LIFTING MY VOICE: THE BIBLE - GOD'S WORD TO MAN
(Continued)
As to t...: THE BIBLE - GOD'S WORD TO MAN (Continued) As to the authorship of the thirty nine books of the Old Testament, the first fi...
Sunday 23 February 2020
Friday 21 February 2020
LIFTING MY VOICE: THE BIBLE - GOD'S WORD TO MANThe Christian Bible ...
LIFTING MY VOICE: THE BIBLE - GOD'S WORD TO MAN
The Christian Bible ...: THE BIBLE - GOD'S WORD TO MAN The Christian Bible is, without a doubt the bestselling book of all time. It is impossible to know e...
The Christian Bible ...: THE BIBLE - GOD'S WORD TO MAN The Christian Bible is, without a doubt the bestselling book of all time. It is impossible to know e...
THE BIBLE - GOD'S WORD TO MAN
The Christian Bible is, without a doubt the bestselling book of all time. It is impossible to know exactly how many copies of the Bible have been sold, but a survey by the Bible Society concluded that around 2.5 billion copies were printed between 1815 and 1975, but more recent estimates put the figure at more than five billion. Guiness Book of World Records concurs with a similar figure of around five billion.
In late April of 2015, Gideons distributed their historic two billionth Scripture. The distribution of the first one billion Bibles and New Testaments spanned 93 years (1908-2001). The second billion was attained in less than fourteen years (2002-2015). Gideons International began distributing free Bibles in 1908. Members of Gideons International currently distribute over 800 million Scriptures annually, and the numbers are growing, especially in places such as Brazil, India and Asia.
The Bible consists of sixty six books, divided into two sections - the Old Testament containing thirty nine books, and the New Testament with twenty seven books.
The Old Testament is divided into further sections:
1. The Pentateuch or the books of Moses, being the first five books,
2. The Historical Books, being Joshua to Esther,
3. The Poetical Books, being Job to Song of Solomon,
4. The Major Prophets - Isaiah to Ezekiel,
5. The Minor Prophets, being the twelve last books in the Old Testament, consisting of Daniel to Malachi.
The New Testament consists of twenty seven books:
1. The Four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,
2. The Book of Acts,
3. Paul's Epistles to the Churches - Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and 1 and 2 Thessalonians,
4. Paul's Pastoral Epistles - 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus,
5. The Letter of Paul to Philemon,
6. The Letter to the Hebrews,
7. James,
8. 1 & 2 Peter,
9. 1,2 & 3 John,
10. The Epistle of Jude, and finally
11. The Book of Revelation.
As with all books, by their very nature, the Bible is made up of thousands - hundreds of thousands of words.
A piece of Bible trivia is: that there are 8,674 different Hebrew words in the Bible. There are 5,624 different Greek words and
12,143 different English words in the King James Bible.
Although there are many English versions of the Bible, with new ones appearing over time, some as scholarly works produced by a collaboration of many Bible academics - and some as modern paraphrases produced by one person, it could be said that, none of the translations from the Hebrew and the Greek are wholly inspired by the Holy Spirit to the last word.
The original texts, however, were wholly inspired by God, word by word. The apostle Paul, in writing to his son in the faith, Timothy, with instructions for ministry, stated: 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 complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16,17
The Bible was penned by around forty different authors, over approximately a 1200 to 1500 year period. The authorship of all the books of the New Testament is clear, apart from the book of Hebrews, which the King James Bible attributed to Paul. He is a strong contender as the author. However, there have been other suggestions, including Apollos and even the suggestion that the author of Hebrews may have been in fact - wait for it - a woman, namely Priscilla, of Priscilla and Aquila fame. Priscilla and Aquila were a married couple mentioned in the Book of Acts, in chapter 18, who travelled with the apostle Paul. He described them as his "fellow workers in Christ Jesus." Romans 16:3
Concerning the inspiration by the Holy Spirit of all the writers of the books of the Bible, the writer to the Hebrews says in chapter 1: God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Hebrews 1:1-3
TO BE CONTINUED
The Bible was penned by around forty different authors, over approximately a 1200 to 1500 year period. The authorship of all the books of the New Testament is clear, apart from the book of Hebrews, which the King James Bible attributed to Paul. He is a strong contender as the author. However, there have been other suggestions, including Apollos and even the suggestion that the author of Hebrews may have been in fact - wait for it - a woman, namely Priscilla, of Priscilla and Aquila fame. Priscilla and Aquila were a married couple mentioned in the Book of Acts, in chapter 18, who travelled with the apostle Paul. He described them as his "fellow workers in Christ Jesus." Romans 16:3
Concerning the inspiration by the Holy Spirit of all the writers of the books of the Bible, the writer to the Hebrews says in chapter 1: God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Hebrews 1:1-3
TO BE CONTINUED
Sunday 16 February 2020
LIFTING MY VOICE: ��FAITH OR FEAR?��THE CHOICE IS OURS!(Continued)O...
