Scripture Treasures

For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding ~ Proverbs 2:6 There may be other ways to find wisdom, for mankind does not declare that God is the only way, nor the only source. The claim is that wisdom can be gained by talking with others who have learned skills and experienced life opposite to them. The mistake that is made though, is there may be confusion between what is wisdom and what is craft. A wise person cannot maintain his character without always doing what is right and just. No one can persuade him that doing what is wrong is of real benefit. However, a crafty person thinks that all means and all measures will bring him to his point, and if it is righteousness that will bring him there, fine, but if truth is on the other side, he will do that thing. The difference between wisdom and cunning is the wise person will study how to be wise and good, whereas the cunning person is content with the shadow and the appearance of goodness. This confi

Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God ~ 1 Peter 1:21 Through Jesus we believe in God. Through Jesus we see God as He is. The Jews had known God, His love, His guidance, His care, but He was far away. Only during the time when God led the Israelite's out of Egypt could they see visually a representation of God in the fire and the cloud that led them by day and night, but that was their only visual experience: until Jesus. When Christ walked this earth, He healed those with disease, He physically touched the untouchable, He loved the unlovable, the downcast, the outcast, the stranger. Jesus showed the world how God loved, and He showed the character of God in human form. His ultimate representation of love came on the cross as Jesus gave up his life to spare the lives of those who believe in Him. It is through Christ’s resurrection and ascension we are able to believe. Without the resurrection, Je

Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done ~ Matthew 21:21 A few days ago, I talked about faith from the Hebrews 11:1 scripture. It is hoping for what we cannot visually see, but that we, through the indwelling Holy Spirit can spiritually visualize. Faith distinguishes between those things which are unreal and illusive and enables us to feel and act as if they were real. Jesus is talking to his disciples in this verse, and tells them that God’s power, which reaches into all things, will enable them to perform miracles in His name. It is to acknowledge that God can and will perform things that are above the strength of nature because He created all things. Our mind must be steadfast in faith, with no hesitation or doubting. We too often see our discouragements and difficulties and give them more power than God

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law ~ Galatians 5:22, 23 Jesus used images people could relate to when he spoke in parable form. Often people listening to him would hear stories about wheat, sowing seeds, and fishing. Paul uses the same type of imagery when he describes the Spirit of God when He comes to live inside the people that love Jesus. We are transformed by the Holy Spirit, by the grace of God as he inhabits our being. Paul says a bad seed produced a bad tree, bearing fruit which also was bad, whereas the good seed produced a good tree with fruit which was superior in every way. When we live without God in our heart we are the bad tree with bad fruit. When God comes into our heart and we are redeemed, the bad tree becomes a good tree with good fruit and the result is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see ~ Hebrews 11:1 There is no other verse I can think of which declares what true faith is by definition. Eternal life depends on the existence of faith, for it is our goal at the end of life here on earth. Faith gives that reality to the things hoped for. Faith lies in contradiction to what is unreal or imaginary, for faith in fact imparts reality into the thoughts and mind and heart. Though we may not see what we hope for, faith distinguishes between those things which are unreal and illusive, and enables us to feel and act as if they were real. The interesting aspect about faith is that as long as it continues, whether it is well-founded or not, it gives all the force of reality to what is believed. We feel and act as if it were so, or as if the object were before our very eyes. We do not see God, or heaven, or angels, or crowns of glory, but we have faith in them. I may pray that the “mountains”

But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit ~ Jude 1:20 Building and edifying each other is our goal as Christians. We are to build each other up, not tear each other down as so often is seen in the body. Not only as a church should we build, but as individuals. We are the “architect of our own character”, and no one can do this but us. We must have a firm foundation in Christ, so our house must first be a good house for God to live in. This knowledge for building comes from the Scriptures, by the Word of God. Through the reading, in fact the digesting of God’s Word our hearts are made fit for God’s house. The Scriptures are the foundation, and the essential part, if what we build is to stand. Our efforts, works, wisdom, piety cannot build this foundation for our human nature is likened to quicksand. Then, when our foundation is secure, or “built upon a Rock”, as Jesus once said, the Holy Spirit will guide where each e

