I was reading James 4 and was re-convicted. I’ve been convicted a lot lately about how negatively I say some things about people or say things I don’t need to say or say or thing things where pride has been creeping in (more than usual I guess). I was amazed at James 4. Can you imagine if every Christian who interacted with people quite a bit each day either in real life or online would read this every morning? I know it would make a difference. Kumbaya my friends.

James 4:2-4 GW
You’re determined to have things, but you can’t get what you want. You quarrel and fight. You don’t have the things you want, because you don’t pray for them. 3 When you pray for things, you don’t get them because you want them for the wrong reason-for your own pleasure. 4 You unfaithful people! Don’t you know that love for this evil world is hatred toward God? Whoever wants to be a friend of this world is an enemy of God.

We want to be wise but how many people pray for it (Prov 2:1-6)? We want to understand the Bible but how many people pray for it and set out to achieve it? We want to be widely influential and get a new (but not used) car and clothes that make us look higher class but is this what God wants? How confusing it must be to be a new Christian in this (Western, where this blogger’s perspective is) society, pray for things and not get them and not know what they really need and some stay stuck there. I wonder how materialistic I am and have no idea. Not that I’m wringing my hands over it (but I mourn regarding the things written above, James 4:9; Matt 5:4), but I pray that I’ll love what God loves and hate what God hates.

What a great chapter.

If you haven’t read through the Old Testament and for any reason find it difficult, consider this plan which will take you through it in two years. It’s vitally important to read the whole letter that God has written for us.

Old Testament

I prefer to read it in a relatively short amount of time as far as reading through it for familiarity. Knowing how few Christians read the Bible daily, I can only imagine how few have read through the Old Testament. I hope this may help some people out.

I’m more amazed and get more out of it every time I read it.

• Speaking The Truth In Love
• Philemon :6
• Jeremiah 29:11 – the comments are better than the post
• Psalm 23 …your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

I was going to do a post on ‘speaking the truth in love’ and saw that I already did one a few years ago. Good thing I noticed. So I rounded up some other ones that deal with interpretation of single verses. I still sometimes have to remind myself to look at the context, which can/should be quite broad sometimes.

The NIV says, “Be still and know that I am God” which has led some to believe this verse is about quiet, contemplative prayer.

It’s more likely in this verse that God is telling us to be quiet and quit fretting about all that’s going on in the world (easier said than done) and know that God is the ruler and will be glorified and exalted in all that is happening. So important in difficult times.

Spurgeon says in his Treasury of David:

“Be still, and know that I am God.” Hold off your hands, ye enemies! Sit down and wait in patience, ye believers! Acknowledge that Jehovah is God, ye who feel the terrors of his wrath! Adore him, and him only, ye who partake in the protections of his grace. Since none can worthily proclaim his nature, let “expressive silence muse his praise.” The boasts of the ungodly and the timorous forebodings of the saints should certainly be hushed by a sight of what the Lord has done in past ages.

I love the term timorous forebodings, which is what we hear and read about a lot these days (and apparently in Spurgeon’s day too!) when there are so many books, sermons by spurious pastors and articles on ‘headline prophecy’ (trying to match current events with Bible prophecy), the impending doom that is always being predicted, etc. Not that impending doom isn’t upon us, we just can’t predict it, or anything else that may or may not happen.

I bring this up mainly because I read this in my two favorite translations and like how they put it:

Psalm 46:10 GW
Let go of your concerns! Then you will know that I am God.
I rule the nations. I rule the earth.

Psalm 46:10 REB
‘Let be then; learn that I am God,
exalted in the nations, exalted in the earth.’

Read the whole Psalm to see the context. The idea of the beginning of this single verse needs to be balanced with others and not misunderstood to the other extreme of course.

If any Hebrew geeks or anyone else want to chime in, feel free.

Luke 12:29-34 GW
“Don’t concern yourself about what you will eat or drink, and quit worrying about these things. 30 Everyone in the world is concerned about these things, but your Father knows you need them. 31 Rather, be concerned about his kingdom. Then these things will be provided for you.

