Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 1:13)
Friday Night Notes
Saturday, December 30, 2006
hearts harder than the frozen ground...It had been a long time. I was out street preaching last week, but mass evangelism on a Saturday afternoon in the marketplace is NOTHING compared to the Friday night experience; and I hadn't been out on a Friday night for a least a month. Mockery, insults and even some violence... all of it was present tonight.
That being said, the intensity of the adversity was quite manageable due to the small crowd that was out and about tonight. The unbelieving were probably still recovering from their Christmas binge. Still though, we definitely shared the Gospel with hundreds of people tonight.
Here are some of tonight's highlights:(1) Three African-American men stopped by and read my
John 3:16 sign, and nodded their heads in agreement. So I asked:
"Are you fellows Christians?"
"Oh yes... yes," they replied.
Now that's the answer I expected, but wanting to be certain, I asked more precisely:
"Are you gentlemen born-again?"
"Uh... no... we don't think so..." they replied.
"Okay guys," I calmly began, "Jesus said, in the Bible, that if a man isn't born-again, he isn't going to Heaven. So this is kind of important right?"
"Perhaps, we need to be taught of you," one of the men suggested.
"You don't need me, my friend," I replied. "Just read your Bible! It's that simple."
I gave them all a Bible tract and invited them to church on the Lord's Day. I hope and pray they'll show up.
(2) Poor brother Laz. Was he ever insulted by this foolish woman, but to his credit, he took it like a child of God. He was reviled, but he reviled not again.
"You know what you need?" the woman said in an extremely patronizing voice, "you need to read books, and get educated."
You know us Christians, we sure are a dumb bunch!
(3) On our way back home tonight, we walked by a dance club with our Gospel signs. We were going to just walk by without a fuss, but then what does my pastor hear from a young man standing in line to go in the dance club?
"Amen."
"
What???" my pastor exclaimed.
Unable to let that one pass, my pastor turned around, walked up to the young man and inquired:
"Did you just say
'amen'?"
"Yes," the young man answered.
"You say
'amen' to the Gospel in line to this hell hole?" he continued.
"I don't come here to drink," the young man protested, "I just come to be with my friends and listen to the music."
"That hellish music??? Oh my..." my pastor replied exasperated.
We all just walked away, saddened at the fact that this poor young man, though he most definitely thought himself to be a Christian, was clearly serving the devil. Let us pray that the Lord will give him no rest tonight, 'till he realize that he cannot serve to masters.
And that's all the notes for tonight. Time for some sleep. Remember me in your prayers, dear saints, as I will be preaching the Lord's Day morning service this Sunday
(a rare occurrence). Have a blessed weekend, especially the Lord's Day.
Rand
Labels: Friday evangelism
1:44 AM
You are an example of a true Christian.
"Could I be called a Christian
If my faith I did not show
If I did not go to places
Where the Lord would have me go
If I do not love His truth
If I do not guard His trust"
It is from one of Steve Camp's songs.
God Bless You, Rand, and those Brothers who work with You on Lord's field.
I agree with Ann_in_Grace, Lord bless you and those who go with you to preach God's Word.
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Saturday Afternoon Notes
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Father and son, on the street...
Finally, dear readers, I have evangelism notes for you! The Lord gave us a break from the rain and freezing rain... so we went a preaching!!! And the "we" wasn't the usual pastor Tim and Rand, but rather, it was my 6-year-old son and I!I would never consider (
not for one second) taking my son on one of our usual Friday night evangelistic effort; the level of wickedness and the possibility of violence is simply too high. But on a Saturday afternoon, two days before Christmas, things were definitely calm and safe enough to show my boy, first hand, what his daddy is up to on Friday nights.
So for just under two hours, I preached the Gospel from our customary street corner, while my son offered Bible literature to people who walked by us. It was a good time. People tend to be in a much kinder, softer mood when Christmas is near, and there is no doubt that the presence of a cute 6-year-old moved the people of the market to be on their best behaviour.
A large number of people took Bible literature, I suppose most wanted to show kindness to my son. A few souls politely turned down my son's offer, which at first, vexed my poor boy's heart. So I took him aside and explained to him that he hadn't done anything wrong. I explained that most people don't want to know and/or serve the Lord and that it wasn't his responsibility to try and change that. I told him that the Christian's duty is to give the Gospel, the Lord will take it from there. My explanation seemed to have comforted my little boy, who never stopped smiling as he offered Bible tracts to one and all.
