Isaiah 28
9 ¶ Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
I Timothy 1
15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
(Author: Paul the Apostle)
John 6
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
An introduction to us & some philosophical rambling.
I was raised in Central Texas and am now retired. My wife is from the Philippines. I rise early each morning and study my Bible and take copious notes. I adhere firmly to my lifetime motto: "Sola Scriptura", a Latin phrase meaning by Scripture Alone. I have found that most commentaries contribute very little.
As much as I love to work, I know it's only by God's grace I am able to study Only one life, twill soon be past and only what's done for CHRIST will last. and apply what I learn. What if my health failed? What if I lost my eyesight? None of my books are in Braille. What if so many tragedy's overtook my life that I lost my zeal for living? That's what happened to Job, but in the end the one who can raise the dead proved to be faithful, very pitiful and of tender mercy. My prayer is that the Lord will give me a Christ serving heart.
A friend of mine was raised in Africa where his father, an MD who could have prospered in the USA, has instead spent his life treating those who cannot pay for it. His fathers life philosophy is this: "Only two things are really eternal; the LORD and the souls He has created. If anything in your life is more important to you than working to win those souls and minister to them, you are wasting your time."
Whatever led you here, you probably did not come to this site to read my testimony and maybe not even the ever present scriptures in the left and right columns, but I hope they will bless you and give you pause for thought. As for me, I strive always to remember "By a man's words shall he be justified and by a man's words shall he be condemned." God forbid that latter part should overtake me.
I have sometimes wished my skills were more Spiritual; for instance, that I could preach like Billy Graham or one of the great evangelists of yesteryear. I guess the LORD made me a foot in the body of Christ rather than the head or the eyes as explained in I Corinthians chapter 12. Whatever I am, He has allowed me to become.
If I may have the poorest place in the lowliest corner of Heaven I am very rich indeed. From one of my favorite hymns: "When He returns with trumpet sound, Oh may I then in Him be found, dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne."
I am not looking for the end of the world; I am listening for the sound of the trumpet.
Revelation 22:20 ¶ He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
I Corinthians 15
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
I Thess. 4
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the LORD, that we which ware alive and remain unto the coming of the LORD shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the LORD himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the LORD in the air: and so shall we ever be with the LORD.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
I Corinthians 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and
though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.