1 Corinthians 2 hectic shmectic

1 Corinthians 2

 ¹ When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.^{[a] 2} For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. ³ I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. ⁴ My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, ⁵ so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.

Wisdom From the Spirit

 ⁶ We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. ⁷ No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. ⁸ None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. ⁹ However, as it is written:    “No eye has seen,
   no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
   what God has prepared for those who love him”^[b]—
 ¹⁰ but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
   The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹ For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. ¹³ This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.^{[c] 14} The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment:
 ¹⁶ “For who has known the mind of the Lord
   that he may instruct him?”^[d]
   But we have the mind of Christ.

Dunno Why but I just love this passage...Deuteronomy 17: 14 -20

Deuteronomy 17

The King

 ¹⁴ When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,” ¹⁵ be sure to appoint over you the king the LORD your God chooses. He must be from among your own brothers. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not a brother Israelite. ¹⁶ The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the LORD has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.” ¹⁷ He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.
 ¹⁸ When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites. ¹⁹ It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees ²⁰ and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.

 

So the king:

• Must be appointed because he was the LORD your God's choice.
• Must be from among your own brothers. Do not place a foreigner over you - in our context, must be a believer and must be one of us, not from outside, someone who understands because he is from culture/organization,etc.
• Must not try and create security for himself, protect himself or go back to the world or past saved from for help/advice. For the LORD has told you, “You are not to go back that way again"
• Must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray.ie. Keep your heart pure, wait for the one God has for you or enquire of the Lord regarding love and dont look around once married, do ur best to stay true to covenant made at wedding
• Must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold. (wow even if u are a king!)
• Must not consider himself better than his brothers
• Must not and turn from the law to the right or to the left

All the above:

• Must  when takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law,It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees

Romans 1:1-17

7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

 ¹¹ I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— ¹² that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.
Similiar to Hebrews 10 :24 ²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵ not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  - Saying the same thing. which highlights the importance of building one another up, encouraging one another...

 in order that I might have a harvest among you
fruitfullness, souls?

14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

for everyone, wise, foolish. why is it that people only go to poor areas to preach, not saying dont' go, i'm saying don't limit where God wants to go? secondly are the greeks the wise? Just pondering cause at the moment my heart going out ot all the problems in greece.

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile
the gospel is hte POWER OF GOD that brings salvation to everyone that believes. WOW...not just the story we always here, not just truth, but in sharing the gospel you are sharing the power of God that brings salvation to that person who believes...

17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,[e] just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”[f]

awesome, awesome, awesome. Righteousness of God, not of me...and it is by faith for the first to the last all! living by faith in God.we receive righteousness...the gospel (good news about Jesus) reveals the righteousness of God! In JESUS we are made righteous!
In Conclusion...

Our walk with God, our faith is a powerful thing, we know the power of God to bring salvation to the lives of others...And God has given us this so that it can be given to Greeks non greeks, wise, poor whoever!whoever believes.. We also need to build one another up. Our righteousness comes from God not from us

Psalm 31 Revelations

Psalm 31: verses 1 - 5


" refuge, never be put to shame, deliver me, rescue, rock of refuge, strong fortress, rock and fortress,free me from trap, refuge "

Our hiding place, our safety, the one who rescues, delivers and frees us our rock, our fortress?

In Him - verse 1 "In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; "
We take refuge in Him, we hide ourselves in Him, not in his temple, or in his provision, or whatever of him but in Him, In God we take refuge.

" let me never be put to shame; " And ask him let us never be put to shame, which is entirely possible if we are hiding in Him.

"deliver me in your righteousness."
We even ask him to deliver us, in His righteousness. Struggling to live a pure life, to live right before God. We ask God to deliver us from our situations, in HIS righteousness.

"Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;"
When I go through a situation, I should be calling out to Him first thing,asking Him to turn his ear to me (David is fully expectant that God can and will hear him that is why he says God turn your ear to me and come quickly to my rescue!) Cry out to To not let us be put to shame, God to deliver us in his righteousness and to come quickly to our rescue...He is able and we shoudl be crying out to him, not waiting for temptation to be full blown or the enemy to strike in Him we take refuge! We hid ourselves...and not just in trouble but every day...

"be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me."

