The more of the Bible I memorize, the more I want to memorize.
The more of the Bible I memorize, the more I’m able to memorize due to the miraculous multiplication of mental/intellectual capacity as discussed in detail on the home page.
What do these to add up to? This: more than ever I deeply desire to memorize the ENTIRE BIBLE and then dedicate the rest of my life to Educating, Encouraging, and EMPOWERING OTHERS to do likewise!
Why that first part, why do I want to memorize the entire Bible, the whole of God’s Word, of God’s graciously given “user manual for life” and “love letter” to us? Several reasons:
to give back to the Lord the best “love/thank You” gift I could think of or ever imagine: reciting His “love letter” to us BACK TO HIM (as also discussed in-depth on the home page) for all He does and who He is! He is worthy. Of this and so much more. (Revelation 4:11)
to keep myself, my life, free from sin, to destroy its power and decrease its presence in an ongoing way. (Psalm 119:11; John 17:17; Ephesians 5:26)
to be transformed more and more into the image and likeness of Christ. (2 Corinthians 3:18 and James 1:22-25)
to let the Bible complete the process of revealing to my mind’s eye a specific, tangible, and incredibly effective method by which to memorize and permanently retain Scripture – and ANYTHING ELSE as it turns out – which also makes memorization EASY and FUN, so I can HELP OTHERS DO LIKEWISE!
Why that second part and what I just mentioned, why Educate, Encourage, and EMPOWER others to memorize and recite Scripture? Again, multiple reasons:
so others can experience the indescribable joy, mental/intellectual increase, and countless other benefits which I have experienced firsthand as a direct result of Bible memory on a regular, systematic basis. (Psalm 19:7-9 and Colossians 3:16-17 among countless other verses)
so my lifelong prayer for a nationwide and indeed worldwide spiritual revival will (finally!) occur – I’m 100% convinced that this WILL happen, but I’m 1,000% convinced that it will ONLY happen when enough of His children, Christians, believers, INTERNALIZE, INGEST, CONSUME His Holy Word, the Bible! 1,000%. Ergo, if I can be used of Him to so EMPOWER others. it will be the honor and privilege and pleasure of my entire life. And from the minute He called me to do this, I told Him that I would – gladly, eagerly, exuberantly – but that HE would have to provide the ongoing means to actually make it a reality, i.e., that I would dedicate the rest of my life (literally) to this on a full-time basis but that He would have to then provide funding for the basic necessities of life like food and shelter (I can’t finish memorizing the entire Bible then help others do likewise if I can’t eat or have a roof over my head).
Which brings me to the present juncture.
I have indeed been pouring my life savings into this effort and website and future ministry and that has almost run out so after seeking the Lord’s leading and guidance and wisdom in the matter of how to keep this going to fruition, in the coming weeks I will largely be focused on giving various churches and ministries (“Foundational Partners”) and individual Lord-led like-minded Bible-loving believers (“Bible Memory Ambassadors”) the opportunity to TEAM with me, to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with me, to accomplish this Prince of Peace-pleasing, Spirit-spearheading, God-given goal. I will of course start memorizing “book #7 of 66” and keep reciting the six already memorized on a regular rotation (a book a day or so) and then, as the Lord provides sufficient funding I’ll focus full-time on finishing memorizing the ENTIRE Bible, all 66 books, and creating an online “curriculum” which will Educate, Encourage, and quite literally EMPOWER people to do likewise and in turn for THEM to Educate, Encourage, and Empower others to do likewise, and so on, and so on, and so on, and eventually there will be enough Bible-richly-indwelt people (Colossians 3:16) on the planet to GUARANTEE a worldwide spiritual revival, a Bible/Spirit-fueled self-fulfilling prophecy as it were.
If YOU feel called by God and would like to help make this happen, to literally MAKE HISTORY together, the five best ways are listed below but without further ado, it is such a thrill to share with you the videos of my reciting the books of Philemon (#5 for me) and Titus (#6 en route to ALL 66) – I hope they will be a tremendous source of elation and inspiration and motivation for you. To God be the glory! Always and forever.
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If you sense that the Lord might be leading YOU to support the historic event unfolding in real-time here at BibleMemory.ORG and thus become my fellow worker and thus share in all of the fruit and blessings (3 John 8) and literally MAKE HISTORY together, here are the best ways to do so:
1. Become a one-time or monthly partner by making a donation via PayPal’s fully-secure Bible Memory page!
2. Encourage as many people as you can to support this historic event by having them go to BibleMemory.ORG/support (please make sure they understand that it’s .org, not .com) – doing so by word-of-mouth is great, and to do so with a single click on your social media simply click here then scroll down a few inches to the green box and select your platforms, it’s that quick and easy!
4. Encourage as many of our fellow Christians as you can to pray for this historic event by having them go to BibleMemory.ORG/pray (please make sure they understand that it’s .org, not .com) – doing so by word-of-mouth is great, and to do so with a single click on your social media simply click here then scroll down a few inches and select your platforms, it’s that quick and easy!
5. Share this poston your social media by clicking on one or more of these platforms:
http://biblememory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMAGE-LOGO-BMO-PNG-3701x4004-IMPROVED-with-extended-y-underlines-Human-Head-with-Bible-on-multi-colored-Brain-Lobes-all-atop-Domain-Name-277x300.png00Bible Memoryhttp://biblememory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMAGE-LOGO-BMO-PNG-3701x4004-IMPROVED-with-extended-y-underlines-Human-Head-with-Bible-on-multi-colored-Brain-Lobes-all-atop-Domain-Name-277x300.pngBible Memory2020-03-28 19:17:152022-03-13 19:04:07VIDEO:Books #5-6 en route to ALL 66!
http://biblememory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMAGE-LOGO-BMO-PNG-3701x4004-IMPROVED-with-extended-y-underlines-Human-Head-with-Bible-on-multi-colored-Brain-Lobes-all-atop-Domain-Name-277x300.png00Bible Memoryhttp://biblememory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMAGE-LOGO-BMO-PNG-3701x4004-IMPROVED-with-extended-y-underlines-Human-Head-with-Bible-on-multi-colored-Brain-Lobes-all-atop-Domain-Name-277x300.pngBible Memory2020-03-22 17:40:222022-03-12 12:51:23Quick Thought:Tax Time Makes for a Great Parallel
I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to say that the Lord has graciously granted me to finished memorizing then reciting on video the book of 2 Peter.
4 books done, 62 to go!
It was a rich blessing. Full of warnings, yes, but by far the biggest blessing so far from this book has been the first several verses, where it makes crystal clear the qualities which, if present, consistent and increasing in our lives, we can be infinitely certain that our faith is genuine and indeed saving, and that a future, an eternity in heaven with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and all other believers awaits us – what an amazing thought, what incredible motivation for and in this life on earth in the meantime!
Thank You, Lord, for writing yet another book of Your precious and powerful Word upon my heart. Thank you that according to Your promise, Your statement of fact in 1 Thessalonians 2:13, I already know that it will “perform its work” in me. Grant me to be faithful not just to recite it regularly so as not to lose what You have so generously given, but also to obey it. Be greatly pleased, Lord, and receive my humble thanks for this historic work which for reasons not fully known You’ve chosen to do in and through me. Make me a more and more faithful ambassador of Yours in general and of Your Word, the Bible, in specific. Amen.
. .
If you sense that the Lord might be leading YOU to support the historic event unfolding in real-time here at BibleMemory.ORG and thus become my fellow worker and thus share in all of the fruit and blessings (3 John 8) and literally MAKE HISTORY together, here are the best ways to do so:
1. Become a one-time or monthly partner by making a donation via PayPal’s fully-secure Bible Memory page!
2. Encourage as many people as you can to support this historic event by having them go to BibleMemory.ORG/support (please make sure they understand that it’s .org, not .com) – doing so by word-of-mouth is great, and to do so with a single click on your social media simply click here then scroll down a few inches to the green box and select your platforms, it’s that quick and easy!
4. Encourage as many of our fellow Christians as you can to pray for this historic event by having them go to BibleMemory.ORG/pray (please make sure they understand that it’s .org, not .com) – doing so by word-of-mouth is great, and to do so with a single click on your social media simply click here then scroll down a few inches and select your platforms, it’s that quick and easy!
5. Share this poston your social media by clicking on one or more of these platforms:
http://biblememory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMAGE-LOGO-BMO-PNG-3701x4004-IMPROVED-with-extended-y-underlines-Human-Head-with-Bible-on-multi-colored-Brain-Lobes-all-atop-Domain-Name-277x300.png00Bible Memoryhttp://biblememory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMAGE-LOGO-BMO-PNG-3701x4004-IMPROVED-with-extended-y-underlines-Human-Head-with-Bible-on-multi-colored-Brain-Lobes-all-atop-Domain-Name-277x300.pngBible Memory2020-03-22 17:39:352022-03-13 19:04:44VIDEO:Book #4 memorized – en route to ALL 66!
