“BIND TOGETHER!”

 

Psalms 27:14                 (KJV)

“WAIT” on the LORD: be of good courage, and HE shall strengthen thine heart: “WAIT”, I say, on the LORD.”

It is very seldom that I read from the King James Version of the BIBLE anymore.  My experience is that other translations are more closely translated from the ORIGINAL TEXT, and in my humble opinion my life has to experience the closest to what GOD meant for me to hear!!!

However, the Hebrew word for “WAIT” is “qavah”, and that translates to “to bind together (perhaps by twisting)”.  That tends to SHINE a completely different LIGHT on things, in my humble opinion.  “BIND TOGETHER”, with THE LORD!  be of good courage, and HE shall strengthen thine heart: “BIND TOGETHER”, I say, with the LORD” gives this servant a VASTLY different message than WAIT!!  

Why the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSES would desire to “BIND TOGETHER” with a Brain Damaged Stroke Survivor is almost INCONCEIVABLE, in my opinion?  Yet HE left me here FOR A PURPOSE and I DEFINITELY need to “BIND TOGETHER” with HIM before I attempt to do ANYTHING!!  If I get up and begin driving early in the morning, I always try to go to bed early the night before I am trying to leave.  But HE PROMISES to never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6), so I CLING to HIS PROMISE!!!

Discovering a different translation of THE WORD OF GOD is something that I research very closely, because TRUTH is VERY IMPORTANT to me!!  But I do appreciate that “BIND TOGETHER” is what “qavah” translates to and I am grateful for that!!!

“CHILDREN OF GOD!”

 

John 1:9-13                 (ESV)

“[9] The TRUE LIGHT, which gives LIGHT to everyone, was coming into the world. [10] HE was in the world, and the world WAS MADE THROUGH HIM, yet THE WORLD DID NOT KNOW HIM. [11] HE came to HIS own, and HIS OWN people did not receive HIM. [12] But to all who did receive HIM, WHO BELIEVED IN HIS NAME, HE GAVE the right to become “CHILDREN OF GOD”, [13] who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, BUT OF GOD.”

The ABSOLUTE LOVE that is bestowed on my grandchildren is INDESCRIBABLE!!  But the LOVE of my CHILDREN made my grandchildren possible!  Similarly, ALMIGHTY GOD, WHO orchestrated THE WORD to be written by mankind, says in many places that BELIEVERS SHALL be named as the “CHILDREN OF GOD”, CHOSEN by HIM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD (Ephesians 1:4)!!!

To fully understand this is something that GOD has ELECTED to keep “secret” (Deuteronomy 29:29) from me, at least for now!?!  In HIS UNMITIGATED and INDESCRIBABLE WISDOM, GOD CHOSE me to be CHOSEN by HIM, BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, KNOWING how rebellious and cantankerous I would be, especially in my younger years.  HE CHOSE me, even though I was moving so quickly before the Brain Hemorrhage, and HE SUPERNATURALLY SLOWED me down to be able to HEAR from HIM!!!

My inability to find “the words” describing my LOVE for my wife, children and my grandchildren goes FAR BEYOND the Brain Hemorrhage! I am a FLAWED and IMPERFECT servant who is BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE with everything that GOD has given me!  But HE GAVE an insignificant servant THE RIGHT to become “CHILDREN OF GOD”, and I am BLESSED that HE did!!!

“THE SON OF MAN MUST BE LIFTED UP!”

 

John 12:27-30                 (ESV)

“THE SON OF MAN MUST BE LIFTED UP!”

[27] “NOW IS MY SOUL TROUBLED. And what shall I say? ‘FATHER, save ME from this hour’??? But FOR THIS PURPOSE I have come TO THIS HOUR. [28] FATHER, GLORIFY YOUR NAME.” Then A VOICE came from heaven: “I HAVE GLORIFIED IT, and I WILL GLORIFY IT AGAIN.” [29] The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to HIM.” [30] JESUS answered, “This VOICE has come for your sake, not MINE.”

SPEED READING has gotten me into trouble more often than not, yet VERY FREQUENTLY I have, IN MY HASTE, omitted acknowledging the question mark(s) (???) at the end of the third sentence listed above.  JESUS wasn’t asking this question because of what lie ahead of HIM, for HE KNEW what THE PLAN called HIM to do for HIS CHOSEN!  In John 15:16 HE plainly said “YOU DID NOT CHOOSE ME, BUT I CHOSE YOU and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the FATHER in MY NAME, HE may give it to you.”!  HE CHOSE US (Ephesians 1:4) BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, so HIS wretched future was preordained on our behalf!!!

THE GLORY of the hideous Cross is something so gory that humanity declares as reprehensible!!!  But my vile, reprehensible self required an ABSOLUTE PERFECT SACRIFICE to redeem it, AND JESUS WAS MY ONLY HOPE!!!  Without JESUS, I had NO HOPE of an eternity with MY SAVIOR!

HIS SACRIFICE seems SO EASY TO UNDERSTAND from where I sit currently, but it is also VERY IMPROBABLE knowing what HE received from Calvary.  Why would the PERFECT LAMB OF GOD YEILD UP HIS LIFE for someone who values HIS SACRIFICE with such disdain???

“THE SON OF MAN MUST BE LIFTED UP!”, not because I am worthy, but because HE IS WHO HE IS!!!

“THE TRUTH!”

