November 2007 - Posts

• Psalms Week 2

  The Righteous & the Wicked Contrasted       Psalm 1-A Wisdom Psalm  l     The Person Who Receives A Blessing From God l     Blessed (Asher)-Means Happiness l     Negatively l     Walketh Not in the Counsel of the Ungodly-Takes Wiser Counsel & Walks in the Word of the Lord l     The Ungodly-Wicked or Evil l     Nor standeth in the way of sinners-He Does Not Herd With the Multitude That Does Evil l     Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful-Will Not Listen to Those That Mock God l     There is a Direction Travelled By Men Living in Sin l     They Walk, Then Stand, Then Sit l     Lot Looked Toward Sodom, Pitched His Tent Toward Sodom & Soon Moved Into Sodom (Gen 13 & 14) l     We Move Into Sin & Disobedience Gradually (Prov. 7:6) l     When Jesus Was Arrested, Peter Didn’t Follow Christ’s Counsel & Flee l     Peter Followed & Entered into the High Priest’s Courtyard l     Peter Stood with the Enemy & Then Sat with them (Lk 22:55) l     Positively l     His delight is in the law of the LORD-Not Under the Law as a Curse, But Willingly Desires It As His Rule of Life l     Meditate day and night-Read & Think Upon it Routinely l     If We Speak to the Lord About the Word, the Word Will Speak to Us About the Lord l     Like-A Simile, Similar To or As l     A Tree Planted-Not Wild, But Chosen, Cultivated, Considered Property & Protected (Matt 15:13) l     The rivers of water-Plural, No Drought l     Bringeth forth his fruit in his season-Expected Fruit is Produced at the Proper Time l     His leaf also shall not wither-The Foliage Will Remain Beautiful Along With the Fruit l     Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper-Bring to Perfection or Maturity l     So What is the Simile? l     A Tree In Scripture Symbolizes Both A Nation & An Individual l     The Green Leaves are Emblems of Faith & Testimony l     The Rivers of Water are the Word of God Bringing Life to the One Who is Planted l     Leaves Convert the Water of Life into Sap or Strength l     The Fruit, An Emblem of Works, Gradually Ripens and Scatters Blessings Around l     God Blesses Us That We Might Be a Blessing To Others (Gen 12:2) l     The Person Who Is In Need of Blessing & Far From God l     The ungodly are not so-Are The Opposite l     Like chaff-Worthless & Unstable l     Wind driveth away-Prey to the Slightest Breeze l     Like-What is the Simile? l     The Chaff is so Near the Grain l     Easily Driven To and Fro By Every Wind of Doctrine and Temptation l     In the End, The Chaff Will Be Separated Forever l     Not stand in the judgment-Stand to Be Judged, But Fear & No Defense Cause Them to Faint l     Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous-Mixed In on Earth, But the Ungodly Cannot Live in Heaven l     Knoweth the way of the righteous-Constantly Looking On Their Way (Job 23:10) l     But the way of the ungodly shall perish-All Their Ways Will End in Disappointment and Ruin    Posted Nov 25 2007, 03:05 PM by jbarch with no comments

• Psalms Week 1

  Getting Acquainted With Psalms  •         The Book of Psalms is the Largest Book in the Bible •         Title •         Hebrew (Tehillim)-Means Praises •         Greek (Psalmos)- A Striking (of Musical Instruments) (Lk 20:42 & Acts 1:20) •         Latin Psalterium & English Psalter •         Background •         Biblical Psalms Trace Back to Lamech & Jubal (Gen 4:19-21) •         Early History of Israel, Hymns Were Used to Celebrate God’s Victories •         Used in Worship •         Psalms Are Directly Related to Temple Worship •         David Gathered Materials & Organized the Music Program in the Temple •         Singers & Musicians Formed Guilds & Were Officially Recognized by David •         Among the Israelites Who Returned From Captivity in Babylon Were 200 Singers •         Date of the Psalms •         Psalm 90 by Moses is the Earliest Datable Psalm •         The Psalms of David & Asaph Were Composed Between 1020 & 975 BC •         Two Psalms (72, 127) Come From the Period of Solomon’s Reign About 950 BC •         Psalm 126 is the Newest Datable Psalm •         Psalm Books •         From Early Times, the Psalms Were Grouped into 5 “Books” •         At the End of Each Book, There Are Doxologies & Indications of the End of a Collection (Ps 72:20) •         The Doxologies All End With A Double Amen (Ps 41:13; 72:18-19; 89:52) •         At Some Time, Book 4 Was Separated into 2 Separate Books to Make 5 •         The Psalms Took On the Form of the Pentateuch  •         Psalm Titles •         The Psalm Title Contains One or All Three of These Elements: •         Technical Classification •         Assignment of Authorship •         Occasion •         Classification of Psalms •         Predictive (2,16,22,45,110) •         Praise Hymns or Hallelujah (146-150) •         Petition or Supplication (6,39,86) •         Penitential (32,38,51,102) •         Perceptive or Wisdom (1,19,119) •         Profession or Confession (33, 103,107) •         Patriotic or Historic (78,105,106) •         Pilgrimage (120-134) •         Messianic (chart; 2,22,68) •         Imprecatory (35,69,109) •         Purpose of the Book •         Immediate Purpose •         To Provide for Ancient Worshipers A Service Hymnal Which Was the Medium of Prayer & Praise for OT Saints •         Ultimate Purpose •         To Reveal to Saints of All Ages the Right Ways to Express Faith in All Circumstances •         Psalms is a Model for Prayer & Praise •         Psalms Promoted the Exclusive Worship of Jehovah •         Psalms Provides Guidance for the Believer’s Emotions •         Psalms in Jewish Worship •         David Organized & Promoted Liturgical Music (1 Chron 25:2 •   The Instrument Used by Choir Masters (Heman, Asaph, and Ethan-Jeduthun) was the Cymbal, which Served Instead of a Wand for Beating Time •         The Harps Represented the Soprano & the Bass was the Cithern an Octave Lower •         Selah Indicated the Instruments Were to Join in for Intensity •         Psalms Are Not Sung, But Recited Verse by Verse By the Leader & the Congregation    Posted Nov 18 2007, 02:55 PM by jbarch with no comments

