As Unto the Lord

They are few things that really test my Christianity.  Ok, maybe more than a few.  And thankfully this one does not show up here that often.  It is a sick husband

See that picture,  yeah that is not me!  At all.  

I am more likely to be the wife who when her husband is asking for a box of tissues to be yelling at him that she is busy and to go find the tissues himself.

And really why is it that a husband can come down with the same virus the wife is getting over but he is wayyyyyyyy more ill than she was.  He is on deaths door.  And the tissues feel like sand paper to his nose, the house is never warm enough, or cold enough.  He did not want the cough medicine you bought him.  He wanted one with a cough suppressant not an expectorant!!!  And why does the soup you made him have no flavor.  

Do you see your husband in any of the above?  

When men become ill they are always at deaths door.  Or so it seems to us ladies.

So how does this tie in with serving as unto the Lord.

When we are serving and taking care of our family it should be done as unto the Lord.  We should do it with all our might, or to the best of our abilities.  Even caring for our husbands.

As I was ready to scream at him to stop being a big baby I saw my memorial wall.  I find little things to tack onto my wall to be reminders to me of what I am striving for. 

Currently on the wall I have a sign that says only "Joy"  It is to remind me that the joy of the Lord is my strength and to get through my days I need to cling to Him and be joyful in all things.  That is where I get my strength.  

The other is simply a smile.  To remind me to keep a sweet countenance as I am the representation of God to my family.

This year I added a picture of an outdoor water fountain,  reminding me to draw water our to the wells of salvation.  To daily rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to fill me.  So I can have that joy and that cheerful countenance.  

As I saw those items I realized I was not serving my husband the way I would serve the Lord.  If it was the Lord I would be more than happy to get him the tissues he wanted, the cough syrup that would match his symptoms.  And just all around make him as comfortable as I could.  

It really is as simple as that.

How do you serve your husband.

A New Year A Continuing Start

So here we are at the beginning of a new year.  I was talking with my mom and she asked me if I had any resolutions.  I had to say no.  I was tired of starting and failing so I just did not even make any attempt at a start.  But then Miss Princess said something that got me to thinking.  She was talking to Papa and mentioned that she was trying to be more ladylike this year than she was last year.

It made me think,  It was not an all or nothing proposition for her.  It was just an improvement on what was already there.  I liked that. 

I tend to be a person who if I think something is not going to work out I won't even start the project.  But her idea of just improving on what is there is a great idea.  I think I can handle that.  And it tied right in with something my husband and I were just talking about.

I have been picking a verse of the year and was praying and asking God to direct me to the perfect verse for 2013.  I kept stumbling across this verse.  I would read it in a devotional, hear it referenced in a sermon, or see it posted and so I decided it was the verse I needed for this year.

Isaiah 12:3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water our of the wells of salvation.  

To me it is a reminder to rely on the Holy Ghost and his power.  If I am saved He is a never ending supply of power, but only if I yield to him.  So how does this tie in with building on a foundation?  Well last years verse was

Nehemiah 8:10  Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto the LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

With Joy is how my new verse for the year starts and my last years verse was on joy.  My new verse is adding on to my foundation of last years verse.

I love the way the Lord leads us to just what we need.

A ladies devotional for our church

Today we are going to look at Titus 2:3-5. These are some of my favorite verses. If you look at any of the internet sites I run you will notice these verses of some reference to them on the site. Tit 2:3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

Tit 2:4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

Tit 2:5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

I looked up the word discreet in the Webster's 1828 dictionary and was very interested in what I found. The word means to be separate or distinct. I have always thought of this as keeping my mouth shut but that is not what it means. To be separate or distinct.

We could look at being different from the world, and we should be but the Lord really lead me to talk of how we as women need to be different from men. Or how to be feminine.

While studying for today I ran across an article and it was really good. I want to read a little of what she wrote "The lady who smiled at her children, and the woman who showed honor to her husband, the hard-working church helper, those I held up as examples to be admired...by my girls! Yes, girls were indoctrinated to be ladies by the examples of the women I admired."

I really can not think of the subject of being a lady without thinking of something that happened to my FIL. He was going shopping and got to the door of the store at the same time that a woman got there and being who he is he held the door for her. As she stormed past him she said "you do not need to hold the door for me because I am a lady." He responded " I am doing it because I am a gentleman."

Woman do not want to be ladies anymore. It started in the 19020's when ladies demanded the vote and culminated in the 60's when we just wanted everything that men had.

Catherine Marshall said " She says how the emancipation of woman came about with Chrisitianity. We, as women, were given a dignity we had never had before. We were revered, protected and loved. In essence, put on a pedestal. This all changed when we wanted to be equal with men. In order to be equal we had to step down from our pedestal. Now we have the "right" to swear, smoke, get drunk... Our dignity was lost when we gained these "rights". Men no longer feel as romantic about us as they did our grandmothers. " Song of Solomen had a great love for his wife. When I think of this it makes me think of Proverbs 31. That wife was revered by her husband. She was a lady. Her clothing was silk and purple. Very feminine. I was not intending to talk of clothing but I will just as a side note. I am teaching Rebekah the difference betwwn men and ladies and that has also allowed for a neat example while we are out. She does not read yet but I know that if I send her to a public restroom she will make it into the correct one. Why? The pictures. The world has given her a great example of ladies, in a dress and Men, in pants.

I am also teaching her that every girl grows up to be a woman but not every woman is a lady. In the article I wrote this mother said. Many sweet little girls did not learn from their mothers how to be thankful, obedient wives, and little boys never learned how to be real men and take care of the women in their life. I am sure today’s divorce rate reflects some of the “gender neutral” teaching. But the children in my life will know little girls love flowers and that boys take care of mamas. I indoctrinated them—here a little, there a little, line upon line, precept upon precept. I do want my boys to be real men and my girls to be fine ladies. That is a biblical precept that we need to learn. She goes on to say some of the things she did with her granddaughter. “We love to sweep. It makes our floor look so clean.” “Your daddy will be so proud of you. You are such a good helper.” “Big Papa is so strong, and he loves baked fish and fresh salad out of the garden.” “He really loves green beans. You love green beans, too, don’t you?” She was training her to be a lady.

 

She would point out to her daughters ladies that walked like ladies. One thing that I did with our teens to teach them some of the differences was to bring in different shoes. I would have them try on a pair of high, high heel shoes and have them walk around and then we would talk about the strange woman in Proverbs. Pro 5:3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:

Pro 5:4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.

Pro 5:5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

Then we would try on a pair of combat boots, These where my favorite growing up. Just give me a pair of baggy jeans, t-shirt, leather jacket and combat boots and I was happy. But I did not walk like a lady. I walked like a man.

