but if he is found, he shall restore seven times.
He shall give all the wealth of his house.
He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding.
He who does it destroys his own soul.
He will get wounds and dishonor.
His reproach will not be wiped away.
For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband.
He won’t spare in the day of vengeance.
He won’t regard any ransom,
neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.
Proverbs 8 World English Bible (WEB)Doesn’t wisdom cry out?
Doesn’t understanding raise her voice?
On the top of high places by the way,
where the paths meet, she stands.
Beside the gates, at the entry of the city,
at the entry doors, she cries aloud:
“I call to you men!
I send my voice to the sons of mankind.
You simple, understand prudence!
You fools, be of an understanding heart!
Hear, for I will speak excellent things.
The opening of my lips is for right things.
For my mouth speaks truth.
Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
All the words of my mouth are in righteousness.
There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.
They are all plain to him who understands,
right to those who find knowledge.
Receive my instruction rather than silver,
knowledge rather than choice gold.
For wisdom is better than rubies.
All the things that may be desired can’t be compared to it.
“I, wisdom, have made prudence my dwelling.
Find out knowledge and discretion.
The fear of Yahweh is to hate evil.
I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth.
Counsel and sound knowledge are mine.
I have understanding and power.
By me kings reign,
and princes decree justice.
By me princes rule,
nobles, and all the righteous rulers of the earth.
I love those who love me.
Those who seek me diligently will find me.
With me are riches, honor,
enduring wealth, and prosperity.
My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold,
my yield than choice silver.
I walk in the way of righteousness,
in the middle of the paths of justice,
that I may give wealth to those who love me.
I fill their treasuries.
“Yahweh possessed me in the beginning of his work,
before his deeds of old.
I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning,
before the earth existed.
When there were no depths, I was born,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
Before the mountains were settled in place,
before the hills, I was born;
while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields,
nor the beginning of the dust of the world.
When he established the heavens, I was there.
When he set a circle on the surface of the deep,
when he established the clouds above,
when the springs of the deep became strong,
when he gave to the sea its boundary,
that the waters should not violate his commandment,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
then I was the craftsman by his side.
I was a delight day by day,
always rejoicing before him,
rejoicing in his whole world.
My delight was with the sons of men.
“Now therefore, my sons, listen to me,
for blessed are those who keep my ways.
Hear instruction, and be wise.
Don’t refuse it.
Blessed is the man who hears me,
watching daily at my gates,
waiting at my door posts.
For whoever finds me, finds life,
and will obtain favor from Yahweh.
But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul.
All those who hate me love death.”
Proverbs 10 World English Bible (WEB)The proverbs of Solomon.
A wise son makes a glad father;
but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.
Treasures of wickedness profit nothing,
but righteousness delivers from death.
Yahweh will not allow the soul of the righteous to go hungry,
but he thrusts away the desire of the wicked.
He becomes poor who works with a lazy hand,
but the hand of the diligent brings wealth.
He who gathers in summer is a wise son,
but he who sleeps during the harvest is a son who causes shame.
Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
The memory of the righteous is blessed,
but the name of the wicked will rot.
The wise in heart accept commandments,
but a chattering fool will fall.
He who walks blamelessly walks surely,
but he who perverts his ways will be found out.
One winking with the eye causes sorrow,
but a chattering fool will fall.
The mouth of the righteous is a spring of life,
but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
Hatred stirs up strife,
but love covers all wrongs.
Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has discernment,
but a rod is for the back of him who is void of understanding.
Wise men lay up knowledge,
but the mouth of the foolish is near ruin.
The rich man’s wealth is his strong city.
The destruction of the poor is their poverty.
The labor of the righteous leads to life.
The increase of the wicked leads to sin.
He is in the way of life who heeds correction,
but he who forsakes reproof leads others astray.
He who hides hatred has lying lips.
He who utters a slander is a fool.
In the multitude of words there is no lack of disobedience,
but he who restrains his lips does wisely.