32 Don’t be afraid, little flock. Your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 “Sell your material possessions, and give the money to the poor. Make yourselves wallets that don’t wear out! Make a treasure for yourselves in heaven that never loses its value! In heaven thieves and moths can’t get close enough to destroy your treasure.

34 Your heart will be where your treasure is.

Psalm 1:1-3 NIV
Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.

I’ve often wondered about “whatever he does prospers”. I always thought it to be a general truth like a Proverb and not a hard and fast rule or promise that comes about 100% of the time.

For friends who may be interested in one thing I’ve been doing lately–As part of my concentration on the Old Testament, I’m going through all of the OT verses and passages I have memorized (too many single verses!) and reading them in context again. I also look things up in a commentary if I feel a need. Since I don’t have a lot of newer (which isn’t necessarily better of course) OT commentaries in book form, I often go to e-Sword, where there are plenty of commentary modules of dead people that are out of copyright. One of the ones I especially like is Spurgeon’s Treasury of David which is on the Psalms. (The one in e-Sword doesn’t contain additional quotes that Spurgeon compiled for each verse in addition to his own commentary.)

So after my update on what I’ve been doing, here is an interesting quote from Spurgeon on the last part of Psalm 1:3 :

“And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Blessed is the man who hath such a promise as this. But we must not always estimate the fulfilment of a promise by our own eye-sight. How often, my brethren, if we judge by feeble sense, may we come to the mournful conclusion of Jacob, “All these things are against me!” For though we know our interest in the promise, yet are we so tried and troubled, that sight sees the very reverse of what that promise foretells. But to the eye of faith this word is sure, and by it we perceive that our works are prospered, even when everything seems to go against us. It is not outward prosperity which the Christian most desires and values; it is soul prosperity which he longs for. We often, like Jehoshaphat, make ships to go to Tarshish for gold, but they are broken at Ezion-geber; but even here there is a true prospering, for it is often for the soul’s health that we should be poor, bereaved, and persecuted. Our worst things are often our best things. As there is a curse wrapped up in the wicked man’s mercies, so there is a blessing concealed in the righteous man’s crosses, losses, and sorrows. The trials of the saint are a divine husbandry, by which he grows and brings forth abundant fruit.

Even though the word prosper may have changed somewhat in meaning over time, we westerners still think dangerously temporal and materialistic. Too dangerous for our spiritual health.

I would rather be in this chair knowing him, than on my feet without him. And that’s the truth, I have no regrets, absolutely none… everything else, everything worldly pales in comparison.

–Joni Eareckson Tada, No Regrets, Joni and Friends

Philippians 3:8-11 NLT
Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

I have this passage memorized, and whenever I review it, which comes along at least once a week, I think about what I used to be able to do and enjoy that I can’t anymore because of depression, chronic fatigue and back pain. But in all of this God has intensified my zeal for knowing Him and has greatly sped up sanctification (being made holy and maturing as a Christian) by leaps and bounds, still with infinite room for improvement. This has given me joy along with helping me to cope. If I were to be asked it if it’s all worth it, I suppose it would depend on what kind of day I’m having. At its worst, when I just want to die, I’m not so sure. I’d still be a Christian otherwise. Unlike Paul, I haven’t come from a different religion where I went through a lot of training and now find it worthless. But what I’ve gained is truly incredible and obviously God working, because spiritually He’s taken me the exact opposite way I’ve gone in almost every other way. This assures me of salvation and shows that God is doing His will and I need to stay with it. We need to persevere (Hebrews 10:36) but it’s God who keeps us (Psalm 55:22, 1 Corinthians 1:8).

Joshua 1:1-6
Then Joshua secretly sent out two spies from the Israelite camp at Acacia Grove. He instructed them, “Scout out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho.” So the two men set out and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there that night. 2 But someone told the king of Jericho, “Some Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.”

