A FUN BUT MEANINGFUL BIBLE STUDY...

             A FUN BUT MEANINGFUL BIBLE STUDY

(ADAPTING FAMILIAR SAYINGS FOR BIBLE STUDY USE)

Often I’ve seen secular/commercial sayings and have tried to imagine how they could be useful to the Christian life if brought over into a Biblical sphere of understanding. So, here are NINE such sayings with hopefully practical helpfulness (smile).

1.   DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER – (De Beers)

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, ⁵ Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) ⁶ And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: ⁷ That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-7

2.   JUST DO IT – (Nike)

^“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? ⁴⁷ Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: ⁴⁸ He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. ⁴⁹ But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 6:46-49

3.   THE PAUSE THAT REFRESHES (Coca-Cola)

“O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
⁹⁸ Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. ⁹⁹ I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.” Psalms 119:97-99

4.   TASTES GREAT, LESS FILLING (Miller-Lite)

“Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, ² As newborn babes, desire the sincere (pure, unadulterated) milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: ³ If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”  1 Peter 2:1-3

5.   WE TRY HARDER (Avis)

¹ Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more….
⁹ But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. ¹⁰ And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more…” 1 Thessalonians 4:1,9,10

6.   GOOD TO THE LAST DROP – (Maxwell House)

“Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. ² My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass…” Deuteronomy 32:1-2

7.   BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS – (Wheaties)

“For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. ¹³ For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. ¹⁴ But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”  Hebrews 5:12-14

8.   DOES SHE…OR DOESN’T SHE? (Clairol)

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? ²³ And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”  Matthew 7:21-23

9.   WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS (Morton Salt)

“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse,
that there may be meat in mine house,
and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven,
and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”  Malachi 3:10


 10. GOT MILK? (California Processor Board) - This one suggested by Pastor Jim Kester of Arizona. Any more, anyone?    

“Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all  slander, ²  like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, ³ if you have tasted  the kindness of the Lord.”  1 Peter 2:1-3

-        Dick Christen

ATYPICAL FOR JESUS...

IF TODAY'S CHURCH IS LAODICEAN (Revelation 3:14-22), of which God says, "I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You're not cold, you're not hot—far better to be either cold or hot! You're stale. You're stagnant. You make me want to vomit. You brag, 'I'm rich, I've got it made, I need nothing from anyone,' oblivious that in fact you're a pitiful, blind beggar, threadbare and homeless", THEN, I'd better work out my salvation "with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12) in order to be ATYPICAL (not typical, not conforming to the type).

DARE WE PROBE THE MIND OF GOD?

                    WHAT ARE GOD’S THOUGHTS LIKE?

          (OR, REVERENTLY, MAY WE PROBE THE MIND OF GOD?)

PSALM 40:5 – “Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.” (Psalms 40:5)

  

QUESTION: ARE GOD’S THOUGHTS EVEN EXPLORABLE? CAN A MERE CREATURE ADEQUATELY SEARCH OUT THE ‘BEING’ OF GOD?

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. ¹⁰ But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. ¹¹ For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:9-11)

THREE POINTS OF CONSIDERATION:

1.   GOD’S THOUGHTS ARE INNUMERABLE - (PSALM 40:5a,d)

“Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done… they are more than can be numbered.”

C.F. (Psalm 139:17,18) - “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.”

2.   GOD’S THOUGHTS ARE INCALULABLE – (PSALM 40:5c)

“…they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee…”

“Reckoned” may be rendered “recounted” – a mathematical word

Illus. Romans, chapters 9-11, reveal God’s amazing solution to the problem of Israel! (Romans 11:1a, 11-14, 25-27)  If God can unravel Israel’s complex issues, can He not solve any problem we may have? With the Apostle Paul, let us GLORY in His incalculable ability to do so! READ PAUL’S EFFUSIVE DOXOLOGY:

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! ³⁴ For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? ³⁵ Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” (Romans 11:33-36)

3.   GOD’S THOUGHTS ARE INCOMPREHENSIBLE (5b)

“…and thy thoughts which are to us-ward…”

LISTEN TO GOD TALK ABOUT HIMSELF: “Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. ⁹ Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, ¹⁰ Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: ¹¹ Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.” (Isaiah 46:8-11)

rdc