I don’t mind “tough” decisions, at all, but I just LOVE really easy ones. Slam dunks. No-brainers.
My favorite of all time is 2 Corinthians 5:21 – God’s plan of salvation for Christ to “be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
What a deal! What an offer! He’ll place my sinfulness onto Himself and place His righteousness onto me? Beyond irresistible. Who could ever say no to that?! Exchange an eternity in hell for an eternity in heaven? SIGN. ME. UP.
But salvation is a one-time thing, so the no-brainer which I find myself focusing on far more in my day-to-day life is this: “And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11; later echoed in James 4:9-10)
Or as Charles Spurgeon used to put it, every person has a choice of “being humble or being humbled.” So true! And the choice couldn’t be easier.
Even on the human level, while many people (rather rightfully) resist the self-exaltation of another, I’ve never come across EVEN ONE person who has resisted the self-humbling of another. It’s both the right, righteous, biblical path, and the path of least resistance… NO-BRAINER!
Sign. Me. Up.
Easier said than done, and indeed needful of the Holy Spirit to bring about (Galatians 5:22-23) but the Bible is the best way. Reading it. Studying it. And especially memorizing (ingesting, internalizing) it.
When I look back on my life, on my faith journey so far, less so now but overall I think that pride has been my biggest potential pitfall, my most massive mistake, and I can remember as though it were this morning the very day and indeed minute when this inescapable choice confronted me in a very real and tangible way, and my eyes were finally opened to not only how EASY that choice is but also how utterly blissful once made. It’s a process which will continue until I reach the shores of a certain crystal sea, but even in that very first nanosecond I felt like I traveled a THOUSAND MILES in terms of relief and release and happiness, peace, patience, and pure joy.
I ended the previous post by saying, “When it comes to sin, it’s not about others, it’s about YOU!” I’ll end this one by saying, “When it comes to honor and exaltation, it’s not about you, it’s about OTHERS!”
Make this your go-to interpersonal perspective and position, and you’ll never run short of joy. I guarantee it. .
http://biblememory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMAGE-LOGO-BMO-PNG-3701x4004-IMPROVED-with-extended-y-underlines-Human-Head-with-Bible-on-multi-colored-Brain-Lobes-all-atop-Domain-Name-277x300.png00Bible Memoryhttp://biblememory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMAGE-LOGO-BMO-PNG-3701x4004-IMPROVED-with-extended-y-underlines-Human-Head-with-Bible-on-multi-colored-Brain-Lobes-all-atop-Domain-Name-277x300.pngBible Memory2020-03-22 17:38:412022-03-12 12:51:59Quick Thought:It's Not About You, It's About OTHERS!
When people learn that I’m already well on the way to memorizing the ENTIRE BIBLE and have dedicated the rest of my life and all of my life savings to this, many (mistakenly) make the assumption that I’m some sort of super-saint. Nothing could be further from the facts because the truth is that the more I memorize Scripture, the more I see, the more I realize just how sinful I am and have been. Thankfully it doesn’t stop there. Rather, it proceeds to erode and eradicate each sin which comes into view… ping, ping, ping. Like cans set up by a sharpshooting prodigy with a new BB gun.
But then it proceeds to reveal MORE things in my life which aren’t in line with Scripture, but flips that script, too, and “performs its work” (1 Thessalonians 2:13) in “transforming us into the image of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18). And on and on it goes. This process won’t end on this side of eternity. The Bible is so amazing: it not only identifies but also eradicates the sin in our lives.
Anyway, I understand why so many come to that conclusion and I have to confess that every once in a while I find myself turning my gaze from my own sin, sins, sinning, sinfulness and onto things exhibited in the lives of others, but before letting that linger for long I’m reminded of a passage in the Bible which I first read when I was a child and it has always stuck with me.
It’s in the last chapter of one of my “favorite” books: John 21:22. It’s very well-known, I’m sure you’d heard and/or read it many times. It’s the third time that Jesus manifested Himself after His resurrection. He’s eating with the disciples and afterward asks Peter – three times, much to the latter’s chagrin (perhaps due to the repetition [like when someone asks YOU the SAME THING multiple times] or the fact that it reminded him of the equal number of times he denied knowing Jesus on the night of His crucifixion) – if he loves Him, and Peter affirms that he does, and Jesus tells him to shepherd His sheep. Peter then starts asking Jesus about John and the Lord basically tells him to “forget about the other guy” because when it comes to sin (in that case, specifically about betraying Christ) or who’s doing what or how much to further the kingdom of heaven, it’s not about others, it’s about YOU!
For years now, whenever I see something in someone else that doesn’t seem right, I don’t even let my mind “go there” and instead automatically turn it right back to focusing on how much I’VE sinned and how much room for growth and improvement there is in MY life… and it absolutely revolutionized it. A much happier path to walk along in life. When it comes to praise, focus on others. When it comes to a need for improvement or growth, focus on yourself. It’s not just far more joyful but effective and productive. .
http://biblememory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMAGE-LOGO-BMO-PNG-3701x4004-IMPROVED-with-extended-y-underlines-Human-Head-with-Bible-on-multi-colored-Brain-Lobes-all-atop-Domain-Name-277x300.png00Bible Memoryhttp://biblememory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMAGE-LOGO-BMO-PNG-3701x4004-IMPROVED-with-extended-y-underlines-Human-Head-with-Bible-on-multi-colored-Brain-Lobes-all-atop-Domain-Name-277x300.pngBible Memory2020-03-22 17:37:452022-03-12 12:52:20Quick Thought:It's Not About Others, It's About YOU!
The best-known location of the spiritual growth continuum is probably 1 John 2:12-14: little children > young men > fathers.
But another one I’ve discovered in recent years and just love is this:
“Remember Jesus” > “Consider Jesus” > “Fixing our eyes on Jesus” (in 1 Timothy 2:8, Hebrews 3:1, and Hebrews 12:2)
(If I were in alliteration mode I might say “meet, meditate, metamorphose”) (I especially love that last one, PERFECT word since here’s the meaning per the Merriam-Webster dictionary: “to change into a different form especially by supernatural means; to change strikingly the appearance or character” – that’s EXACTLY how it is in the Christian life!)
I discussed these in a prior post but didn’t point out the poignant and palpable progression of these three. (I guess I am in alliteration mode after all! =)
When I first confessed Christ as my Savior, as THE Savior, as the ONLY Savior (1 Timothy 2:5), it was as though, from a personal experiential standpoint, after not really being an inherent part of my life much less MY LIFE (Colossians 3:4; Galatians 2:20), I “remembered” Jesus. From those countless sanctuary sermons, Sunday school lessons and youth group events. All of that accumulated knowledge about Him and His Word which flames the fuse of faith (Romans 10:17) came back in a big way but this time came to life. (Literally.)
Thereafter I found that I “considered” Jesus regularly, consistently, without the elongated spells signified by spiritual silence as it were. I found myself thinking about Him all throughout the day. This was coupled with (produced by) a greater and greater presence of the Bible (the “sword of the Spirit” – Ephesians 6:17 – which He wields so well, like a doctor’s scalpel) in my life and mindspace, which fans the flames of faith.
Now that has gone to a whole other, more intense, even more consistent level such that NOT thinking about Him and His Word has become the exception, not the rule anymore. The script has flipped. And I couldn’t be more thrilled. Or more grateful.
In which stage of spiritual growth do YOU find yourself today? That’s the second most important question in life. One huge help in my journey has been to regularly “take inventory” of my mindspace, of the actual thoughts which enter and exit or linger in my mind each day. I’ll elaborate on this in a future post (see item “3.” in the Side Panel or very bottom of this page if you’d like to automatically be notified by email whenever a new post is published) but for the purposes of this one, the main thing is to truly and straightforwardly evaluate the nature and duration and especially object of your thoughts that day or hour or week. If the Lord and Heavenly Father and Holy Spirit and the Bible top that list in both quality and quantity, in both essence and extent, in both degree and duration, you can be sure – no, “certain” – that you’re on exactly the right path (2 Peter 1:8). Otherwise, not (1:9). But we’ll never knowunless we regularly (“all the more diligent”) self-administer that test, unless we consistently complete that self-examination (1:10; also 2 Corinthians 13:5).
