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“Remember Me, O My God, for Good”

July 28, 2014

The book of Nehemiah ends with a striking prayer—“Remember me, O my God, for good” (Neh. 13:31b). An analysis of this prayer and of three preceding ones by Nehemiah provides biblical basis for Christians’ praying for themselves that God would bless them for good!

Nehemiah prayed at least four times to God that He would remember him for good (Neh. 5:19; 13:14, 22, 31). Each of these prayers instructs us about how we should pray.

Remember Me for What I Have Done for God’s People

Nehemiah ministered sacrificially for the good of God’s people (Neh. 5:14-18). He prayed that God would remember him for good because of all that he had done for them:

Neh 5:19 Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.

Like Nehemiah, Christians who have diligently served God’s people have a legitimate basis for appealing to God to bless them with good (cf. Rom. 16:2; Heb. 6:10).

Remember Me for What I Have Done for God’s House and Its Services

Nehemiah was very diligent about seeking the welfare of God’s house and its offices (Neh. 13:4-13). Because he had done many such good deeds, he asked God to remember him:

Neh 13:14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.

Christians who have lived lives devoted to their churches and their services (cf. Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2; Heb. 10:25) have a biblical precedent in Nehemiah to pray to God that He would do good to them.

Remember Me for What I Have Done for God’s Day

Nehemiah zealously labored for the sanctity of the Sabbath Day among God’s people (Neh. 13:15-22). Based on what he had done for God’s Day, he prayed for God to remember him for good:

Neh 13:22 And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.

As Nehemiah expended himself for the sanctity of the Sabbath (cf. Is. 58:13-14), God’s special day for His OT people, many believers today have devoted themselves to setting apart the Lord’s Day as special for God’s NT people. Such Christians can confidently cry out to God for His blessing upon them for what they have done for the glory of the Lord’s Day (cf. Acts 20:7).

Remember Me for What I Have Done for God’s Ministers

Nehemiah concluded his book by praying that God would remember him for good both because of all his efforts to cleanse the priesthood and the Levites (Neh. 13:28-30) and because of what he had done to provide for them to carry out their ministries (Neh. 13:31a):

Neh 13:31 And for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.

Christians who give themselves to honoring and serving God’s ministers (cf. Rom. 16:4; Philippians. 2:29-30; 2 Tim. 1:16-18) have biblical basis in the example of Nehemiah for asking God to remember them for good.

Conclusion

Christians who devote their lives for the sake of God’s people, God’s house and its services, God’s Day, and God’s ministers have strong biblical grounds for seeking divine blessing upon their own lives. May God grant us such consecrated lives of devotion to the things of God (cf. Philippians. 2:21-22) and may He remember us for good!

In Exposition, Interpretation, Prayer

Should Christians Pray for God to Remember Them for Good?

July 25, 2014

Scripture records four prayers from Nehemiah that essentially have the same basic idea—that God would remember him for good:

Neh 5:19 Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.

Neh 13:14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.

Neh 13:31 And for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.

Should Christians pray for God to remember them for good?

In Interpretation, Prayer, Theology

An Illuminating Parallel between Romans 6:4 and Colossians 3:1-17

July 21, 2014

Over the years, I have frequently heard people who have baptized others say something to this effect as they have baptized people: “Buried with Him in the likeness of His death—raised with Him to walk in newness of life.” These words reflect the persuasion that Romans 6:4 is a key text concerning baptism:

Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

While preparing recently to read Colossian 3:1-17 publicly as the Scripture reading for a worship service, I discovered that there is an illuminating parallel between what Paul teaches in Romans 6:4 and what he teaches in Colossians 3:1-17 because of how Paul begins Colossians 3:

Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

Whereas Romans 6:4 teaches that we who have been buried with Christ by baptism into death should walk in newness of life, Colossians 3:1 (and the following verses) teaches that those who are risen with Christ must live their lives in certain specified ways. The conceptual parallel between these two texts shows that Colossians 3 provides us with a glorious passage that illuminates what comprises a walk in newness of life by those who are risen with Christ!