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith ~ 2 Timothy 4:7 The Christian life is a warfare in the spiritual realm more often than we may realize. We battle against sin, our fleshly desires, and the devil who is alive and well and prowls around seeing who he can devour. Paul says he has run the race and fought well to the finish line. He knew what the prize was as his eyes were fastened on Christ. To be like Christ is our goal – to love as he loved, to pursue what is just and right, to fight the powers of darkness with Truth. These are what the good fight is all about. And the fight is for every day of our life. My daughter swims in Special Olympics and when she races the duration is short and timed. Not so with the race we are in as Christians. It occurs every day until the day when we will meet up with our Lord and pass through the gates into eternal life. Paul kept the faith throughout, not only objectively but subjectively! It was as much an

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the  Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint ~ Isaiah 40:30, 31 I watch little children in my family run around, it seems with boundless energy. They jump, and run, and dance, and preen around, never seeming to stop. Until of course, it is nap time. Then their little bodies begin to crash in exhaustion. This is the comparison Isaiah is making between youth and God. Young children who seem vigorous, or young men who seem extra strong in their manliness, or young women who train hard in physical fitness become weary and their powers are suddenly exhausted. The most fit human being will be worn down by fatigue or paralyzed by sickness or death. In stark contrast, the powers of God never grow weary, and those who trust in him should never become faint. The prophet next compares that man or woman wh

Look to the  Lord  and his strength; seek his face always ~ 1 Chronicles 16:11 David has just brought the ark to Jerusalem, to a place he had prepared for it. This was the event where David danced before the Lord as the ark was carried before all the people. It was a great celebration in Jerusalem. The ark at that time held the persona of God within it. Where the ark was, God was. Where the ark sat, blessings abounded. The ark was the instrument of God’s power for God’s people, for here it was thought God dwelled and displayed His wonders to not only the Israelite’s, but to other nations. When they captured it, for them, the ark became a curse of wonders. Here, in praise, David sings a song which encourages the seeker, for in worship the grace of God is found. Not only is God’s grace secured, but so is the success of the worshipper. This is not a success of gold or prestige; it is the success of fully finding their aim and wish or desire in God. To seek God’s face is to seek

“There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God ~ 1 Samuel 2:2 Holiness is an attribute no false god can make or attain. The God of Israel alone is holy. In these words there is great emotion, for the writer is devoted, warm even, in his attention to the holiness of God. Holiness is to be unspotted, unblemished; it is to be gloriously perfect. Jesus, the perfect image of God, is the One we turn to as redeemed persons. We rejoice in His holiness glorified, for in it we have the promise of eternal life. In our God, there is none that can stand beside, none that can compare. Not one can measure up in love, forgiveness, patience, mercy, grace, and redemption. And God is our Rock,   first described by Moses in his song of praise. This is our encouragement from God, for a rock is not easily moved or broken. A rock is a shelter and refuge, and often rocks were formed together to make a habitation in which to live. The Lord is the Rock of

My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty ~ Malachi 1:11 A prophetic word has a double purpose: to bring hope and higher faith to the church as well as to warn and comfort and instruct the church. This prophecy exclaims the revelation of God’s name among all peoples of the world. His name will be great because He will be known, and He can only be known if He reveals himself. God reveals himself to the Israelite’s during a very dark time in their history, a four-hundred year darkness. Malachi gives the people a word – the Lord will come! The light will shine, offerings will be offered and incense will burn in praise to God. All will celebrate God in a spiritual worship, but also a worship which will invade every place. The Good News of Jesus Christ is opening up in new languages every year as it is tra

But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me ~ Psalm 22:19 This verse and chapter relate to Jesus Christ. On the cross, He uttered or lived out many of the words centuries after they had been written. It is one of the prophetic chapters of the foretelling of a Saviour, fulfilled in Jesus Christ. If even the perfect human being, Jesus, prays for strength and for His Lord to be close to Him, we most certainly can and should not feel we are weak in doing so as well. Our human nature is weak. Jesus, as God, knew that soon He would be raised again to life, He knew that what He suffered would not leave Him in the grave eternally, but that He would conquer the devil! Yet, still as a human, He called out for help. Perhaps the issue is not so much the weakness of the man, but the strength of the God he calls out to for aid. God, the divine, is the power by which Christ sustained this horrific conflict. God, the divine is the power by which you and I

