Is the United States GOD’S chosen nation today?

Posted on May 24, 2022 by glenn

To address the question above let’s consider what is in a name.  We will begin by visiting the Old Testament.

The nation of Israel was GOD’S chosen people in the Old Testament.  With the name of Israel, this nation literally wore the name of GOD.  The name Israel ended in EL.  In the very first verse of the Bible, Genesis 1:1, the word for GOD is the Hebrew word ELOHIM.  This word is the plural of ELOAH, which is an elongated form of the word, EL.  It is an interesting fact, that by using the plural form of the word, the plurality of the Godhead, is found in the very first verse of the Scriptures.

For our consideration today, we note the singular form, EL (it is pronounced ale).  It is first found in Genesis 14:18, translated as the Most High GOD. 

The name of Israel was given to Jacob in Genesis 32:28.  The Hebrew word for Israel means GOD prevails.  The name, Israel, ends in EL and like so many names in the OT, contained the Hebrew word for GOD. To note just a few names along with their meaning: Daniel, GOD is my strength; Ezekiel, GOD’S strength; Samuel, GOD heard; Samuel’s father is an example of the el at the beginning, Elkanah, GOD has purchased; Elijah, my GOD is Jehovah.  Incidentally, the name Elijah contains two references to GOD, (the jah at the end comes from Yahweh, or Jehovah).

Thus, what is in a name? In the case of the children of Israel, a lot is in the name.  As the Israelites, the children of Israel wore the name of GOD. 

One might ask, why aren’t GOD’S children still called the nation of Israel or Israelites?  Why doesn’t the children of GOD wear His Name today?  Although physically, we are not Israelites, we actually do wear the name of GOD today.

We should first note that we live under a different covenant today.  This explains the division between the Old Testament and the New Testament.  We live under the New Covenant.  This new covenant was prophesied throughout the Old Testament.

In Isaiah 62:2, we have the following prophecy relative to the new covenant.  “You shall be called by a new name which the mouth of the LORD will name.”  Hold your place here with your marker and go to a passage in the New Testament.

In Acts 11:26, we see the fulfillment of this prophecy.  The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.  The phrase “were called” comes from the Greek word, chrematidzo, meaning “divinely called.”  This is a clear reference back to the prophecy in Isaiah 62, (from the mouth of the LORD).  If you choose to mark in your Bibles, make a reference back to Isaiah 62:2.

And thus, we too wear the name of GOD.  We are Christians!  We belong to Christ!  By wearing the name Christian, we wear the Divine Name just as the Israelites of the Old Testament.

GOD’S chosen people in the Old Testament was the nation of Israel.  HIS chosen people today are Christians.  1 Pet 2:9…you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation…

Is the USA GOD’S chosen people today?  The USA is NOT GOD’S chosen nation today.  That doesn’t mean HE hasn’t blessed this country.  The United States exists today because of His Providential care.  But we are not the nation of GOD in the same sense the nation of Israel was in the Old Testament. 

Although the USA is not the nation of GOD, the USA is made up of multitudes of His people, referring to the Christians who live here.  The United States is a Christian nation.  It was founded upon Christian values.  The nation will exist so long as GOD desires and it fits into His Master plan.

As the Lee Greenwood song proclaims, I am proud to be an American.  I am patriotic to the bone.  But I share Paul’s sentiments coming from Philippians 3:20. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Posted in authority, faith, family, government | Leave a comment

Should it be “Good Thursday”?

Posted on April 15, 2022 by glenn

There are various accounts as to when the phrase “Good Friday” originated.  Of course, there is no debate as to what it represents, that is, the day Jesus Christ was crucified.  But just when it came to be known as Good Friday is up for discussion. 

Many passages in the Bible reference the next day being the Sabbath and thus most of humanity concedes the LORD was crucified on Friday.  But was He?

Should it be “Good Thursday”?

We have recently concluded a lengthy study in the Gospel of John.  There are passages worthy of a closer look in this great book.  John 19:31 is one such passage.

Our focus will be on the parenthetical phrase – for that Sabbath was a high day.

To begin our thoughts, please allow me to express the following disclaimers.

  1. It is not important what day it happened because we don’t hold any day above any other except the LORD’S Day.  Outside of the observance of Sunday, the first day of each week, Galatians 4:10 warns against observing holy days.
  2. I am not adamantly saying the LORD was crucified on Thursday BUT I am saying it is possible and it offers a better explanation to the 3 days and 3 nights of Matthew 12:40. A Friday afternoon death and Sunday morning resurrection has always been a puzzling situation.  We have explained it by saying the Jews reckoned any part of the day as the whole day and thus Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, were the 3 days.  But when the time from late Friday afternoon to early Sunday morning is little more than 36 hours and only 2 nights, is that explanation satisfactory?
  3. One’s salvation doesn’t hinge on knowing the day the Lord was crucified.  The fact He was crucified and rose again does impact my salvation!

I do believe Jesus was crucified on Thursday rather than Friday.  I shall now give the reasons for my belief.

We did a lengthy study called the “Road to Calvary” a few years ago in which we looked at the events of that week.  About 1/3 of the gospel accounts deal with this week.  Surely such a detailed account of this week is intentional.

As we did this study, we noted that holding to a Friday crucifixion means this important busy detailed week has an entire day (Wednesday) for which there is no recorded activity.

In our study, we noted the LORD rode into town hailed as a King and by week’s end was put to death.  Much activity occurred on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday; and we said Wednesday was a silent day, a day of rest perhaps.  But I think it is not silent at all but rather the Day of Preparation before the high Sabbath referenced by John.  This high Sabbath of which John speaks (John 19:31) occurred on Friday.  The Jewish reckoning of time saw each day beginning with sundown.  This stems from the beginning of time wherein GOD noted the evening and morning comprised each day.   Thus this high Sabbath, that we would say was on a Friday, actually began at sunset on Thursday.

We normally think about the Sabbath day being the weekly Sabbath occurring on Saturday.  But are there other Sabbaths? Consider the following points.

  1. Go to Leviticus 23 and note v3 is discussing the weekly Sabbath.  Note v15 and following discuss the Pentecost celebration that is to be observed 50 days after a regular Sabbath.  Counting 50 days from a Saturday means Pentecost will always be on Sunday.  This is a vital point to note when studying Acts 2 and the beginning of the church.  Observe this annual celebration of Pentecost was on a Sunday.
  2. Note vv23, 24 wherein a yearly feast, the feast of Trumpets, is described.  Note this day is to be observed on the first day of the seventh month.  Thus it could be any day of the week and it is called a sabbath-rest.  So we have a sabbath-rest occurring on a day other than Saturday.
  3. The Day of Atonement, also an annual observance, is discussed in vv 26-32.  We read about this in Hebrews 9:6-7 and we note this is Yom Kippur to the modern Jew.  We note it is to be observed on the tenth day of the seventh month and again, can fall on any day of the week.  Note v32 states this is a sabbath of solemn rest.
  4. All we have observed here, so far, is that some of these observances fall on the same day of the week (Saturday or Sunday) and some of them can fall on any day of the week.
  5. Vv 4-8 describes the Feast of the Passover and Unleavened Bread. This is important in our discussion because it was during the Feast of the Passover that Jesus was crucified (Matt 26:2).
  6. The Passover is on the 14th day of the 1st month and thus could fall on any day of the week.  Note the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins the next day and runs for 7 days.  The 1st day and the 7th day are to be holy days, i.e. Sabbaths!
  7. Now here’s the point.  These Festivals were to be observed once each year.  Thus there were special Sabbaths to be observed.  Occurring once each year means these Sabbaths could fall on any day of the week.  Consider our July 4th holiday falls on a different day each year.
  8. For a review of the institution of the Passover, see Exodus 12.  The Jews were instructed to kill a lamb and put the blood on the doorposts.  In verses 2, 3 we observe this to be on the 10th day of Nisan.  Verse 6 describes the period from the 10th day to the 14th day.  The lamb is to be killed on the 14th day.  Verse 13 contains specific instructions and in verses 14ff we note the day is to be observed as a memorial.
  9. As a side note, some have observed from the 10th to the 14th is 4 days with the lamb being killed on the 4th day.  Could this foreshadow Jesus Christ entering Jerusalem on Sunday and facing crucifixion on Thursday?
  10. The Feast of Unleavened Bread discussed in Exodus 13:3ff occurs in the month of Abib.  Note Abib and Nissan are the same.  It seems the month Abib became Nisan after the Babylonian captivity.
  • Now with this information, let’s return to John 19:31.

That Sabbath was a high day.

John’s mention of the Sabbath immediately after the Preparation mentioned by all 4 gospel accounts strongly suggests it was not the ordinary Saturday Sabbath but another kind of Sabbath.  This one discussed in Exodus 12:16 instructed the Jews to observe both the 1st and 7th days of the Passover week as days of rest and holy days.  This is the 15th of Nissan and thus a holy day.  These special Sabbaths were called “high days” and this is likely what John is referring to in v31.

One final note can be found in Matthew 28:1. The Greek word translated Sabbath here is used in the singular sense AND the plural sense.  Most translations have it singular but the Greek text literally is “end of the Sabbaths”.    In fact, Young’s Literal Translation renders it as “Sabbaths”.  This would suggest there were back to back Sabbaths.

The Jewish calendar is based on lunar cycles.  The first month of the Jewish year is Nissan and corresponds to our March and April.  Easter always falls during this time.

All of these lunar cycles were fed into a computer with the hope of finding the High Sabbath falling on Friday, the day before the weekly Saturday Sabbath.  These would be the “sabbaths” referred to in Matthew.  Taking into account the years around 29 AD to 33 AD produced a Friday/Saturday combination in the year AD 30.  If this is true, then Thursday, April 6, A.D. 30, is the most plausible date suggested for the crucifixion of Christ.

This is why I believe He was crucified on a Thursday.  But let me emphasize this point.  At the end of the discussion, it is not important that we know what day this momentous event occurred.  We are just thankful that it did.  The Son of GOD came to earth, lived and died and lived again!  Through His death, burial and resurrection, I have hope to live with Him throughout eternity.  That, my friend, is all that is important!

Posted in death, faith, reflection, sabbath, sacrifice | 1 Comment

Years, Months, Weeks, and Days

Posted on April 9, 2022 by glenn

Have you ever thought about the origin of certain numbers in our life?  Why do we have 365 days in a year?  Or, why do we have 12 months in our calendar as opposed to 10?  Or why do we have 24 hours in a day?

Well, of course, the answers to these questions are easily explained.  Permit me to address some of these numbers only to ask a very important question for you to consider.  The conclusion is a lesson in apologetics.  First let’s address some of the common divisions of time.

The length of the year is determined by the length of time it takes the earth to make one complete cycle around the sun.

The length of a day is 24 hours because that is the time required for the earth to make one revolution on its axis.

The origin of the 12 months in our calendar might not be as well known.  The fact is, there are 12 months in our calendar year as well as the Hebrew/Jewish calendar.  So what is the explanation?

Month

The word month gets its name from the word moon and is tied to the length of time it takes the moon to orbit the earth.  This lunar cycle is 29.5 days.  You see how closely this time corresponds to the length of a month. 

This means that every 29.5 days we have a full moon and the lunar cycle starts over again.  With 11 of the 12 months containing more than 29.5 days, this explains why every 2 or 3 years we have 2 full moons in the same month.  This happens if the first full moon occurs within the first couple of days in the month.  Incidentally, when there are 2 full moons in the same month, the 2nd one is called a Blue moon.

But note, dividing the 365 days in the year by 29.5 yields 12.3.  So each month is not exactly 29.5 days long.  This explains why the months range from 28 days to 31 days.

Year

Again, one year is determined by the length of time the earth takes to circle the sun.  But that time is not exactly 365 days.  It is very nearly 365 days and 6 hours.  This explains why every 4 years we must add a day, February 29, in a leap year.  This is also the reason why the spring and fall equinox is not on the exact same day each year. 

The fact is the earth’s journey is not exactly 365 days and 6 hours.  It is a few minutes shy of 6 hours.  Thus every few hundred years, a leap year has to be skipped. 

Day

Of course, the length of a day is set by the rotation of the earth on its axis.  It takes the earth 24 hours to make one revolution.

The point of all of this is to say there is a plausible, scientific explanation for all of these times.

The length of a day is determined by the rotation of the earth on its axis.

The length of a year is the orbit of earth around sun.

The length of a month is tied to the lunar orbit and produces the moon’s phases.

So where does the length of a week come from?  Why are there 7 days in a week?

How does an unbeliever answer this???

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The Perfect Cube

Posted on March 10, 2022 by glenn

In the field of mathematics, I especially enjoy solid geometry.  There is just something fascinating about all the various shapes.  For a moment, I’d like you to consider the cube.

A cube is a 6-sided object with all measurements equal.  Think of a box with the length, width, and height all being the same.  A child’s building blocks would be a good example.

There are only 2 perfect cubes found in the Bible.  One is introduced in the Old Testament and the other near the end of the New Testament.  A look at the 2 makes for a thrilling study.

In the book of 1 Kings, we have the account of Solomon building the temple.  After years of wandering and worshipping in the temporary structure known as the tabernacle, it was time for a more permanent structure to be built in the city of Jerusalem.  David’s son, Solomon, was charged with the task that took seven years to complete.

Solomon built the temple according to the specifications given by the LORD.  In 1 Kings 6:20, the inner sanctuary’s measurements are given as 20 cubits long, 20 cubits wide, and 20 cubits high.  It was a perfect cube!

This inner sanctuary was a very special place.  Hebrews 9 tells us it was separated from the first part of the temple by a veil.  The inner sanctuary was called the Holiest of All or the Most Holy Place.  It contained specified items.  The only man allowed in this place was the high priest, as he went into this part alone once a year to offer sacrifices.

The only other perfect cube is found in Revelation 21:16-17, with the description of the Heavenly City.  The city is laid out with the following measurements: 12,000 furlongs of equal length, breadth, and height.

Is there a connection between the two cubes?  Absolutely!  The symbolism between the 2 perfect cubes is clear from a further reading of Hebrews 9.  According to verse 9, it was all symbolic and beginning in verse 11, the comparison is made between the earthly and the heavenly sanctuary.  Under the Old Law, the high priest went into the earthly sanctuary to make sacrifices for the people.  Jesus, after His death on the cross, went back to the heavenly sanctuary having provided the ultimate sacrifice giving us a means for our forgiveness.

The earthly sanctuary, the inner sanctuary of the temple, was simply a symbol or copy for the heavenly sanctuary to come.  And both appeared in the Scriptures as perfect cubes.

Hebrews 9:11 begins, But Christ came as High Priest…  And everything changed after that!

The veil that separated the Most Holy Place and kept the common man from entering, was torn in two when Christ was crucified.  Because of His death and subsequent return to heaven, all of mankind now has the chance to enter the heavenly sanctuary.

And Hebrews 9:24 is a thrilling truth to consider.

For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of GOD for us.

Did you catch the last two words?  He has entered heaven and appears before GOD the Father for us.  FOR ME! A thrilling truth indeed!

1 John 2:1 tells me Christ is my Advocate and as such stands before GOD as my representative.

This is my only hope for entering heaven!  My hope is Christ Jesus appearing before GOD, on my behalf, acting as my Advocate.

