Blog Breakdown

Actually, it's more like a life breakdown.  As in break it down, pack it up, move it across town, and set it up again.  Will return with a few blog snippets from the ABSC next week, and then back up full force.  Just leave me in your RSS reader, and I'll reappear magically.

Doug

October 20 by Doug

Reflections on Proverbs

October 20 2009

by Doug

Proverbs 20:3 (KJV)→Don't be a fool...quit meddling in other people's stuff.

Proverbs 20:4 (KJV) →Bother. Now I feel convicted for trying to sleep late.

Proverbs 20:6 (KJV) →Everybody talks. Who performs?

Proverbs 20:13 (KJV) →how much sleep do I really need? I know there's a minimum, but there's also a maximum for diligent living.

Proverbs 20:19 (KJV) →Don't tell secrets to people that try really hard to get them from you. They cannot be trusted.

Proverbs 20:21 (KJV) →Don't rush into getting your inheritance. It's not worth it.

Proverbs 20:22 (KJV) →This be hard sometimes. Well, most of the time, actually.

Doug

Daily Journal Oct 20

Daily Journal

October 20, 2009

Romans 1:16 →Are we ashamed of the Gospel? Of its effects in our lives? Of the fact that this is what we have to offer as Believers and as Churches? Why do we need to dress up the Gospel message rather than preach it as what it is?

Psalm 96 →Can you worship the Creator of the Universe, the Most High God, by bringing the ordinary before Him?

Joshua 1:16-18 →How well do we handle leadership transitions? Are we committed enough to God's promise and leadership that it doesn't matter the man involved?

Quote from Thomas Paine to consider: “The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value. I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress and grow brave.”

Good blog read for today: Emil Turner

Don't forget to check out Reflections on Proverbs!

Doug

October 19 by Doug

Reflections on Proverbs

by Doug

October 19 2009

By the way, I'm really starting to bog down on the “eths” of the King James. I am so thankful that God has allowed His word in language that can be understood!

Proverbs 19:3 (KJV) →How do I fret against the Lord in my actions? Do I really want the answer to that question?

Proverbs 19:4 (KJV) →Yet those many friends aren't true, for when poverty comes, they will abandon the wealthy man.

Proverbs 19:10 (KJV) →Fools don't deserve delight. Period. They need correction and trouble, and that's what they'll get.

Proverbs 19:11 (KJV) →Are you holding on to anger? It's glorious to let go of minor transgressions and not bother about it.

Proverbs 19:18 (KJV) →Sometimes, apparently, a parent should let, and even make, their child cry. Why? Because fundamentally, we're very selfish, and we need to get over ourselves.

Proverbs 19:19 (KJV) →And this is why, sometimes, it's better just to let people be mad and learn to get over it. If you smooth out their anger now, where will you be when they get angry again?

Proverbs 19:29 (KJV) →Bad stuff is coming if you don't do what's right. Really it is. You've been warned.

Doug

Daily Journal October 19 2009

Daily Journal

October 19 2009

Exodus 33:12-23 →Don't go without the presence of the Lord →It is this presence, God with us, that distinguishes us from the rest of the world.

Exodus 33:11 →Joshua starts to show he's not just the warrior in the story. Even when Moses leaves the tent, Joshua sticks around!

Joshua 1:15 →Should we rest before our brothers are safely and securely in their inheritance as well? What right do we have to do so? Since God has given us all of this material and peace here in America, how can we utilize it to help our fellow believers? How can we utilize it to bring people to peace with God?

Romans 1:15 →Paul is eager to preach in Rome. I wonder if he would have been as eager had he known how he would get to Rome. He might have been a little mixed on the idea. Yet, I think he would have remained eager to preach. Am I eager enough to preach the Gospel that I do not care if I must do it in chains?

Doug....

October 14 by Doug.

Reflections on Proverbs

October 14 by Doug

Proverbs 14:1 (KJV) → “ Plucketh” →Nitpick? Perhaps we should realize the long-term damage of little things.

Proverbs 14:2 (KJV) →despiseth who? The upright man or the Lord? Or perhaps both?

Proverbs 14:4 (KJV) →Oh that we would be less stressed about clean!

Proverbs 14:9 (KJV) →Mock at sin? But isn't that our national entertainment? What else will we be able to laugh at?

Proverbs 14:11 (KJV) →The righteous “tabernacle” here because they are just passing through, and how do we act? As if treating this life as permanent is a good thing? And why do we devalue those who live in tents and not houses, both really and metaphorically?

Proverbs 14:14 (KJV) →Backsliding puts you surviving on only what you have within you, and receives no increase from God's supply. Is that really what you want?

Proverbs 14:17 (KJV) →Must control temper. Repeat. Memorize. Mix with Proverbs 14:29. Repeat.

Proverbs 14:27 (KJV) →There is one good fear, and it's to fear the Lord God Almighty. Fear nothing else but Him and things will go well. Although a little concern about snakes is acceptable :)

Doug

Daily Journal October 14

Wednesday October 14

Daily Journal

Romans 1:9 →Who is the witness to efforts? Often, it's God. And sometimes that's tiring, because very little earthly encouragement comes in those times.

Joshua 1:11 →Promise-fulfillment is God's business, not man's, but rather I need to act on what God has promised and do what He says. Faith involves acting without time, as if the promised is already fulfilled.

Philippians 1:6 →God started in us, and God will complete it in us.

2 John →Love for Christ, the Church, the Truth, Each Other.

Philippians 4:1-9 →“The Lord is near” →If we would live like that! That the ills will soon be righted, the right put in perspective...

Things I've read today that I found valuable:

Justin Taylor's links on Seeing through, not with, the eye .

Voddie Baucham's book info about Perspectives on Family Ministry .

And don't forget to click over to Reflections on Proverbs!

Thanks!

Doug

October 13 Daily Journal

Daily Journal

October 13, 2009

It's one of those weeks. Where people that ought to know better apparently don't, and when I should be in control of myself and I'm not. Mainly looking forward to the short, yet relaxing vacation coming up. Then it'll be time to move! It's just across town, but it's still a pill...

Romans 1:9 →Preaching is a service to God, not just something we do, but rather a key portion of spreading the Gospel. The New Testament doesn't know a difference between missional and attractional, come and see or go and tell, relationship or proclamation, but rather that the people of God are so consumed by giving the truth of God and the glory of Christ that people are drawn to them, that their relationships allow for proclamation, that their proclamation builds relationships, that as they go, they tell, and others come to see.

Joshua 1:11 →Going where God leads requires some preparation on our part. Are we sitting around, expecting God to do all the work?

Proverbs 1:7 →Describes knowledge of God as the beginning of wisdom. Where do we start? With Him?

Psalm 106 →Who can speak of the Lord? Surely we ought to know Him and speak!

Philippians 1:6 →God began it. Not you. Him.

Check out Reflections on Proverbs today!

Doug

Oct. 13 by Doug

Reflections on Proverbs

October 13, 2009

by Doug

Proverbs 13:1 (KJV) →Wisdom learns close to home, rather than needing to drift to find itself.

Proverbs 13:3 (KJV) →There's a time to keep your mouth shut!

Proverbs 13:5 (KJV) →Do you hate lying? Not as in “I hated to lie like that” but that you actually refuse to do it?

Proverbs 13:10 (KJV) → Onlyby pride →Pride is the source of the conflicts and contentions among God's people. And people that deny God.

Proverbs 13:20 (KJV) →Surround yourself with people of wisdom, and you'll grow in your own understanding and wisdom. You'll also have counsel when you need it and you'll look smarter in the first place!

Proverbs 13:24 (KJV) →You don't love your child too much to discipline them. You hate them enough not to discipline them.

Tuesday Sports

Sports-related thoughts....even though it's supposed to be Theology day.

October 13, 2009

Just watched an interesting film on ESPN about the marching band for the Baltimore Ravens, and how they had been the band for the Baltimore Colts. It was fascinating in how this band formed to support the old Colts, who moved out of Baltimore in the midst of conflict. Later, the NFL placed the Ravens in Baltimore as an expansion team.

Through the course of this, the band that had formed continued to practice. It seems, on the one hand, to be the story of people that should have moved on with life. Yet the ending is remarkable. The Ravens come, 12 years after the Colts left. The new ownership and the new team declares the band their band, and now they are the Marching Ravens for the Baltimore NFL team. It's a feel-good story, mostly.

One of the things that struck me was how the new team allowed the band to continue as the “ Baltimore Colts” Marching Band for the first two years. In that time, the new team stadium was still being constructed, and they waited until moving into the new stadium to rename the band, get new band uniforms, and make some other changes. The stadium opened with a parade led by the band, which had been the last group on the field in the old stadium.

Why does this matter?

It's a story that shows how much symbolism and tradition really do matter. How they can communicate and teach things. How continuity of the undercurrents are important, even as the major points go through turmoil.

And it's all over a footballteam. Why do we have trouble learning these lessons in our churches, where we ought to be focused on things that are much more important? Why do we act like all that has gone before must be totally discarded? Why can we not maintain certain things that communicate the glory and grandeur of our heritage?

If a football team can figure out that some things are important enough to not let go of, what about matters of eternal importance? Notice that the Ravens don't play the same style of football as they did in the 1940s when the band first formed. The uniforms, the safety gear, the playbook have all changed. The players have changed. But two things have remained the same:

1. The goal: it's still 100 yards, across the line. It's been the goal for quite some time.

2. The band.

Don't knock yourself for being in the band. Bands stick.

Doug

Columbus Day Thoughts...

Monday Politics

October 12 2009

by Doug

It's Columbus Day! Did you know that? In Canada, it's Thanksgiving. Why? Well, probably not for Columbus, based on my hundreds of seconds of research, but more because it's a harvest celebration and, well, you have to harvest earlier in Canada.

So, what about Columbus Day? I've been taught two things about Columbus: he discovered America. And that he didn't discover America.

That if Columbus hadn't sailed in 1492, Europeans would have never come to the New World, and never had the benefits of being in the New World. And that if Columbus hadn't sailed in 1492, Europeans would never have come to the New World and destroyed the happy, idyllic life of indigenous people.

Usually, these arguments come from different people, with a tinge of bitterness between them. It's as if we can't recognize that certain things, in fact most things, carry benefits and drawbacks. Why can we not realize that, first of all, Columbus was the first in the “Age of Discovery” to come to the New World, and his coming spawned the European interest in America. No, he wasn't the first. There were Native Americans or Indians or Indigenous People Groups or whatever term you find either historically accurate or politically correct. The Vikings had been to Canada, and possibly farther. It's possible, though hard to prove, that others had crossed both the Atlantic and Pacific to the Americas. Yet no one was able to start a settlement until Columbus.

Did that have negative consequences? Certainly for some it did. Some in the New World, some in the Old World. However, don't buy the Disney-esque idyllic life in Native America at the time. Were there some advanced cultures? Yes, there were. Were there tragedies due to misunderstanding and abuses? Certainly there were. I think that, had technology been equal, the entire history would be very different, but that's another blog post.

My point is that we can, and should, recognize both the good and the bad in historical events. Columbus didn't come to the New World with evil intent. He didn't even have intent to show up.

And what can you do about it anyway? Pack up all people of European ancestry and ship us back to Europe?

We have to learn to take the good and the bad, to realize that what benefits some may hurt others, and that actions and decisions will have unintended, and sometimes unforeseen, consequences. That others might have done similar things to us before, and that it's ok to learn history with shaky heroes, and it's even ok to let the shakiness come later, instead of teaching kindergarteners all the problems with Columbus!

All that to say, while there are serious ills in our society today, our history really isn't any different from most other nations. There were wars and peacetimes, there were great actions and despicable actions, there were heroes and losers, there were victories which required there to be defeated parties. It's life. It's not some cut and dried cartoon.

We don't have to polarize everything. Really. So let Columbus discover America. Let's remember that, had Native Americans held tighter immigration laws, we wouldn't be here. Let's realize that the past is just that, past, and it's time to build a future from where we are now.

Doug

Daily Journal--October 12

Daily Journal

October 12 2009

Luke 23:12 →Just wondering about how quickly people become friends over abusing the Lord Jesus Christ. Interesting thought, though, isn't it? Ever wonder why certain people get along really well? They're united in their hatred of the things of God, and it allows them to get over their divisions.

Romans 1:8 →Faith proclaimed in the whole world: Is our following of Christ strong enough to be proclaimed as an example to the world? Are you willing to be held up and pointed to? Why not? Humility recognizes that the example is only by the work of God in our lives, not that the work is worthless. Who are we to criticize what God has done?

Joshua 1:10-11 →There is a time to seek opinions, and a time to act! The people are not consulted, they are told to pack up and go. Where are you waiting for an unnecessary consensus before you act?

Exodus 32:1-14 → How quickly we forget. How easily torn apart by delays!

Don't forget to check out Reflections on Proverbs!

Doug

CD Review: Downhere's How Many Kings

Christmas music is one of those genres of music that is very difficult to do.  People are thoroughly familiar with most of the traditional songs of Christmas, and most people have their favorites.  Many of those favorites have been recorded over and over and over again.  So, it's with a little fear and trembling that I approach Christmas albums from some of my favorite artists.  There have been some good ones and some duds.  I'll not name the duds here, but there are some artists that when I look at my iTunes play count, their normal music numbers are high, and their Christmas numbers, well, not so much.

Into this comes Downhere.  Downhere is a group of transplanted Canadians that, for the sake of their music efforts, live mostly around Nashville these days.  I have their debut CD, and, at the time, thought they were alright, a little quirky, but a decent band.  Then, I got their second one, and it was ok.  Since then, I've become a pretty solid Downhere junkie.  Ann and I have all of their main releases, including last year's Ending is Beginning which contained a Christmas song, How Many Kings.  Which leads us to this year's Christmas album, How Many Kings.

Well, what about it?  This album has a 13 tracks, although it's really only 11 songs.  How Many Kings is featured twice, and you'll need to listen to find the other "not really a song song."  Let's just say that Downhere found a way to evoke a song without singing one of the more annoying traditional carols out there.  4 of the tracks are original songs, which are lyrically strong. The musical settings are excellent.  These 4 are well worth the album itself, but in this day of downloading tracks, you need a reason to buy the whole thing.

That reason is found in the traditional carols.  Many Christmas music partakers are familiar with the melodies of Good King Wenceslas and Bring a Torch, but the actual carols aren't well known.  Generally, the setting of those carols has been handled with a very straightforward touch, and have been, well, boring.  This album rescues both of those songs for me.  The band obviously is having fun with We Wish You A Merry Christmas, as it sounds just as I would expect if they were caroling down my street.  What Child is This is well done, and Silent Night is really the only song on here that didn't seem to have a definite "Downhere" type of feel.  Which is ok, because if you're going to tinker with Christmas songs, you don't want to screw up Silent Night, lest someone tie you up with tinsel and beat you with an artificial tree.

This is a Christmas album that, if you don't want all of your Christmas music to help you settle in for that long winter's nap, you should add to your collection.  Available direct from Downhere or at Amazon.com, both as an actual CD and as downloads.  You can get it from the iTunes, but I don't know how to link from here into the iTunes store.  While I'm all for the band making more from their album, which I think they do if you buy it direct, I'd like to see it rocket up the Amazon chart.  So go buy it from Amazon.  Or from Downhere.  Or Walmart.  Just go buy it!!  4.875 stars out of 5, just because nobody's perfect.

