A few of my previously-published posts have mentioned that this area has several different routes for my many-mile mega-walks and that my by-far favorites are the ones which involve the National Mall.
The particular path upon which I trod today took me from the Jefferson Memorial, past the Washington Monument, across the pedestrian bridge by the Tidal Basin to the Lincoln Memorial then across the Memorial Bridge to – and around – the hallowed ground of Arlington National Cemetery, past the Netherlands Carillon, culminating at the famous Iwo Jima (Marines) Memorial and then back to where I started, and repeating that path as many as ten times but usually three to five, depending on the amount of time allotted for exercising on a given day.
This morning there were four main thoughts which walloped my mind while I was walking, in this (chronological) order.
I had chosen this same route (of the several different spectacular ones available in this area) just last week and the trees were how they normally are eleven months a year but today was a very different story as they all started sprouting bright, white (cherry) blossoms in the past few days, which reminded me of a post I penned a whole year ago so the first main thought that struck me this morning was how quickly time passes… I simply c-a-n-n-o-t believe that it has been an entire year!
“Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” (James 4:14) [i.e., like an exhaled breath on a cold morning]
The second thought that hit me during this morning’s walk was, when seeing said cherry blossoms, to take inventory of my spiritual status to see if it was in “full bloom” like DC’s trees these next few weeks, or if there were any areas which needed to be “pruned” as only the Lord and Holy Spirit and Bible can do, can correct, can cause:
“like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow[i.e., bloom!] in respect to salvation [i.e., spiritually]” (1 Peter 2:2)
“But his delight is in the law of the Lord [i.e., the Bible], and in His law he meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf [i.e., blossom!] does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.” (Psalm 1:2-3)
The third thought occurred immediately thereafter: for the first time since last fall, the National Park Service opened the pedal-powered “paddle” boats (blue like the sky-reflecting water on this particular day anyway) and that (of course!) brought a Bible verse to mind:
“Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder, wherever the inclination of the pilot desires.” (James 3:4)
But the Bible doesn’t stop there! No, it immediately wields wise words of warning, noting that just as the path of a great ship is determined, indeed, “directed” by one of its “small” parts among many, so also the path of a person’s life is determined and directed by one of its ”small” parts among many, the tongue:
“So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. Behold, how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!” (James 3:5)
Much more about that topic in a forthcoming one but for the purposes of this post, after proceeding along the path picked for today’s walk and coming to Arlington National Cemetery, my eyes were drawn to and literally couldn’t move away from those rows and rows and rows of gravestones, and that reminded me of how our focus, our gaze, our eyes should be drawn to – and remain fixed (and fixated) on – the Lord Jesus:
“fixing our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2a)
Just as I (quite literally) couldn’t take my eyes off of those rows and rows of gravestones, so also – and times a trillion – I shouldn’t be able to take my eyes off of the Person and wisdom and will and work and Word and words of our loving Lord.
To be sure, it’s impossible for the finite, Fall-flawed human mind to muster maximum, continual focus on Him, due to the presence and potential of sin on this side of eternity (which is why verse 1 tells us to “lay aside” not just “sin which so easily entangles us” but even “every encumbrance” – more about this too in a future post) but that should absolutely be our daily, increasingly-neared goal.
May we wisely be aware of just how short, how brief our life actually is, and maintain a proper sense of spiritual urgency accordingly.
May we wisely “test” and “examine” ourselves spiritually – rigorously (“be all the more diligent”) and regularly (verb tense) – to take inventory, to see if our walk with the Lord is indeed “blooming”.
“Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!” (2 Corinthians 13:5a)
“Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.” (2 Peter 1:10-11, with “these things” referring back to the preceding verses 5-7 – which, interestingly and importantly, similarly contain the phrase “applying all diligence” – namely, “faith”, “moral excellence”, “knowledge”, “self-control”, “perseverance”, “godliness”, “brotherly kindness” and “love”.)
May we wisely be aware of just how powerful and potent and potentially poisonous and self-destructive our words, our speech, our tongue can be, to never forget that though it’s small in size compared to other major parts of our body, it’s outsized in determining the direction and destiny of our lives, since it literally “directs” such, just like the “very small rudder” of a ship.
And fourthly and lastly but definitely not least – in fact, most importantly since if we get this one right, the first three will fall into place nicely – may we wisely maintain, keep, “fix our eyes”, our focus, on the Lord Jesus, since He was and is and forevermore shall be the very personification of perfection and power and purity and every good thing – to Him and Him alone be the glory, God-blessed forever. Amen.
[NOTE: I never include nearly this many songs/videos in a post but am doing so this time because each and every one is (a) spot-on to what I wrote above and (b)unique and different from the others below (hard to believe but I actually nixed ten other versions, because those ones weren’t unique enough) and in my humble view all will be a big blessing to you and are thus worthy of your time except the very last one for those who don’t like their music/hymns to be “rocky” in nature, otherwise I think you’ll enjoy all of these. Sincerely, DJ Bible]
It would be tough enough to toe the line of truth if we were hunted by just one deceptive predator, but the purpose of this post is to point out the four primary suspects I see in Scripture, the “top 4” deceivers that direly desire to derail and destroy us; this is to help you identify them and thus prevent the deadly danger deceivers perpetually pose.
The first and undoubtedly most obvious source of deception I see in Scripture is external in nature: the devil himself, also known as Satan, Lucifer, and Beelzebub.