Woman are not designed to be like a man. We have demanded the right to be in the military and yet we are not capable of doing what needs to be done. One lady has written a book called Our Bodies, Not Our Own and it is so good. It talks of how women and men are just designed by their creator differently. Without going into detail men can live in the rugged with out some of the facilities we as women nee. If you throw a ball at a little boy he will try to catch it. Throw a ball at a little girl and she will avoid it. I feel sorry for my BIL in the military as they are trained to treat the woman like the men. How sad for their wives when they get home.

We need to retain that graciousness that is so missing in our lives. There needs to be a distinct difference that all around us can see.

I want to finish with something from that article. Now it is my grandchildren who are being indoctrinated. So while Zephyr, Laura Rose’s mama, was getting her things together, preparing to leave, I put little Laura in my lap and picked up a brand-new pair of white socks and began to put them on her, “Rachel Stoll wears clean white socks with her tennis shoes, and they look so nice.” And, of course, I added with great emphasis, “Everybody knows that she’s a real lady.” Laura Rose cocked her head back and studied my face, then nodded intently like she clearly understood, “Ladies wear white socks.”

This little one may have been a little confused about what ladies do but she will grow up to be a lady. I desire for our church for us to be the ladies we need to be so that are MEN can be what they need to be for God.

 

MIXED SWIMMING

Religious Hypocrisy
Pharisees practiced certain monstrous sins, but salved their stricken conscience by practicing their wicked deeds with a religious facade, i.e., the non-support of their parents by declaring their property and wealth as "Corban" (it is a gift, by whatsoever those mightest be profited by me; and honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free - Matt. 15:5-6).

With characteristic Pharisaic insincerity, this "religious man" could say all his means with which he could be expected to support his needy parents were devoted to God by an inviolable vow. Consequently, he was not expected to support his parents and could hide his blatant sin behind a religious vow (Mark 7:9-13). He could clearly break God's Law, yet appear Godly!

Religion which is the fruit of a depraved, carnal heart is fully capable of heinous sin, directly contradicting the clear spirit and letter of the Law of God. Our Lord publicly described these inconsistencies and hypocrisies, both to warn true believers, and to rebuke Pharisees and Scribes, calling them to repentance: "all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: 'for they say and do not,' (Matt. 23:3). It is worthy of note to observe the descriptive terms our Lord used to characterize such religious' hypocrisies: "Woe unto you," "hypocrites" (Matt. 23:13), "ye blind guides" (Matt 23:16), "ye fools and blind" (Matt. 23:19), "ye are like unto whited sepulchers" (Matt. 23:27), "even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity" (Matt. 23:28).

It is incumbent upon all of us who name the name of Christ to recognize it is not our religious habits and customs or the culture around us that are the standard of right and wrong, but the clear commands of the Word of God.

Presumptuous Sin
There are those so bold in their rejection of Christ and love of their sin that they will not mince words like the Pharisees. This is the soul who exclaims, "I know it is wrong, but I will do it anyway and no one will stop me!" This is rightly called presumption: "the sin with the high hand," for which there was no sacrifice, no propitiation, only judgment (Num. 15:30-31).

David, recognizing the capacity of his lower nature, though he was a regenerated soul, cried out, "Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression" (Psalm 19:13). Peter describes these brazen, audacious sinners who, though they are religious teachers, as actually being lost men: "But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities," (2 Pet. 2:10).

We learn from David that even a regenerate soul is capable of presumptuous sin and consequently, we ought to have a healthy, well-informed fear of our innate depravity. Most presumptuous sin is committed by those described by Peter; unregenerate blasphemers; rebellious, self-willed and dissolute. Paul's nickname for these souls is: "they are the enemies of the cross of Christ" (Phil. 3:18).

However, one does not have to be a drinker or philanderer to live so wickedly as the lives of the Pharisees would attest. Their sin was cloaked under religious hypocrisy whereas the presumptuous sinner sins with a "whore's forehead" (Jer. 3:3) - one so jaded in sin they are incapable of blushing.

Contradictory Concepts
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms are combined, i.e., "good Devil," "beautiful sin." Certain practices in modern Christianity come to mind as oxymorons, i.e., "Christian rock music," "women's pants," and "mixed swimming." These transparently contradictory concepts ought to be apparent to any sincere believer with the wisdom of a twelve year old. However, we are so capable even as believers, of being desensitized to the repugnance and abomination of sin, we can be a party to it, or allow it with very little compunction of conscience.

It was this proclivity of even regenerate souls to adapt to monstrous sin that motivated God to command Israel to separate from Canaanites: "ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars . . ." (Judges 2:2). "They shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you . . ." (Judges 2:3).

Process of Desensitization
The principle elements in compromising with sin and sinful culture until desensitization occurs are three: shock, accommodation and emulation. At first, a Biblically enlightened conscience will be shocked when exposed to terrible sin or sinful practices. Failing to follow God's admonition to "Flee youthful lusts" (2 Tim. 2:22), a healthy believer with a normal lower nature will find creative and imaginative means of accommodating what at first shocked and troubled his conscience. Finally, after accommodating sin long enough, he will find ample justification to emulate the wickedness, and ends up committing those acts himself.

This has happened to God's people down through the millennia, and is happening to us in our age and culture as well in the lives of those who have allowed it.

Mixed Swimming: An Example of Desensitization
Mixed swimming might more honestly and more appropriate be termed "mixed nudity." How else can we be consistent and morally honest with our Biblical heritage of holiness? Popularity of and acceptance of mixed swimming notwithstanding, it is wicked, morally indefensible and behavior that ought not to be named among true believers.
Many nineteenth century believers were aflame with missionary zeal and a God-given desire to live holy lives. May I say they would be scandalized in the extreme were they to see contemporary believers shamelessly cavorting around in modern swim wear, unblushingly exposing major portions of their body for all who wish to see. Are they prudish and Victorian, and are we more enlightened as we recreate in various degrees of nakedness? May I submit we have become desensitized to sin and have adopted the ways of the heathen! Moody, Spurgeon and their contemporaries would be justified in crying out against our shameless nakedness.

Defining Acceptability: the Occasion or the Principle?
To put this in perspective, imagine dear Brother, if your wife and/or your physically mature daughter are in the privacy of their bedrooms, clad only in the most intimate of foundation garments. Would you invite them in this condition of dress to meet your male friends? If you would invite them, would they allow themselves to be viewed by masculine eyes in such a scantily clad condition?

