The conclusion come to in Romans 11:33-34 couldn’t be (crystal) clearer, that it’s impossible for mere mortal man, finite and fallen, to fathom why God does some of the things He does: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” [As a side note, one of the countless things I just love about the powerful yet precious Apostle Paul is his perpetual passion, which is demonstrated by how much more often he used exclamation points in his writings than other human authors of Scripture.]
If it were up to you or me, we probably would’ve designed it so that there were many paths to heaven, many ways to come to God and to receive salvation from sin – its penalty (in our past), its power (in our present) and its presence (in our future) – and that’s very understandable and well-intended, as we’d like to see as many people as possible prosper spiritually and in all of the resultant tangential manners (emotionally, relationally, etc.) … but God didn’t do that, God didn’t create many ways to come to Him, to get to heaven, just ONE way:
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am THE WAY, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, BUT THROUGH ME.'” (John 14:6)
No doubt this was one of the very first Bible verses many of us memorized, maybe as young children in Sunday school or AWANA; many in today’s culture reject the notion that there is only ONE WAY to God, to heaven, to salvation, but we have known and accepted this truth our whole lives.
But did you know that just as God has provided only one way for salvation, so also there’s only one way for sanctification?
And I can sum it up in a single word: suffering.
Trials, tribulations, troubles, testing, discipline… there are many words and phrases but they all involve the same thing, all spring from the same root: suffering.
If I had to boil down my perspective on suffering into a single sentence it would be this: Suffering is necessary, temporary, and salutary. (Often scary, and in the case of Paul downright legendary – 2 Corinthians 11:23-28)
Let’s do a deep dive on this topic.
I think that over the past two thousand years since Christ roamed the very same sod on which we currently walk, the majority of Christians have gotten the majority of biblical principles right, we’ve pretty much “nailed it” in most cases.
But one major exception to that is the area and topic of suffering.
Certainly the world at large, but even the vast majority of Christians view “suffering” as a negative, in a negative light – often completely but at least partially, as though suffering is either altogether undesirable or at least has drawbacks.
But one of THE MOST CRUCIAL aspects and principles of the Christian life, of spiritual growth, of victory and power over sin and temptation and every evil thing is that not only ISN’T suffering “bad” or “negative” or “undesirable” but JUST THE OPPOSITE: it’s GOOD and POSITIVE and VERY DESIRABLE. Because it’s utterly necessary and indispensable if one is to be sanctified, if one is to walk through the ONLY gate and walk down the ONLY path which leads to and results in “the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14, very strong words!)
Which means that it’s a downright disaster that so many people, even so many Christians totally get this one – but uber-important given the words, the warning just quoted – area, this one aspect of the Christian life so wrong but hopefully this post will change that!
Specifically, the Bible will change that as we read and heed the living and active Word of God Almighty quoted particularly in the “bullet points” of this post.
The first fact is the one which led off above: God is the one who designed life and the plan of salvation and sanctification and His wisdom is infinitely beyond what our finite, fallen, flesh-bound minds can muster so we shouldn’t question His decisions (in general, including this one in specific) but rather accept, embrace, and indeed celebrate them.
The second fact is that suffering is universal. No human being is immune or excepted from this rule.
“For we KNOW that the WHOLE creation groans and SUFFERS the pains of childbirth together until now.” (Romans 8:22)
“For man [i.e., mankind, humankind, humanity] is BORN FOR TROUBLE[i.e., SUFFERING] ” (Job 5:7)
“In the world you have TRIBULATION…” (John 16:33b) Indeed, not just generally but consistently:
“EACH DAY has enough TROUBLE of its own” (Matthew 6:34b)
The Bible is full of “tests” or “proofs” of genuine salvation. Two of my “favorites” are the entire New Testament books of James and 1 John. But I submit to you that the Bible is equally clear that how a person responds to suffering (again, often referred to as “trials” or “tribulations” or “trouble” or “testing” or “discipline”) in this life reveals where he or she will be spending the life to come, eternity. To wit:
The third fact is that suffering is NECESSARY as it is THE way in which God SANCTIFIES those who come to a saving knowledge of Him, i.e., Christians…
“And indeed, ALL who desire to LIVE GODLY in Christ Jesus WILL be PERSECUTED.” (2 Timothy 3:12)
“For to you [i.e., Christians] it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to SUFFER for His sake” (Philippians 1:29) [this is definitely great grist for a future post but for now I’ll just say that this principle is just like the one about “witnessing”, about sharing the Gospel with others: many Christians view suffering as a “negative” or “drudgery”, yet the Bible is clear here that such has been “GRANTED” to us; so also, many Christians view “witnessing” as a drudgery, yet 1 Thessalonians 2:2b-4a is clear that God has APPROVED us to be ENTRUSTED with that action: “… we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition. For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; but just as we have been APPROVED by God to be ENTRUSTED with the gospel, so we speak…”; like I said above, most Christians have “nailed it” in most areas, but suffering and witnessing are probably the two biggest exceptions to that]
… starting with Christ Himself (very fittingly… since the word “Christians” means “Christ ones” or “little Christs”):
“… Christ also SUFFERED for you…” (1 Peter 2:21b)
“… Christ has SUFFERED in the flesh…” (1 Peter 4:1a)
“fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:2-3)
“For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through SUFFERINGS. (Hebrews 2:10)
“Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He SUFFERED.” (Hebrews 5:8)
My friend, if it was necessary for GOD IN FLESH, the Lord Jesus Himself, to experience suffering and thus learn obedience (God’s own words as we just read, not mine) in His humanity, how much more do you suppose that goes for sinful sinning sinners like you and me?!
I submit to you that suffering isn’t just a part of the Christian life but in a very real sense it IS the Christian life!
“For you [Christians] have been called [to salvation]FOR THIS PURPOSE, since Christ also SUFFERED for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21)
The fourth fact is that God knew that selfish, sinful, sin-filled, fleshly, fallen, finite folks like us would have a totally distorted, backward view of something like suffering, since it goes against the very grain of human nature by default. Which no doubt is why His call was crystal clear not only in its simplicity and straightforwardness but also in its caveat: that following Him would absolutely entail great cost, much suffering, and that a person would therefore be very wise to “count the cost” BEFORE making that fateful decision.