God needs to be my strength, my rock the strength I am leaning on. He is strong, but we also need to let him be our ROCk of refuge (hiding place), a STRONG fortress emphasizing yet again the strenght of God in whom we hide to Save Us. Where are we hiding, are we hiding and if yes where are we hiding to be saved...David again repeats...in verse 3 Since you are my rock and fortress.. Saying but God, I am hidden in you and protected in you, you are the one in whom I am hidden... And because of that, for the sake of your name, for your glory, becuase of who you are...
Lead and guide me. Wow so from that place of hiddenness, we say the next thing. the next step God, my next move. You lead and guide me...You direct me... Hectic. this is not only asking God for his will, but asking him for his will for his name's sake...Its almost like when people say it's not the fact that you are prayign thats wrong, its how you are praying, from what perspective.

"4 Free me from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge. "

Cause the devil has a plan, daily there are traps, there are snares, there are temptations or even my own weaknesses, baggage pasts, Lord, Free me from that, because you are the one where i am safe in.

"5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;
redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth. "

What it comes down to is saying God, I give the very me, the deepest part of me, the life of me,my essence to You. I place that in your hands. and say Lord. Redeem me, Buy me back, pay the cost that is on my life, O Lord! the God who doesn't lie, who is real and whose heart and word is real, who is truth...Redeem me.

Summary.

I take my refuge in Him, in Him I hide, and give to him, my spirit. I ask him to lead and guide me. He is a rock of Refuge and a strong fortress. I ask him to not only free and deliver me, but I ask him to redeem me, in light of who he is, the LORD, the God of Truth!

Psalm 31 - Stuck on this...

Psalm 31
For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
4 Free me from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;
redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.

6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
I trust in the LORD.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you saw my affliction
and knew the anguish of my soul.
8 You have not handed me over to the enemy
but have set my feet in a spacious place.

9 Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
my soul and my body with grief.

10 My life is consumed by anguish
and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction, [a]
and my bones grow weak.

11 Because of all my enemies,
I am the utter contempt of my neighbors;
I am a dread to my friends—
those who see me on the street flee from me.

12 I am forgotten by them as though I were dead;
I have become like broken pottery.

13 For I hear the slander of many;
there is terror on every side;
they conspire against me
and plot to take my life.

14 But I trust in you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my God."

15 My times are in your hands;
deliver me from my enemies
and from those who pursue me.

16 Let your face shine on your servant;
save me in your unfailing love.

17 Let me not be put to shame, O LORD,
for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
and lie silent in the grave. [b]

18 Let their lying lips be silenced,
for with pride and contempt
they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

19 How great is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you,
which you bestow in the sight of men
on those who take refuge in you.

20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them
from the intrigues of men;
in your dwelling you keep them safe
from accusing tongues.

21 Praise be to the LORD,
for he showed his wonderful love to me
when I was in a besieged city.

22 In my alarm I said,
"I am cut off from your sight!"
Yet you heard my cry for mercy
when I called to you for help.

23 Love the LORD, all his saints!
The LORD preserves the faithful,
but the proud he pays back in full.

24 Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the LORD.

Psalm 23 meditation...

Started with Psalms again yesterday, a day after where I stopped last year, so I can still finish by August :)

Just a year later... These are my thoughts as I go along... (may add previous books as I go over it again...)

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd,

I always say I'm not a sheep, or people are like sheep, but I think what this verse is trying to say is that we are sheep, it's not that we are not, but it's who we are following. And the shepherd is the Lord, the one I follow. As a sheep I humbly, eagerly follow the voice and Leading of the Lord who is my shepherd, the one who looks after me, tends me, leads me, is responsible for me (and as it says in John 10 would give his life for me...)

I shall not be in want

Yep, since learning about Mammon, the spirit behind mammon trying to control us, this scripture is saying stop being desperate, its not saying dont have a desire, but dont be in want, don't be saying I need this or else I dont know...God is the one looking after you, you have everything you need, if you dont have something it's either because it's not your time, or you havent spoken to God about it, but basically the only thing that we should be desperate about is God. So I will and shall not be in want, because The Lord is my shepherd. May this sink in so we live it out.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul

Instead of being anxious and frantic about something, He makes you lie down, in green (Western Cape Green, lol) pastures... He slows us down...Wow. Think about it, Look at our God. He cares, in fact think about it too if you are a sheep, Green pastures is somewhere you want to be, so whether this means he takes you to the things you desire too or just that he brings peace, so you can just rest, He is leading you and where he is leading you is Good and good for you... He doesn't not care, but has his own way of doing things, he leads you beside quiet waters...I hear that quiet waters almost said softly. Try and think about the sound of a stream or a little trinkling of a fountain at a mountain hike...or just a river...quiet waters... He takes you along side that...and restores your soul. Man so many times our souls are like the waters where the waves are at their highest threatening to sink our boats...God knows that, and when you are thinking like that or caught up in your emotions you need to be lead beside quiet waters and laid down in green pastures. Also the waters sometimes refer to the Holy Spirit... And even it says deep inside us streams of living water flows. Lastly He restores our soul. Note, it's He and sometimes we need to allow him to quieten us so He can restore our soul. We run from here to there, to try and get peace...Only he can restore our soul, but the awesome thing to me is the way he does, by leading us through places that will bring peace and rest.

He guides me in paths of righteousness

Woh, Normally I speed read this scripture, but now I'm seeing, once again HE, guides me...He does it, He shows us how, He leads us, so where should we look and who should we follow if we want to be more Holy...HE. And He will guide you in those paths of righteousness, leading you to being in rightstanding with God, blameless and an example...

for his name's sake.

Lately God has been speaking about this to me, for His name's sake, for His glory. Doing my best in life because whatever I do brings glory to his name. If people know I am christian yet my life is messed up, sometimes they do think what kind of a God is that...I understand I cannot fix myself, and sometimes circumstances do lead to that. but this scripture is saynig that God will lead you to be the person he wanted you to be, not just so you can be holy but because it brings glory to his name, when we walk in righteousness, when we win our struggles, when we succeed in life and give honour to him to who it's due...Everything even our breathing or the birth of our children, our our marriages, are a picture of the faithfulness and awesomeness of God and his plan for us, and as we follow him letting him guide us into us being more righteous hectic hey, it brings Glory to His name, for His name's sake...

Cover to Cover Day 1 - 5 January 2009

(Because only started on today 5th of January have 5 days to catch up on.... will try and blog as regular as I can the revelations from this cover to cover study. (at the same time I am still continuing my bible reading and am now at Psalm 51...(was supposed to be finish in August already :) )

* Before the creation of the world, Christ (The Word) was with God and was God in the beginning...
In the beginning
* Was the word
* and the word was with God
* And the word was God
He was with God in the beginning
John 1:1-2 (Pre existant Christ)

* Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God - Psalm 90 :2 (Creation declaration)
From Every lasting to Everlasting You are God - Awesome! This is who he was even before the creation of the world.

* In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth

* Before the creation of the world - Christ was with God and was God and before the world was created, God was God from everlasting to everlasting. It didnt start when the earth started in fact, this everlasting God brought forth the earth....

* note to self!
(Prepare the way of the Risen Lord!)

* Satan was created (Ez 28 v 13b)

* Earth was formelss and empty(Gen1:2) but God didnt create it to be empty but to be inhabited (Isaiah 45:18) -> I am the Lord and there is no other!!! (wow) (reading the scripture in context) God was God and had his plans for earth! before it was created.but he was God. Holy and Sovereign. The only Livign God.

* Six days of creation (Before God - Father, Jesus, the Word, and the Holy Spirit), in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth at some point cast Satan out of heaven ) and then On day 1: God said let there be light and called the light day and the darkness night. day 2:seperated the water and the expanse was called sky (seperating water below,stream that covered the whole earth, from water above), day 3 caused the water below to be gathered to one place. the water called sea and the dryground, land, Also let the land produce vegetation, seedbearing plants,etc... day : Sun in day, moon and stars at night, this also help with seasons,etc...and to govern day and night give light to earth and to seperate light from darkness. day 5 all fish or living creatures in sea, and birds in the air... Day 6 creatures on the earth (livestock wild,etc...( and man...) Day 7 Rest...

*Make man in our image, our likenss, image of God he created him...Gen 1:27

* God saw all that he had made and it was Very GOOD

* Gen 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array... (makes me think of Louis Giglio's materials)

* John 1:3 Through him all things were made! (JESUS!!!!!) (More proof that Jesus is GOD)

***FOR THOUGHT AND COMTEMPLATION SECTION...
Question was: If, as the Scripture teaches, man is the only being in creation who bears the "image" of God, then ask yourself today: How much of God's image is reflected in me

* Was thinking earlier when read the scripture, how one forgets that one is made in God's image and the realisation that one is, just changes the way I see myself, my self image, GOD IMAGE. I am precious and made in the likeness of God, the LORD.