• Sermon on the Mount Week 22

  The End of the Life of Faith                      Matthew 7:24-29      The Two Builders     The Foundations     Therefore-To Close This Sermon     Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine-More Than Listening; Implies Some Understanding of the Truth     And doeth them-Assent is Insufficient; There Must be Action (James 1:22)     One Built His House on Solid Rock     I will liken him-Shall Be Likened in Figure and Parable     Unto a wise man-A Sensible, Prudent, Provident Man     Which built his house-Externally, They Both Look Alike     Upon a rock-Obedience to the Word of God (James 2:14)     The Parable is About Two Builders & Their Completed Work     Or About Obedience & Disobedience     Another Man Built on Shifting Sand     A foolish man-Empty Profession     Built his house upon the sand-Meaning a Loose Foundation & External Show     The Storm     A Symbol for God’s Judgment     The House on the Rock Stood Firm     Rain descended-From Above     Floods came-From Below     Winds Blew-Sweeping Across     Beat upon that house-From Every Direction     Beat upon-Means literally Fell Against     It fell not; …founded upon a rock-Foundation (1 John 2:17)     The House on the Sand Fell Flat     Great was the fall of it-Terrible the Ruin (Prov 10:25; Ps 1:5; Jn 12:28)     A False Profession May Last Until Judgment Comes     Sometimes Judgment is in the Form of the Trials of Life     This Verse Refers to the Final Judgment Before God     Profession Will Ultimately Be Tested Before God       Effect of the Sermon on the Mount     The people-Crowds in Contrast to Scribes     Were astonished-Literally, Struck Out of Themselves     At his doctrine-Teaching     For he taught them as one having authority-Consistently From Himself     Not as the scribes-Who Got Their Authority From Tradition & Previous Teachers   Posted Nov 11 2007, 02:51 PM by jbarch with no comments

• Sermon on the Mount Week 21

  TWO ANIMALS, TWO TREES, TWO DISCIPLES      Matt 7:15-23  •         Two Animals •         They Pretend To Be Sheep •         Beware of false prophets-Falsely Claiming to Bring Messages From God •         Come unto you in sheep’s clothing-Professing To Be Gentle, Harmless, & Members of God’s Flock (Ezek 13:6) •         They Prove To Be Wolves •         But inwardly they are ravening wolves-Injure for Gain (Ezek 34: 1-10) •         Two Trees •         Ye shall know them by their fruits-Full Life Not First Glance •         A Good Tree Cannot Produce Bad Fruit •         Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?-The Visible Outgrowth Reveals the Nature of That Within (Jas 3:11) •         Do men gather-Emphasis on the Way We Deal With Everyday Life •         A Bad Tree Cannot Produce Good Fruit •         Every-Similarity Between Fruit & Nature of the Tree Extends to the Species •         Good Tree-Fundamentally Sound •         Good Fruit-Attractive to Men •         Corrupt Tree-Picturing to the Eye is Unsound, Rotten, Worthless •         The External Product Must Correspond to the Internal Character •         The Heart Determines & is the Only Proper Interpreter of the Actions of Our Life •         All Trees Will Be Cut Down, Unless There Is A Reason for the Contrary (Heb 9:27) •         By their fruits ye shall know them-Know Their True Character •         The Trees Show That True Faith in Christ Changes The Life & Produces Fruit for God’s Glory •         Everything in Nature Reproduces After its Kind, & Spiritually the Same is True •         False Prophets, False Doctrine, Produce False Righteousness (Acts 20:29) •         False Prophets Magnify Themselves Not Christ•         False Prophets Exploit People, Not Edify    •         Two Disciples •         The Contrast Between Professing & Possessing •         True Disciples •         The True Will Be Separated From the False •         Saith unto me-Expectation of Reward •         Shall enter-The Final Goal of the Kingdom •         Doeth the Will-Hearing Must Result in Doing (James 1:22) •         Of my Father-The One Whom I Represent •         False Disciples •         What They Say: •         Many will say to me-Christ’s Claim to Be The Future Judge of the World •         Lord, Lord-A Profession of Service in Anticipation of Wages to Be Paid •         Have we not prophesied-The Historical Fact of Public Teaching •         Spiritual Results Can Be Effected By Unspiritual Men (2 Thes 2:9) •         In thy name-By Thy Name; ‘In’ Implies Connection •         What Christ Will Say: •         Then Will I profess unto them-Openly to All •         I never knew you-No Personal Knowledge As Family •         Depart from me-The Absence of Recognition by Christ Means Departure From His Presence (2 Thes 1:9) •         Ye that work iniquity-Full Purpose & Energy is Lawlessness (2 Tim 2:19) •         Two Ways Illustrate the Start of the Life of Faith •         Two Trees Illustrate the Growth & Results of the Life of Faith •         Two Houses Will Illustrate the End of the Life of Faith    Posted Nov 04 2007, 04:26 PM by jbarch with no comments