He said: “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry ~ Jonah 2:2 From the belly of a fish, Jonah gives thanks to God for listening to him, and rescuing him. It seems out of place in many ways. Jonah had thrown himself overboard from the great ship on which he had tried to hide himself from God, expecting to die in the waves of the sea. Instead, he finds himself in the belly of a fish, and one would think his mind would be enveloped by the new death surrounding him, waiting to die. Yet, what looked like death actually became safe-keeping. The prophet, now in this huge animal, was now willing to be carried about as God directed. A big turn of events had changed his attitude about God’s will for him. And in this he gave thanks. God was dealing with him, and that was enough. From “deep in the realm of the dead” he cried out to God. David in psalm 18:5 wrote: “The bands of death compassed

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing ~ Zephaniah 3:17 A word of promise and hope today, for all who read here. The Lord is in your midst, He is in covenant with you, and “If God be for us who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). What will He not do for you since He is the Mighty Warrior who saves? Isaiah said in 33:22: “Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong and do not fear; your God will come, He will come with vengeance; with divine retribution He will come to save you”. And He will fill you with His love, joy, and peace, for in God the three exist in joined pattern, undivided. His love rests on you because you are the object of His love. He is pleased with your sacrifices, and the longing of your soul, which will be fulfilled by Him. We seek and long for that which we canno

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life ~ John 3:16 A sample of this type of love is shown through the story of Abraham and Isaac, as Abraham takes his son and prepares to make him an offering to God. We can relate to Abraham, for how many of us would so willingly take our child and in such a violent way, offer them as a sacrifice. Yet, it did also happen in the Canaanite world of the Old Testament. Molech is the god associated with child sacrifice as his victims were thrown into his fire. There are however, several scriptures in the Bible which reference the Israelites not to “cause their sons or daughters to pass through the fire” of Molech. The difference between Abraham and the Canaanites was one of worship. God wanted to know how much Abraham desired to obey and love him; Molech’s sacrifices were meant to appease an angry god. Which brings us to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, offered a

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud ~ 1 Corinthians 13:4 Love, or charity, has a long mind. I like that definition – a long mind. It means that it takes a long time for trials, hardships, persecutions and affronts to reach Loves end. It means that love, which resembles God’s love, suffers all the weaknesses, errors, and ailments of the children of God. This is not just for a brief period of time, but long, without end; for to be a person with this type of love calls for a mind that is still, peaceful, and it waits God’s time of accomplishing His purposes. Paul next says love is kind. It is tender and compassionate, mild and gentle; this love creates trouble to no one, and if called to suffer, does so with sweetness. Paul   talks about a terrible vice and destructive power if left unchecked, that of envy. It is the “I’m only” voice. “You are better than me, because I’m only…” or “You have more than me, because I’m only…” It is the

Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you ~ Isaiah 54:10 The idea of a mountain is that it will remain forever, that it is everlasting, so this concept of a mountain being shaken was an unrestful image. The image continues though, for though the mountain is thought to be everlasting, gradually they crumble away. I was just reading the Dennison Forum, where he speaks about a new essay written by David Brooks entitled: The Nuclear Family Was a Mistake. He writes about the demise of the family unit which is fragmented from many sectors into single-parent families into chaotic families or no families. There are now more families with pets than children. Children, he writes, are especially affected by the breakdown of the nuclear family. It is as though we have driven our car into the ditch, or, to relate it to this scripture, the hills hav

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love ~ Ephesians 4:2 To be completely humble in our walk with each other means that we esteem the other better than ourselves. This is opposite to what the non-Christian seeks after, for they seek self-glory. Humility in the Ephesian culture was actually despised, yet here, Paul calls them to forsake their natural way of living and to come into the realm of the unnatural. Meekness, or gentleness as in the NIV translation relates to how we receive injuries. We are to bear them patiently, to not seek revenge or to retaliate. The power of the Gospel is shown when we bear injuries without anger and with a mild and forgiving spirit. There is not one who is perfect, but Jesus, and we are all different in our tastes, our upbringing, our learned experiences, and we take all these different attributes into our lived life. We are all full of faults and infirmities, and we must remember that as we are not perfect, ne

