Why Read the Old Testamemt?

 As a child I enjoyed the adventures of the mighty men of God who did wondrous things. Later I became aware of their terrible ooops! moments when they went astray--like Sampson and Delilah, King David and Bathsheba--and their pitiful crying for forgiveness/ After all they had seen God do for their people, how could they sink so low? I was embarrassed for them, from my immature understanding of my secure identity as God’s adopted child.

At this point, I felt no kinship with this obstinate, whining tribe of God’s chosen people. But as the newness of my own relationship with God wore off, I began to see a familiar thread in the world around me. Awareness of the marvelous grace and forgiveness of God in my own uneven walk toward heaven, I began to see every generation has failed just as miserably. We no longer take our newborn child in unholy worship, a sacrifice to a murderous god; now we take the babe to a doctor who kills him in a sterile room, an inconvenience, devoid of love.

Could this be the reason we should read the Old Testament—to point us to our common pattern of forgiveness, falling away, returning. resolving to abide on faith? To realize we are incapable to change ourselves? To see how God deals with an unfaithful people? Yes, but it also confirms His assurance He is able to overcome our weakness and He has given us a glimpse of His command of history and future through hundreds of prophecies, which were 100% correct, and the future records one last prophecy: His return, beginning with the Rapture of His saints, when He calls those who are still alive to join Him in Heaven.

But He (Jesus) answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”  Matthew 4:4

 

Feed My Sheep

Jesus said, "Feed My sheep". He did NOT say, "Hang out with other sheep wearing bright white coats and look away from those sheep with muddy coats, who looked like they had been somewhere they shouldn't have gone.: All members of His flock are valuable to Him, although not all are identical in knowledge or experience. What He did say was that we grow as we nourish and teach the young lambs who are just learning how to walk. 

He said a rope of three strands woven together is superior in strength; as unity strengthens a family or group. Unity does not mean identical; indeed each strand may have some unique difference in his experience, knowledge. Some may be stronger, some more flexible, some more durable, yet each unique attribute strengthens the group.

We have more than enough enemies in this world around us. Indeed, they now show a new strength in their unity to destroy us. The tale of a wolf in sheep's clothing tells me to expect to find one sitting in a pew nearby, sowing the serpent's seed, right next to a lamb. This babe in Christ, watches the behavior of older sheep, more experienced in hearing the Shepherd's firm, quiet voice, more confident in their walk following their Master. The innocent babe desires and needs this training, and only God knows, but the wolf could possibly hear God's Truth and some leopards do change their spots. 

Discerning needy lambs from goats (or hungry wolves) is not for me, but for my Shepherd. If we can't approach others freely,  with love, we don't need a wolf to sow discord. Sharing our walk, encouraging one another, rescuing lost sheep is our job. Feeding His sheep blesses us as well.

Far too long, I was reluctant to speak out and expose my pitiful knowledge of the Scripture, believing I had nothing to offer. Years of growing, during everything He carried me through, enable me, encourage me, to boldly share from my experience. I know I have far to go to reach my goal, but looking back, I can see growth and changes I would never have believed possible. This river is moving!  No more a stagnant pool hoarding gifts from God's bounty as if He could run short.

Evangelism Explosion, a training program which enables a layman learn to effectively share his faith gave me freedom from failure. If the listener refuses what I offer, he isn't refusing me, but Christ.  

There will always be many who know the Bible far better than I do. but in this world, there will always be younger saints with many questions, lost sheep without a shepherd, who do not yet know they are lost.  As I benefitted in hearing how others navigated their way through some of my same problems,, I gained confidence in sharing my own experiences to encourage others who cross my path.

A stream, or stagnant pool? As we share, God replenishes us daily and blesses both the speaker and listener. God will provide a listener for every speaker who needs to share:  a speaker for every searcher.

We need each other now, perhaps more than any generation before. A basic truth: We must hang together or we are doomed to be hanged alone.  We each were created, purposely assigned for this day in history, assigned to walk this road surrounded by deep muddy ditches. Praise  Jesus for keeping us on the right road and holding our hands as we reach a particularly rough patch of rocky road.

evangelism Explosion 

The Loneliness Of Separation

"This hurts me more than it does you."  Have you said those words to a child you love? Do you remember hearing them from your own parent? It's a painful memory, either way.

I remember hearing them from my mother at about 4 or 5 years of age, with dread in my heart. The worst was not a couple of half-hearted swipes received. It was that cold feeling of separation, perhaps the warm feeling of being loved was lost forever.  I remember the terrible desolation as she walked away. Sobbing, I would follow her, crying, assuring her I loved her, holding my breath until she picked me up and hugged me and said she loved me. Only then would my world be okay.

I was just beginning to understand my freedom to entertain myself had limits/ When I did something I knew was wrong, there would be a reminder. I thank God for her teaching me the way this world works. Even as an adult, there would always be penalties or rewards, sooner or later. I needed to learn to avoid those tempting things displeasing to her, and later, to God. 

The difference is that as adults, after we ignore His warnings of dangerous places or behaviors, God often waits patiently while we dig ourselves such a deep hole we can't get out without His help.  And when all else fails, we repent, promising we have learned that lesson.  He will forgive us, knowing we mean well but also knowing that more enticing temptations wait ahead, when next we stumble into another of Satan's traps. Like any teacher, He will allow tests occasionally to help us to see how well we do at avoiding that loss of companionship with our Heavenly Father.

Remember the parental warning you never believed as a child?  "This hurts me more than it does you"  

Remember the coldness of your separation from your Father until your close relationship is resolved?

Remember the cross where He suffered the penalty you earned?

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.                                                                                         Romans 3:23

HUMAN NATURE

I've lived a long time and have a few memories almost from the beginning of my time. I have realized that many people perhaps remember nothing of their early years and my flashes and glimpses of the tiny me must surely have some permanent value and perhaps I finally have discerned their purpose.

flash!   I was standing at the window, stretching to see outside, yearning to see the passing fire truck screaming past our house on its way to some unknown, exciting destination and I wanted to go too. Anger at being confined inside, perhaps also, as Mother explained a few years later, after I questioned her--possibly due to resentment or self-pity at being denied further bottle feedings, hungry but defiantly refusing to drink milk from a hateful cup.

flash!   I was crying over my skinned nose, after falling yet again as I sneaked next door to try again  to climb up into our neighbor's big porch swing. When Mrs. Cook or Mama found me screaming and rescued me, she reminded me I had been told to wait for grown-up help to lift ne up  so it wouldn't topple over backward, dropping me face-first  into a nose dive. But I thought surely this time----

flash!   I was in the front yard alone, with a new goal. Half a block away on Vickery Boulevard there was a street car! Mama and I must have ridden it before--I don't remember, but I knew it would be exciting.  Toddling to the sidewalk in my high top black patent leather Roman sandals buckled up to my ankles, I faced a formidable foe: the giant red ant nest straddled the sidewalk I must get past that on my way to adventure.  Quandary: Whether to run very fast on my wobbly legs before the little warriors  swarmed up my legs  or to tiptoe quietly, slowly past so they wouldn't be angry and sting me. I opted for the stealth approach and became frozen in fear and pain as they began to attack, which alerted Mama to run to the rescue, again. If not for those pesky pests, I surely would have gotten to the bigger street where the street car waited--or the heavy traffic there. Foiled again, but maybe next time-----

Common factor of these memories? I knew I was doing something wrong because my mother had told me not to do those things. Even if I didn't know why it was wrong, I knew by age two not to do them. Just in case you doubted what the Bible said about our inherited sin nature and still believe the fashionable fable about natural man reaching for the stars, always moving upward toward perfection--which they somehow expect to happen despite the  daily headlines to the contrary. Come on now! With all the unstoppable evil around us in this world?  Really?

Our Father often needs to get our attention quickly lest we fall into some danger or destructive behavior. He promises we will understand later (or much later) and will be grateful for His restraining hand. And since we've been adopted, redeemed, into His Holy Family and have become Children of the King of All There Is, how can we disregard His guidance?

            For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  Romans 3:23

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall be like Him, as He is.     1 John 3:23

Master Mind

 Whatever you do, don't think of a purple  hippopotamus. Nope, not likely. He's right there in living color, big as life.      

You have just learned a Priority One lesson, the gateway to understanding a Law of the Universe. which can change your life forever. and that's the truth.

No  two  different objects can ever occupy the same space at the same time.

"Well, duh!" you say, " "That's obvious to a first grader, so what?"  But-----wait!  There's more.

You know, we Jesus Followers desire, or should desire above all else,  to follow Him closely. After all, isn't that why we bear His name? Jesus Followers. But often, with the best intentions, whenever we discover an area of our lives that doesn't measure up, we tend to feel frustrated at how stubbornly it clings to us. So what do we do?  We keep a close eye on it, hoping to avoid stumbling over it again. Or NOT?

 

That brings us to another Axiom of Life that can increase our success rate, that most of us are slower to learn.

Perspective: Items seen in the rear view window may be closer than they appear. Thoughts concentrated on appear closer, bigger, more important than those held at a distance.

    Remember, you are not what you think you are, but what you think, you are.

 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  Col. 3:2

 Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices, 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.        Colossians 3-:9-10

 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.  Psalm 119::11

  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans   12:2

 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.      Philippians 4:8

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  Col. 3:2

Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices, 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.                     Colossians 3-:9-10

 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  Col. 3:2

 

Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices, 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.                     Colossians 3-:9-10

 

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.  Psalm 119::11

 

 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans   12:2

 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.      Philippians 4:8

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  Col. 3:2

 

Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices, 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.                     Colossians 3-:9-10

 

have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.  Psalm 119::11

 

 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans   12:2

 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.      Philippians 4:8

 SEt your minds in thibngs VOCWM NOR ON EARTHLY THINGS, cOLOSSIANS 3:2

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatsoever is true, whatsoever is noble, whatsoever is lovely,                               whatsoever is  admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think on such things.                                      Philippians 4:8

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 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.  Psalm 119::11

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I  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans   12:2

 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans   12:2

 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.      Philippians 4:8

 

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Settinally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.      Philippians 4:8

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 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans 12:2