Only one woman mumbled a complaint towards us. She suggested I was somehow exploiting my son... because you know us Christians... that's why we have children... to exploit and get everything we can out of them (
yes... I'm rolling my eyes now). I was actually expecting this charge. I had heard someone level this insult to a fellow street preacher when he had gone out with his 12-year-old son to do some evangelism. So it's not like I was at all shocked by this woman's harsh words. The fact of the matter is, it's not anything else but the Gospel itself that she truly hated. The Lord have mercy on her soul.
Let us pray that the Lord will use our work for his honour and glory, and I ask you, dear saints, to pray for my son. That the Lord would save his soul, and make him to become a fisher of men. What joy would fill my heart, if my son's work this afternoon were the beginning of a life devoted to serving the Living God.
"And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men." (Mark 1:17)Have a blessed Christmas, dear readers.
Rand
Labels: Friday evangelism
Freezing Rain
another cancelation...I was really hoping to give you all a "Friday Night Notes" tonight, but sadly, we got nasty freezing rain! I'll try to make it out for some serious evangelism sometime this weekend, so stay tuned, if the Lord wills, I'll have some "notes" to share with you soon.
I hate that this is my third straight week without any street preaching, but I must say, it's really pretty outside. Everything is covered with a thin layer of ice, making the trees, the grass and even the sidewalks look like crystal. It's quite a sight.
God bless you, dear readers...
Rand
Rained Out
Saturday, December 16, 2006
more recuperation time...It was on my mind all day today. Should I go out street preaching with my pastor tonight, or should I stay home and give myself more time to recuperate from that nasty lung infection (
yes, my second one this year)? Well, the Lord gave me the answer by sending rain tonight.
The more I think about it, I really shouldn't have been considering going out tonight. I just finished my last round of antibiotics yesterday, and while I do feel much better, all my symptoms haven't completely disappeared yet. So, in the end, I'm kind of thankful for the rain tonight. This way, I am comforted by the fact that there will be less people making fools of themselves in the marketplace tonight, and I know that my pastor won't be out there by himself.
Please continue to pray that I regain full health, dear brothers and sisters in the Lord. I hope to have a Friday Night Notes for you next week.
Rand
A Few Rare Pearls
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
listen and prosper...I have come across a two audio sermons which I wish to share with you all. They are both real good and I hope you, my dear readers, will be blessed and sanctified through these excellent teachings.
The first sermon is from my own pastor. He preached a message showing the typology between the account of Cain and Abel, and the the life of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in relation to the nation of Israel. This is good theological stuff. Enjoy!
Cain/Abel - Jesus/IsraelThe second sermon is actually divided up into two parts. It is by John
McArthur, and it's real good. I has often been my complaint that John
McArthur was a bit
wishy-washy, but he gets real serious, and dare I say, very "fundamental" in this message. If there are any
Romanists reading this, you definitely need to hear this message, as pastor
McArthur deals with the subject of whether evangelicals should regard
Romanists as brothers and sisters in the Faith, or as unbelievers who should be evangelized.
I have to thank my brother Pascal for sending me the link to this great sermon. It was aired on November 9
th on
Way of the Master Radio. I downloaded the podcast and edited out the irritating dance music the radio program begins with, and I took out the comments of the DJ who made the sermon out to be this great, big controversy (
which really perplexed and irritated me). I don't think I'm going to get into any trouble with
Living Waters over this, their philosophy has always been:
"Freely received, freely given." (Matthew 10:8b) Which is a good and biblical philosophy. Anyway, the only voice you'll here in these files is pastor John MacArthur. Again, enjoy!
Romanism: Co-labourers, or the enemy? (Part I)Romanism: Co-labourers, or the enemy? (Part II)Take care,
Rand
Labels: Audio Sermons
An Interesting Passage
Sunday, December 10, 2006
especially for my new visitors...As some of you already know, I have been ill all weekend with a lung infection which has kept me lying on the couch for some time. The one good thing that came out of this restoration time was the time I had to deal with a few lost souls through my blog. Not only was it good to have time to speak the Truth to them, it was good to have the time to truly get a sense of where they are coming from.
The fact of the matter is, I have no doubt that some of the souls I have dealt with are actually trying to understand the Scriptures, albeit in a very non-committal, carnal way. And this isn't mockery... if anything, I feel quite sorry for such souls, because ultimately, they can't get passed their non-committal, carnal ways because they're dead. Dead in sin and trespass as Ephesians 2 puts it.
Anyway, with all this bouncing in my mind, I went to Scriptures for some solace. It was then that I remembered this passage:
"Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed." (1 Peter 2:6-8)Now I doubt that the souls I have dealt with care enough about the Scriptures to pay any mind to this passage, but it really struck me at how perfectly it described their situation. You notice first that the beginning of this passage speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ. How saints find Him precious, and how the unconverted are offended by Him. What's interesting though is the wording of this passage when it speaks of the unconverted. They are called "disobedient", and it is said that the "stumble" at what? "THE WORD". Isn't that something?
These poor souls who have been filling up my spam filter, over the last few days, all have this in common:
they stumble at the Word. They try to figure out, by carnal means, which parts of the Bible are applicable to them, and which are not. They try to determine which parts of the Bible are truly inspired and which are but ramblings of ancient men. How difficult, uncertain, and absolutely hopeless is their plight.
Finally, did you notice the final words? How scary is that? Some of the souls, and it's probably safe to say, most of the souls I have dealt with this weekend "
have been appointed" to stumbling at God's Word. Oh! how I hope and pray that some of these poor souls will be "
brands plucked from the fire" (Zechariah 3:2). How I hope that my labouring was not only to them who were appointed to stumble at God's Word, being disobedient to the Revelation of God.
The Lord's will be done.
"Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth." (Romans 9:18)Rand
Judge... Not???
what is a Christian to do?"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." (Matthew 7:1-2)Without a doubt, the above passage of Scripture is the undisputed # 1 most misunderstood, misinterpreted portion of the Bible. If I received a nickel every time I have read or heard someone use this passage incorrectly, I would be driving a much better vehicle and I would be living in a much bigger house!
While I know that most who misinterpret this passage do it without caring at all about the Bible, I will demonstrate here the true meaning of Matthew 7:1-2. If it impacts but one soul, it'll be worth it.
1) Matthew 7:1-2 does NOT speak of the judgment of God.How do I know this? Because considering the whole counsel of God, it would make no sense. This is the problem with 99.9% of the people who misinterpret this passage, they take these verses by themselves and then infuse the meaning they want. Now I don't care to know what Bob, Joe and Ned think Matthew 7:1-2 means, I want to know what God means! And to know what God means, just keep your nose in the Bible.
The Bible makes it clear that everyone of us will be judged by God... EVERYONE!
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10)So, regardless of whether someone is "guilty" of judging or not, the judgment of God is inevitable. It doesn't make any sense then, to apply Matthew 7:1 to God's judgment. And when you think about it, Matthew 7:2 doesn't make any sense either...
"And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." (Acts 17:30-31)Regardless of the type of judgment a person practices in this life, God's judgment will always be a righteous and perfect judgment. Could it possibly be any other way?
So the judgment spoken of in Matthew 7:1 is earthly, or human judgment.
2) Matthew 7:1-2 is NOT addressed to honest souls.Context is so important when studying Scripture, and this passage is no exception. Check out Matthew 7:5...
"Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."The Lord Jesus Christ, in this portion of Scripture, is speaking to a hypocrite. There were plenty of hypocrites around the Lord Jesus in those days. Just think of the Scribes and Pharisees and their hypocritical judgments.
Considering this, Matthew 7:1 isn't so much a ban or restriction on judgment, but rather, a ban on hypocritical, unrighteous judgment. Which brings us to our third and last point...
3- Matthew 7:1-2 is NOT a prohibition on judgment.All those who claim the contrary are ignorant and know nothing of the teachings of the Bible. Consider these few Bible passages:
"Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." (John 7:24)Could it be any clearer?
"I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say." (1 Corinthians 10:15)Is the apostle Paul here asking the Corinthians to sin by judging? Nonsense!!!
"But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one." (1 Corinthians 2:15)Again, quite clear.
These are but a few examples that make the case pretty clearly. Not only is it NOT sin for a Christian to judge, it is NECESSARY for the Christian to judge. Through sound, righteous judgment, a Christian can identify and separate himself from false teachers and their wickedness.
"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them." (Romans 16:17)In conclusion, let's go back to Matthew 7. Pay close attention to how v.5 ends...