Hopefully, you are offended and horrified by even the thought of such a suggestion. And, hopefully, your wife and daughter would be similarly scandalized at such a compromise of their privacy and modesty.
Or, would you sir, cavort around the living room in your underwear as your wife is hosting a ladies' tea?
Hopefully, these outrageous illustrations would reveal you still have a Biblical sense of modesty, decency and shamefacedness.

Sadly, many believers would only be ashamed at the type of garment in a wrong setting, not at the exposure of their nakedness. The same woman who would rather die than expose herself to the eyes of men while in her foundation garments, will then thoughtlessly and shamelessly expose herself simply because she is wearing what is called swim wear. Dearly beloved, the sin and scandal is not in wearing inappropriate garments on wrong social occasions, but in the nakedness itself!

Nakedness is Shameful
Scripture is universal in its condemnation of nakedness as being "shameful" (Exo. 32:25; Rev. 3:18, 16:15)! Even priests were cautioned about their clothing and carriage so no one could view their thighs. And, because God is clear that "the eyes of man are never satisfied" (Prov. 27:20), we recognize it is our vision that is the primary gateway of beginning sexual arousal. Job affirmed this principle: "I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?" (Job 31:1). The man who says that the nakedness of women does not bother him is either not physically developed, a pervert, a liar or dead! Pornographers understand the unquenchable sexual desire in carnal men and flagrantly utilize this weakness of men's lower nature against them to enrich themselves.

Lustful Gazing: a Pervasive Reality
The only difference in a man visiting a pornographic web site and pornographic store as opposed to viewing scantily clad women in swim wear is in the latter case, he does not have to purchase his viewing. Hopefully, women in swim wear will at least cover some areas of their bodies. However, this is small consolation to them as they are still sufficiently naked as to be the object of lustful gazing from any man who wishes to titillate his depraved fantasies.

Defrauding
Dear Sister, of what eternal value is it for you to exhibit your varying stages of nakedness to the prying and lustful eyes of men, though you can legitimately say your swim wear is "socially acceptable?" Are you not in fact defrauding men, whether your nakedness is socially acceptable or not?

In the realm of human sexuality, a woman defrauds a man by unlawfully raising his sexual expectations or desires, without at the same time providing a righteous means of lawfully fulfilling those desires. God forbids all defrauding, "thou shalt not defraud thy neighbor" (Lev. 19:13), and specifically, He forbids defrauding in human sexuality, "that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such . . ." (I Thes. 4:6). In other words, she may only act and dress that way in front of her husband, not some other man!

Degradation of Nakedness
I have learned in over three decades of working with young women, that they are fully cognizant of what they are doing when they dress and act in provocative, alluring, coquettish ways. The woman of this world, in a pathetic, degraded yearning for male attention and acceptance, finds her security in focusing on fleshly externals: "whose adorning, let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and or wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel . . ." (I Pet. 3:13). However, the believing woman focuses on internal character qualities in a quest to please the Lord. Such qualities may be of little or no interest to a lost man, but a Godly man will take approving interest of such character development: "But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price" (I Pet. 3:4).

Dear feminine heart, you will undoubtedly have many men looking at you as you expose your shame and nakedness in swim wear, but what have you accomplished? You have demonstrated a worldly heart by focusing on externals rather than God-pleasing internal character development. You are defrauding men by making yourself an object of unmitigated male lust. Therefore, you are degrading and demeaning yourself in principle, the same way a prostitute does. She does it for financial remuneration through a shameful physical act, whereas your "quid pro quo" (something for something) is the lurid and lascivious male attention you receive even though an actual physical act is not consummated.

You may comfort yourself, dear Sister, in the social acceptability of "mixed swimming" just as the Pharisees did for their covert sins, but they found out a Holy God was not impressed, and He categorically denounced them. You will give an account to the Lord Jesus at the judgment, not to the Gallup Poll, fashion designers or dissolute "beach bums" who have been gazing upon your body.

Husbands/Fathers, Protect Your Wife and Daughter!
Dear Brother, what kind of man would allow the lewd and wicked eyes of lustful men to fantasize about the bodies of their wife and/or daughter? Swim wear is usually the most flagrant exposure of a woman's body, but she can also be immodest and defrauding in much of what is considered acceptable fashions of the day. Since nakedness is Biblically shameful, a wise and Godly man will insist his wife/daughter be dressed according to three principles: long, loose and layered.

Clothing should be sufficiently long to cover their bodies, not teasingly, provocatively short or revealing. Their clothing should not be form-fitting. Many women may say they are covered, but the type of cloth or style of fashion is so clinging that it accentuates and calls attention to her sexuality instead of covering it. Layering of clothing prevents any revelation of body parts that should only be viewed by her husband, not some other man.
For a Godly woman, modesty is always in style, regardless of what the fad and fashions of the world may dictate. Her heart is seeking the Lord, not the lurid stares of base and wicked men for some distorted sense of security and worth it brings to her ego.

Modesty is Also Appropriate for Men
Brothers in Christ, we may mince words and practice the wicked insincerity of Pharisees and somehow justify our presence in swim wear if we choose; many are doing so to their satisfaction. However, multitudes of younger and older women have confided that sculpted, virile men in varying degrees of nakedness have been a temptation and stumbling block to them. Her temptation in looking at a partially clad man may not be as compelling and controlling as it is for a man's surging lower nature in looking at a woman, but it is still defrauding! But beyond what you may do to women as they view your nakedness, what are you doing to yourself in that environment?

Do Not Just Avoid an Act of Sin:
Avoid the Steps to its Commission

Pharisees were quick to affirm, "thou shalt not commit adultery" (Matt. 5:27). However, as they demonstrated in so many areas of their lives, they may have observed the letter of the Law, but were very diligent in finding creative ways to circumvent the spirit of the Law.

The physical act of adultery is preceded by temptation, specifically the temptation of sight and subsequent evil fantasy, hence the warning of Prov. 6:26, "Lust not after her beauty in thine heart . . ." Note the inward fantasy of depravity. That even righteous men are capable of such base behavior is clearly illustrated by David, "he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and inquired after the woman . . . and David sent . . . and took her . . . and he lay with her" (2 Sam. 11:2-4).

Note please the progression. Nakedness was seen. This initiated evil fantasy, which was followed by the act. A Pharisee would say sin only occurred in the act of adultery. However, our Lord speaks with asseveration in Matt. 5:28, "But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." A Pharisee may try to be cleverly insincere to cloak his goals, but a Holy God casts this all aside and calls it sin!

