An Excellent Bible Study Resource

I don't have many books, but the ones that I do own, I like.  This handy resource is one of those books that is worth keeping on the shelf.

It contains colorful, detailed maps of the Middle East.  It also includes timelines and descriptions of major places, people, and events.

If you're not a big reader, but you would like something to help you understand the historical context, places, and events of the Bible better, then you may want to pick up one of these.

Sandra was trying to find a Bible for a friend, so she went to a Christian bookstore and bought some different styles.  The friend didn't care for any of them, so Sandra took them all back.  She felt bad for the store owner, so she picked up this little study tool for me.  I must say, it is one of the nicest gifts that I have received.

The book includes a map of the "then" layout of the land and a "now" plastic overlay that shows the current boundaries and cities of modern times.

A Healthy "Milkshake" When You're Feeling Down

Greetings friends!  This week has been one of sickness for me and my dear wife.

Sandra does a great job preparing healthy food for us, especially when we are ill.

Today, she made a "Shamrock Shake."  There isn't one bad thing in it.  From the healthy fats of the avocado to the antioxidants of the cacao nibs, it's one big green drink of pure goodness. 

Give it a try!

Look up the recipe online.  It's easy enough to find.  This one has ...

Avocado

Spinach

Coconut Milk

Dates

Peppermint Extract

Cacao Nibs

Today's Post-Workday Workout

 

When I arrived home from work, the sun was out and the temperature was pleasant, so I decided to make it a running day.  Sandra is doing the Couch-to-5K program, so I borrowed from her intervals today.

3 minute warmup walk

3 minute run, 1.5 minute walk

5 minute run, 2.5 minute walk

3 minute run, 1.5 minute walk

5 minute run, 2.5 minute walk

Afterwards, I retreated to my garage for a 10 minute upper body circuit.

40 seconds of pushups, 20 second rest

40 seconds of rows with a loop band, 20 second rest

40 seconds of crunches, 20 second rest

40 seconds of pull ups, 20 second rest

40 seconds of back extensions while extending arms and legs (face down on floor), 20 second rest

Repeat the entire circuit

Grateful for the "Survey Queen"

My wife has been doing online surveys for quite some time now (over ten years I believe).  Because of this, she gets in on some pretty cool stuff.

Last summer/fall, a package arrived in the mail from one of her survey companies.  It was a bottle of waterless carwash liquid (well, almost waterless).  The company wanted her to wash her car once a week for three weeks and they would pay her $125 for her trouble, so long as she gave good feedback.  Hey, we can do that!

We're still using that waterless carwash.  Today, we "washed" our car in the garage with the door closed because it was rather chilly out.

Anyway, I love my survey queen.  She's a diligent homemaker and a great helper!  And she gets in on some cool stuff to try out 😃.

Tempo Pushups

Doing pushups isn't all about how fast you can do them.  Sometimes we need to slow down to get the full benefit of a weight-bearing movement.

When we do an exercise move quickly, there tends to be a "spring" effect at the bottom or top of the move that makes the movement easier.

When we slow the move down, that "spring" goes away, and the muscle is forced to work harder and become stronger through a fuller range of motion.

The next time you do some pushups (on your knees or plank position), try this ...

Go down slowly, counting to 4 ...

When you get to the bottom, slowly come back up, counting to 4 ...

If this is too hard, go down slowly, rest a moment on the floor, and come back up slowly.  You could also do just the descent portion of the pushup if the ascent is too difficult.

A word of caution, when doing a pushup, think of twisting your hands outward.  This will keep your shoulders from rotating inward and minimize the risk of injury.  You will feel the difference.  

Notice how I am forcing my hands and arms in an outward rotation?

What is the chaff to the wheat?

"The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD.

Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?"

                                                                                                   Jeremiah 23:28, 29

Today, people are going around telling their "dreams" and speaking their words and promoting their thoughts and philosophies on life and eternity. 

False religions and false teachers abound, but in the end, everyone's religion, opinions, dreams, thoughts, words, and anti-christ sentiments will burn up in the face of God's all-powerful Word. Christ, the Living Word, will conquer.

Don't be intimidated by false doctrine and human opinions; study, know and speak the Bible.

What is the chaff to the wheat?

Homemade Mocha

 Why pay $6 at a coffee shop when you can make it at home?

I know, this isn't my usual "healthy," but it sure is tasty!

Coffee, 1 tablespoon of Hershey's dark chocolate syrup, 2 tablespoons of sweet cream creamer.

Time to Toss Out the Excuses

In a day when everyone has an excuse for his or her physical and spiritual condition, I appreciate statements like this one ...

We all have bad days.  We all have physical limitations.  We all have responsibilities, but let's not forget to take care of the one body that God has given to us.  

Some people won't understand why you don't eat this or that.  Some people won't understand why you take so many walks, or why you turn down french fries for a green smoothie.  That's ok.  Not everyone needs to understand.  

You do the right thing.  In the end, the joke won't be on you.

A Confidence in God's Mercy

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.

  The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands."

                                                                                                                                Psalm 138:7, 8

Four times, David expresses confidence in God's promises of mercy.  He says ...

    ... God will enliven me.

    ... God will undertake for me.

    ... God will save me.

    ... God will complete me.

   The Lord is not indebted to anyone; however, He shows mercy to anyone who places confidence in Him.  One amazing attribute of God is His refusal to drop the individual who chooses to make the Lord his strength, even though we all are unworthy of His grace.