Based on the illuminating parallel between these passages, a walk in newness of life includes the following:

1. Seeking “those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God” (Col. 3:1)

2. Setting “your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:2)

3. Mortifying, “therefore, your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Col. 3:5)

4. Putting “off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth” (Col. 3:8)

5. Lying “not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man” (Col. 3:9-10)

6. Putting “on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering” (Col. 3:12)

7. “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye” (Col. 3:13)

8. “Above all these things put[ting] on charity, which is the bond of perfectness” (Col. 3:14)

9. Letting “the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body” (Col. 3:15a)

10. Being “thankful” (Col. 3:15b)

11. Letting “the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:16)

12. Whatever you may be doing “in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Col. 3:17)

Praise God for giving us this marvelous passage that teaches us so much about what a walk in newness of life by those who have been raised with Christ looks like! Let us use this insight into Scripture to examine our lives about areas that we need to grow in as those who have been baptized in obedience to Christ.

In Interpretation, Theology

“HEDONIST CONVERTED: What Really Matters?”

July 18, 2014

The testimony of Dr. Mary Kraus exalts the Lord for His goodness to her. She gave me permission to share it so that many other people would be blessed by learning what the Lord has done for her.

HEDONIST CONVERTED

What Really Matters?

I was fifteen when I stood one December Saturday at the top of the head wall on Rib Mountain in central Wisconsin. The snow was squeaky cold under my skis, and the trees and hills below glittered in the frosty sun.

I was anticipating a good fast run when I suddenly felt an overwhelming love from the God who had given me life and a body with senses, and a world that so thrilled and satisfied me. I was attending a Catholic High school and had just heard a priest invite us to consider giving our lives to God as priests or nuns. At that moment, I thought the most fulfilling thing I could do with my life would be to pursue a union with the Source of all that I had and was.

I had grown up in a Catholic family, attended parochial school and was taught that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and had become a man Who loved me and died on the Cross for all our sins. But at that moment of grace atop a ski hill, I fell in love with Jesus Christ and knew that He died for me.

I was the neighborhood scrapper, the practical joker who brought squirt guns to school to liven up the legs of my sixth grade classmates during change of classes when our desktops were raised. I picked fights with people just because I didn’t like the way they looked.

I was a sinner all right, and when I finally got hold of the concept that my rebellion and meanness put those nails in Jesus’ hands and feet, I became a new person. In those days, my favorite passage of Scripture was Luke 12:32-34,

“Do not be afraid little flock, for your father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

I was yet to learn by experience the truth of these words.

But I knew what it was to be loved, even before God’s love became real to me. Although I never realized it until later, my human father was a tremendous reflection of God’s love for me. It was easy for me to believe in God’s love because of him.

As I grew up, he taught me everything that mattered: How to enjoy a good storm from our back porch, how to recognize a blue jay’s call, how to play tennis, make a fire, appreciate a sunset, and read good books.

In my sixteenth year he died. Even now, sixty years later, I thank God for him and for my mother too who had her good hand on my life through her example of service to us and to many others outside of our family.

After that moment of grace atop Rib Mt., I attended Mass daily and looked forward to the time when I could prove to myself and to God that I was willing to give up His gifts in order to seek the Source and Giver of the gifts. So at eighteen I entered a Franciscan convent and began college classes and the routine religious life.

After my training, I taught in parochial grade schools for thirteen years but a sense of stagnation both spiritual and psychological set in and grew. This was now the late 60s when the old structures were no longer trusted. I lost my early ideals and left the convent for all the wrong reasons.

I decided to live my own life, thinking I could do better than to wait for the church and community to settle their direction. So for four years I lived a worldly life while teaching in public high schools and in South Korea as a Peace Corps volunteer.