LIFTING MY VOICE: ��FAITH OR FEAR?��THE CHOICE IS OURS!(Continued)
O...: ��FAITH OR FEAR?�� THE CHOICE IS OURS! (Continued) On January 20, 2015, the then President of the United States, Barack Obama in hi...
O...: ��FAITH OR FEAR?�� THE CHOICE IS OURS! (Continued) On January 20, 2015, the then President of the United States, Barack Obama in hi...
😄FAITH OR FEAR?😓
THE CHOICE IS OURS!
(Continued)
On January 20, 2015, the then President of the United States, Barack Obama in his State Of The Union address famously, or maybe infamously stated: "Climate Change is the greatest threat to future generations". There may well be readers of this blog who firmly believe the "science" being promoted by governments and politicians particularly of the left leaning variety around the world - that we are in a "climate emergency" and that, without drastic measures to curb greenhouse gas emissions, particularly the 'dreaded' CO2, the planet is doomed - with the most vocal proponents of this climate hysteria telling us the planet has only twelve years left before we face annihilation.
Thanks to high profile climate alarmists such as Al Gore, former Democratic Presidential candidate, scientists like Australian Professor Tim Flannery, and currently the star performer of the climate alarmist hysterics, Swedish teenager, Greta Thunberg, millions of people, especially young people and children - are being filled with fear and anxiety for the future. Greta herself has said that the governments of the world have stolen her future because of their inaction on climate change.
She has been quoted as saying that she "can see carbon dioxide with her eyes". As a committed Bible believing Christian I firmly believe there is a real adversary whom the Bible calls the Devil or Satan, whose aim is to "steal, kill and destroy" humanity. He is also called by Jesus "the father of lies." It is my contention that Greta Thunberg has been greatly deceived by people with an underlying evil agenda, using her as a vulnerable mouthpiece for this sinister climate fearmongering campaign - a campaign which has proven very effective in mobilizing millions of frightened and impressionable children and young adults who see the Doomsday Clock clicking with the fate of humankind solely in the hands of those who would take responsibility for reducing the climate emergency protagonist, CO2.
Greta Thunberg was named Time magazine's "Person Of The Year" for 2019, and just recently has been named as a candidate for the coveted Nobel Peace Prize for this year, 2020. I, along with many others would see this as being somewhat ironic, that a young girl who has, by her actions and rhetoric instilled fear and anxiety in millions around the world - should be nominated for a "Peace" prize. She is not a purveyor of peace, sadly! Having said the above, though, about Greta Thunberg, as a Christian I would pray she discovers the truth, in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, Truth personified and is wonderfully set free from her own misguided anxieties. As Jesus Himself said in John 8:31,32 " If you continue in My Word, you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." Or as the Director of the Bible College in Lower Hutt, New Zealand I attended in the seventies used to say:"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall be in you a liberating force!"
Carbon dioxide is essential for life. It is not a noxious gas that is on a quest to destroy the world through climate extremes. Australia's output of CO2 is about one percent of the world's output, which is really miniscule and the percentage of the atmosphere that contains this gas is also minute. Throughout history, there have been changes in climate extremes over time. As the Bible says in Genesis 8:22 "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease."
As I mentioned in my first part of this blog theme, recently the world has been put on high alert by health authorities because of the outbreak of a respiratory virus, dubbed Coronavirus, because of the appearance of the virus under electron microscopes. This is causing thousands of people in China to be infected, developing pneumonia type infections, with a significant number of deaths - the numbers of which vary according to who is reporting it. One Chinese billionaire has been quoted as saying numbers are much higher than official figures from the government sources - as much as in excess of 1 million infected, with 50,000 deaths.
Fortunately, numbers infected outside of China remain relatively low - although the fear factor has grown due to media reports. I was somewhat surprised a couple of weeks ago to visit our local pharmacy here in southern Tasmania, where a notice was placed on the front counter stating that they had sold out of face masks and hand sanitizer. At this point in time, there is no threat to public health from Coronavirus in Tasmania.
For the true Christian - a modern day disciple of Christ, who takes the Bible, the wholly Holy Spirit inspired Word of the Living God as his manual for living - this is not a time for fear, for giving in to dread or terror. This is the time we have been born for, when the world is in the deepest darkness, we as part of the Body of Christ, the Christian Church have been called and equipped to shine like the stars in the universe, to march forth as an army with banners, proclaiming Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
The Christian is not to fear man or circumstance. We are to fear God and Him only - Godly fear, being reverent awe of the one who has saved us from Satan's realm of darkness that we might be bearers of Light, drawing the lost, fearful and those without hope to our loving Saviour.
King David boldly proclaimed in Psalm 27:
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me
In this I will be confident.
For in the time of trouble,
He shall hide me in his pavilion;
In the secret place of his tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock. (vs 1,3,5)
The prophet Isaiah wrote encouraging the people of God:
The Lord of hosts, Him shall you hallow;
Let Him be your fear,
And let Him be your dread. Isaiah 8:13
Again in Isaiah 35:3,4, the prophet writes:
Strengthen the weak hands,
And make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who are fearful hearted,
"Be strong, do not fear!
Behold, your God will come with vengeance,
With the recompense of God;
He will come and save you."
God is calling forth an army of worshipping warriors, who are full of faith in the Living God, whose lives have been ransomed from the clutches of hell by the blood Jesus. His death on the Cross of Calvary and triumphant resurrection from the grave three days later, ascending in victory over all the powers of death and hell to be seated at the right hand of the Father should cause all who follow Jesus to raise a victory shout of praise - knowing that Jesus ever lives to make intercession for the saints. As true followers of the Lord, soldiers of the cross, we can be fully assured that our lives are in His hands.
I don't know about you, but I want to be a part of the army of believers who runs to the battle, and not away from it in cringing fear, full of faith and boldness - fully trusting the One who is able to "rescue me from every evil attack, and bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen. 2 Timothy 4:18 NIV
Greta Thunberg was named Time magazine's "Person Of The Year" for 2019, and just recently has been named as a candidate for the coveted Nobel Peace Prize for this year, 2020. I, along with many others would see this as being somewhat ironic, that a young girl who has, by her actions and rhetoric instilled fear and anxiety in millions around the world - should be nominated for a "Peace" prize. She is not a purveyor of peace, sadly! Having said the above, though, about Greta Thunberg, as a Christian I would pray she discovers the truth, in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, Truth personified and is wonderfully set free from her own misguided anxieties. As Jesus Himself said in John 8:31,32 " If you continue in My Word, you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." Or as the Director of the Bible College in Lower Hutt, New Zealand I attended in the seventies used to say:"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall be in you a liberating force!"
Carbon dioxide is essential for life. It is not a noxious gas that is on a quest to destroy the world through climate extremes. Australia's output of CO2 is about one percent of the world's output, which is really miniscule and the percentage of the atmosphere that contains this gas is also minute. Throughout history, there have been changes in climate extremes over time. As the Bible says in Genesis 8:22 "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease."
As I mentioned in my first part of this blog theme, recently the world has been put on high alert by health authorities because of the outbreak of a respiratory virus, dubbed Coronavirus, because of the appearance of the virus under electron microscopes. This is causing thousands of people in China to be infected, developing pneumonia type infections, with a significant number of deaths - the numbers of which vary according to who is reporting it. One Chinese billionaire has been quoted as saying numbers are much higher than official figures from the government sources - as much as in excess of 1 million infected, with 50,000 deaths.
Fortunately, numbers infected outside of China remain relatively low - although the fear factor has grown due to media reports. I was somewhat surprised a couple of weeks ago to visit our local pharmacy here in southern Tasmania, where a notice was placed on the front counter stating that they had sold out of face masks and hand sanitizer. At this point in time, there is no threat to public health from Coronavirus in Tasmania.
For the true Christian - a modern day disciple of Christ, who takes the Bible, the wholly Holy Spirit inspired Word of the Living God as his manual for living - this is not a time for fear, for giving in to dread or terror. This is the time we have been born for, when the world is in the deepest darkness, we as part of the Body of Christ, the Christian Church have been called and equipped to shine like the stars in the universe, to march forth as an army with banners, proclaiming Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
The Christian is not to fear man or circumstance. We are to fear God and Him only - Godly fear, being reverent awe of the one who has saved us from Satan's realm of darkness that we might be bearers of Light, drawing the lost, fearful and those without hope to our loving Saviour.
King David boldly proclaimed in Psalm 27:
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me
In this I will be confident.
For in the time of trouble,
He shall hide me in his pavilion;
In the secret place of his tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock. (vs 1,3,5)
The prophet Isaiah wrote encouraging the people of God:
The Lord of hosts, Him shall you hallow;
Let Him be your fear,
And let Him be your dread. Isaiah 8:13
Again in Isaiah 35:3,4, the prophet writes:
Strengthen the weak hands,
And make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who are fearful hearted,
"Be strong, do not fear!
Behold, your God will come with vengeance,
With the recompense of God;
He will come and save you."
God is calling forth an army of worshipping warriors, who are full of faith in the Living God, whose lives have been ransomed from the clutches of hell by the blood Jesus. His death on the Cross of Calvary and triumphant resurrection from the grave three days later, ascending in victory over all the powers of death and hell to be seated at the right hand of the Father should cause all who follow Jesus to raise a victory shout of praise - knowing that Jesus ever lives to make intercession for the saints. As true followers of the Lord, soldiers of the cross, we can be fully assured that our lives are in His hands.
I don't know about you, but I want to be a part of the army of believers who runs to the battle, and not away from it in cringing fear, full of faith and boldness - fully trusting the One who is able to "rescue me from every evil attack, and bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen. 2 Timothy 4:18 NIV
Friday 14 February 2020
LIFTING MY VOICE: ��FAITH OR FEAR?��THE CHOICE IS OURS!It's good ...
LIFTING MY VOICE: ��FAITH OR FEAR?��THE CHOICE IS OURS!
It's good ...: ��FAITH OR FEAR?�� THE CHOICE IS OURS! It's good news week. Someone dropped a bomb somewhere contaminating the atmosphere ...
It's good ...: ��FAITH OR FEAR?�� THE CHOICE IS OURS! It's good news week. Someone dropped a bomb somewhere contaminating the atmosphere ...
😄FAITH OR FEAR?😓
THE CHOICE IS OURS!
It's good news week.
Someone dropped a bomb somewhere contaminating atmosphere
and blackening the sky.
It's good news week.
Someone's found a way to give
the rotting dead a will to live, go on and never die......
These are the opening words of a one-hit wonder song from 1965 called "It's Good News Week" by British band "Hedgehoppers Anonymous".
Or, who can remember the classic hit from Barry McGuire "Eve Of Destruction" from 1965:
The eastern world, it is explodin', violence flarin', bullets loadin',
You're old enough to kill, but not for votin',
You don't believe in war, but what's that gun you're totin'
And even the Jordan River has bodies floatin'
But you tell me over and over and over again my friend
Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction
Don't you understand what I'm tryin' to say?
Can't you see the fear that I'm feeling today?
If the button is pushed, there's no running away
There'll be none to save with the world in a grave
Take a look around you, boy, it's bound to scare you, boy
But you tell me over and over and over again my friend
Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.....
The 1960's was a tumultuous time with the Vietnam War looming large on the landscape throughout the decade. Early in the 60's the Cuban Missile Crisis was a cause for much fear and foreboding, with many believing at the time that the world was on the brink of World War 3. This was the time of the Cold War.
Fast forward sixty years to 2020, and Guess What? The world situation is not only still bad, but is getting worse exponentially. The threat of Communism has decreased, yet still has strongholds in China, Cuba, Laos and Vietnam.
Renewed tensions have arisen between Russia and the West in recent years.
In the intervening decades, we have seen numerous wars in Africa, Asia and parts of Europe with untold casualties and misery. There have been despotic dictators such as Pol Pot of Cambodia and Idi Amin in Uganda who have been driven by satanic powers to exterminate millions of their own people.
We have seen economic crises on a grand scale. There have been catastrophic natural disasters in many parts of the world, again leaving trails of destruction and human misery. There have been disease pandemics or threats of the same - in the early 2,000's the SARS virus appeared, causing alarm in some countries. It was, fortunately, quickly contained.
In 2014, the Ebola virus created fear in many, not only in West Africa nations hit badly by this virus, but in other nations, fearing those visiting these African nations may return to infect many in their home countries with this often deadly viral infection.
As of writing this, the world faces a new threat of a possible pandemic with a new viral strain, believed to have originated in markets in China selling wild animals for food - the Corona virus.
The scourge of the evil ideology of radical Islam has taken prominence as the major protagonist threatening world peace, even though the religion of Islam is touted by its followers and dhimmi politicians and Main Stream Media as the religion of peace. In fact, it is not radical Islam that has caused the vast majority of terrorist attacks since 9/11, responsible for the murder of tens of thousands of people - but Islamic fundamentalists who are merely living by the teachings of their false prophet, Muhammed through his writings in the Qu'ran and various hadiths and other writings. They are strictly speaking, not radical Muslims but Muslim fundamentalists. (For further reading on this topic, one book I can recommend is "The Barbarians Are Here" by Dr Michael Youssef, Senior Pastor of Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, Georgia - himself an Egyptian by birth, who has lived in the Middle East and known first hand, the oppression that comes from Islam).
Peace, to Muslim, at least to the fundamentalist Muslim, is submission to Allah, their false god - forced conversion to Islam, or death to the infidel as the alternative. Oh, what peace!?!?
Perhaps what should be an even greater cause for fear is the god of Political Correctness that the majority (apparently) of our politicians at a federal and state level (here in Australia) as well as the bulk of the MSM (Main Stream Media) bow down to - bending over backwards to not offend Muslims, and one of the other radical main players today, the homosexual activist lobby. The LGBTQI.....XYZ activists are waging a relentless war against the traditional definition of marriage between one man and one woman - and the nuclear family unit, headed by a mother and a father (male and female to remove any ambiguity).
Ultimately, this is a Satan-"inspired" war on Christians and the eternal changing Word of the Living God. As the apostle Paul proclaimed in Romans 1: the sin of homosexuality is "exchanging the truth of God for the lie, and worshipping and serving the creature than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. (Homosexual Practice). END OF STORY!
And, that's where I will stop for this first part of my current blog theme!
More coming soon!
But you tell me over and over and over again my friend
Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.....
The 1960's was a tumultuous time with the Vietnam War looming large on the landscape throughout the decade. Early in the 60's the Cuban Missile Crisis was a cause for much fear and foreboding, with many believing at the time that the world was on the brink of World War 3. This was the time of the Cold War.
Fast forward sixty years to 2020, and Guess What? The world situation is not only still bad, but is getting worse exponentially. The threat of Communism has decreased, yet still has strongholds in China, Cuba, Laos and Vietnam.
Renewed tensions have arisen between Russia and the West in recent years.
In the intervening decades, we have seen numerous wars in Africa, Asia and parts of Europe with untold casualties and misery. There have been despotic dictators such as Pol Pot of Cambodia and Idi Amin in Uganda who have been driven by satanic powers to exterminate millions of their own people.
We have seen economic crises on a grand scale. There have been catastrophic natural disasters in many parts of the world, again leaving trails of destruction and human misery. There have been disease pandemics or threats of the same - in the early 2,000's the SARS virus appeared, causing alarm in some countries. It was, fortunately, quickly contained.
In 2014, the Ebola virus created fear in many, not only in West Africa nations hit badly by this virus, but in other nations, fearing those visiting these African nations may return to infect many in their home countries with this often deadly viral infection.
As of writing this, the world faces a new threat of a possible pandemic with a new viral strain, believed to have originated in markets in China selling wild animals for food - the Corona virus.
The scourge of the evil ideology of radical Islam has taken prominence as the major protagonist threatening world peace, even though the religion of Islam is touted by its followers and dhimmi politicians and Main Stream Media as the religion of peace. In fact, it is not radical Islam that has caused the vast majority of terrorist attacks since 9/11, responsible for the murder of tens of thousands of people - but Islamic fundamentalists who are merely living by the teachings of their false prophet, Muhammed through his writings in the Qu'ran and various hadiths and other writings. They are strictly speaking, not radical Muslims but Muslim fundamentalists. (For further reading on this topic, one book I can recommend is "The Barbarians Are Here" by Dr Michael Youssef, Senior Pastor of Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, Georgia - himself an Egyptian by birth, who has lived in the Middle East and known first hand, the oppression that comes from Islam).
Peace, to Muslim, at least to the fundamentalist Muslim, is submission to Allah, their false god - forced conversion to Islam, or death to the infidel as the alternative. Oh, what peace!?!?
Perhaps what should be an even greater cause for fear is the god of Political Correctness that the majority (apparently) of our politicians at a federal and state level (here in Australia) as well as the bulk of the MSM (Main Stream Media) bow down to - bending over backwards to not offend Muslims, and one of the other radical main players today, the homosexual activist lobby. The LGBTQI.....XYZ activists are waging a relentless war against the traditional definition of marriage between one man and one woman - and the nuclear family unit, headed by a mother and a father (male and female to remove any ambiguity).
Ultimately, this is a Satan-"inspired" war on Christians and the eternal changing Word of the Living God. As the apostle Paul proclaimed in Romans 1: the sin of homosexuality is "exchanging the truth of God for the lie, and worshipping and serving the creature than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. (Homosexual Practice). END OF STORY!
And, that's where I will stop for this first part of my current blog theme!
More coming soon!
Friday 7 February 2020
THINK ON THESE THINGS
Part 2
I started the first blog post on this theme quoting Philippians 4:4-8 from the New King James Version of the Bible.
As I start this second part on this theme, let me quote verses 6-8 this time from The Living Bible (TLB). The Living Bible was first published in 1971 by Tyndale House, being a paraphrase of the Bible by Kenneth N. Taylor.
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don't forget to thank Him for His answers. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.
And now, brothers, as I close this letter, let me say this one more thing: Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. think about all you can praise God for and be glad about. Philippians 4:6-8 TLB
These verses in this version of the New Testament were wonderfully set to music in the nineties as two songs in the "Children Arise" music albums produced by Merrilyn Billing and her family while they were living in Brisbane, Australia. Straight from scripture, the four original albums, I believe are still available from Zions Hill Church in Ravenswood, Launceston, Tasmania - and well worth investing in. So uplifting and anointed songs. A fifth "Children Arise" album was produced in Tasmania some years after the original four. In the last couple of years, two more albums of children singing Scripture songs based on verses from The Passion Translation, a relatively recent modern English translation - have been produced called "Let The Whole World Sing." I personally have not heard these albums, but I can only imagine that they would be very high quality and anointed music albums with catchy tunes, not unlike the "Children Arise" series.
For further information about all music albums from Zions Hill Church in Launceston, head to the website: www.zionshill.com.au
While I am thinking about the power of Christian music, especially songs that are based directly on Scripture, I remember with fondness the wonderful Scripture in Song choruses, straight from the Word of God, and set to music by David and Dale Garrett, from Auckland in New Zealand in the 70's and 80's. At the time, these songs were used greatly to impact the church worldwide. Should we still be singing such songs today? Well, personally, although I still enjoy listening to them, I must say that the contemporary church now has its own music that has developed with new generations, and there are certainly some very gifted and anointed singers, songwriters and musicians today whose passion is to glorify God, and to exalt Jesus in all they accomplish for the kingdom of God. Times have changed, but the message is essentially the same in the most inspired and anointed praise and worship music.
In considering the theme of this blog, "Think On These Things", Hebrews 12:1,2 in the New Testament are worth quoting here:
Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
The apostle Paul tells us in Colossians 3 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Vs 1-4.
We need, as Christians to be filling our minds and our hearts with the Word of God, which has the power to supercharge us with God's ability in us to live whole and wholesome lives, filled with life from Spirit of God, being led into all truth and knowing a deep abiding sense of divine Peace, Love and Joy-filled Hope for now and the future, as we commit our lives daily into His loving care.