The tongue of the righteous is like choice silver.
The heart of the wicked is of little worth.
The lips of the righteous feed many,
but the foolish die for lack of understanding.
Yahweh’s blessing brings wealth,
and he adds no trouble to it.
It is a fool’s pleasure to do wickedness,
but wisdom is a man of understanding’s pleasure.
What the wicked fear will overtake them,
but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more;
but the righteous stand firm forever.
As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes,
so is the sluggard to those who send him.
The fear of Yahweh prolongs days,
but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.
The prospect of the righteous is joy,
but the hope of the wicked will perish.
The way of Yahweh is a stronghold to the upright,
but it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity.
The righteous will never be removed,
but the wicked will not dwell in the land.
The mouth of the righteous produces wisdom,
but the perverse tongue will be cut off.
The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,
but the mouth of the wicked is perverse.
World English Bible (WEB)by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.
Proverbs 7 World English Bible (WEB)My son, keep my words.
Lay up my commandments within you.
Keep my commandments and live!
Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye.
Bind them on your fingers.
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Tell wisdom, “You are my sister.”
Call understanding your relative,
that they may keep you from the strange woman,
from the foreigner who flatters with her words.
For at the window of my house,
I looked out through my lattice.
I saw among the simple ones.
I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding,
passing through the street near her corner,
he went the way to her house,
in the twilight, in the evening of the day,
in the middle of the night and in the darkness.
Behold, there a woman met him with the attire of a prostitute,
and with crafty intent.
She is loud and defiant.
Her feet don’t stay in her house.
Now she is in the streets, now in the squares,
and lurking at every corner.
So she caught him, and kissed him.
With an impudent face she said to him:
“Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me.
Today I have paid my vows.
Therefore I came out to meet you,
to diligently seek your face,
and I have found you.
I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry,
with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
Come, let’s take our fill of loving until the morning.
Let’s solace ourselves with loving.
For my husband isn’t at home.
He has gone on a long journey.
He has taken a bag of money with him.
He will come home at the full moon.”
With persuasive words, she led him astray.
With the flattering of her lips, she seduced him.
He followed her immediately,
as an ox goes to the slaughter,
as a fool stepping into a noose.
Until an arrow strikes through his liver,
as a bird hurries to the snare,
and doesn’t know that it will cost his life.
Now therefore, sons, listen to me.
Pay attention to the words of my mouth.
Don’t let your heart turn to her ways.
Don’t go astray in her paths,
for she has thrown down many wounded.
Yes, all her slain are a mighty army.
Her house is the way to Sheol,
going down to the rooms of death.
World English Bible (WEB)by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.
Proverbs 2 World English Bible (WEB)My son, if you will receive my words,
and store up my commandments within you,
so as to turn your ear to wisdom,
and apply your heart to understanding;
yes, if you call out for discernment,
and lift up your voice for understanding;
if you seek her as silver,
and search for her as for hidden treasures:
then you will understand the fear of Yahweh,
and find the knowledge of God.
For Yahweh gives wisdom.
Out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.
He lays up sound wisdom for the upright.
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
that he may guard the paths of justice,
and preserve the way of his saints.
Then you will understand righteousness and justice,
equity and every good path.
For wisdom will enter into your heart.
Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
Discretion will watch over you.
Understanding will keep you,
to deliver you from the way of evil,
from the men who speak perverse things,
who forsake the paths of uprightness,
to walk in the ways of darkness,
who rejoice to do evil,
and delight in the perverseness of evil,
who are crooked in their ways,
and wayward in their paths,
to deliver you from the strange woman,
even from the foreigner who flatters with her words,
who forsakes the friend of her youth,
and forgets the covenant of her God;
for her house leads down to death,
her paths to the departed spirits.
None who go to her return again,
neither do they attain to the paths of life.
So you may walk in the way of good men,
and keep the paths of the righteous.
