Ezekiel 3:8-9 KJV: [8] Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads. [9] As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.
Some time ago a longtime pastor friend from another church was confiding in me about both the highs and lows of leading a congregation. Because of his genuine sadness over the lows, I joked with him that I was going to do a Bible study entitled How to Kill Your Pastor.
My friend, seeing the veiled humor in the concept, shared that thought with another fellow pastor, who quickly responded; “When can he come teach this at my church?”
Will a man rob God?
This is the question God’s messenger known as Malachi asked the remnant of Israel beginning around 425 B.C.
Malachi, whose name literally translates as “My Messenger” warned the Jewish priest and the people of Israel that God was not pleased with their halfhearted worship of Him. Malachi was the final writing prophet in the Old Testament and his message is appropriately placed last.
Fishing on the wrong side of the boat
John 21:6 KJV [6] And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
Being a natural-born card-carrying smart aleck, I simply love one-liners, especially catchphrases. Catchphrases are the basis for most advertising and the purpose is to quickly grab our attention.
The best one-liners stick in people’s minds and when heard we will associate the phrase with a particular product, brand or even an idea. The end goal of branding is to create consumer loyalty to a particular product or concept.
The common theme of all the messages I have heard preached lately, all by different ministers, pertain to the need for REVIVAL!
I could caption some of the messages like this: “Cast the net on the right side of the ship” from the book of John, Chapter 21; “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me,” found in the book of Psalms Chapter 51.
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” This statement is part of Paul’s closing instructions from his letter to the Churches in the region then known as Galatia.
I just want to take a moment to write down some random thoughts that come into my mind as I meditate upon Psalm 23. I have pasted the text below and will comment after each verse.
Psalm 23:1-6 KJV; A Psalm of David. David knew a lot about sheep and shepherding. In 2 Samuel 7, as David sits in his palace admiring its splendor, Nathan the prophet reminded David where God has brought him from. “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel:”
A hero is a person, real or imaginary, noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose—especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.
Our need for a hero is so strong that in the absence of a real person we will invent fictional characters to satisfy our need to be rescued. Sometimes we will elevate a gifted athlete, actor or other famous personality to hero status irrespective of any actual heroic sacrifice, simply because we need a hero.
James 4:4 KJV
[4] Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
I really enjoyed writing the first two parts of this series on friends, but in all honesty, I have dreaded writing this last part. It is not my intention to offend or condemn anyone, but if the Word of God offends you, well, then take it up with Him. That being said, Jesus said many people would be offended because of the words he spoke and the things he did.
James 2:23 KJV
[23] And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
I can’t read James 2:23 without the simple lyrics of “I Am a Friend of God, by Israel Houghton and Michael Gungor, playing in my mind. It’s the kind of lyric that can get stuck on replay in your mind for hours. Which in this case is probably not a bad thing, especially if we associate it with the scriptures the lyrics are based upon.
Part 1
Proverbs 18:24 KJV
[24] A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
I often close conversations with Proverbs 18:24, to remind myself and others of the importance of having friends. Friendships come in various levels, from short-term casual contact, to lifelong intimate relationships.
We sometimes use the word friend very loosely, even casually as a greeting. Many believe that friendship in the best sense is lifelong to the extent that both parties involved would die for each other.
1 Peter 3:19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison.
Today we have a lot of misunderstanding regarding what Peter is trying to communicate in the above verse. I once heard a prominent TV preacher theorize from this scripture that Jesus Spirit while he was in the grave literally entered into hell (the under-world, Hades, Limbo, Purgatory, an intermediate place for the lost, choose your own noun) to give a second chance at redemption to those people long dead.
“Houston, we have a problem!”
John 21:12 KJV:
[12] Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine.
It’s the third meeting Jesus is hosting for some of his disciples after his Resurrection. Like any good host, Jesus wants everyone to be relaxed before they really get into the serious business at hand for them. So he starts his meeting with a fish fry as it were. Fish sandwiches to be exact or at least their version of a fish sandwich, which was simply bread and fish—a highly appropriate meal for a meeting with a bunch of fishermen, cooked by someone that once said, “man does not live by bread alone.” (Matthew 4:4)
Some sermons, or at least the sermon titles, just get stuck in my mind. An experienced preacher will often give their message a catchy title to help drive the point home.
I’ll never forget a sermon the Reverend Ronnie Beeler once preached which he entitled, “Wallowing Around Under a Log with the Mully Grubs.”
I’m fairly sure Reverend Beeler just made up the word “mully,” but I understood what he meant, having turned over many logs as a boy searching for fishing bait.
[1] Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. - Acts 3:1 KJV
I like to do character studies of the Bible patriarchs, because it helps me to better understand the context of their stories. A common theme of these character studies is that all the men and women of the Bible were subject to the same passions as we are today.
I’ve been a fisherman all my life.
My first vivid memory is of pulling back some cattails to see a stringer full of fish, which my Dad had staked out on some waterway someplace. Needless to say, I love to fish!
Four of the 12 Apostles Jesus called were professional fishermen and at least three others liked to fish.
In John 21:2-8, that “disciple whom Jesus loved”* tells us of seven Apostles fishing together when Jesus appeared to them after his resurrection.
2 Timothy 4:3 KJV
[3] For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
Have you ever scratched a hound dog behind its ears? Dogs just can’t seem to get enough ear scratching. I can recall countless times when my boyhood hound dog Sam would cozy up to me, nudge my hand and encourage me to scratch behind his ears. Seems like Sam especially enjoyed this if I told him he was a “good dog.”
Perhaps I should have entitled this article “What’s Wrong with Christianity?”
The answer to both questions are not synonymous, but they are related.
Plus questioning what is wrong with Christianity is too subjective, as evidenced by the various Christian denominations found throughout the world. Denominations, including religious sects, are greatly influenced by personal feelings or opinions.
Philippians 4:6 is one of those verses which many Christians have hidden in their hearts. It is Paul the Apostles version of 1 Peter 5:7 “Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.”
We find Paul once again in prison for preaching the Gospel. He has written this letter to the Philippians so that they will not lose hope in Christ, because of the situation in which Paul finds himself.
Let’s think about what is going on by imagining ourselves as part of a possible conversation between two first century new believers in the city of Philippi: