Good Friday, 2011

Isaiah 53

1 Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

3 He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

4 Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment,
And who will declare His generation?
For He was cut off from the land of the living;
For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

9 And they[a] made His grave with the wicked—
But with the rich at His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.

11 He shall see the labor of His soul,[b]and be satisfied.
By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.
(New King James Version)

Dusk at Jacksonville Beach.

A line of pelicans in the distance patrolling the waters, ready to swoop down on their unsuspecting supper.

I ask you, how would a pelican or how would the DNA of proto-pelican (or do we have to go back to slime?) 'know' to start evolving the nifty beak-neck pouch, so he could fly off with his fresh supper?

Can an 'evolutionary' feedback loop REALLY get from slime to pouch??

As it was in the days...

Luke 17:26-30

26 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will also be in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day that the Son of Man is revealed.

And likewise, we today eat, drink, marry, buy, sell, plant, build...so it will it be in the day that the Son of Man is revealed.

2 Peter 3:10-13

10 But the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise; and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Spurgeon on Unbelief

One of the reasons I so enjoy reading Charles H. Spurgeon is that he is able to say in a few sentences what I would want to say and would take paragraphs to articulate. While reading from "Finding Peace in Life's Storms" (1997 Whitaker House) - based on Col. 1:27, I was blessed to find the following:

"The Bible does not praise unbelief nor present motives or reasons for cultivating it. Experience has not proven that unbelief gives strength for life's battles or wisdom for life's complexities. Unbelief is a close relative of gullibility. Unlike true faith, unbelief has a tendency toward being led by the nose by any falsehood. Unbelief yields no consolation for the present, and its outlook for the future is by no means comforting. We find no hint in the Bible of a sublime land in the clouds where people who praise their own intellectual ability will eternally baffle themselves and others. We read no prophecy in Scripture of a celestial hall of science where skeptics may weave new deceptions and forge new objections to the revelation of God. There is a place for the unbelieving, but it is not heaven." (Italics mine)

As Al would say, that puts the fodder down where the calf can eat it.

Thank you C.H.S. and thank you, Almighty God.

Our Glorious Purpose

This passage is from the March 2010 Tabletalk (Ligonier Ministries) and is by Rev. Fred Klett in an article entitled "From Jerusalem, to All Nations, and Back Again":

"It is easy to get bogged down in mundane and parochial concerns. Dull details of the daily grind constantly scream for our attention. We must not lose sight of the glorious purpose for which we have been called: the restoration of all creation. Our witness, our prayer, our service to bind up the wounds of the suffering in the name of Jesus are all part of something spectacular and wonderful, something the prophets longed to look into (1 Peter 1:10). May God renew our zeal for His work in our own neighborhoods and for His worldwide missionary enterprise. May He revive us to pray and work in faith toward both Jews and Gentiles being restored to blessing. Messiah Jesus is still at work advancing the Father's kingdom by the power of the Holy Spirit. The second volume of the book of Acts is still being written. Let us recommit ourselves to this gospel enterprise, from Jerusalem, to all nations -- and then back again."

We live in exciting times, working with Messiah Jesus to advance the Father's Kingdom by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are a part of the second volume of Acts!! Glory! Glory! and Amen.

Psalm 10:12-18

Psalm 10

12 Arise, O LORD!
O God, lift up Your hand!
Do not forget the humble.
{Isaiah 66:2b
2b "But to this one I will look,
To him who is humble and contrite of
spirit, and who trembles at My Word."}

13 Why do the wicked renounce God?
He has said in his heart,
"You [God] will not require an account."
{Psalm 2:1-2
1 Why are the nations in an uproar
And the peoples devising a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth take their stand
And the rulers take council together
Against the LORD and against His
Anointed, saying,
"Let us tear their (the LORD and His anointed) fetters apart
And cast away their cords from us!"}

14 But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief,
To repay it by Your hand.
The helpless commits himself to You;
You are the helper of the fatherless.
{James 1:27
27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God
and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their
distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.}

15 Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man;
Seek out his wickedness until You find none.
{Psalm 11:4-6
4 The LORD is in His holy temple;
the LORD's throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.
5 The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked,
And the one who loves violence His soul hates.
6 Upon the wicked he will rain snares;
Fire and brimstone and burning wind
Will be the portion of their cup.}

16 The LORD is king forever and ever;
The nations have perished out of His land.
{Isaiah 2:12
12 For the LORD of Hosts will have a day of reckoning
Against everyone who is proud and lofty
And against everyone who is lifted up,
That he may be abased.}

17 LORD, you have heard the desire of the humble;
You will prepare their heart;
You will cause Your ear to hear,
{Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit (i.e. humble, those with humility),
for theirs in the kingdom of heaven.}

18 To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
That the man of the earth may oppress no more.
{Isaiah 1:17
17 Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Reprove the ruthless,
Defend the orphan,
plead for the widow.}

Psalm 10:1-11

A Psalm of confidence in God's triumph over evil.

