Wonderful Words of Life...

Notes on Publication: Editor Dr. Keith J. Wise- Site manager Troy Graham    Issue: 1


TITLE: Wonderful Words of Life...

OUR PURPOSE: To encourage and edify the body of Christ through His Word by Scholarship, Fellowship and Truth.


DIGGING DEEPER: The overall pattern of the Scriptures is to enlighten the mind and confront the heart.  Jesus reveals to us His surgical scalpel through the power and work of the Holy Spirit. Once we have surrendered the groupings of our will, the creator of our person and personality can begin a great work of renovation. This is a lifelong project in this life.  His blueprint is perfect and ongoing in our lives.   
There use to be a phrase used in the 1960's, "get real!!"  One of the great contributions of the Christian walk is that God through Jesus Christ gets real with us in life. No facade, no playacting, but a realistic approach to life through our journey here and hereafter.(Psalm 145:18)  In Christ our "failings" become a classroom of learning about ourselves. The record of man's fall in Genesis is a drama of avoidance.  When Adam and Eve sinned they "hid themselves."  Men and Women are still attempting to hid themselves from God, but this is impossible. He seeks "intrusive reality" into us and our motives and life.  That is a "good movement" in our healing and His renovation of our hearts and lives.  Our "ugliness" is replaced with His peace, joy and blessing. 

We can realize that this reality is filled with faith, hope and love.  The Apostles understood it and we must also understand it.  There has always been an operative word we use in our vocabulary that God used from the beginning in different forms, and that word is "balance."  The balanced life is a "good life."  God wants "balanced relationships" with Him.  These balanced dimensions are physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Honest confrontation with self can achieve a reliance beyond ourselves that is 'supernatural' in nature. It is one of the reasons we worship on the Lord's Day, have daily devotions in His Word and exercise good with and toward others around us. Remember, "dependence" on Him is strength not weakness.  

There is a great verse that I think gives us this useful perspective.  In Ephesians 2:10 Paul declares... "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do..."(NIV)


DID YOU KNOW?

The Bible contains 3,566,480 letters, 773,746 words, 31,102 verses, 1,189 chapters, and 66 books.  In terms of length, the average word of the bible contains few than five letters. (The reality of brevity).

The word YHWH "Jehovah" or Yahweh occurs 6,855 times.
The word "Lord" (Adonai) occurs 1,853 times.
The middle chapter and the shortest is Psalm 117. It contains only two verses.
The middle verse of the Bible is Psalm 118:8
The middle book of the Old Testament is Proverbs.
The middle chapter of the Old Testament is Job 29.
The shortest verse in the Old Testament is I Chronicles 1:25; the longest, Esther 8:9.
The middle book of the New Testament is Second Thessalonians.
the middle chapter in the New Testament is between Romans 13 and 14.
The middle verse in the New Testament is Acts 17:17.
The shortest verse in the New Testament, in English, is John 11:35; in Greek, I Thessalonians 5:16.

NUGGETS FOR NOURISHMENT: (Sermon Outlines)
Title:  Text: Philippians 2:12-18
Introduction: At the turn of 19th century the fishing industry of Southern California began what would be a booming industry.  Its fishermen would ply the waters off the Pacific coastline and catch varieties of fish.  The then practice was to discard at sea, the waste products of the fish processing. This was a bounty to the local population of Pelicans who found an abundant and dependable food source.  Ironically, December 7, 1941 changed this whole dynamic.  Japanese subs plied the waters along the American Pacific coast and almost overnight bankrupted the west coast fishing industry.  But more devastating in the weeks and months ahead were the bodies of starved Pelicans that washed ashore, who had lost their ability to fish for themselves.  Later, after the war Florida Pelicans were introduced to replenish the nearly depleted California Pelican populations.  What are the spiritual and life lessons from this story?

I. You Can Have Too Much Done For You...
    (The easy food supply was gone as the Pelicans had come to             know it.  They were impoverish by lack of knowledge.) 

II. The Opportunity Is Really Always There For Success...
    (Despite the loss of easy pickings, the sea was full of fish!!
    The Pelicans could not access the supply.)

III. To Succeed You Must Associate With Winners...
    (The newly introduced Florida Pelicans had fishing techniques         for survival that insured future generation of Pacific Pelicans) 


BIO-FROM OHIO:
   My name is Dr. Keith J. Wise.  I am a native of Steubenville,Ohio.  I have been an ordained minister in the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ since 1971.  I have ministered in Ohio, and now Michigan.  It has been a privilege to preach and teach Ancient History at Wilberforce University, Ohio University (Ironton Campus) and for the last 24 years at Alma College in Alma, Michigan.  I am married to Sharon D. Wise (a retired public school teacher) and we have three children: Adam, Aaron and Amber.  I am semiretired from the located ministry but continue to teach on the adjunct faculty at Alma College.    This blog will appear on the last day of each month, and we pray it edify and challenge you in your Christian Life.  God bless.