On my own, I have no hope.  But with His representation, I have no doubts. 

So which will it be for you, No hope or No doubt? 

Posted in forgiveness, opportunity, sacrifice, salvation | 4 Comments

Just Finish

Posted on February 19, 2022 by glenn

Just finish

We probably know someone who starts job after job and never finishes them.  It may be a remodel at the home or jumping from job to job.  Maybe we all have a little of this gene.

The coach of my favorite college football team has a mantra.  Just finish.  Not only is he referring to finishing the game or the season.  He is referring to finishing each play!  Finish!  Do your best.  Do what is expected of you.  Give your best effort until the end.  Don’t quit before the play is over.  Don’t quit on your teammates.  Finish the job.

Finished!  What a great thing to be able to say at the end of a long and arduous project.  I recently finished a kitchen remodel.  The job that was supposed to take a month or so actually took about 5 months.  But it is finished!

It is finished.

So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!”  And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.  John 19:30

This is the seventh and final saying of Jesus on the cross.  He came to do the Father’s will and He completed the task.

Our mission is to do the Father’s will as well.  So what is that will?

Matthew 5:16 tells us we are to glorify GOD through good works.

Galatians 6:10 tells us we are to do good to all men.

1 Peter 2:17 tells us to honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear GOD, and honor our leaders.

Luke 19:10 tells us Jesus’ mission was to seek and save the lost.  Ours should be as well.

After a lengthy search, Solomon noted the conclusion to the whole matter when he wrote the words found in Ecclesiastes 12:13, Fear GOD and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.

We, like Paul, should live so that when our life is over here, we can say we have kept the faith. 

John in Revelation 2:10 gives us this goal, be faithful unto death. We should be busy doing the Father’ will.  Our time will run out someday.  If we are found faithful, it is then we too can say, “It is finished!”

Posted in death, discipleship, faith, opportunity, salvation | Leave a comment

Danger Ahead

Posted on January 11, 2022 by glenn

Suppose you are driving down an unfamiliar road and you come upon a sign that says, “Bridge Out Ahead”.  Do you disregard these signs and proceed as normal?  Of course not.  If you have ever walked up to the edge of the road where a bridge is missing, you know it is a scary sight.  I recall once we had a great flood that washed out an old iron bridge on a small country road. Looking at that pavement ending suddenly and the plunge into the ravine and the waters below, was indeed frightening. A barricade was placed there and signs erected up the road, warning of the danger.

These signs are meant to warn us of danger, to tell us to be cautious, to watch out!

There is a word found in Scripture that carries the same meaning.  The Greek word is Blepo.  The word has different meanings and is found over 130 times in the New Testament.

One of the meanings of the word Blepo is, beware or beware of; to take heed.  Twelve of the times it is found in the New King James version, the word Blepo is translated ‘take heed.’

Be careful, watch out, proceed with caution, danger up ahead, beware, look out – all are signs of warning.  Like the sign warning us of the bridge out ahead, these phrases are meant to warn us of a danger up ahead. 

When the Scriptures tell us to “take heed” it is warning us against an impending danger.  Don’t overlook the phrase!

One such passage is 1 Corinthians 10:12.

Therefore, let him who thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall.  The phrase “take heed” is translated from the Greek word Blepo.

Well what do we learn from this warning? 

#1 – It is possible for us to fall.  We can become so lax with our salvation and spirituality that we revert back to the ways of the world.  That is essentially the message of the book of Hebrews.  The theme of that book is “Do not go back”.  We are warned of such in Romans 12:2.  So even though many teach that it is impossible to lose one’s salvation, here we see otherwise.  There are over 2500 verses that tell us it is possible to lose our salvation. 

#2 – We are to take heed.  It is as though we have the sign saying “Bridge Out”.  If you ignore this warning, you may meet with destruction.  We must be aware of the possibility of falling from grace so as to guard our spiritual condition.  We must draw near to GOD with the promise that He then will draw near to us.  (James 4:8)

#3 – To what are we being warned specifically?  Allowing ourselves to be deceived in our thinking. It seems a prideful attitude is present.  One who is prideful would do well to heed the warning.  To think that we stand with no possibility of falling is the warning.