* Also if we were made to rule and subdue the earth, means work is part of our mission, (or the modern version of this scripture today) therefore God has blessed me to Work!

* Also found hte part of Gen 2 about man and woman beautiful (Gen 2:18 & 24) Not good for man to be alone.24 For this reason a man will...

*** For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together - Col 1:16 - 17.

Job 2 Onwards - Friends/People Comments...

This word isn't one of those that I feel I am getting from the Lord and must blog, it's merely when I read this, I could relate. So this post is not meant to be a biblestudy, but more I get Job, I agree, I know how he feels post.

After all these things happen to Job, firstly instead of being supportive or empathatic (is that a weird) his wife tries to tell him what to do - Curse God...

Firstly, Job's friends come to him and just mourn with him but after that when Job shares his heart,

(
25 What I feared has come upon me;
what I dreaded has happened to me.
26 I have no peace, no quietness;
I have no rest, but only turmoil."
)
(I can only imagine what it feels to feel like this)

this is his friends response:

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
2 "If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?
But who can keep from speaking?
3 Think how you have instructed many,
how you have strengthened feeble hands.
4 Your words have supported those who stumbled;
you have strengthened faltering knees.
5 But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged;
it strikes you, and you are dismayed.
6 Should not your piety be your confidence
and your blameless ways your hope?

IOW -> You supposed to be so strong, you're strong for everyone else. Now that you have a problem, look at how you are reacting. If u've done nothing wrong shouldnt that be your confidence.

When everything is falling apart in your life, instead of bring words of hope, strength, not just random but thoughtful words, they take the opportunity to give their opinion, and even try and teach Job.

Job...

I blogged on Esther the other day, but then it didnt save the draft and the computer bombed when I tried to post it but will have to update all the previous books a next time. But just want to blog my current readings and observations. Began Job last night. And just read chapter 1. and then so far today 2 - 4.

But anyway...let me share my revelations about Job so far...

Before Job, what God has really been impressing on my heart was the difference between EVERYBODY and the people that were after God's heart and the measure of how much they followed and wanted all of God's ways to be done was the measure of in a sense His kingdom coming... Like in Kings/Chronicles. There were some who did God's will (or as the word says they followed in the ways of their father david) BUT they did not remove the high places, so you'd see that their children or grandchilren end up serving idols...and then there were those who wholeheartedly served God and went on to change the whole community as well... but then at sometimes for some pride crept in etc, and for others they stayed on the path... But for me reading that God really impressed his pattern and ways, it was about dependancy on God in everything and in every season of life, not just some of the time but all of the time (king solomon was some of the time and it lead to the splitting of the kingdom)...

So I read Ezra and Nehemiah and Esther (will blog about that shortly) and this sense of really seeking God's face, favour,etc, is still strongly impressed. for success in terms of being the person God wants. And then I get to Job...


Job1

1 In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.

...

8 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."

(Even God considered Job to be one of his best servants at the time...!)

Job was already living the right life, and had all that he valued taken away from him, from his children, his animals, and later his health. What was his response.

20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said:
"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked I will depart. [c]
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised."

22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing

So before this I was saying that to live right and to be the child of God God wants me to be I need to seek him, I need to live blamelessly, etc.etc. But then along comes Job who is doing all of that already, and yet it didnt mean life was perfect...But even when disaster hit and everything fell apart for him, his response

was still worship. May the name of the Lord be praised. Regardless of what was happening and losing everything He still worshipped God.

This bible reading is really teaching me what God wants from us. I cant say I am even close to being where I should be but I thank God for His ways and teaching me through His word and His spirit for working in me the character that I desire...

Introduction...

I decided to do the "read the bible in 3 months" which should have ended Aug 9.It's September and I'm still at Nehemiah as we speak. I am really enjoying my study and really have seen the fruit of it. Not needing to be on arthritis tablets, no misunderstandings and lots of complements the day I'm in the word, open doors :) and just an increase in knowing and understanding God and his ways. The point of this category is just for me to blog these thoughts As I get there....