“For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not FIRST sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not FIRST sit down and take counsel whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming with against him with twenty thousand?” (Luke 14:28-31)
One reason Jesus did this was His utter thoughtfulness and generosity of spirit, always wanting what’s best for others. Unlike so many “salesmen” today, He eschewed hype and deceit and instead just gave his audience the facts, the truth. Another reason was to separate the wheat from the chaff, knowing that only those truly called by God would want, would deem it “worth it” to take on suffering in this life versus the pleasure and “happiness” and “self-fulfillment” prized and sought by so many today, by the world, the world system and its adherents.
But Christians are cut from a different cloth. We understand what Moses did and exemplified so beautifully:
“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing RATHER to ENDURE ILL-TREATMENT[suffering!] with the people of God, THAN to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin; considering the REPROACH[suffering!] of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt [symbolizing the world system]; for he was looking to the reward.” (Hebrews 11:24-26)
The fifth and final fact is that the value and benefit and benefits of choosing Christ, of choosing to follow Him and not the world (“I have decided to follow Jesus…”) FAR OUTWEIGHT AND SURPASS any and all of the “pleasure” this world could ever give… “TIMES INFINITY” as we used to say as children.
“… the SUFFERINGS of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18)
And going back to the previous verse brings us full circle to the “warning” noted above but for full context I’ll print the previous four verses since this is so important, so vital, so crucial:
“For all who are being led by the Spirit of God these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, IF INDEED we SUFFER with Him IN ORDER THAT we may also be glorified with Him.” (Romans 8:14-17) [God’s words, not mine]
Ding ding ding!
And this truth is similarly stated in 1 Peter (different human author, same Spirit):
“In this [eternal salvation, verse 5] you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary [better translated or understood as “SINCE necessary”, much like1 John 1:9vis-a-vis the confession of sin, which uses the exact same root word in the Greek as here], you have been distressed by various TRIALS[yep, SUFFERING!], that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though TESTED by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:6-9)
… which is why we can consider, count, view suffering as TOTAL JOY and for the POSITIVE thing that it actually is! Since it’s – and please be sure to really let this sink in – since it’s IMPOSSIBLE to separate or de-link it from its result.
“Consider it ALL JOY, my brethren [i.e., Christians, i.e., those who have “counted the cost” beforehand and still chosen to follow Christ], when you encounter various TRIALS, KNOWING that the TESTING of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete [i.e., spiritually mature], lacking in nothing. ” (James 1:2-4)
Above I quoted 1 Peter 2:21 which clearly states that we were called for the “purpose” of suffering. So it’s fitting to end this post with another passage just over a chapter later in that very same book:
“Therefore, since Christ has SUFFERED in the flesh, arm YOURSELVES [note the very same use of warfare/battle lingo as in Luke 14 above] also with the same PURPOSE [there’s that word again], because he who has suffered in the flesh has CEASED FROM SIN[same concept as the just-quoted “perfect and complete” in James 1], so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh [i.e., the rest of our earthly lives] no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.” (1 Peter 4:1-2)
My friend, beloved, the fact of the matter, the fact of life is that it is I-M-P-O-S-S-I-B-L-E to arrive at the desperately desired destination of defeating and conquering and overcoming sin and being spiritually mature on the path of sanctification W-I-T-H-O-U-T, A-P-A-R-T from S-U-F-F-E-R-I-N-G!
Which is why I have come not just to genuinely love and desire and want it but to truly TREASURE it. For real. Because I have come to see its result. I have come to see that it is the ONLY gate through which one may travel on the path of salvation and sanctification and spiritual growth. I have come to see that it is indeed the means by which God removes the “dross” of sin from our lives so that the “precious gold” of godliness can be experienced in this life before being fully realized “at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:7) Therefore, let us indeed “arm ourselves” spiritually “with the same purpose”, knowing that just as Jesus is “THE way” for salvation (John 14:6), so also suffering is THE way for sanctification, with our precious Savior as the ultimate example, the perfect pattern for us to follow. (1 Peter 2:21)
Let us “count the cost”…
… then let us choose wisely, let us choose to put the world and the past behind us and focus on the cross and the future before us…
… from this day forth, let us not be so foolish and short-sighted and worldly-minded as to view suffering as a “negative” or “drudgery” but rather for the immense, extreme POSITIVE and BLESSING and TREASURE that it is.
Or put another way, one we would’ve immediately understood as kids… Let’s view suffering not as okra but blueberries!
Startinnnnnnnnnng now! . .
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:
Actually, there are TWO ways, straight out of the Bible so this is totally true and I can attest firsthand that it really works!
Way #1: Note what someone SAYS:
“… the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart [i.e., mind].” (Matthew 12:34; Luke 6:45)
Way #2: Note what someone DOES:
“You will know them by their fruits [actions, behavior, conduct].” (Matthew 7:16,20)
And if you add to this already-strong combo a person’s reputation/testimony, how most others view them, well, you have a virtually foolproof way of knowing what’s inside a person, what they think about… mind-readers!
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 Memory2022-03-14 15:36:302022-03-14 15:36:30Quick Thought:All-in-awe, this is the greatest Two-Way Street in the universe
As you might’ve heard and as readers of this blog for any length of time surely know and as discussed in detail on the About page, for many years I tried to think (and think and think) of something special I could do, some sort of GIFT I could give back to the Lord to express how much I love and appreciate all He does and who He is, and not too long ago IT HIT ME – the PERFECT gift I immediately KNEW He would LOVE! If someone were to memorize the ENTIRE Bible – His “love letter” to humanity – and then recite it BACK to Him. To quote His own words, His love letter to us back to Him by heart.
I do believe that it’s the single best idea that’s ever occurred to me, in my entire life. I LOVE IT! But here’s the thing: this very unique “love/thank You” gift to the Lord Jesus Christ won’t be just from me, no no no, it’ll also be from and on behalf of everyone who supports this effort, this endeavor, this event in whatever ways they’re able.
Because without your help, without your support via prayers and/or donations and/or encouraging others to do likewise, the Lord would never get this gift so it is fully fitting and absolutely appropriate for the names of all those who support this to be included on the accompanying (spiritual) “greeting card” when we collectively give this gift to Him on that day (technically few days or week, due to the sheer length of the Bible) when I stand in front of the whole world (thanks to BibleMemory.ORG and YouTube.com/BibleMemory) and quote His entire “love letter” to us back to Him by heart.