When we travel, we watch for the signs along the highway that warn us of danger.  As we travel the road of life, we also have signs that warn us.  May we ever be aware and take heed.

Posted in authority, discipleship, opportunity, salvation, stewardship | 1 Comment

Timing is Everything

Posted on December 18, 2021 by glenn

In music it is called rhythm.  One might think of it as keeping the beat. The rhythm, the beat, the timing, all refers to the same thing.  In certain genres of music, the drums do this.  In my particular music, the beat is kept by the bass fiddle or at least by a rhythm guitar or the chop of a mandolin.  Whatever the case, rhythm or timing is critical to music.  Timing is everything.

“Timing is everything” is not only true in musical circles.  Consider a passage from Galatians 4:4.

But when the fullness of the time had come, GOD sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Timing.  When the fullness of time had come…  GOD’S timing is everything.  Certain events happened at the perfect time in history.  GOD chose the right time to send Jesus to the earth in order to redeem man.  There are wonderful lessons associated with the timing of that event.  The world conditions relative to the Greek language, the roads of the Roman Empire, the judicial system and the peace under the Roman Empire, etc. are just a few things that were present 2,000 years ago, that made it “the fullness of time.”  This is not to mention all of the 300+ prophecies of the coming Messiah in the Old Testament, having been or would soon be fulfilled with the coming of Jesus Christ.

I wish to take our thoughts in a different direction today.  Consider GOD’S timing as opposed to man’s timing.  As I consider my life and look back on it, I see His hand in my life especially related to the timing.  I can see His perfect timing in so many events in my life.

Let us consider some interesting Scriptures relative to GOD’S timing.

In John 7:30 and again in 8:20, we find,

They sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.

His hour had not yet come because it was not GOD’S appointed time.

In Matthew 26:5 and Mark 14:2, we find the Jewish leaders plotting to take Jesus to kill Him.

But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”

The leaders were plotting to take Him, but according to man’s plans, it was not the right time.  Man’s timing said not yet.

However, it was during this feast that GOD had other plans.  According to His timeline, it was the right time and Jesus said, “The hour has come…”  (John 12:23)

Earlier, the leaders wanted to kill Him but GOD’S timing said, “No, not now, the hour has not come.”  Then the leaders said, “Not now, the time is not right.  Not now, but later.”  GOD said, “Now.”

GOD’S timing is always perfect and His will will be done.

It is during this time of year when the world considers the birth of our LORD that I am thankful for His Providential Timing.

Gal 4:4 – But when the fullness of the time had come, GOD sent forth His Son…

Jesus Christ, the Savior, was sent at just the right time.  GOD’S timing.  He said, “When.”

I am thankful for His perfect timing.  I am thankful for that wonderful gift of Grace without which we would have no hope.

Posted in authority, faith, God, time | Leave a comment

The Chinese Proverb

Posted on December 2, 2021 by glenn

If you have followed my writings any length of time, you surely know how much I like quotes and proverbs.  There is a Chinese proverb that says, “To know and not do is to not know.”  The saying is a lesson in spiritual integrity.

One can talk a good game.  One can say anything.  But without following up with action, the words are empty.

I love the parables of Jesus.  These are stories told in such a way the hearers could easily identify and understand.  Yet Jesus was always conveying a powerful spiritual message.  One such parable found in Matthew 21:28-31, is the parable of the man with two sons.  I immediately identify because I too have two sons.

The father gave the sons a job to do.  The first son said, “I will not,” but regretted his defiant attitude and went to complete the task.  The second son said, “I go, sir,” but he did not go.  Jesus asked which of the two sons obeyed.

Jesus taught a great lesson by pointing out the first was the one to obey.  It was a lesson in repentance.  His defiance was not commended but his penitence and eventual obedience was.

