Conversational Scripture Reading

Have you ever tried praying Scripture back to God? I’m talking about actually speaking the text back to Him using conversational pronouns (I may have just made that term up, but you get the point), for example, changing “He” and “the Lord” to “You”.  It makes for an amazing prayer and worship time.  Give it a shot.  Here’s a good one to start with: Psalm 18:1-3

Ummmm…just one word of warning: be careful to know the context.  Every passage in Scripture is not suitable for this kind of reading.  There are sometimes specific prophecies, instructions, etc. that were for a particular people at a particular time.  Pick the ones that are obviously more universal, in nature.  If you have questions about whether a specific passage fits the bill, shoot it to me and I’d be happy to try and help you figure it out.

Memorizing Philippians

Working on memorizing the book of Philippians using the Partnering to Remember plan.  If you want to join me, check it out here.

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What a Gift!

Amazing video of the Kimyal people receiving the Bible into their own language for the first time.  This is a good reminder to me on this Christmas Eve of the blessing of Christ coming and the very Scripture that reveals Him that I so quickly take for granted.  God, forgive me.

To have that kind of enthusiasm over something other than a sporting event.

The Testimony of God – 1 John 5:6-10

It has always been said that actions speak louder than words.  It’s one thing to make a claim, it’s another to back it up.  In 1 John 5:6-10, the apostle tells us that Jesus did both.  He not only claimed to be the Son of God and savior to the world, his actions are evidence of that truth.  Beyond that, the Holy Spirit, as we’ve talked about before, offers testimony, both internally and externally (which we’ll see in just a second).

I suppose this could be considered one of those passages somewhat difficult to understand.  John starts talking about Jesus coming by water and blood and that testifies about him, agreeing that He is the Son of God and it can sound pretty crazy at first.  I think, though, if we break it down just a bit, we’ll see what I believe John is talking about.

The testimony of water.  This most likely refers to Jesus’ baptism.  We need to think about what that was all about and what happened.  When Jesus came up out of the water, after having identified Himself with us in the act of baptism, the Spirit of God descended upon Him for all to see and a voice was heard giving testimony:  “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”  God, Himself, testified and the Spirit confirmed the nature and person of who Jesus was as He obediently undertook an important sign of His identification with us.

Then, of course, was the blood.  Jesus not only talked about the need for Salvation, He provided it.  He put His money where His mouth was and went to the cross, fulfilling prophecy completely, demonstrating His divinity through the resurrection.  John says that their (the witnesses) testimony is strong, having seen all of this take place, but the testimony of the Spirit of God, Himself, the baptism and the sacrifice of Christ give us a certainty of who Jesus was and is.  It is because of this that John speaks in such strong terms regarding making God a liar, having been provided such compelling evidence.

In the midst of such turmoil surrounding this “holiday” season (who can put up what display and is this a pagan holiday or a Christian one, etc.) we who are Believers can reflect on the reason Christ came and appreciate the testimony God has given us that Jesus became flesh to bring hope to the hopeless, sight to the blind, healing to the sick and salvation to the lost.

A New Kind of Test – 1 John 4:1-5

Up to now, the tests in 1 John have been for us.  We have been given tests to demonstrate whether or not Christ really lives in us and if we are really following after Him.  Now, the tables are turned.

Testing the spirits is a vital operation that we must carry out constantly.   In an age of tolerance, we are pressured into accepting everything that comes our way.  Whether through social issues that arise or through spiritual teaching, discerning the Truth can be very difficult.  Subtleties lie around every corner.

John tells us that the bare minimum standard we must require is that the teacher fully affirm the diety and humanity of Christ.  If a teacher sounds good, appeals to the masses and gives glory to “god,” that is not enough.  Where do they stand on the issue of Christ?  If they waffle on any aspect of the person of Christ, they are to be rejected.

It goes further than this, though, because there are some who will claim the deity of Christ and get everything John is requiring here and still be misleading teachers.  For instance, there are some Christian leaders, denominations, etc., that will align very clearly with the Bible’s description of Christ, yet change other parts of the Gospel:  “Yes, Jesus is fully God and fully man.  Yes, He came to die in our place, was physically born, killed, resurrected and ascended…but, He’s not the only way to salvation.”  Bam! There it is, and they were sounding so good.

Some preach a health and wealth gospel which is not in line with Jesus’ teachings.  Some prove their own social agenda by denying that parts of Scripture are relevant today.  Others will deny the authenticity and even the inspiration of some writers (Paul is a popular target) because he doesn’t support their claim.  Watch out for these people.  Test the spirit!