[They say a picture is worth a thousand words so a video must be worth ten thousand so here’s the part of the Overview video discussing this: (it was recorded immediately after I recited the entire book of Hebrews for thatvideowhich took a few times to get it right so my throat is a bit hoarse here but thankfully the Lord helped me finish it before my voice was totally gone…)]
And on that day when we – together, collectively – give this most unique gift to the Lord, He will know each and every name that appears on the accompanying “card” since it will be not just from me but from every person who supports this in whatever ways they’re able and thus (literally) helps make it happen. (Because without support from a sufficient number of people who love God and the Bible, it won’t.)
If you would like YOUR name to be included on that “greeting card” (a Hallmark just won’t suffice in this case 🙂 ) accompanying this living love gift to our Lord Jesus Christ, 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 Memory2022-03-13 16:07:002022-03-14 19:29:54Quick Thought:WAY Better than Hallmark: A Card Like No Other
Life is something. Something else, I tell ya. Often funny. Sometimes very, very funny: one example of this literally just happened, just culminated this morning.
You see, for the past few days I noticed a sporadic, usually-dull pain in my lower back. Usually dull but a several times a day quite sharp. To the extreme that I literally could barely breathe for those few seconds when the pain would spike.
This was all the more shocking to me since I’ve never been sick or had to go to a hospital of doctor or even been sick my entire adult life, and even as a kid only to have my tonsils/adenoids and wisdom teeth removed. (Though, in the spirit of full disclosure and transparency, I did fake sick a lot, so I could stay home from school and play video games.) (My parents rightly let me since I maintained very good grades. Except for penmanship but that isn’t a real class. 🙂 ) Anyway, due to that lifelong track record of stellar health, a usually-dull-sometimes-sharp pain in my lower back for a few consecutive days did indeed come as a shock.
This thought flew through my mind for a fleeting moment: Was it the first sign of kidney failure? Was it the onset of kidney stones? Was it lupus?
All possible I suppose BUT BUT BUT I have to admit these all seemed extremely unlikely to me since I am such a firm, total believer – indeed, partaker – of Proverbs 4:22 as discussed in-depth in a prior post but to summarize, the Bible straightforwardly states a crystal-clear conclusion: that those who “find” God’s words (i.e., the Bible!) will experience not just “life” but “health to ALL their WHOLE body” so I just couldn’t really believe that any of those possibilities were actually a “thing” in this situation.
A second (albeit unnecessary) hint or piece of supporting evidence was that the spikes of sharper pain occurred exclusively when I was standing/vertical, never when I was lying down/horizontal. If it were any of those issues, the physical position of one’s body surely wouldn’t matter, at least that seems very logical and common-sensical to me.
The result is that this morning, after a few days of this matter, I remembered that I had tightened the screws of my main chair, which I sit in while on the computer, eating, watching a few news/talk shows, pretty much every day-to-day activity except sleeping and shaving. I.e., I spend a LOT of time in that chair so it hit me that maybe, just maybe I tightened said screws a bit too much which would’ve made the chair less “flexible” or “forgiving” to my body so a couple hours ago I loosened them a tad and, wa-la, what do ya know, no more pain!
It was pretty funny (at least AFTER that last part occurred) but also a great reminder of what I wrote in the “Part 1” post: that our decisions and actions have RIPPLE EFFECTS! Usually in the lives of other people, always in our own.
Which is why it’s such a total NO-BRAINER to live one’s life, to base one’s decisions and actions on one thing and ONLY one thing: the Bible.
Because it’s never, ever wrong, always right. 100% of the time. Absolutely flawless. The very picture of perfection and indeed the only perfect tangible thing in the universe.
So you’ll understand why I’m going to take the next hour or two EATING IT UP. Consuming it. Ingesting it. And I can testify firsthand that it is indeed “more desirable than gold, even more than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb” and that in eating (keeping, heeding, applying, obeying) it “there is GREAT REWARD.” (Psalm 19:10-11)
Thank You, Lord, for the three greatest gifts you’ve ever given us: Your Holy Spirit; Your Word, the Bible; and Yourself.
May our every decision and action be in line, in accord with all three. .
It’s 8:30 a.m. as I write this and I felt like a quick game of chess so I played against the computer, selected one of its weaker opponent choices (since I only have a few minutes, yeah, that’s it, that’s the reason 🙂 ) then proceeded to capture his queen and both rooks.
Those who are even slightly familiar with chess know that the game was over at that point and, surely enough, it was a breeze, a proverbial “piece of cake” to vacuum up his other pieces and achieve victory.
Do you realize that’s EXACTLY how it is in life?!
From birth, a person is literally and constantly being hunted down by the devil and his minions…
“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)
… who, because they are angels – fallen, but still extremely powerful – possess superhuman indeed supernatural abilities so mere mortals, mere humans like you and me stand NO chance on our own of defending much less defeating.
Just like a chess player who has lost his queen and both rooks.
But I have some good news! And that’s this: instead of just “hanging us out to dry”, instead of leaving us on our own, God graciously gave us a guaranteed way to garner TEN queens in this metaphorical chess game of life, by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, to earth as a newborn baby who voluntarily set aside the voluntary use of His deity (redundance intended)…
“… who, although existing in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself[i.e., laid aside His privileges of deity]…” (Philippians 2:6-7a)
… and took on the fullness of humanity, of being a man…
“… by taking the form of a slave, by being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man…” (Philippians 2:7b-8a)
“… the Son of Man… You have made Him for a little while lower than the angels… Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels – Jesus… Therefore, since the children [i.e., humans, humanity] share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same… He had to be made like His [human] brothers in all things… we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things like we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 2:6b-7a,9a,14a,17a;4:15)
… so that, for the express purpose of saving us from our sin and sins, of rescuing and delivering us out of that too-weak-to-win position and situation (i.e., no queen or rooks) in this life and especially regarding the life to come, eternity.
