Renew The Mind; Transform Your Life

Psalm 82

A psalm of Asaph.

God presides in the great assembly;
he renders judgment among the ‘gods’:
‘How long will you defend the unjust
and show partiality to the wicked?
Defend the weak and the fatherless;
uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
‘The “gods” know nothing, they understand nothing.
They walk about in darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
‘I said, “You are ‘gods’;
you are all sons of the Most High.”
But you will die like mere mortals;
you will fall like every other ruler.’
Rise up, O God, judge the earth,
for all the nations are your inheritance.

Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Lots of fun with this production.  I felt like it warranted a Hollywood Soundtrack so I composed something simple using ReFX's Nexus 2 Synthesiser - Hollywood Sound Library.

The vision of Obadiah.

This is what the Sovereign Lord says about Edom –

We have heard a message from the Lord:
an envoy was sent to the nations to say,
‘Rise, let us go against her for battle’–
‘See, I will make you small among the nations;
you will be utterly despised.
The pride of your heart has deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rocks
and make your home on the heights,
you who say to yourself,
“Who can bring me down to the ground?”
Though you soar like the eagle
and make your nest among the stars,
from there I will bring you down,’
declares the Lord.
‘If thieves came to you,
if robbers in the night –
oh, what a disaster awaits you –
would they not steal only as much as they wanted?
If grape pickers came to you,
would they not leave a few grapes?
But how Esau will be ransacked,
his hidden treasures pillaged!
All your allies will force you to the border;
your friends will deceive and overpower you;
those who eat your bread will set a trap for you,
but you will not detect it.
‘In that day,’ declares the Lord,
‘will I not destroy the wise men of Edom,
those of understanding in the mountains of Esau?
Your warriors, Teman, will be terrified,
and everyone in Esau’s mountains
will be cut down in the slaughter.
Because of the violence against your brother Jacob,
you will be covered with shame;
you will be destroyed for ever.
On the day you stood aloof
while strangers carried off his wealth
and foreigners entered his gates
and cast lots for Jerusalem,
you were like one of them.
You should not gloat over your brother
in the day of his misfortune,
nor rejoice over the people of Judah
in the day of their destruction,
nor boast so much
in the day of their trouble.
You should not march through the gates of my people
in the day of their disaster,
nor gloat over them in their calamity
in the day of their disaster,
nor seize their wealth
in the day of their disaster.
You should not wait at the crossroads
to cut down their fugitives,
nor hand over their survivors
in the day of their trouble.
‘The day of the Lord is near
for all nations.
As you have done, it will be done to you;
your deeds will return upon your own head.
Just as you drank on my holy hill,
so all the nations will drink continually;
they will drink and drink
and be as if they had never been.
But on Mount Zion will be deliverance;
it will be holy,
and Jacob will possess his inheritance.
Jacob will be a fire
and Joseph a flame;
Esau will be stubble,
and they will set him on fire and destroy him.
There will be no survivors
from Esau.’
The Lord has spoken.
People from the Negev will occupy
the mountains of Esau,
and people from the foothills will possess
the land of the Philistines.
They will occupy the fields of Ephraim and Samaria,
and Benjamin will possess Gilead.
This company of Israelite exiles who are in Canaan
will possess the land as far as Zarephath;
the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad
will possess the towns of the Negev.
Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion
to govern the mountains of Esau.
And the kingdom will be the Lord’s.

Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

And so The Preacher brings us to his conclusion:
"This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man."

It's been a fascinating journey, focusing, as it so often has, on our mortality.
Our gratitude for the good times should overflow with joy,
and our understanding of the bad times should be framed within the context of our 'vaporous' nature of existence - our impermanence - for all is, in the end, vanity!

The word used here for 'vanity' is more about impermanence, though the use of 'evil' on many an occasion doesn't detract from how we would normally understand 'vanity' in English.

Life is short.
Live it well.
Enjoy as much as you can...

• including wine
• including food
• including work you love
• including your spouse

And show your deep and abiding respect for God in all you do.
The end is nigh!
[And judgment is just around the bend!  A sobering thought!]


You Can Help Me Reach More People
Together, we can multiply the resources and the reach of this Podcast.
If you'd like to invest as a partner with me in this rewarding work, you can use Ko-Fi to fund our passion for sharing the Word.  I felt led, many years ago, to become like the loyal steward in this verse: "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?" [Luke 12:42]  If you share my belief that fresh, 'Daily Bread' is essential for growth and health, then feel free to join me in this delightful task.

https://ko-fi.com/magnanimous

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Once again, this is a chapter populated with many of my favourite direction from The Spirit of Wisdom...

Diversity of Investment
"Cast your bread on the waters;

    for you shall find it after many days.
Give a portion to seven, yes, even to eight;
    for you don’t know what evil will be on the earth."

These words encourage any investor or entrepreneur to not put their proverbial eggs in one basket!  In fact, I recommend multiple-asset-streams that add value to the world without eating up your time.

No Excuses!
"He who observes the wind won’t sow;
    and he who regards the clouds won’t reap."

There will always be reasons not to take action.
It is not wise to be too cautious - especially if you are spreading the risk with multiple-streams of investment.

