Discipleship | A People for His Name

On Obtaining A Good Report by Faith!

July 1, 2017

Reading in Hebrews recently, I noticed again an important verbal and conceptual link:

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it [faith] the elders obtained a good report.

Hebrews 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

By noting that the writer of Hebrew begins and ends this glorious chapter with the same statement, we can be certain that he intends to highlight the truth that all the “heroes of the faith” spoken of in this chapter obtained a good report by faith! Let us do the same.

In Discipleship, Exhortation

We Must Live Godly Because of the Angels!

June 23, 2017

God intends that biblical revelation about angels transform the way that believers live. Because of the angels who observe what we as believers do, we must live our lives not only with the awareness that we are in the sight of God but also with the awareness that we are in the sight of angels.

2Ki 6:16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. ¹⁷ And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

Mat 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

1Co 4:9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.

1Co 11:10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.

Eph 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

1Ti 5:21 I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.

Heb 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

We must live godly because of the angels!

In Discipleship, Exhortation, Interpretation, Theology

Assigned Musical Meanings and Christian Use of Rock Music

June 15, 2017

Numbers 10:1-10 reveals that God directed His people to make two silver trumpets and then assigned specific meanings to various uses of those musical instruments. For example, blowing the trumpets signaled that the entire assembly gather at the door of the tabernacle (Num. 10:3) whereas blowing only one trumpet signaled to the princes to gather to Moses (Num. 10:4).

This passage shows that certain humans have been supernaturally directed concerning assigned musical meanings communicated by specific uses of certain musical instruments. Paul’s instruction to the Corinthians concerning an apparently well-understood response to a trumpet being used in a specific way (1 Cor. 14:7-8) may attest to something similar or may in fact refer back ultimately to God’s revelation to Moses that Numbers 10 records.

Scripture also reveals that demonic spirits have influenced human beings to do many things without those human beings having any knowledge about such influence directing them to do so (1 Chron. 21:1; 2 Chron. 18:21; Acts 5:3).

Just as God directed His people to do specific things with musical instruments that would convey specific assigned meanings, it is entirely possible that demonic spirits have influenced human beings to do things with musical instruments that communicate specific assigned meanings in the heavenly realm, meanings which are entirely unknown by humans and unknowable by them apart from supernatural revelation (either divine or demonic) about those meanings.

To hold that demonically assigned musical meanings to human use of musical instruments in specific ways is impossible has no biblical basis and goes against specific divine revelation about supernatural influences on humans that have directed them to do things that the humans had no knowledge were their actually doing what the supernatural beings wanted the humans to do. We must consider also that various rock musicians have testified of demonic influence upon them in their producing and playing their music.

Aside from the corrupting influences of rock music on its human hearers, we must consider the possibility that rock music has a demonically assigned meaning to it such that anyone who plays music in that style communicates anti-God sentiments to supernatural beings, sentiments which are humanly unknowable. Such a possibility provides one more valid reason for Christians not to listen to, play, or use rock music in any other way.

In CCM, Interpretation, Theology

A Vital Matter of Prayer for All Believers

June 12, 2017

Paul informed the Corinthians that his prayers for them included prayer about a vital matter: “I pray to God that ye do no evil” (2 Cor. 13:7). We need to learn from this Scripture that praying for ourselves and for others that we would do no evil is a vital matter of prayer for all believers!

Let us pray frequently about this vital matter of prayer!

In Discipleship, Interpretation, Prayer, Theology

Will You Suffer Loss When Jesus Comes?

June 7, 2017

True Christians can and will suffer loss when Christ comes and judges His own:

1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

¹⁴ If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

¹⁵ If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

¹⁶ Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

¹⁷ If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Let us beware that we do not deceive ourselves on this crucial point!

In Discipleship, Theology

A Profound Contrast to Learn From

May 31, 2017

Faced with many hardships, Jacob exclaimed, “All these things are against me.”

Gen 42:36 And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.

In reality, God was orchestrating the troubles that he was experiencing for great good for Jacob and the Israelites (cf. Gen. 50:20).

When we encounter hardship, especially multiple challenges at the same time, or sequentially, we should not respond like Jacob by thinking that everything that is happening is against us. Instead, we must view all that happens to us properly based on what God has told us He is actually doing:

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

With Paul, if you are a Christian, rest confidently in knowing that “all these things” are not against you. Rather, our Father is making them all work together for His glory and our greatest good.