But during this time God taught me the experience of, “Vanity of vanities…All is vanity!” All the while doing my own thing, I became increasingly depressed, and finally decided that like Don Quixote I needed to return to my early ideals no matter how impractical and unreasonable they were. So I returned to the convent for nine years until the old sense of stagnation set in again.

Then I earnestly began praying for direction. Here I was in my 40s and still not settled! What shall I do?

God answered my prayer, introduced me to fundamental Christians and eventually brought me down to a Christian University where I taught until retiring after thirty years. It took me too long to learn by experience the truth of Philippians 3:8 that all things are worthless in comparison to knowing Christ.

(Scripture from NASB)

Read a fuller testimony by Dr. Kraus here

In Testimony

Should Churches Start Passing Out Shawls for the Sake of the Gospel?

July 17, 2014

Recently, I had the unhappy experience of sitting in church and having an immodestly¹ dressed woman come sit somewhat nearby on the same pew that I was sitting. Although she was not dressed appropriately, she was friendly, as was her husband who sat on the other side of her.

Her sitting near me dressed as she was created internal struggle for me as I had to fight to keep my thoughts right. Her presence was a considerable distraction to me as I tried to attend to the message being preached.

After the service, I greeted both of them and tried to be friendly. I especially did so because I thought that they might be unbelievers who had come to visit the church that I was in that Sunday.

Her attire made it difficult to carry on a conversation with her, but God gave me grace to extend myself to her and her husband. I learned from talking to them that she had grown up in a solid Christian church.

I have no doubt in my mind that this professing Christian woman was not clueless about how her wearing immodest clothing would affect men who see her. In spite of her being a really nice person, it was wrong for her to dress that way in public—especially in the context of a church service (Rom. 13:10, 14; 14:21; 1 Cor. 10:32)!

It is bad enough that we are continually assaulted by indecently dressed women in public places like Walmart (especially many of their cashiers). To have a similar experience in church, however, is so much worse!

Perhaps, godly women in churches should discreetly start passing out shawls in such situations so that divine worship is not hindered and the testimony of the gospel is properly maintained (1 Tim. 2:9).

¹In fact, she was the one of the most immodestly dressed women that I have ever encountered in a church service.

In Discipleship, Testimony

Spanish Bible Reading Report 7.14.14

July 14, 2014

In spite of many difficulties, the Lord has continued to give me grace to progress in reading through the Reina Valera this year (blue portions show what I have read; red, what I need to read):

Books completed – Genesis; Exodus; Leviticus; Ruth; Job; Psalms; Proverbs; Ecclesiastes; Isaiah; Matthew; Mark; John; Acts; Galatians; Philippians; 1 & 2 Thessalonians; Philemon; James; 1 & 2 & 3 John; Jude (547 total chapters)
Other reading – Numbers 1; 1 Samuel 1-13; Jeremiah 1-17; Luke 1-7; 1 Cor. 13-15; 1 Timothy 1 (42 total chapters)
Chapters read – OT – 453; NT – 136; Total – 589

I thank God for helping me to make it almost halfway through the Spanish Bible this year!

In Bible reading

The Importance of Learning to Play in Multiple Positions on the Guitar

July 11, 2014

Many guitarists learn to play the guitar only in first position (open strings and the notes on the first four frets). Learning to play in other positions, a guitarist benefits himself in a number of ways.

Closer Fret Spacing in Higher Positions

Playing in higher positions, such as fifth position or ninth position, is easier because the space between frets is closer in higher positions. For example, on my classical guitar, frets 1 and 2 are 1 1/4 inches apart; frets 6 and 7 are 1 inch apart; and, frets 9 and 10 are 13/16 of an inch apart.

The closer spacing in higher positions makes learning to play the guitar easier in those positions because even a guitarist with relatively short fingers is able to cover more frets in those positions without having to move his hand. What’s more, various fingerings of multiple notes played at the same time are very hard (or even impossible) in first position, but they are often much easier in higher positions.

