• About
  • BULLETIN ARTICLES

etsop95

~ Perspectives on Bible, philosophy, and politics (sometimes)

etsop95

Tag Archives: life

Fear and Living Life

14 Monday Dec 2020

Posted by Ron Thomas in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

fear of God, fear of man, life

Thrust of the article: fearing man without fearing the Lord is misplaced

Should We Fear?

Many things in life generate fear. Frequently, fear generated is associated with the unknown. Suppose a person has a clear vision about what is ahead. In that case, he or she can prepare themselves for the journey, anticipating unknown obstacles that might present themselves; the obstacles anticipated has more to do with a frame of mind than that which is known. On the other hand, if the journey is into the realm of the unknown, without preparation, the apprehension sometimes turns into fear.

Fear is controlling.

Do you remember when you were a little boy or girl and the anticipation of getting in trouble? I do. Many would do what they could to squirm out of the anticipated trouble, trying to avoid the blows (or punishment) applied to the rear end! The punishment was painful but being made a better person because of it is longer-lasting. This is not the case with many today. There is the fear of government when parents seek to discipline the children; the parents do not know what the government will do – if they do anything. When children learn of this, they (fear) control the parents.

The Lord talked about fear also. He said to His disciples, ” Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna” (Matt. 10:28, UASV). This seems easier to understand than it is to apply. All we have in this world is our own experience; with these experiences, all we know is the life we live. The idea of not fearing for one’s life seems unnatural – and indeed it is. Yet, the Lord said His disciples are not to fear those in the flesh. The reason for this is apparent to the spiritually minded person. What is your life but a vapor in time? Our life seems to pass quickly by us, generating a sense of wonder at where the time has gone. Since we know this, the fear of man will do what for us? Not a thing!

On the other hand, the fear that is properly placed is seen in Acts 9:31, ” So the congregation throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.”

If only New Testament saints would live in accordance with this sentiment, would not the church grow? The church, in some locations, has not grown, so what does that say about the local New Testament church?

Maybe we need to fear the Lord more than we do! Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, ” Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences” (2 Cor. 5:11).

While many people fear the unknown, the unknown in the case in which I write, is very much known to us. What is there to fear? “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has to do with punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love” (1 Jn. 4:18). Those who are identified as Christians but are not living a holy life have everything to fear. They should fear greatly because the so-called unknown is NOT unknown. They know very well the Almighty before whom they will stand. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31). Since we know these things, “How then should we live?”

“You are the Christ of God!”

10 Friday Aug 2018

Posted by Ron Thomas in Bulletin Article

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

academic, Christ of God, emotional, life

For the benefit of clarity, the word “Christ” means anointed. Thus, to speak of Jesus as the “Christ of God,” is to speak of Him as the anointed (chosen) of God. When Peter declared to Jesus and others around him that he (Peter) believes Jesus is the Christ of God, he had come to recognize what God promised through Moses, David and Isaiah was before him as he looked at Jesus. Jesus was pleased with his answer (Matthew 16:16-17). Many of us can answer similarly, but with the academic answer, does our life reflect the answer made as it did with Peter? To say, as Peter did, that Jesus is the Christ of God is to speak something that is in the heart of emotions, not just in the mind of knowledge. Without the latter the former wanders all over the place; without the former, the latter is sterile information. Perhaps you are desperately trying to have both. Many of us are trying to do the same. Stay the course, allow Jesus to be the Captain of your soul, the one you call Lord (cf. Hebrews 5:8-9; Luke 6:46). Doing so means, at the end of the day, you will arrive at your destination. RT

Life and Length of Days

22 Tuesday Dec 2015

Posted by Ron Thomas in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

life, longevity

When Moses led the people of Israel up to the cusp of the land of promise he repeated the Lord’s exhortations to the people of Israel. Near the end of his long and important exhortation, he called upon the Israelites to make a choice between life and death (Deuteronomy 30:15). Already, by this time, the Israelites had plenty of experiences with the Lord that the choice was really an easy one. At least one would think so. In the previous chapter, in the same context of exhortation regarding the importance of remembering the Lord, Moses said that the Lord had not yet given them a heart to understand (29:4). This is a peculiar phrase, but the sense of it is like this: The Lord gave plenty of reasons and pieces of evidence to turn the heart and mind of the thoughtful Israelite toward Him. A great many of them, however, did not take this evidence to heart. This is why the writer of Hebrews speaks about the message preached, but the reception of it was not “mixed with faith” (Hebrews 4:2). A lesson learned from this is as follows. When the Lord is our life, then let us hear His word and obey His will. From this we have assurance, comfort and salvation. To the Israelites, Moses said that this was their “life and length of days” (Deuteronomy 30:20). RT

The Meaning of Life

30 Monday Mar 2015

Posted by Ron Thomas in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

faith, life, love, meaning

The Bible character Job was a man that had much wealth with regard to possessions and, from an earthly perspective, with regard to his family. In but a short time, however, he lost it all. He did not understand why he lost it all in the way that he did, he only knew that it was now gone. When the dust settled (so to speak), Job lamented it all, asking for what purpose was he born.