“… that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives [i.e., humans, humanity]… so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people… He is able to come to help those who are tempted… so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 2:14b-15,17b,18b;4:16b)
“The Son of God was manifested for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. Everyone who has been born of God does not [practice] sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot [practice] sin, because he has been born of God.” (1 John 3:8b-9)
Or to summarize the situation super-succinctly, we were in a world of hurt, were in a terrible, unwinable and unwinnable position… BUT BUT BUT the good news is that GOD STEPPED IN, GOD INTERVENED to RESCUE and DELIVER and REDEEM and SAVE us!
“It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…” (1 Timothy 1:15)
“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)
“For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us…” (Titus 3:3-5a)
We found ourselves in the game of life WITHOUT our queen or rooks or bishops or knights, totally OVERPOWERED and OUTGUNNED by our opponent, our adversary and his minions… but God gave us not just the ability and authority and power but the right to receive TEN QUEENS, thus FLIPPING THE SCRIPT…
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12)
“You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. … For everything that has been born of God overcomes the world; and this is the overcoming that has overcome the world – our faith. And who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 4:4; 5:4-5)
… such that we not only win but WIN BIG, win overwhelmingly; are not only victorious but overwhelmingly victorious; not only conquer but, yep, OVERWHELMINGLY conquer.
“But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37)
And to wrap up this topic for now, HOW do we do that, HOW exactly do we OVERCOME and OVERPOWER evil and the evil one? As ever, the Bible couldn’t be any clearer, gives us a crystal clear conclusion and answer and remedy. First a hint, a glimpse…
“… you have overcome the evil one…” (1 John 2:13b)
… and then the very specific answer via the very next verse:
“… the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” (1 John 2:14b)
“Thy word I have hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” (Psalm 119:11)
Ding ding ding!
Isn’t it amazing how everything always comes down to the Bible in general and Bible memory (which unleashes recitation and meditation) in specific?!
If you’d like to support the cause of Bible memory and help MAKE HISTORY and literally CHANGE THE WORLD together via this unparalleled tool and weapon, “the sword of the Spirit” internalized (Ephesians 6:17), here are the best ways to do so and I already know they’ll each bring tremendous blessing into your life as I have asked the Lord from Day One of this endeavor to be the case; thank you so much for standing shoulder-to-shoulder with me on the biggest battlefield, in the most important arena of them all! .
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 endeavor 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 platforms simply click here then scroll down to just below the Donate button 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 endeavor 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 platforms simply click here then scroll down to just below the Form and select your platforms, it’s that quick and easy!
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I love a good quote. Always have. None can compare with those which are straight out of the Bible, since they are literally God-breathed, flowing forth from the very mind of God Himself. But I also really like several which, while not straight out of the Bible are totally based on it and thus very worthy of spreading.
In the future I’ll share many of my favorites with you but for the purposes of this post will cover one which is near if not at the very top of that non-Bible list.
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.” (Jim Elliot, October 28, 1949)
While he put his own spin on it, this clearly came from the teaching of our Lord Jesus found in Matthew 10:39 and 16:24-26.
It’s what for years I have called “the ultimate no-brainer” and “BEST. TRADE. EVER!”
Jesus offers us a supremely straightforward deal: give up our lives and get HIS LIFE, eternal life, in return.
What a trade-off! What a bargain! To give up that which is very, very temp-o-rary, and receive that which is eternal (James 4:14 <> John 3:16 among many others). To give up that which is inherently evil and drenched with sin, and receive that which is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 3:10-18,23 <> Romans 12:1-2). To give up living for ourselves, and receive Christ Himself living in us (the two passages above and Philippians 2:3-4 and Romans 12:10-21 and too many others to list here <> Galatians 2:20).
I will no doubt spend many future posts delving and diving more deeply into this topic, this fantastic truth, this trade of all trades, but I’ll end this post with two other Bible verses – the first and last (beautiful biblical bookends!) of one of my favorite passages of Scripture which, together, sum it all up better than I or any human could ever hope to: “Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. He [i.e., God, verse 20] made Him who knew no sin [i.e., Jesus Christ] to be SIN on our behalf, THAT we might become THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:17,21)
Like I said, GREATEST trade/trade-off/bargain/no-brainer EVER! Hell for heaven. Our own life/will for Christ’s. Utter sinfulness for utter perfection.
Count. Me. In.
Indeed, indeed: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.”
If you’ve never made that trade, I strongly encourage you to do so today, right now, as nothing less than one’s eternal destiny hangs in the balance.
Which is why 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “NOW is the acceptable time”, TODAY is “the day”!
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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 Memory2022-03-07 17:38:592022-03-13 18:32:09"He is no fool..."
Speaking of things from my youth which have borne much fruit, still, down to this very day…
When I was 19 a fellow at my church gave me a copy of “The Journals of Jim Elliot” at Christmas. (Jim’s widow and biographer Elisabeth would later speak at the church several times.)
It’s one of the fairly few books outside of the Bible which have had a huge impact on my life. And he owns my very favorite non-Bible quote of all time: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.” (So true! What wisdom, in a single sentence. I’ll write a post about this in the very near future since it’s totally based on if not straight out of the Bible.)
I strongly recommend it. For anyone, but especially children, teens, and college students. (It’s a great way to help them fulfill 1 Corinthians 11:1 and Philippians 3:17.)
Click here to read it online for free, compliments of Google.
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 Memory2022-03-04 20:16:392022-03-12 12:20:33Quick Thought:Reading Recommendation: The Journals of Jim Elliot
A few posts ago (“Why I’m Doing This”) and on the Why page in reason numbers nine and ten, I mentioned that my childhood was characterized by having famous theologians (Merrill Unger, Andy Telford, Richard Seume) and preachers (Haddon Robinson) and Christian leaders (James Dobson, Jay Adams, the latter of whom was the inventor or nouthetic counseling yet downright hilarious at the dinner table, especially when it came time for dessert) and a hundred different missionaries stay at my family’s home from time to time, for up to a week at a time (you really get to know someone when they spend seven straight nights in your home).
Another thing that characterized it was this: before dinner, which we’d all eat together, my dad would lead us in singing a short song or the chorus of a hymn – here are the ones we would sing 99% of the time, basically on a rotating basis but Dad would usually let each of us pick the song and I’d usually pick this first one even if it had just been sung the evening before (certain things never get boring or “old” or “tiring” to me no matter how much I hear or sing or eat them, a trait which has been with me my whole life) (as always, when I post external songs or videos or links, those aren’t an endorsement of the artist or uploader as it’s not worth the time to research all of that – even if such were doable; that said, I do have a strong hunch that most or all of them are fine people who share our Christian values, as otherwise they probably wouldn’t post a song honoring Christ):
(… those first four are the ones I sing most frequently, still, to this very day… Proverbs 22:6 in action!)