1 Why do you stand afar off, O LORD?
Why do You hide in times of trouble?
{Have we as Christians not asked that over and over the last several decades, as we have seen both the church and our country "going down the tubes"?}

2 The wicked in his pride, persecutes the poor;
{We see that daily.}
Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.
{I pray for their salvation first and being "caught in the plots which they have devised" second. Bernie Madoff is a good example of being caught in his own greedy plot.}

3 For the wicked boasts of his heart's desire;
He blesses the greedy and renouces the LORD.
{ Renouncing the LORD is the current national pastime.}

4 The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God;
God is in none of his thoughts.
{"The fool has said in his heart, there is no God." Psalm 14:1, Psalm 53:1}

5 His [the wicked] ways are always propering;
{At least for the time being.}
Your [God's] judgments are far above, out of his [the wicked's] sight;
As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.
{He certainly does!}

6 He [the wicked] has said in his heart, "I shall not be moved;
I shall never be in adversity."
{Talk about delusional!}

7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression;
Under his tongue is trouble and iniquity.
{All we ever hear today is filthy language, cheating and trying to get ahead of the other guy.}

8 He [the wicked] sits in the lurking places in the villages;
In the secret places he murders the innocent;
{Abortion.}
His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless.
{TV/Internet scams of all kinds.}

9 He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den;
{New senator in the old lion's seat, PTL.}
He lies in wait to catch the poor;
He catches the poor when he draws him into his net.
{Fanny Mae, Freddy Mac.)

10 So he crouches, he lies low,
That the helpless may fall by his strength.
{"Bailouts" that make matters worse.}


11 He [the wicked] has said in his heart,
"God has forgotten;
He hides His face;
He will never see."
{Na na na na na na...}

Next ~~ Psalm 10:12-18

We live in uncertain times...

That was a comment I heard from a radio commenter this morning. As believers we know that we always live in uncertain times...

But even from the world's point of view, we should see that we always live in uncertain times...

1760s-1770s ~ the American Revolution
1790s ~ the French Revolution
1800-1815 ~ Napoleonic era
1820s & 1830s ~ restlessness in Europe following the French Revolution
1848 ~ Europe convulsed with revolution
1860 ~ American Civil War
1870s ~ Louis Napoleon's delusions of grandeur ~ Franco-Prussian war ~ Bismarck & the unification of Germany
1880s-1910s ~ Tensions between Germany - France - Austro-Hungary - England
1914 ~ World War One
1920s ~ illusion of less uncertain times...
1930s ~ worldwide economic collapse
1940s ~ World War Two - Korean War
1950s ~ illusion of less uncertain times...
1960s ~ assasination of JFK - "revolutions" on the campuses - Viet Nam
1970s ~ stagflation
1980s ~ continued economic angst - Reagan - Berlin Wall comes down
1990s ~ glastnost - internet - dot com - illusion of less uncertain times...
2000s~ 9/11 & its fallout - almost worldwide economic collapse - likely to happen yet...

What was/is happening in Asia, South America, Africa & the rest of the world...

We always live in uncertain times...we live in a fallen world.

That will change~ Psalm 2

no light

Isaiah 8

19 And when they [leaders of Israel] say to you [Isaiah],

“Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,”

should not a people seek their God?

Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?

20 To the law and to the testimony!

If they do not speak according to this word,

it is because there is no light in them."


Israel wants to consult mediums and wizards for answers to her problems.

Isaiah's response ~ "should not a people seek ther God?
Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?"

They should seek their answers in God's Word ~~ if they do not...it means there is no light in them, they are spiritually blind to God.

shekina radiance

You note that in the NKJV translation of M. 5:16, Matthew says "and glorify your Father in Heaven". Some translations say "your Father who is in Heaven". "our goods works" of course will both glorify our Father who is in Heaven and our Father in Heaven; beautiful facets of Truth.

We do our good works before men because our godly lives, Biblical truths and the work of the Holy Spirit will bring men to a saving knowledge of Christ.

We will meet those in Heaven who will have been saved because we were obedient to the command in Matthew 5:16 to...

"Let your light so shine before men that they will see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

Incredible to think that we insignificant beings might be used as instruments to enable others to be in heaven to glorify our Father for eternity.

have

you ever heard of Caedmon?

UPDATE 9/1: Here are some very interesting links to introduce you to this 7th century laborer turned monk.