I challenge you dear Brother, before a thrice holy God, as you are in the company of developed women in the varying stages of nakedness their swim wear displays, and as you gaze upon their bodies, try telling the Lord your innermost thoughts and imaginations are pure and without lust. The fact is, you have committed adultery in your heart, and given the right circumstances, you may be only a few steps away from the actual act of physical adultery, because the lustful desire in a heart can lead to the sinful act.

Pharisaic argumentation resulted in a religious facade, but with wicked hearts and lives. Using such wretched insincerity today, we could identify outwardly with the cause of Christ, and at the same time participate in such transparently carnal activity as mixed swimming with no stricken conscience.

Sober Reflection Needed
For those desiring to participate in mixed swimming, were you in a government run directly by God, you would be in deep trouble. No one will be doing so in the Millennium! However, we are in a free country, and you may as a thoughtless lemming, follow multitudes in donning their "colored underwear," otherwise known as "swim wear," and indulge your insatiable lust to your heart's content. But would you at least be honest about your lust and sin and stop trying to justify your behavior under the guise of social acceptability. Cleverly disguising your motives does you a disservice. Honest, open sinners are closer to repentance than those who are creatively justifying their carnal lusts.

To good to not share

This poem is to good to keep to myself.  Check out who it is written by. 

 

America the Beautiful,
or so you used to be.
Land of the Pilgrims' pride;
I'm glad they'll never see.

 

Babies piled in dumpsters,
Abortion on demand,
Oh, sweet land of liberty;
your house is on the sand.

 

Our children wander aimlessly
poisoned by cocaine,
Choosing to indulge their lusts,
when God has said abstain.

 

From sea to shining sea,
our Nation turns away
From the teaching of God's love
and a need to always pray.

 

We've kept God in our temples,
how callous we have grown.
When earth is but His footstool,
and Heaven is His throne.

 

We've voted in a government
that's rotting at the core,
Appointing Godless Judges
who throw reason out the door,

 

Too soft to place a killer
in a well deserved tomb,
But brave enough to kill a baby
before he leaves the womb.

 

You think that God's not angry,
that our land's a moral slum?
How much longer will He wait
before His judgment comes?

 

How are we to face our God,
from Whom we cannot hide?
What then is left for us to do,
but stem this evil tide?

 

If we who are His children,
will humbly turn and pray;
Seek His holy face
and mend our evil way:

 

Then God will hear from Heaven
and forgive us of our sins,
He'll heal our sickly land
and those who live within.

 

But, America the Beautiful,
if you don't - then you will see,
A sad but Holy God
withdraw His hand from Thee.

 

~Judge Roy Moore

God Always Hears

My God will hear me. (Micah 7:7)

Friends may be unfaithful, but the Lord will not turn away from the
gracious soul; on the contrary, He will hear all its desires. The prophet
says, "Keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. A
man's enemies are the men of his own house." This is a wretched state
of affairs; but even in such a case the Best Friend remains true, and we
may tell Him all our grief.

Our wisdom is to look unto the Lord and not to quarrel with men or
women. If our loving appeals are disregarded by our relatives, let us wait
upon the God of our salvation, for He will hear us. He will hear us all
the more because of the unkindness and oppression of others, and we
shall soon have reason to cry, "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy!"

Because God is the living God, He can hear; because He is a loving God,
He will hear; because He is our covenant God, He has bound Himself to
hear us. If we can each one speak of Him as "My God," we may with
absolute certainty say, "My God will hear me." Come, then, O bleeding heart,
and let thy sorrows tell themselves out to the Lord thy God! I will bow
the knee in secret and inwardly whisper, "My God will hear me."

The upcoming new year

 

With the new year quickly approaching it seems appropriate to take stock of where we are and where we are going.

The first thing I would like to change is taking more time to study the Bible. So many of us follow a Bible reading schedule and that is good but looking into scripture I find 2Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Study is an in depth thing not just a quick I have my 3 chapters in for the day and I am good to go. But then some people get so caught up in what book do I use to study. I am not against a good study guide but I just read one of the best articles on how to study your Bible. I want to share it here with you. This is the entire article.

What Is the Best Method of Studying the Bible?

By: Michael Pearl

Starting with the final authority

 

I am asked that question regularly. The answer is quite simple, or should be, except that in our modern biblical climate it is like telling a man how to hunt who doesn’t believe in weapons. You will understand my analogy directly. Let’s take it from the start.

I graduated from an independent Bible College with a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Bible and theology, and still did not know the Bible or how to study it. I loved theology classes, which were taught by a staunch Calvinist, finding them highly stimulating. I remember my Presbyterian Bible teacher most fondly. He loved the Word of God and loved teaching it. I questioned some of the things I was taught but was too busy and not well enough informed to effectively challenge my teachers. I just learned the lessons and took the tests, keeping busy traveling and preaching every weekend and some weeknights. It would be some years after graduation that I would discover the beauty of God’s Word and learn the techniques of effective research.

When I was a young man, my pastor had often emphasized the passage, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). That’s what I wanted to be, taught in correct doctrine and furnished unto good works. The inspired Scripture was the avenue.

As a young preacher, I would hold up a King James Bible and confidently say, “This is God’s Word, perfect and infallible.” The independent evangelical Bible College I attended advertised that it boldly stood for the “plenary, verbal inspiration of the Scriptures.” Plenary means “full and complete and not limited in any way,” and verbal, means “every single word was inspired, with none added and none missing.” But in my very first college class, I was informed that the King James Bible was poorly translated. Therefore, in class we would use a “better” translation—the American Standard Version, along with several others when the ASV didn’t say what the professors wanted it to say. I asked, “What about ‘All Scripture is given by inspiration and is profitable…’?” They quickly pointed out that the KJV was in error there also. The ASV reads, “Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching…,” implying that not all Scripture is inspired of God.” Only that which is inspired is profitable for doctrine. So, my next question to my teachers was, “Which Scripture is inspired of God; which one can I read and know it is the words of God with no mixture of the words of men? Is the ASV the real Word of God?” Their answer: “No, it is not Scripture inspired of God either; no English translation is. Only the original languages were inspired of God.” That presented a difficulty, but not for long, for I started out my first semester taking Greek. So I would just learn Greek, and then I would be able to actually read the Scripture that is inspired of God and is profitable for establishing doctrine.

It felt good, knowing that I would be able to uncover the riches of the original language. Daily in our classes the professors corrected the KJ Bible with “the Greek.” But they corrected the other many translations as well, pointing out the poor qualities of each. I kept wondering why someone didn’t just make a translation that was correct and then let it alone so we could learn from it. But, several new translations came onto the market during my four years in college. There are over 200 of them now. Very quickly, I lost faith in the prospect of reading any English Bible and believing it to be the plenary, verbally inspired, written Word of God.

