read in context (part2)

Proverbs -  wisdom and foolishness.

Something to be on guard for is when any church wants to use these Proverbs as a motivational means to any sermon. A perfect example of that is when a church uses a verse like 29:18 to make a point about "your" vision.

The proverbs are not like other books due to ,the wisdom contained in it is contained in a single verse most times, not always though. The reason 29:18 is such a good example is because more times than not, only half the verse is read. Thats not good. Trying to make a point like this may have an agenda along with the one presenting it like this. Again, not always but it is a good thing to keep an eye on.

BTW, by reading the rest of the verse, we see what the vision WAS . Something to do with not obeying Gods law.

This is a good book to ask, after reading an individual proverb,"what does this mean." As things come to mind, I then might ask , "what happened , that we do not understand this today."

Much of this book is common sense yet we struggle with its meaning.

This is a difficult exercise to do because it has a way of keeping our sin ever before us, and that is actually a good thing. That is if we are reading this Bible correctly. Every day we need the Word of God to remind us of where our hope is, in dealing with the sin that is ever before us.

There is no place in this Bible that does not speak to Gods Salvation and Gods plan of restoration . This message from God is not hidden, its as clear as clear can be, on every page. But we allow interpretation , pride and so much else to miss it.

When human wisdom and Gods wisdom , come together, it looks like and sounds like this next book coming up.

Ecclesiastes- this is a tough tough book. Certainly isn't a book to read if you want your spirits lifted. Well, not till the very end anyway.

As I was thinking about what I might say about this book, I had the thought of, could the views expressed in this book (and sure do sound depressing and dooming) be a result from when we get Gods Word wrong?

Seems like mankind brains default mode is set to the negative. Mankind also invents new ways ,with every passing generation or any turn of the century , to miss Gods point.

Life does have meaning and we can find that meaning in the closing verses of this book. When we listen to all the nonsense that goes into our heads day in and day  out , it creates these kind of mindsets and questions , found in this book.

The generation behind us must see and understand this. Sadly , they do not understand the older generation when they are instructed as to what to watch or listen too. They think that just because the content of the worlds wisdom may seem innocent enough, it must be ok.

Any confusion that arises is because we are so accustomed attaching that which we "do" to how we interpret life. No wonder this book sounds depressing.

What Christian parents know (but have a hard time explaining) is, anything the world offers, be it good or not good, conflicts with God's Word. The issue isn't what we can or cannot do. The issue is, and always will be, putting the cart (world view) before the horse (God's view)

What Christian parents want is for God's view to guide and explain what the world offers to their kids. If the parents haven't read the Bible in context, how will the kids know?

If we think some verse here or there will combat this, or maybe some Sunday school class or youth group, that ain't  gonna happen. My generation tried that.

I used to tell my kids, concerning life's issues. It's a case of getting your "ducks in a row" and the first "duck" is knowing what God thinks. Since all they had, at one time was mom & dad's example, well, that could have been better so because of that, they continue to struggle. But there comes a time, where we all need to read God's Word in context. Until we do, our lives are gonna sound alot like the first two thirds, of this book

Song of Solomon - now here's a book that should prove that so many people don't read the Bible in context.

In light of what began in Genesis and will end in Revelation, the intensity of this books language is fitting and is no more intense than any books read up too this point.

If we're reading the Bible in context, the message of this book is the same thing said over & over.

This book,out of context, is confusing. Let's keep it where it belongs. 

There is so much joy in the intimacy one finds in knowing Jesus, but because of our "it's not a religion, it's a relationship" mentality we were handed, we miss it.

How best to explain that? If we don't understand the book of Leviticus, then this book won't make sense. If we don't understand the purpose of God's Law along with the hope of salvation, this book won't make any sense.

If , at the end of reading this book your not thinking of Gods salvation thru Jesus and the hope of Gods soon reign on this earth, ya might wanna read it again.

Isaiah - opens with a summary of how nations decline.

Babylon is made mention in a couple chapters but there again, people don't understand that word. They don't get it's significance, it's just some obscure thing, this Babylon but the slightest of research would reveal it's meaning and by the time they got to Revelation, what's said of Babylon would make more sense. But people are satisfied with not knowing.

A foretelling of Jesus is revealed in this book along with the hope of His Reign.

If those two concepts are not consistent, every time you read this book, your reading it wrong. It's ok to have many things come to mind as we read, but if salvation along with Jesus ruling this earth one day, doesn't show up, ask God to reveal it too you from whatever passage your reading. It's really not that tough. Sometimes, just knowing what names of people, places or things reveals alot.

Jeremiah - now here's a book, that if the one reading straight thru the Bible, by the time they get to this point and still can't see how Christians are mishandling God's Word, don't worry.
By the end of Jeremiah, you'll know.

I think of this book as a book that asks :

"what does God think of that "
Much of things mentioned are things we like and enjoy and approve.

What does God think though? Compare what He thinks to what you've been told.

If someone can read thru this book, and not squirm in their seat, or feel somewhat troubled, you ain't reading it right.

And if you think there's some promise in chap 29 that's gonna prosper you, and you are holding on to that cause you aren't prospering yet, there's your prove, you've missed it.