3 So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab: “Bring out the men who have come into your house, for they have come here to spy out the whole land.” 4 Rahab had hidden the two men, but she replied, “Yes, the men were here earlier, but I didn’t know where they were from. 5 They left the town at dusk, as the gates were about to close. I don’t know where they went. If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them.” 6 (Actually, she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them beneath bundles of flax she had laid out.)

I’ve often thought about Rahab’s lie and how she was commended in the New Testament (Heb 11:31; James 2:25). John Calvin has quite a bit to say about this in his commentary and is able to embrace the fact that not everything is black and white.

Jos 2:4 -
4. And the woman took the two men, etc. We may presume that before Rahab was ordered to bring them forth the rumor of their arrival had been spread, and that thus some little time had been given for concealing them. And indeed on receiving the kingﾒs command, had not measures for concealment been well taken, there would have been no room for denial; much less would she have dared to lie so coolly. But after she had thus hidden her guests, as the search would have been difficult, she comes boldly forward and escapes by a crafty answer.

Now, the questions which here arise are, first, Was treachery to her country excusable? Secondly, Could her lie be free from fault? We know that the love of our country, which is as it were our common mother, has been implanted in us by nature. When, therefore, Rahab knew that the object intended was the overthrow of the city in which she had been born and brought up, it seems a detestable act of inhumanity to give her aid and counsel to the spies. It is a puerile evasion to say, that they were not yet avowed enemies, inasmuch as war had not been declared; since it is plain enough that they had conspired the destruction of her fellow-citizens. It was therefore only the knowledge communicated to her mind by God which exempted her from fault, as having been set free from the common rule. Her faith is commended by two Apostles, who at the same time declare, (Heb 11:31; Jas 2:25) that the service which she rendered to the spies was acceptable to God.

It is not wonderful, then, that when the Lord condescended to transfer a foreign female to his people, and to engraft her into the body of the Church, he separated her from a profane and accursed nation. Therefore, although she had been bound to her countrymen up to that very day, yet when she was adopted into the body of the Church, her new condition was a kind of manumission from the common law by which citizens are bound toward each other. In short, in order to pass by faith to a new people, she behooved to renounce her countrymen. And as in this she only acquiesced in the judgment of God, there was no criminality in abandoning them.

As to the falsehood, we must admit that though it was done for a good purpose, it was not free from fault. For those who hold what is called a dutiful lie to be altogether excusable, do not sufficiently consider how precious truth is in the sight of God. Therefore, although our purpose, be to assist our brethren, to consult for their safety and relieve them, it never can be lawful to lie, because that cannot be right which is contrary to the nature of God. And God is truth. And still the act of Rahab is not devoid of the praise of virtue, although it was not spotlessly pure. For it often happens that while the saints study to hold the right path, they deviate into circuitous courses.

Rebecca (Gen 27:1-46*) in procuring the blessing to her son Jacob, follows the prediction. In obedience of this description a pious and praiseworthy zeal is perceived. But it cannot be doubted that in substituting her son Jacob in the place of Esau, she deviated from the path of duty. The crafty proceeding, therefore, so far taints an act which was laudable in itself. And yet the particular fault does not wholly deprive the deed of the merit of holy zeal; for by the kindness of God the fault is suppressed and not taken into account. Rahab also does wrong when she falsely declares that the messengers were gone, and yet the principal action was agreeable to God, because the bad mixed up with the good was not imputed. On the whole, it was the will of God that the spies should be delivered, but he did not approve of saving their life by falsehood.

* A guy named Ed. wrote that a misprint of Genesis 28:0 should be 27:0. I assume this means the whole chapter of Genesis 27. And I know that Ed. means editor.

Always strive to have an imbalance in your heart where the desire to love outdistances the desire to be loved: “This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for one another.” (1 John 3:11, 16)

–Ed Welch, Running Scared: Fear, Worry & the God of Rest

Philippians 2:3-4 NIV
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Athletes have been “Tebowing” since 1977 according to this article. Why do people think Tim Tebow invented it?