So there I was, a young preacher with his faith in the old book momentarily shattered. But, I had a new hope of once again recovering that sweet ground of assurance and trust where I could actually sit down and read God’s Word, believing all that I read without having to approach the text critically.

I jumped into my Greek studies with a zest, and in a few weeks of Greek grammar and memorizing the definitions of Greek words, we were actually “reading” from our 25th edition of the Aland Greek New Testament. And then it hit me. I was not reading an “inspired” Greek text any more than when I read another English translation. Every definition, every phrase, every noun and every verb were defined for me by one man—the man who compiled our Greek grammar. With a shock, I realized that after 20 years of Greek study, I would still be relying on definitions found in some book written by other men. In time, I would have enough information catalogued to be somewhat “original” in my scholarly opinions, but I would still just be one man with an opinion, colored by the school of thought in which I was raised.

The Bible was no longer a book I held in my hand. It could only be accessed by jumping through the many hoops of Greek word studies, Greek and Hebrew lexicons, commentaries, and theology books. I was uncomfortable quoting any passage of Scripture and saying, “Thus saith the Lord.” “Thus saith A.T. Robertson” was more like it. So, my final authority was no longer the Bible I could confidently convey to the congregation and tell them to go home and study it, believing every word in it. My final authority for the moment was a select group of Greek scholars—the ones I chose to believe over the others. The differences in the “bibles” they were publishing testified to their inability to agree on the meaning of the “original Greek.” But somehow, I knew that there would come a time when I would not have to trust them in determining what the words of God were; I would become informed enough to trust no one but myself—and the leading of the Holy Spirit, of course. (I fully expect you to detect the subtle note of cynicism and sarcasm.)

Many of my young preacher friends, who were members of my home church and went off to other Bible Colleges at the same time I did, were more disturbed than I. One of them became a Sodomite, one an atheist, and one an agnostic. One, who was already pastoring a Southern Baptist Church, divorced his young wife and quit the ministry before he even finished Bible College. Out of seven of us who started in the ministry, only two survived the four years still “in the faith”.

I graduated with less faith in the Bible than when I started. With no more classes to attend, and less time spent traveling, I found time to investigate the Bible for myself. At first I tried the study method that I had learned in college. When I came to a difficult passage, I opened all the commentaries to see what they said. They differed greatly. I also went through a stack of different English translations, finding that they differed as much as the denominations differ in their understanding. I then got out my Greek and Hebrew lexicons and word studies to see if they would shed any light. More confusion. The Greek scholars disagree significantly. How was I to be so bold as to know which one to believe and which ones to reject?

Then someone gave me a book called, Which Bible, by David Fuller. I was blown away. I acquired a dozen other works on the same subject, by John Burgon, Wilson, Dr. Peter Ruckman, and others. Why didn’t they tell me this in Bible College? Surely they weren’t ignorant of it. Did they intend to deceive me? The Greek Bible that I was using was not the original Bible. It was created—manufactured—less than 100 years earlier by two unbelieving infidels and pawned off on the Church as authentic. It is just one of 24 different Greek texts. Furthermore, it is not even the same Greek text from which the King James Bible was translated. To correct the KJ based on this new text was like trying to update a 1935 Ford according to the pattern of a 1965 Volkswagen. Somebody was fooling somebody. There was a real conspiracy to deprive me of the words of God and replace them with the words and opinions of men. I discovered that this modern Greek text differed from the traditional text of the King James Bible in over 6,000 places.

This corrupt text is the standard Greek text of nearly every Bible College in America, and the basis of all late 19th, 20th and 21st century English translations. In other words, the ASV and the New International Version, and 200 other translations are not based on the same Greek text as is the King James. The reason that a 90-year-old text could be in its 26th edition is because the owner of it changes it every few years. Between the 26th and 27th editions there were over 600 changes. When you hear a preacher say, “The original Greek text says…”, you must ask him “Which Greek text? There are 24 of them. Which edition?” Here today, gone tomorrow. They are standing in the pulpit and correcting your English Bible based on a Greek text that changes every few years. Where is the standard? Where is God’s Word? Where is the jot and tittle that will not pass away? Was God mistaken about preserving his word forever? Can you hold a book in your hand, any book, any language, and say it is “Scripture inspired of God”?

I have a hard time believing in conspiracy theories. But I quote from the1990 book, The Dead Sea Scrolls After Forty Years. It is the transcript of four scholars speaking at a symposium to their peers. For a moment, they were quite candid. James Sanders, Ph.D., who served on the committee that put out the New Revised Standard Version, and author of many other scholarly works, on pages 70-71 says, “I think it is time for us to stop fooling the people, making them think that there is just one Bible and that our Bible committee got closer to it than their committee did.” But then he goes on to voice his reluctance to do so, because of the impact it would have to tell the truth. He says, “I have been told by some that that would just destroy the Bible, because lay folk still want to think of the Bible as somehow ‘inerrant.’” The greater context makes this look even worse. That was over sixteen years ago, as of this writing, and still they have not told you the truth about what they believe. They don’t want to shatter your misguided faith that the Bible is “somehow inerrant.” They don’t think it is wise to let you know that there are actually two different Greek Bibles, and that all their modern versions are based on a corrupted minority text that has been historically rejected by God’s people down through the ages. The King James Bible is accurate to the text from which it was translated. It is the Word of God to English speaking people. You can believe every word in it without resorting to anyone’s opinion about the validity of the text. On that ground, you can read and study your Bible and learn from it.

We started out to tell you how to study the Bible. You may think I changed the subject. Not so. How can you study the Bible if you don’t believe it is available to read? If you believe what I was taught in Bible College, then most of your Bible study time is spent trying to determine the best possible text. Furthermore, you must wade through Greek and Hebrew lexicons and decide which scholars you will believe. In the final analysis, you are not studying the Bible; you are studying what other men believe about it. The average person soon grows weary of chasing his tail and gives up, leaving it to the Big Guys with Ph.D.s to tell him what to believe.

Space does not allow me to give you here all the evidence for the things I have said, but we distribute a book by Dr. Floyd Jones, Which Version is the Bible, which provides a good history and overview of this subject.