Caedmon's poetry can be considered our first Bible in the English language.

another question

Who used the Latin Vulgate Bible to translate the Bible into Greek?

UPDATE 9/1: The man who translated Jerome's Vulgate Bible into Greek was the noted Dutch Renaissance humanist, Desiderus Erasmus.

oh, P. S.

Answers will follow, but I'll give you some time to figure the questions out for yourself! heh

do you know?

What is the name of the first authorized Bible in the English language?

Under what King of England was it authorized?

What was the date of its publication?

Who prepared this Bible?

Who's translation was used as the basis of this Bible?

Who's work did the translator use as the basis for his English translation?

spiritual riches

Job 28

12 But where can wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding"

13 Man does not know its value,
Nor is it found in the land of the living.

14 The deep says, 'It is not in me';
And the sea says, 'It is not with me'.

15 It cannot be purchased for gold,
Nor can silver be weighed for its price.

16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
In precious onyx or sapphire.

17 Neither gold nor crystal can equal it,
Nor can it be exchanged for jewelry of fine gold.

18 No mention shall be made of coral or quartz,
For the price of wisdom is above rubies.

19 The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,
Nor can it be valued in pure gold.

20 From where then does wisdom come?
And where is the place of understanding?

21 It is hidden from the eyes of all living,
And concealed from the birds of the air.

22 Destruction and Death say,
'We have heard a report about it with our ears'.

23 God understands its [wisdom's] way,
And He knows its place.

24 For He looks to the ends of the earth,
And sees under the whole heavens,

25 To establish a weight for the wind,
And apportion the waters by measure.

26 When He made a law for the rain,
And a path for the thunderbolt,

27 Then He saw widom and declared it;
He prepared it, indeed, He searched it out.

28 And to man He said,

'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
And to depart from evil is understanding'.

worldly riches

Job 28

1 Surely there is a mine for silver,
And a place where gold is refined.

2 Iron is taken from the earth,
And copper is smelted from ore.

3 Man puts an end to darkness,
And searches every recess for ore,
In the darkness and and the shadow of death.

4 He breaks open a shaft away from people;
In places forgotten by feet
They hang far away from men;
They swing to and fro.

5 As for the earth, from it comes bread,
But underneath it is turned up as by fire;

6 Its stones are the source of sapphires,
And it contains gold dust.

7 That path no bird knows,
Nor has the falcon's eye seen it.

8 The proud lions have not trodden it,
Nor has the fierce lion passed over it.

9 He puts his hand on the flint;
He overturns the mountains at the roots.

10 He cuts out channels in the rocks,
And his eye sees every precious thing.

11 He dams up the streams from trickling;
What is hidden he brings forth to light.

memory

So often, men and women who have been mightily used by God, are forgotten by men. From little known Thomas Bilney to Asahel Nettleton (who?) and even to Johann Gutenburg. Gutenburg is widely known today as the the inventer of the printing press, but at the time of his death he was a pauper, remembered by few and we have no idea where his grave might be. It was only much later that his contribution to history was realized.

Since Asahel Nettleton is a name and a man those of us who are reformed should know, I present a series of links that will give you a good chance to learn about him. Enjoy!

Divine Election

Nettleton's Home Page

Forgotten

Faithful Preacher

Timeline

Evangelistic Style

fallen world

Job 21
7 Why do the wicked live and become old,
Yes, become mighty in power?

8 Their descendants are established with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes.

9 Their houses are safe from fear,
Neither is the rod of God upon them.

10 Their bull breeds without failure;
Their cow calves without miscarriage.

11 They send forth their little ones like a flock,
And their children dance.

12 They sing to the tambourine and harp,
And rejoice to the sound of the flute.

13 They spend their days in wealth,
And in a moment go down to the grave.

14 Yet they say to God, ‘Depart from us,
For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.

15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him?
And what profit do we have if we pray to Him?’

words of encouragement from Paul 4

I separated out each verse, in order to allow for a savoring contemplation of the incredible, "unbelievable" truths articulated in each of them. It is just breathtaking...

Romans 8

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36 As it is written:

“ For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,

39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

comfort

Psalm 94

12 Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O LORD,
And teach out of Your law,

13 That You may give him rest from the days of adversity,
Until the pit is dug for the wicked.

14 For the LORD will not cast off His people,
Nor will He forsake His inheritance.

15 But judgment will return to righteousness,
And all the upright in heart will follow it.

16 Who will rise up for me against the evildoers?
Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?

17 Unless the LORD had been my help,
My soul would soon have settled in silence.

18 If I say, “My foot slips,”
Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up.

19 In the multitude of my anxieties within me,
Your comforts delight my soul."

What a blessing to trust and rest in the Lord.