PerryDox

Posted By PHall on August 16, 2016

What is one of the most powerful God-created sources that is untamed and will always remain untamed? The sea. Considering its strength, what did God choose to control this mighty creation of His? Sand. “Do you not tremble before Me, the One who set the sand as the boundary of the sea, an enduring barrier that it cannot cross? The waves surge, but they cannot prevail. They roar but cannot pass over it” (Jer.5:22). Notice the violent words describing the sea: surge and roar. Then remember what prevails against them: sand. Not towering cliffs of rock bordering every sea and ocean. Sand. What’s the point? God chooses weak things to demonstrate the real power is always God. We find this same principle in 1 Cor.1:27-28: “Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world – what is viewed as nothing – to bring to nothing what is viewed as something.” The gospel is the sand. We are as the sand, weak and insignificant; but chosen by God to withstand the surging and roaring of Satan’s weapons. Endure, rebuff, and remember God is the true power.

Category: Jeremiah | No Comments »
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Posted By PHall on July 23, 2016

The most amazing aspect of Jesus’ ministry is not that He loved the sinner while hating the sin; or loved those who hated Him. After all, we shouldn’t really be amazed at anything Divinity can do because God is God. When I am amazed at God I am looking at him through my sinfulness. What amazes me the most about Jesus’ ministry is how many immoral sinners loved Him because He loved them. Understand, Jesus didn’t have the cross – not yet – to say to the sinner, “See how much God loves you!” Jesus just had His life which said, “See how much God loves you!” I want to live that life!

Category: Matthew | No Comments »
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Posted By PHall on July 13, 2016

No doubt there are boring parts of the Bible, just like there are boring parts to our lives. But if we find the Bible boring then we have no imagination nor interest in anything mysterious. That is because there is nothing more intriguing, irrational, and irritating than human beings. Which makes this God of ours the most intriguing, somehow rational, and dare we say to our limited minds irritating, and therefore the most mysterious being in or out of the universe. To say it is boring is an insult to our own intelligence.

Category: Bible | No Comments »
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Posted By PHall on July 13, 2016

Jeremiah 33:5 – “I have hidden My face from this city because of all their wickedness” Herein might be the true way to view suffering. Bad things happen not because of God causes them (although language is used that way), but because stops protecting His people (language is also used this way). Considering God sends the rain on the righteous and unrighteous, and considering we live in a world cursed by sin, it is appropriate to thank God for His daily protection. Without God’s protection, that’s the real cause of suffering in this world. This world is both a taste of heaven and hell. Hell when God allows the curse its full power and heaven when the curse is kept away.

Category: Jeremiah | No Comments »
Tags: Suffering

Posted By PHall on June 30, 2016

“I want to be wrong.” Jeremiah prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem and a 70 year exile. Hananiah prophesied it would only last 2 years. Jeremiah responded saying “Amen! May the LORD do so” (Jer.28:6). Jeremiah wanted to be wrong. In bible class last night someone said the problem too many have is they want to be right. I think on a list such as this we should all want to be wrong. Such an attitude keeps at bay the thought “I’ve heard all the arguments before already.” It also keeps at bay answering without thinking. If we want to be right, first we have to want to be wrong.

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Posted By PHall on June 30, 2016

Levels of Acceptance – Years ago I read a study on the three levels of accepting truth: Intellectual, Personal, Universal. When a sinner studies baptism and accepts the truth, the first stage is intellectual. Unfortunately we all have seen sinners stop there. They know baptism is when we accept God’s grace, but they will not apply. The next stage is personal which is when a sinner breaks down the barrier that keeps them from applying what they know on a personal level. They act and are baptized, accepting mercy through faith. The last stage is universal wherein they accept if this is true for me then it is true for everyone. This final acceptance takes time for some, while others immediately see the logical truth. What is the applied action to accepting the universal application? In the example of baptism it is evangelism. As to why some Christians never preach the good news of grace, one answer is they have stopped the logical progression of the application of truth: 1) It is true; 2) If it is true, then it is true for me, so I act; 3) If it is true, and it is true for me, then it is true for all, so I act. “Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). What level of truth have you accepted?