Doug

Full disclosure: I once got a free Duct Tape Wallet from downhere, but that has nothing to do with this review.  In fact, I paid for my CD, like I've paid for all my downhere CDs, and will continue to pay for downhere CDs until I go totally digital and only pay for downhere downloads.  Therefore, no undue influence was had over the objectivity of this review neither was it sponsored or paid for by the band downhere, their promotional people, or their relatives.  While we recognize that rockstars need money, there is no bologna present in this review, for we indeed bought the album.  We have yet to be an audience for Downhere live, but our hope is rising that soon we'll be breathing in the air at one of their concerts!


And yes, it is necessary to disclose, for I can't afford an $11,000 government gone wild fine from the FTC for blogging inappropriately.

Proverbs 10 for October by Doug

Reflections on Proverbs

Proverbs 10

October

by Doug

Proverbs 10:1 (KJV) →Want to make dad proud? Be wise. Want to weigh mom down to an early grave? Be a fool.

Proverbs 10:2 (KJV) →What would you prefer? No profit or deliverance from death? Um, quick, make a decision.....I know it's hard, right?

Proverbs 10:3 (KJV) →“Soul.” Not stomach.

Proverbs 10:4 (KJV) →Holding back from those around you makes you poor. Stockpiling doesn't make you rich in the sight of God.

Proverbs 10:11 (KJV) →Can the words you say be characterized as a “well of life?” What shall we do about that?

Proverbs 10:19 (KJV) →Watch your words. Carefully.

October 9 by Doug

Reflections on Proverbs

October 9, 2009

by Doug

Proverbs 9:1 (KJV) →Wisdom is complete. It is not for us to add on, but to learn from.

Proverbs 9:6 (KJV) →Not just leave being a fool yourself, but foolish people as well.

Proverbs 9:7-8 (KJV) →Rebuking and correcting fools is a waste of time, at least as far as the fool is concerned. (It is valuable for others to learn from those fools.) Also, turn this around. Consider how you act when rebuked. Do you hate or love those who rebuke you?

Proverbs 9:9 (KJV) → Wise people seek to increase their wisdom. There's a story that Einstein was once at a college reception. Some student, not recognizing him, asked what he did. Einstein's reply? “I am a student of physics.” The college student replied “I studied physics last semester.” Which are you?

Proverbs 9:10 (KJV) →Not science, not literature. Let us as believers use our minds well and demonstrate this truth to the world!

Proverbs 9:11 (KJV) →Wisdom or folly are internal, and they help or hurt you!

Proverbs 7 & 8 by Doug\

Reflections on Proverbs

Proverbs 7 & 8

by Doug

October 7 & 8

Two days in one! Free blog doubles in value!

Proverbs 7:3 (KJV) →Do whatever is necessary to keep reminded of God's Word and true wisdom.

Proverbs 7:7 (KJV) →Are you so foolish that it can be seen from a distance?

Proverbs 7:11 (KJV) →Be cautious to keep your heart at home, your feet in your tasks.

Proverbs 7:14-18 (KJV) →Flattery and corrupt morals: wisdom should help us see and avoid these things.

Proverbs 8:1 (KJV) →Wisdom isn't that hard to find if you will pay attention!!

Proverbs 8:5 (KJV) →The simple and the foolish can get wisdom and grow in understanding. All are without excuse!

Proverbs 8:12 (KJV) →Wisdom leads to disciplined living and good creations, things that are of value and amazing.

Proverbs 8:13 (KJV) →Serving the Lord requires hating what He hates.

Proverbs 8:18 (KJV) →Wisdom leads to wealth that will endure, wealth that honors God.

Proverbs 8:27 (KJV) →Compass? As in circle? Does Solomon know the world is round?

Proverbs 8:36 (KJV) →Wisdom—love it, hate it, your response to wisdom affects your whole life.

Daily Journal October 8

Daily Journal

October 8 2009

by Doug

Thought: We do not need a straight and level path, but rather a marked one. Not a highway, though sometimes for rest one is nice, but a simple trail, though it lead over and under, across and around, that the joy in arriving will be greater for the experience of the journey.

Matthew 21:33-46 →Ever read this parable and think that the owner is hoping they'll respect his son? Think again. It's a statement of fact, given that this parable is specifically to illustrate about God sending Jesus into this world. The Son will be respected, for “every knee will bow” (Phil. 2:10-11). Don't think God was surprised by the treatment of Jesus.