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the most important question in life, and that’s whether we have a relationship with the Lord at all. That’s the very beginning, the genesis (no pun intended), the starting line spiritually, and only then can the race (1 Corinthians 9:24; Galatians 5:7; 2 Timothy 4:7; and to bring it full circle for this post, Hebrews 12:1) of the Christian life begin. Like when they fire that blank gun at the start of most track events. It’s an obstacle course at times (2 Timothy 3:12) but well worth it (Romans 8:18; James 1:2-4) as you seek to “remember” then “consider” then “fix your eyes” on Jesus. .
In a recent post I focused on God’s loving sovereignty, which – if focused upon – will render anxiety in one’s daily life virtually nonexistent. No joke, no exaggeration.
This will be a running theme in this online journal/blog, for that very reason, because it IS so utterly bedrock and beneficial and blessing in nature, which rears its beautiful and heaven-borne head literally every single day of my life.
For this entry/post, I’ll focus on just one aspect of that.
Anxiety is unhealthy, wrong, unbiblical, sin. Understatements all. In fact, not just detrimental to one’s mental and emotional health but also physical: it’s a long-known scientific certainty that stress (a.k.a. anxiety, worrying, fretting, obsessing) is not just direly damaging and indeed deadly to the human body but I believe it’s at the very root of ALL disorders. More on that in a future post(s) but for now I think we all agree that anxiety is bad.
But per that prior post, God routinely uses something that’s bad and indeed even sin for our benefit and upbuilding and strengthening and good. It was true regarding Pharaoh – perhaps the perfect personification of pride and evil and wickedness and a (major, massive) “control issue” – as seen in the crystal clear conclusion of Romans 9:17, and true regarding “ALL things” as stated just a handful of verses earlier (Romans 8:28). And so it is with anxiety.
It is indeed bad, sinful – but the initial tinge of anxiety is a magnificent manifestation of God’s grace! Like when we barely brush up against a hot oven or sizzling saucepan on the stovetop. Meaning, I firmly believe that God, in His great and ongoing grace, gives us an alert when we’re about to veer off-course, like a highway guardrail, a wonderful “warning system” which He has created for and placed within us. Because He knows the default position of the human heart. Of every human heart – from Pharaoh and Adolf Hitler to Billy Graham and John MacArthur and even the beloved Apostle Paul himself (hard to believe? Just go back another chapter, to Romans 7:18, and you’ll see this stunning self-summary by that super-saint: “For I know that NOTHING GOOD dwells in me, that is, in my flesh”… if that was true about him, how much more so you and me and the entirety of humanity?) – as succinctly stated in Jeremiah 17:9 – “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked/sick…”
Indeed.
God, who created us, who even knows the number of hairs on our heads (Luke 12:7; Matthew 10:30), knew our default position and how given we would be to anxiety, which is nothing more than the human reaction to the inherent knowledge that we are not in control. And that, like nothing else, makes a person nervous, unsure, anxious. So how generous of Him to also create a built-in warning system to alert us, to flash emotional messages to our minds like “danger ahead” and “starting to veer off-course” – in the form of the initial onset or tinge of anxiety.
Please don’t despise it. USE it! By viewing it as a loving and advance reminder from God to you, to avoid the cliff of trying to “take control” and instead acknowledge and affirm the infinityfold fact that HE is in control, always and in all things. The HE is sovereign – and loving. What more could a person possibly need or want?!
Answer: nothing. Not a thing. Not a thing beyond that is needed to experience a life of perpetual bliss and peace and comfort and joy. Every day. Every hour.
So the next time you feel the first foray of anxiety into your life, into your mind, flip the script and simply remind your mind that it’s a GOOD thing that we’re NOT in control, that God IS – since He knows us better than we could ever know ourselves (and therefore what will truly make us happy) and since He loves us more than we could ever love ourselves – so WE DON’T NEED TO BE! Think of it as God’s literally reaching down from heaven and snatching that burden OFF OF OUR SHOULDERS and ONTO HIS.
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest… for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is EASY and My load is LIGHT.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
The ONLY thing we need to do is to LET HIM!
“Casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
He’s able, He’s willing, and He’s ready. Are you?
Make this a practice, an ongoing “thing” and activity in your day-to-day life and I GUARANTEE that your level of happiness and joy and peace and love will steadily increase. And you can quote me on that.
. .
If you sense that the Lord might be leading YOU to support the historic event unfolding in real-time here at BibleMemory.ORG and thus become my fellow worker and thus share in all of the fruit and blessings (3 John 8) and literally MAKE HISTORY together, here are the best ways to do so:
1. Become a one-time or monthly partner by making a donation via PayPal’s fully-secure Bible Memory page!
2. Encourage as many people as you can to support this historic event by having them go to BibleMemory.ORG/support (please make sure they understand that it’s .org, not .com) – doing so by word-of-mouth is great, and to do so with a single click on your social media simply click here then scroll down a few inches to the green box and select your platforms, it’s that quick and easy!
4. Encourage as many of our fellow Christians as you can to pray for this historic event by having them go to BibleMemory.ORG/pray (please make sure they understand that it’s .org, not .com) – doing so by word-of-mouth is great, and to do so with a single click on your social media simply click here then scroll down a few inches and select your platforms, it’s that quick and easy!
5. Share this poston your social media by clicking on one or more of these platforms:
Ever since I put my faith in Jesus Christ and Him alone for my eternal salvation, I’ve hated sin. 100%. I wish I could say I’ve also avoided it 100% but of course that would be a lie worthy of the devil himself. But even the most black-and-white, zero-grey-areas person I’ve ever heard of, the Apostle John, acknowledges in 1 John 2:1 that such is altogether unavoidable on this side of heaven, but that it will become less and less prevalent, less and less present in the life of every true believer, as also stated so succinctly yet crystal-clearly in Proverbs 4:18. Ergo, I don’t dwell on past sins but rather on the present pursuit of righteousness. But while I may not be able to avoid sin altogether in this life, I find that I have grown to hate it more with each passing year and exponentially so after starting this journey of Bible memory on a regular, systematic basis.
And under the umbrella of sin in general, there are three which I’d say I’ve come to hate even more than the others: one is a lack of truth… in ANY way, shape or form; another is waste… of time, of talent, of opportunity, of money or food; and the third chart-topper would probably be unthankfulness. A lack of gratitude.
Today, as I write this, I am once again reminded (and amazed, stunned) at just how good, at just how effective the Lord is in being able to make us thankful.
You see, the other day I noticed that the water from my faucet tasted strange even though I always use a filter. First time that’s ever happened but I figured “no bigee, I’ll just drink bottled water until they fix it” which was hunky dory – until I ran out after three days (I drink a lot of water each day =). And the thought hit me: what if it DOESN’T get fixed, what if it’s just the “new normal”, water that tastes so bad that even a filter doesn’t dent the distaste? As you know, I’ve committed my entire life savings to this project and website so can’t afford to just start buying water on a regular basis. Nope, I’m stuck with a faucet and filter for fulfilling that human need. I’m sure this probably seems like such a small matter to most people but it’s pretty big to me. It’s not as though I can just go without drinking water. Something’s gotta give!
Then just this morning I figured I’d give it another try and much to my mouth’s relief, the filtered faucet water tasted good again… hallelu! Matter resolved. And I’ve been thanking Him for that all day.
And this little episode of my life has been a great reminder of a spiritual truth: if we don’t thank God regularly, He has an uncanny way of MAKING us thankful, of bringing that about!
I mean, I thank Him a lot… but I can’t remember the last time I thanked Him for drinkable water. Yet now, after these past few days, I literally can’t thank Him enough.
Interestingly, I thank Him regularly for salvation and spiritual growth and for literally writing His Word on my heart and soul and mind – and all of that has continued apace. And I thank Him regularly for the stellar, literally perfect physical health He’s granted my entire life (a result of God’s grace but also, under that umbrella, of regular Bible memory no doubt) and that too just keeps right on going (so far! =). And it makes me wonder if, in addition to overarching grace and regular Bible memory and recitation, this is also due to the fact that I do indeed thank Him for these things regularly.
I find that my reaction to the Bible is extremely positive, pure joy, 99.9% of the time. But I’ve come across a handful of passages that make my blood boil. Pure anger. Like when those merchants were selling their wares in the temple as described in John 2:13-17. (I’m greatly comforted by the fact that the Lord had the exact same reaction… talk about good company!) And there are a handful of passages which have not only angered but befuddled me, as in “What on earth was that guy thinking?! Who would ever behave like that?”
And one passage in particular: Luke 17:11-19. It’s a well-known story. Jesus, on His way to Jerusalem, entered a certain village and came across ten lepers. They “raised their voices” and begged for mercy, for healing, and our compassionate and merciful Lord (James 5:11) did just that! These ten lepers – the outcasts whom even the outcasts shunned – just had that major, major, major life-revolutionizing matter taken off of their shoulders, yet ONLY ONE of them THANKED Jesus.
As much as I might try, I simply cannot, I’m simply unable to fathom that, to even imagine that. Just thinking about that makes me angry. Then it’s as though I can hear Nathan himself saying, “Thou art the man.” Straight out of 2 Samuel 12:7. You see, not only can I fathom and imagine that kind of cringe-worthy conduct, that brand of baneful behavior, there are times I find that I’ve been indulging in it unawares.
Ingratitude. Ungratefulness. Unthankfulness. Yet it’s absolutely amazing how the Lord never lets me do so for very long before “stepping in” and “working” events which will snap me out of that big-time.
I can’t even remember the last time I had thanked Him for drinkable water. And now I’ve probably done so a hundred times today. Funny how that works, eh?
So let’s focus, from this day forward, on active gratitude. On thanking Him for things big and small. Constantly. Not just because it’s right and biblical…
“in everything GIVE THANKS” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
“always GIVING THANKS for all things” (Ephesians 5:20)
“in everything by prayer and supplication WITH THANKSGIVING” (Philippians 4:6)
“do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, GIVING THANKS” (Colossians 3:17)
… but below that blessed umbrella, even on a human level, also because of what it very likely may spare us in the future. In other words, I find that gratefulness is very similar to humility in that we can either humble ourselves or BE humbled by God (Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11; James 4:10; Philippians 2:10). So also, we can either THANK the Lord regularly, or He’ll undoubtedly GIVE US a reason to do so after going through a trial or some sort of tribulation. How many times have we suffered in life simply because we weren’t thankful.
Let’s call it preventive gratitude. May we be wise to adopt a focus and attitude of gratitude, every day. May we be like that one former leper, not the other nine. It will no doubt spare us from needless heartache in the future. The choice is ours. .
Just a few weeks ago we celebrated Christmas. Probably my favorite time of the entire year. (Other than the weather. =) And my favorite holiday along with Easter and Thanksgiving and Independence Day. (Interesting how they all share a common thread, eh?)
Anyway, back to Christmas, the main thing is of course the fact that it commemorates Jesus’ supremely sacrificial self-humbling in voluntarily setting aside the comforts of Heaven and coming down to Earth to become a man (Philippians 2:5-11) [and even lower than that to become “sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21)]. As my favorite song of the season says, “Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel.” Indeed. But my second favorite part (definitely not unrelated to the first) is the great music, all those great songs celebrating and aiding us in celebrating that most momentous of marvelous occasions in all of history (His-story).
Yes, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing is my favorite with Joy to the World very high on that list, but one written much more recently has also made it into my “Top 10” and that’s When Love Came Down by Point of Grace.
It literally brings tears of pure joy to my eyes virtually every time I hear it. And for the purposes of this post, I’d like to highlight a single line from this song (end of the second verse): “There’s a choice we must make each and every day.”
Every year (having also just celebrated New Year’s Day), every month, every week, and yes every day and even every hour and minute, i.e., continually.
And that ongoing test (pop quiz) is not of the multiple choice variety but rather “true or false”, “A or B”. It’s this:
God or money (Matthew 6:24, in the heart of the Sermon on the Mount). God or pleasure (2 Timothy 3:4). God or the world (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-16). God or self (Luke 14:26-27; Matthew 16:24).
On one side of the (massive) chasm is God and the things of God like the Bible and prayer and worship and fellowship.
On the other side is self and pleasure and money and all the world system has to offer.
The human heart, fallen flesh, will always opt for the latter, its default position. But I have found that the Bible is able to transform one’s mind and thus life (Romans 12:1-2) – reading it, better yet studying it, but best by far memorizing and reciting and meditating on and in all of the three cases obeying it. The Bible CHANGES our “default” setting!
And those verses make it crystal clear how dramatically indeed diametrically indeed direly different the results and consequences of that two-options decision confronting us continually are. Joy or sorrow. True success or failure. Victory or defeat. Life or death. (Literally.)
The Bible in general and Bible memory on a regular, systematic (verse-by-verse, book-by-beautiful-book) basis in specific has totally transformed and revolutionized my mind. Far from perfect. (Still.) (Always! At least on this side of eternity.) But massive improvement in mind, spirit, soul – intentions, attentions, affections, aspirations – and even body (health, per Proverbs 4:22, so true!).
There is indeed “a choice we must make each and every day.” You know an example of someone who chose poorly, who DIDN’T make the right decision? His name is Demas, and even most Christians wouldn’t know that name because he plays a very small – yet stunningly sobering – role in the Bible. By way of background, he was one of the Apostle Paul’s closest “fellow workers” – made clear by the fact that Paul mentions him by name at the end of not one but two New Testament books (letters/epistles), Colossians and Philemon. But later on, as (physical) death was starting to knock on Paul’s door, he mentions him in a third (his final) book, writing this: “for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica” (2 Timothy 4:10). Can you believe that?! It blows my mind every single time. Someone who worked and lived and breathed month after month, week after week, day after day, hour after hour beside the greatest non-Deitic person in human history (i.e., other than the Lord Jesus Himself) one day concluded that the world was more desirable than the things of God. This should be a huge warning, a rip-roaring red flag to each and every one of us who begins to think that WE could never turn our back much less lose our love for the Lord and the Bible and the things of Him. Just ask the church of the Laodiceans mentioned in Revelation 3:15-18. Or, albeit on a much more temporary basis, just ask Peter, as discussed in-depth in a prior post. If it can happen to Demas, to someone surrounded by and special to the greatest non-Deitic person ever to walk the face of the earth, and if it can happen to Peter, even if just temporarily, then it can absolutely happen to you and me if we’re not careful to correctly navigate “the choice” which is ours daily, never letting a sure-to-sink-us sense of self-sufficiency creep in. (1 Corinthians 10:12)
You know a great example of someone who made the RIGHT if not (initially) easy choice? Moses, “choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin; considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.” (Hebrews 11:25-26)
Verse 27 goes on to say, “By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is unseen.”
And that, my friend, is the essence of faith and the only ultimately good thing in this world, in this life. As SEEING the UNSEEN. Few four-word phrases have fixed my focus forward and upward like this one has. As seeing the unseen.
You see, the human heart and mind and body will naturally gravitate to things that can be seen, that are visible. But faith does – enables us to do – the exact OPPOSITE. It’s a lot like that famous quote by one of the greatest and quite arguably THE greatest hockey player of all time, who credited his unbelievable success to the fact that “other players skate to where the puck is; I skate to where the puck is going to be.”
The key to being “great” in the Christian life and indeed life itself is to look “not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are NOT seen.” (I’d love to take credit for that quote but nope, it was written by the beloved Apostle Paul superintended by the Holy Spirit – 2 Corinthians 4:18) Not the things that are but the things that are to come.
And the results? The amazing results? Going back to Hebrews 11 – every bit as applicable today as then: “who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong [perhaps my favorite five-word phrase!]…” (Hebrews 11:33-34)
Moses “left Egypt” and likewise we would be wise to evacuate the world system by outright rejecting all it has to offer, “the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life” (1 John 2:16). The “passing pleasures of sin.” (Hebrews 11:25) “Wanton pleasure.” (James 5:5)
In other words, instead of living for OUR wants and desires, we would be wise to live for His (Matthew 16:24-26). Instead of living for OUR will, we would be wise and much better off living for His – following the perfect example set by our Lord Jesus when…
To the Father said the Son,
“Not MY will but THINE be done!” (Luke 22:42 – the Bible has it ALL! Even great poetry… much more on this in a future post)
Summing all of this up, this is the overarching way I view it: in life, we can either go for the icing or the cake. Go for the icing and we’ll get neither. Go for the cake and we’ll get BOTH!
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33, KJV)
The choice. Or as I like to call it… the no-brainer. The ultimate win/win.
Yes, we CAN “have it all” – if the order and priority of our choice is right. With a new year now underway, may we choose each and every day to live for the CAKE, and the icing will follow… like those TV ads for Meineke and Men’s Wearhouse say, “I guarantee it.” And infinitely more importantly, God guarantees it… give it a try and He’ll show you why!
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If you sense that the Lord might be leading YOU to support the historic event unfolding in real-time here at BibleMemory.ORG and thus become my fellow worker and thus share in all of the fruit and blessings (3 John 8) and literally MAKE HISTORY together, here are the best ways to do so:
1. Become a one-time or monthly partner by making a donation via PayPal’s fully-secure Bible Memory page!
2. Encourage as many people as you can to support this historic event by having them go to BibleMemory.ORG/support (please make sure they understand that it’s .org, not .com) – doing so by word-of-mouth is great, and to do so with a single click on your social media simply click here then scroll down a few inches to the green box and select your platforms, it’s that quick and easy!
4. Encourage as many of our fellow Christians as you can to pray for this historic event by having them go to BibleMemory.ORG/pray (please make sure they understand that it’s .org, not .com) – doing so by word-of-mouth is great, and to do so with a single click on your social media simply click here then scroll down a few inches and select your platforms, it’s that quick and easy!
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Thanks to the explosion of cable television channels, shows from decades ago are readily available to entirely new generations. Including one titled Father Knows Best.
While the producers of that show probably didn’t realize it, they actually affirmed one of the most basic but bedrock biblical doctrines.
As punctiliously and properly propounded in a previous post, NOTHING can escape even the INFINITE CENTER of God’s loving sovereignty. Nothing that happens to or affects you. Nothing that happens to or impacts me. Not a single thing that happens in the universe. Or as Philippians 2:10 would phrase it, nothing that happens to “those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth” – and that covers everyone. Past, present, and future. (I.e., everyone who has ever lived currently resides in one of those three places. It’s similar to when Paul used the phrase “in season and out of season” in 2 Timothy 4:2 – in that case there are only two times of the year and he covered them both/all. Just like he did in Colossians 1:16 where he writes that Christ created “all things” and then emphasizes that even more by using the phrase “visible and invisible”.)
NOTHING happens for or inures to a believer’s bad, to a disciple’s detriment, only ever for and to our good, better and best – the only question is whether we realize and in faith appropriate that fact, that truth of God’s loving sovereignty and this promise which applies to every believer as crystal-clearly set forth in many passages including Romans 8:28 and its not-nearly-so-well-known partner 9:17 and the two “beautiful biblical bookends” of the human-experience spectrum of Proverbs 16:33 and 21:1 per that prior post.
Because along with being loving and sovereign, God our Father is also omniscient. In terms of the universe and also regarding the very smallest “nooks and crannies” of our individual lives. What we “are able” to handle (1 Corinthians 10:13), how the ever-varying vicissitudes of life will impact us, and how He can “weave” all of those together to produce a stunningly beautiful, complete, “perfect” end result for us and for His glory.
Father knows best indeed!
He knows best, so we can rest. And live a truly worry-free, anxiety-free, depression-free, complaint-free life! Not just in theory but experience. Not just in perception but reality and actuality.
Second only to salvation itself, I find myself thanking Him most – and most often (i.e., in essence and extent) – for His loving sovereignty. What a great thing. What a gift. What a gold mine for daily living! .
VIDEO: Books #5-6 en route to ALL 66!
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryThe more of the Bible I memorize, the more I want to memorize.
The more of the Bible I memorize, the more I’m able to memorize due to the miraculous multiplication of mental/intellectual capacity as discussed in detail on the home page.
What do these to add up to? This: more than ever I deeply desire to memorize the ENTIRE BIBLE and then dedicate the rest of my life to Educating, Encouraging, and EMPOWERING OTHERS to do likewise!
Why that first part, why do I want to memorize the entire Bible, the whole of God’s Word, of God’s graciously given “user manual for life” and “love letter” to us? Several reasons:
Why that second part and what I just mentioned, why Educate, Encourage, and EMPOWER others to memorize and recite Scripture? Again, multiple reasons:
Which brings me to the present juncture.
I have indeed been pouring my life savings into this effort and website and future ministry and that has almost run out so after seeking the Lord’s leading and guidance and wisdom in the matter of how to keep this going to fruition, in the coming weeks I will largely be focused on giving various churches and ministries (“Foundational Partners”) and individual Lord-led like-minded Bible-loving believers (“Bible Memory Ambassadors”) the opportunity to TEAM with me, to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with me, to accomplish this Prince of Peace-pleasing, Spirit-spearheading, God-given goal. I will of course start memorizing “book #7 of 66” and keep reciting the six already memorized on a regular rotation (a book a day or so) and then, as the Lord provides sufficient funding I’ll focus full-time on finishing memorizing the ENTIRE Bible, all 66 books, and creating an online “curriculum” which will Educate, Encourage, and quite literally EMPOWER people to do likewise and in turn for THEM to Educate, Encourage, and Empower others to do likewise, and so on, and so on, and so on, and eventually there will be enough Bible-richly-indwelt people (Colossians 3:16) on the planet to GUARANTEE a worldwide spiritual revival, a Bible/Spirit-fueled self-fulfilling prophecy as it were.
If YOU feel called by God and would like to help make this happen, to literally MAKE HISTORY together, the five best ways are listed below but without further ado, it is such a thrill to share with you the videos of my reciting the books of Philemon (#5 for me) and Titus (#6 en route to ALL 66) – I hope they will be a tremendous source of elation and inspiration and motivation for you. To God be the glory! Always and forever.
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If you sense that the Lord might be leading YOU to support the historic event unfolding in real-time here at BibleMemory.ORG and thus become my fellow worker and thus share in all of the fruit and blessings (3 John 8) and literally MAKE HISTORY together, here are the best ways to do so:
1. Become a one-time or monthly partner by making a donation via PayPal’s fully-secure Bible Memory page!
2. Encourage as many people as you can to support this historic event by having them go to BibleMemory.ORG/support (please make sure they understand that it’s .org, not .com) – doing so by word-of-mouth is great, and to do so with a single click on your social media simply click here then scroll down a few inches to the green box and select your platforms, it’s that quick and easy!
3. Add your name to my Prayer List!
4. Encourage as many of our fellow Christians as you can to pray for this historic event by having them go to BibleMemory.ORG/pray (please make sure they understand that it’s .org, not .com) – doing so by word-of-mouth is great, and to do so with a single click on your social media simply click here then scroll down a few inches and select your platforms, it’s that quick and easy!
5. Share this post on your social media by clicking on one or more of these platforms:
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Quick Thought: Tax Time Makes for a Great Parallel
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryEach year around this time some of us receive a rebate from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
But they aren’t really giving you money. Rather, they’re simply giving you BACK a (small) portion of that which YOU have already given to them!
And that’s EXACTLY how it is with us and God!
You see, we don’t really give to Him. Rather, we’re simply giving Him BACK a (woefully small) portion of that which HE has already given to us!
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VIDEO: Book #4 memorized – en route to ALL 66!
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryI can’t tell you how thrilled I am to say that the Lord has graciously granted me to finished memorizing then reciting on video the book of 2 Peter.
4 books done, 62 to go!
It was a rich blessing. Full of warnings, yes, but by far the biggest blessing so far from this book has been the first several verses, where it makes crystal clear the qualities which, if present, consistent and increasing in our lives, we can be infinitely certain that our faith is genuine and indeed saving, and that a future, an eternity in heaven with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and all other believers awaits us – what an amazing thought, what incredible motivation for and in this life on earth in the meantime!
Thank You, Lord, for writing yet another book of Your precious and powerful Word upon my heart. Thank you that according to Your promise, Your statement of fact in 1 Thessalonians 2:13, I already know that it will “perform its work” in me. Grant me to be faithful not just to recite it regularly so as not to lose what You have so generously given, but also to obey it. Be greatly pleased, Lord, and receive my humble thanks for this historic work which for reasons not fully known You’ve chosen to do in and through me. Make me a more and more faithful ambassador of Yours in general and of Your Word, the Bible, in specific. Amen.
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If you sense that the Lord might be leading YOU to support the historic event unfolding in real-time here at BibleMemory.ORG and thus become my fellow worker and thus share in all of the fruit and blessings (3 John 8) and literally MAKE HISTORY together, here are the best ways to do so:
1. Become a one-time or monthly partner by making a donation via PayPal’s fully-secure Bible Memory page!
2. Encourage as many people as you can to support this historic event by having them go to BibleMemory.ORG/support (please make sure they understand that it’s .org, not .com) – doing so by word-of-mouth is great, and to do so with a single click on your social media simply click here then scroll down a few inches to the green box and select your platforms, it’s that quick and easy!
3. Add your name to my Prayer List!
4. Encourage as many of our fellow Christians as you can to pray for this historic event by having them go to BibleMemory.ORG/pray (please make sure they understand that it’s .org, not .com) – doing so by word-of-mouth is great, and to do so with a single click on your social media simply click here then scroll down a few inches and select your platforms, it’s that quick and easy!