“…the devil… does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)
“Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which God had made. And he [Satan, the devil] said to the woman, ‘Indeed, has God said, “You shall not eat from any tree of the garden”?’ And the woman said to the serpent, ‘From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God said, “You shall not eat from it, and you shall not touch it, lest you die.”‘ And the serpent said to the woman, ‘You surely will not die! [Liar!] For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God… [Liar!]” (Genesis 3:1-5)
“Crafty” like a serpent. And a lion, which doesn’t make itself known when stalking its prey. Because it knows that would scare its potential prey away… so instead of revealing itself, a lion will prowl, will slink and slyly seek to stay hidden until the very last second, until it’s ready to pounce – a perfect picture of how the devil does it, how the devil tries to trick his prey – you and me! – and keep us unaware of his activity, of his deception, until it’s too late, until we’ve sinned.
“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
A lion stealthily slinks, a serpent sneakily slithers, and Satan schemes.
“… the schemes of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11c)
What a wicked, wily, woeful foe.
The second source of deception I see in Scripture is internal in nature and very closely related to and inextricably linked with the devil but is a separate and additional entity which is constantly trying to deceive us, and that’s sin itself, which the Bible clearly states has no trouble at all entangling us in its (world-wide 🙁 ) web.
“… lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin … sin which so easily entangles us” (Hebrews 3:13b; 12:1c)
“But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed [like fish by a worm and hook] by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.” (James 1:14-16)
The third source of deception I see in Scripture is internal in nature: the heart, i.e., the human mind.
“The heart [i.e., mind] is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9, NKJV)
Thankfully, the Bible is just as clear in confirming that we needn’t – and mustn’t – depend on our “wicked, sick” human mind to live and love life, because we wield a weapon, a tool, “ten trillion times” greater: the very mind of Christ.
“But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16c)
Which is (one reason) why we’re warned to trust and lean and depend accordingly.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6c)
The fourth source of deception I see in Scripture is external in nature: dishonest people.
“Keep deception and lies far from me…” (Proverbs 30:8a)
Ultimately, like everything in the Christian walk, it boils down and comes back to faith; therefore, never fear or leer, dear peer… hear, veer, steer clear of would-be deceivers. (And your year will be full of cheer!)
Help us, Lord. For our flesh can’t fight off far more powerful foes like Satan, sin, self-deception, and insincere, dishonest people. But thank You so much that You ARE (infinitely) more powerful than all of these would-be predators which will always want – and try! – to trick and trip us up at any given time, especially when we’re weak, so may we wisely “wear” Your Word like a wool winter coat which warms, and the armor of the Spirit and thus stay strong in such unparalleled, potent, powerful protection promised in the Bible and eagerly granted by the grace of God.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:10-11)
Hear, veer, steer clear, yes, but don’t forget to pray, as that passage proceeds to say.
“With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit…” (Ephesians 6:18a)
Tonight is the big “State of the Union” presidential address to a joint-session of Congress and – thanks to TV cameras, radio, and the internet – the entire country or at least those who take time to tune in, tens of millions of whom definitely do.
But instead of focusing on (perpetually pervasive) politics, I encourage everyone to focus on the “state of our union” with the Lord!
On how we’re doing spiritually.
On how we view and treat our fellow man and especially fellow Christians.
On how much time and depth and focus and attention we give to the Lord and His Holy Word, the Bible – each day, each week, each month.
On what things fill our mind and heart.
For a little while at least, let’s leave it to others to opine and plead and pontificate about politics on this “State of the Union” night, while we wisely take inventory of how we’re doing spiritually.
“Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you…” (2 Peter 1:10a)
“Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!” (2 Corinthians 13:5a)
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 Memory2024-03-07 10:51:172024-03-24 12:44:39State of the Union
Anymore I feel pretty much permanently prepared to be peppered with perpetual perplexity pertaining to God’s pervasive perfection. How on earth can the Fall-flawed, finite human mind make sense much less wrap itself around such solemn spiritual concepts like sinlessness, sovereignty, eternity, and Deity?
It can’t. Not fully anyway but that’s okay because (1) one day we will…
“For now [i.e., on earth] we see in a mirror dimly, but then [i.e., in heaven/eternity] face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12)
… and (2) even our finite minds can comprehend infinite truths sufficiently enough to believe, if and when said minds are submissively saturated with the Word and His Holy Spirit, wondrously working hand-in-heavenly-hand within “sad sacks” of sin such as we.
For this God-granted grace – and everything else about the Lord – let us love the all-loving, let us bless the Lord and His unparalleled, peerless, perfect Name, let us ever bless the Blessed.
[Here are a few (very) different renderings of the first song which you might enjoy; I encourage you to listen to all of these videos until the end but especially this very next one…]
As I’m sure you’ve noticed, there are a lot of things that seem to be getting more and more scarce, downright rare, in current-day society.
Truth, for sure.
And love.
And joy. (Contrary to the perception most social media posts try to paint.)
And peace. (Nuff said.)
And patience. (Next time you’re driving, simply observe how humans honk their horns anymore and you’ll see what I mean.)
But despite how gloomy the outlook might be for society right now, don’t let it get you glum…
… because I have good news: there’s still hope!
That’s right, we humans have hope but ONLY ONE, and that’s the Lord Jesus Christ and specifically His Spirit-spawned, blessed birth and spotless life and salvation-sealing death, burial, and resurrection.
