In part 2 of “Let There Be Light,” we looked at a selection of OT scriptures that point forward and prophesy Jesus as The Light. In the New Testament scriptures, we find the writers consistently referencing Old Testament scriptures to provide context to their readers. In the Gospels, Jesus is recorded declaring that He is the fulfillment of the law and prophets. He repeatedly referred to Himself as the Light of the world. In letters to the believers in Corinth and Colossae, Paul references OT...
A Blog of Context
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Let There Be Light, Part 2
In the last blog, I introduced the concept of Biblical typology as one hermeneutical approach to studying the scriptures. As a brief review: Biblical Typology is a method of Biblical interpretations whereby an element found in the Old Testament is seen to prefigure one found in the New Testament; something in the Old shadows, prefigures, something in the New. (Theopedia) For the sake of our current topic - and more simply stated - when the Old Testament scriptures describe light, a deeper...
Let There Be Light, Part 1
In Genesis 1:3 … God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. I want to study / unfold this verse; however, before doing so I believe we need some context. Please stay with me as I provide some foundational definitions and framework for this journey. A hermeneutic is a method of interpretation. According to the internet, “The word hermeneutics means the interpretation of language, whether written or spoken. Generally, hermeneutics is an activity that interests biblical scholars, and...
Rain
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, so My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it.” Isaiah 55:10-11 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church...
The Gift
Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders.” Isaiah chapter 9 is well known as “messianic” prophecy; meaning, it foretells the coming of the Messiah, the anointed One. Verse 6 describes him as “a son” being given; and this passage is quoted in Matthew, Mark, and Luke as referring to Jesus. By nature, a gift has three components: 1) the giver’s intent to give the gift, 2) the actual act of giving the gift, and...
Give Thanks
Throughout my day today, “Give Thanks” played over and over inside of me (“Give thanks with a grateful heart,” Henry Smith © Copyright 1978 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music) ….. As I swept acorns, planted tulips, weeded the flower bed, folded laundry, ironed clothes, and cleaned the house. So, I sat and explored what the scriptures say about giving thanks: Psalm 100:4: Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. (NKJV) Psalm 105:1:...
“Easy has a Cost.”
“Strangely, life gets harder when you try to make it easy. Exercising might be hard, but never moving makes life harder. Uncomfortable conversations are hard, but avoiding every conflict is harder. Mastering your craft is hard, but having no skills is harder. Easy has a cost.” - James Clear At work we have a daily spreadsheet report. One of our regional consultants created this daily tool and he updates it / revises it each year and distributes it for each clinic’s ability to enter and track...
Application
Sitting down to write this blog, I took some time to look back through prior content on my blog page. I grinned as I recognized that “mindset” is clearly an important and impactful topic for me. From various angles, I have written about this topic 5 times, including the following Blogs: Gratitude (thought life / choice); New Every Morning (thought life); The Trees (source of information, belief); Systems & Schemes (orphan vs sonship mindset); Relationship: The Original Intent. In fact,...
Spirit and Soul and Body
Early on in this blog adventure, (blog #2 - “In our Image”) I touched upon the unique design of humanity by our heavenly Father. In Genesis (1:26) He said, “Let us make man in Our image, after our likeness….” He created us - spirit beings, each with a soul, and gave each one a body to dwell within, which equips us to move about in time and space upon the earth. In Thessalonians, Paul references this design in his letter to the believers in Thessalonica: “And the very God of peace sanctify you...
To Entrust
I am on vacation this week, presently seated on a deck overlooking a mountainside forest. I’ve enjoyed a restful week of day hikes, paddle boarding, white water rafting.... The bubbling brook and chirping birds with 70 degree temperature this morning are especially delightful. As I’ve soaked in the beauty of the majestic Maroon Bells mountain peaks; the Collegiate fourteeners, a sunset view from the Continental Divide and an adventurous ride down the Arkansas River, my heart has been reminded...