Romans 1:7 →“to all” I hit this in a sermon last week, that God's Word is for everyone. It comes back again: How much time do we spend seeking God's Word for a few? How often do we try and restrict who hears? How do we restrict unintentionally who hears? Yet His Word is for all His beloved.

Joshua 1:9 →Don't bicker with the commands of God. It's just not worth it. Act on what He has said, and don't shrink back.

Check out Reflections on Proverbs!

Doug

Daily Journal 10-6

Daily Journal

October 6 2009

Doug Hibbard

Psalm 19 →Our response to the magnificence of God's creation ought to be to cry out for forgiveness and to pour ourselves into obedience! Let our words and thoughts be acceptable, that our actions will be righteous.

Romans 1:6 →We are among the “called” of Christ Jesus, those whom he has drawn in. Let us neither degrade His purchase nor gloat, for we are His along with many others. Moreover, we are reminded salvation begins with His calling, not with merit we carry or because we're just awesome like that.

Joshua 1:7 →Is God telling Joshua to be very courageous and strong in battle? Or is it even more of a command to be strong and very courageous as he leads Israel, because leading people to follow God's word and God's laws is not an easy task? Read it again, the whole first chapter. The battle is assured, and I think we've seen in the Pentateuch that Joshua isn't one to stress about the battles. It's about the leadership of the people, the holding folks to God's law.

Check out Reflections on Proverbs!

Quote from the calendar: There are two kinds of discontent in this world: the discontent that works and the discontent which wrings its hands. The first gets what it wants and the second loses what it has. --Gordon Graham

Reaction: I don't know Gordon Graham. But he's right...one type of discontent sits down to murmur, the other stands up to ask. This Sunday I had a church member express concern about something that wasn't being done in our church. Specifically, why we had no activity for 3-5 year olds during a time we have activities for other kids. He felt this wasn't a good thing, that it was disruptive to families and problematic for our church. I told him we simply didn't have a teacher.

Now, if you've been around Baptist churches long enough, you know what you expect here. Did he:

a.) List off potential people to teach a class? (likely all women, since it's little kids)

b.) Grumble some more?

100. Ask for literature so he could teach it?

Well, he took c. So, starting next Sunday, a discontented person moves over to content, because he acted. Hopefully, others will also step up and help. What do you do about your discontent?

Doug

October 6 by Doug

Reflections on Proverbs

October 6 2009

by Doug

Proverbs 6:1-2 (KJV) →If your security is bound up with someone else's behavior, do your best to free yourself from that trap! The same would be true of your reputation.

Proverbs 6:6-7 (KJV) →And yet, as churches, we have leadership but still don't do. We spend much more time scurrying about like ants do when you kick over an anthill than we do working on the things we know need worked on!

Proverbs 6:14-15 (KJV) →One who habitually seeks to destroy, and there's no middle ground, you're either building or destroying, will be destroyed himself. And there's no restoration at that point. God will not allow you to continually bring destruction on His people. Ever wonder why some people's lives turn upside down and they can't be at church as much they have been? For some it's an attack to pull them down. For some, though, it's God's warning—His discipline and His protection of the church from people who will do harm.

Proverbs 6:27-28 (KJV) →There are things that are, plainly, bad ideas. There are things that there is just no way it will end well. Adultery is one of those things. So is idolatry. Yet we play with them both. Why?

Proverbs 6:30 (KJV) →Sin to satisfy a need still bears consequences. How much more when one sins for selfish reasons?

Doug

Leadership Lessons from General Tommy Franks

This is from Michael Hyatt's Blog, it's an excerpt from what he heard from General Franks at the Spur Leadership Conference. Click through here to get to Hyatt's blog and read the rest. And then think about who you think would benefit from gaining training at a conference like that and make arrangements for both of you to go to one and learn!