"...then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."The teaching? Once a person makes sure he isn't a hypocrite, he is in a position to both judge, and help his brother.
And then, look at just a few verses down to v.16...
"Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." (Matthew 7:16-20)How in the world can one determine whether a tree is good or bad, lest he/she JUDGE THE FRUIT???
Christians must judge. They must judge a man's words, as well as his actions. If a man who professes to be a Christian curses and acts lewdly, the fruit are bad; there is no reason to believe his claim that he is a Christian. If a woman professes to be a Christian but rejects the Bible as the Truth of God, or observes doctrines contrary to the Bible, the fruits are bad; there is still no reason to believe her claim that she is a Christian.
Judge righteously, dear saints... judge by the standard of the Word of God.
Rand
12:41 PM
Amen brother!
This was a very clearly and well written post on the topic. I have long understood that Christians are to have righteous judgment. But I was lacking a very concise explication. You have done a great job here. Thank you.
I hope all is well in your household and that you are getting well.
Peace on earth goodwill towards men,
Mrs. Meg Logan
People say "judge not," but then turn around and use phrases like, "We can rest in the fact that maybe we will never agree. I am a Christian and you are a Christian. That's so great!" That particular one is from a recent email I got, but there are lots of similar statements that get used.
It's as if the Bible said "Judge not in a negative way, only positive."
"If I received a nickel every time I have read or heard someone use this passage incorrectly. . ."
Are there that many nickels?
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A Few Notes
Friday, December 08, 2006
not the "Friday Night" type, I'm afraid...Topic # 1: Friday Evangelism and my health.Sadly, there will be no "Friday Night Notes" tonight due to yet another cold. I've been coughing non-stop for the last 3 days so I'm in no shape to brave the cold and preach the Word. I would ask all my Christian brothers and sisters to kindly remember me in prayer, that the antibiotics the doctor prescribed would do the trick.
Topic # 2: Commenting on my blog.Some of you, my "regular" readers, have noticed that your comments aren't showing up "in real-time". The reason for the delay is that I have activitated the Comment Moderation feature of the Comment box. Why have I done this? See topic # 3.
Topic # 3: St-Stephen's University.In my last
Friday Night Notes, I mentioned my pastor's strange encounter with two graduate students from St-Stephen's University, a supposed "Christian University". Well, apparently, my humble little blog has caught the attention of the several members of the SSU's staff AND student body! Over the last 24 hours, I have been peppered with dozens upon dozens of comments and e-mails, with well over 95% of them being scornful and mocking. So I put the brakes on.
Looking at all these correspondances, one thing is absolutely crystal clear: St-Stephen's University is NOT a Christian University, it is an agnostic-forming, devil-led institution. Without a shadow of a doubt. Not one of the commentors from the SSU had anytime for the Bible, most, if not all, even go so far as claiming that the Scriptures are NOT the all encompassing Truth and Revelation from God.
So, just like the responces I have received from disgruntled Romanists, Ba'hais, Muslims and other false teachers, all of the commentors from SSU will be subject to my
Commenting Rules, and that, very rigourously. I've already completely banned some of them. Things being equal, those who hate the Truth will eventually leave, and the Comment Box will get back to normal.
I appreciate your patience, dear readers.
Topic # 4: Paul Washer Video:Thanks be to my sister Ania for sending me this
LINK, it is a video presentation of missionary Paul Washer's sermon at a Youth Rally in Alabama. This is really good stuff. Everyone should see this.
(you would never get that kind of instruction as St-Stephen's University, that's for sure!)Topic # 5: My parting shot, to the SSU.SSU faculty and students,
You have all been real busy in writing, roaming through my blog, salivating at the opportunity to tell me off or demonstate some wickedness; now please put away the keyboards, and read, carefully. To ensure this is done, be advised that NONE OF YOUR COMMENTS WILL BE PUBLISHED. There will be NO Q/A. Read, and then go to your Bibles. If you don't want the Bible, you are so wasting your time here.
The Bible is the Word of God. The rule for all faith and practice. The Bible, plus nothing. This is the teaching of 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Not just Old Testament Scripture, but everything that is called Scripture. How do Christians know what is Scripture, and what is not? Primarily, the Second Birth. Many of you don't understand this, and the reason is simple: not only are you not born-again Christians, you don't even know what the term means.