Why pray or praise or thank after a touchdown anyway? I can see praying for safety (as in being safe) but that doesn’t need a public gesture.

An athlete praising God after a loss, saying that there is a much higher purpose in life (which I did see on TV once), goes a longer way with me. Not that Tim Tebow wouldn’t do this.

Losing faith in the NFL

Also see this great post:
“Tebowing” -The new planking for God?

This is the most comprehensive page of information I’ve ever seen. It’s more than most people would want to read, but you can read what may be of interest to you or come up with some materials for others you may be ministering to.

Memorizing His Word

Here are a couple of highlights that I strongly agree with.

I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture…No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified.

–Dr. Chuck Swindoll, Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994, p. 61) [so good they mentioned it twice]

One note of caution – Be careful when memorizing single verses that you do not “wrench” them out of their context, lest you give the passage a meaning (and an interpretation) God never intended. Always examine the context surrounding the verse you are memorizing or even better memorize larger sections of Scripture, including chapters or even entire books.

Memorizing His Word

I’ve been frustrated with quite a few things this past week but they haven’t really gotten me down. Then today the deeper depression switch got flipped on (Bipolar) and everything felt much worse, with a sinking stomach, dark feeling and thinking things like, “I’m frustrated with everything.”

I happen to be reading the little book Christians Get Depressed Too, which is better than I thought it would be. I’ve been at this a long time and have been working on my thinking for many years, although physical type stuff is always there (yes, always) too. ”I’m frustrated with everything” shows me that I’m engaging in false extremes as the book puts it. I think I call it all or nothing thinking but that might not be the best term.

So how do I work this out Biblically? Obviously I’m not frustrated with everything in the whole world but more importantly, not nearly everything in my life. I’m not frustrated with my wife or cats or a whole bunch of other things. So I’m magnifying my frustration. I can think about 2 Cor 4:17 to put it into perspective.

2 Corinthians 4:16b-18 GW
Though outwardly we are wearing out, inwardly we are renewed day by day. 17 Our suffering is light and temporary and is producing for us an eternal glory that is greater than anything we can imagine. 18 We don’t look for things that can be seen but for things that can’t be seen. Things that can be seen are only temporary. But things that can’t be seen last forever.

(By the way, this is one of the many great things about Scripture memory.)

The frustration won’t last forever, it’s not that bad in these cases and I need to see things from a godly spiritual perspective and take refuge in Him. I need to think more about the things that will last forever and less about the temporal (Col 3:1-3). Easier said than done.

For now, the sinking, dark feeling is still there but the switch will get flipped again and the depression will be more moderate as it usually is. (For me it’s chronic.) The improvement in thinking will help the mental aspect of it hopefully and help me to persevere (James 1:2-4) for when the bigger things come along, which they will.

Comments welcome.

Some people seem very concerned that there seem (seems?) to be so few female Bibliobloggers. I don’t know why this is and it’s not a big issue for me. It is what it is. But I thought I would mention a couple that I found that are written by femalers that look to be very interesting and maybe it would make your day; or, here are two more great blogs you may consider taking a look at. I’m not mentioning them just because they’re written by women. I would like a prize of some sort. *Reformed alert*

• Housewife Theologian
• You Will Comfort Me Again

Until today I hadn’t seen this book. It looks very good. The description at Amazon makes me want to read it.
To Those Who Suffer: Understanding God’s Purpose and Pathway Through Pain by Sean Nolan

There is a sample chapter and interview with the author at Living For God (Warning: sound will play on that page).

How Does God Speak to Me Today?

What Is God Sovereign Over?

Charles Spurgeon Movie
HT: Michael Acidri via Jim West via Facebook (Kevin Bacon should be only a couple more steps away)

Super cool picture of a wasp. One possibly bad word in the description. The picture isn’t very gross from my point of view.