Keep Being Diligent
"In the morning sow your seed,
    and in the evening don’t withhold your hand;
    for you don’t know which will prosper, whether this or that,
    or whether they both will be equally good."

Keep at it, and don't be too attached to the outcome because not everything you do will succeed.  Hey, it's in the Bible!

Bearing More Fruit By Supporting This Work
Together, we can multiply the resources and the reach of this Podcast.
If you'd like to invest as a partner with me in this rewarding work, you can use Ko-Fi to fund our passion for sharing the Word.  I felt led, many years ago, to become like the loyal steward in this verse: "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?" [Luke 12:42]  If you share my belief that fresh, 'Daily Bread' is essential for growth and health, then feel free to join me in this delightful task.

https://ko-fi.com/magnanimous

Thank You!

When Jesus opened the Word to the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus, their hearts 'burned' within them.

There is nothing like the Word of God spoken out loud with boldness and confidence and faith.

Early this morning, I felt the urge to compose a positive rousing piece of music and overlay it with personalised confessions - declarations - of faith based solely on the Scriptures.

As you listen to this, or, even better, make the same declaration using the transcript, may your heart 'burn' within you - in a good way!

Do you wonder about your Ministry type?

If you would like to know what kind of ministry God has chosen you for, there's a surprise in store for you.

Listen to this twelve-minute message in order to accelerate your progress.

Well, here's something I bet you didn't expect to find in the Good Book!
"...money is the answer for all things."

Whilst the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, (see 1 Timothy 6:10), wealth is regarded as a reward and a blessing throughout the Old Testament.
The added levels of sophistication Jesus added to this message was to be wary of the point there the rewards become the focus.  If we cannot "sell all you have and give to the poor," our money owns us and not the other way around.  It is all too easy to let the rewards of success - money, power, honour - distract us from the reason we achieved that position in the first place: diligence and faithfulness.

To keep moving forward, blessings must be enjoyed but held loosely.

The Preacher in Ecclesiastes is a realist and down to earth even while his thoughts are on heaven and eternity.
"A feast is made for laughter,
    and wine makes the life glad;
    and money is the answer for all things."

Jesus was not afraid of financial prosperity if it wasn't the first priority.
In fact, He sounds very much like the Preacher as He says in Matthew 6:33-34
"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Bearing More Fruit As Partners
Together, we can multiply the resources and the reach of this Podcast.
If you'd like to invest as a partner with me in this rewarding work, you can use Ko-Fi to fund our passion for sharing the Word.  I felt led, many years ago, to become like the loyal steward in this verse: "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?" [Luke 12:42]  If you share my belief that fresh, 'Daily Bread' is essential for growth and health, then feel free to join me in this delightful task.

https://ko-fi.com/magnanimous

Thank You!

This chapter contains the biggest expansion yet of the core message of The Book of Ecclesiastes...
"Go your way—eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works. Let your garments be always white, and don’t let your head lack oil. Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity, for that is your portion in life, and in your labour in which you labour under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going."

Bearing More Fruit
Together, we can multiply the resources and the reach of this Podcast.
If you'd like to invest as a partner with me in this rewarding work, you can use Ko-Fi to fund our passion for sharing the Word.  I felt led, many years ago, to become like the loyal steward in this verse: "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?" [Luke 12:42]  If you share my belief that fresh, 'Daily Bread' is essential for growth and health, then feel free to join me in this delightful task.

https://ko-fi.com/magnanimous

Thank You!

I'm not sure one is supposed to laugh out loud when reading the Scriptures, but I did!

It was this verse that made me laugh (somewhat uncomfortably):
"Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this." (verse 10)

I laughed because this thought is almost my constant companion!

So how should we respond?
Evidentially, my former days were far, far better than the life I experience currently.
What alternative does the Preacher offer us?
I'd be fascinated by your own insights.

I know that, for Job, the end of his days were better than the former.  But he was a righteous man!  What about for those of us who are only too 'human'?
This chapter says to us it is not good to be too righteous!
"Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?"

This is profound thinking!
[And I will have to think some more on this theme!]

Bearing More Fruit
Together, we can multiply the resources and the reach of this Podcast.
If you'd like to invest as a partner with me in this rewarding work, you can use Ko-Fi to fund our passion for sharing the Word.  I felt led, many years ago, to become like the loyal steward in this verse: "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?" [Luke 12:42]  If you share my belief that fresh, 'Daily Bread' is essential for growth and health, then feel free to join me in this delightful task.

https://ko-fi.com/magnanimous

Thank You!

Error
In the final paragraph:
"When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on the earth (even though eyes see no sleep day or night), then I saw all the work of God, that man can’t find out the work that is done under the sun, because however much a man labors to seek it out, yet he won’t find it. Yes even though a wise man thinks he can comprehend it, he won’t be able to find it."

- I say "Then" instead of "When" - my apologies.

Bearing More Fruit
Together, we can multiply the resources and the reach of this Podcast.
If you'd like to invest as a partner with me in this rewarding work, you can use Ko-Fi to fund our passion for sharing the Word.  I felt led, many years ago, to become like the loyal steward in this verse: "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?" [Luke 12:42]  If you share my belief that fresh, 'Daily Bread' is essential for growth and health, then feel free to join me in this delightful task.

https://ko-fi.com/magnanimous

Thank You!