R's Commonplace Book

Category: Mindful (page 1 of 65)

  1. A podcast about software — software! — had this: “Content Warning: This episode has a brief discussion of death, including suicide.” Is the world too sensitive about people being too sensitive?

  2. The day before I traveled, a young lady tried to squeeze by my car and scraped her vehicle against the back of mine. She was distraught. Something to see about after returning from my trip.

  3. Man’s experience often runs counter to the Lord’s command, Lk 5.5. Obey it anyway.

  4. In Miami waiting to board plane for GRU. Ready to be home, but will be better to have the Missus home, too.

  5. In Nashville just happened to sit at gate next to Brazilians on vacation. And Brazil is in a crisis?

  6. An original verse: Babel’s tower still rises brick by brick, / But who will do the twisted arithmetic?

  7. A Bible verse: “Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Announce every day how he delivers!” 1Chr 16.23.

One man’s definition here, would you agree with it?

Christian devotional literature (also called devotionals or Christian living literature) is religious writing that is neither doctrinal nor theological, but designed for individuals to read for their personal edification and spiritual formation. Theologian Karl Holl has suggested that devotional literature came into full development at the time of Pietism during the second half of the 17th century.

I post some devotional material here under the tag “devotional” and write some devotionals on my main weblog, as well as a Verse of the Day on The Fellowship Room.

From Peter Pett’s commentary on Prov 11.30:

‘The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
And he who is wise captures hearts (nephesh -the breath, the inner man).’

The crowning blessing of the righteous is that they become a blessing to others. Their fruit is a tree of life, a lifegiving tree. By their lives, the ‘natural’ product of their walking in wisdom with God, they are a source of life and wellbeing to others. Through their wisely lived lives they win the hearts of men. We translate ‘hearts’ because that gives the sense. It does not strictly mean ‘winning souls’ in an evangelistic sense, although that is undoubtedly one of its outcomes. If we would ‘win men’s souls’ we must first win men’s hearts. Nephesh indicates the inner man, the ‘breath of life’. Jesus may well have been taking up this thought when He said to His disciples, ‘from now on you will catch men’ (Luke 5:10).

The reference to the tree of life indicates that God’s purpose for the spiritually wise, who follow God’s wisdom, is that they will play their part in restoring what has been lost by the fall. And they do it by attracting others to God’s way of wisdom. It is part of the process of restoration. We too are to be a tree of life to men and women as we attract men to Christ by the beauty of our lives, and of course by proclaiming His wisdom.

  1. Took neighbor, trainer, and brother in Christ to the emergency room last night for his flu. Took more than two hours. Bed at 1 a.m.

  2. Ten minutes to be waited on this morning to have coffee and bread. Finally walked out.

  3. I accepted a speaking invitation for Pimentas men’s group. Date: May 18, soon after I return from my trip. Subject: Evangelism.

  4. Thinking of that event, I’m discussing a point with some people about the gospel including the church. My go-to verse: Titus 2.14.

  5. If the death of Christ is included in the gospel, then so must the purpose of his death. A part of that purpose: to purify a people. Read church.

  6. An original verse:— What use am I to God? ‘Twas us he chose / To announce that Jesus suffered, died, and arose.

  7. A Bible verse: “Remember the law of my servant Moses, to whom at Horeb I gave rules and regulations for all Israel to obey” Ml 4.4.

  1. Missus arrived safely in the US, I’m casting about for something to eat. Tried a new place tonight, bagel with chicken and cream cheese. Quite good.

  2. Around here, businesses and restaurants open and close frequently. Some good, some not so much. Is marketing the soul of the business, as Brazilians say?

  3. Government red tape and high taxes kill many initiatives. Why simplify when you can complicate? In that mix corruption grows.

  4. Finished a study with a young man about the purpose, power, and authority of Scripture. He accepted for himself the truth of the Bible being our only authority for spiritual things.

  5. Doubling up pages to finish my by month’s end. New one is open and ready to go.

  6. An original verse: “How good to hear from friends who live afar, / Their news attests to love and says they care.

  7. A Bible verse: “He followed in his father Asa’s footsteps and was careful to do what the Lord approved” 2Chr 20.32.

  1. So people are too tired or too busy or too something to seek the Lord? Truth be told: too wrapped up in self.

  2. Verse of the week, for this 17th week of the year, is Mt 16.18. You got it memorized?

  3. I see it time and time again: People get close to a commitment and the evil one puts obstacles in the way. Such as work schedule changing to keep them away Sundays.

  4. Douglas spoke tonight, following up on his message two weeks ago. Then, on Philip and the Ethiopian; tonight, on Ananias and Saul. Great job both times.

  5. Y.T. is not much of a song leader, not much of a voice to sing with. But the Brazilian saying is, in the land of the blind, he who has one eye is king.

  6. An original verse: What good is toilet paper on a roll / When squashed?! From me the space the seller stole!

  7. A Bible verse: “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Is the Lord’s hand shortened? Now you will see whether my word to you will come true or not!'” Nm 11.23.

  1. Wrote two poems/lyrics in Portuguese in recent days. Unusual for me. English is usually my go-to artistic language.

  2. Gutters went up this morning in two strategic spots on the house where we’ve had leakage problems.

  3. Douglas preaches tomorrow, so I’m leading singing.

  4. Some of the alternative social media have been acting up lately, makes it hard to recommend.

  5. Getting toward the end of my begun Jan 2018. Got a Moleskine in the wings waiting.

  6. An original, er, verse: A simple line break / Does not a poem make.

  7. A Bible verse: “Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Get up and go south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ (This is a desert road.)” Acts 8.26.

On Reddit my posts are rarely noted, often ignored. Recently, two posts got downvoted. Titles?

  • Jesus is the way

  • The glory of the church

Not surprised. One, absolute truth is not acceptable today in most circles. Two, egotism is today’s standard.

To several sites such as believingprayer.com and deusconosco.com I’ve been adding images of late. This against my best judgment.

  1. It takes more time, which I don’t really have.
  2. The gospel is not visual, but auditory. We hear. We read. It’s about words, not images or video.
  3. I’m a cantankerous fool who knows that his opinion is right. If the Lord had wanted us to see images, he would have given us Bible manuscripts with them.

You’ll never see images here. This is my space. I don’t care who reads. Never. …

Gary Hampton quotes Hugo McCord on the phrase “the Lord’s day” in Rev. 1:

McCord says, “It so happens that the word “Lord’s” (Kuriakes, pertaining to the Lord) appears only twice in the New Testament, once in referring to the Lord”s supper (1 Corinthians 11:20), and once in referring to the Lord”s day (Revelation 1:10). Apparently these two, the supper and the day, belong together.”

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