What were we made for? To know God. What aim should we set for ourselves in life? To know God. What is ‘eternal life’ that Jesus gives? Knowledge of God. ‘This is eternal life; that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent’ (John 17:3). What is the best thing in life, bringing more joy, more delight and contentment than anything else? Knowledge of God. ‘Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: 24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me’ (Jer. 9:23f.).

In these few sentences we have said a great deal. Our point is one to which every Christian heart will warm, though the person whose religion is merely formal will not be moved by it. (And by this very fact his unregenerate state may be known.)

…

For what higher, more exalted, and more compelling goal can there be than to know God?

–J.I. Packer, Knowing God (Chapter 3–page numbers vary in different editions)

This certainly is a great deal! And yet it’s so simple. We find God in the Bible and through His works of the Holy Spirit, which always agree with the Bible. No amount of programs or fancy explanations can do the work of the Cross and the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor. 1:17-18) And nothing outside of the Bible will help us know God. Those who have no interest in the Bible really have no interest in God, which right now grieves me more than you can know.

After a lifetime of studying the Bible, it is simple realism, not mock humility, to acknowledge that we are still paddling in the shallows of revealed truth.

–Edward Donnelly, Biblical Teaching on the Doctrines of Heaven and Hell

HT: Challies.com

Quite a statement. And strangely enough, it comes from Joni Eareckson Tada (MP3 and transcript), who is still a quadriplegic, and isn’t talking about her future. What is she talking about?

How about Jesus in Matthew 13:15: “For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes–so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’”

Joni Eareckson Tada is talking about heart and soul. About receiving God’s joy, happiness and contentment.

Jesus is talking about spiritual healing–giving us eternal life, which is knowing God and Jesus Christ (John 17:3), and being at peace with God by His forgiveness through believing in His death and resurrection, even though we’re sinners and deserve His wrath, much less being in His presence.

Certainly God heals physically all the time. When on earth Jesus healed physically nearly everywhere He went. These were called signs and wonders to point us to His authority to forgive our sins and heal us spiritually, forever.

Many have the priorities backwards. How much more important it is for Joni Eareckson Tada to be healed spiritually, as great as it would be for her to be healed physically, whether miraculously from God or miraculously through medical science. Hopefully it will happen.

Because of living with mental health difficulties, chronic fatigue and chronic pain, I can especially understand how my mind and body are “wasting away” at an accelerated rate but I’m “being renewed day by day”, as we all are. (2 Corinthians 4:16 TNIV)

I pray for physical and ‘mental’ healing, but spend so much more time praying for all of the ways I can be healed spiritually. That’s something that could be spent all day, every day on. This is something God is doing at, I know, a much more accelerated rate than if I didn’t suffer from these things. I’m not yet ready to call it a gift, as I’ve read some older and mature suffering Christians do, but I can call it an opportunity. I pray that someday I will be mature enough and that God’s joy will outweigh the suffering so much that I can call it a gift. When it’s at its worst, it’s difficult to think of it positively at all, although I thank God for what He’ll do through it (Romans 8:28-29; James 1:2-8).

Those who concentrate on and promise physical healing, possibly thwarting God’s will, especially if you give them money, should be mocked, discredited and excommunicated. They are deluded and have no business preaching and teaching because they don’t know the first things about what Jesus is about. They should be sent to an island with only the Bible, for their own good, and not let out. It’s what people desperately want, understandably, but these heretics don’t show them the value of spiritual healing. And people in their denominations or circles don’t speak out against them enough. Giving “seed money” to be healed or having to speak in tongues in order to be saved isn’t seen as a bad thing in some of these circles either.

Real life is spiritual. Let’s keep our eyes on it and want it more than anything.

Colossians 3:1-3 ESV
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  2  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  3  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 ISV
Tell those who are rich in this age not to be arrogant and not to place their confidence in anything as uncertain as riches. Instead, let them place their confidence in God, who lavishly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good actions, to be generous, and to share. 19 By doing this they store up a treasure for themselves that is a good foundation for the future, so that they can keep their hold on the life that is real.