 

Romans 1:18-23                 (ESV)

GOD’s Wrath on Unrighteousness

“[18] For THE WRATH OF GOD is revealed from Heaven against ALL UNGODLINESS AND UNRIGHTEOUSNESS of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress “THE TRUTH”. [19] For what can be known about GOD is plain to them, because GOD has shown it to them. [20] For HIS INVISIBLE ATTRIBUTES, namely, HIS ETERNAL POWER AND DIVINE NATURE, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So THEY ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE. [21] For although they knew GOD, they did not honor him as GOD or give thanks to HIM, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. [22] CLAIMING TO BE WISE, THEY BECAME FOOLS, [23] and exchanged the glory of the immortal GOD for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.”

The six verses of Scripture listed above are replete with “THE TRUTH”, but my finite mind and limited vocabulary prohibits me from discovering many of these??  

The MAIN THING that has to be written is that “THE TRUTH” MUST BE THE MAIN THING, regardless of what it is surrounded by in “this world”!!!

“THE TRUTH” needs to be acknowledged and respected, for when “THE TRUTH” is “lifted up” (John 12:32), it will draw all men to HIMSELF!!!

“FOR THREE DAYS!”

 

Acts 9:1-9                 (ESV)

The Conversion of Saul

“[1] But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the LORD, went to the high priest [2] and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to THE WAY, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. [3] Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. [4] And falling to the ground, he heard A VOICE saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting ME?” [5] And he said, “Who are you, LORD?” And he said, “I am JESUS, whom you are persecuting. [6] But rise and enter the city, and YOU WILL BE TOLD WHAT YOU ARE TO DO.” [7] The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing THE VOICE but seeing no one. [8] Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. [9] And “FOR THREE DAYS” he was WITHOUT SIGHT, and NEITHER ATE NOR DRANK.”

Saul, later known as Paul from Acts 13:9, was persecuting members of THE WAY (Acts 9:2) as harshly as he could!  JESUS had a conversation with Saul culminating with Acts 9:9 where it is recorded “And “FOR THREE DAYS” he (Saul) was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Saul was apparently a “very confident” person?  But in his letter to the church at Philippi he wrote in chapter 3 verse 8 of Philippians, “Indeed, I count EVERYTHING as loss because of the surpassing WORTH of knowing CHRIST JESUS my LORD. For HIS SAKE I have suffered the LOSS OF ALL THINGS and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain CHRIST”.  Paul WILLINGLY gave EVERYTHING he ever wanted to be to be a “slave” to THE MASTER!!!

My curiosity inquires about what Saul did “FOR THREE DAYS” while awaiting hearing “…YOU WILL BE TOLD WHAT YOU ARE TO DO”??  He wasn’t told who would be telling him his message, nor how the message would be delivered to him??  Saul had to have been guided by the HOLY SPIRIT because JESUS told Ananias (the soon to be revealed MESSENGER from THE LORD) “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of MINE to carry MY NAME before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of MY NAME.” (Acts 9:15-16).  

It is VERY PLAIN TO SEE that JESUS HAD A PLAN for Saul/Paul!!!  It is should NOT SURPRISE us that THE CREATOR HAS A PLAN for us also!!  Saul didn’t KNOW precisely how long it would take for Ananias to deliver the MESSAGE to him, but “FOR THREE DAYS” he waited OBEDIENTLY to HIS CREATOR!!!

Would this lowly subject wait “FOR THREE DAYS”???

“OPEN MY EYES!”

 Psalm 119:18                 (ESV)

    [18] “OPEN MY EYES, that I may behold

        wondrous things out of YOUR law.”

“OUR BROTHER QUARTUS!”

 YOU AIN’T WORTH NOTHING 

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17YRvdcrf7/?mibextid=wwXIfr

“OUR BROTHER QUARTUS!”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭16‬:‭21‬-‭24‬ ‭                (HCSB‬‬)

“Timothy, my coworker, and Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my fellow countrymen, greet you. I Tertius, WHO WROTE THIS LETTER, greet you in the LORD. Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and “OUR BROTHER QUARTUS” greet you. The grace of our LORD JESUS CHRIST be with you all.”

The PAIN of growing up without a father present in our home was extremely difficult, mildly stating an obvious fact.  I am now 66 years old and I have never had this FACT explained to me so succinctly.  I have never understood why “OUR BROTHER QUARTUS” was anything special……..until I listened to this pastor explain it in the video above.  

Although Paul is said to have written this letter to the CHURCH in Rome, apparently TERTIUS did the actual penmanship according to Romans 16:22.  “OUR BROTHER QUARTUS” was the title given to the fourth son of a supposed slave mother who wasn’t thought enough of to be given a name by the current culture??  “OUR BROTHER QUARTUS” is documented in the WORD OF GOD, EVEN THOUGH those who were IN CHARGE of things didn’t even give him a name!!!

My EXTREMELY BEAUTIFUL WIFE and the two sons GOD proven to “this world” that THERE IS A GOD!!!  There is no way under HEAVEN that I could have ever imagined these BLESSINGS, plus a “massive brain hemorrhage”, and quadruple bypass surgery, while I was growing up!!!  And even though “OUR BROTHER QUARTUS” was special enough to be recorded in the letter from Paul to the church in Rome, my lowly  NAME has been WRITTEN in the LAMBS BOOK OF LIFE…..by none other than JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF!!! (Exodus 32:32-33). Now THAT IS SPECIAL!!!