John 13:17 – If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Can you see the Chinese proverb here?  If you really know, then you should do.

How important is our spiritual integrity?  How important is it for our words and actions to agree?

Matt 7:21 – Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Ezek 33: 31-32 – they hear your words but they do not do them.

3 John 3 – For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth.

The truth that is in you.  The implication is they know it.

Walk in the truth.  The implication is they do it.

Talking and doing, that is spiritual integrity.

In 1 Thes 2:9, 10, Paul noted “we preached, and we behaved.”  We talked and we walked.

To the Corinthians he said, “We are in word when we are absent and we will be in deed when we are present.”  (2 Cor 10:11)

James 1:22 reads, But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Yep, the Chinese were onto something.  To think otherwise is simply fooling ourselves.

Posted in discipleship, hypocrisy, opportunity, service, stewardship | Leave a comment

To Be or Not to Be 2.0

Posted on November 16, 2021 by glenn

The phrase is a familiar one.  It actually comes from Shakespeare’s Hamlet.  The lead character is considering life with its troubles and pain but acknowledging the alternative might be worse.  And so Prince Hamlet begins a lengthy speech with the quote, “To be or not to be, that is the question.”

The word be is but two letters long but it carries so much meaning.

Peter has always been one of my favorite apostles.  It was he to whom the Lord gave the keys of the kingdom.  Peter was the one who walked on water.  Peter was the one who after denying the Christ, wept bitterly and repented.  Peter was the one to whom the Lord said would die a death that would glorify GOD. 

Yet of the 27 books of the New Testament, Peter was chosen to pen only two letters.  Both of these were written much later in life and reflect a man who had grown from the impetuous outspoken man of his younger days to the aged Apostle of hope and encouragement.

Last words are significant.  Peter’s last book is a short book of only 61 verses.  In those verses are several “be” verses, wherein Peter encourages us to “be” faithful.  Let us study a few of these “be” verses and note the progressive nature in which they are found.

2 Peter 3:2 – be mindful of the words

The verse is encouraging us to remember or recall something of importance, namely, the words spoken by the prophets and the apostles of Christ.

2 Peter 3:11 – be in holy conduct

Following the exhortation to be mindful of the words of Scripture, we are encouraged to translate that into action.  It should encourage us to live a life of holiness and godliness.

2 Peter 3:14 – be diligent

The word diligent carries the idea of effort, to labor, to study, to endeavor.  The thought is that life will at times be challenging.  Remain in the word and true to your life of holiness.

2 Peter 3:17 – beware

Peter’s final words remind us that it is possible to fall from your own steadfastness being led away into error.  The antidote or safeguard against this fall is to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior.  This seems to carry us back to the idea of being mindful of the words.

To be or not to be.  I hope you will be faithful to Him.

Posted in discipleship, faith, growth, memory, opportunity, reflection, stewardship | Leave a comment

Whiff

Posted on October 22, 2021 by glenn

A memory shared by many is that of a child picking a dandelion and blowing the gray fluffy seeds into the wind.  With a single breath all the seeds are scattered.  The stem is left barren as though the seeds never existed.

He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless.  Scarcely shall they be planted, scarcely shall they be sown, scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, when He will also blow on them, and they will wither, and the whirlwind will take them away like stubble.                 Isa 40:23-24

Our GOD has all sovereignty over the earth and all its rulers.  Isaiah reminds us that all these princes and judges will come to nothing.  It is interesting the word useless in verse 23 is the same word translated without form in Genesis 1:2.

In due time, GOD will blow on them and they will be gone. 

All the great leaders of the past.  They are all gone.  It is as though they never existed.  All the leaders of today, both good and bad, will join them.  They will all be like the gray fluffy seeds.  When GOD’S chosen time is right, they will be gone.

Shouldn’t this make us think?  I want to serve the Eternal One.

Posted in authority, faith, government, time | Leave a comment