Daily Biblical insights

[Kenshiro]

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Paul's Prayer Life
January 27, 2010


"For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers." (Romans 1:9)

The apostle Paul was a great man of prayer. He prayed "without ceasing" for the Roman Christians. To the Corinthian church, he wrote: "I thank my God always on your behalf"(1 Corinthians 1:4). Similarly, to the Ephesians: "|I| cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers" (Ephesians 1:16). The same assurance was written to Philippi: "Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy" (Philippians 1:4). And to the Colossians: "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you" (Colossians 1:9). "We give thanks to God always for you all, making men tion of you in our prayers" (1 Thessalonians 1:2).

Apparently every church except those in Galatia received this assurance from the apostle. He also prayed constantly for his personal disciples, Timothy and Philemon. "Without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day" (2 Timothy 1:3). "I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers" (Philemon 4).

Paul also preached what he practiced. "Pray without ceasing," he commanded in his first-written epistle; "In every thing give thanks" (1 Thessalonians 5:17-1. "Continuing instant in prayer" (Romans 12:12). "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving" (Colossians 4:2). "Giving thanks always for all things" (Ephesians 5:20).

In addition to regular times of concentrated prayer, we should seek to be sensitive, moment by moment, to needs and opportunities for intimate, personal, conversational prayer with our ever-present Lord. Never was there a busier Christian than Paul, yet he somehow always found time to pray. HMM

[Kenshiro]

Where Is Wisdom?
January 24, 2010



"But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?" (Job 28:12)

Men have been searching for this most valuable of all treasures since time began. Eve first fell into sin as she was led by Satan to believe that the forbidden fruit would make her wise. Even before Abram left Ur of the Chaldees, the patriarch Job was asking this ancient question of his three critical friends, but they could not answer.

In this chapter, Job notes that while valuable metals can be dug from the rocks of the earth (Job 28:1-2), wisdom cannot be mined by hard searching and labor. Neither can it be purchased like some commodity (vv. 13-19). In terms of modern categories, wisdom is not acquired through college degrees or philosophical meditation, or any variety of human experience or study.

It can only be found in God Himself, for "God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof" (Job 28:23). "The fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding" (Job 28:2.

True wisdom is to be found in the Lord Jesus, "who of God is made unto us wisdom" (1 Corinthians 1:30). In Him alone "are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3).

Then, of course, since the Holy Scriptures constitute His written Word, we find wisdom there. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom" (Colossians 3:16).

If one desires wisdom--real wisdom--he must find it in the fear of the Lord, a departure from all evil, receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and sovereign Lord, and in diligence to learn and obey His Word. "For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly" (Proverbs 2:6-7). HMM

[cptn_star]

i am really blessed by the life of paul...especially how he reacted to all the agonizing experiences he encountered....imagine singing praises despite being imprisoned and being bruised all over...geeshh...if i were to experience what paul have gone through, i would need a great amount of faith indeed...

[Kenshiro]

Friends of the World
January 29, 2010

"Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." (James 4:4)

This stern warning seems to be in conflict with our Lord's own instruction: "Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations" (Luke 16:9). Some have used that concept to justify personal behavior that mimics the world's secularism so that we "might by all means save some" (1 Corinthians 9:22). Others have suggested that the atmosphere of the church should be "friendly" to the world so that we can "seek" and "save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).

Half truths are dangerous things.

There is no justification in the Scripture to be like the world, or to be "of the world" (John 15:19). "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world" (1 John 2:16). That clear statement is preceded by the command "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15). There is no ambiguity here!

Although we are to give the "glorious gospel" (1 Timothy 1:11) to "every creature" (Mark 16:15) that we "might gain them that are without law" (1 Corinthians 9:21), we are also "to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God" (2 Corinthians 4:6), making sure that we speak "the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15), not "handling the word of God deceitfully" (2 Corinthians 4:2).

We must, therefore, be very careful that our witness results in those who are "born again, not of the corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever" (1 Peter 1:23). HMM III

[Hellblazer 2.1]

Proverbs 26:11

As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

[Kenshiro]

Ephesians 4:18
Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

[Tirong-say]

Exodus 20:7 (New International Version)


7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

[Kenshiro]

The Tender Plant
January 30, 2010

“For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2)

The New Testament writers say nothing at all concerning the physical appearance of the Lord when He became a man. Human tradition would picture Him as a strong athlete or handsome star, but the Scriptures indicate otherwise.