(… while in my family’s case it was around the dinner table, that one hits closest to home of these eight videos)
I rarely give advice to parents (I’m pretty sure 99.9% of whom have far more wisdom about how to raise children than I do) but I’m happy to make this twofer exception: as much as possible, (a) eat dinner together, as a family, as a unit, and (b) before “digging in” sing a short Christian chorus and say a prayer… this will pay dividends for the rest of your life. And theirs.
I’m living proof.
[Side note: Speaking of Haddon Robinson, not only did he spend an entire week at my home when I was barely out of my teens but I also got to drive him – an hour each way – to the location of the weeklong preaching seminar he was holding (you also get to know a person really well when spending ten hours in a car with them). What a gift. What a treasure. (I’ve never told anyone about 90% of all we talked about… sounds like great grist for some future posts!) He was known for teaching preachers how to preach. (Similar to Charles Spurgeon a century before, he was known as “the Prince of Preaching”.) Here’s a small example for those of you who have the interest and time and if you lack the latter at least listen to the first 30 seconds, it’s classic Haddon Robinson, Haddon in a nutshell: he never took himself too seriously, but always took the Word of God very seriously… here’s to you, old friend:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
He went home to be with the Lord in 2017, at which time I’m sure he heard the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” None of the scandals or “secret sin lives” which some high-profile Christian leaders have had revealed in recent years. Here’s a video of his memorial service… I’ll see you again some day, old friend, and you can let me know how I did with the many boulders (not nuggets) of wisdom and preaching and the Bible you shared with me in those five round-trip car rides in particular.]
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 Memory2022-03-04 19:33:032022-05-01 16:59:23A Terrific Tip for Parents... and a Shout-Out to an Old Friend
Suffering is SUPER! (Seriously.)
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryThe conclusion come to in Romans 11:33-34 couldn’t be (crystal) clearer, that it’s impossible for mere mortal man, finite and fallen, to fathom why God does some of the things He does: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” [As a side note, one of the countless things I just love about the powerful yet precious Apostle Paul is his perpetual passion, which is demonstrated by how much more often he used exclamation points in his writings than other human authors of Scripture.]
If it were up to you or me, we probably would’ve designed it so that there were many paths to heaven, many ways to come to God and to receive salvation from sin – its penalty (in our past), its power (in our present) and its presence (in our future) – and that’s very understandable and well-intended, as we’d like to see as many people as possible prosper spiritually and in all of the resultant tangential manners (emotionally, relationally, etc.) … but God didn’t do that, God didn’t create many ways to come to Him, to get to heaven, just ONE way:
No doubt this was one of the very first Bible verses many of us memorized, maybe as young children in Sunday school or AWANA; many in today’s culture reject the notion that there is only ONE WAY to God, to heaven, to salvation, but we have known and accepted this truth our whole lives.
But did you know that just as God has provided only one way for salvation, so also there’s only one way for sanctification?
And I can sum it up in a single word: suffering.
Trials, tribulations, troubles, testing, discipline… there are many words and phrases but they all involve the same thing, all spring from the same root: suffering.
If I had to boil down my perspective on suffering into a single sentence it would be this: Suffering is necessary, temporary, and salutary. (Often scary, and in the case of Paul downright legendary – 2 Corinthians 11:23-28)
Let’s do a deep dive on this topic.
I think that over the past two thousand years since Christ roamed the very same sod on which we currently walk, the majority of Christians have gotten the majority of biblical principles right, we’ve pretty much “nailed it” in most cases.
But one major exception to that is the area and topic of suffering.
Certainly the world at large, but even the vast majority of Christians view “suffering” as a negative, in a negative light – often completely but at least partially, as though suffering is either altogether undesirable or at least has drawbacks.
But one of THE MOST CRUCIAL aspects and principles of the Christian life, of spiritual growth, of victory and power over sin and temptation and every evil thing is that not only ISN’T suffering “bad” or “negative” or “undesirable” but JUST THE OPPOSITE: it’s GOOD and POSITIVE and VERY DESIRABLE. Because it’s utterly necessary and indispensable if one is to be sanctified, if one is to walk through the ONLY gate and walk down the ONLY path which leads to and results in “the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14, very strong words!)
Which means that it’s a downright disaster that so many people, even so many Christians totally get this one – but uber-important given the words, the warning just quoted – area, this one aspect of the Christian life so wrong but hopefully this post will change that!
Specifically, the Bible will change that as we read and heed the living and active Word of God Almighty quoted particularly in the “bullet points” of this post.
The first fact is the one which led off above: God is the one who designed life and the plan of salvation and sanctification and His wisdom is infinitely beyond what our finite, fallen, flesh-bound minds can muster so we shouldn’t question His decisions (in general, including this one in specific) but rather accept, embrace, and indeed celebrate them.
The second fact is that suffering is universal. No human being is immune or excepted from this rule.
The Bible is full of “tests” or “proofs” of genuine salvation. Two of my “favorites” are the entire New Testament books of James and 1 John. But I submit to you that the Bible is equally clear that how a person responds to suffering (again, often referred to as “trials” or “tribulations” or “trouble” or “testing” or “discipline”) in this life reveals where he or she will be spending the life to come, eternity. To wit:
The third fact is that suffering is NECESSARY as it is THE way in which God SANCTIFIES those who come to a saving knowledge of Him, i.e., Christians…
… starting with Christ Himself (very fittingly… since the word “Christians” means “Christ ones” or “little Christs”):
My friend, if it was necessary for GOD IN FLESH, the Lord Jesus Himself, to experience suffering and thus learn obedience (God’s own words as we just read, not mine) in His humanity, how much more do you suppose that goes for sinful sinning sinners like you and me?!
I submit to you that suffering isn’t just a part of the Christian life but in a very real sense it IS the Christian life!