5. Share this post on your social media by clicking on one or more of these platforms:
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Quick Thought: It’s Not About You, It’s About OTHERS!
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryI don’t mind “tough” decisions, at all, but I just LOVE really easy ones. Slam dunks. No-brainers.
My favorite of all time is 2 Corinthians 5:21 – God’s plan of salvation for Christ to “be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
What a deal! What an offer! He’ll place my sinfulness onto Himself and place His righteousness onto me? Beyond irresistible. Who could ever say no to that?! Exchange an eternity in hell for an eternity in heaven? SIGN. ME. UP.
But salvation is a one-time thing, so the no-brainer which I find myself focusing on far more in my day-to-day life is this: “And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11; later echoed in James 4:9-10)
Or as Charles Spurgeon used to put it, every person has a choice of “being humble or being humbled.” So true! And the choice couldn’t be easier.
Even on the human level, while many people (rather rightfully) resist the self-exaltation of another, I’ve never come across EVEN ONE person who has resisted the self-humbling of another. It’s both the right, righteous, biblical path, and the path of least resistance… NO-BRAINER!
Sign. Me. Up.
Easier said than done, and indeed needful of the Holy Spirit to bring about (Galatians 5:22-23) but the Bible is the best way. Reading it. Studying it. And especially memorizing (ingesting, internalizing) it.
When I look back on my life, on my faith journey so far, less so now but overall I think that pride has been my biggest potential pitfall, my most massive mistake, and I can remember as though it were this morning the very day and indeed minute when this inescapable choice confronted me in a very real and tangible way, and my eyes were finally opened to not only how EASY that choice is but also how utterly blissful once made. It’s a process which will continue until I reach the shores of a certain crystal sea, but even in that very first nanosecond I felt like I traveled a THOUSAND MILES in terms of relief and release and happiness, peace, patience, and pure joy.
I ended the previous post by saying, “When it comes to sin, it’s not about others, it’s about YOU!” I’ll end this one by saying, “When it comes to honor and exaltation, it’s not about you, it’s about OTHERS!”
Make this your go-to interpersonal perspective and position, and you’ll never run short of joy. I guarantee it.
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Quick Thought: It’s Not About Others, It’s About YOU!
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryWhen people learn that I’m already well on the way to memorizing the ENTIRE BIBLE and have dedicated the rest of my life and all of my life savings to this, many (mistakenly) make the assumption that I’m some sort of super-saint. Nothing could be further from the facts because the truth is that the more I memorize Scripture, the more I see, the more I realize just how sinful I am and have been. Thankfully it doesn’t stop there. Rather, it proceeds to erode and eradicate each sin which comes into view… ping, ping, ping. Like cans set up by a sharpshooting prodigy with a new BB gun.
But then it proceeds to reveal MORE things in my life which aren’t in line with Scripture, but flips that script, too, and “performs its work” (1 Thessalonians 2:13) in “transforming us into the image of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18). And on and on it goes. This process won’t end on this side of eternity. The Bible is so amazing: it not only identifies but also eradicates the sin in our lives.
Anyway, I understand why so many come to that conclusion and I have to confess that every once in a while I find myself turning my gaze from my own sin, sins, sinning, sinfulness and onto things exhibited in the lives of others, but before letting that linger for long I’m reminded of a passage in the Bible which I first read when I was a child and it has always stuck with me.
It’s in the last chapter of one of my “favorite” books: John 21:22. It’s very well-known, I’m sure you’d heard and/or read it many times. It’s the third time that Jesus manifested Himself after His resurrection. He’s eating with the disciples and afterward asks Peter – three times, much to the latter’s chagrin (perhaps due to the repetition [like when someone asks YOU the SAME THING multiple times] or the fact that it reminded him of the equal number of times he denied knowing Jesus on the night of His crucifixion) – if he loves Him, and Peter affirms that he does, and Jesus tells him to shepherd His sheep. Peter then starts asking Jesus about John and the Lord basically tells him to “forget about the other guy” because when it comes to sin (in that case, specifically about betraying Christ) or who’s doing what or how much to further the kingdom of heaven, it’s not about others, it’s about YOU!
For years now, whenever I see something in someone else that doesn’t seem right, I don’t even let my mind “go there” and instead automatically turn it right back to focusing on how much I’VE sinned and how much room for growth and improvement there is in MY life… and it absolutely revolutionized it. A much happier path to walk along in life. When it comes to praise, focus on others. When it comes to a need for improvement or growth, focus on yourself. It’s not just far more joyful but effective and productive.
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The Stages of Spiritual Growth (Good, Better, Best)
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryThe best-known location of the spiritual growth continuum is probably 1 John 2:12-14: little children > young men > fathers.
But another one I’ve discovered in recent years and just love is this:
“Remember Jesus” > “Consider Jesus” > “Fixing our eyes on Jesus” (in 1 Timothy 2:8, Hebrews 3:1, and Hebrews 12:2)
(If I were in alliteration mode I might say “meet, meditate, metamorphose”) (I especially love that last one, PERFECT word since here’s the meaning per the Merriam-Webster dictionary: “to change into a different form especially by supernatural means; to change strikingly the appearance or character” – that’s EXACTLY how it is in the Christian life!)
I discussed these in a prior post but didn’t point out the poignant and palpable progression of these three. (I guess I am in alliteration mode after all! =)
When I first confessed Christ as my Savior, as THE Savior, as the ONLY Savior (1 Timothy 2:5), it was as though, from a personal experiential standpoint, after not really being an inherent part of my life much less MY LIFE (Colossians 3:4; Galatians 2:20), I “remembered” Jesus. From those countless sanctuary sermons, Sunday school lessons and youth group events. All of that accumulated knowledge about Him and His Word which flames the fuse of faith (Romans 10:17) came back in a big way but this time came to life. (Literally.)
Thereafter I found that I “considered” Jesus regularly, consistently, without the elongated spells signified by spiritual silence as it were. I found myself thinking about Him all throughout the day. This was coupled with (produced by) a greater and greater presence of the Bible (the “sword of the Spirit” – Ephesians 6:17 – which He wields so well, like a doctor’s scalpel) in my life and mindspace, which fans the flames of faith.
Now that has gone to a whole other, more intense, even more consistent level such that NOT thinking about Him and His Word has become the exception, not the rule anymore. The script has flipped. And I couldn’t be more thrilled. Or more grateful.
In which stage of spiritual growth do YOU find yourself today? That’s the second most important question in life. One huge help in my journey has been to regularly “take inventory” of my mindspace, of the actual thoughts which enter and exit or linger in my mind each day. I’ll elaborate on this in a future post (see item “3.” in the Side Panel or very bottom of this page if you’d like to automatically be notified by email whenever a new post is published) but for the purposes of this one, the main thing is to truly and straightforwardly evaluate the nature and duration and especially object of your thoughts that day or hour or week. If the Lord and Heavenly Father and Holy Spirit and the Bible top that list in both quality and quantity, in both essence and extent, in both degree and duration, you can be sure – no, “certain” – that you’re on exactly the right path (2 Peter 1:8). Otherwise, not (1:9). But we’ll never know unless we regularly (“all the more diligent”) self-administer that test, unless we consistently complete that self-examination (1:10; also 2 Corinthians 13:5).
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the most important question in life, and that’s whether we have a relationship with the Lord at all. That’s the very beginning, the genesis (no pun intended), the starting line spiritually, and only then can the race (1 Corinthians 9:24; Galatians 5:7; 2 Timothy 4:7; and to bring it full circle for this post, Hebrews 12:1) of the Christian life begin. Like when they fire that blank gun at the start of most track events. It’s an obstacle course at times (2 Timothy 3:12) but well worth it (Romans 8:18; James 1:2-4) as you seek to “remember” then “consider” then “fix your eyes” on Jesus.
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The (Positive) Purpose of (Awful) Anxiety
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryIn a recent post I focused on God’s loving sovereignty, which – if focused upon – will render anxiety in one’s daily life virtually nonexistent. No joke, no exaggeration.
This will be a running theme in this online journal/blog, for that very reason, because it IS so utterly bedrock and beneficial and blessing in nature, which rears its beautiful and heaven-borne head literally every single day of my life.
For this entry/post, I’ll focus on just one aspect of that.
Anxiety is unhealthy, wrong, unbiblical, sin. Understatements all. In fact, not just detrimental to one’s mental and emotional health but also physical: it’s a long-known scientific certainty that stress (a.k.a. anxiety, worrying, fretting, obsessing) is not just direly damaging and indeed deadly to the human body but I believe it’s at the very root of ALL disorders. More on that in a future post(s) but for now I think we all agree that anxiety is bad.
