BIBLE MEDITATIONS

[1watchman]

BIBLE STUDY & MEDITATIONS
INTRODUCTION​

Hello friends! The value of these studies and meditations is intended to be about Christian life as God shows in these major areas of study: Bible General; Redemption Way; Church Truth; Spiritual Life. If one keeps these four areas clear in their mind they will be able to better understand what God is showing mankind, I believe. It is hoped we can keep focused on learning more of God's mind for us with the Bible as our only authority. The writer here prefers the venerable KJV Bible and appreciates the NKJV somewhat; so possible difficulty could arise from other Bible renderings of wordings by readers.

Sometimes Bible verses are scrambled by readers and they find it then hard to know what a verse is about. Keeping them in the context God has given will make the counsel clearer, I have found. It is my desire to share what I have learned over many years of Bible study, and see if readers find it helpful, and/or they know some variation on the subjects that can help all of us in our further understandings.

Feel free to comment in a helpful way on posts here ---agreeing or disagreeing, but let us be considerate and not argue or divert to other issues beyond what is the original subject.

One is welcome to also write me at my Profile on CF under Conversations or at my e-mail if they wish to discuss matters in private. I don't claim to be a scholar, but after 60+ years of Bible study I think I have some understanding of ways and intent of God. - 1watchman.

-- First January Subject: Bible General & Overview -- ​

As a sincere seeker of Christianity one should not begin with reasonings about various verses, I see, but seeking to understand something of the basics of the Bible in an Overview:

1) first learn the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament of the Bible and how they apply to us; and this writer holds to the venerable KJV with some comparisons with the NKJV and the JND New Translation ---and consults the Concise Bible Dictionary and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, and others.

2) understand salvation of our soul today (note John 3:16) as different from the eternal hope of blessing in the Israelite religion of old --read and pray about John 1; John 3; John 14 for a good foundation!

3) then, begin reading through the four Gospels, and the Acts and Epistles daily; and perhaps once a week read in Genesis and on in the OT to compare with the NT.

One should remember there are NO contradictions in God's immutable Word, I have found, though it might seem that way at times. I believe any thought otherwise usually means one has misapplied one or more verses. Is that also your understanding? Share any thoughts in brief stating if you agree or showing why you disagree, or have other understandings of A or B here.

A. Essentially, the OT is about beginnings and shows the Creator-God, His creative work, His dealings with His creation and mankind; His desire to have children and not just more created angels, His covenant of promise with faithful souls who will receive Him and follow Him, His dealing with them in their sojourn in the world to teach them; and His plan of the ages (shown by the Prophets to Israel) to bless the whole world by redemption and reconciliation from their sin, weakness and failures, through His gift of His Son to come in the future time ---Israel's Lord as well as for the Gentiles. Much more can be shown about the OT as one reads the various Books there.

B. The NT is a new dispensation or age of God's plan, when He sent down His own holy Son --Jesus, the Christ of God, to accomplish the perfect work of reconciliation which man could never achieve by himself; showing Jesus as the fulfillment of all the promises and types of redemption by the blood sacrifices of olden times; also, He showed us His Father (manifested in Himself), and revealed the Trinity of God, beside setting forth godliness as contrary to religious ideologies; and ordained Apostles to establish the Church before offering Himself as the true blood sacrifice, and overcoming death and the grave; etc. God made saints of God by the indwelling and sealing of His Spirit in the faithful ones, to be a "Bride" for Christ ---a heavenly people. Most of the NT after the Gospels speaks of the establishment of the universal Church with assemblies in various places. Revelation concludes God's testimony showing how all things will fall into place as planned from the very beginning.

More on Bible Overview can be added later.

Since many papers posted here are from the site: www.biblecounsel.net readers are invited to visit there to seek further ministry and see some of what God intends for His testimony in the world, which this writer believes is sound. Welcome to the study and meditations here.!

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
​

 

[brinny]

Just for clarity, in your summary of the New Testament, are you referring to Replacement Theology?

Thank you kindly.

 

[1watchman]

No, for I think RT is a doctrine on changing things; whereas, I believe in Bible-only as from the beginning.

 

[brinny]

Thank you kindly, would you mind elaborating?

 

[1watchman]

It seems you need to be more specific, and what you might be referring to from the orig. paper. If you are referring only to RT, I know little about it and don't wish to digress to that.

