It was four years ago today that I first shared my thoughts with da interwebs through this blog.
Huh.
May my blog have done a decent job of directing you toward our Lord and fulfill this prayer from Psalm 90:12 (ESV):
So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Daniel
Choose wisdom, and find some at Proverbial Thought!
Perhaps you have heard it said that love is more than an emotion. You may have even heard that love is a decision that is made, and action to be made.
Perhaps you have even heard this:
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13, ESVBy this we know love, that [Jesus] laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
1 John 3:16
These are the basis for this poem.
Deeper Love
A love of emotions
will never compare
to the Love of the Father
that goes much deeper.
Love on another level,
like the Love of our God,
goes beyond explanation.
It is a deeper Love.
Love is an action,
it is also a choice,
an opportunity
to share Jesus Christ.
My blog is about the Christian religion, religion being the set of beliefs we live by. Sometimes I write about other religions so that we can all be aware of what others believe, and maybe we can dialogue better with others.
That is why I share this post from Watts Up With That. When scientific theory turns into a religious belief, it becomes dangerous.
Daniel
Ouch. Thanks, Anthony!
Andrew Murray
I am now well into the second week of 2015 with one book read and another started. The first book I finished was Donkey Tells a Promise Kept. The book I am reading at this moment is Living a Prayerful Life by Andrew Murray (1828-1917).
If you have never heard of Andrew Murray, he was a South African preacher and pastor (of Scottish decent), but more than anything a prayer warrior. Some of his theology may not sit well with all of us, but one thing is certain: this man had a heart for God like few others.
I am not even a quarter of the way through this little book, but there is something I’ve got to share with you. Something Murray wrote is convicting me, stinging me with a pain sharper than any wasp, more like the burn…
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Let wisdom care for you, and get a taste of the Father’s wisdom at Proverbial Thought!
When Jesus was preparing for the cross the night before, while in the garden of Gethsemane, he prayed, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Mark 14:36, ESV)
So many preachers and teachers have told us that in His anguish at the thought of suffering through a crucifixion and the separation from the Father He cried out to His Abba, His Daddy. It was the plea of a child to a loving parent, “Daddy, please do not make me! But I will do it because you asked.”
Thanks to His obedience and sacrifice, we, too, can rely on God as our Abba.
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
Galatians 4:4-7For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
Romans 8:14-17
Daddy
we are told to pray to our Father
we are told to give Him all the praise
in my attempts to get closer
and to learn more about all His ways
i get closer to knowing my God
and He is more than just Deity
in His very intimate love
i only want to call Him Daddy
and inside of my Daddy s care
seeing just how much He cares for me
knowing He will always be there
i see He really is my Daddy
He is always watching over me
and He wants to watch over you
He wants to cover all of our needs
as Daddy over our lives and souls
For starters, I know that a Quinceañera is a celebration for young Latinas becoming women at the age of 15!
In reply, I refer you Paul’s words in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
That being said …
Fifteen years ago today, at 6:47 pm (CST), the Holy Spirit got a hold of me, and to the glory of the Father I knelt down for the first time to make that blessed confession (see Matthew 16:15-16):
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” [Daniel M. Klem] replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
John 3:3-21, ESV
In all things, seek the wisdom of God, and get started at Proverbial Thought!
I am a fan of Mikeschair, and I have posted about their music before over here.
When many preachers and teachers talk about God assisting people, they like using the stories of Jesus walking on water (John 6) and calming the sea (Matthew 8, Mark 4, Luke 8). These are stories that show God’s power and sovereignty over creation, therefore showing His power and sovereignty in your life.
One verse I have always enjoyed since reading it many years ago is Isaiah 43:1-3a (ESV):
But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”
Knowing we have a Savior, One who can control our circumstances, who sees our brokenness, hurts, and fears, who saw our hopeless state of sin and rebellion against Him and sacrificed Himself for our forgiveness, we can follow Him in confidence and hope!
Don’t know where to begin
It’s like my world’s caving in
And I try but I can’t control my fear
Where do I go from here?
Sometimes it’s so hard to pray
When You feel so far away
But I am willing to go
Where you want me to
God, I trust You
There’s a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If You want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will swim in the deep
‘Cuz You’ll be next to me
You’re in the eye of the storm
And the calm of the sea
You’re never out of reach
God, You know where I’ve been
You were there with me then
You were faithful before
You’ll be faithful again
I’m holding Your hand
There’s a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If You want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You
God Your love is enough
You will pull me through
I’m holding onto You
God Your love is enough
I will follow You
I will follow You
Ohhh
There’s a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If You want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You
Ohhh
Relax in the Father’s wisdom, and find some at Proverbial Thought!
These year, our church has a renewed focus on evangelism, specifically by better equipping the saints to reach out to their friends, families, and co-workers.
It is therefore fitting that the next poem on my list and the first one for the year is based on Jeremiah 20:9 (ESV)
If I say, “I will not mention him,
or speak any more in his name,”
there is in my heart as it were a burning fire
shut up in my bones,
and I am weary with holding it in,
and I cannot.
May all of us who call on the name of the Lord find this passion to share that Name above all names, even when (as in the context of this passage) it is difficult and even dangerous to do so!
right now my mind is racing
and my heart palpitating
struggling to concentrate
on anything but Your face
longing to be in Your Presence
searching out Your countenance
that You would look on this servant
to whom You have said “We are friends”
knowing that You will always love me
want me with You for eternity
is hard for me to grasp and believe
but this love set me completely free
knowing all this has taken me aback
my spirit stirred and i cannot relax
because Your love is keeping me held back
in a constant almost panic attack
Taken by Kirk Schiebel
2014 was an interesting year. There are many things that happened that were good, many things that happened that were bad, and many things that fell in between.
The important thing to remember is that God is in control:
Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose’
Isaiah 46:9-10, ESV
As I have said in the past, I say for the coming year,
The LORD bless you, and keep you; The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.’ Numbers 6:24-26, NASB
Do not forget this year to get your daily wisdom from Proverbial Thought. Perhaps it will help get you into the Bible!
Love and grace,
Daniel & Caitlin
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 1,600 times in 2014. If it were a cable car, it would take about 27 trips to carry that many people.
a simple man of God 