But per that prior post, God routinely uses something that’s bad and indeed even sin for our benefit and upbuilding and strengthening and good. It was true regarding Pharaoh – perhaps the perfect personification of pride and evil and wickedness and a (major, massive) “control issue” – as seen in the crystal clear conclusion of Romans 9:17, and true regarding “ALL things” as stated just a handful of verses earlier (Romans 8:28). And so it is with anxiety.
It is indeed bad, sinful – but the initial tinge of anxiety is a magnificent manifestation of God’s grace! Like when we barely brush up against a hot oven or sizzling saucepan on the stovetop. Meaning, I firmly believe that God, in His great and ongoing grace, gives us an alert when we’re about to veer off-course, like a highway guardrail, a wonderful “warning system” which He has created for and placed within us. Because He knows the default position of the human heart. Of every human heart – from Pharaoh and Adolf Hitler to Billy Graham and John MacArthur and even the beloved Apostle Paul himself (hard to believe? Just go back another chapter, to Romans 7:18, and you’ll see this stunning self-summary by that super-saint: “For I know that NOTHING GOOD dwells in me, that is, in my flesh”… if that was true about him, how much more so you and me and the entirety of humanity?) – as succinctly stated in Jeremiah 17:9 – “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked/sick…”
Indeed.
God, who created us, who even knows the number of hairs on our heads (Luke 12:7; Matthew 10:30), knew our default position and how given we would be to anxiety, which is nothing more than the human reaction to the inherent knowledge that we are not in control. And that, like nothing else, makes a person nervous, unsure, anxious. So how generous of Him to also create a built-in warning system to alert us, to flash emotional messages to our minds like “danger ahead” and “starting to veer off-course” – in the form of the initial onset or tinge of anxiety.
Please don’t despise it. USE it! By viewing it as a loving and advance reminder from God to you, to avoid the cliff of trying to “take control” and instead acknowledge and affirm the infinityfold fact that HE is in control, always and in all things. The HE is sovereign – and loving. What more could a person possibly need or want?!
Answer: nothing. Not a thing. Not a thing beyond that is needed to experience a life of perpetual bliss and peace and comfort and joy. Every day. Every hour.
So the next time you feel the first foray of anxiety into your life, into your mind, flip the script and simply remind your mind that it’s a GOOD thing that we’re NOT in control, that God IS – since He knows us better than we could ever know ourselves (and therefore what will truly make us happy) and since He loves us more than we could ever love ourselves – so WE DON’T NEED TO BE! Think of it as God’s literally reaching down from heaven and snatching that burden OFF OF OUR SHOULDERS and ONTO HIS.
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest… for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is EASY and My load is LIGHT.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
The ONLY thing we need to do is to LET HIM!
“Casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
He’s able, He’s willing, and He’s ready. Are you?
Make this a practice, an ongoing “thing” and activity in your day-to-day life and I GUARANTEE that your level of happiness and joy and peace and love will steadily increase. And you can quote me on that.
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The Choice Is Ours
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryEver since I put my faith in Jesus Christ and Him alone for my eternal salvation, I’ve hated sin. 100%. I wish I could say I’ve also avoided it 100% but of course that would be a lie worthy of the devil himself. But even the most black-and-white, zero-grey-areas person I’ve ever heard of, the Apostle John, acknowledges in 1 John 2:1 that such is altogether unavoidable on this side of heaven, but that it will become less and less prevalent, less and less present in the life of every true believer, as also stated so succinctly yet crystal-clearly in Proverbs 4:18. Ergo, I don’t dwell on past sins but rather on the present pursuit of righteousness. But while I may not be able to avoid sin altogether in this life, I find that I have grown to hate it more with each passing year and exponentially so after starting this journey of Bible memory on a regular, systematic basis.
And under the umbrella of sin in general, there are three which I’d say I’ve come to hate even more than the others: one is a lack of truth… in ANY way, shape or form; another is waste… of time, of talent, of opportunity, of money or food; and the third chart-topper would probably be unthankfulness. A lack of gratitude.
Today, as I write this, I am once again reminded (and amazed, stunned) at just how good, at just how effective the Lord is in being able to make us thankful.
You see, the other day I noticed that the water from my faucet tasted strange even though I always use a filter. First time that’s ever happened but I figured “no bigee, I’ll just drink bottled water until they fix it” which was hunky dory – until I ran out after three days (I drink a lot of water each day =). And the thought hit me: what if it DOESN’T get fixed, what if it’s just the “new normal”, water that tastes so bad that even a filter doesn’t dent the distaste? As you know, I’ve committed my entire life savings to this project and website so can’t afford to just start buying water on a regular basis. Nope, I’m stuck with a faucet and filter for fulfilling that human need. I’m sure this probably seems like such a small matter to most people but it’s pretty big to me. It’s not as though I can just go without drinking water. Something’s gotta give!
Then just this morning I figured I’d give it another try and much to my mouth’s relief, the filtered faucet water tasted good again… hallelu! Matter resolved. And I’ve been thanking Him for that all day.
And this little episode of my life has been a great reminder of a spiritual truth: if we don’t thank God regularly, He has an uncanny way of MAKING us thankful, of bringing that about!
I mean, I thank Him a lot… but I can’t remember the last time I thanked Him for drinkable water. Yet now, after these past few days, I literally can’t thank Him enough.
Interestingly, I thank Him regularly for salvation and spiritual growth and for literally writing His Word on my heart and soul and mind – and all of that has continued apace. And I thank Him regularly for the stellar, literally perfect physical health He’s granted my entire life (a result of God’s grace but also, under that umbrella, of regular Bible memory no doubt) and that too just keeps right on going (so far! =). And it makes me wonder if, in addition to overarching grace and regular Bible memory and recitation, this is also due to the fact that I do indeed thank Him for these things regularly.
I find that my reaction to the Bible is extremely positive, pure joy, 99.9% of the time. But I’ve come across a handful of passages that make my blood boil. Pure anger. Like when those merchants were selling their wares in the temple as described in John 2:13-17. (I’m greatly comforted by the fact that the Lord had the exact same reaction… talk about good company!) And there are a handful of passages which have not only angered but befuddled me, as in “What on earth was that guy thinking?! Who would ever behave like that?”
And one passage in particular: Luke 17:11-19. It’s a well-known story. Jesus, on His way to Jerusalem, entered a certain village and came across ten lepers. They “raised their voices” and begged for mercy, for healing, and our compassionate and merciful Lord (James 5:11) did just that! These ten lepers – the outcasts whom even the outcasts shunned – just had that major, major, major life-revolutionizing matter taken off of their shoulders, yet ONLY ONE of them THANKED Jesus.
As much as I might try, I simply cannot, I’m simply unable to fathom that, to even imagine that. Just thinking about that makes me angry. Then it’s as though I can hear Nathan himself saying, “Thou art the man.” Straight out of 2 Samuel 12:7. You see, not only can I fathom and imagine that kind of cringe-worthy conduct, that brand of baneful behavior, there are times I find that I’ve been indulging in it unawares.
Ingratitude. Ungratefulness. Unthankfulness. Yet it’s absolutely amazing how the Lord never lets me do so for very long before “stepping in” and “working” events which will snap me out of that big-time.
I can’t even remember the last time I had thanked Him for drinkable water. And now I’ve probably done so a hundred times today. Funny how that works, eh?
So let’s focus, from this day forward, on active gratitude. On thanking Him for things big and small. Constantly. Not just because it’s right and biblical…
… but below that blessed umbrella, even on a human level, also because of what it very likely may spare us in the future. In other words, I find that gratefulness is very similar to humility in that we can either humble ourselves or BE humbled by God (Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11; James 4:10; Philippians 2:10). So also, we can either THANK the Lord regularly, or He’ll undoubtedly GIVE US a reason to do so after going through a trial or some sort of tribulation. How many times have we suffered in life simply because we weren’t thankful.
Let’s call it preventive gratitude. May we be wise to adopt a focus and attitude of gratitude, every day. May we be like that one former leper, not the other nine. It will no doubt spare us from needless heartache in the future. The choice is ours.
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The Choice
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryJust a few weeks ago we celebrated Christmas. Probably my favorite time of the entire year. (Other than the weather. =) And my favorite holiday along with Easter and Thanksgiving and Independence Day. (Interesting how they all share a common thread, eh?)
Anyway, back to Christmas, the main thing is of course the fact that it commemorates Jesus’ supremely sacrificial self-humbling in voluntarily setting aside the comforts of Heaven and coming down to Earth to become a man (Philippians 2:5-11) [and even lower than that to become “sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21)]. As my favorite song of the season says, “Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel.” Indeed. But my second favorite part (definitely not unrelated to the first) is the great music, all those great songs celebrating and aiding us in celebrating that most momentous of marvelous occasions in all of history (His-story).