And hand-in-hand with the Incarnate Word, our only hope is the written Word, the God-breathed Bible. For the latter leads and lassos and lovingly links our little lives to Him, our very big God.
Per my prayed petitions for many years now, I remain confident and convinced that at least one more mass spiritual revival is in store… but ONLY IF we hop head-first into, then hold both-handedly onto, our ONLY hope… ONLY IF we turn away from our sin and to His Word, the magnificent, beneficent Bible.
May we wisely do so in our own life first, then let it spread to others via demonstrated love and joy and peace and patience and humility.
In the past year or so in particular as the 2024 U.S. presidential election has inched ever nearer and the probable participating candidates have become ever clearer, a group founded in 2009 has gained new steam.
It’s called No Labels and its mission is – if 2024 looks likely to be a 2020 rematch of Trump vs. Biden (as it definitely does right now) – to put forth, to field and fully fund a so-called “unity ticket” and thus provide the American people with a third, far more preferable and popular option comprised of a centrist Republican and centrist Democrat. [Think Larry Hogan, Chris Sununu, Mitt Romney or Jon Huntsman for the former and a past multi-term blue Governor of a red state like Joe Manchin (WV) or Jay Nixon (MO) for the latter.]
A few months ago there was polling which suggested that the move – if it even materializes, if they’re even able to get a line on the ballots in a sufficient number of states – would, contrary to conventional wisdom, actually siphon more votes away from (i.e., hurt) Trump than (i.e., help) Biden. Color me skeptical of that conclusion which seems a tad askew…
… but it’s basically bringing a big headache to both sides of the aisle in their planning and plotting (and plodding) to take the White House next November.
In the coming months we should get a good glimpse of what if any impact this may ultimately have, but – in keeping with my prior promise that this will remain a partisan-politics-free place – the point and purpose of this post, while wielding wisdom and value for folks in the field of politics, isn’t about “No Labels” but rather “no LIBELS!”
As you’ve no doubt noticed, the past decade has definitely detected a dramatic, indeed, dire decrease in diplomacy and a massive increase in invective in politics and society in general. Phrases and words which would’ve been unthinkable even just a decade or two ago are now routinely hurled very publicly on an hourly basis… so I’d like to humbly remind those so inclined that while the Bible doesn’t mention “No Labels” (by name, anyway) it certainly has something serious to say about “no libels”:
“… malign no one… be uncontentious, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.” (Titus 3:2, NASB [1977-94 version])
And I really like the Legacy Standard Bible’s translation:
“… slander no one… be peaceable, considerate, demonstrating all gentleness to all men.” (Titus 3:2, LSB)
The Bible commands us to “malign no one”, to “slander no one” – in other words, “NO LIBELS!”
What a wise and timely word from the Word especially in light of our current political and societal state, which fits perfectly with my prior two-part post about the need for unity.
I often wish I could have a direct, personal conversation with the current crop of corporate, media, and political leaders, to tell them that instead of contributing so completely to the country’s communication crisis, they could – and absolutely should – be focused like a laser (at least at first) on curing it, since they largely hold the cards.
I’ll keep praying along those lines and maintaining faith, but won’t be beset by bated breath since we don’t live in that kind of a world…
… but they and we could quite quickly restore interpersonal and public communication back to how it used to be, simply by heeding the verse above (which I love) or this one:
“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.” (Ephesians 4:29, NASB [1977-94 version])
“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for building up what is needed, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” (Ephesians 4:29, LSB)
Let’s take a moment to ask ourselves: Have we been “showing every consideration for all men” (regardless of political party, or anything else) or have we been persistently pushing our own preferences and pleasure and will? Did everything (!) we’ve said today (this week, the past month) have the effect of “building up” the hearers or tearing them down? Did our words “give grace”, or something else altogether?
I think we all know the answer but the point isn’t to berate ourselves but rather to trust the Lord and rely on His heavenly help to turn around this seriously sinful societal situation.
Starting with ourselves.
Then we will watch it spread like wildfire to those around us and beyond, eventually impacting our congregation, county, then country, creating considerable and genuine and desperately-needed change.
No, the title of this post isn’t referring to the smooth-sounding, silk-voiced Seventies singing group…
… nor to the wintry weather here in the nation’s capital yesterday (though we did see some snow, so it came uncomfortably close to that on the thermometer).
Permit me to briefly elaborate. You see, per what was penned in a previously published post, I “practiced what I preached” and late last night let a kitchen pan soak in the sink but when I went to clean the cooked-on crud away, some greasy grime got unpleasantly plastered to the sink so I grabbed a nearby napkin and wiped it off.
Or at least tried to. It didn’t work. It just spread the greasy grime around even more so I retrieved an about-to-be-tossed old rag which had long served its purpose and went to wipe the expanded grease field from the floor of the sink but the latter proved to be too powerful for the former so I grabbed a steel wool scouring pad and, wah-lah, the greasy grime was gone!
Bible reading is like a napkin.
Bible study is like a rag.
Bible memory is like a steel wool scouring pad.
These are the “three degrees” of Bible interactivity. All are excellent in essence but exhibit different degrees of depth, of effectiveness in terms of “sinking in” to the human mind and wondrously wiping away the “cooked-on, caked-on crud” of sin in our life.
The Bible in general and Bible memory in specific: what a treasure, what a pleasure!
God’s good gift, granted without measure.
And while an ode to the Bible and Bible memory is fully, infinitely fitting for any day, I can’t think of a better one for it than today… Happy Valentine’s Day! May our love for each other and especially the Word of the Lord and the Lord of the Word abound more and more each day, each week, each month, each year.
I might or might not know a great deal… but I know a great deal when I see one.
I think I inherited that ability from my paternal grandmother; as noted on this website’s Why page, she once was one of the biggest independent antique dealers certainly east of the Mississippi and probably the entire country at the time, and I can remember as though it were yesterday the time that, for my major-milestone 13th birthday, she, my parents, and I visited the Williamsburg (Va.) Pottery Factory (it’s big now but was way more massive then). It’s the first time I fully, fervently comprehended the meaning of the phrases “a fish in water” and “kid (or in this case, grandmother) in a candy store”. She was something to behold, wheeling and dealing to an extent even the best writers in Hollywood couldn’t come close to conveying. I don’t think the rows of steel shelves were literally a mile long but they certainly seemed like it, and when she saw some silver bells selling for cents on the dollar, she politely but promptly prodded the salesperson to pack up the entire row and proceeded to the checkout cash register and celebrated ceaselessly her financial feat for the entire four-hour trip back home.
Like her – no doubt because of her – I know a great deal when I see one. Like when I bought my very first property for a fantastic price, so much so that in less than a single decade it quadrupled in value. Or the time that my mind made a massive “buy signal” when, post-IPO, the stocks of Facebook dropped down into the teens and Tesla to around $30. Bargain bonanza!
But the greatest deal by far that I’ve ever come across is when I read in the Bible that the only person in human history to have ever known no sin willingly offered to become sin so that sinful, sinning sinners like me might manifest and indeed become the very righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21) and that if we only humbly believe Him, He will raise us up out of our present pit of pride and sin and set and keep us on the path of righteousness (James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6; Psalm 40:2; 1 John 5:18). I could barely believe it… but I’m so glad I did! I took Him at His word and haven’t looked back. Biggest bargain ever. We simply give the Lord our pride and selfishness and He gives us eternal life to be enjoyed in Heaven with Him forever and ever. We simply give Him our sin and He gives us His righteousness. We give up a future in Hell and He gives us a future in Heaven. We “die daily” to self and sin and repugnant pride, and He raises us up to walk in newness of life.
Like I said… Best. Bargain. Best. Offer. Best. Deal. EVER!
Lord, in Psalm 41:10, Your servant David says, “You… raise me up.” I frequently fall far from the superb, supreme, supernatural example and demonstration of true humility You modeled so perfectly when You were walking in our shoes, on this very same sod. Yes, I frequently fail and flail and fall down on the ground… and yet You raise me up, Lord. All the way. Every day. You raise me up.
I think that one of the most amazing, stunning, jaw-dropping, brain-blowing, mind-crinkling command in the entire Bible is the one found in 1 Peter 1:15 …
“but LIKE the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in ALL your behavior” (emphasis added)
(… and its “other side of the same coin” similar-sounding sister verse Titus 1:15 … yep, and they’re BOTH “Chapter 1, Verse 15” with only the book of the Bible itself being different… we’ll call them “the two 1:15’s” on holiness…)
“To the pure, ALL things are pure…” (emphasis added)
We are called, no, commanded not just to be holy, as massive as that would be all by itself, but to be holy LIKE God Himself is.
Wow! Wow! I am speechless!
But wait, there’s more! We are commanded not only to be holy and not only to be holy like He is but to do so, to be so, in ALL our behavior, in ALL our conduct, in ALL of our words and actions (including reactions) … wow wow wow, what a command!
But praise the Lord that the Bible is crystal clear that this is indeed possible but only by His doing, only through the inner working of His Spirit and Word.
Which is why it’s so crucial to spend as much time and meditation as possible in the latter, since it is what fully and maximally unleashes the former in us.
Hence holiness in humans, like wisdom, cannot be bought or brought about by self-effort, only through Spirit-working and Word-saturation.
May we redouble our focus on the crucial importance of personal, God-produced holiness in our daily living. Pour it out upon and within us, Father, for we are willing and want to be obedient to the Bible and thus possess and practice personal holiness, to “be holy [our]selves also in all [our] behavior” even as You Yourself are holy, holy, holy.
I’m sure every chef on the planet, every kitchen cook can concur that it would be nice if a dish or dessert, entree or cake would take no time to bake, that they could simply put something in the oven and, poof, it’d be ready instantly.
But as we all know, that’s not the world in which we live. No, cooking (and virtually everything else) takes time.
Furthermore, the leftover “caked-on crud” in the prepping pan can be practically impossible to remove instantly, whereas – yep, you got it – a little time submerged in sink-water makes it fall off on its own.
Similarly, the Bible TAKES TIME to fully “perform its work” in us…
“…the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13c)
… and the fruit of the Spirit isn’t fully grown overnight or in a week or year or even decade, it’s literally a lifelong process and pursuit and prize. (And promise!)
So when you become cognizant of “caked-on crud” of some sin in your life and confess it (quickly = best), please understand in advance that the effects of said sin and ensuing spiritual scars certainly will take time to be removed.
Just like the post-meal pots and pans in your sink.
Just like the field in front of my home (still) buried by snow and ice. (Nice progress since yesterday but still needs another day or two… see what I mean?!)
