Posts Tagged ‘ Daniel Klem ’

Weekend Words & Sunday Stanzas – 06/16/2013

Wisdom is exposed at Proverbial Thought.

We were made for God’s pleasure, to seek Him, to worship Him, to believe in Him.

 

I loved you and always will

I loved you and love you still

I created you to have fellowship

I created you for My worship

I wanted you for My child

I wanted you all the while

when you turned away

when you went astray

when you denied my Name

when you left your faith

when you said no to me

when you hung me on a tree

but you came back when I called

but you accepted your fall

I still love you in spite of this

in fact I forgot all you did

     because you accept what I did through My Son

2013
06/16
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Love
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In Escrow …

Winnow out wisdom over at Proverbial Thought.

Buying a House

My wife and I are in the process of getting a house.

There have been many issues to arise along the way.

Obviously there is a lot of paperwork. Our entire history is looked into, and a massive amount of money has to be spent.

One of the more amazing parts of the buying a house is the escrow account.

The escrow account holds funds to help with closing costs during the buying process, and it collects money throughout the year to help pay taxes, HOA fees, and insurance. The bank takes care of all of this for us.

However, we do not see anything on our investment until the end of the process. We have put in all of this money and time, and everyone already considers this house as ours. For the time being, we must eagerly wait to get all of the benefits of our work.

Already/Not Yet

There is an interesting part of theology known as the “Already/Not Yet” part of Christ’s work and the Kingdom of Heaven.

Christ has paid the closing costs of our redemption through His sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection from the grave.

We join with Him, through the power of the Holy Spirit, in the work of reaching out to our fallen world.

It is a lot of work that requires a lot of time and energy. The cost is high, at points costing a Christian everything.

Now, you see, we are already redeemed for Christ in anticipation of eternity and for His work in this life.

However, we wait for the final redemption.

The payment has been made, and we continue to do the work. Eternity with God is already considered ours.

While we work, we await the redemption of our fallen world and our physical bodies that is not yet come to us. Our work with and for God is God preparing us for a world we do not yet see.

18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Romans 8:18-30, NIV

2013
06/11
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Faith
Hope
Predestination
Savior
Works
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Weekend Words & Sunday Stanzas – 06/09/2013

Remember to find wise thoughts at Proverbial Thought!

We must not be afraid to seek out all we can about God.

Jesus did teach us, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness . . .”

It is okay to ask questions, no matter how difficult or how silly they may seem. We just need to remember to listen for the right answers. 

 

questions

i try to answer a simple question

Who is God

i find out that it is not really all that simple

more questions

i have more questions

the established church today says

do not question God

but then how can i know Him

if He is really the Almighty

He can take questions

He likes questions

they push into understanding more

that He is beyond our understanding

but wants us to know Him

His answer will always end with

I love you

His answer will always include

I love you

Question God

He will answer

2013
06/09
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Poetry
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Following Me – 100 Followers!

It took almost a full two and a half years, which I do not find surprising with a blog focused on theology and poetry, but today I received my 100th follower!

I know I owe some of this to my friends and fellow bloggers from Proverbial Thought, that great devotional site on the wisdom of Proverbs. Here is a special shout-out to Heather Joy at GrowUp318, because I met some of those friends through her blog!

I must say to each person who follows my blog, though, that this still comes with a warning of encouragement.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1

Thank you to each of my followers! For those who have them, may your blogs be blessed by God as you bless God through your gifts.

A special thanks goes to my wonderful wife for dealing with the hours I have spent at my laptop or on my phone typing blog entries and responding to comments, and for the advice she has offered, whether requested or spontaneous, to make my words that much better!

For everyone who comes across this page:

The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace
Numbers 6:24-26

2013
06/04
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CATEGORY
Friend
Priestly Blessing
Thankfulness
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Walking the Boundary

Play it safe and get some wisdom from Proverbial Thought!

In early May I talked about my wonderful puppy and the lessons he helps us learn about our walk with God (here and here).

Now for another puppy inspired lesson!

He has a really funny habit.

Whether it is something we are eating/using/moving or something we left sitting out and he wants it, he makes an attempt to get whatever it is.

We sternly warn him to stay away (“Not for puppies! Stay away!”).

What does he do?

He gets as close as he can, laying down with his nose a few inches away. Then he scoots closer, without standing or even sitting up, to the point that his nose is less than an inch away. He might even try to lick at whatever he is not supposed to have when we look away.

We calmly say, “No. Not for you.”

He growls, bares his teeth, yips, and scoots back an inch or two … only to scoot closer, again.

Draw near to …

How many times do we do this very thing?

God’s Word warns us “Do not commit adultery.” Jesus goes as far as to say, “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28).

Yet, we ask our pastors “How far is too far when dating?”

God’s Word warns us “Abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22, ESV)

Yet, we watch all manner of TV programs and movies full of things promoted as good that the Bible warns are dangerous or evil.

God’s Word warns us “Do not gossip.”

Yet, we ask for prayer requests for our neighbors, and share way more information than is necessary.

God’s Word asks us to “Draw near to God . . . resist the devil” (James 4:7-8).

Yet, we say we are satisfied attending church once a week and never sharing or faith or helping others … or we never open or Bible … or never pray … and we say “I am so close to God!”

We spend more time walking as close as we can to sin while maintaining the appearance of righteousness.

10 Listen, my son, accept what I say,
    and the years of your life will be many.
11 I instruct you in the way of wisdom
    and lead you along straight paths.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
    when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
    guard it well, for it is your life.
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
    or walk in the way of evildoers.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
    turn from it and go on your way.
16 For they cannot rest until they do evil;
    they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
    and drink the wine of violence.
Proverbs 4:10-17

“Woe to you, . . . you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”
Matthew 23:27-28

Rather, what we should be doing is this:

4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”

7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
James 4:4-10

2013
06/04
POSTED BY
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Lifestyle
Sin
Temptation
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Weekend Words & Sunday Stanzas – 06/02/2013

Seek out wisdom through Proverbial Thought.

Another summer is upon us.

In Phoenix, the summer heat can really sap you of your energy.

However, summer is also a time when students and teachers may find time to recharge and relax a little.

We are most revived by God, by His power and compassion. By His Holy Spirit. Only He can reach and save the lost.

 

Lord

revive our spirits

give us the power

the authority

the desire

to share Your Name

to declare Your glory

and forgiveness

and Love

to a fallen world

use the fallen

who are redeemed

to reach the fallen

who have a need

for You

2013
06/02
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Poetry
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In Memory – A Memorial Day Re-posting

Wisdom is found in reading the thoughts from Proverbial Thought!

I am posting this a little earlier in the week than usual, because I wanted people to start seeing it on Memorial Day.

I originally wrote this for Veterans Day 2012. I liked it enough that I felt it could be shared again.

May we remember those who have sacrificed everything for the sakes of freedom and life.

Remembrance of Veterans

This past weekend saw celebrations in many nations for those who have served in the military. Whether it is called Veterans’ Day, Armistice Day, or Remembrance Day, this is a time to recall those heroes who have served, fought, and even died in the service of country and/or freedom.

This is good. We should remember those who have gone before and fought for freedom.

But, dear Christian, there are more who are at least as deserving if not more deserving of remembrance.

Hebrews 11 reminds us of some heroes:

  • Abel
  • Enoch
  • Noah
  • Abraham
  • Isaac
  • Jacob
  • Joseph
  • Moses
  • Gideon
  • Barak
  • Samson
  • Jephthah
  • David
  • Samuel
  • the Prophets

These were people who stood firm for God and laid the framework for the coming Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.

Yet, there are more!

The New Testament has a list of heroes:

  • John, the Baptizer
  • Simon Peter
  • Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother
  • James, son of Zebedee
  • John, James’ brother
  • Philip
  • Bartholomew
  • Thomas
  • Matthew
  • James
  • Thaddeus
  • Simon the zealot
  • Matthias
  • Mary
  • Paul
  • Stephen
  • Barnabas
  • Mark
  • Luke
  • Philip
  • Procorus
  • Nicanor
  • Timon
  • Parmenas
  • Nicolas
  • Lydia
  • Priscilla
  • Aquilas
  • Phoebe
  • And many, many more!

Notice there are even women listed! If we dug through the Old Testament we would find more women, such as Ruth, Esther, and Deborah, to name but a few.

We need to also remember history since the end of the First Century, those who have carried the Church forward:

  • Augustine
  • Eusebius
  • Tertullian
  • Jerome
  • Origen
  • Pelagius
  • Francis of Assisi
  • Martin Luther
  • John Calvin
  • Loyola
  • Joan of Arc
  • John Wesley
  • C.S. Lewis
  • Martin Luther King, Jr.
  • Mother Teresa
Just to name a very few.
We need to remember these names and so many others for the work they have done to push the Gospel further into the world, deeper into our hearts, and on into the future until the return of our Lord.
Church history is important. We need to know about the ancient past, the past 2000 years, and recent leaders. We need to know why so many things are important.
Too much of recent Church history was resolved in the first few hundred years of Church history, but we have turned our backs on these giants of the faith.
Many recent Church problems have arisen largely due to an ignorance of what has come before.
Some of the time our ignorance of what has been discussed leads to problems.
Some of the time our ignorance of what has been done and why leads to problems.
Most of the time our ignorance of each other leads to problems.
Every time our ignorance of God leads to problems.
We get so focused on our differences that we lose focus of what has come before and who God is.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Hebrews 12:1-8

2013
05/27
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Carry your cross
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Weekend Words & Sunday Stanzas – 05/26/2013

Love God? Seek some of His wisdom over at Proverbial Thought.

 

He moves

He moves our Spirits

He is in us

His power moves in us

O Lord

O God

You move our lives

when we give them to You

this is more than an action

it starts with a choice

it is our life inside

You taking control

because we respond

we give You control

where it belongs

You are the Lord of it all

You shake the foundations

You disrupt our lives

You want them to be Yours

My Lord

change my life

shake my foundations

remove my false foundations

be my foundation

send me through

through Your refining fire

make me pure

get me to the point

the point of reflecting

Your glory

purify us all

O God

make us Your children

You are God

we are not

we are not

help us realize

You are our God

2013
05/26
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Marriage Submission: My First Wedding Ceremony Message

Do not forget to find wisdom at Proverbial Thought!

This past weekend I performed my first wedding, and it was for my wonderful sister-in-law and her new husband!

Because I know tiredness and exhaustion is big after a wedding, especially when the ceremony and reception last eight hours plus all of the prep-time before and clean-up after, to save myself some time this week I am posting the message from that wedding!

Now all of you beautiful readers get to feel like you were there! (It really did end up being a wonderful ceremony!)

I hope you enjoy:Marrying my in-laws

JP2 – The Wedding

Ephesians 5:21-33 tells every married couple:

21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

To submit to each other means to live life together.

The greatest examples of living life together can be taken from Jesus and His disciples.

John 2

In John chapter two, we read of Jesus’ first miracle: turning water into wine. This is also the time Jesus first went with His disciples somewhere, and it was a wedding! Working together with each other and those around them made life more enjoyable.

As you start your marriage, learn from Jesus and His disciples: start by having some fun. This is why we are all here! Take this as a reminder to have fun with each other throughout your marriage. It is also a reminder to have fun with your loved ones, your family and friends.

Matthew 14

Speaking of reasons to celebrate, Matthew chapter fourteen shares the story of Jesus and His disciples feeding dinner to about 5,000 men plus women and children with five loaves of bread and two fish. That would be cause for celebration! (Perhaps another reason we are all here: to be fed!)

Instead, as soon as everyone was done eating, Jesus sent His disciples across a choppy lake in the only available boat while he went off to pray. Before the sun came up, Jesus walked out across the surface of the lake – with waves and all – to the boat.

The disciples were scared at first, but Peter yelled out to Jesus. Jesus called Peter out onto the water, and he went and walked on the water with Jesus!

Peter soon remembered the wind and waves, and he began to sink. And Jesus reached out to grab his hand, pulled Peter up, and the two of them walked back to the boat.

As you build your lives together, you will encounter those times when life is hard. Yet, when one of you gets distracted by the troubles you face, the other can be the support. You can take turns lifting each other up as you walk together.

You never face this life alone. The good and the bad will come in varying degrees, but when you face them together you may find the good in the bad. Submitting to each other is listening to and helping each other continually, that you may grow deeper in love and happiness.

Keller

Timothy Keller also compared marriage to a journey, saying that it is:

“. . . a journey that includes shared experience, setbacks, challenges, knowledge, and many many things that make you crazy as well as [the] things that make you happy. If marriage is to endure over time, it has to be because both people within it have tacitly acknowledged something that young lovers might find preposterous: it’s bigger, and more important, than both of us. It’s love, sure, and inside jokes and conversational shorthand. But it’s also families, friends, traditions, landmarks, knowledge, history.”

2013
05/21
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Jesus
Love
Marriage
Submission
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Weekend Words & Sunday Stanzas – 05/19/2013

Find honor through wisdom over at Proverbial Thought.

We serve a great God. He deserves all praise and glory.

Your Wisdom is perfect
Your love beyond comprehension
You orchestrate our lives
while managing all of creation
how could a God so great
Who is bigger than everything
be content with a little speck
or love such tiny beings

You have planned out our days
and know all we could say
before we ever speak
or even finish to conceive

Your ways can seem ominous
the events in life strange
but it all works to Your glory
and i must give You the praise
You made me before time
and knew all of my ways
You counted all of my hairs
and mapped out all my days
i bless Your Holy Name
and offer You my life
in praise of Your greatness
for You i will live until i die

2013
05/19
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Poetry
Sovereignty
Worship
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