Leadership Lessons from General Tommy Franks: "

Last Friday, I had the privilege of hearing General Tommy Franks speak at the Spur Leadership Conference in Austin, Texas. I was standing in the “green room” visiting with one of our authors when General Franks entered the room with his wife, Cathy. He stuck out his hand and said, “Hi, my name’s Tom.” I liked him immediately.

He told one story that I record in my journal. He flunked out of the University of Texas in 1967. Rather than wait to be drafted to fight in Vietnam, he enlisted in the Army. As he got on the bus to leave for boot camp, his father said, “Son, I have one piece of advice. Be feisty.”

He replied, “But Dad, I am feisty.”

His dad said, “Son, I know your feisty, but I mean it as an acronym. F-e-i-s-t-y.” He then went onto spell it out:

• “F” is for focus. You need to get focused on what is important and stay focused.


• “E” is for energy. Bring all the energy you can muster to every situation.


• “I” is for integrity. This is your most important possession. Don’t ever compromise it.


• “S” is for solve the problem. Don’t argue. Don’t make excuses. Just solve the problem and get on with it.


• “T” is for take the blame when no one else will. Accept responsibility and be accountable.


• “Y” is for “Yes, I do windows.” Don’t ever say, “That’s not my job.” Do whatever the boss asks you to do and do it with enthusiasm.

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Leadership Lessons from General Tommy Franks

Related posts:

1. Four Leadership Lessons from the Super Bowl
2. Leadership Under Fire
3. Leadership 2.0
4. What Is It About Your Leadership?
5. Twitter as a Leadership Tool

"

Daily Journal, October 5 2009

Daily Journal

October 5, 2009

Doug

Quote to ponder: This much is clear: a nyone whose sayings they decline to fulfill, they have refused to believe. Gregory the Great

Exodus 20:1-4; 7-9; 12-20 →In summary: I shall live by the Word of the One True God and be guided by Him into righteous interaction with my fellow man.

Joshua 1:6 → “You shall give” But I thought God was giving the land? Ah, so you see that divine grace and sovereignty are frequently operated through human actors. So you see, perhaps, a picture of salvation: God promised the land, and God will provide the land, but Joshua will be the visible hand. So, we are the visible hand of delivering God's promised salvation.

Romans 1:5 → “Among all the Gentiles” →Do we see here the Biblical mandate to pick and choose where we preach and to whom? Ah, no, we see the opposite: All Gentiles. All the world. The option does not exist to “target” our ministry to the exclusion of others.

Ann and I were talking about Luke 16 and managing unrighteous wealth. The comparison is that, basically, the wealth of this world is unrighteous in comparison to the treasure of obedience to God. That wealth, if we try to own it and hold it will, almost automatically, draw us away from trust and obedience. I'm reminded of the Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien. If you've read the work, you know that the “Ring” in question is a ring of power. The good and wise refuse to use the power of the ring, even against powerful enemies, because they fear what owning that power will do to them. It's an excellent picture of unrighteous wealth and its hold on us. When we claim it, it begins to destroy us. Read the books, they're worth your time...

Doug

October 5 by Doug

Reflections on Proverbs

October 5, 2009

by Doug

Proverbs 5:1 (KJV) →Bow thine ear: subjugate yourself, control yourself. I've learned, at this point, that a big part of learning is the self-discipline it takes to learn. Of course, now I've un-self-disciplined myself out of finishing formal education, but I'm trying to get back to that point.

Proverbs 5:3 (KJV) →The lips, the entry point into adultery, both physical and spiritual, seem sweet and well worth the expense. After all, honey is sweet, oil makes things smooth. Yet the end-result must be considered. Decisions made solely on the opening appearance frequently go astray.

Proverbs 5:4 (KJV) →See? Told you the end would be bad.

Proverbs 5:6 (KJV) →There are often hidden agendas behind people's behavior. If they are enticing you to go against what you know is right, beware! Even if they pretend to consider your interests, they might not be being honest.

Proverbs 5:7 (KJV) →Don't ever forget, don't let the years that the guidance didn't have an immediate impact lead you to forget it.