If it takes time to turn batter into a cake, how much more for sorry, sinful, sinning sinners like us to realize the very righteousness of God?
Which is one reason that PATIENCE is such a crucial quality in life and, indeed, is the fruit of the Spirit.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience…” (Galatians 5:22a)
Yes, it’s best to confess our sins right away, as soon as we see one lurking in our life, but give God time to transact the healing and restore full-force fellowship and faith… not because He needs either but because we need both.
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 Memory2024-01-24 15:15:292024-03-24 12:47:14One Who Bakes Cakes Takes Time
Four Thoughts (and fourteen songs)
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryA few of my previously-published posts have mentioned that this area has several different routes for my many-mile mega-walks and that my by-far favorites are the ones which involve the National Mall.
The particular path upon which I trod today took me from the Jefferson Memorial, past the Washington Monument, across the pedestrian bridge by the Tidal Basin to the Lincoln Memorial then across the Memorial Bridge to – and around – the hallowed ground of Arlington National Cemetery, past the Netherlands Carillon, culminating at the famous Iwo Jima (Marines) Memorial and then back to where I started, and repeating that path as many as ten times but usually three to five, depending on the amount of time allotted for exercising on a given day.
This morning there were four main thoughts which walloped my mind while I was walking, in this (chronological) order.
I had chosen this same route (of the several different spectacular ones available in this area) just last week and the trees were how they normally are eleven months a year but today was a very different story as they all started sprouting bright, white (cherry) blossoms in the past few days, which reminded me of a post I penned a whole year ago so the first main thought that struck me this morning was how quickly time passes… I simply c-a-n-n-o-t believe that it has been an entire year!
The second thought that hit me during this morning’s walk was, when seeing said cherry blossoms, to take inventory of my spiritual status to see if it was in “full bloom” like DC’s trees these next few weeks, or if there were any areas which needed to be “pruned” as only the Lord and Holy Spirit and Bible can do, can correct, can cause:
The third thought occurred immediately thereafter: for the first time since last fall, the National Park Service opened the pedal-powered “paddle” boats (blue like the sky-reflecting water on this particular day anyway) and that (of course!) brought a Bible verse to mind:
But the Bible doesn’t stop there! No, it immediately wields wise words of warning, noting that just as the path of a great ship is determined, indeed, “directed” by one of its “small” parts among many, so also the path of a person’s life is determined and directed by one of its ”small” parts among many, the tongue:
Much more about that topic in a forthcoming one but for the purposes of this post, after proceeding along the path picked for today’s walk and coming to Arlington National Cemetery, my eyes were drawn to and literally couldn’t move away from those rows and rows and rows of gravestones, and that reminded me of how our focus, our gaze, our eyes should be drawn to – and remain fixed (and fixated) on – the Lord Jesus:
Just as I (quite literally) couldn’t take my eyes off of those rows and rows of gravestones, so also – and times a trillion – I shouldn’t be able to take my eyes off of the Person and wisdom and will and work and Word and words of our loving Lord.
To be sure, it’s impossible for the finite, Fall-flawed human mind to muster maximum, continual focus on Him, due to the presence and potential of sin on this side of eternity (which is why verse 1 tells us to “lay aside” not just “sin which so easily entangles us” but even “every encumbrance” – more about this too in a future post) but that should absolutely be our daily, increasingly-neared goal.
May we wisely be aware of just how short, how brief our life actually is, and maintain a proper sense of spiritual urgency accordingly.
May we wisely “test” and “examine” ourselves spiritually – rigorously (“be all the more diligent”) and regularly (verb tense) – to take inventory, to see if our walk with the Lord is indeed “blooming”.
May we wisely be aware of just how powerful and potent and potentially poisonous and self-destructive our words, our speech, our tongue can be, to never forget that though it’s small in size compared to other major parts of our body, it’s outsized in determining the direction and destiny of our lives, since it literally “directs” such, just like the “very small rudder” of a ship.
And fourthly and lastly but definitely not least – in fact, most importantly since if we get this one right, the first three will fall into place nicely – may we wisely maintain, keep, “fix our eyes”, our focus, on the Lord Jesus, since He was and is and forevermore shall be the very personification of perfection and power and purity and every good thing – to Him and Him alone be the glory, God-blessed forever. Amen.
[NOTE: I never include nearly this many songs/videos in a post but am doing so this time because each and every one is (a) spot-on to what I wrote above and (b) unique and different from the others below (hard to believe but I actually nixed ten other versions, because those ones weren’t unique enough) and in my humble view all will be a big blessing to you and are thus worthy of your time except the very last one for those who don’t like their music/hymns to be “rocky” in nature, otherwise I think you’ll enjoy all of these. Sincerely, DJ Bible]
Donate Pray 9 ways YOU can help MAKE HISTORY
.
Share this post with, well, EVERYONE!
.
Four Deceivers
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryIt would be tough enough to toe the line of truth if we were hunted by just one deceptive predator, but the purpose of this post is to point out the four primary suspects I see in Scripture, the “top 4” deceivers that direly desire to derail and destroy us; this is to help you identify them and thus prevent the deadly danger deceivers perpetually pose.
The first and undoubtedly most obvious source of deception I see in Scripture is external in nature: the devil himself, also known as Satan, Lucifer, and Beelzebub.
