Babel of Languages

06/06/2012

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      We’ve read the stories of the Creation, the Flood, and the Tower of Babel in Genesis. We believe that these stories tell of an active God carrying out the creation of man in a deliberate fashion.
      The Bible is not the only ancient writing that tells of a creation, flood, and original single language for mankind. Scholars have deciphered writings from all over Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Asia Minor with many other societies believing that these events actually happened, though accounts of retelling vary according to the people and their religions. 
      But, though God separated the languages of the people in Genesis, He separated them again in the book of Acts, to bring the people of Earth together in the Gospel. 
     I see the book of Acts as an itinerary of the mission of the Gospel to all nations. Starting there with the speaking of the Gospel in every language, to the vision to Peter that the Gospel was for every race of man when Cornelious was ready to hear of Jesus, to Apostle Paul carrying the gospel to Europe in the far corners of the Mediterranean; Acts reveals the spread of the Word of God to every language.
      Despite the fact that the spoken Word was in every language, the written Word was not, and still isn’t today. A quick scan of the facts from the Bible Societies website gives us some startling facts. Of the 6,912 languages in the world, only 451 languages have a translation of the whole Bible. Some 2,479 languages have part of the Bible. This leaves 4,421 languages still waiting for even one book of the Bible.
     Biblicadirect.com is a website that allows you to purchase Bibles in many of these languages by the case. You can even create your own cover for these Bibles, specific for a ministry or church. But, the point of course is to get the Gospel out to all people. 
     A couple of tools that will help you in your research in this area are the SwordSearcher software available online, and the book, Readings from the Ancient Near East, by Arnold & Beyer.
Psalm 147:15  He sends forth his commandment upon earth: his word runs very swiftly.

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What Things Are You Changing... Pilgrim?

05/16/2012

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     I used to read Westerns as a teen-ager, and John Wayne...the Duke... was one of my favorites to watch on tv. The Sundance Kid was my favorite book. But, John Wayne had this serious, no "hawg-warsh" attitude that I could really feed on. I find myself still to this day having a hard time keeping my mouth shut when I think somebody's logic is a little fuzzy. I find that you just can't educate the redneck out of hillbillies sometimes. They say you can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl. But, I had somebody trying to tell me, recently that since A-B=C, we could subtract C and end up with A. I got so mad I was seeing stars. But, I just quietly said, "I don't git it," like the kids say in school. "That sounds like a bunch of hog wash to me," I mumbled in a quiet voice while staring em down.
     I didn't want to do that. I tried hard to just let it go. But, I couldn't listen to such a crazy, uninformed reasoning without saying that I just didn't like it.
     John Wayne had this habit of calling strangers, "Pilgrim." He was a pilgrim himself, usually, just riding through you know? A pilgrim travels, in a progressive way, usually. John Bunyon, author of a Christian classic allegory called Pilgrim's Progress, wrote about a Christian's journey from the perspective of a pilgrim, because we are pilgrims. Bunyon once said that, "You can do more than pray after you've prayed. But, you can not do more than pray before you've prayed." I think this holds a lot of truth. Prayer alone is usually never enough. But anything without prayer is usually too much. So much time can be saved by getting help. That is, if you plan to make progress, Pilgrim.
Psalm 91:14-16  Because he has set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he has known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.
     This clip of "Greg Says Grace " from Meet the Parents  on Movie Clip is really quite funny. It emphasizes how a child or even an adult might feel when praying for the first time. Prayer seems to come naturally, or rather easily for small children. But the older we get, and the longer we suppress the natural inclination to, "cry out to Jesus," the more difficult it becomes to experience the reality of a relationship with God. It becomes tantamount to trying to pick up a foreign language for the first time in your sixties.
     So, what's eating you, Pilgrim? Cry out to Jesus now, before you find yourself at the end of yer trail, face-first in the tumbleweeds.
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You Bless Him

11/06/2011

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Psalms 103:1-5  Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless
his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who
forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life
from destruction; who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who
satisfies your mouth with good things; so that your youth is renewed like the
eagle's.
     The word bless is a two-edged sword, much like the love between a parent and child. There is no denying that a parent's love is usually reciprocated. It's just a different kind of love. The love of a parent for a child can be consuming, but it is definitely multi-faceted. It includes within it love of self and selfless love at the same time. It can be self-sacrificing. It is characterized by a fascination with watching the child and an appreciation of all the child does. But, the love of a child for a parent is not really characterized by any of these things. It is the result of being on the receiving end of all these benefits. A child loves their parent usually, because "he first loved me."
     On the one side, to bless means for God or man to give a person some benefit. You can bless someone with your words, love, deeds, or possessions. God's blessings are rightfully pursued and of great benefit. But, it is childish in the above sense to seek his benefits without being aware of His hand that has given so much to us. On the other side, to bless God means to adore Him. We have no benefits to bestow but our love and adoration. This is again like a parent and child. The greatest gift a child can return to his parent is to love and honor the parent.
     What can you bless the Lord with? Only you know.
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Coffee Talk - Night Vision

10/27/2011

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     The following is a brief early morning sharing of Psalm 139:1-12 while  having my morning coffee. I hope it blesses you in some way. Have a great day!
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