Category: Acts | No Comments »
Tags: Baptism, Evangelism, Grace

Posted By PHall on June 15, 2016

There is a phrase, “Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.” Jeremiah present us with a more terrifying scenario. King Zedekiah asks Jeremiah, “Ask the LORD on our behalf, since Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the LORD will perform for us something like all His past wonderful works so that Nebuchadnezzar will withdraw from us” (Jeremiah 21:2). Unlike with Hezekiah and Judah, there was not personal and national repentance with Zedekiah and Judah. They are not interested in God, just in God’s protection. Therefore God’s answer is far different: “I will repel the weapons of war in your hands, those you are using to fight the king of Babylon” (Jeremiah 21:4). So if we are only wanting what God can do for us, but not wanting God Himself, “Be careful what you pray for, you just might get the exact opposite.”

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Posted By PHall on June 14, 2016

NASB

A – MALE DEACONS 8) Deacons [diakonos] likewise must be men [added] of dignity [semnos], not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain, 9) but holding to the mystery of the faith [pistis] with a clear conscience.

B – BEFORE APPOINTMENT 10) These [houtos] men [added] must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons [diakoneō for entire phrase “serve as deacons] if they are beyond reproach.

C – FEMALES (DEACONS?) 11) Women [gunē] must likewise [hōsautōs] be dignified [semnos], not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful [pistos] in all things.

A’ – MALE DEACONS 12) Deacons [diakonos] must be husbands [anēr] of only one wife [gunē], and good [kalōs] managers of their children and their own households.

B’ – AFTER APPOINTMENT 13) For those [ho] who have served well [kalōs] as deacons [diakoneō for entire phrase “served…as deacons] obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith [pistis] that is in Christ Jesus.

A,A’ – Repeated Words: diakonos (vv.8,13); pistis (vv.9,13)

B,B’ – Repeated Words: diakoneō  (vv.10,13); Related Words: houtos (v.10) and ho (v.13)

A,C – While A is male deacons (and not all deacons due to the the use of likewise/hosautos); the women/wives are given the same character trait (vv.8,11).

A,C,B’ – A and B’ use pistis while C uses pistos. A refers to males, and C to females, and B’ appears to be a conclusion referring to all.

Interpretations of C – That it is in the middle of a section obviously on deacons means there must be a connection to that topic. The two main interpretations are: 1) Gune should be translated women and mean female deacons; 2) Gune should be translated wives and refers to the wives of the deacons. This seems unlikely since there are no qualifications given for elder’s wives; although some argue it implies qualifications for elders’ wives. A third possibility is gune should be translated wives but should be understood to mean the female deacons, like the male deacons, must also be married.

Category: I Timothy | No Comments »
Tags: Deaconesses

Posted By PHall on June 8, 2016

Sovereignty of God! But please notice contrary to the Calvinistic doctrine of Sovereignty, God allows man to freely choose his own fate! If we take this visual aid and parable too far, further than intended, we have God – the potter – having the clay – people – become flawed “in His own hands.”

If God is Sovereign, can He choose for man to have free will? If He cannot, then He is not sovereign!

• Sovereignty means God chooses to punish and reward based upon man’s free will.
• Sovereignty does not mean God chooses to punish and reward based regardless of free will.

The point is that God’s sovereignty is based upon His love. “Can I not do?” is a question God asks, and the answer must always be understood that whatever God does is consistent with His character.

It is important not to read into more than the illustration is intended to teach. Calvinists do this in removing God’s explanation of the molding being based upon man’s use of his free will (which they deny). As an example of limiting the illustration’s point, look at the following:  But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter (v.4). Potter’s make mistakes – does God?

Category: Jeremiah | No Comments »
Tags: Calvinism

Posted By PHall on June 8, 2016

For those who see doom in the future for America (and could be right), please remember this passage from Jeremiah (too often a neglected book): Jeremiah 17:7-8 (HCSB) (7) The man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence indeed is the LORD, is blessed. (8) He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit. – Don’t fear the heat!

Category: Jeremiah | No Comments »
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