The fourth fact is that God knew that selfish, sinful, sin-filled, fleshly, fallen, finite folks like us would have a totally distorted, backward view of something like suffering, since it goes against the very grain of human nature by default. Which no doubt is why His call was crystal clear not only in its simplicity and straightforwardness but also in its caveat: that following Him would absolutely entail great cost, much suffering, and that a person would therefore be very wise to “count the cost” BEFORE making that fateful decision.
One reason Jesus did this was His utter thoughtfulness and generosity of spirit, always wanting what’s best for others. Unlike so many “salesmen” today, He eschewed hype and deceit and instead just gave his audience the facts, the truth. Another reason was to separate the wheat from the chaff, knowing that only those truly called by God would want, would deem it “worth it” to take on suffering in this life versus the pleasure and “happiness” and “self-fulfillment” prized and sought by so many today, by the world, the world system and its adherents.
But Christians are cut from a different cloth. We understand what Moses did and exemplified so beautifully:
The fifth and final fact is that the value and benefit and benefits of choosing Christ, of choosing to follow Him and not the world (“I have decided to follow Jesus…”) FAR OUTWEIGHT AND SURPASS any and all of the “pleasure” this world could ever give… “TIMES INFINITY” as we used to say as children.
And going back to the previous verse brings us full circle to the “warning” noted above but for full context I’ll print the previous four verses since this is so important, so vital, so crucial:
Ding ding ding!
And this truth is similarly stated in 1 Peter (different human author, same Spirit):
… which is why we can consider, count, view suffering as TOTAL JOY and for the POSITIVE thing that it actually is! Since it’s – and please be sure to really let this sink in – since it’s IMPOSSIBLE to separate or de-link it from its result.
Above I quoted 1 Peter 2:21 which clearly states that we were called for the “purpose” of suffering. So it’s fitting to end this post with another passage just over a chapter later in that very same book:
My friend, beloved, the fact of the matter, the fact of life is that it is I-M-P-O-S-S-I-B-L-E to arrive at the desperately desired destination of defeating and conquering and overcoming sin and being spiritually mature on the path of sanctification W-I-T-H-O-U-T, A-P-A-R-T from S-U-F-F-E-R-I-N-G!
Which is why I have come not just to genuinely love and desire and want it but to truly TREASURE it. For real. Because I have come to see its result. I have come to see that it is the ONLY gate through which one may travel on the path of salvation and sanctification and spiritual growth. I have come to see that it is indeed the means by which God removes the “dross” of sin from our lives so that the “precious gold” of godliness can be experienced in this life before being fully realized “at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:7) Therefore, let us indeed “arm ourselves” spiritually “with the same purpose”, knowing that just as Jesus is “THE way” for salvation (John 14:6), so also suffering is THE way for sanctification, with our precious Savior as the ultimate example, the perfect pattern for us to follow. (1 Peter 2:21)
Let us “count the cost”…
… then let us choose wisely, let us choose to put the world and the past behind us and focus on the cross and the future before us…
… from this day forth, let us not be so foolish and short-sighted and worldly-minded as to view suffering as a “negative” or “drudgery” but rather for the immense, extreme POSITIVE and BLESSING and TREASURE that it is.
Or put another way, one we would’ve immediately understood as kids… Let’s view suffering not as okra but blueberries!
Startinnnnnnnnnng now!
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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: How to Read Minds (It’s EASY!)
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryActually, there are TWO ways, straight out of the Bible so this is totally true and I can attest firsthand that it really works!
Way #1: Note what someone SAYS:
Way #2: Note what someone DOES:
And if you add to this already-strong combo a person’s reputation/testimony, how most others view them, well, you have a virtually foolproof way of knowing what’s inside a person, what they think about… mind-readers!
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Quick Thought: All-in-awe, this is the greatest Two-Way Street in the universe
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryThe Christian says to Christ, “I am in awe of You.”
Christ says to the Christians, “I am in all of you.”
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Quick Thought: One Coin, Two Sides
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryThe coin is eternity, the life to come, in general and specifically the first moment of such.
Even more specifically, what a person hears in that very first nanosecond.
The SCARIEST thought in the universe: hearing “Depart from Me, I knew you not.” (Matthew 7:23)
The GREATEST thought in the universe: hearing “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21)
Like all coins, eternity has two sides.
Heaven or Hell.
Permanent paradise or interminable torture.
Everlasting elation or unhalting horror.
To tweak Jim Elliot’s famous quote discussed a few posts ago… “He is no fool” who chooses the former.
He is no fool who chooses Christ.
While we still have breath, may each of us focus not primarily on whether we know Christ but rather whether Christ knows us.
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Quick Thought: WAY Better than Hallmark: A Card Like No Other
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryAs you might’ve heard and as readers of this blog for any length of time surely know and as discussed in detail on the About page, for many years I tried to think (and think and think) of something special I could do, some sort of GIFT I could give back to the Lord to express how much I love and appreciate all He does and who He is, and not too long ago IT HIT ME – the PERFECT gift I immediately KNEW He would LOVE! If someone were to memorize the ENTIRE Bible – His “love letter” to humanity – and then recite it BACK to Him. To quote His own words, His love letter to us back to Him by heart.
I do believe that it’s the single best idea that’s ever occurred to me, in my entire life. I LOVE IT! But here’s the thing: this very unique “love/thank You” gift to the Lord Jesus Christ won’t be just from me, no no no, it’ll also be from and on behalf of everyone who supports this effort, this endeavor, this event in whatever ways they’re able.
Because without your help, without your support via prayers and/or donations and/or encouraging others to do likewise, the Lord would never get this gift so it is fully fitting and absolutely appropriate for the names of all those who support this to be included on the accompanying (spiritual) “greeting card” when we collectively give this gift to Him on that day (technically few days or week, due to the sheer length of the Bible) when I stand in front of the whole world (thanks to BibleMemory.ORG and YouTube.com/BibleMemory) and quote His entire “love letter” to us back to Him by heart.
[They say a picture is worth a thousand words so a video must be worth ten thousand so here’s the part of the Overview video discussing this: (it was recorded immediately after I recited the entire book of Hebrews for that video which took a few times to get it right so my throat is a bit hoarse here but thankfully the Lord helped me finish it before my voice was totally gone…)]
And on that day when we – together, collectively – give this most unique gift to the Lord, He will know each and every name that appears on the accompanying “card” since it will be not just from me but from every person who supports this in whatever ways they’re able and thus (literally) helps make it happen. (Because without support from a sufficient number of people who love God and the Bible, it won’t.)