God opens our eyes to see the wonderful things in His teachings. The Psalmist has worked to learn and obey God’s law’s. (Memorization is a given.) It’s God that does the teaching. The Psalmist wants to keep learning. God will keep teaching. A joyful lifelong cycle.

I love this Psalm more every time I read it.

Psalm 119:18 GW
Uncover my eyes
so that I may see the miraculous things in your teachings.

Psalm 119:11-13 NET
In my heart I store up your words,
so I might not sin against you.
12 You deserve praise, O LORD!
Teach me your statutes!
13 With my lips I proclaim
all the regulations you have revealed.

Psalm 119:33 GW
Teach me, O LORD, how to live by your laws,
and I will obey them to the end.

Psalm 119:60 GW
Without any hesitation
I hurry to obey your commandments.

Psalm 119:64 GW
Your mercy, O LORD, fills the earth.
Teach me your laws.

Psalm 119:111 GW
Your written instructions are mine forever.
They are the joy of my heart.

Augustine had something to say about this but so did Spurgeon. This was found in If God Is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil by Randy Alcorn.

Spurgeon warned against theologies that attempt to reconcile, by means of shortsighted human logic, every apparent biblical inconsistency:

Men who are morbidly anxious to possess a self-consistent creed, a creed which will put together and form a square like a Chinese puzzle, are very apt to narrow their souls. Those who will only believe what they can reconcile will necessarily disbelieve much of divine revelation. Those who receive by faith anything which they find in the Bible will receive two things, twenty things, ay, or twenty thousand things, though they cannot construct a theory which harmonizes them all.

(“Faith,” An All-Round Ministry, 1872)

The system of truth is not one straight line, but two. No man will ever get a right view of the gospel until he knows how to look at the two lines at once.

The first quote can be found in an interesting article on Randy Alcorn’s Ministry site. He writes about Calvinism and election but isn’t really a Calvinist so it’s a bit strange from my point of view:
Spurgeon’s Theology: Embracing Biblical Paradox

The second quote can be found here:
If God Is Good: 99 Quotes and Illustrations

I suppose I can stop posting quotes from that book now. I need to read it again someday. Interestingly, right now the Kindle edition costs more than the paper version. But the prices change often. There is an abridged version of the book too.

Some people say, “God will never reveal his plan for you if you don’t seek out to him for guidance” as Greg Jennings* did. Well if that’s true, I wish God would have told me that I would deal with mental illness, chronic fatigue and chronic back pain so I could be ready for it. But God doesn’t work that way. I can’t find any place in the Bible where God reveals his plans for your life. Certainly he has plans and God’s will comes about no matter what.

Another thing is, when God does supposedly reveals plans, it never seems to be things we would consider negative. But these are the things that God often uses to bring us much closer to him, if we are willing to submit to God’s will.

Just as if God were to answer all of our prayers in the affirmative, can you imagine the chaos if God revealed to us his plans for us? This would have unimaginable ramifications. We need to live by faith and not by sight.

From a human logical point of view, if God revealed to us that we would be successful, we might not work as hard. If he revealed that we would become very ill, we may despair and give up. As far as the small things, learn what God’s will is as well as you can as life goes on, want desperately to please Him, ask for knowledge and wisdom, and if you truly delight in the Lord (Psalm 37:4), do whatever you want.

*I love Greg Jennings and the Packers. He is obviously a brother in the Lord and could very well be more mature (more than I was at his age for sure), more faithful and more knowledgeable that me. I disagree that God will reveal to us specific extra-Biblical material, with some minor exceptions. Jennings does come from a very different denominational background that me. “Be Great” is maybe a subject for another post. I hope he can play at his highest level until he’s at least 40 and keep publicly speaking about God as he matures.

2 Corinthians 5:7 GW
Indeed, our lives are guided by faith, not by sight.