He is...

A song I heard gave me this idea. For a good personal devotion, search a concise concordance for a word that begins with each letter of the alphabet. Then find a verse that represents what God is to you. If you do this, some will jump off the page, and put a tear in your eye, and a song in your heart.

What is God to me?

He is:

my Anchor- Hebrews 6:19  Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

my Balance- Job 31:6  Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.

my Council- Psalms 16:7  I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.

my Dayspring- Luke 1:78  Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

my Earnest- 2 Corinthians 1:22  Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

my Family- (this one got to me) 1 John 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
(think on this one. God calls me son. Hallelujah!)

my Guide- Psalms 48:14  For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.

my Happiness- 1 Peter 4:14  If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

my Immortality- 2 Timothy 1:10  But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

my Jawbone- Judges 15:15  And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith. (whatever he provides is all I need)

my Keeper- Psalms 121:5  The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.

my Longing- Psalms 107:9  For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

my Master- John 13:13  Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

my Name- Acts 11:26  And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. (bearing His name brings great responsibility)

my Omnipotent Father- Revelation 19:6  And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

my Precious Cornerstone- 1 Peter 2:7  Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

my Quietness- Job 34:29  When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only:

my Ram in the thicket- Genesis 22:13  And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. (and I have to add Abraham's statement of faith)
Genesis 22:8a  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering:

my Saviour- Isaiah 43:11  I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.

my Testimony- Hebrews 11:5  By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
(oh, how often I fail, but I long for this, for God to be my testimony)

my Unction- 1 John 2:20  But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

my Virtue- Luke 6:19  And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.

my Waterspring_ Psalms 107:35  He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings.

my X-ray- Proverbs 20:27  The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly. (I bet you've been wondering what I would put for X)

my Yearning- Psalms 73:25  Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.

my Zeal- Galatians 4:18  But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.

I loved this study. I had to expose myself to many scriptures to pick the ones I wanted to use. That's never a bad thing.
Don't go for the easy one. Saviour and anchor are the only ones I chose without searching.

August 8th, 1993

I mentioned not long ago on Facebook how oft God must redirect our lives in order to keep us alive.

Let me share a few things:

1) A short time prior to this date, my Dad talked with his pastor. He informed his pastor that he had begun praying that if it took his own death for me to come to Christ, he was ready to go.

2) In early July, I had reported for duty at Ft Riley, KS after a 45 day leave at home in Alabama. My first weekend in Kansas, I set up a video camera in a hotel room to send a video greeting to my friends back in Berlin, Germany.
I just rewatched that video a few weeks ago. On that tape I make mention of an operation that the general public knew nothing of, at the time.
My orders to Ft Riley were not for the 1st MP Co. I was to be assigned to the SEP company. They were primarily Law Enforcement and did not deploy with 1st Infantry. That sounded appealing to me.
But on my arrival, they were a few weeks into preparing to deploy to Somalia. They had filled my slot with another MP prior to my arrival, so I was reassigned to 1st MP Co.

3) On August 6th, I was taken from a training mission, given $100 of Red Cross loan money, and sent home. My Dad had suffered his first heart attack. I got home on the 7th. He met his Saviour face to face on the 8th of August, 1993.

4) On the same day, in far away Somalia, the unit I was supposed to be with arrived in Somalia, and lost four men on the first day. The Humvee they were riding in hit an anti-tank landmine.
Two of those soldiers were the same rank as me. It's not guaranteed I would've been in that Humvee, but that was supposed to be MY unit.
This was the early stages of the conflict portrayed in the movie/book Blackhawk Down.

Coincidence? I don't think so. I believe God intervened and redirected my life in order to keep his promise to my Daddy. The rest of that promise was fulfilled on Feb 26th, 1997.

Pride and Arrogance

I recently heard Glenn Beck ask a group of soldiers what is the difference between pride and arrogance. I went to my Bible, Noah Webster 1828, Merriam-Webster online dictionary and Strong's Concordance to see if Glenn's comparison held up in a study of the above books.

First, I want to illuminate a fact about Bible study.

We use the KJV 1611 for many reasons. It is not my desire to go over those at this time. But I will state emphatically that I am a KJV man. I don't use, study, or refer to other versions. I have evaluated several of them, just for confirmation of their errors.

But we must realize that the KJV uses an English language that has changed a little. This is not the fault of the KJV. It is society's error. Many books written on the subject point out how much better 17th century English was.

I will give two examples of changed words:

1 Thessalonians 4:15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

Websters defines prevent as:

transitive verb

1 archaic

a : to be in readiness for (as an occasion)

b : to meet or satisfy in advance

c : to act ahead of

d : to go or arrive before

2  : to deprive of power or hope of acting or succeeding

3  : to keep from happening or existing prevent war>

4

: to hold or keep back : hinder, stop 

Most people don't even know the "archaic" definition. That was the definition in 1611.