Before one is converted in Christ Jesus, a person is SPIRITUALLY DEAD IN SIN AND TRESPASS AGAINST GOD (Ephesians 2:1-5; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 3:9-18). The term TOTALLY DEPRAVED fits here. Such a "dead" person cares nothing about God or His revelations, they are foolishness to him/her (1 Corinthians 1:18-31). When someone is converted, they are born-again... made spiritually alive (physical life = first birth; spiritual life = second birth). Everything changes then. Instead of walking in the wilderness caring nothing of the Great Shepherd, all of sudden the converted soul hears the Good Shepherd AND FOLLOWS (John 10:11-16). There is no mistaking the Good Shepherd for any other hireling, because the Holy Ghost seals and guides the born-again saint (John 14:26). God the Holy Spirit is actually inside the believer, keeping/preserving him or her (1 Corinthians 6:19).
This is why I claim that, as SSU students, none of you are Christians
(it is possible some of you may actually be saints in great error... time will tell). It isn't: "Nah! Nah! Nah! You're stupid unbelievers and I'm a great saint of God!" Rather, I am declaring to you that your own words and attitudes prove you are not born-again. You are all tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14), you are ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth (2 Timothy 3:7). I do not take pleasure in your lost state, rather I declare it to you in the hopes that the Lord will use my wake-up call to save some of you
(Rand the preacher doesn't save anyone, God does!). The last thing a person who is about to be hit by a bus needs to hear is: "Hey man! I love you... peace!" What he needs to hear is: "Watch out, if you don't do something, you'll die!!!" That's my message to you today.
The commandment (and yes, it's a commandment, not an invitation or a suggestion) of God to every person in the wordl today is: "Repent and believe on the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ" (Mark 1:15; Acts 3:19; Acts 17:30). Obedience to this commandment can only be attained by those who are born-again. So the question on which your eternal soul hangs is:
Are you born-again?
"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3)(if you don't know, you're not. If you're not... don't you think it's time you dropped to your knees and asked God to do something about that?)On that note, I'm off. I'm going to watch that
Paul Washer video (again!), and then some prayer before I lay down for some serious rest.
Oh Lord, my God, if You will, save tonight through the testimony of this insignificant blog. There is no strength in me or in my words, but there is almighty power in Your Word, the Holy Bible. Will You not, this night, despite my physical infirmity, send Your Holy Spirit to revive the heart of some wanderer who has come here? Oh Lord, like your prophet Jeremiah stated, I both hope and quietly wait for your salvation. In your precious Son's Name.Rand
2:21 PM
I've followed both Pete and Rand's blogs from the beginning. I don't
go to school at SSU, and I am in no way associated with Pete or Rand,
I do however wish to now comment.
My father was a Baptist minister when parents
had me. We stayed in the Baptist church till I was 5, we then left to
start a new Vineyard church. When we left the Baptist church a lot of
what you two have been saying to the posters from SSU is what the
church said to my parents. It was hard on my mom mostly, but my dad,
I think, suffered the worst of it. He never talked about it, he
didn't repeat the stuff said to him about his faith. He also never
said a bad word about the Baptist church. He just went about the
Lords business as he, and the Lord, saw fit. Now to get to the point.
I'm not a Christian. I don't believe the Bible is the pure word of
God because the Bible was written by the hand of man, albeit probably
inspired by God. The only pure word of God is that which He speaks to
us personally, and honestly He hasn't spoken to me in a while. Most
of the things the Pete and Rand are saying is biblically true, as far
as I understand. The problem I have is with what was written in the
first place. It is undoubtably a good resource for philosophies on
how to live life. It was not ever meant to be used as a tool to
attack another person, (with the possible exception of deliverances)
but as a way to encourage one another and to better ourselves and
those around us. I won't leave you with a question, but I would like
you to respond to my ideas as a whole. They are conflicting with
yours and I would be interested to hear you refute them.
Edited By Siteowner
Matt,
You do well when you say you are not a Christian, because you definitely are not. In this thing, you are more noble than the SSU students, who pretty much believe the same wickedness you believe, but they claim to be right with God.
Now, you wont like reading this, but you have to know: your parents were never saved. If you had told me that they had left a bad Baptist church (and there are more of them who are bad than good) for a better one, or even, a different denomination that at least attempts at following the Bible, then I would not have written this about your parents. But they left a church to start a Vineyard abomination? Matt, they were never saved. Vineyard is a wicked organization which emphasizes emotionalism and strange doctrines that appeal to the flesh. This has never been, or ever will be from God. Your parents may very well be sweetheart, religious people, but that has never saved anyone from their sins.