When I discovered the evidence confirming that the King James Bible is indeed accurately translated and is the preserved Scripture inspired of God, Bible study became simple and a pure joy! Just read what it says, and believe it. All you need is a King James Bible without notes, a Strong’s Concordance (hard copy or computer), a Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, and a Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, tenth edition or earlier (see panel to the right for more info). You must learn the Bible by learning the 66 individual books. Books are learned by understanding paragraphs. Paragraphs are learned by understanding sentences, and sentences are understood by knowing the meaning of individual words. Very often, doctrines hang on the meaning of a single word. You arrive at the meaning of an individual word by using your concordance to find and read every time that word is used anywhere in the Bible. The Bible will define its own words by the multiple contexts in which it is used. The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge is just a giant center-column cross-reference. It will lead you to similar passages anywhere in the Bible. This dictionary is a quick reference to the definition of words as they were used in the seventeenth century, when the King James Bible was translated, so you won’t have to worry about “archaic” words.

My book Repentance is an example of how to study the Bible. You will see the process unfolding as we gather the meaning of words and come to a conclusion. When you have justifiable confidence in the text you are reading, you don’t have to ask what a passage means; you just determine what it says in its context and believe it.

 

To that end I have chosen two word to study for myself in January. They are contentment and peace. I will be sharing what I learn from this study.

A Father Filter

My Mr. Visionary sent me out shopping yesterday,  all by my self.  Right before I left he told me to listen to a tape.  He had not listened to it but God would not let him rest unless I listened to it.  It was lady speakers at a ladies conference and the one speaker said that everything that comes into our lives has passed through a "Father Filter".  What an awesome thought.  I am not going through anything today that my Father has not already filtered for me.  He knows exactly what I am going to go through.  He also knew how much I could handle and filtered it to fit me exactly.  He knows me, cares for me and loves me enough to do this for me.  It was a wonderful thought as we have been in the fire, so to speak, lately.  But my Dear Heavenly Father knows this and has filtered it to fit me.  I came home so excited and asked Mr. Visionary if he had listened to all of the tape.  Nope he said but God told me that there was something on the tape you needed.  It is wonderful to have a husband who listens to the proddings of God.

Needs to open our mouth

 Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. (Psalm 81:10)

What an encouragement to pray! Our human notions would lead us to ask small things because our deservings are so small; but the Lord would have us request great blessings. Prayer should be as simple a matter as the opening of the mouth; it should be a natural, unconstrained utterance. When a man is earnest he opens his mouth wide, and our text urges us to be fervent in our supplications. Yet it also means that we may make bold with God and ask many and large blessings at His hands, Read the whole verse, and see the argument: "I am Jehovah, thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it." Because the Lord has given us so much He invites us to ask for more, yea, to expect more. See how the little birds in their nests seem to be all mouth when the mother comes to feed them. Let it be the same with us. Let us take in grace at every door. Let us drink it in as a sponge sucks up the water in which it lies. God is ready to fill us if we are only ready to be filled. Let our needs make us open our mouths; let our faintness cause us to open our mouths and pant; yea, let our alarm make us open our mouths with a child's cry. The opened mouth shall be filled by the Lord Himself. So be it unto us, O Lord, this day.

September 22 Devotional Thought

 

Broad Rivers Without Galleys

But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and
streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant
ship pass thereby. (Isaiah 33:21)

The Lord will be to us the greatest good without any of the drawbacks
which seem necessarily to attend the best earthly things. If a city is
favored with broad rivers, it is liable to be attacked by galleys with
oars and other ships of war. But when the Lord represents the abundance
of His bounty under this figure, He takes care expressly to shut out
the fear which the metaphor might suggest. Blessed be His perfect love!

Lord, if Thou send me wealth like broad rivers, do not let the galley
with oars come up in the shape of worldliness or pride. If Thou grant me
abundant health and happy spirits, do not let "the gallant ship" of
carnal ease come sailing up the flowing flood. If I have success in holy
service, broad as the German Rhine, yet let me never find the galley of
self-conceit and self-confidence floating on the waves of my
usefulness. Should I be so supremely happy as to enjoy the light of Thy
countenance year after year, yet let me never despise Thy feeble saints, nor
allow the vain notion of my own perfection to sail up the broad rivers of
my full assurance. Lord, give me that blessing which maketh rich and
neither addeth sorrow nor aideth sin.

September 21 Devotional thought.

Let Trials Bless

Knowing that tribulation worketh patience. (Romans 5:3)

This is a promise in essence if not in form. We have need of patience,
and here we see the way of getting it. It is only by enduring that we
learn to endure, even as by swimming men learn to swim. You could not
learn that art on dry land, nor learn patience without trouble. Is it not
worth while to suffer tribulation for the sake of gaining that
beautiful equanimity of mind which quietly acquiesces in all the will of God?

Yet our text sets forth a singular fact, which is not according to
nature but is supernatural. Tribulation in and of itself worketh petulance,
unbelief, and rebellion. It is only by the sacred alchemy of grace that
it is made to work in us patience. We do not thresh the wheat to lay
the dust: yet the rail of tribulation does this upon God's floor. We do
not toss a man about in order to give him rest, and yet so the Lord
dealeth with His children. Truly this is not the manner of man but greatly
redounds to the glory of our all-wise God.

Oh, for grace to let my trials bless me! Why should I wish to stay
their gracious operation? Lord, I ask Thee to remove my affliction, but I
beseech Thee ten times more to remove my impatience. Precious Lord
Jesus, with Thy cross engrave the image of Thy patience on my heart

A Study on Submission

In the Scriptures we see an interesting thing, contrary to most of the cultures of the day, the Bible gives the woman a place of honor, not as a piece of property, but as a daughter of the king. Some might say that the laws given in the Scriptures are to squash the woman, to put her into bondage, but I tell you, NAY. The Bible gives the woman a special place of honor. God did not take the woman from Adam’s foot to be trod upon, nor did He take her from his head, to lord it over the man, but instead God brought her from Adam’s side, to walk by his side in the Lord. In God’s sight each has the same soul value. However God has given the man and the woman very different jobs to do within the home. We will see from the Bible what the roles are. If you are truly seeking to allow God’s Book to reign over you, I believe you will find this study very helpful. If, however you wish to have power over His book, I believe you will have troubles.