In Discipleship, Exhortation, Theology

The Importance of Learning from Biblical Examples of Self-Talk

May 28, 2017

In His omniscience, God knows every thought that every angelic being, every human being, and every other thinking being has ever thought and will ever think. With His perfect knowledge, God has chosen to record for our profit *selected* thoughts of both angels and human beings.

Because God is perfect in His wisdom, we can be certain that He has recorded the thoughts of His creatures that are the most profitable for us to learn from. How carefully then ought we to study what God has revealed to us in His word about the godly and the ungodly self-talk of His creatures!

In Discipleship, Exhortation, Theology

11 Ejemplos bíblicos de la conversación impía con nosotros mismos

May 23, 2017

De varias maneras, la Escritura registra muchos ejemplos de la conversación impía con nosotros mismos. Los siguientes 11 ejemplos nos dan instrucciones acerca de la naturaleza diversa que tal discurso impío ha tomado.

Gen 18:12 Se rió, pues, Sara entre sí, diciendo: ¿Después que he envejecido tendré deleite, siendo también mi señor ya viejo?
Gen 42:36 Entonces su padre Jacob les dijo: Me habéis privado de mis hijos; José no parece, ni Simeón tampoco, y a Benjamín le llevaréis; contra mí son todas estas cosas.
Pro 30:20 El proceder de la mujer adúltera es así: Come, y limpia su boca Y dice: No he hecho maldad.
Isa 14:13 Tú que decías en tu corazón: Subiré al cielo; en lo alto, junto a las estrellas de Dios, levantaré mi trono, y en el monte del testimonio me sentaré, a los lados del norte; ¹⁴ sobre las alturas de las nubes subiré, y seré semejante al Altísimo.
Isa 47:8 Oye, pues, ahora esto, mujer voluptuosa, tú que estás sentada confiadamente, tú que dices en tu corazón: Yo soy, y fuera de mí no hay más; no quedaré viuda, ni conoceré orfandad. ⁹ Estas dos cosas te vendrán de repente en un mismo día, orfandad y viudez; en toda su fuerza vendrán sobre ti, a pesar de la multitud de tus hechizos y de tus muchos encantamientos. ¹⁰ Porque te confiaste en tu maldad, diciendo: Nadie me ve. Tu sabiduría y tu misma ciencia te engañaron, y dijiste en tu corazón: Yo, y nadie más.
Zep 1:12 Acontecerá en aquel tiempo que yo escudriñaré a Jerusalén con linterna, y castigaré a los hombres que reposan tranquilos como el vino asentado, los cuales dicen en su corazón: Jehová ni hará bien ni hará mal.
Mat 24:48 Pero si aquel siervo malo dijere en su corazón: Mi señor tarda en venir;
Luk 7:39 Cuando vio esto el fariseo que le había convidado, dijo para sí: Éste, si fuera profeta, conocería quién y qué clase de mujer es la que le toca, que es pecadora.
Luk 12:17 Y él pensaba dentro de sí, diciendo: ¿Qué haré, porque no tengo dónde guardar mis frutos?
Rom 10:6 Pero la justicia que es por la fe dice así: No digas en tu corazón: ¿Quién subirá al cielo? (esto es, para traer abajo a Cristo); ⁷ o, ¿quién descenderá al abismo? (esto es, para hacer subir a Cristo de entre los muertos).
Rev 18:7 Cuanto ella se ha glorificado y ha vivido en deleites, tanto dadle de tormento y llanto; porque dice en su corazón: Yo estoy sentada como reina, y no soy viuda, y no veré llanto;

Debemos aprender de estos ejemplos impíos para no hablar con nosotros mismos en ninguna de las maneras pecaminosas que el Espíritu Santo ha registrado para nuestro beneficio en estos pasajes.

In Discipleship, Spanish

The Importance of Verbal Communication in Scripture

May 18, 2017

Every book of the Bible has one or more verses that speak about verbal communication in some manner. More than 8000 verses in Scripture contain such content.

The Bible truly is a book about verbal communication! Understanding what the Scripture teaches us about speech is of undeniable importance.

