1/1/13

Numbers, rainbows and FRIENDS!!!


For the vast majority of us, New Years day is a holiday!  The 1st day of a brand new year is something to remember!!!  And when I thought about it, naturally I began to think about numbers- and then I found this picture in my collection.  It combines rainbows, numbers and friends in a beautiful way. Since I just finished the book of Revelation the other day, naturally this passage was in the forefront of my thinking...

Revelation, Chapter 21
 10 He carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,  11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, as if it were a jasper stone, clear as crystal;  12 having a great and high wall; having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.  13 On the east were three gates; and on the north three gates; and on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.  14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.  15 He who spoke with me had for a measure, a golden reed, to measure the city, its gates, and its walls.  16 The city is square, and its length is as great as its breadth. He measured the city with the reed, Twelve thousand twelve stadia. Its length, breadth, and height are equal.  17 Its wall is one hundred forty-four cubits, by the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.  18 The construction of its wall was jasper. The city was pure gold, like pure glass.  19 The foundations of the city’s wall were adorned with all kinds of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald;  20 the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprasus; the eleventh, jacinth; and the twelfth, amethyst.  21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls. Each one of the gates was made of one pearl. The street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.  22 I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple.  23 The city has no need for the sun, neither of the moon, to shine, for the very glory of God illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb.  24 The nations will walk in its light. The kings of the earth bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.  25 Its gates will in no way be shut by day (for there will be no night there),  26 and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it so that they may enter.  27 There will in no way enter into it anything profane, or one who causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life. 

So, put together we have a marvellous composite: Numbers, rainbows, friends and heaven.  What a wonderful way to begin a new year!!! Especially if you think about the number seven, which is a combination of the number for God (3) and the number for the world (4).  A new world, with God in it and all my friends as well.  Wow!!!  By the way, in case you are wondering about all those stones in the wall- click on the link below for some interesting information!!!


HAPPY NEW YEAR AND MY GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!!






Bible Reading, Jan. 1


Jan. 1
Genesis 1

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Gen 1:2 Now the earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep. God's Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters.
Gen 1:3 God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
Gen 1:4 God saw the light, and saw that it was good. God divided the light from the darkness.
Gen 1:5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. There was evening and there was morning, one day.
Gen 1:6 God said, "Let there be an expanse in the middle of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters."
Gen 1:7 God made the expanse, and divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so.
Gen 1:8 God called the expanse sky. There was evening and there was morning, a second day.
Gen 1:9 God said, "Let the waters under the sky be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear;" and it was so.
Gen 1:10 God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters he called Seas. God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:11 God said, "Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with its seed in it, on the earth;" and it was so.
Gen 1:12 The earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with its seed in it, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:13 There was evening and there was morning, a third day.
Gen 1:14 God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of sky to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years;
Gen 1:15 and let them be for lights in the expanse of sky to give light on the earth;" and it was so.
Gen 1:16 God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He also made the stars.
Gen 1:17 God set them in the expanse of sky to give light to the earth,
Gen 1:18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:19 There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
Gen 1:20 God said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of sky."
Gen 1:21 God created the large sea creatures, and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind. God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:22 God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."
Gen 1:23 There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
Gen 1:24 God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind, livestock, creeping things, and animals of the earth after their kind;" and it was so.
Gen 1:25 God made the animals of the earth after their kind, and the livestock after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind. God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:26 God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
Gen 1:27 God created man in his own image. In God's image he created him; male and female he created them.
Gen 1:28 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."
Gen 1:29 God said, "Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree, which bears fruit yielding seed. It will be your food.
Gen 1:30 To every animal of the earth, and to every bird of the sky, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food;" and it was so.
Gen 1:31 God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. There was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.



Jan. 1, 2
Matthew 1

Mat 1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Mat 1:2 Abraham became the father of Isaac. Isaac became the father of Jacob. Jacob became the father of Judah and his brothers.
Mat 1:3 Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron. Hezron became the father of Ram.
Mat 1:4 Ram became the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon. Nahshon became the father of Salmon.
Mat 1:5 Salmon became the father of Boaz by Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed by Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse.
Mat 1:6 Jesse became the father of David the king. David became the father of Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.
Mat 1:7 Solomon became the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam became the father of Abijah. Abijah became the father of Asa.
Mat 1:8 Asa became the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat became the father of Joram. Joram became the father of Uzziah.
Mat 1:9 Uzziah became the father of Jotham. Jotham became the father of Ahaz. Ahaz became the father of Hezekiah.
Mat 1:10 Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh. Manasseh became the father of Amon. Amon became the father of Josiah.
Mat 1:11 Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the exile to Babylon.
Mat 1:12 After the exile to Babylon, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel became the father of Zerubbabel.
Mat 1:13 Zerubbabel became the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim. Eliakim became the father of Azor.
Mat 1:14 Azor became the father of Sadoc. Sadoc became the father of Achim. Achim became the father of Eliud.
Mat 1:15 Eliud became the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan. Matthan became the father of Jacob.
Mat 1:16 Jacob became the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
Mat 1:17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the exile to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the carrying away to Babylon to the Christ, fourteen generations.
Mat 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this; for after his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit.
Mat 1:19 Joseph, her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, intended to put her away secretly.
Mat 1:20 But when he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to take to yourself Mary, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
Mat 1:21 She shall bring forth a son. You shall call his name Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins."
Mat 1:22 Now all this has happened, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,
Mat 1:23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son. They shall call his name Immanuel;" which is, being interpreted, "God with us."
Mat 1:24 Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took his wife to himself;
Mat 1:25 and didn't know her sexually until she had brought forth her firstborn son. He named him Jesus.

