Web Chapel

Serving the Saints

Category: A Word With Friends

These are short devotional studies based on a single word or short phrase. Most are observations and lessons discovered in the life my family and me.

  • Fix our eyes on Him

    “ Heaven joys shall soon await us on the Day we reach its’ shore,
    Meanwhile we must live the promise that one day we’ll weep no more.

    Chorus
    May our journey be the brighter and our soul at rest down here,
    ‘Till we reach our home in glory, where our hearts will never fear!

    Oh the weakness of this body and the sorrows of these years,
    will soon one day all be vanquished when we leave this veil of tears.

    For this little while we journey walking by our Saviours’ side
    May our eyes be fixed on Jesus ‘till at last with Him abide.”

    <>< written by D.A.C.
    9/1/2021….
    sing to the tune of
    “ Rise my soul behold ‘this Jesus” or
    To the tune of “ Come Thou fount of every blessing”
    8.7 8.7 D.
    To God be all the glory.
    😉🙌

  • Upright Man

    “Truly, this only I have found: That God made man upright, But they have sought out many schemes.”
    Ecclesiastes 7:29 29

    God created man in his own image (Genesis 1. 26) and He made him to stand upright. Solomon, the author of Ecclesiastes, was a great king, the son of David and he truly had a handle on what man is really like. In the first chapter of his writings it says “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.” (Ecclesiastes 1.14). When God created mankind on the sixth day, he was to have dominion over the rest of creation. (Genesis 1. 26). He was to care for God’s creation.

    How we have failed. The first man sinned and all of us have been corrupted by that sin. We are creatures of many schemes. What is a scheme? Solomon seems to be writing of the many ways we have sought to defend ourselves or to attack others. The word is translated “inventions” in the KJV, and other translations. The word is only used twice in the Old Testament. In 2Chronicles 26.15, the other use of the word, it has to do with military readiness.

    Self-preservation is high on the list of the natural man’s activities. This in itself is not totally bad but when it leads to attack on others, to elevate ourselves it becomes sinful. Our schemes can be very subtle. Gossip, and talking behind someone’s back can be part of a scheme to make ourselves look better. Falsely accusing someone else can be part of a scheme to hurt another. We are not to “invent” ways to hurt anyone.

    The rulers of Israel at the time of Christ falsely accused the Lord Jesus, leading to His crucifixion. There were many schemes laid against Him throughout His time on this earth. There were schemes against the apostles Paul, Peter, and others who were attempting to spread the Good News, the Gospel.
    We are not to be schemers. The Lord Jesus gave us a command. “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12). There is no place for scheming if we are obedient to this command.

    “For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another” – 1 John 3:11

    True love will defeat any idea of scheming. Just a thought for the morning

    Carl

  • Vows

    VOWS, OATHS, AND PROMISES

    If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.
    Numbers 30:2 (KJV)

    This is an outline and link to the audio file from a message preached at North 56th Street Gospel Chapel (Tampa, Florida) on 1-4-2015

    http://mrsteve.me/2015Vows [28 minute mp3 / 5MB]

    Introduction:  The Law concerning vows.

    A. Biblical

     Numbers 30:1-2
    Deuteronomy 23:21-23
    Matthew 5:33-37

    B. Rabbinical Law (extra-Biblical)

     Three Times
    Vows (things/others)
    Oaths (personal)

    I. Examples of Vows
    A. Wedding

     Intent (I will), Vow (I do), Ring (I wed)

     B. Peter’s oath.

    Found in all four gospels
    Matthew 26:34
    Mark 14:30
    John 13:38
    Luke 22:34 (see 31-34, 54-62)

    II. Foolish Vows
    A. Jacob  Genesis 31:30-32

        Rachel steals dad’s idols 31:19
    Rachel dies on the journey 35:19

     B. Jephthah Judges 11:1, 30-40

    Daughter is “sacrificed” to God

     C. Saul  1 Samuel 14:24-32

        37: God does not answer
    39: To curse added death
    43ff: Saul fails
    1 Samuel 31:2 Jonathan dies

    III. Permanent Vows
    Vows, Oaths, and Promises cannot be “unsaid”

    A. Jacobs irreversible blessing (Genesis 27)

    B. Even God is bound by promise

      Numbers 23:19-20

     C. Promise to Jacob (Genesis 28:15)

      Promise to Israel (Deuteronomy 31:6,8)
    Promise to Joshua (Joshua 1:5)
    Promise to Solomon (1 Chronicles 2:20)

     D. The promise is passed forward to believers.

      John 6:37-40, 47
    John 10:28-29
    Hebrews 13:5

    αὐτος γαρ εἴρηκεν· For He Himself said (perfect,active,indicative)
    οὐ μή σε ἀνῶ Double Negative + To loose “I will never let you go”
    οὐδ᾿ οὐ μή Triple Negative +
    σε ἐγκαταλίπω· “I will never leave you behind” (in a bad sense)

    Conclusion:
    May your only vow be that of the man who brought his son to the Lord to be healed in Mark 9:24

    “Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief”

  • Tolerance

    Thought for the morning

    There is no scripture to open up with this morning, because “tolerance” is not a word found in scripture. However, does that mean we are not to be tolerant? I am glad that most people tolerate me. Other words we could use for the word tolerance are, open mindedness, acceptance, patience, and charity (love).

    I think we could say God was very tolerant with Israel. Engineers when designing a particular part for, say an automobile, places tolerance on dimensions. If the part does not meet the tolerances, the part is scrapped or rejected. Tolerance sets boundaries!

    When dealing with others there are boundaries we should not cross. We are to love the sinner but not the sin! Sin is outside the boundary of acceptance!

    1 Thessalonians 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.

    We are to warn those who are unruly, living in sin. But we should also be patient with all. Tolerance means knowing where the boundaries are. It is difficult dealing with sin in our own lives, and even more difficult exhorting another who is living in sin.

    Luke 10:27 So he answered and said, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

    We know the weaknesses we have in our own self. Our love for others is to introduce them to the One who dealt with our weakness of sin.

    1 Peter 4:8 8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”

    Love is not to tolerate sin, but we are to love the sinner! Just a thought for the morning.

    Carl
    (Guest Contributor)

  • The Test Of Our Faith

    2 Chronicles 32:31 “… God withdrew from him (Hezekiah), in order to test him that He might know all that was in his heart.”

    Will the Lord withdraw from us as a believer in Christ? The Lord told us “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Heb 13.5). As Christians, we have the indwelling Spirit so He is always with us. However, does the Lord test us, to know what is in our heart, as he did Hezekiah?

    Was the Lord testing Peter when He asked him three times “Do you love Me”     (John   21.15-17)? Was Peter tested when the Lord urged him come and walk on “on the water” and he faltered on cried out “Lord save me” (Matt 13.28-31) Peters faith was being tested! “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” were the Lords words to Peter. Our faith is tested every day!

    Psalm 139:23   Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;

    Psalm 73:28 But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works.

    James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you….

    Our faith is strengthened when we draw near to Him, when we trust in His word, when in our heart we know that the Blood shed at Calvary was shed for us. Thomas when he saw the wounds said “my Lord and my God “ (20.24-29) Our faith can be tested but our hope is secure! Just a thought for the morning.

    Carl

    This is a guest blog by my dear friend Carl.