Variety of Timbres for the Same Note

Playing only in first position, a guitarist limits himself to playing a given note on only one string. By learning to play the same note on multiple strings, he is able to play that note with several different timbres.

For example, the open string E on the first string can also be played at the 5th fret of the second string, the 9th fret of the 3rd string, and the 14th fret of the fourth string. Although the pitch remains the same, the timbre of the E played varies widely from the fourth string to the first string.

Knowing the different timbres available on the guitar, a guitarist can create striking variations for playing the same melodies and chords of songs. Using this technique, a guitarist can accompany singers or other instrumentalists with an appealingly different texture of his accompaniment for each stanza of a song.

Playing in Certain Keys is Much Easier in Certain Positions

Advanced guitarists who take the time to learn where all the notes are on the fretboard discover that playing in certain positions makes playing the melody of a song much easier than it is in other positions. For example, seventh position is excellent for playing many songs in the keys of C, G, and D that are more challenging to play in lower positions.

Playing in Multiple Keys and Transposing Using a Movable Major Scale

By learning to play a movable major scale that spans two octaves, a guitarist who knows his positions well can play the same melody in multiple keys. This skill is especially valuable for songs that feature modulations in them.

What’s more, many songbooks have music in flat keys that are difficult for many guitarists to play because they do not take the time to learn to play songs in flat keys. By understanding how to use a movable major scale in different positions, advanced guitarists are able to play these songs both in these keys and in other keys by transposing them.

Chord Melody Solos

Playing a song in chord melody style provides a guitarist with a vital skill that increases his playing ability greatly. A guitarist can play both the chords and the melody of a song at the same time by using this style!

For example, listen to My Country ‘Tis of Thee played as a chord melody solo. Because this song is in 3/4, the guitarist plays a chord on beat 1 of every measure while playing the melody throughout:

Knowing where the notes are in multiple positions is essential for playing this style. Learning various chord shapes also makes learning the short chords that are the heart of this style much easier.

Conclusion

Learning to play in multiple positions on the guitar is valuable for many reasons. I have been teaching myself this skill for some time now and have found it to be very helpful in enriching my guitar playing!

I am also in the process of teaching a number of my students these advanced techniques. It is rewarding to see the progress that they are making!

In Guitar Music

A Study of Whom God Refers to by Saying, “My Servant”

July 6, 2014

Scripture has at least 60 references that relate when God speaks about or to various people by saying, “My servant.”¹ Strikingly, God speaks this way of (or to) David far more than He does of (or to) anyone else.

The compilation below presents these verses in roughly chronological order. The name of the person(s) designated as God’s servant is followed by how many times that designation occurs in how many verses and books.

Studying all these verses brings out many truths that are worth meditating on for the believer. The last of these reveals a glorious truth that should be of encouragement to every true believer in Jesus Christ!

Job (6x; 4 verses; 1 book)

Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

Job 2:3 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

Job 42:7 And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.

⁸ Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.

Abraham (1x; 1 verse; 1 book)

Genesis 26:24 And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake.

Jacob/Israel (the patriarch, the nation, or both; 13x; 13 verses; 3 books)

Isa 41:8 But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.

⁹ Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.

Isa 42:19 Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD’S servant?

Isa 43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

Isa 44:1 Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:

² Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.

²¹ Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.

Isa 49:3 And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

Jer 30:10 Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.

Jer 46:27 But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid.

²⁸ Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the LORD: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.

Eze 28:25 Thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob.

Eze 37:25 And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.

Moses (6x; 6 verses; 4 books)

Num 12:7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.

⁸ With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

Jos 1:2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.

⁷ Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

2Ki 21:8 Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land which I gave their fathers; only if they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them.

Mal 4:4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.

Caleb (1x; 1 verse; 1 book)

Num 14:24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.

David (21x; 21 verses; 8 books)

2Sa 3:18 Now then do it: for the LORD hath spoken of David, saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.

2Sa 7:5 Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?