“Crafty” like a serpent. And a lion, which doesn’t make itself known when stalking its prey. Because it knows that would scare its potential prey away… so instead of revealing itself, a lion will prowl, will slink and slyly seek to stay hidden until the very last second, until it’s ready to pounce – a perfect picture of how the devil does it, how the devil tries to trick his prey – you and me! – and keep us unaware of his activity, of his deception, until it’s too late, until we’ve sinned.
A lion stealthily slinks, a serpent sneakily slithers, and Satan schemes.
What a wicked, wily, woeful foe.
The second source of deception I see in Scripture is internal in nature and very closely related to and inextricably linked with the devil but is a separate and additional entity which is constantly trying to deceive us, and that’s sin itself, which the Bible clearly states has no trouble at all entangling us in its (world-wide 🙁 ) web.
The third source of deception I see in Scripture is internal in nature: the heart, i.e., the human mind.
Thankfully, the Bible is just as clear in confirming that we needn’t – and mustn’t – depend on our “wicked, sick” human mind to live and love life, because we wield a weapon, a tool, “ten trillion times” greater: the very mind of Christ.
Which is (one reason) why we’re warned to trust and lean and depend accordingly.
The fourth source of deception I see in Scripture is external in nature: dishonest people.
Ultimately, like everything in the Christian walk, it boils down and comes back to faith; therefore, never fear or leer, dear peer… hear, veer, steer clear of would-be deceivers. (And your year will be full of cheer!)
Help us, Lord. For our flesh can’t fight off far more powerful foes like Satan, sin, self-deception, and insincere, dishonest people. But thank You so much that You ARE (infinitely) more powerful than all of these would-be predators which will always want – and try! – to trick and trip us up at any given time, especially when we’re weak, so may we wisely “wear” Your Word like a wool winter coat which warms, and the armor of the Spirit and thus stay strong in such unparalleled, potent, powerful protection promised in the Bible and eagerly granted by the grace of God.
Hear, veer, steer clear, yes, but don’t forget to pray, as that passage proceeds to say.
In other words… pray, or be prey.
More power to ya.
Donate Pray 9 ways YOU can help MAKE HISTORY
.
Share this post with, well, EVERYONE!
.
State of the Union
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryTonight is the big “State of the Union” presidential address to a joint-session of Congress and – thanks to TV cameras, radio, and the internet – the entire country or at least those who take time to tune in, tens of millions of whom definitely do.
But instead of focusing on (perpetually pervasive) politics, I encourage everyone to focus on the “state of our union” with the Lord!
On how we’re doing spiritually.
On how we view and treat our fellow man and especially fellow Christians.
On how much time and depth and focus and attention we give to the Lord and His Holy Word, the Bible – each day, each week, each month.
On what things fill our mind and heart.
For a little while at least, let’s leave it to others to opine and plead and pontificate about politics on this “State of the Union” night, while we wisely take inventory of how we’re doing spiritually.
Donate Pray 9 ways YOU can help MAKE HISTORY
.
Share this post with, well, EVERYONE!
.
Bless the Blessed
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryAnymore I feel pretty much permanently prepared to be peppered with perpetual perplexity pertaining to God’s pervasive perfection. How on earth can the Fall-flawed, finite human mind make sense much less wrap itself around such solemn spiritual concepts like sinlessness, sovereignty, eternity, and Deity?
It can’t. Not fully anyway but that’s okay because (1) one day we will…
… and (2) even our finite minds can comprehend infinite truths sufficiently enough to believe, if and when said minds are submissively saturated with the Word and His Holy Spirit, wondrously working hand-in-heavenly-hand within “sad sacks” of sin such as we.
For this God-granted grace – and everything else about the Lord – let us love the all-loving, let us bless the Lord and His unparalleled, peerless, perfect Name, let us ever bless the Blessed.
[Here are a few (very) different renderings of the first song which you might enjoy; I encourage you to listen to all of these videos until the end but especially this very next one…]
Donate Pray 9 ways YOU can help MAKE HISTORY
.
Share this post with, well, EVERYONE!
.
Only Hope
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryAs I’m sure you’ve noticed, there are a lot of things that seem to be getting more and more scarce, downright rare, in current-day society.
Truth, for sure.
And love.
And joy. (Contrary to the perception most social media posts try to paint.)
And peace. (Nuff said.)
And patience. (Next time you’re driving, simply observe how humans honk their horns anymore and you’ll see what I mean.)
But despite how gloomy the outlook might be for society right now, don’t let it get you glum…
… because I have good news: there’s still hope!
That’s right, we humans have hope but ONLY ONE, and that’s the Lord Jesus Christ and specifically His Spirit-spawned, blessed birth and spotless life and salvation-sealing death, burial, and resurrection.
And hand-in-hand with the Incarnate Word, our only hope is the written Word, the God-breathed Bible. For the latter leads and lassos and lovingly links our little lives to Him, our very big God.
Per my prayed petitions for many years now, I remain confident and convinced that at least one more mass spiritual revival is in store… but ONLY IF we hop head-first into, then hold both-handedly onto, our ONLY hope… ONLY IF we turn away from our sin and to His Word, the magnificent, beneficent Bible.
May we wisely do so in our own life first, then let it spread to others via demonstrated love and joy and peace and patience and humility.
It’s our only hope.
Donate Pray 9 ways YOU can help MAKE HISTORY
.
Share this post with, well, EVERYONE!
.