In Genesis
Gen 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
God made the woman to help the man. He knew that man had need of someone to glorify God.
Gen 2:21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; Gen 2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. Gen 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Gen 2:25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

So, we see here that God created the woman to be co-equal, co-dependent with the man. But then sin entered:
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Gen 3:2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: Gen 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. Gen 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. Gen 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

When sin entered it changed everything, instantly they were separated from God, the woman was fooled, the man was not, into sin. So God cursed the ground, the man, and the woman because of sin.
Genesis 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

When sin entered it changed the face of the whole worlds economy. Now the man was to rule over the woman. The New Testament restates this:
1Timothy 2:11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 1Ti 2:12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 1Ti 2:13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 1Ti 2:14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

So God clearly states that the woman is to be in subjection under the man. We also see in Scripture that the woman is never to be out from under the authority of a man. In Numbers:
Numbers 30:1 And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded. Num 30:2 If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth. Num 30:3 If a woman also vow a vow unto the LORD, and bind herself by a bond, being in her father's house in her youth; Num 30:4 And her father hear her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father shall hold his peace at her; then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand. Num 30:5 But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth; not any of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand: and the LORD shall forgive her, because her father disallowed her. Num 30:6 And if she had at all an husband, when she vowed, or uttered ought out of her lips, wherewith she bound her soul; Num 30:7 And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her in the day that he heard it: then her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand. Num 30:8 But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it; then he shall make her vow which she vowed, and that which she uttered with her lips, wherewith she bound her soul, of none effect: and the LORD shall forgive her. Num 30:9 But every vow of a widow, and of her that is divorced, wherewith they have bound their souls, shall stand against her. Num 30:10 And if she vowed in her husband's house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath; Num 30:11 And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her, and disallowed her not: then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she bound her soul shall stand. Num 30:12 But if her husband hath utterly made them void on the day he heard them; then whatsoever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand: her husband hath made them void; and the LORD shall forgive her. Num 30:13 Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void. Num 30:14 But if her husband altogether hold his peace at her from day to day; then he establisheth all her vows, or all her bonds, which are upon her: he confirmeth them, because he held his peace at her in the day that he heard them. Num 30:15 But if he shall any ways make them void after that he hath heard them; then he shall bear her iniquity. Num 30:16 These are the statutes, which the LORD commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, between the father and his daughter, being yet in her youth in her father's house.

In these Scriptures we see that the final authority for a daughter is her father, after she gets married her final authority is her husband. Notice the Bible says that her iniquity will be on her husband/father if she is in subjection to him. God has given the woman a shield of subjection, if only she will use it. You say but what about if she has no father or husband? The New Testament gives us the answer to this question.
1Corinthians 7:39 The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.
1Ti 5:3 Honour widows that are widows indeed.
1Ti 5:4 But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.
1Ti 5:5 Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.

This I say then, I believe that a widow who is free, through the death of her husband, should be a ward of the Church. I do not have black and white Scripture, but I think it would be a wise woman who would place herself under the Godly authority of the Church. However, she is free to decide that on her own.

The New Testament gives us some very clear Scriptures speaking to the submission of the wife.
Ephesians 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Eph 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

God tells us here that a wife is to submit herself unto her husband as unto the Lord. How should a woman submit herself to God, then? That is the question for this passage. We all should submit to God our all. Christ is the head of the Church. Does the hand tell the head what to do? No.Does the foot tell the head what to do? No. The wife is to obey her husband in everything.

Col 3:18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
Many stumble over this phrase “As it is fit in the Lord.” It really is quite simple, God says the wife should submit to her husband as it is her duty to the Lord. That is what this “Fit” means. It is the duty of every wife in the Lord to obey her husband.

1Co 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. 1Co 11:4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. 1Co 11:5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. 1Co 11:6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. 1Co 11:7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. 1Co 11:8 For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man. 1Co 11:9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
1Co 11:10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. 1Co 11:11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
1Co 11:12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.
1Co 11:13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? 1Co 11:14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? 1Co 11:15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. 1Co 11:16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

In these Scriptures we see the headship of man in the home. Once again God uses the illustration of the head to show us how important it is, can the hand tell the head “I will not because...”? No. Within these Scriptures we also see the headship veil, or head covering. Many have stumbled over this Biblical teaching as well, but that is a subject for another discussion. Needless to say the veil is an outward symbol of the wife’s inward submission to her husband.

1Co 14:34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. 1Co 14:35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. 1Co 14:36 What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? 1Co 14:37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.

Here once again we see that the obedience of the wife is a New Testament commandment. Some may say, “Well, I am under grace not law.” You are correct you are saved by Grace, through faith.
Rom 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

The Law is in harmony with Grace. The Law is an empty void without Jesus, then Jesus came and fulfilled the Law.
Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Mat 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

God even went so far as to say:
Phillipians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

See that phrase, "Work out your own salvation..." He does not say work for, He says work out. Once you have the precious gift of Salvation it needs worked out, it needs performed. How can we do this? By following the Law. If we transgress the Law and are not chastened:
Hebrews 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

God the Father, as a Father, has given us some rules to live by.

Titus 2:3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; Tit 2:4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, Tit 2:5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

Here we have some of the things that are to be taught to the young wives. Notice the last two phrases," obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." They are to be obedient to their own husbands, so that God's Word be not blasphemed. Jesus is God's Word incarnate, if a wife is not obedient to her own husband then she is blaspheming God Himself! What a terrible consequence of disobedience, but is that not what all of our disobedience to God like, blasphemy? Yes.

1Peter 3:1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; 1Pe 3:2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. 1Pe 3:3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 1Pe 3:4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. 1Pe 3:5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: 1Pe 3:6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

Some women may say, My husband is not saved, he wants me to sin. Let me ask you this, What is the Greater sin? To not obey your husband, or watch a tv show or movie you know is displeasing to God?
James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Jam 2:11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. Jam 2:12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

The facts of the matter are these God has commanded wives to submit to their own husbands. If you as a wife decide to disobey your own husband then you have been deceived by Satan, just as Eve was. Allow God to work in your life through submission to Him by your husband.

Daily Devotion September 8

September 8

Broken and Smoking

A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench. (Isaiah 42:3)

Then I may reckon upon tender treatment from my Lord. Indeed, I feel myself to be at best as weak, as pliant, as worthless as a reed. Someone said, "I don't care a rush for you"; and the speech, though unkind, was not untrue. Alas! I am worse than a reed when it grows by the river, for that at least can hold up its head. I am bruised—sorely, sadly bruised. There is no music in me now; there is a rift which lets out all the melody. Ah, me! Yet Jesus will not break me; and if He will not, then I mind little what others try to do. O sweet and compassionate Lord, I nestle down beneath Thy protection and forget my bruises!

Truly I am also fit to be likened to "the smoking flax," whose light is gone, and only its smoke remains. I fear I am rather a nuisance than a benefit. My fears tell me that the devil has blown out my light and left me an obnoxious smoke, and that my Lord will soon put an extinguisher upon one. Yet I perceive that though there were snuffers under the law, there were no extinguishers, and Jesus will not quench me; therefore, I am hopeful. Lord, kindle me anew and cause me to shine forth to Thy glory and to the extolling of Thy tenderness.