That is an interesting question to ponder for a moment or two. If one were to ask you “For what purpose were you born?” how would you answer? You may have to think on this a bit, and then when you answer, you might offer an answer (answers) with a tinge of doubt.

The meaning of life in the physical realm is not so easily discerned. There are many who seek to establish their own meaning, but since there is much difficulty finding and keeping employment, tending to one’s obligations with life and responsibility, one hardly has time to think of questions of this sort. But considering questions like this they will, especially when life has begun to reach into the retirement years.

Job desired to understand, but clarity escaped him. He did only what any of us can do; he came to rely on God in a special way that he previously failed to grasp. We, too, must rely on the Creator for such answers. We may never experience what Job experienced, but whether our experience is great or small, reliance is the key to all.

Each of us assigns ourselves a meaning; the problem with such an assignment is that we merely guess, assigning something that is of particular interest. In the end – was there (is there) any real meaning to my life? The answer is yes, and the answer is located in Matthew 22:34-40. This approach to life will certainly make a difference in the lives of other people, and by a standard that is not of this world.

 

 

 

MY LIFE

16 Monday Sep 2013

Posted by Ron Thomas in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

grass, Isaiah, life

In my devotional reading in Isaiah, the words of Isaiah 40:6-8 registered with me in a way that has not occurred before. I know (and knew) the words well, but there was something that caught my attention in an unusual way. The temporary nature of man is compared to grass. We have been experiencing a withering of the grass due to a lack of rain. Once it rains, however, we know the grass greens up and grows. Yet, that which grows must either be harvested or cut. The cut grass clippings fades away (“eternal death,” we might say), but the harvested life continues. We all grow old and pass away, but when it is time for me to die, the idea of a harvest is much more attractive than the idea of a mowing (cutting). RT

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 731 other followers

Last Month

Log in

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

Blogs I Follow

  • Christian Publishing House Blog
  • Canon Fodder
  • PreachingHelp.org
  • Biblical Proof
  • Sunrush Church of Christ
  • The Church of God
  • Brotherhood News
  • Believing Prayer
  • Daniel B. Wallace
  • NT Resources
  • etsop95
  • Forthright Press
  • Ferrell's Travel Blog
  • Larry Hurtado's Blog
  • Carolina Messenger
  • ThinkingJesus
  • CRI
  • Big Ten Network
  • eScriptorium
  • Biblical Notes

Blog Stats

  • 15,313 hits

RSS Unknown Feed

  • An error has occurred; the feed is probably down. Try again later.
<ul id="<a-href="https://jar.tiddlyhost.com/-WebList">See-WebList
  • Blog at WordPress.com.

    Christian Publishing House Blog

    Apologetic Defense of the faith, the Bible, and Christianity

    Canon Fodder

    Exploring the origins of the New Testament canon and other biblical and theological issues

    PreachingHelp.org

    The sermons and writings of Steve Higginbotham

    Biblical Proof

    Speaking where the bible speaks, and silent where the bible is silent.

    Sunrush Church of Christ

    The Church of God

    Official Website of The Church of God (Restoration)

    Brotherhood News

    Believing Prayer

    Daniel B. Wallace

    Executive Director of CSNTM & Senior Research Professor of NT Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary

    NT Resources

    etsop95

    Perspectives on Bible, philosophy, and politics (sometimes)

    Forthright Press

    Straight to the Cross

    Ferrell's Travel Blog

    Commenting on biblical studies, archaeology, travel and photography

    Larry Hurtado's Blog

    Comments on the New Testament and Early Christianity (and related matters)

    Carolina Messenger

    "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:5)

    ThinkingJesus

    Letting Jesus Speak Today

    CRI

    Big Ten Network

    Big Ten Network's website

    eScriptorium

    Biblical Notes

    - Est. 1965 by Roy C. Deaver -

    • Follow Following
      • etsop95
      • Join 731 other followers
      • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
      • etsop95
      • Customize
      • Follow Following
      • Sign up
      • Log in
      • Report this content
      • View site in Reader
      • Manage subscriptions
      • Collapse this bar