For the upright will dwell in the land.
The perfect will remain in it.
But the wicked will be cut off from the land.
The treacherous will be rooted out of it.
World English Bible (WEB)by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.
Proverbs 1 World English Bible (WEB)The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:
to know wisdom and instruction;
to discern the words of understanding;
to receive instruction in wise dealing,
in righteousness, justice, and equity;
to give prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the young man:
that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning;
that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel:
to understand a proverb and parables,
the words and riddles of the wise.
The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge;
but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.
My son, listen to your father’s instruction,
and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching:
for they will be a garland to grace your head,
and chains around your neck.
My son, if sinners entice you,
don’t consent.
If they say, “Come with us.
Let’s lie in wait for blood.
Let’s lurk secretly for the innocent without cause.
Let’s swallow them up alive like Sheol,
and whole, like those who go down into the pit.
We’ll find all valuable wealth.
We’ll fill our houses with plunder.
You shall cast your lot among us.
We’ll all have one purse.”
My son, don’t walk on the path with them.
Keep your foot from their path,
for their feet run to evil.
They hurry to shed blood.
For the net is spread in vain in the sight of any bird;
but these lay in wait for their own blood.
They lurk secretly for their own lives.
So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain.
It takes away the life of its owners.
Wisdom calls aloud in the street.
She utters her voice in the public squares.
She calls at the head of noisy places.
At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words:
“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?
How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery,
and fools hate knowledge?
Turn at my reproof.
Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you.
I will make known my words to you.
Because I have called, and you have refused;
I have stretched out my hand, and no one has paid attention;
but you have ignored all my counsel,
and wanted none of my reproof;
I also will laugh at your disaster.
I will mock when calamity overtakes you,
when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when your disaster comes on like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come on you.
Then they will call on me, but I will not answer.
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me,
because they hated knowledge,
and didn’t choose the fear of Yahweh.
They wanted none of my counsel.
They despised all my reproof.
Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way,
and be filled with their own schemes.
For the backsliding of the simple will kill them.
The careless ease of fools will destroy them.
But whoever listens to me will dwell securely,
and will be at ease, without fear of harm.”
World English Bible (WEB)by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.
Proverbs 5 World English Bible (WEB)My son, pay attention to my wisdom.
Turn your ear to my understanding,
that you may maintain discretion,
that your lips may preserve knowledge.
For the lips of an adulteress drip honey.
Her mouth is smoother than oil,
but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood,
and as sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death.
Her steps lead straight to Sheol.
She gives no thought to the way of life.
Her ways are crooked, and she doesn’t know it.
Now therefore, my sons, listen to me.
Don’t depart from the words of my mouth.
Remove your way far from her.
Don’t come near the door of her house,
lest you give your honor to others,
and your years to the cruel one;
lest strangers feast on your wealth,
and your labors enrich another man’s house.
You will groan at your latter end,
when your flesh and your body are consumed,
and say, “How I have hated instruction,
and my heart despised reproof.
I haven’t obeyed the voice of my teachers,
nor turned my ear to those who instructed me!
I have come to the brink of utter ruin,
among the gathered assembly.”
Drink water out of your own cistern,
running water out of your own well.
Should your springs overflow in the streets,
streams of water in the public squares?
Let them be for yourself alone,
not for strangers with you.
Let your spring be blessed.
Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
A loving doe and a graceful deer—
let her breasts satisfy you at all times.
Be captivated always with her love.
For why should you, my son, be captivated with an adulteress?
Why embrace the bosom of another?
For the ways of man are before Yahweh’s eyes.
He examines all his paths.
The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare him.
The cords of his sin hold him firmly.
He will die for lack of instruction.
In the greatness of his folly, he will go astray.
World English Bible (WEB)by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.
Proverbs 4 World English Bible (WEB)Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction.
Pay attention and know understanding;
for I give you sound learning.
Don’t forsake my law.