Ecclesiastes, Counsel for Better Living, Mark Copeland

                       "THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES"

                   Counsel For Better Living (7:1-14)

INTRODUCTION

1. In the first six chapters the Preacher has shared with us...
   a. His search for meaning - 1:1-2:24
   b. His observations during the course of his search - 3:1-6:12

2. He has repeated his conclusions time and again...
   a. Life "under the sun" is vanity - 1:2,14; 2:11
   b. Yet there is good that one can do, provided one is blessed by God
      - 2:24-26; 5:18-20

3. In relating the experiences of his search and observations, he 
   shared counsel for living life "under the sun"; for example...
   a. The value of friendship - 4:9-12
   b. The proper way to approach God in worship - 5:1

4. In the remaining six chapters the Preacher continues to share his
   counsel...
   a. Through a mixture of proverbs and narration
      1) Imparting wisdom designed to make the most of life "under the
         sun"
      2) I.e., while life under the sun is "vanity", how then should we
         live?
   b. There is a wealth of wisdom found in these chapters
      1) Too much to cover in detail in this series
      2) We will simply survey the Preacher's counsel as we make our
         way through the book

[With that in mind, let's take a look at 7:1-14, in which we find a
series of comparisons (note the frequent use of "better"). For example,
the Preacher would have us understand that...]

I. HONOR IS BETTER THAN LUXURY (7:1a)

   A. "A GOOD NAME IS BETTER THAN PRECIOUS OINTMENT"
      1. Here the Preacher is extolling the value of a good reputation
         - cf. Pr 22:1
      2. The precious ointment is representative of luxury

   B. WHY THIS IS SO...
      1. We have already seen the vanity of wealth
         a. We may leave it for someone who is foolish - 2:18-19
         b. Unless God give us the ability to enjoy it, it is all for
            naught - 6:1-2
      2  A good reputation finds honor before God and men, and benefits
         us after death!
         a. Just as it did with the "elders" of the Old Testament 
            - He 11:2,39
         b. Especially if our "names" are written in heaven! - Lk 10:
            20; Php 4:3

[So in what time we have in this life, it is better spent making a good
name for ourselves, than accumulating wealth! Next, the Preacher shares
what may be a shocking revelation to some...]

II. YOUR DEATHDAY IS BETTER THAN YOUR BIRTHDAY (7:1b)

   A. "THE DAY OF DEATH THAN THE DAY OF ONE'S BIRTH"
      1. The day of one's death is better than the day in which they
         were born
      2. Of course, this assumes one has first made a good name for
         themselves!

   B. HOW THIS IS SO...
      1. The day of one's birth is the beginning of many sorrows
         a. As Job observed, and even cursed the day of his birth - cf.
            Job 14:1; 3:1-3
         b. As did Jeremiah - Jer 20:14-18
      2. But for the righteous, the day of one's death is the beginning
         of eternal bliss!
         a. They enter into peace and rest - Isa 57:1-2
         b. They go to be with the Lord - Php 1:21-22
         c. They are blessed to be at rest from their labors - Re 14:13

[Speaking of the day of one's death leads naturally to the next bit of
counsel from the Preacher...]

III. A FUNERAL IS BETTER THAN A PARTY (7:2-6)

   A. "BETTER TO GO TO THE HOUSE OF MOURNING THAN TO GO TO THE HOUSE
      OF FEASTING"
      1. Everybody loves a party, but everybody needs to attend a 
         funeral!
      2. Why?  The Preacher tells us why...
         a. "For that is the end of all men"
            1) Life "under the sun" is not forever
            2) We must all die and face what follows next - cf. He 9:27
         b. "And the living will take it to heart"
            1) A funeral reminds us of the brevity of life and the
               eventuality of death
            2) A funeral forces us to face reality and encourages us to
               prepare for it

   B. "SORROW IS BETTER THAN LAUGHTER"
      1. The Preacher explains further why it is good to attend a
         funeral
      2. Laughter may have its place, but sorrow is superior to making
         the heart better - cf. He 12:11
         a. Laughter provides a temporary reprieve from the burdens of
            life
         b. But sorrow, especially at a funeral, encourages us to make
            positive changes
      3. For this reason, the wise person will be found often in the
         funeral parlor, while the fool would rather spend time at a
         party

   C. "IT IS BETTER TO HEAR THE REBUKE OF THE WISE THAN...TO HEAR THE
      SONG OF FOOLS"
      1. At a funeral, one is likely to hear the rebuke of the wise; at
         a party, the song of fools
      2. But the laughter of fools is like the crackling of thorns in a
         fire, and is vanity
         a. Thorns make a lot of noise
         b. But they burn quickly, provide little heat, and are 
            therefore of little value
         -- So also the laughter and songs of the foolish

[Why the Preacher inserted the proverb of verse 7, I am not sure, 
though the point is well taken. However, the next comparison states
that...]
 