Yes, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing is my favorite with Joy to the World very high on that list, but one written much more recently has also made it into my “Top 10” and that’s When Love Came Down by Point of Grace.
It literally brings tears of pure joy to my eyes virtually every time I hear it. And for the purposes of this post, I’d like to highlight a single line from this song (end of the second verse): “There’s a choice we must make each and every day.”
Every year (having also just celebrated New Year’s Day), every month, every week, and yes every day and even every hour and minute, i.e., continually.
And that ongoing test (pop quiz) is not of the multiple choice variety but rather “true or false”, “A or B”. It’s this:
God or money (Matthew 6:24, in the heart of the Sermon on the Mount). God or pleasure (2 Timothy 3:4). God or the world (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-16). God or self (Luke 14:26-27; Matthew 16:24).
On one side of the (massive) chasm is God and the things of God like the Bible and prayer and worship and fellowship.
On the other side is self and pleasure and money and all the world system has to offer.
The human heart, fallen flesh, will always opt for the latter, its default position. But I have found that the Bible is able to transform one’s mind and thus life (Romans 12:1-2) – reading it, better yet studying it, but best by far memorizing and reciting and meditating on and in all of the three cases obeying it. The Bible CHANGES our “default” setting!
And those verses make it crystal clear how dramatically indeed diametrically indeed direly different the results and consequences of that two-options decision confronting us continually are. Joy or sorrow. True success or failure. Victory or defeat. Life or death. (Literally.)
The Bible in general and Bible memory on a regular, systematic (verse-by-verse, book-by-beautiful-book) basis in specific has totally transformed and revolutionized my mind. Far from perfect. (Still.) (Always! At least on this side of eternity.) But massive improvement in mind, spirit, soul – intentions, attentions, affections, aspirations – and even body (health, per Proverbs 4:22, so true!).
There is indeed “a choice we must make each and every day.” You know an example of someone who chose poorly, who DIDN’T make the right decision? His name is Demas, and even most Christians wouldn’t know that name because he plays a very small – yet stunningly sobering – role in the Bible. By way of background, he was one of the Apostle Paul’s closest “fellow workers” – made clear by the fact that Paul mentions him by name at the end of not one but two New Testament books (letters/epistles), Colossians and Philemon. But later on, as (physical) death was starting to knock on Paul’s door, he mentions him in a third (his final) book, writing this: “for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica” (2 Timothy 4:10). Can you believe that?! It blows my mind every single time. Someone who worked and lived and breathed month after month, week after week, day after day, hour after hour beside the greatest non-Deitic person in human history (i.e., other than the Lord Jesus Himself) one day concluded that the world was more desirable than the things of God. This should be a huge warning, a rip-roaring red flag to each and every one of us who begins to think that WE could never turn our back much less lose our love for the Lord and the Bible and the things of Him. Just ask the church of the Laodiceans mentioned in Revelation 3:15-18. Or, albeit on a much more temporary basis, just ask Peter, as discussed in-depth in a prior post. If it can happen to Demas, to someone surrounded by and special to the greatest non-Deitic person ever to walk the face of the earth, and if it can happen to Peter, even if just temporarily, then it can absolutely happen to you and me if we’re not careful to correctly navigate “the choice” which is ours daily, never letting a sure-to-sink-us sense of self-sufficiency creep in. (1 Corinthians 10:12)
You know a great example of someone who made the RIGHT if not (initially) easy choice? Moses, “choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin; considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.” (Hebrews 11:25-26)
Verse 27 goes on to say, “By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is unseen.”
And that, my friend, is the essence of faith and the only ultimately good thing in this world, in this life. As SEEING the UNSEEN. Few four-word phrases have fixed my focus forward and upward like this one has. As seeing the unseen.
You see, the human heart and mind and body will naturally gravitate to things that can be seen, that are visible. But faith does – enables us to do – the exact OPPOSITE. It’s a lot like that famous quote by one of the greatest and quite arguably THE greatest hockey player of all time, who credited his unbelievable success to the fact that “other players skate to where the puck is; I skate to where the puck is going to be.”
The key to being “great” in the Christian life and indeed life itself is to look “not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are NOT seen.” (I’d love to take credit for that quote but nope, it was written by the beloved Apostle Paul superintended by the Holy Spirit – 2 Corinthians 4:18) Not the things that are but the things that are to come.
And the results? The amazing results? Going back to Hebrews 11 – every bit as applicable today as then: “who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong [perhaps my favorite five-word phrase!]…” (Hebrews 11:33-34)
Moses “left Egypt” and likewise we would be wise to evacuate the world system by outright rejecting all it has to offer, “the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life” (1 John 2:16). The “passing pleasures of sin.” (Hebrews 11:25) “Wanton pleasure.” (James 5:5)
In other words, instead of living for OUR wants and desires, we would be wise to live for His (Matthew 16:24-26). Instead of living for OUR will, we would be wise and much better off living for His – following the perfect example set by our Lord Jesus when…
To the Father said the Son,
“Not MY will but THINE be done!” (Luke 22:42 – the Bible has it ALL! Even great poetry… much more on this in a future post)
Summing all of this up, this is the overarching way I view it: in life, we can either go for the icing or the cake. Go for the icing and we’ll get neither. Go for the cake and we’ll get BOTH!
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33, KJV)
The choice. Or as I like to call it… the no-brainer. The ultimate win/win.
Yes, we CAN “have it all” – if the order and priority of our choice is right. With a new year now underway, may we choose each and every day to live for the CAKE, and the icing will follow… like those TV ads for Meineke and Men’s Wearhouse say, “I guarantee it.” And infinitely more importantly, God guarantees it… give it a try and He’ll show you why!
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If you sense that the Lord might be leading YOU to support the historic event unfolding in real-time here at BibleMemory.ORG and thus become my fellow worker and thus share in all of the fruit and blessings (3 John 8) and literally MAKE HISTORY together, here are the best ways to do so:
1. Become a one-time or monthly partner by making a donation via PayPal’s fully-secure Bible Memory page!
2. Encourage as many people as you can to support this historic event by having them go to BibleMemory.ORG/support (please make sure they understand that it’s .org, not .com) – doing so by word-of-mouth is great, and to do so with a single click on your social media simply click here then scroll down a few inches to the green box and select your platforms, it’s that quick and easy!
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Quick Thought: Father Knows Best
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryThanks to the explosion of cable television channels, shows from decades ago are readily available to entirely new generations. Including one titled Father Knows Best.
While the producers of that show probably didn’t realize it, they actually affirmed one of the most basic but bedrock biblical doctrines.
As punctiliously and properly propounded in a previous post, NOTHING can escape even the INFINITE CENTER of God’s loving sovereignty. Nothing that happens to or affects you. Nothing that happens to or impacts me. Not a single thing that happens in the universe. Or as Philippians 2:10 would phrase it, nothing that happens to “those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth” – and that covers everyone. Past, present, and future. (I.e., everyone who has ever lived currently resides in one of those three places. It’s similar to when Paul used the phrase “in season and out of season” in 2 Timothy 4:2 – in that case there are only two times of the year and he covered them both/all. Just like he did in Colossians 1:16 where he writes that Christ created “all things” and then emphasizes that even more by using the phrase “visible and invisible”.)
NOTHING happens for or inures to a believer’s bad, to a disciple’s detriment, only ever for and to our good, better and best – the only question is whether we realize and in faith appropriate that fact, that truth of God’s loving sovereignty and this promise which applies to every believer as crystal-clearly set forth in many passages including Romans 8:28 and its not-nearly-so-well-known partner 9:17 and the two “beautiful biblical bookends” of the human-experience spectrum of Proverbs 16:33 and 21:1 per that prior post.
Because along with being loving and sovereign, God our Father is also omniscient. In terms of the universe and also regarding the very smallest “nooks and crannies” of our individual lives. What we “are able” to handle (1 Corinthians 10:13), how the ever-varying vicissitudes of life will impact us, and how He can “weave” all of those together to produce a stunningly beautiful, complete, “perfect” end result for us and for His glory.
Father knows best indeed!
He knows best, so we can rest. And live a truly worry-free, anxiety-free, depression-free, complaint-free life! Not just in theory but experience. Not just in perception but reality and actuality.
Second only to salvation itself, I find myself thanking Him most – and most often (i.e., in essence and extent) – for His loving sovereignty. What a great thing. What a gift. What a gold mine for daily living!
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