If you would like YOUR name to be included on that “greeting card” (a Hallmark just won’t suffice in this case 🙂 ) accompanying this living love gift to our Lord Jesus Christ, 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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Ripple Effect, Part 2
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryLife is something. Something else, I tell ya. Often funny. Sometimes very, very funny: one example of this literally just happened, just culminated this morning.
You see, for the past few days I noticed a sporadic, usually-dull pain in my lower back. Usually dull but a several times a day quite sharp. To the extreme that I literally could barely breathe for those few seconds when the pain would spike.
This was all the more shocking to me since I’ve never been sick or had to go to a hospital of doctor or even been sick my entire adult life, and even as a kid only to have my tonsils/adenoids and wisdom teeth removed. (Though, in the spirit of full disclosure and transparency, I did fake sick a lot, so I could stay home from school and play video games.) (My parents rightly let me since I maintained very good grades. Except for penmanship but that isn’t a real class. 🙂 ) Anyway, due to that lifelong track record of stellar health, a usually-dull-sometimes-sharp pain in my lower back for a few consecutive days did indeed come as a shock.
This thought flew through my mind for a fleeting moment: Was it the first sign of kidney failure? Was it the onset of kidney stones? Was it lupus?
All possible I suppose BUT BUT BUT I have to admit these all seemed extremely unlikely to me since I am such a firm, total believer – indeed, partaker – of Proverbs 4:22 as discussed in-depth in a prior post but to summarize, the Bible straightforwardly states a crystal-clear conclusion: that those who “find” God’s words (i.e., the Bible!) will experience not just “life” but “health to ALL their WHOLE body” so I just couldn’t really believe that any of those possibilities were actually a “thing” in this situation.
A second (albeit unnecessary) hint or piece of supporting evidence was that the spikes of sharper pain occurred exclusively when I was standing/vertical, never when I was lying down/horizontal. If it were any of those issues, the physical position of one’s body surely wouldn’t matter, at least that seems very logical and common-sensical to me.
The result is that this morning, after a few days of this matter, I remembered that I had tightened the screws of my main chair, which I sit in while on the computer, eating, watching a few news/talk shows, pretty much every day-to-day activity except sleeping and shaving. I.e., I spend a LOT of time in that chair so it hit me that maybe, just maybe I tightened said screws a bit too much which would’ve made the chair less “flexible” or “forgiving” to my body so a couple hours ago I loosened them a tad and, wa-la, what do ya know, no more pain!
It was pretty funny (at least AFTER that last part occurred) but also a great reminder of what I wrote in the “Part 1” post: that our decisions and actions have RIPPLE EFFECTS! Usually in the lives of other people, always in our own.
Which is why it’s such a total NO-BRAINER to live one’s life, to base one’s decisions and actions on one thing and ONLY one thing: the Bible.
Because it’s never, ever wrong, always right. 100% of the time. Absolutely flawless. The very picture of perfection and indeed the only perfect tangible thing in the universe.
So you’ll understand why I’m going to take the next hour or two EATING IT UP. Consuming it. Ingesting it. And I can testify firsthand that it is indeed “more desirable than gold, even more than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb” and that in eating (keeping, heeding, applying, obeying) it “there is GREAT REWARD.” (Psalm 19:10-11)
Thank You, Lord, for the three greatest gifts you’ve ever given us: Your Holy Spirit; Your Word, the Bible; and Yourself.
May our every decision and action be in line, in accord with all three.
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Overpowering, Overwhelmingly
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryIt’s 8:30 a.m. as I write this and I felt like a quick game of chess so I played against the computer, selected one of its weaker opponent choices (since I only have a few minutes, yeah, that’s it, that’s the reason 🙂 ) then proceeded to capture his queen and both rooks.
Those who are even slightly familiar with chess know that the game was over at that point and, surely enough, it was a breeze, a proverbial “piece of cake” to vacuum up his other pieces and achieve victory.
Do you realize that’s EXACTLY how it is in life?!
From birth, a person is literally and constantly being hunted down by the devil and his minions…
… who, because they are angels – fallen, but still extremely powerful – possess superhuman indeed supernatural abilities so mere mortals, mere humans like you and me stand NO chance on our own of defending much less defeating.
Just like a chess player who has lost his queen and both rooks.
But I have some good news! And that’s this: instead of just “hanging us out to dry”, instead of leaving us on our own, God graciously gave us a guaranteed way to garner TEN queens in this metaphorical chess game of life, by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, to earth as a newborn baby who voluntarily set aside the voluntary use of His deity (redundance intended)…
… and took on the fullness of humanity, of being a man…
… so that, for the express purpose of saving us from our sin and sins, of rescuing and delivering us out of that too-weak-to-win position and situation (i.e., no queen or rooks) in this life and especially regarding the life to come, eternity.
Or to summarize the situation super-succinctly, we were in a world of hurt, were in a terrible, unwinable and unwinnable position… BUT BUT BUT the good news is that GOD STEPPED IN, GOD INTERVENED to RESCUE and DELIVER and REDEEM and SAVE us!
We found ourselves in the game of life WITHOUT our queen or rooks or bishops or knights, totally OVERPOWERED and OUTGUNNED by our opponent, our adversary and his minions… but God gave us not just the ability and authority and power but the right to receive TEN QUEENS, thus FLIPPING THE SCRIPT…
… such that we not only win but WIN BIG, win overwhelmingly; are not only victorious but overwhelmingly victorious; not only conquer but, yep, OVERWHELMINGLY conquer.
And to wrap up this topic for now, HOW do we do that, HOW exactly do we OVERCOME and OVERPOWER evil and the evil one? As ever, the Bible couldn’t be any clearer, gives us a crystal clear conclusion and answer and remedy. First a hint, a glimpse…
… and then the very specific answer via the very next verse:
Ding ding ding!
Isn’t it amazing how everything always comes down to the Bible in general and Bible memory (which unleashes recitation and meditation) in specific?!