Daily Devotions September 7

The Reach of Almighty Grace

It shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. (Hosea 1:10)
Sovereign grace can make strangers into sons, and the Lord here declares His purpose to deal thus with rebels and make them know what He has done. Beloved reader, the Lord has done this in my case; has He done the like for you? Then let us join hands and hearts in praising His adorable name.

Some of us were so decidedly ungodly that the Lord's Word most truly said to our conscience and heart, "Ye are not my people." In the house of God and in our own homes, when we read the Bible, this was the voice of God's Spirit in our soul, "Ye are not my people." Truly a sad, condemning voice it was. But now, in the same places, from the same ministry and Scripture, we hear a voice, which saith, "Ye are the sons of the living God." Can we be grateful enough for this? Is it not wonderful? Does it not give us hope for others? Who is beyond the reach of almighty grace? How can we despair of any, since the Lord has wrought so marvelous a change in us?

He who has kept this one great promise will keep every other; wherefore, let us go forward with songs of adoration and confidence.

Daily Devotions Sept. ^

September 6
A Strong Heart

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. (Psalm 27:14)

Wait! Wait! Let your waiting be on the Lord! He is worth waiting for. He never disappoints the waiting soul.

While waiting keep up your spirits, Expect a great deliverance, and be ready to praise God for it.

The promise which should cheer you is in the middle of the verse--"He shall strengthen thine heart." This goes at once to the place where you need help. If the heart be sound, all the rest of the system will work well. The heart wants calming and cheering, and both of these will come if it be strengthened. A forceful heart rests and rejoices and throbs force into the whole man.

No one else can get at that secret urn of life, the heart, so as to pour strength into it. He alone who made it can make it strong. God is full of strength, and, therefore, He can impart it to those who need it. Oh, be brave; for the Lord will impart His strength to you, and you shall be calm in tempest and glad in sorrow.

He who penned these lines can write as David did--"Wait, I say, on the Lord." I do, indeed, say it. I know by long and deep experience that it is good for me to wait upon the Lord.

What do your clothes say? Part 1

Dress speaks.  One's clothing indicates one's identity and image whether rock musician or sophisticated businesperson.  Dress often makes a staement about an individual's social and aconomic status.  Dress can communicate one's occupation:  pokiceman, soldier, nurse, fast-food worker.

  For special occasions many people proclaim their ethnic identity with festive costumes, be they Slavic or American Indian.   Clothing expresses sacredness and hallowed tradition in religious ritual.  It voices celebraton and formality;  The bride's gown, the orchestra conductor's white tie and tails.

One group of people's dress utters volumes about them though they are otherwise quiet and unobtrusive.  They have adopted a kind of uniform but since they are never "off duty," most wear it constantly.  They need no special festivities to reveal their identity and heritage.  They wish to be reminded of it every day.  They observe no sacred vestments in their worship; their clergy's apperance is little different from the layperson's.  They have no religious garb.  There are no formal dress used only for rare occasions.  They avoid all ostentation and keep competition at a minimum be insisting on a uniform, simple dress. 

Although diverse in background these people are know together as plain people because they believe ornaments and finery are contrary to biblical principle.

What do I hold onto?

The cheerful little girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five.
Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them, a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.
Oh mommy please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy,please?"
Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.
"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00.
If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself.
Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."
As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.
Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up.
She wore them everywhere, Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed.
The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green
Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night as he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?" "Oh yes, daddy. You know that I love you." "Then give me your pearls." "Oh, daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess, the white horse from my collection, the one with the pink tail. Remember, daddy? The one you gave me. She's my very favorite." "That's okay, Honey, daddy loves you. Good night" And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.
About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?" "Daddy, you know I love you." "Then give me your pearls." "Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper." "That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.
A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek. "What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?" Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, daddy, this is for you." With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure.
So it is, with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasures. Isn't God good? Are you holding onto things that God wants you to let go of? Are you holding on to harmful or unnecessary partners, relationships, habits and activities that you have come so attached to that it seems impossible to let go?
Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in the other hand but do believe
this one thing ...
God will never take away something without giving
you something better in its place.

Seek, do, teach

One of my favorite verses is     Ezr 7:10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.

So many times we forget that we need to do the law of the Lord. I have heard preachers preach on how the law is no longer in affect, and yes it is not the law that saves us. Us following the law is what proves our love to the Lord.    1Jo 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.          

We show our love by doing what we know God would have us to do. And service motivated out of love is not hard. What is our duty to the Lord.       Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

I want to do what is requiered of me. But out of love not out of fear. I love the book of James and he also tells us     Jam 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

My DH has taught the children a saying that I really appreciate. God’s grace brings us to heaven, God’s law brings heaven to us. Deu 11:18-21 Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.

I want the days of heaven upon the earth. That is what motivates me to follow God’s law.

Reverence your Own Husband

 

Eph 5:33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

While counseling with a married lady she asked how she should reverence her husband if he was not accepting of her physical touches. I asked where she got the idea that reverence was physical. I guess her pastor told her that to reverence your husband was to be physical with him. I was shocked. I had never heard of such a thing and told her so.

That made me look up this verse and see what it actually said. I was so excited to see I was not wrong. to reverence, venerate, to treat with deference or reverential obedience

What is reverential obedience to each husband is going to be different. My DH is , to me so different. When we were dating he came to my home and saw how clean my mother liked her home kept. I went to his home and saw that his mother did not care what kind of a mess her home was. No disrespect meant to my MIL but I did not know they even had a piano until someone unloaded all of the junk off of it so they could play it. Well, coming into the marriage we both thought something different about the cleaning of the house. I wanted to be laid back and he wanted a clean home. To him I can say I love you and be affectionate but if the floors are "crunchy" it means nothing. If I have vacuumed all of the floors before he gets home he knows that I love him and reverence him.

Each wife needs to find the ways her husband wants things done. It may not be a clean floor. It will be something different for each man. But do what he wants. That is the whole point of reverencing your husband. Discern his heart and do what you know would make him happy. And do it as unto the Lord.

 

 

Another Week

 

We went to the Dr's yesterday.  The baby has dropped and he said it could be any day now.  So we are waiting and praying that this little one will be joining us soon.  I have never gone into labor on my own.  This is a matter of much prayer being as I really do not want an induction.  We have talked about an induction the Dr will let me go to the 14th and then we will be induced.  I would much rather go on my own.  So if you ladies could join me in praying that this little one will come with out an induction I would be so grateful.  Also because I am a Vbac they monitor so closely and alot of the time you get stuck in bed and can not walk around.  Thank you all who are praying.  I will keep you all posted as I can.