For I was a son to my father,
tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.
He taught me, and said to me:
“Let your heart retain my words.
Keep my commandments, and live.
Get wisdom.
Get understanding.
Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth.
Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you.
Love her, and she will keep you.
Wisdom is supreme.
Get wisdom.
Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
Esteem her, and she will exalt you.
She will bring you to honor when you embrace her.
She will give to your head a garland of grace.
She will deliver a crown of splendor to you.”
Listen, my son, and receive my sayings.
The years of your life will be many.
I have taught you in the way of wisdom.
I have led you in straight paths.
When you go, your steps will not be hampered.
When you run, you will not stumble.
Take firm hold of instruction.
Don’t let her go.
Keep her, for she is your life.
Don’t enter into the path of the wicked.
Don’t walk in the way of evil men.
Avoid it, and don’t pass by it.
Turn from it, and pass on.
For they don’t sleep unless they do evil.
Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.
For they eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light
that shines more and more until the perfect day.
The way of the wicked is like darkness.
They don’t know what they stumble over.
My son, attend to my words.
Turn your ear to my sayings.
Let them not depart from your eyes.
Keep them in the center of your heart.
For they are life to those who find them,
and health to their whole body.
Keep your heart with all diligence,
for out of it is the wellspring of life.
Put away from yourself a perverse mouth.
Put corrupt lips far from you.
Let your eyes look straight ahead.
Fix your gaze directly before you.
Make the path of your feet level.
Let all of your ways be established.
Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left.
Remove your foot from evil.
World English Bible (WEB)by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.
"Waiting for Collection."
The Blessing of YHWH is ready for collection.
Jesus declared from the Cross, "It is finished!" or, as some translators would say, "It is accomplished!" This caused the Roman Centurion listening to acknowledge that Jesus was surely the Son of God. [John 19:28 and 30 plus Matthew 27:54]
The word tetelestai means, "The debt has been paid in full."
Quoting from Bible.Org
The word tetelestai was also written on business documents or receipts in New Testament times to show indicating that a bill had been paid in full. The Greek-English lexicon by Moulton and Milligan says this:
“Receipts are often introduced by the phrase [sic] tetelestai, usually written in an abbreviated manner...” (p. 630). The connection between receipts and what Christ accomplished would have been quite clear to John’s Greek-speaking readership; it would be unmistakable that Jesus Christ had died to pay for their sins. [End quote]
Paul assures us that the notice of debt has been nailed to the Cross.
Colossians 2:14
TLV
He wiped out the handwritten record of debts with the decrees against us, which was hostile to us. He took it away by nailing it to the cross.
VOICE
eliminated the massive debt we incurred by the law that stood against us. He took it all away; He nailed it to the cross. But that’s not all.
WEB
wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us. He has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.
In Matthew 28:18 it says...
"Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth..."
Notice that the devil had once offered Jesus this if He would only compromise.
The Authority and Power has been returned to the Author and Finisher of our Faith.
The devil has been brought to nought. He has been stripped of his (stolen) power. He is at zero. The only reason Christians are not walking in victory every day is that they have collected what is ready to be collected - their blessing which is their inheritance. If you've ever been confused over the fuss made over the final blessing of Abraham via Isaac - Genesis chs 27-29 - which Jacob got - now you have a sense. The blessing has POWER, the power to unlock your access to your inheritance.
“Behold, the smell of my son
is as the smell of a field which Yahweh has blessed.
God give you of the dew of the sky,
of the fatness of the earth,
and plenty of grain and new wine.
Let peoples serve you,
and nations bow down to you.
Be lord over your brothers.
Let your mother’s sons bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone who curses you.
Blessed be everyone who blesses you.”
The blessing is waiting for your collection... don't just sit there!
Jesus is the High Priest of your Confession... listen to these recordings, then confess what you remember over your life and those you love.
Whatever gets your attention, gets you!
Whatever gets your attention gets you results!
Where is your attention?
Paul says, "...seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." That's where our attention must be.
By fixing our attention on the Risen Christ Jesus, we can rise above the waves.
Paul goes on to mix the language of the soldier (put to death all the bad stuff in our lives - indicative of the old creation) and the language of covenant (putting off - like taking off a garment in the coventant ceremony and putting on a new garment symbolising our new creation and identity.) All is changed.
I love the fact that God calls us to sing!
We are to...
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord." Input is clear: the Word of Christ; output is clear - sing! Scripture in Song!
And the secret of happiness in any work you do is revealed too - do it ALL for Jesus.
"Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through him."
One phrase in chapter four leaps out for me:
"redeeming the time"
Psalm 14
This reminds me of the eloquent, Richard Dawkins, passionate about removing the church's influence on society.
"The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”"
Folly can wear the veneer of eloquence.
However, at times like this, such folly will cost lives.
There will many who have never given God honour nor service who will wag both finger and tongue at the God they don't respect or serve, saying, "Where is God?" or even more ridiculous, "This is God's fault."
Their time has come.
The time has come for more Truth to be revealed.
Scripture is so personal.
If you're like me, you don't yet hear the audible voice of God.
That may be a good thing.
Effectively, at that level, I am deaf.
How then, does God 'speak' to us in a way that we can hear?
He uses 'Sign Language' in these three ways:
Firstly, He writes letters to us - like Colossians. "Every Scripture is God-breathed," Paul says to Timothy, "and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that each person who belongs to God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." [2 Timothy 3:16-17] So, at least we can read His love notes to us. They have His SIGNature style of encouragement.
Secondly, He uses two other types of Sign Language - Natural and Supernatural. Nature itself is a love-letter from God to His Creation. Soon, we will reach Psalm 19 in our reading plan and there we will hear God say,
"The heavens declare the glory of God.
The expanse shows his handiwork.
Day after day they pour out speech,
and night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech nor language,
where their voice is not heard."
Then there are Supernatural Signs and Wonders that bear witness to the God-kind-of-Life, the Life Force of the Resurrected Christ, that dwells and acts in and through believers. This one both excites and concerns me. It concerns me because the church (small 'c') seems convinced that the Dr holds forth more hope than our Divine Dr. It excites me because now is the ideal time for God to manifest the message that the same sacrifice that nails the note-of-debt to the Cross, wiping it out, is the very same sacrifice that dealt with the root of all sickness and disease. In the UK, we have a highly evolved benefit system to care for those who are temporarily or permanently unable to care for themselves - it's an invisible means of support that becomes visible when people claim what is possible. Many don't... and for many reasons. Some out of ignorance, some out of a twisted belief that it is inappropriate. Well, I have to say, Bless the Lord YHWH, Oh My Soul, and forget not any of His benefits! He heals all my diseases, He forgives all my sins, and He redeems my life from any pit of destruction. Let the Lord confirm His Word with the Signs and Wonders that follow...
Thirdly, He does speak! He can speak through your lips! Paul again told Timothy to devote himself to the public reading of Scripture - that means to read it out LOUD!
Let me assure you that you don't have to wait until you're in a church meeting to do this!
When I read the Scriptures out loud, as I do for you here, I learn and I hear subtleties that are lost to me when I merely read the Word silently in my head.
Today, I feel sad and would love your encouragement. We lost to death a cat who had adopted us. He was such a free spirit, but he was hit by a vehicle and then put down by someone who could have made a better choice. I must not judge, but I am sad. Sadness is picked up so well in today's Psalm, and I read it even more from my heart than usual (and I think I always read from the heart!)
I am also very sad that I'm reaching my upload limit on Buzzsprout and currently have not had the faith to manifest the finances with which to buy more capacity. Paul often speaks 'Grace' (undeserved favour) and 'Peace' as his opening blessings. If you feel like expressing undeserved favour toward me - enough to help me expand this work, you can give at ko-fi/magnanimous and invest in the Kingdom of Heaven - a better banking system than the world's - which is about to crash anyway!
Psalm 91 is the "Antiviral Psalm" - specifically its references to delivering us from the deadly pestilence. We shall not be afraid of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that wastes at noonday - even if a thousand may fall at our side, or ten thousand at our right hand - it will not come near us. Because we have made YHWH our refuge, and the Most High our dwelling place, no evil shall happen to us, nor shall any plague come near our dwelling. It seems that angels are the agents of protection - guarding us in all our ways. Long life is the promise of all those who devote themselves to the Living God... and that protection, dear ones, is a decision and a word away. The Word is near you.
Specifically, here's what God promises in Romans chapter 10:
“The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart;” Deuteronomy 30:14 that is, the word of faith which we preach: that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes resulting in righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed.”
Amen!
The text of Psalm 91 is set within the context of a deep relaxation. If you listen on headphones, there is a binaural beat track that will help your brain access a deeply relaxed and receptive state whereby you may with a humble spirit receive the word [of God] which is implanted [actually rooted in your heart], which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21)
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of Yahweh, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
my God, in whom I trust.”
For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler,
and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with His feathers.
Under His wings you will take refuge.
His faithfulness is your shield and rampart.
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
nor of the arrow that flies by day,
nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
nor of the destruction that wastes at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side,
and ten thousand at your right hand;
but it will not come near you.
You will only look with your eyes,
and see the recompense of the wicked.
Because you have made Yahweh your refuge,
and the Most High your dwelling place,
no evil shall happen to you,
neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.
For he will put his angels in charge of you,
to guard you in all your ways.
They will bear you up in their hands,
so that you won’t dash your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and cobra.
You will trample the young lion and the serpent underfoot.
“Because he has set his love on me, therefore I will deliver him.
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
He will call on Me, and I will answer him.
I will be with him in trouble.
I will deliver him, and honor him.
I will satisfy him with long life,
and show him my salvation.”
World English Bible (WEB)
You can say, "Thanks!" by buying me a coffee here:
http://bit.ly/ThankYouLex
A locus is a person, position, or place where something occurs or is situated.
Jesus is the locus of focus where miracles occur and where the answers to our prayers, our dreams, and our desires are situated. In Him, ALL the promises of God are answered, "Yes!" and our, "Amen!" is shouted to the glory of God! [2 Corinthians 1:20]
In these words of encouragement, we share how there are three loci of focus:
- The Sensory Knowledge of Science and Circumstance
- The Sensory Knowledge of the evidence our body provides us with - the flesh
- The Revelation Knowledge that often supersedes sensory knowledge - the evidence of our senses and the rebellious declarations of science as to what is possible and what is impossible.
Only one Locus of Focus will give us the answers we need.
Jesus.
[Image credit: Photo by Tim Marshall on Unsplash
ps. if you're feeling magnanimous, here's an opportunity:
https://ko-fi.com/magnanimous
Times of crisis and danger and loss and suffering really help humans to shine or to show their true colours.
We need to love our neighbours - even as much as we love ourselves. Tough call.
We ask, "Who then is my neighbour?"
The answer is surprising and shocking...
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Given the gravity of the current world crisis, now is the best time up our divine medicine.
Here are many of the Healing Scriptures for you to meditate upon and for faith to arise.
Meditate to Medicate!
Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
Faith comes from hearing, and healing by the Word of God too.
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Today is the Feast of Purim - one of the most joyous festivals in the Jewish calendar.
The Feast celebrates the resilience of God's chosen people - how they have survived against what often has seemed like impossible odds.
For those of us who are not Jewish, it's a great day to celebrate just how far we've come.
It is traditional to celebrate the feast by reading the whole book of Esther. When Haman is mentioned, those listening to the public reading of Scripture are meant to shout, "Boo!" and hiss and stamp their feet. There are even special rattles made to show derision to this foolish enemy of Israel.
