Monday, April 1, 2019

THE IMPREGNABLE ROCK

Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 28-29

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

 

Masada is an ancient fortification on top of an isolated rock plateau on the eastern edge of the Judean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea. Herod the Great built a palace for himself on the mountain and fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BC. According to Josephus, the siege of Masada by troops of the Roman Empire ended in the mass suicide of the 960 Jewish rebels and their families holed up there (approximately 73 AD).

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

 

Key Verse: 1 Samuel 28:6

And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets.

Our key verse underlines the fact that God does speak to people. In Saul’s case, God chose not to speak to him in a dream (we can mess it up because we must decide what it means, if anything). The Urim was a method, not unlike flipping a coin and believing that God would choose heads or tails. The prophets, both true and false, were silent. The medium, often called the witch of Endor, was dumbfounded that Saul would appear. Obviously she faked it at other times, as I believe is the case with mediums today. God had a purpose here. If we look to someone claiming to be a prophet, we must recognize that their words are often unreliable because of the human element, and even if the prophet is a man or woman of God, we still must interpret for our needs what he or she has said. This is why God gave us the Holy Scriptures and the historical understanding of their meanings. We can have confidence that the Holy Spirit gave oversight to what was written down in our Bibles, and also gave oversight to the Rabbis and early church leaders as to what writings were to be included in our Bibles. The Apostle John, who loved Jesus with all his heart, and who, I’m sure, would record Jesus’ words accurately, quotes Jesus in John 16:13, “When He, the Spirit of Truth is come, He will guide you into all truth.” The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, was given on the birthday of the Church (Acts 2:1-13). The Apostle Paul was not present at the initial coming of God’s Spirit upon the 120, but be assured that when Paul became a believer and received the Holy Spirit, the Spirit, as Jesus said, guided him into all Truth. He had the finest education available in the Hebrew Scriptures. His writings are filled with quotes from his Bible, what we call now the Old Testament, and with understanding of the correct revelation of God in the Living Word, our Lord Jesus. Hebrews 1:1-3 sums up the absolute truth that we love and serve a God who is communicating with us.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord, I am totally confident that You do speak to me through Your Word and by Your Spirit. Holy Spirit, please continue to guide me into all Truth as Jesus promised You would. Help me to know when You speak metaphorically and when You speak literally. I choose to believe with all my heart that the Bible is Your Word. You have expressed Your thoughts, and because You are God, You have given oversight to the content of Your book. As David prayed so I pray, “Teach me Thy Word, O God.” In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I’m deeply concerned that we all get it right when it comes to God speaking to us. The Apostle Peter had this same concern (I’ve just taken the time to read all of Peter’s second and last recorded teaching). Peter, to whom Jesus gave instructions to “feed my sheep,” does just that. In 1 Peter 1:15-21, we read that we “have the prophetic word made more sure,” and that, “no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation.” Over the centuries, the private interpretation of Scripture has resulted in all kinds of cults, in self-deceived people who lead others astray. The opposite to “private” is “public.” Publicly throughout the centuries, the doctrines of our faith have been defined and published. The Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, the writings of the early Church teachers, such as Augustine and others, the writings of the reformers, and yes, dare I say it, the teachings of hundreds of men and women of God who have appeared on the 100 Huntley Street and Crossroads telecasts over the past 50 plus years, who are as Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:14-19…”Rightly dividing the word of truth.” He even names two men who were at that very time perverting the truth because of their vanity. I’ve just read once again Paul’s warnings. He recognized that false teachings “spread like cancer.”

Yours for being careful — very, very careful — to stick close to the historical understanding of God’s Word, the Bible (I’ve also just read 2 Timothy 3:1-5),

David

P.S. Perhaps you can tell that I’m deeply concerned about a drift, sometimes without our knowing, away from the “faith once delivered” (Jude, verses 3-4). Please look up these words and remain faithful to and “contend (do battle) for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” Please forgive me for being very much over my “100 Words” goal. The reason for more words is my deep concern that God’s children may be deceived in a major way as seems to happen at least once each century. Prime Minister Gladstone of Britain, when Canada negotiated its separation from direct British rule without war, wrote a book called, The Impregnable Rock of Holy Scripture. I believe this very wise man, with whom our Canadian representatives negotiated, got it right. Amen!!!!!

In front of the Crossroads Centre, which houses the ministry of Crossroads and the TV station, CTS, we placed a large Rock, symbolizing the Solid Rock of Christ and His Word.

9 thoughts on “Monday, April 1, 2019

  1. I so enjoyed David’s comments and prayer this morning. This dear man is still speaking to us through this blog. even though he is in heaven.
    Proverbs 3v5&6 is also very helpful for us if we memorize it. We so often go ahead of the Lord instead of taking to Him first. This doesn’t always end up very well for us.
    I wish you all a very Blessied day. Rejoice in The Lord and again I say rejoice . Eleanor M.

    • right on Eleanor! we had Bible study today and mentioned Abraham and Sarah; she got impatient and have her hand maid to Abraham to produce a child which happened and it was impatience that brought this about BUT God used this as a stepping stone to the Cross; His Son dying and rising for the forgiveness of all people!
      From the beginning God had a plan and nothing was going to change this plan……
      yes we do get impatient….

  2. Another great quote by Dr. Jim Denison:

    “We must resist the self-reliance of our culture by coming to Jesus with our needs and challenges, questions and struggles. When we do, we will “receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Every time.”

  3. In agreement with you as well Eleanor M. There is disagreement over how one is water baptized using the words of Peter in Acts 2:38 or the words of Jesus in Matt. 28:19. Has anyone any thoughts about this or does it matter as long as one is baptized? I have been baptized three times so have been spoken over both ways.

  4. This mornings scriptures and David’s personal word and concern for the Word of God not be taken out of context; for personal interpretation : but to look to the Word of God as it is written: read the Word for verification:; that we not be led astray from its truth!

    Prayed with David!

    Praise the Lord, He is the source we can rely on for truth in all our ways. Amen!

  5. Hi Ger
    The blessings of of Baptism; it works forgiveness of sin,rescues from death,ad the devil,and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this,as the words and promises of God declare
    Which are these words and promises of God?Christ our Lord says in the last chapter of Mark, whoever believes and is baptized will be saved,but whoever does not believe will be condemned Mark 16:16
    Luthers Catechism

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