Need prove of that? Well,have you ever seen a mug or a t-shirt or a poster, with Jeremiah 29:10 on it?

Debunking this stuff becomes painfully easy. Folks don't want (v10) They just want (v 11) skipping the rest.

Reason I say "painfully" easy is, people don't wanna hear this. They say :
"but reading this verse this way makes me feel good "

Or

" guess you just don't want people to feel good "

(can anyone tell, we raised 3 kids under this light?)

Anything and everything gets this treatment,so is it any wonder we'd bring that to our reading of scripture?

This is how we read our Bible's and we wonder why things are a mess?

These verses are true, but A)-interpretation is God is talking to someone else , not you & B) application is, ur life is v 10 and your reward is v11.

If someone thinks I'm making this stuff up, ask yourself, why would God be consistent in His message of grace, salvation, kingdom and judgement for thousands of years leading up to this verse than in one instant, change His thinking, to address "you" only to inform you, if you that He will prosper, you, in this life, because He knows you?

Seems to me, countless believers, prior to 21rst century America, got a raw deal and the short end of (God's) stick.

I spent more time on that than I intended, but quite often, I don't think church goers get the seriousness, of reading God's Word correctly.

The effect of God showing me the truth, from His complete Word was,

I was angry at first,at myself. That created in me a passion to discover how things became so twisted.

Simply put :

It's due to an emergent church growth movement that confused God's Law & Gospel.

There.. 9 yrs of examining things, down to one sentence.

Btw, i mentioned earlier about squirming in your seat as you read Jeremiah. That is matched with mercy to the likes, I'm almost sure, the church goer whose never read it, has never seen.

I try to avoid picking favorite books but this one is probably in the top five. A reason for that may be due to its addressing a nations areas of decline.  We in America can understand this because just like them, as the nation ,along with the nations worship, as it was in decline, they too "thought" everything was ok and that they were progressing forward ,while actually the opposite was true.

How does that happen? Same then as now.. They get the Word of God wrong.

Lamentations - this is a book your glad when it's done.  My wife could always tell when I was in a book like this. You can't help but become affected by it. That's why the Bible is so overwhelming. Intense sorrow, intense sin with even more intense mercy. Yes. There are vrs of hope in here but when they are not seen in this intense context, it gets watered down.

I'm not exactly sure the place a believer needs to be at, in order to "get it"  but when the joy God offers constantly outweighs life's sorrows, I'm thinking that's close to "getting it"

Mankind's tendency to sin will never outweigh God's faithfulness to love.

If people can walk away from that, and they do, good luck.

Ezekiel - many prophecies.

can we learn from them?
We sure can.

The church age sure has made an event of trying to interpret this stuff.
We don't know if we're coming or going.
Stick with what we know.
Put that with God's consistent nature, seen from Gen to Rev.
That might help when reading the more difficult passages.

Something else in here. It's sad when God's glory leaves temple.
If you haven't read, from places like Samuel, how it was when God's glory filled the temple, you might not understand that m

And that account of dry bones? That's been used for many metaphors but could see fulfillment in kingdom age.

When the person, whose reading this book correctly, gets to this point, they are more ready to read the jammed packed info concerning That Day.

Daniel -so much more than lions but that's all most know.

We know there's some future stuff in it but that's only there so we believers can have something to argue over.

Once again, this book along with all the prophetic books, when not seen in light of the clear message, which began in Genesis, by reading select passages, some begin to think that there just might be a diet food plan in this book. Trust me, there isn't.

When I said earlier, to put what we know with God's consistent nature , it's clear God wants us to know.

From Daniel, we know everything from when Jesus would enter Jerusalem to to nations and kingdoms order to events between the Testaments to the end of captivity to the rebuilding of the walls.
That's a lot to know.

So doesn't it stand to reason, that if the church bride divides over issues, isn't that the indicator, something off?

If God's wants us to know, and the church is believing things they really don't know, that's not consistent.

God doesn't hide things. He reveals them. Half the bride getting one revelation and the other half getting another revelation is a pretty good indicator, we might be looking at the wrong things.

I'd advise extreme caution to any spiritual application to a clearly worded passage.

Make no mistake about it. The church will divide in big real way (key word "real")

But it won't be over how it interprets Old Testament prophecies. It will be over the gospel of salvation. (Jesus)

Anyone who is reading their Bibles, up to this book, if you keep reading, you'll read more about this as you near the end, so please be patient.

It'll be in the form of false teachers entering the church (not the devil) spreading heresy so if your wondering why I beat the drum of reading God's Word in context, that's why.

I'm thinking by now, the one reading this in context might be thinking "boy, there sure is a lot in here concerning some future day"

Your starting to get it.

Hosea - this man has seen prosperity come and seen it go. Sound familiar?  His marriage to a harlot and the children from her tell a story. As with any book concerning judgement, it's good to look for God's mercy.

Isn't it "funny" how we can spot the judgment but dismiss the mercy?

Any reader of this, in context, is slam dunked with this ongoing message.

Are we asking "why is that" yet?