IV. THE END IS BETTER THAN THE BEGINNING (7:8)

   A. THIS IS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY SEEN...
      1. That the day of one's death is better than the day of one's
         birth - 7:1
      2. But the principle has application to more than just one's
         overall life

   B. HOW THIS IS SO...
      1. Many projects start with good intentions, but are not 
         completed; it is when they are finished that we can truly look
         back with satisfaction
      2. Many things begin with grief and difficulty, only to end in
         joy and peace- cf. Ps 126:5-6

[Our primary concern should be how things will turn out in the end,
rather than how they may look at the beginning.  To help us keep 
focused on the end, it is good to remember that...]

V. PATIENCE IS BETTER THAN PRIDE (7:8-9)

   A. "THE PATIENT IN SPIRIT IS BETTER THAN THE PROUD IN SPIRIT"
      1. Pride is evil, and is of the world - cf. Mk 7:21-23; 1Jn 2:16
      2. Patience is a virtue to be pursued by the man of God - cf. 
         1Ti 6:11; Tit 2:2

   B. WHY PATIENCE IS BETTER THAN PRIDE...
      1. Pride leads to contention and destruction - Pr 13:10; 16:18
      2. Pride leads to anger, which resides in the heart of the
         foolish - 7:9
      3. Patience, on the other hand, is indicative of wisdom and
         necessary to salvation - Pr 14:29; Ro 2:7; He 10:36

[Another gem of wisdom that leads to better living is understanding
that...]

VI. THE PRESENT IS BETTER THAN THE PAST (7:10)

   A. WE ARE NOT TO SAY "WHY WERE THE FORMER DAYS BETTER?"
      1. People often reminisce about "the good old days"
      2. They often bemoan that things were better then than now

   B. WHY ONE IS NOT WISE IN THINKING THIS...
      1. Memory has a way of forgetting bad things in the past
      2. Even if one experiences trials in the present, there is cause
         for rejoicing - Jm 1:2-4
      3. We may neglect opportunities for much good in the present by
         dwelling on the past

[Speaking of wisdom itself, the Preacher tells us that...]

VII. WISDOM IS BETTER THAN WEALTH (7:11-12)

   A. WEALTH HAS ITS ADVANTAGES...
      1. Money can serve as a defense in life - 7:12; Pr 10:15
      2. Money can attract many friends - Pr 14:20

   B. HOW WISDOM IS BETTER...
      1. Riches do not profit one in a day of wrath - Pr 11:4
         a. The presence of wealth often makes things worse
         b. As when marriages and business partners fight over who gets
            the money
      2. Wisdom gives life to those who have it - 7:12
         a. Wisdom will make the best use of one's wealth as a defense
         b. Wisdom will help one weather the storms of wrath

[Finally, the Preacher gives the following counsel for a better 
life...]

VIII. RESIGNATION IS BETTER THAN INDIGNATION (7:13-14)

   A. THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE CANNOT CHANGE...
      1. God has His purpose, which we cannot change - 7:13; 
         Isa 43:13; Dan 4:35
      2. His purpose allows for both days of prosperity and adversity
         - 7:14

   B. WE NEED TO DEAL WITH THIS IN THE BEST WAY...
      1. Enjoy the days of prosperity
      2. In days of adversity, consider what lessons might be learned
      3. It does no good to get angry about things we cannot change
      -- As we saw earlier, there is both a time to weep and a time to
         laugh - 3:4

CONCLUSION

1. What has the Preacher taught us?  Simply that...
   a. Honor is better than luxury
   b. Your deathday is better than your birthday
   c. A funeral is better than a party
   d. The end is better than the beginning
   e. Patience is better than pride
   f. The present is better than the past
   g. Wisdom is better than wealth
   h. Resignation is better than indignation

2. If any of this sounds foreign to our thinking, bear in mind that it
   comes from one...
   a. Who experienced everything life has to offer
   b. Who found life "under the sun" lacking
   c. Who offers counsel from the perspective of wisdom and inspiration
   d. Who provides this counsel that we might make the best use of our
      time "under the sun"

Are we willing to accept his counsel and benefit from it, or will we
learn the hard way, and often only too late to do much about it?  "He
who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

In our next study, we shall consider his counsel regarding "a balanced
life"...