9/29/12

Old and new...



Nice idea; a new take on an old plug!  But, then again the world is full of "new" things; ideas appear all around us on a regular basis.   To a certain extent we owe our changing world to the Greeks, for they were the first culture to really use human intellect in questioning everything... and then finding solutions.  Paul used their intellectual curiosity to proclaim the Gospel to them in a place called the "Areopagus" and the story goes like this...

Acts, Chapter 17
 16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw the city full of idols.  17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who met him.  18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also were conversing with him. Some said, “What does this babbler want to say?”

Others said, “He seems to be advocating foreign deities,” because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.

  19 They took hold of him, and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by you?  20 For you bring certain strange things to our ears. We want to know therefore what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the strangers living there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing.

  22 Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus, and said, “You men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in all things.  23 For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I announce to you.  24 The God who made the world and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands, 25 neither is he served by men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath, and all things.  26 He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings,  27 that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.  28 ‘For in him we live, and move, and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’  29 Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, or silver, or stone, engraved by art and design of man.  30 The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.”

  32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, “We want to hear you again concerning this.”

The God Paul proclaimed is still hidden to many today; but, in a different way.  Intellectual snobbery and the pride of human accomplishment blind many to the truth of the TRUE GOD and this is very sad.  However, no matter how smart you may think you are, still we must all face the inevitable.  Sooner or later, we will all face death and our creator.  What we do between now and then will determine our fate, so the future is up to you.  Some of the Greeks dismissed Paul (verse 32 above) but others followed.  Which group would you rather be associated with?  Your choice, your fate...

Sept. 29 Psalms 115-117


Sept. 29
Psalms 115-117

Psa 115:1 Not to us, Yahweh, not to us, but to your name give glory, for your loving kindness, and for your truth's sake.
Psa 115:2 Why should the nations say, "Where is their God, now?"
Psa 115:3 But our God is in the heavens. He does whatever he pleases.
Psa 115:4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.
Psa 115:5 They have mouths, but they don't speak. They have eyes, but they don't see.
Psa 115:6 They have ears, but they don't hear. They have noses, but they don't smell.
Psa 115:7 They have hands, but they don't feel. They have feet, but they don't walk, neither do they speak through their throat.
Psa 115:8 Those who make them will be like them; yes, everyone who trusts in them.
Psa 115:9 Israel, trust in Yahweh! He is their help and their shield.
Psa 115:10 House of Aaron, trust in Yahweh! He is their help and their shield.
Psa 115:11 You who fear Yahweh, trust in Yahweh! He is their help and their shield.
Psa 115:12 Yahweh remembers us. He will bless us. He will bless the house of Israel. He will bless the house of Aaron.
Psa 115:13 He will bless those who fear Yahweh, both small and great.
Psa 115:14 May Yahweh increase you more and more, you and your children.
Psa 115:15 Blessed are you by Yahweh, who made heaven and earth.
Psa 115:16 The heavens are the heavens of Yahweh; but the earth has he given to the children of men.
Psa 115:17 The dead don't praise Yah, neither any who go down into silence;
Psa 115:18 But we will bless Yah, from this time forth and forevermore. Praise Yah!
Psa 116:1 I love Yahweh, because he listens to my voice, and my cries for mercy.
Psa 116:2 Because he has turned his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
Psa 116:3 The cords of death surrounded me, the pains of Sheol got a hold of me. I found trouble and sorrow.
Psa 116:4 Then I called on the name of Yahweh: "Yahweh, I beg you, deliver my soul."
Psa 116:5 Yahweh is Gracious and righteous. Yes, our God is merciful.
Psa 116:6 Yahweh preserves the simple. I was brought low, and he saved me.
Psa 116:7 Return to your rest, my soul, for Yahweh has dealt bountifully with you.
Psa 116:8 For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.
Psa 116:9 I will walk before Yahweh in the land of the living.
Psa 116:10 I believed, therefore I said, "I was greatly afflicted."
Psa 116:11 I said in my haste, "All men are liars."
Psa 116:12 What will I give to Yahweh for all his benefits toward me?
Psa 116:13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of Yahweh.
Psa 116:14 I will pay my vows to Yahweh, yes, in the presence of all his people.
Psa 116:15 Precious in the sight of Yahweh is the death of his saints.
Psa 116:16 Yahweh, truly I am your servant. I am your servant, the son of your handmaid. You have freed me from my chains.
Psa 116:17 I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call on the name of Yahweh.
Psa 116:18 I will pay my vows to Yahweh, yes, in the presence of all his people,
Psa 116:19 in the courts of Yahweh's house, in the midst of you, Jerusalem. Praise Yah!

Psa 117:1 Praise Yahweh, all you nations! Extol him, all you peoples!
Psa 117:2 For his loving kindness is great toward us. Yahweh's faithfulness endures forever. Praise Yah!

Sept. 29 2 Corinthians 9


Sept. 29
2 Corinthians 9

2Co 9:1 It is indeed unnecessary for me to write to you concerning the service to the saints,
2Co 9:2 for I know your readiness, of which I boast on your behalf to them of Macedonia, that Achaia has been prepared for a year past. Your zeal has stirred up very many of them.
2Co 9:3 But I have sent the brothers that our boasting on your behalf may not be in vain in this respect, that, just as I said, you may be prepared,
2Co 9:4 so that I won't by any means, if there come with me any of Macedonia and find you unprepared, we (to say nothing of you) should be disappointed in this confident boasting.
2Co 9:5 I thought it necessary therefore to entreat the brothers that they would go before to you, and arrange ahead of time the generous gift that you promised before, that the same might be ready as a matter of generosity, and not of greediness.
2Co 9:6 Remember this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
2Co 9:7 Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart; not grudgingly, or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.
2Co 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may abound to every good work.
2Co 9:9 As it is written, "He has scattered abroad, he has given to the poor. His righteousness remains forever."
2Co 9:10 Now may he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;
2Co 9:11 you being enriched in everything to all liberality, which works through us thanksgiving to God.
2Co 9:12 For this service of giving that you perform not only makes up for lack among the saints, but abounds also through many givings of thanks to God;
2Co 9:13 seeing that through the proof given by this service, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the Good News of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all;
2Co 9:14 while they themselves also, with supplication on your behalf, yearn for you by reason of the exceeding grace of God in you.
2Co 9:15 Now thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift!

Hebrews, Chapter 5, Mark Copeland

                      "THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS"

                              Chapter Five

How Jesus is superior to prophets, angels, and Moses has been discussed.
Now comes Jesus’ superiority to Aaron as High Priest.  Qualities
necessary to be high priest are reviewed, ably met by Jesus (1-10).
Before proceeding further, the author finds it necessary to extend the
fourth warning, this one against dullness due to spiritual immaturity
(11-14).

POINTS TO PONDER

   *  How Jesus qualifies to be our High Priest

   *  Signs of being dull of hearing (spiritually)

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1) What are the main points of this chapter?
   - Christ’s qualifications as High Priest - He 5:1-10
   - A warning against dullness - He 5:11-14

2) What qualifications are necessary to serve as high priest? (1,4)
   - Taken from among men, called by God

3) What duties are performed by the high priest? (1-3)
   - To offer sacrifices for sin, to have compassion on the ignorant and
     straying

4) Who chose Jesus Christ to become High Priest? (5-6,10)
   - God, as was prophesied in Ps 2:7 and Ps 110:4

5) In the flesh, what did Jesus experience?  What did He learn? (7-8)
   - Vehement cries and tears, godly fear, things which He suffered;
     obedience

6) What did Jesus become through such suffering?  For whom? (9)
   - The author of eternal salvation; to all who obey Him

7) What made the author’s subject difficult to continue and explain?
   (11)
   - His readers’ dullness of hearing

8) What should his readers been capable of at that time? (12)
   - Able to teach others

9) What did they need instead?  Why? (12-13)
   - Milk and solid food; they were unskilled in the word of
     righteousness

10) Who is capable of handling the "meat" of the Word? (14)
   - Those of full age
   - Who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good
     and evil