 

[1watchman]

-- Second January Subject: Redemption Way --​

Much could be said about redemption, which includes the Gospel message of God and His salvation and blessings for man, and godly teaching of Jesus Christ; Prophecy telling of what is ahead for mankind to accomplish God's purposes and plan; the Kingdom speaking both of K. of Heaven and K. of God; Miscellany --etc. Let us just speak of the Gospel first in general, with the essence of it emphasized:

1) To understand the "good news" (gospel), one needs to see and appreciate our Creator. The God-head ---Jehovah (meaning ever self-existing One) is a triune God, and made mankind "in His image" as He said (likeness, but not in fullness). We see man is also made a triune being: body, soul, and spirit. More can be shown in the Gospel to set forth how God is manifest as the Creator-God (originator, mind, progenitor of man, etc.); the Savior-God (becoming the Son of God and Son of man ---the Lord Jesus, Savior for man, revealer of essential truth, Lord over the whole earth); the Spirit-God (the indwelling and sealing of God in man as a temple on earth to teach and lead man, etc.).

2) The Gospel speaks of the "glad tidings" of salvation and eternal hope for man; and this message begins in the four Gospels of the Bible; and can be viewed in essence in John 1; John 3; John 14 for a beginning Bible study. The Epistle to the Romans shows man's natural state and need of a new state as a "child of God".

3) The four Gospels presents Jesus' life, acts, teachings, and sacrifice; and shows Him as the Christ in different ways: reportedly in Matthew as Son of David and of Abraham as the righteous King; in Mark as Servant of God; in Luke as Son of man; in John as Son of God.

Further thought on these sub-sections of Redemption can be discussed in more detail later, and questions and comments by readers here are appreciated, and will be considered.

 

[1watchman]

-- Third January Subject: Church Truth --​

The first subject to be considered here under Church Truth, is the Form and History. Other subjects should be the Assembly life, Government & function, and then Miscellany.

What we need to see about the history, is also the form of the Church universal, and how it is expressed locally as in accord with the "one body of Christ" and avoiding "schism in the body" as shown especially in Romans 12; I Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4. In this we will try to avoid any criticism of various sects men have formed to avoid unnecessary offense. The Scriptural form is our only concern, and it is hoped that will be valued and sought out by the saints of God.

Our first consideration is what God intends for His universal gathering and local assemblies. The Church of God is nameless, for it was never intended to be sectarian. When men deviate from that to please the religious ideas of the flesh, it will lead many astray and of course dishonor God. This has been happening down through history, and more often in our present day. Can we clearly test everything by the Word of God, rather than tradition and ideas of men? One can read more on the history and form at the sound Internet site: www.biblecounsel.net, which is here valued.

Some of us see that a local assembly of saints should be only a local expression of the universal Church in a geographical place ---not independent with disregard to other Godly and scriptural assemblies elsewhere (though some local conditions might vary as of necessity). That seems clearly what the NT teaches for the Church; and we note how that in the Epistles the assemblies sent letters to commend those among them traveling to other assemblies.

Any questions or concerns may be expressed here, and they will be considered.

As stated already, we can avoid going into detail, for many papers have already been written on the various aspects of God's testimony at the Bible Counsel site; and one can feel free to write me privately at Conversations on my Profile at CF site. Readers here are invited to comment herein to see if something biblical has been missed.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo​

 

[brinny]

It seems you need to be more specific, and what you might be referring to from the orig. paper. If you are referring only to RT, I know little about it and don't wish to digress to that.

Thank you kindly for your response.

God bless you.

 

[1watchman]

-- Fourth January Subject: Spiritual Life --​

The thought of Spiritual Life is a part of man's existence, which existence shows a man as a living body possessing a brain capable of reasoning and thoughts. The Bible declares man was given a body and soul and spirit ---differentiating man's intellect and many mental abilities from desires, feelings, convictions, and will, etc. Natural man naturally does not appreciate the differences as God provides, and usually sees only a mind and body, until one decides to think and reason spiritually in a religious or inventive way and begins to hold onto ideas and philosophies.



Spirituality actually speaks of two things, it appears: first, in general of man's natural and personal choices of ideas, principles to hold, and perspectives of life, attitudes, values; and choices of meaning of existence, etc. Secondly when a man is stirred by God ---"quickened" to consider origin and a Creator, as the Bible declares to think upon God, he is moved in a spiritual way by the Spirit of God to inquire as to deity. This is where one has choice to believe or not, it appears (conscience).


Let us begin here to consider Faithfulness toward a Creator-God, assuming one chooses to know God, and to bow to His revelation of Himself and His purposes, then we can move on later to Godly Christian State, Trials, Worship, Miscellany.



Faithfulness is elementary as to devotion in the Bible, but often is seen by souls only as a fairly high regard for one. The Bible reference is always to commitment and a personal relationship with God; and that is always connected in the New Testament with God's "...beloved Son" ---the Lord Jesus, the Christ of God, who is given as our only Savior and the Lord over man in this world. We truly need to "examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith", as God says (2 Cor. 13:5).

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo​