Verticalink Element #2: Scripture Discovery

Not enough can be said to adequately convey the part that the written Word of God has in the life of man. One could, and very well may, spend a lifetime growing in the discovery of the depths of the Holy Scriptures. The psalmist said much about it, in fact the longest of the Psalms, number 119, is devoted entirely to the importance of the Word.  Jesus said that man does not live only from the nutrients in the food he eats, but it is God's Word that truly sustains him. (Mt 4:4) 

We believe that the most exciting and joyful experiences on earth is discovering the riches of God's letter to us. Yet, finding the meaning of the scriptures requires guidance, which God supplies through His Holy Spirit. The Spirit speaks directly to man, and He also anoints men to teach men. Bible study must become a way of life. Church attendance is a vital part of living on this earth. Taking every opportunity to discover God's Word will pay great dividends in blessing and wisdom. 

The Bible is the full thought of God, and it is new and living. Join us for Bible studies. You just may find yourself hungering more and more for the scriptures!

Presents or Presence?

I have a great church. You should visit sometime. Just hit the GGWO link in the sidebar for times and directions.

This weekend some things were spoken there that had a profound effect on my soul. I love it when the Word of God does that! Don't you?

There are presents in life. These are the things that our minds tell us we deserve if we follow the directions. If we follow the steps, A to B, we will find favorable results. Yet we find it is not always true. Often, the steps are too great. They reveal too much about us. There are conditions that we cannot foresee. And thus, life is a struggle.

But, instead of presents, we can rest in His presence. God has called each and every one of us to Himself (Mark 8:34). He has created us for his pleasure. If my existence is to please him, and He equips me with everything needed to please Him, (Philippians 2:13), then I will be pleased in all things, for all things are of Him (2 Corinthians 5:18)!

I am not in control. Hebrews 11:6 tells me that it is only faith that pleases God. A to B is not faith. It is a program. Faith in God differs from faith in a system. God never fails. Systems are temporal and faulty. Faith in God is confidence in who He is and what He says. It is based on a spiritual apprehension, not statistics or collected knowledge.

So I look unto Him, Jesus, who authored and gave the perfect example of faith. As I look, I am ready to run this race called life. As I look away, I sense the loss of control, and I am apt to take charge. And then I may fall out of the race.

For me, there is so very much in these truths on which to ponder. I leave you to do the same.

Truth...Reflection Or Reality?

A person witnesses an event. His mind calculates the elements of the event, and forms a story, if you will. The story is not objective, because the person has viewed the happening through the grid of his own belief system. Thus, the narrative which comes from his mind is slanted, opinionated.
The person states his narrative with all the authority of a Philadelphia Attorney. He proclaims it as truth. It must be truth. He saw it with his own eyes!

There is a problem in this sequence of events. There were other witnesses. Others saw it and created narratives from their own frame of reference. I think you are catching on. Each narrative is different from the other. Truth, for each individual, was a reflection of an event processed in the workshop of his mind.

Reality, in this particular realm, becomes dynamic. It is ever changing, spinning out of control. Man is forced to make snap judgments based on his tiny understanding of things as a whole. He fails at this, and must form new 'truth' to bolster his supposition.

It has really become quite a mess, wouldn't you say?

It is hard to imagine, that with an existence such as we have, with the beauty in nature, and the incredible miracle of human life, that truth would be the random, reflective, and subjective gatherings of partial-knowing intellects.
In reality, truth has been here longer than creation. It was present when man wasn't. It was settled before the world was formed. The astounding thing is that we have this absolute, defining truth preserved for us in a book. It is a book that has stood up to and met the demands of its learned critics. It has survived preternaturally, despite claims that it is invalid. This Book, The Bible, was prepared by God, using a tool, man, to inscribe it, as an everlasting record of His thoughts.
And thus, we have truth. Objective, absolute truth. Truth which defines life as a whole and our lives individually. Security, confidence, peace, and joy are born from an introduction to this truth. Partake, and see for yourself, without the distraction of reflection.

More to come on The Book...
Psalms 12:6; 33:4

Are There No Answers?

The poor 'question mark' would be deemed obsolete, along with the 8-track player, the Edsel, and the typewriter. But wait, we can get by without old things, but what if there were no questions? (Ooops, I just asked one...and some say there are no answers...shucks!!)

Well, fact is there are answers. Sometimes there are no easy answers, but there are answers. But, for many individuals, there is no sense of objective reality. Reality is subjective, often boiling down to 'whatever one can get away with'. Since the perception is subjective, it is then 'subject' to change at a moments notice. In that scenario, it is perceived that there are no answers. Whatever happens, happens. No explanation. If you think about it, though, the answer still comes, in the form of consequences, outcomes, if you will.

With subjectivity comes objectivity. Every subject has an object. What I mean is, every thought, action, idea, happening, has a purpose or a reason. If I take a glob of clay and make a primitive car with it, the objective was that I expressed myself in some measure through this creation. It is not particularly useful, and can be easily destroyed, but there remains an object to its being. Without the objective, nothing would exist that has any meaning. Of course, there would be no purpose, no cognisance. There would be no thought, no reason, and then, of course, no answers.

Our world has reason. Each of us has purpose. There is a Creator that designed us objectively for the life we have. We can determine right and wrong, good and evil, happy and sad. Our mind seeks for truth, our soul seeks for acceptance, our spirit seeks for God. Each can be satisfied in its quest if the correct answers are realized.
1 Peter 3:15 Psalms 138:14 Romans 8:28