In Discipleship, Theology

Dieciocho ejemplos del hablarse a sí mismo del evangelio

May 11, 2017

El hablarnos a nosotros mismos correctamente es una disciplina cristiana esencial. Los siguientes 18 pasajes nos dan declaraciones bíblicas directas las cuales nos instruyen sobre lo que debemos decirnos a nosotros mismos.

Psa 42:5 ¿Por qué te abates, oh alma mía, Y te turbas dentro de mí? Espera en Dios; porque aún he de alabarle, Salvación mía y Dios mío.
Psa 42:11 ¿Por qué te abates, oh alma mía, Y por qué te turbas dentro de mí? Espera en Dios; porque aún he de alabarle, Salvación mía y Dios mío.
Psa 43:5 ¿Por qué te abates, oh alma mía, Y por qué te turbas dentro de mí? Espera en Dios; porque aún he de alabarle, Salvación mía y Dios mío.
Psa 62:5 Alma mía, en Dios solamente reposa, Porque de él es mi esperanza. ⁶ El solamente es mi roca y mi salvación. Es mi refugio, no resbalaré. ⁷ En Dios está mi salvación y mi gloria; En Dios está mi roca fuerte, y mi refugio.
Psa 103:1 <Salmo de David.> Bendice, alma mía, a Jehová, Y bendiga todo mi ser su santo nombre.
Psa 103:2 Bendice, alma mía, a Jehová, Y no olvides ninguno de sus beneficios.
Psa 103:22 Bendecid a Jehová, vosotras todas sus obras, En todos los lugares de su señorío. Bendice, alma mía, a Jehová.
Psa 104:1 Bendice, alma mía, a Jehová. Jehová Dios mío, mucho te has engrandecido; Te has vestido de gloria y de magnificencia.
Psa 104:35 Sean consumidos de la tierra los pecadores, Y los impíos dejen de ser. Bendice, alma mía, a Jehová. Aleluya.
Psa 111:1 <Aleluya.> Alabaré a Jehová con todo el corazón En la compañía y congregación de los rectos.
Psa 116:7 Vuelve, oh alma mía, a tu reposo, Porque Jehová te ha hecho bien.
Psa 131:2 En verdad que me he comportado y he acallado mi alma Como un niño destetado de su madre; Como un niño destetado está mi alma.
Psa 146:1 <Aleluya.> Alaba, oh alma mía, a Jehová.
Ecc 3:17 Y dije yo en mi corazón: Al justo y al impío juzgará Dios; porque allí hay un tiempo para todo lo que se quiere y para todo lo que se hace. ¹⁸ Dije en mi corazón: Es así, por causa de los hijos de los hombres, para que Dios los pruebe, y para que vean que ellos mismos son semejantes a las bestias.
Lam 3:21 Esto recapacitaré en mi corazón, por lo tanto esperaré. ²² Por la misericordia de Jehová no hemos sido consumidos, porque nunca decayeron sus misericordias. ²³ Nuevas son cada mañana; grande es tu fidelidad. ²⁴ Mi porción es Jehová, dijo mi alma; por tanto, en él esperaré. ²⁵ Bueno es Jehová a los que en él esperan, al alma que le busca. ²⁶ Bueno es esperar en silencio la salvación de Jehová. ²⁷ Bueno le es al hombre llevar el yugo desde su juventud.
Mat 9:21 porque decía dentro de sí: Si tocare solamente su manto, seré salva.
Luk 15:17 Y volviendo en sí, dijo: ¡Cuántos jornaleros en casa de mi padre tienen abundancia de pan, y yo aquí perezco de hambre! ¹⁸ Me levantaré e iré a mi padre, y le diré: Padre, he pecado contra el cielo y contra ti. ¹⁹ Ya no soy digno de ser llamado tu hijo; hazme como a uno de tus jornaleros.
Heb 13:5 Sean vuestras costumbres sin avaricia, contentos con lo que tenéis ahora; porque él dijo: No te desampararé, ni te dejaré; ⁶ de manera que podemos decir confiadamente: El Señor es mi ayudador; no temeré Lo que me pueda hacer el hombre.

In Discipleship, Ministry, Preaching, Spanish, Theology

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