Think On These Things....

Php 4:4  Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
Php 4:5  Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Php 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Php 4:9  Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

This week both of the courses I'm taking at the local community college are on the topic of  "paraphilias" and homosexuality, and it really got to me. I feel like I'm wallowing in the sewers and have been feeling depressed. This morning I awoke thinking about the words in Philippians 4:8 and it wasn't reprimanding, it was a comforting voice, a voice that said, "I am still here". After I finish the few courses that I am taking here, I have to search out a good college where I can continue on towards a master's degree, but I will look, with the Lord's guidance and assistance, for a place which teaches things that are more in line with Philippians 4:8.

Names of People in the Bible

The names that are given to people in the Bible have meanings. When Ma brought up Jonah, and DebbieLynne brought up Abraham and Eliezer, I did a search and found a wonderful link which shows the names and the very detailed meaning of the names. For instance:

ELIEZER:
The name Eliezer is a compound of two elements. The first part is the word (El), the common abbreviation of Elohim, meaning God (or gods). The second part comes from the verb (azar) meaning help, support. This verb is quite common and used in all expected ways. Most notable is its usage in describing the function of Eve to Adam, 'It is not good for the man to be alone, I will make him a helper suitable for him' (Genesis 2:18).

The meaning of the name Eliezer is God Of Help (Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names and NOBS Study Bible Name List) or God Is Help (BDB Theological Dictionary).

ESTHER:
The name Esther was probably given to Hadassah when she entered the court of the Persian king (compare Daniel and his friends) and as such she was known by the people. Or possibly the name was later attributed to her due to her 'stardom.' But to a Hebrew audience the name Esther, the way it was written, had far more meaning than simply the word 'star' in the language of their abductors.

The name Esther may have reminded of a compound of (ason), meaning evil, harm, from the assumed root ('sh), plus the word (tor) meaning a circle or plait or (tor) meaning dove; both from the verb (tur), to spy or search out. In that way the foreign name Esther would have looked to mean She Searches Out Evil to a Hebrew audience.

Then there is the word (asar), meaning to tie, bind, gird, with among its derivatives (esur) meaning bond, band, and (issar), binding obligation.

And finally we list the root (satar), hide or conceal, with among its derivatives (seter) and (sitra) both meaning hiding place, and (mistar) hiding place. That way the name Esther would have sounded like I Am A Hiding Place.

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Those are only small excerpts of what is provided on those names, so I hope you will check out the entire commentary that is at the links provided. Someone put alot of research into it, and there are also Greek names and meanings as well.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

If you Google "parable of the mustard seed" I guarantee you that most of the articles you will find on this subject will tell you that the mustard seed is the kingdom of God and that it is good. I've always looked at this parable (as well as the one about the woman hiding leaven in the fellowship offering--3 measures of meal) as something not quite right in the kingdom of God.

Arthur Pink's interpretation makes a whole lot of sense to me:

Excerpt:

First, it must be steadily borne in mind that these seven parables form part of one connected and complete discourse whose teaching must necessarily be consistent and harmonious throughout. Therefore, it is obvious that this third (parable) one cannot conflict with the teaching of the first two (parables). In the first parable, instead of drawing a picture of a field in which the good Seed took root and flourished in every part of it, our Lord pointed out that most of its soil was unfavorable, and that only a fractional proportion bore an increase. Moreover, instead of promising that the good-ground section of the field would yield greater and greater returns, He announced that there would be a decreasing harvest—"some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.’’ In the second parable, our Lord revealed the field as over-sown with "tares," and declared that these should continue until the harvest-time, which He defined as "the end of the age." This fixes beyond all doubt the evil consequences of the Enemy’s work, and positively forbids the expectation of a world won to Christ during this present dispensation, Christ plainly warned us that the evil effects of the Devil’s labors at the beginning of the age would never be repaired. The crop as a whole is spoiled! Thus this third parable cannot teach that the failure of things in the hands of men will be removed and reversed.

Second, the figure here selected by Christ should at once expose the fallacy of the popular interpretation. Surely our Lord would never have taken a mustard-seed. which afterwards became a "tree," ever rooting itself deeper and deeper in the earth, to portray that people whose calling, hope, citizenship, and destiny is heavenly. Again and again He affirmed that His people were "not of the world." Again, a great tree with its towering branches speaks of prominence and loftiness, but lowliness and suffering, not prominence and exaltation, are the present portion of the New Testament saints. The more any church of Christ climbs the ladder of worldly fame the more it sinks spiritually. That which is represented by this "tree" is not a people who are "strangers and pilgrims" down here, but a system whose roots lie deeply in the earth and which aims at greatness and expansion in the world.

link to this article on the parable of the mustard seed

Link to the entire book on Arthur Pinks Exposition of Jesus's Kingdom Parables

Matthew Ward

His voice reminds me of Steve Perry's (Journey) voice

2nd Chapter of Acts- Matthew Ward

It Is Well With My Soul

O Sacred Head Now Wounded

"That Was the Galatian's Error...."

 JESUS DIED FOR ME!!!!

"That was the Galatian's error, Jesus plus... and the gospel is JESUS ONLY."