Matt, you dont believe the Bible is the pure Word of God because you are not a Christian, Matt. The Bible says that the carnal mind does not receive the things of God, for they are foolishness to him. Thats you, Matt. You can wait and wait for the Lord to speak to you, but I assure you, that will never happen. The devil will gladly fill the void, since, as a non-Christian, he is your father.
Your ideas, Matt, like the ideas of all false teachers, are an abomination both to God and to me. You need to repent and believe on the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. This isnt a philosophical game, Matt. Your eternal soul depends on it. Repent!
That my friend, is YOUR ONLY HOPE.
Rand
Hello. :) I don't expect/really want you to post this. I'm also not trying to be rude. It's just...(Rand) you come across a little bit like the Pharisee who thanks God is he not like the sinner. I know you aren't setting out to do that. I guess all you can do if you believe we're not saved is pray that we shall be.
Cute lizard pic, by the way. :) I've never seen a wild lizard in Canada either; I love lizards.
Hi Rachel,
Indeed, in our "politically correct" Canada, it is a foreign thing to have someone claim he is right, and others are wrong. It is a sad thing that this mind set has permeated the Church of God.
As you suggest, like Jeremiah I boast in nothing else, but the Lord and what I know of Him!
"Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in HIS wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in HIS might, let not the rich man glory in HIS riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD." (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
And I will include you in my prayers tonight, Rachel.
(about the lizard: my wife and I had a little stuffed toy-lizard that we kept in our car... we called it Lloyd the watch-lizard... so yes, we love them lizards too!)
Take care
It's true all we have is the Lord. Nothing else - in the end - can stay with us or will mean *anything* when the current things are passed away.
I used to have a green iguana, her name was Nomie. Have you ever seen a Mangrove Basilisk in a pet store? They're really beautiful, I'd love one of those next time I can own a lizard. It's cute you kept Lloyd in your car. :P Was he in the back window?
Study the Word, Rachel. Don't look to the left, or to the right. Give no attention or regard to the words of men... hey... ignore my posts... just whatever you do... know the Scriptures! They are able to "make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 3:15b)
As for Lloyd, we actually had a small space on the front dashboard for him. He was a good traveling companion... though he was kind of quiet...
:-p
Rand,
In these posts, you have generously and assertively quoted from Scripture. I have a question or two for you.
What Scriptures, precisely (translation, canonical books, etc) do you use? More importantly, why?
When you are studying Scripture, by what process do you yourself find meaning in it? What do you think you, as an individual, need to know or do in order to correctly understand Scripture?
These questions are neither a challenge or an expression of doubt. I'm honestly interested in your answer.
"What Scriptures, precisely (translation, canonical books, etc) do you use? More importantly, why?"
I use the Hebrew Masoretic Texts for the O.T. and Received Texts for the N.T.. They are the texts that were found all over local churches in Asia minor. It makes sense that the Lord would have preserved His Word, as He promised, in multiple copies throughout His local churches.
In English, that means I use the KJV. However, I am not a KJV-only type. Why? Because even the Revised Texts do not offer signigicant enough differences to make it a "false Bible". I do however take a stand against "made-up" translation such as the WatchTower's New World translation.
As far as the canon, I recognize the same books that saints have recognized since the early church, that is the 39 books of the O.T. (which true Jewish believers recognized as Canon since before the first coming of Christ), and the 27 books of the N.T.. Why do I put my faith in these? Simple:
1- All these books have stood the test of time and the scrutiny of saints for at least 2000 years. All of them authenticated one way or another by God's people, and miraculously preserved by the Lord.
2- As a saint of God, I recognize God's voice when I hear it (so to speak): "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:27)
There are other reasons, but I think these suffice.
"When you are studying Scripture, by what process do you yourself find meaning in it?
1- I study the Bible by reading carefully, sometimes with Strong's Concordance which helps me go back to the original Greek/Hebrew, if anything is unclear.
2- Scripture interprets Scripture is the # 1 way to find out what any particular portion of the Bible means.
"What do you think you, as an individual, need to know or do in order to correctly understand Scripture?"
Excellent question. Simple answer:
"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14)
"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come." (John 16:13)
"But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." (1 John 2:27)
Hope this helps, RJB.
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Now where did Rand go?
Monday, December 04, 2006
sure is warm in the South!!!
I do apologize, dear readers for the lack of blogging this past week. It wasn't laziness or a lack of interest that kept me from writing posts. Rather, it was a business trip. A business trip to West Palm Beach, Florida! Woohoo!!!Yep, I just spent the week down in the southern United States, learning everything about a very complicated lab instrument my boss bought a few months ago now. The course was pretty intensive, but not impossible. I learned alot, so my boss won't regret the investment (it was quite the investment, this trip will cost a few grands for sure).
As you can see by the pictures accompanying this post, my trip wasn't all work and no play. I found some quality time to play tourist in this warm, beautiful city. The chief attraction, of course, is the ocean.
Oh! and did I mention the warm weather? Imagine this Canuck's shock as he realized that he was most comfortable in summer clothes... in December!!! It was so warm in West Palm Beach last week, I actually went into the ocean to cool off! Talk about fun!
Other than the ocean, West Palm Beach has all the normal characteristics of a southern city. It was full of tourists (mostly from Canada), there were evangelical churches (mostly Baptist) on every street, not one but two religious radio stations, and the definite patriotism was evident by the zillions of flags floating in front of nearly all business and residence. On the downside, racial segregation was most evident in WPB, and the seperation between rich and poor was also clear. One could take a walk and see the clear division between million dollar homes owned by rich white folk and the slums of poor black folk. I guess this is a staple of most "tourist cities", but I couldn't help being somewhat sad at the sight of it.
Did I mention that I am now the bestest husband in the world? Yes, this title was given to me after arranging for my wife to come down with me for a well deserved vacation. So my wife had 5 days away from the kids to party and relax while her husband, well, he went to work. But I'm not bitter... nope... not me...Kidding aside, this was the first time I took my wife with me on a business trip, and it sure made my sojourn that much more enjoyable. It doesn't matter where you go, if you are by yourself for any length of time, loneliness doesn't take long to set in. So instead of missing my wife while away from home, she and I were out together every night, enjoying each other's company.
Oh! and guess what the cat dragged in? Yep, brother Pete from My All For One took a short flight from the western side of Florida and dropped by for a short visit. We had a great time of fellowship. For those who are counting, this is the second blogger I have got together with on my work-related travels. Michael Gallagher of Christian Conservative being the first.We all took a walk by the ocean and talked at length on various spiritual matters, and I believe brother Pete best summarized our conversation with this one word: refreshing. You can get Pete's take on our meeting over on his blog, at My All For One.So that's it! I hope to get back to more consistent blogging in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.Take care, dear readers,RandPs: I have a few more pictures from my trip: this
one is of a lizard
(there are very few lizards in Canada), and this
one is of a downtown street in WPB
(I thought it would be a great place to do some preaching). I also have
this short video of Pete and I giving a good old fashion Don Cherry style thumbs-up, and
another video of the ocean, in all it's beauty and grandeur.
9:26 PM
So good for you two to have gotten away. I am sure Twinklemoose enjoyed her time away.
And the warm beaches!!!
Not jealous. No, not me. Well, maybe a little. :)
I am envious :)
With the Swedish type of weather it would be nice to get warm sometimes...
Good for you to be able to relax AND work, and to give Your wife some time off from the every day chores.
Well, well, well
I definitely like to see those pictures (the ones on this blog and the ones on "My all for one".
We were beginning to worry a bit. I came saturday morning: no post, saturday evening: no post, sunday: not post, monday: no post. I asked myself: is he sick, is he at the hospital or some other kind of negative experience.
No, no, no, he was under the sun of Florida and with his wife! What do you want more? Is the sun of Florida that gives such pretty smiles? These are not december-canadian smiles!
May the LORD be blessed for His goodness towards you and your wife!
I am now smiling but I am sure it is not as "sunny" as yours!
IN LOVE
Marcel Longchamps
Lucy says hello to you both!
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said…
You are an example of a true Christian.
"Could I be called a Christian
If my faith I did not show
If I did not go to places
Where the Lord would have me go
If I do not love His truth
If I do not guard His trust"
It is from one of Steve Camp's songs.
God Bless You, Rand, and those Brothers who work with You on Lord's field.