Proverbs 5:8 (KJV) →How often do we flirt with sinful behavior? Is it really a good idea to get as close as we can and not fall in, or to stay away?

Proverbs 5:9 (KJV) →Sin takes what you've earned.

Proverbs 5:14 (KJV) →Take this one just a little out of context for a minute, and in the KJV. “I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.” How true is that of many of us that are constantly in the midst of the congregation and assembly of God's people?

Proverbs 5:21 (KJV) →Seriously, God is aware of all you do, no matter how often you clear your browser history or what you pay cash for.

Proverbs 1 October by Doug

Reflections on Proverbs

Proverbs 1

October

by Doug

New month, new translation! This month....King James Version (not 1611, but the commonly used 1769 update). I was going to do La Biblia de las Americas, but I can't read Spanish.

Proverbs 1:1 (KJV) →So, are we talking all of these are written by Solomon or is this more of a “This book belongs to.....” statement? We know Solomon was seriously wise, so he at least was wise enough to compile proverbs, if not to write them.

Proverbs 1:2 (KJV) →Interesting that the Proverbs are to knowwisdom. That we cannot truly understand wisdom and knowledge unless we have learned to pass it on? Is that a portion of our problem in these days, that we have downplayed the need for all of us to learn to communicate truth?

Proverbs 1:6 (KJV) →The wise are sometimes hard to grasp, but if you practice and study, the darkness of their ways and sayings can be unwound.

Proverbs 1:7 (KJV) →Read the contrast, realize the implied statement: fools have no interest in serving or fearing the Lord God. A person's response to God is the basis for the judgment of wise or foolish. Earthly knowledge doesn't get anywhere away from that.

Proverbs 1:8 (KJV) →Dad gives instruction. Mom lays down thelaw.

Proverbs 1:10 (KJV) →We should all memorize “Consent thou not!” and shout it at temptation. I think the Elizabethan English would really intimidate the bad things.

Proverbs 1:33 (KJV) →[Yes, big jump] Are you quiet from the fear of evil? We sell short the idea that we can be quiet from fear, because we fear things that are too insignificant to fear. Death, taxes, public speaking, loss of home and safety, what are these compared to eternity?

Doug

Journal--October 1 2009

Daily Journal

October 1 2009

Doug

Romans 1:4 →The Resurrection is the evidence of the power of God and evidence of the divinity of Christ. It's also a beautiful promise. You see in the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus that he often used the physical to demonstrate an underlying spiritual reality. He does the same with His resurrection. By showing us a completely dead physical body being brought back He shows how the completely spiritual that we are can be raised again by His power.

Joshua 1:5 → “Just as I was”: are we leaving a testimony for others to follow? Are we learning from the testimony of others? Do we realize that God has worked through those people to prepare us? Will we be strong and courageous because we know God has been faithful or are we afraid because we haven't seen it in our life yet?

Matthew 21:23-32 →We can equivocate to watch our political backs, but we'll never learn the truth that way. Is that perhaps our problem, or at least my problem sometimes in church seeking God's guidance and blessing? That I am so concerned with not offending one side or the other that the Lord responds “I will not tell you?” That we would take that stand!!

Don't forget to hit Reflections on Proverbs! Our third contributor is up and running. Give her some encouragement as we try and get her writing and sharing more.

Thoughts in my journal today:

Do we realize that we need a theological underpinning for life? That we all build a house of understanding who God is, but without at least a basic system, it's like dumping lumber on a worksite and nailing it together randomly, then calling it a house. We know the Bible is the foundation, but how do we build the house? That's our understanding, our theology, is the house we build. Some people claim they don't need theology, but all those boards are just laying there, and some of them aren't good boards, they don't match the foundation at all. Yet you don't know that, because you haven't culled the pile. Some are just slightly warped because of exposure to bad elements, and need to be properly built into the framework to bring them back to true.

Side thought: Is there really a difference in the call to preach and the call to missions? Can we find that Biblically? Or if we're called to preach, we're called to wherever and preach that God allows?

Doug