No Libels
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryIn the past year or so in particular as the 2024 U.S. presidential election has inched ever nearer and the probable participating candidates have become ever clearer, a group founded in 2009 has gained new steam.
It’s called No Labels and its mission is – if 2024 looks likely to be a 2020 rematch of Trump vs. Biden (as it definitely does right now) – to put forth, to field and fully fund a so-called “unity ticket” and thus provide the American people with a third, far more preferable and popular option comprised of a centrist Republican and centrist Democrat. [Think Larry Hogan, Chris Sununu, Mitt Romney or Jon Huntsman for the former and a past multi-term blue Governor of a red state like Joe Manchin (WV) or Jay Nixon (MO) for the latter.]
A few months ago there was polling which suggested that the move – if it even materializes, if they’re even able to get a line on the ballots in a sufficient number of states – would, contrary to conventional wisdom, actually siphon more votes away from (i.e., hurt) Trump than (i.e., help) Biden. Color me skeptical of that conclusion which seems a tad askew…
… but it’s basically bringing a big headache to both sides of the aisle in their planning and plotting (and plodding) to take the White House next November.
In the coming months we should get a good glimpse of what if any impact this may ultimately have, but – in keeping with my prior promise that this will remain a partisan-politics-free place – the point and purpose of this post, while wielding wisdom and value for folks in the field of politics, isn’t about “No Labels” but rather “no LIBELS!”
As you’ve no doubt noticed, the past decade has definitely detected a dramatic, indeed, dire decrease in diplomacy and a massive increase in invective in politics and society in general. Phrases and words which would’ve been unthinkable even just a decade or two ago are now routinely hurled very publicly on an hourly basis… so I’d like to humbly remind those so inclined that while the Bible doesn’t mention “No Labels” (by name, anyway) it certainly has something serious to say about “no libels”:
And I really like the Legacy Standard Bible’s translation:
The Bible commands us to “malign no one”, to “slander no one” – in other words, “NO LIBELS!”
What a wise and timely word from the Word especially in light of our current political and societal state, which fits perfectly with my prior two-part post about the need for unity.
I often wish I could have a direct, personal conversation with the current crop of corporate, media, and political leaders, to tell them that instead of contributing so completely to the country’s communication crisis, they could – and absolutely should – be focused like a laser (at least at first) on curing it, since they largely hold the cards.
I’ll keep praying along those lines and maintaining faith, but won’t be beset by bated breath since we don’t live in that kind of a world…
… but they and we could quite quickly restore interpersonal and public communication back to how it used to be, simply by heeding the verse above (which I love) or this one:
Let’s take a moment to ask ourselves: Have we been “showing every consideration for all men” (regardless of political party, or anything else) or have we been persistently pushing our own preferences and pleasure and will? Did everything (!) we’ve said today (this week, the past month) have the effect of “building up” the hearers or tearing them down? Did our words “give grace”, or something else altogether?
I think we all know the answer but the point isn’t to berate ourselves but rather to trust the Lord and rely on His heavenly help to turn around this seriously sinful societal situation.
Starting with ourselves.
Then we will watch it spread like wildfire to those around us and beyond, eventually impacting our congregation, county, then country, creating considerable and genuine and desperately-needed change.
Let it be so, Lord. Let it be so.
Donate Pray 9 ways YOU can help MAKE HISTORY
.
Share this post with, well, EVERYONE!
.
Three Degrees
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryNo, the title of this post isn’t referring to the smooth-sounding, silk-voiced Seventies singing group…
… nor to the wintry weather here in the nation’s capital yesterday (though we did see some snow, so it came uncomfortably close to that on the thermometer).
Permit me to briefly elaborate. You see, per what was penned in a previously published post, I “practiced what I preached” and late last night let a kitchen pan soak in the sink but when I went to clean the cooked-on crud away, some greasy grime got unpleasantly plastered to the sink so I grabbed a nearby napkin and wiped it off.
Or at least tried to. It didn’t work. It just spread the greasy grime around even more so I retrieved an about-to-be-tossed old rag which had long served its purpose and went to wipe the expanded grease field from the floor of the sink but the latter proved to be too powerful for the former so I grabbed a steel wool scouring pad and, wah-lah, the greasy grime was gone!
Bible reading is like a napkin.
Bible study is like a rag.
Bible memory is like a steel wool scouring pad.
These are the “three degrees” of Bible interactivity. All are excellent in essence but exhibit different degrees of depth, of effectiveness in terms of “sinking in” to the human mind and wondrously wiping away the “cooked-on, caked-on crud” of sin in our life.
The Bible in general and Bible memory in specific: what a treasure, what a pleasure!
God’s good gift, granted without measure.
And while an ode to the Bible and Bible memory is fully, infinitely fitting for any day, I can’t think of a better one for it than today… Happy Valentine’s Day! May our love for each other and especially the Word of the Lord and the Lord of the Word abound more and more each day, each week, each month, each year.
Donate Pray 9 ways YOU can help MAKE HISTORY
.
Share this post with, well, EVERYONE!
.
“You Raise Me Up”
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryI might or might not know a great deal… but I know a great deal when I see one.