   Oftentimes, David needed a physical reviving as he faced many foes and ran from numerous enemies who were out for his life.  David was well acquainted with exhaustion, fear, and emotional, spiritual, and physical fatigue.  As Christians, we too can call on God for strength, both physical strength and spiritual strength; however, in Christ, we have something far better than a promise of God's strength in this life; we have the promise of eternal life, an everlasting "reviving."  Jesus said, 

"I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 

And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"

                                                                                                                                John 11:25, 26

   David also knew that God would undertake for him against his enemies.  God has promised to undertake for anyone who places saving faith in the Son of God.

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."

                                                                                                                             Romans 8:31-34

   David also believed that God would save him.  I don't believe that this confidence was limited to physical deliverance.  David had made God's righteousness his trust; therefore, he knew that, ultimately, he would be delivered from all enemies, including the greatest enemy of all - death (Psalm 16).  We too have such assurance in Christ.

"Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."

                                                                                                                            Hebrews 7:25

   Lastly, David knew that God would perfect, or complete, him.  The Lord had a plan for David's life.  God does not step away from His children and leave them to their own devices and the chance of life.  God has a plan for our spiritual growth.  He plans to bring us to completeness in Christ.

His work of perfecting is ongoing; He is constantly sanctifying us to make us more like His Son.

"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"

                                                                                                                            Philippians 1:6

   His work of perfection is not only practical but also positional.  When I trusted Christ, I was made positionally perfect, or complete, in Him.  This is why the Lord performs a daily work of practical sanctification in me.

"For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."

                                                                                                                            Hebrews 10:14        

   David believed that the God Who saved him would also complete him; the Lord would not forsake the very work of His own hands.

   Even though David believed that the Lord's mercy would not leave him, he still closes with a humble request for God's abiding presence.

   Sometimes, we just need to remind God for our own spiritual benefit.  He hasn't forgotten, but we often need to renew our simple dependence upon His mercy by saying,

"Lord, I'm your work in progress.  Please, don't leave me.   Please, don't forget me."                                                    

A Concern for The Lost

"All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of the mouth.

Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD. 

Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off."

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Psalm 138:4-6

God permitted David to prophesy of a day when every corner of the globe will be impacted by the future kingdom of Jesus the Messiah.

David's prophecy reminds us of the Messiah's glorious kingdom.  Someday, the nations and islands will wait with eager expectation for the Law of Christ the King.

"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.

 2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

 3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

 4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law."

                                                                                                                                         Isaiah 42:1-4

In this future kingdom of the Lord, people from all walks of life will flow unto the Millennial Temple from which will proceed the Law of God.

"But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.

 2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem."

                                                                                                                                           Micah 4:1, 2

Can you imagine the sight?  With a world so hateful toward God and His authority, such a change staggers the imagination; however, we accept by faith that such a day is coming, and that day is closer to its arrival than it was when David predicted it.

David's prophecy also reminds us of God's love for all people.

God's love designed Israel to be a light to the heathen nations (I Kings 8:60).  The Lord never intended for Israel to be self-absorbed and unconcerned for their heathen neighbors.  The sin of Israel kept them from being that light that God intended.

God's love declared His house to be a place of prayer for all people (Isaiah 56:3-8).  Of all passages, Isaiah lays out, perhaps the most clearly, God's heart toward anyone who is willing to draw nigh to Him in humble faith.

God's love demands that we share the Gospel with anyone who will listen (Romans 10:13-15).  As believers in Christ, we must be sharing the Gospel.  Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and He was buried and rose on the third day according to the Scripture (I Co. 15).  Satan is always attacking the simplicity of the Gospel.  He is always attempting to belittle it and devalue it and move the focus away from Christ.  Our job is to keep the Gospel pure in its message and delivery.

Lastly, David's prophecy reminds us of God's prerequisite for entering the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.  Consider the last verse.

"Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off."

Humble faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ is the only means of attaining citizenship in that future kingdom.  To reject Christ is to procure eternal damnation.  Give head to the admonition of Psalm 2.  This is the message that we must be faithful to proclaim.

"Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

 11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him."

A Commitment to Praise

1 I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. 

2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

3 In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.

                                                                                                                                        Psalm 138:1, 2

The Psalms are my favorite book of the Bible.  When I finish reading through the Psalms, I start right back at chapter one.  

Some time back, I memorized Psalm 138.  It's a beautiful Psalm that divides nicely into three sections:

    A Commitment to Praise

    A Concern for the Lost

    A Confidence in God

These verses reveal David's commitment to praise.  Four times, David says, "I will."  He says,

    I will praise, I will praise, I will worship, and I will praise

He doesn't hold back.  He commits to praising God with his whole heart, not half.  He commits to praising in good and bad times.

He commits to praising God before the gods.  This can include high officials of men as well as false deities.  David boldly committed to stand for his God in the face of opposition to God.  

He commits to praising God with specificity.  He worships towards the holy temple.  He is focused on God and His habitation.  This reminds me of Daniel who opened his windows towards Jerusalem and prayed thrice daily.  In a world of distracted and fairweather Christianity, we need specificity and purpose in our worship.

Lastly, David commits to praising God for his lovingkindness and truth.  In the Person of Jesus, God's lovingkindness and truth find perfect union.  "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."  (John 1:14)

We certainly have many reasons to praise God for His lovingkindness and truth.  

I don't know all the implications behind the statement, "...Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name."  However, I do know that God's name wouldn't have the power that it does if it were not for the reliability of His word.

By His word, the heavens were made.  By His word, men live.  His word is always true, always faithful.  

The greatest revelation of His Word is seen in the Lord Jesus Christ.  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God."  

David ends this section by recalling God's faithfulness in his days of struggle and distress.  God deserves our commitment and so much more.  No matter what we are going through, we can hide in Him and draw strength from Him.

I want to be committed to praising God and loving His Word.  David certainly was.