Something Greater

A New Folder - An Illustration of Faith | Hebrews 12:2-4 The image above is an illustration of faith. It's a reminder of how in one way I've expressed my faith...faithfully. It's evidence of my confident expectation that I'll continue to express my faith next year. Today is December 31, 2017. It's about 9:00 am. I'm not feeling especially well now...struggling with symptoms of a head and chest cold...head heavy, runny nose, tired, sneezing and coughing. But I'm working on next Sunday's podcast . I've recorded and posted an audio podcast weekly (nearly weekly...life sometimes happens and I've skipped a few weeks here and there). It's a podcast of me reading aloud four different passages from The Holy Bible, based on the Common Revised Lectionary. I started the podcast in 2016. My first post to SoundCloud was for Sunday, March 6, 2016. It's no longer available on SoundCloud because I have only the free account, which limits my pos...

Isaiah 11, Part 3: The Signal The LORD will make "the root of Jesse", the divinely Righteous Judge of the world, to stand as a signal. Isaiah 11:10 (ESV) In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. SIGNAL: nes "nace" (a flag or sail; a flagstaff, signal or token); from nasas (to gleam from afar; to be conspicuous as a signal) The first instance of "signal" is found in the Book of Numbers: Numbers 21:8-9 (ESV) The LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live." So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. "Pole" is the same word as "signal". David composed a psalm which referred to a banner, using the same word as "signal": Psalm 60:4 (...

Isaiah 11, Part 2: Fearing the LORD Isaiah referred to fear of the LORD as something admirable. Isaiah 11:3 (ESV) His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, FEAR: yir'a "yir-AW" (fear or moral reverence); from yare (to fear, to revere; to frighten) The root word of "fear of the LORD" is a word meaning an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat (The New Oxford American Dictionary). "Fear" comes from an Old English word meaning calamity or danger. Adam feared punishment after disobeying God's command regarding the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 3:10). Jacob feared the loss of his wives after tricking Laban (Genesis 31:31). The Israelites feared pain and injury from serpents, scorpions and desert (Deuteronomy 8:15). Rather than describing someone running away ...

Isaiah 9, Part 1: The Promised Prince (verses 1-7) Previously in chapter 8: With his child's name as an omen, Isaiah responded to God's inspiration and preached a warning to "this people", the Jews in Israel and Judah. They would be inundated by an invasion from Assyria, shattering their idolatrous fear and superstition. Distress, darkness and gloom would bring the people anguish. Overview of chapter 9: Those without hope in the LORD would suffer the gloom of anguish, but for those once thought contemptible there will be no such gloom. A Child would come from Zebulun Naphtali, a Son Who would be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. Yet the present circumstances are dire. God's anger brings Assyrians, Syrians and Philistines against Israel. The horrors of war and genocide become terrifying symbols of Israel's moral and spiritual wickedness against the LORD. The Promised Prince of Peace (verses 1-7) In t...

Isaiah 8: Waiting and Hoping (Part 4 of 4) VERSES 16-22 The Prophecy Isaiah's voice now becomes personal, speaking perhaps for himself, or perhaps as the One chosen by the LORD. The testimony of Isaiah given him by the LORD is to be bound and sealed, kept secure and sacred by disciples of the LORD. Isaiah proclaims himself and his children as signs and portents from the LORD, warning the people to reject mediums and necromancers. Rather, the people are to cling to the word of God alone, else they will perish. After Isaiah had inscribed "Maher-shalal-hash-baz" in a tablet and displayed it in public, it is likely he wrote in more detail in a parchment roll: Isaiah 30:8 (ESV) And now, go, write it before them on a tablet and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come as a witness forever. The book would be sealed in order that nothing be added or taken out, but also to imply that it relates to distant events and is therefore a sealed and not ...

Psalm 12: The Godly One Is Gone To the choirmaster: according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David. Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man. Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts, those who say, "With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is master over us?" "Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise," says the Lord; "I will place him in the safety for which he longs." The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. You, O Lord, will keep them; you will guard us from this generation forever. On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the children of man. WHAT DO YOU THINK? Tell about a time when you felt alone in...

Psalm 10: Standing Far Away "Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised. "For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord. In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, There is no God. "His ways prosper at all times; your judgments are on high, out of his sight; as for all his foes, he puffs at them. He says in his heart, I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity. "His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity. He sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places he murders the innocent. His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless; "He lurks in ambush like a lion in hi...