Our text is from the greatest of the Messianic prophecies. It tells us that, as a child, He would “grow up as a tender plant,” like a “root out of a dry ground.” Humanly speaking, He was unimpressive. He had “no form nor comeliness” and “no beauty.” He was a very ordinary appearing man. In fact, when Christ became man, He “took upon him the form of a servant |literally 'slave'|” (Philippians 2:7). Matthew, referring to Isaiah 53:4, says that He even “took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses” (Matthew 8:17).

What all this means may not be clear, but it does seem to tell us that Jesus was a very ordinary sort of man, physically. Furthermore, humanly speaking, He was quite poor, having been raised in the despised town of Nazareth, in the impoverished province of Galilee. “Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor,” we are told (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Yet this ordinary person was none other than the incarnate Creator, the Son of God! He had come, as the “Son of man”--representing all people, most of whom are also just average men and women--“to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

Then, even His tender body was beaten beyond recognition and His meager possessions taken away, when He was “made . . . sin for us, who knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21), and died in our place, to save us ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny in the world to come! HMM

[Kenshiro]

Given by Inspiration
February 1, 2010

"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, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

This passage is the most definitive of all passages on the inspiration of the Bible. It explicitly repudiates all the false concepts which men have developed to try to escape this vital doctrine.

For example, it repudiates the humanistic theory of inspiration, which says that the writers were "inspired" with the same quality of exalted feelings that inspired other great writers. But this verse attributes it not to human inspiration, but to the "inspiration of God."

Then, there is the partial theory of inspiration, which says that part of the Bible is inspired (the "religious" parts), but that part of it is not (the scientific and historical parts). But our verse says that all Scripture is inspired! The dynamic theory says the thoughts are inspired, but not the words. However, it is the Scriptures that are inspired, not the thoughts of the men who wrote them. The "Scriptures" mean the "writings"--the actual words written.

The encounter theory says the Scriptures are not inspired in themselves, but only become inspired when a reader "encounters" God through reading them. This, also, is false. The Scriptures are inspired regardless of how they affect the reader. Actually, the phrase "given by inspiration of God" is one word in the Greek, meaning "God-breathed."

Thus, plenary verbal inspiration and complete divine origin and authority of all the Holy Scriptures is the true biblical doctrine. When one does accept the God-breathed authority of Scripture, however, he has an infinite resource, serving as an inerrant framework for all true wisdom and knowledge, and leading him into full maturity in the Christian life. HMM

[Kenshiro]

Another Jesus
March 5, 2010

"For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him." (2 Corinthians 11:4)

The verses following our text contain an enlightening warning about false teachers. One should not carelessly follow a personable religious leader merely because he "preaches Jesus" or urges audiences to "receive the Spirit."

"Jesus" is quite popular among worldly people today, but not the true Jesus. The popular Jesus may be the baby Jesus in the manger at Christmastime, or the buddy Jesus of Nashville "gospel" music, or the success-counseling Jesus of the positive thinkers. He may be the romantic Jesus of the Christian crooners, the rhythmic Jesus of Christian rock, or the reforming Jesus of the liberals, but none of these are the Jesus preached by the apostle Paul, and therefore not the real Jesus who saves men and women from their sins.

Jesus in reality is the Lord Jesus Christ, the offended Creator of the universe (Colossians 1:16), who had to die as man on the cross to redeem us through His shed blood (Colossians 1:14, 20), and who then rose from the dead to be set "far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named" (Ephesians 1:21). Finally, it is this Jesus "who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom" (2 Timothy 4:1).

The Lord Jesus, as He really is, is not the popular Jesus of T-shirts and bumper stickers, politicians and entertainers. He was "despised and rejected of men" (Isaiah 53:3) so they "crucified the Lord of glory" (1 Corinthians 2:.

He is the mighty God, the perfect man, the only Savior, the eternal King, and Lord of lords. God-called teachers will not preach an imaginary Jesus who appeals to the flesh, but rather the true Christ of creation and salvation. HMM