If you’d like to support the cause of Bible memory and help MAKE HISTORY and literally CHANGE THE WORLD together via this unparalleled tool and weapon, “the sword of the Spirit” internalized (Ephesians 6:17), here are the best ways to do so and I already know they’ll each bring tremendous blessing into your life as I have asked the Lord from Day One of this endeavor to be the case; thank you so much for standing shoulder-to-shoulder with me on the biggest battlefield, in the most important arena of them all!
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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 endeavor 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 platforms simply click here then scroll down to just below the Donate button 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 endeavor 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 platforms simply click here then scroll down to just below the Form 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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“He is no fool…”
/in Uncategorized /by Bible Memory(As promised in the previous post…)
I love a good quote. Always have. None can compare with those which are straight out of the Bible, since they are literally God-breathed, flowing forth from the very mind of God Himself. But I also really like several which, while not straight out of the Bible are totally based on it and thus very worthy of spreading.
In the future I’ll share many of my favorites with you but for the purposes of this post will cover one which is near if not at the very top of that non-Bible list.
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.” (Jim Elliot, October 28, 1949)
While he put his own spin on it, this clearly came from the teaching of our Lord Jesus found in Matthew 10:39 and 16:24-26.
It’s what for years I have called “the ultimate no-brainer” and “BEST. TRADE. EVER!”
Jesus offers us a supremely straightforward deal: give up our lives and get HIS LIFE, eternal life, in return.
What a trade-off! What a bargain! To give up that which is very, very temp-o-rary, and receive that which is eternal (James 4:14 <> John 3:16 among many others). To give up that which is inherently evil and drenched with sin, and receive that which is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 3:10-18,23 <> Romans 12:1-2). To give up living for ourselves, and receive Christ Himself living in us (the two passages above and Philippians 2:3-4 and Romans 12:10-21 and too many others to list here <> Galatians 2:20).
I will no doubt spend many future posts delving and diving more deeply into this topic, this fantastic truth, this trade of all trades, but I’ll end this post with two other Bible verses – the first and last (beautiful biblical bookends!) of one of my favorite passages of Scripture which, together, sum it all up better than I or any human could ever hope to: “Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. He [i.e., God, verse 20] made Him who knew no sin [i.e., Jesus Christ] to be SIN on our behalf, THAT we might become THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:17,21)
Like I said, GREATEST trade/trade-off/bargain/no-brainer EVER! Hell for heaven. Our own life/will for Christ’s. Utter sinfulness for utter perfection.
Count. Me. In.
Indeed, indeed: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.”
If you’ve never made that trade, I strongly encourage you to do so today, right now, as nothing less than one’s eternal destiny hangs in the balance.
Which is why 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “NOW is the acceptable time”, TODAY is “the day”!
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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: Reading Recommendation: The Journals of Jim Elliot
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemorySpeaking of things from my youth which have borne much fruit, still, down to this very day…
When I was 19 a fellow at my church gave me a copy of “The Journals of Jim Elliot” at Christmas. (Jim’s widow and biographer Elisabeth would later speak at the church several times.)
It’s one of the fairly few books outside of the Bible which have had a huge impact on my life. And he owns my very favorite non-Bible quote of all time: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.” (So true! What wisdom, in a single sentence. I’ll write a post about this in the very near future since it’s totally based on if not straight out of the Bible.)
I strongly recommend it. For anyone, but especially children, teens, and college students. (It’s a great way to help them fulfill 1 Corinthians 11:1 and Philippians 3:17.)
Click here to read it online for free, compliments of Google.
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A Terrific Tip for Parents… and a Shout-Out to an Old Friend
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryA few posts ago (“Why I’m Doing This”) and on the Why page in reason numbers nine and ten, I mentioned that my childhood was characterized by having famous theologians (Merrill Unger, Andy Telford, Richard Seume) and preachers (Haddon Robinson) and Christian leaders (James Dobson, Jay Adams, the latter of whom was the inventor or nouthetic counseling yet downright hilarious at the dinner table, especially when it came time for dessert) and a hundred different missionaries stay at my family’s home from time to time, for up to a week at a time (you really get to know someone when they spend seven straight nights in your home).
Another thing that characterized it was this: before dinner, which we’d all eat together, my dad would lead us in singing a short song or the chorus of a hymn – here are the ones we would sing 99% of the time, basically on a rotating basis but Dad would usually let each of us pick the song and I’d usually pick this first one even if it had just been sung the evening before (certain things never get boring or “old” or “tiring” to me no matter how much I hear or sing or eat them, a trait which has been with me my whole life) (as always, when I post external songs or videos or links, those aren’t an endorsement of the artist or uploader as it’s not worth the time to research all of that – even if such were doable; that said, I do have a strong hunch that most or all of them are fine people who share our Christian values, as otherwise they probably wouldn’t post a song honoring Christ):
(… those first four are the ones I sing most frequently, still, to this very day… Proverbs 22:6 in action!)
(… while in my family’s case it was around the dinner table, that one hits closest to home of these eight videos)
I rarely give advice to parents (I’m pretty sure 99.9% of whom have far more wisdom about how to raise children than I do) but I’m happy to make this twofer exception: as much as possible, (a) eat dinner together, as a family, as a unit, and (b) before “digging in” sing a short Christian chorus and say a prayer… this will pay dividends for the rest of your life. And theirs.
I’m living proof.
[Side note: Speaking of Haddon Robinson, not only did he spend an entire week at my home when I was barely out of my teens but I also got to drive him – an hour each way – to the location of the weeklong preaching seminar he was holding (you also get to know a person really well when spending ten hours in a car with them). What a gift. What a treasure. (I’ve never told anyone about 90% of all we talked about… sounds like great grist for some future posts!) He was known for teaching preachers how to preach. (Similar to Charles Spurgeon a century before, he was known as “the Prince of Preaching”.) Here’s a small example for those of you who have the interest and time and if you lack the latter at least listen to the first 30 seconds, it’s classic Haddon Robinson, Haddon in a nutshell: he never took himself too seriously, but always took the Word of God very seriously… here’s to you, old friend:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
He went home to be with the Lord in 2017, at which time I’m sure he heard the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” None of the scandals or “secret sin lives” which some high-profile Christian leaders have had revealed in recent years. Here’s a video of his memorial service… I’ll see you again some day, old friend, and you can let me know how I did with the many boulders (not nuggets) of wisdom and preaching and the Bible you shared with me in those five round-trip car rides in particular.]
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