God’s Wisdom Through the Ages

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January 2021 – The First Century
1st Century 1-100
– Jesus

February 2021 – The Second Century
2nd Century 101-200
– Josephus
– Justin Martyr

March 2021 – The Third Century
3rd Century 201-300
– Tertullian
– Africanus
– Hippolytus
– Origen

April 2021 – The Fourth Century
4th Century 301-400
– Eusebius Pamphili
– Constantine
– Council of Nicea AD 325

May 2021 – The Fifth Century
5th Century 401-500
– Sack of Rome AD 410
– fall of Roman Empire
– Augustine

June 2021 – The Sixth Century
6th Century 501-600
– 525 Dionysius Exiguus innovates AD calendar
– Geatish battles later recounted in 11th century Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf

July 2021 – The Seventh Century
7th Century 601-700
– Mohammed AD 674
– rise of Islam (or was it)

August 2021 – The Eighth Century
8th Century 701-800
– Venerable Bede – History of England

September 2021 – The Ninth Century
9th Century 801-900
– 859 Execution of Eulogius, proponent of confrontational Christian witness in Spain who used missiology of martyrdom to confront Islam.¹

October 2021 – The Tenth Century
10th Century 901-1000
– Erik the Red
– Leif Eiriksson
– possible writing of Beowulf 1000¹

November 2021 – The Eleventh Century
11th Century 1001-1100
– possibly final extermination of last indigenous Christians in Libya 1021
– Battle of Hastings AD 1066

December 2021 – The Twelfth Century
12th Century 1101-1200
– Francis d Assissi

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the people lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them…”

It is extremely difficult working under or even having to interact with anyone who has a power trip. And sometimes it seems they are everywhere. It is not pleasant.

God have mercy on us and help us be merciful and gracious to those You allow us to walk with along this journey. Help us be gracious even as You are to us.

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Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the people lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 20:25-‬28

Solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

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Constant use of truth & wisdom.

Constantly choosing to do what is right and good and just.

Continually doing right, choosing good over evil.

This is discipleship.

These are the tools of discipleship.

Transformation must take place from within. We must be born from above. And we must be transformed by the renewing of our mind. We must read and hear God’s WORD. We must meditate on Him, understand Him fully, apply the WORD correctly, obey Him diligently.

In this way we will daily be transformed more and more into the image of God by the renewing of our minds, by the washing of the WORD to clean and purify and regenerate our mind, our heart, our soul, our spirit, our inner man.

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We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Hebrews 5:11‭-‬14

WTW 2021

R.E.A.D.
R.ead E.ngage A.pply D.o
Read 1 chapter each day
Engage with others on the WTW discipleship journey by posting, discussing the day’s chapter.
Apply what God speaks to you from the day’s chapter to what He is doing in your heart & life.
Do what God tells you to do each day.

February-March 2021
Isaiah 1-59

Daily Reading Plan
Feb 1-28 – Isaiah 1-28
Mar 1-31 – Isaiah 29-59

WTW 2021
January 31
Isaiah 66

This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the Lord. “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word. Isaiah 66:1‭-‬2

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:3

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. Revelation 3:20

WTW 2021
January 30
Isaiah 65

Bounced off Me & Stuck to You:
God is ‘Holier Than Thou’

Those who hate God take his NAME in vain, and they take his WORD in vain.

God continually reaches out even to those who hate Him.

Those who hate God even misuse the very passage of God’s WORD where He declares His love for these who hate Him in this very way.

They have taken God’s WORD and misunderstand that the words they misuse to refer mockingly to God & His people who He calls & declares holy are actually applied as a divine indictment against those very God haters who are right in their own eyes but not in His eyes.

Their mockery turns back on their own heads. ‘Bounced off me and stuck to you.’

In God’s words: ‘These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.’

*****

“I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name. I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick; Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels; Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.’ Isaiah 65:1‭-‬5

WTW 2021
January 29
Isaiah 64

Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you!

As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you!

For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.

Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.

You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways.

But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry.

How then can we be saved?

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.

We all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you.

For you have hidden your face from us and have given us over to our sins.

Yet you, Lord, are our Father.

We are the clay, you are the potter.

We are all the work of your hand.

Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord.

Do not remember our sins forever.

Oh, look on us, we pray, for we are all your people.

Your sacred cities have become a wasteland.

Even Zion is a wasteland, Jerusalem a desolation.

Our holy and glorious temple, where our ancestors praised you, has been burned with fire, and all that we treasured lies in ruins.

After all this, Lord, will you hold yourself back?

Will you keep silent and punish us beyond measure?

I just received this reflection:

“Interesting again: GOD’s ways. Reading Bruchko… GOD sent him to the Motilones. They consist of merely 5400 people. He first went to the Yukos, but didn’t initially even share the gospel with them. Though the Motilones reached many tribes around them, it is very interesting that GOD sent B specifically to JUST ONE tribe and specifically the Motilones! GOD’s ways are past finding out, though sometimes we find clues as to why. Imagine trying to balance universes, arrange for proper national leaders, and answer a child’s prayer for a lost loved one.”

~end

Click the comments link at the bottom of this and other posts to see any comments. You can also click the title of this thread and scroll down to see daily postings about and thoughts on Rollin’s testimony. As always, feel free to reply, comment and share.

You can start by reading an earlier post here

Rescue Story

Jesus said

Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.

And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you. But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. Luke 17:3‭-‬10

To highlight:

And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed…

One may say that faith grows as a muscle rather than being increased as an allotment.

I always consider this exchange in Luke 17:5-6 in conjunction with Ephesians 6:16 in this passage below.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. Ephesians 6:10‭-‬18

So again, he says:

…taking the shield of faith…

In all these things there must be an action on our part.

And finally, I always connect the following passage to these above

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. Romans 12:3

So again:

God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

And it is therefore in taking and using the faith he has placed in our hearts by which our faith, yea our inner man is strengthened.

And so, we do not need to ask for more faith. We are to use the faith he has already given us. And when we use what he has given us, we grow and become stronger and more mature and pursue those plans and purposes he has prepared for us to walk in them.