Noah Webster's 1828 dictionary defines it as "To go before; to precede." That is the definition that matches the Greek word used in the original text.

Not knowing the proper definition changes the whole verse.

2 Thessalonians 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

Noah Webster 1828 says Let- "5. To retard; to hinder; to impede; to interpose obstructions."

Notice it is definition #5, but correctly matches the Greek in the verse and is true to the context of the passage. This verse better illustrates the changing of words, because Webster adds that this usage is nearly obsolete, only 200 years after the translating of the KJV.

Today we know this word to mean allow, but in 1611, it also meant to disallow or restrain.

There are others:

1.     advertise means tell (kinda obvious, but a little different)

2.     allege means prove  

3.     conversation means behavior or life 

And there are many more.

These in NO WAY take away from the authority of the King James Bible. It is OUR fault that our language has been degraded. Our college grads have nowhere near the vocabulary of young teens from even 200 years ago in our own country, much less when compared to someone from 17th Century England.

So, what of pride?

Webster's 1828 defines pride as:  Inordinate self-esteem; an unreasonable conceit of one's own superiority in talents, beauty, wealth, accomplishments, rank or elevation in office, which manifests itself in lofty airs, distance, reserve, and often in contempt of others.

It's first usage in the KJV is in Leviticus 26:19. It's meaning in the original text is "from 1342; the same as 1346:--arrogancy, excellency(-lent), majesty, pomp, pride, 

proud, swelling."

In subsequent usage, one word dominates the Strong's definitions of the original tongues: arrogance.

The modern webster dictionary defines pride as such:

1   : the quality or state of being proud: as

a : inordinate self-esteem : conceit

b : a reasonable or justifiable     self-respect

c : delight or elation arising from some act, possession, or relationship  (parental pride) 

2   : proud or disdainful behavior or treatment : disdain

3   a : ostentatious display

     b : highest pitch : prime

4   : a source of pride : the best in a group or class

5   : a company of lions

6   : a showy or impressive group

Similar to "prevent," pride has more meanings today than in 1828/1611. However, neither meaning is considered archaic.

Notice the two meanings I underlined and made bold.

When God says "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18) is he saying " a reasonable or justifiable self-respect" brings destruction? What is a "reasonable or justifiable self-respect?" This is what is meant when someone is declared to "take pride" in themselves, usually in their manner of grooming. An unshaven, filthy man who appears that way daily, regardless of whether he just worked, is said to take no pride in himself. So is God saying that having enough pride in one's self to shower daily will lead to destruction? I don't think so. That type of pride is reasonable and justifiable, and should be encouraged. 
It's similar to the carpenter telling his apprentice to take pride in his work. He's not saying "be lifted up and conceited" about your work. He's saying do a good job, have a little pride.

Let's look at the original text to see what God was referring to. The word translated as pride is:

ga'own gaw-ohn'

from 1342; the same as 1346:--arrogancy, excellency(-lent), majesty, pomp, pride,

proud, swelling.

This greek word appears twice in the KJV, not as "pride" but as "arrogancy."

While the modern word "pride" has both good and bad connotations, arrogance has only BAD connotations.

arrogance: an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions

Remember the lesson taught about the letter and spirit of the law in Matthew chapter five. Jesus kept giving the letter, but expanding it to the spirit of the law. So don't take the modern meaning as necessarily what God is saying. Which also means don't apply what God clearly means to all modern definitions.

The words God uses for pride are all of a bad connotation. But our English word "pride" has good connotations, as well as bad. 

If I say I am proud of my accomplishments, I am merely saying I am elated at the outcome. My testimony should already speak to others that I am grateful to God, but it also helps to add that. 

But which is more important: showing my thankfulness to God, or to man?

God knows my heart. He knows that I humbly acknowledge him as the source of all good in my life. Were he capable of forgetting it, I remind him daily.

I couldn't care less if someone is offended by me saying I have pride in my children. God knows that when I say that, I am not vaunting myself, or being arrogant. I am boasting, or glorying, in my child's accomplishments. 

If another Christian deems me to be arrogant for bragging on someone else, he is not only ignorant of the definition of pride, but is judging me with unrighteous judgment. that creates a problem between he and God, not me.

Every condemnation of pride in God's Word is interchangeable with the word arrogance. When God speaks against pride, he is speaking against arrogance, or hautiness. He is not speaking against every future meaning of the word pride. 

Why would God condemn a family of lions? That may sound silly, but so does applying God's condemnation of arrogancy to every modern usage of the word pride.

Take the following statement: I am proud of our nation and grateful to God that i was born in the USA.

Is that a contradiction? Pride and humility in the same sentence?

No contradiction exists. God is against arrogance, not pride in others. The true opposite of humility is arrogance, nor pride. Only some definitions of pride contradict humility, not every meaning.