I thought we'd take a break from our normal reading plan and show solidarity with our Jewish brethren by listening to the Book of Esther in its entirety.
Furthermore, there is meant to be a feast today, so have a great meal and drink plenty of wine to celebrate how good God is to you.
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Where are your thoughts focused?
Paul says the secret to peace - and we might add, to good mental health - is to make sure we think about...
"...whatever things are true, whatever things are honourable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report: if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, think about these things."
That's Philippians 4:8
In fact, before this, he says we are to be anxious about nothing. Prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, couples with rejoicing in the Lord, always, is a much better way to run that wonderful computer God has given us - our mind. Get this right and the peace of God Himself - a peace that transcends above and surpasses all understanding - God's very own peace will guard our hearts and our thoughts in Christ Jesus.
Having the mind of Christ enables us to sleep peacefully even when the storm that threatens to destroy us rages all around us. Once this God-kind-of-peace is established in our hearts we can speak out of our mouths what is in our hearts, "Peace! Be still!" and the storms will cease... even the wind and the waves will obey.
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In Philippians, Paul shares insights with a church that was in partnership with him in sharing the Good News.
God is in debt to no man or woman, thus Paul is confident that God will finish His amazing work in the Philippians, that, "He who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."
This is of enormous comfort to those of us who sense God is not finished with us yet!
On a daily basis I wonder at the incomplete nature of God's work in me - so here is the promise that, "it is God who works in us both to will and to work, for His good pleasure."
In Philippians 2, we have the great declaration of both Jesus' Identity and His humility.
"Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross.Therefore God also highly exalted Him, and gave to Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Let us take enormous comfort from Paul's insights - that God, indeed, is still at work in us and the Author and Finisher of our Faith will do just that - finish what He started.
Amen!
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Loving the whole reminder of 'Rhema' - the spoken Word of God as the Sword of the Spirit.
Yes, friends, today's the day to remember your armour.
That Shield of Faith can quench every flaming arrow of outrageous fortune!
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Ephesians 3:20-21 says it perfectly for me:
"Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,to Him be the glory in the assembly and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."
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Listen to this and REJOICE.
Notice how YOU WERE CHOSEN before forever!
You've been ordained to do good works which God has gone before you and prepared in advance.
You are made a little lower than the angels and have been crowned with glory and honour.
He has put ALL THINGS under your feet.
YHWH, our Lord, how majestic is Your Name in all the Earth!
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Get ready for the delights of the Fruit of the Spirit - God's recipe for a successful life.
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I've added a couple of verses from 1 Samuel 18 because we are talking about covenant.
"When he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul... 3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David with his clothing, even including his sword, his bow, and his sash."
Jesus 'cut' covenant with the Father so that we can say "Abba, Father!" through Jesus.
Because the covenant is between Jesus and the Father ("The New Covenant in My Blood") it cannot be broken and will never be broken in spite of anything humans may do.
In the covenant, through Christ, we get to put on Jesus' robe - we clothe ourselves with Christ. We get His whole armour too! A new name like Abram becoming Abraham, when God joined His name with Abram. This is all SO exciting. And, if you have any need, God has bound Himself through covenant commitment and promise to Jesus to meet every need.
Sharing learning and the public reading of Scripture is how I spend my life.
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Narrated from the World English Bible, this recording is for you to use if you are in Christ.
I invite you to read along with me each day, using the Read Scripture App.
Sharing learning and the public reading of Scripture is how I spend my life.
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You will be delighted to discover that the Greek word, "Metamorphosis," is only used 4 times in the New Testament. Twice it is translated as 'Transfigured' and twice as 'Transformed'.
The point is that your life can be transformed, transfigured, metamorphosed by adopting new patterns of thinking in alignment with the Scriptures. The path may be narrow but it is easy.
Sharing learning and the public reading of Scripture is how I spend my life.
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