I think I inherited that ability from my paternal grandmother; as noted on this website’s Why page, she once was one of the biggest independent antique dealers certainly east of the Mississippi and probably the entire country at the time, and I can remember as though it were yesterday the time that, for my major-milestone 13th birthday, she, my parents, and I visited the Williamsburg (Va.) Pottery Factory (it’s big now but was way more massive then). It’s the first time I fully, fervently comprehended the meaning of the phrases “a fish in water” and “kid (or in this case, grandmother) in a candy store”. She was something to behold, wheeling and dealing to an extent even the best writers in Hollywood couldn’t come close to conveying. I don’t think the rows of steel shelves were literally a mile long but they certainly seemed like it, and when she saw some silver bells selling for cents on the dollar, she politely but promptly prodded the salesperson to pack up the entire row and proceeded to the checkout cash register and celebrated ceaselessly her financial feat for the entire four-hour trip back home.
Like her – no doubt because of her – I know a great deal when I see one. Like when I bought my very first property for a fantastic price, so much so that in less than a single decade it quadrupled in value. Or the time that my mind made a massive “buy signal” when, post-IPO, the stocks of Facebook dropped down into the teens and Tesla to around $30. Bargain bonanza!
But the greatest deal by far that I’ve ever come across is when I read in the Bible that the only person in human history to have ever known no sin willingly offered to become sin so that sinful, sinning sinners like me might manifest and indeed become the very righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21) and that if we only humbly believe Him, He will raise us up out of our present pit of pride and sin and set and keep us on the path of righteousness (James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6; Psalm 40:2; 1 John 5:18). I could barely believe it… but I’m so glad I did! I took Him at His word and haven’t looked back. Biggest bargain ever. We simply give the Lord our pride and selfishness and He gives us eternal life to be enjoyed in Heaven with Him forever and ever. We simply give Him our sin and He gives us His righteousness. We give up a future in Hell and He gives us a future in Heaven. We “die daily” to self and sin and repugnant pride, and He raises us up to walk in newness of life.
Like I said… Best. Bargain. Best. Offer. Best. Deal. EVER!
Lord, in Psalm 41:10, Your servant David says, “You… raise me up.” I frequently fall far from the superb, supreme, supernatural example and demonstration of true humility You modeled so perfectly when You were walking in our shoes, on this very same sod. Yes, I frequently fail and flail and fall down on the ground… and yet You raise me up, Lord. All the way. Every day. You raise me up.
Donate Pray 9 ways YOU can help MAKE HISTORY
.
Share this post with, well, EVERYONE!
.
Holy
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryI think that one of the most amazing, stunning, jaw-dropping, brain-blowing, mind-crinkling command in the entire Bible is the one found in 1 Peter 1:15 …
(… and its “other side of the same coin” similar-sounding sister verse Titus 1:15 … yep, and they’re BOTH “Chapter 1, Verse 15” with only the book of the Bible itself being different… we’ll call them “the two 1:15’s” on holiness…)
We are called, no, commanded not just to be holy, as massive as that would be all by itself, but to be holy LIKE God Himself is.
Wow! Wow! I am speechless!
But wait, there’s more! We are commanded not only to be holy and not only to be holy like He is but to do so, to be so, in ALL our behavior, in ALL our conduct, in ALL of our words and actions (including reactions) … wow wow wow, what a command!
But praise the Lord that the Bible is crystal clear that this is indeed possible but only by His doing, only through the inner working of His Spirit and Word.
Which is why it’s so crucial to spend as much time and meditation as possible in the latter, since it is what fully and maximally unleashes the former in us.
Hence holiness in humans, like wisdom, cannot be bought or brought about by self-effort, only through Spirit-working and Word-saturation.
May we redouble our focus on the crucial importance of personal, God-produced holiness in our daily living. Pour it out upon and within us, Father, for we are willing and want to be obedient to the Bible and thus possess and practice personal holiness, to “be holy [our]selves also in all [our] behavior” even as You Yourself are holy, holy, holy.
Donate Pray 9 ways YOU can help MAKE HISTORY
.
Share this post with, well, EVERYONE!
.
One Who Bakes Cakes Takes Time
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryI’m sure every chef on the planet, every kitchen cook can concur that it would be nice if a dish or dessert, entree or cake would take no time to bake, that they could simply put something in the oven and, poof, it’d be ready instantly.
But as we all know, that’s not the world in which we live. No, cooking (and virtually everything else) takes time.
Furthermore, the leftover “caked-on crud” in the prepping pan can be practically impossible to remove instantly, whereas – yep, you got it – a little time submerged in sink-water makes it fall off on its own.
Similarly, the Bible TAKES TIME to fully “perform its work” in us…
… and the fruit of the Spirit isn’t fully grown overnight or in a week or year or even decade, it’s literally a lifelong process and pursuit and prize. (And promise!)
So when you become cognizant of “caked-on crud” of some sin in your life and confess it (quickly = best), please understand in advance that the effects of said sin and ensuing spiritual scars certainly will take time to be removed.
Just like the post-meal pots and pans in your sink.
Just like the field in front of my home (still) buried by snow and ice. (Nice progress since yesterday but still needs another day or two… see what I mean?!)
If it takes time to turn batter into a cake, how much more for sorry, sinful, sinning sinners like us to realize the very righteousness of God?
Which is one reason that PATIENCE is such a crucial quality in life and, indeed, is the fruit of the Spirit.
Yes, it’s best to confess our sins right away, as soon as we see one lurking in our life, but give God time to transact the healing and restore full-force fellowship and faith… not because He needs either but because we need both.
Donate Pray 9 ways YOU can help MAKE HISTORY
.
Share this post with, well, EVERYONE!
.