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God ~ 1 John 4:7 Hatred, anger, envy, cruelty, all have their source elsewhere, for these feelings do not come from God. He does not approve of these feelings, nor does He commend them in us, and He certainly does not originate them. If you are dealing with these emotions, they are not godlike. The love John is talking about is agape love, the love one has for a brother or sister. It is the love of charity. True love comes from God, for God is love to its utmost. It is the foundation of our Christian faith, and it is the foundation of the world. God loved us so much He sent His Son to die on a cross for our sin, to take our place of punishment. If God loved us as much as that, we ought to love others with that same love. John knew our human heart though, which is why this has been written. He knew we were slow at times to love as God loves. He knew that our hearts c

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another ~ John 13:34 Leviticus 19:18 and Mark 12:31 both command us to love our neighbour as ourself, so how is what John writes a new commandment? Jesus answers this question: “As I have loved you.” This is more than what was written earlier and spoken earlier, it is a greater fulfillment of the Mosaic Law, for Jesus not only loved his neighbour as himself, but loved him more than himself. He laid down His life for His neighbour! We are called therefore, to give our lives for each other as we imitate Christ. This was how Jesus’ followers were to be distinguished from others. Previous to this, the Jew was known by his external rites, the way he dressed, wore his hair, etc. This new command would be above any other distinguishing mark be it of country, colour, or race. Christians were to look out for each other, befriend each other, support each other, and promote each other’s welfare. Jesus’ lo

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” ~ Mark 12:30, 31 I always thought I understood this verse. To love God with all my heart, mind and strength meant to love Him with everything that I had, I was, and could be. And that is true, but what I did not understand was that I could fail Him without my knowledge, simply because love is such a big word. In God’s realm, love is perfect. In mine, it is imperfect. I can claim to love God, but does my love for Him bring from my life the righteousness and true holiness of the One I love? I have to say that I am not consistent in this. I am too often weak and unholy. My obedience, though I want it to be constant, sometimes is not; my inward affections are at times swayed, and my obedience is not always cheerful and willing allowing the fruit of the Holy Spirit to sh

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you ~ James 1:5 Wisdom is that quality we gain from experiences in life, and as mature Christians, we become wise as we walk with God seeking His counsel. There is no greater need for wisdom in a Christian’s life than when we face trials, or disappointments, or grief which may come upon us. The kind of wisdom we need during our trials is that which enables us to understand their strategy and trend, and to perform as a Christ follower under them. What are the lessons which God designs to teach us, for there is always a valuable lesson in our affliction. What sins have we caused, and how can we avoid them in the future are thoughts we must be aware of so that we can learn the lesson God has in mind for us. When we complain, murmur, or become rebellious, we lose the benefits we may have been granted had we submitted to the trial in a proper manner. It is there

Consider the blameless, observe the upright; a future awaits those who seek peace ~ Psalm 37:37 Who are the blameless? There is not one of us who cannot look to our past and consider the blame we must bear upon ourselves. We are all guilty of something. But let us look closer at this person…who can we describe as blameless? This is one that has become perfect in their soul. The only people that can be labelled so are those who are saved by the blood of the cross! Jesus died that we might be redeemed, might be made saints, might be made whole in His sight. This person has been saved from their sin, and now lives in a way that their conduct displays the love of God. It does not matter now whether they live or die, for they have a future of peace in the heavenly realm with the God that saved them. This is an end which contrasts the way of those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the one whom has received the pardon of the Son, and now lives in obedience to God. How blessed