2 Sa 7:8 Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel:

1Ki 11:32 (But he shall have one tribe for my servant David’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:)

³⁶ And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.

³⁸ And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee.

1Ki 14:8 And rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it thee: and yet thou hast not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in mine eyes;

2Ki 19:34 For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.

2Ki 20:6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.

1Ch 17:4 Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in:

1Ch 17:7 Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, even from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be ruler over my people Israel:

Psa 89:3 I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,

²⁰ I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him:

Isa 37:35 For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.

Jer 33:21 Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.

²² As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.

²⁶ Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.

Eze 34:23 And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.

²⁴ And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it.

Eze 37:24 And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.

²⁵ And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.

Isaiah (1x; 1 verse; 1 book)

Isa 20:3 And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;

Eliakim (1x; 1 verse; 1 book)

Isa 22:20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:

Nebuchadnezzar (3x; 3 verses; 1 book)

Jer 25:9 Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.

Jer 27:6 And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.

Jer 43:10 And say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them.

Zerubbabel (1x; 1 verse; 1 book)

Hag 2:23 In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of hosts.

MESSIAH (5x; 5 verses; 3 books)

Isa 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

Isa. 49:6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

Isa 52:13 Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.

Zec 3:8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.

Mat 12:18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

True Disciples of Jesus (1x; 1 verse; 1 book)

Joh 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

This final occurrence of “my servant” in Scripture shows that Jesus speaks of the great honor that every true disciple of Jesus has of being His servant!

[1] Job (6x); Abraham (1x); Moses (6x); Caleb (1x); David (21x); Isaiah (1x); Eliakim (1x); Jacob/Israel (the patriarch, the nation, or both [11x]); Nebuchadnezzar (3x); Zerubbabel (1x); MESSIAH (7X); true disciples of Jesus (1x)

In Discipleship

What Genuine Salvation Is According to Scripture!

July 4, 2014

Scripture teaches that every human being (other than Jesus of Nazareth) has sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). Because of our sin, we have all earned death as our wages (Rom. 6:23).

When we repent toward God, confess Jesus as Lord with our mouths, and believe in our hearts that God has raised Him from the dead, we are saved (Acts 20:21; Rom. 10:9). Calling on the name of the Lord, we receive forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life because we honor Jesus as we honor the Father who has given all judgment to Him by appointing Him as the Judge of the living and the dead (John 5:22-24; Acts 10:42-43; Rom. 6:23; 10:13).

According to Scripture, however, genuine salvation is much more than just having one’s sins forgiven and going to heaven when we die. When a person is genuinely saved, he is delivered from the power of Satan and darkness and translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son (Acts 26:18; Col. 1:12-13) so that he would walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4)!

Praise God for so great a salvation!

In Evangelism, Gospel, Theology

On Fasting and Praying

June 29, 2014

A search in BibleWorks 7 for verses about both fasting and praying shows that combination occurs at least 11 times in the Bible:

Neh 1:4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

Psa 35:13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.

Dan 9:3 And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:

Mat 17:21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

Mar 9:29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

Luk 2:37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

Luk 5:33 And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?

Act 10:30 And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

Act 13:3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

Act 14:23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

1Co 7:5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

A quick scanning of these verses makes me think that we as believers today probably need to give more attention to this subject, especially given these references (Neh. 1:4; Dan. 9:3; Acts 13:3; 14:23; 1 Cor. 7:5).

In Discipleship, Prayer, Theology

Archives For rajesh

Remember Me for What I Have Done for God’s People

Remember Me for What I Have Done for God’s House and Its Services

Remember Me for What I Have Done for God’s Day

Remember Me for What I Have Done for God’s Ministers

Conclusion

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Closer Fret Spacing in Higher Positions

Variety of Timbres for the Same Note

Playing in Certain Keys is Much Easier in Certain Positions

Playing in Multiple Keys and Transposing Using a Movable Major Scale

Chord Melody Solos

Conclusion

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