Then we can confidently say with the psalmist, King David:
The Lord is my light, and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1,2
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don't forget to thank Him for His answers. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.
And now, brothers, as I close this letter, let me say this one more thing: Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. think about all you can praise God for and be glad about. Philippians 4:6-8 TLB
These verses in this version of the New Testament were wonderfully set to music in the nineties as two songs in the "Children Arise" music albums produced by Merrilyn Billing and her family while they were living in Brisbane, Australia. Straight from scripture, the four original albums, I believe are still available from Zions Hill Church in Ravenswood, Launceston, Tasmania - and well worth investing in. So uplifting and anointed songs. A fifth "Children Arise" album was produced in Tasmania some years after the original four. In the last couple of years, two more albums of children singing Scripture songs based on verses from The Passion Translation, a relatively recent modern English translation - have been produced called "Let The Whole World Sing." I personally have not heard these albums, but I can only imagine that they would be very high quality and anointed music albums with catchy tunes, not unlike the "Children Arise" series.
For further information about all music albums from Zions Hill Church in Launceston, head to the website: www.zionshill.com.au
While I am thinking about the power of Christian music, especially songs that are based directly on Scripture, I remember with fondness the wonderful Scripture in Song choruses, straight from the Word of God, and set to music by David and Dale Garrett, from Auckland in New Zealand in the 70's and 80's. At the time, these songs were used greatly to impact the church worldwide. Should we still be singing such songs today? Well, personally, although I still enjoy listening to them, I must say that the contemporary church now has its own music that has developed with new generations, and there are certainly some very gifted and anointed singers, songwriters and musicians today whose passion is to glorify God, and to exalt Jesus in all they accomplish for the kingdom of God. Times have changed, but the message is essentially the same in the most inspired and anointed praise and worship music.
In considering the theme of this blog, "Think On These Things", Hebrews 12:1,2 in the New Testament are worth quoting here:
Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
The apostle Paul tells us in Colossians 3 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Vs 1-4.
We need, as Christians to be filling our minds and our hearts with the Word of God, which has the power to supercharge us with God's ability in us to live whole and wholesome lives, filled with life from Spirit of God, being led into all truth and knowing a deep abiding sense of divine Peace, Love and Joy-filled Hope for now and the future, as we commit our lives daily into His loving care.
Then we can confidently say with the psalmist, King David:
The Lord is my light, and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1,2
Saturday 1 February 2020
LIFTING MY VOICE: THINK ON THESE THINGSRejoice in the Lord always. A...
LIFTING MY VOICE: THINK ON THESE THINGSRejoice in the Lord always. A...: THINK ON THESE THINGS Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at...
THINK ON THESE THINGS
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice!
Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and
supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to
God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will
guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things
are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure,
whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report,
if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-
meditate on these things. Philippians 4:4-8 NKJV
We, in the twenty first century live in a world with information overload. With the booming information technology industry with an ever-increasing array of devices and social media apps and gateways to knowledge, and information resources, many are finding that much, even too much time is spent online, trying to make sense of a barrage of news, fake news, opinionated opinions, and, sadly much negative name-calling and derogatory put-downs of those who dare to disagree with a particular point of view.
Sadly, there have been tragic stories of young people who have been bullied online on social media sites, or through toxic text messaging,to such an extent that some have taken their own lives. This is a sorry reflection on the times in which we live.
As a member of the Baby Boomer generation, I did not grow up with computers. As a child, computers were mysterious monsters which filled whole rooms, with whirring reels of tape seeming to spin backwards and forwards in some kind of random fashion - but, which were, in fact programmed by people who were a rare breed of intellectual aficionados.
In the early 90's, I commenced an IT Associate Diploma course at the TAFE College in Launceston, Tasmania where we were living. I remember being impressed one day when one of the lecturers commented that he checked his own email account on his home computer every morning. Wow! Not only did he have his own email account, but he could view and respond to them at home!
Some twenty five or so years later, and just about everyone has personal access to the worldwide web on internet, and probably a majority have personal email accounts, if not Facebook and Twitter accounts.
I wonder if maybe, the prophet Habbakuk, writing some 600 years BC, was having a prophetic revelation of our times when the Lord told him:
"Write the vision
and make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it."
IPads, Samsung Galaxy Pads, Lenovo tablets etc are all called tablets. 😀
Seriously, many young people, and older people, are addicted to this technology.
Smartphones abound by which, again the younger generation spend hours sending and receiving text messages, at times to the exclusion of all other pursuits or personal interactions. This has been a major cause of social disconnect in families - what seems to be rather ironic in that such a readily accessible communication tool is a source of wider communication breakdown.
With the above-mentioned observations in mind, the apostle Paul's words in Philippians 4, quoted at the start of this blog have particular relevance to us today.
As Christians, who profess to be led by the Holy Spirit as we read and meditate on and study God's Word to us in the Bible, we should not be overcome with anxiety or fearfulness, or despair. The Bible is filled with promises of God's peace and clear directions for living a life filled with purpose and fulfillment in His will for our lives.
That is why Paul admonishes his readers to: Think or to Meditate on "These Things." What Things? Whatever things are: True
Noble
Just
Pure
Lovely, and
Of Good Report.
He further qualifies all these things as having virtue and being praiseworthy!
If I am honest with myself and with you, the reader, I would have to admit that I spend too much time looking at and meditating on Facebook posts that appear on my Newsfeed on Facebook.
Many of these posts are informative, but as with secular news sources on radio, television and in print media, online "news" is most often very negative and presents a very dismal picture of the state of affairs.
As a committed Christian, it might seem a cliché, but it is nevertheless true, that I would be much happier and more at peace generally, if I spent "less time on Facebook - but more time with my face in The Book (The Bible)."
To Be Continued...…………….
Sadly, there have been tragic stories of young people who have been bullied online on social media sites, or through toxic text messaging,to such an extent that some have taken their own lives. This is a sorry reflection on the times in which we live.
As a member of the Baby Boomer generation, I did not grow up with computers. As a child, computers were mysterious monsters which filled whole rooms, with whirring reels of tape seeming to spin backwards and forwards in some kind of random fashion - but, which were, in fact programmed by people who were a rare breed of intellectual aficionados.
In the early 90's, I commenced an IT Associate Diploma course at the TAFE College in Launceston, Tasmania where we were living. I remember being impressed one day when one of the lecturers commented that he checked his own email account on his home computer every morning. Wow! Not only did he have his own email account, but he could view and respond to them at home!
Some twenty five or so years later, and just about everyone has personal access to the worldwide web on internet, and probably a majority have personal email accounts, if not Facebook and Twitter accounts.
I wonder if maybe, the prophet Habbakuk, writing some 600 years BC, was having a prophetic revelation of our times when the Lord told him:
"Write the vision
and make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it."
IPads, Samsung Galaxy Pads, Lenovo tablets etc are all called tablets. 😀
Seriously, many young people, and older people, are addicted to this technology.
Smartphones abound by which, again the younger generation spend hours sending and receiving text messages, at times to the exclusion of all other pursuits or personal interactions. This has been a major cause of social disconnect in families - what seems to be rather ironic in that such a readily accessible communication tool is a source of wider communication breakdown.
With the above-mentioned observations in mind, the apostle Paul's words in Philippians 4, quoted at the start of this blog have particular relevance to us today.
As Christians, who profess to be led by the Holy Spirit as we read and meditate on and study God's Word to us in the Bible, we should not be overcome with anxiety or fearfulness, or despair. The Bible is filled with promises of God's peace and clear directions for living a life filled with purpose and fulfillment in His will for our lives.
That is why Paul admonishes his readers to: Think or to Meditate on "These Things." What Things? Whatever things are: True
Noble
Just
Pure
Lovely, and
Of Good Report.
He further qualifies all these things as having virtue and being praiseworthy!
If I am honest with myself and with you, the reader, I would have to admit that I spend too much time looking at and meditating on Facebook posts that appear on my Newsfeed on Facebook.
Many of these posts are informative, but as with secular news sources on radio, television and in print media, online "news" is most often very negative and presents a very dismal picture of the state of affairs.
As a committed Christian, it might seem a cliché, but it is nevertheless true, that I would be much happier and more at peace generally, if I spent "less time on Facebook - but more time with my face in The Book (The Bible)."
To Be Continued...…………….
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