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people” ~ Matthew 4:19 Most of us are followers, we find someone to attach ourselves to and we are led by them, either to do good, or sometimes, to do what is bad. Our attachments and emotions at times do us wrong when we follow someone into evil. We imitate their nature, their principles, their attitudes, and when those we follow are bent on corruption, unless we have a strong will of our own, we blindly follow. This is why we are called sheep by the Lord. We follow the pack. Where it goes, we go, scurrying back and forth, sometimes to the edge of a precipice. Jesus calls us to follow him, to imitate him, to believe in what he says and does, and in every way, we are called to stay close behind him. But He will not lead us to and fro, He will not lead us into evil practices. Instead, He will lead us to attaining more than we had ever imagined. We follow as we are admitted into a partnership of ministry. We are

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest ~ Matthew 11:28 Are you weary and tired today? It is not hard to feel so in these dismal days of winter. The sun does not shine brightly, the days are cold, snowy, and if the weather does warm up a bit, it is rainy and overcast. This is the climate that I live in, and maybe you do as well. Weariness seeps into the body and the soul. There is One though, who is our light in the day, the sunshine of our soul, and his name is Jesus. He tells us if we are weary and burdened to come to him. It is an interesting call, for it indeed calls us to simply believe in him, and if we do, he will care for us. It calls for the longing of a child to find comfort in the security of a parent or an older sibling. And in the answered call comes the relief. We can give over our problems, our cares and concerns, our sins and guilt, our oppressed spirit, our not feeling “good enough”, and we pass them on to Him. Our ill-fitting

Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it ~ Psalm 34:14 Evil is always close by. It rests on the tips of our tongues, in the look of our eyes, in the steps we will take. Evil keeps a closeness we do not like to admit. But evil has been conquered! We are not subject to its power, unless we so choose, but it has no victory in those whom have received forgiveness for the repentance of their sins through Jesus. We must be wary though, for it can lure us, so we must, as the Apostle Paul put it, wear our full armor to protect ourselves. To turn from evil is to shun it and to decline its lustful call; to then do good to those around us. There is no better way to live than by doing good to others. In this way we show God’s love to people, and when our actions come from correct principles of faith and love, the glory of our doing good to others brings glory to God. It is so easy to get caught up in emotional stresses which lead to our emotional outbursts, but if in the deepes

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight ~ Proverbs 3:5, 6 God asks only one thing from us, yet, so often we falter in completely trusting in Him. From the ancient Israelite’s to those who are now Jesus’ followers, we gather all our resources from the world and expect those securities to sustain us. We seek earthly reassurances and then rely solely upon them. We place our trust in stocks, and our assets, in our employment and social contacts, in our company and our family. All these may fail. The stock market can crash, our assets burn down. We may lose our job and our social contacts may turn against us. The long-standing company we work for, and are employed by, may close and fold, and our loved ones may pass away. Not one is secure. Only by trusting in God are we granted what is the Divine life. When we trust in Him, we are one with Him. Through Him we are promised peace

Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools ~ Ecclesiastes 7:9 A wise person, may, when they allow, or when their guard is down, feel anger, but he will not rest in it. The flame of anger is soon put under control, and anger is cast away, and peace resumes. The flip side is the foolish person who is controlled by their own tempers. He will brood in his anger until it takes on the form of malice and revenge. Whether you are in fact an “enemy” does not matter, for he sees you as one, and he acts upon that image. Some of us have upbringings that cause us to react quickly to any sense of threat. But, what is best is to put the past behind, and whether that is distant past, or an hour ago, the best form of action is to take a deep breath and slow down. Pride is our worst enemy, and often our pride can raise our thoughts to passionate excitement. We want to act out to prove our worth, or prove we were right, or, just to get things “back under our

I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side ~ Psalm 3:5, 6 Many years ago, I was getting myself out of a psychologically abusive relationship. Words like these, which I read from the Scriptures, were ones I clung to for assurance and confidence in the God who had opened my eyes to truth. Those were hard times, but I believed in what the Word was saying to me. I was a new Christian, and so I needed these words to ring true, I needed to know that I was believing in a God who would sustain me. He did. I had only one “enemy”, not tens of thousands, but it was enough to challenge me. It is difficult getting out of abuse, it is challenging to accept that has been one’s lot in life. I thought I was strong, could do it all on my own, but when I found Jesus, I discovered I was weak, feeble, and unable to help myself. It was a scary time in my life, but every day I seemed to gain strength through His m