I love my Noah Webster 1828, but it must be compared to newer dictionaries so we do not condemn practices which are pure, but use newer definitions.


Here is the absolute simplest illustration of meanings of words changing: In 1611, if a man built a wagon with all the latest gadgets installed, and his friend exclaimed, "That's bad!" upon first sight of the wagon, the builder would know he did something wrong. But in 1975 if another man made his Gran Torino look like the Starsky and Hutch car, and his friend exclaimed, "That's bad!" upon first sight of the car, the builder would know he did something right. Simple? Yes. Silly? Not really.
If we ran these two men together, and the 1975 man told the 1611 man that the wagon looked "groovy," the 1611 man would think he needed to sand the wood some more.
That is no different than a 2010 man thinking that every time his contemporary uses the word pride, he must be meaning arrogance, as the Bible does.


When I say "prevent" you can be assured that I mean "to stop" not to "go before." The exception is if I am quoting or describing I Thessalonians 4.

Glenn, or one of the soldiers, illustrated the difference between pride and arrogance in the following way: "Arrogance is pride without humility." I concur.

Ryan and Jessica's Wedding

Many know that last year my son, Ryan moved out on his own. Some know the circumstances, but I will not rehash the details.

He is getting married to Jessica King today. They met earlier this year.

Everyone will have their own opinion on this marriage. I have mine, as well.

Although he acts childish, and foolish, at times, Ryan is an adult, and is responsible for his own decision. He is fully aware that my desire is to see him get right, and return to his own God-directed goal of being a missionary. But that is between him and God.

Jessica is a great girl, and Tammy and I both like her. I think she will be a fine wife.

Regardless of what anyone thinks, now, after the "I Do's" this marriage becomes God's will for both of them.

It will be my honor to help them both make it a successful union.

I will not be there, but it's not in protest. We only learned of this about 11 days ago. I just spent a week at home for two days bereavement pay. I literally cannot afford anymore time off.

Some will still criticize me for that. To them I say, I must've missed the check you sent me to help pay my bills.

I wish Ryan and Jessica many happy years together. And of course, once they get on their feet, I expect some grandbabies to spoil.

New Things

Colossians 2:18  Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,


Paul is mainly dealing with Judaizers, here. But remember that the Bible is true on everything on which it speaks, so what Paul uses as red flags, or characteristics of Judaizers applies to other false teachers, and false teachings.

The word voluntary is applied to more than just the word humility. It simply implies that the false teacher is willingly doing what it is he's doing.

The angel worship was only to show their "false" humility. They pretended to believe that God was too great to be approached by man, so angels were used as mediators. Some, today, actually believe this, and write songs about it. Yet we know we can approach God boldly.

Hebrews 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Jacob's ladder was divine imagery God used to show Jacob that "prayers go up, blessings come down." I don't need to pray to an angel, or dead saint, to have God hear my prayers.

It's not a matter of pride to boldly approach the throne of grace, it's a simple right as a joint-heir with Christ.

The humility is shown to be false in the last phrase. They were proud of their teaching, and were smart enough to know that a false humility would help to acquire favor in the eyes of the new believers. I'm sure David Koresh had a very humble spirit as he deceived the people in Waco.

Paul warns about those who speak of things they know nothing of. "Let no man despise thy youth" is not a license to disregard the advice of those who have "been in the fight" a little longer than you. Some secular colleges will teach you that the new graduate is better in his field than the old hand, due to the knowledge being fresh and updated. That's not always true, even in the secular world. The old hand has seen action in the real world, and often has a better approach to a solution.

But in the realm of Christianity, there are no updates. Often a new graduate has spent the last few years obtaining knowledge, and is wanting more. He feels the need to impress someone with his ability to "interpret" scripture. He begins to read and learn from those that his previous teachers would disapprove of in order to find this "new thing" he wants to share.

Paul tried this in Acts 17. It didn't work too well for him. That's why you don't find Paul ever writing to a Church in Athens. I believe it was a learning experience. He did get some to believe. God's Word never returns void, but he never tried that approach again.

God made the gospel simple so that anyone could be saved, with or without the presence of college grad. But training is required for those who desire to preach the whole counsel of God, or work in a particular field of ministry.

The challenge for the learned is to understand that all they have learned comes from the Bible. Study aids are great, but everyone has a Bible.

I can try and use something I learned in Bible college to persuade someone of my belief on an issue, but as long as he has a Bible, I stand the chance to be embarrassed by his knowledge of God's Word. Especially if he actually reads his Bible more than I do. And unless you read it 24/7, there's always someone who might read it more. That is why my preface to this blog, and past emails, has always said that I make no claim of higher knowledge.

The best place to learn about God's Word is in a pew of a Bible-believing church, every time the Church doors are open. The Pastor, and those he brings in, are your best professors.

 So, if you are getting your thrice weekly lessons, and studying your Bible at home, you won't be so apt to fall for "new things."