{"id":12383,"date":"2017-01-04T22:01:29","date_gmt":"2017-01-05T03:01:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/joemckeever.com\/wp\/?p=12383"},"modified":"2017-01-05T10:05:25","modified_gmt":"2017-01-05T15:05:25","slug":"10-scriptures-turn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joemckeever.com\/wp\/10-scriptures-turn\/","title":{"rendered":"10 scriptures that keep drawing me back again and again."},"content":{"rendered":"

This is semi-funny.\u00a0 In my retirement ministry–preaching in various churches–I naturally preach the passages that mean a great deal to me.\u00a0 And, since I know them so well, in many cases I quote the verses from memory.\u00a0Often I don’t\u00a0even carry a Bible to the pulpit with me. To read,\u00a0I need cumbersome reading glasses, and if I already know the Scripture, what is the point? Just recite\u00a0the passage\u00a0and preach it.\u00a0\u00a0If someone asks–as they often do, probably not seriously–\u00a0whether I have memorized all the Bible (try to imagine that!),\u00a0I say, “No, I just preach the parts I’ve memorized.”\u00a0 That’s\u00a0flippant, I suppose, but pretty much how it is. <\/em><\/p>\n

I do love the Word of God.\u00a0 I love all of it, not just the parts I’ve preached again and again.\u00a0 And I love how those well-known familiar passages keep yielding insights and blessings. Here are a few thoughts on ten passages that I dearly love…<\/p>\n

One. Romans 8 is the mother lode of spiritual insight.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In\u00a0my sermon on prayer\u00a0last Sunday\u00a0morning, Romans 8:26 played a huge part.\u00a0 “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.\u00a0 For we do not know how to pray as we should.\u00a0 But the Spirit Himself intercedes for us…”<\/em><\/p>\n

We are poor pray-ers. If the Apostle\u00a0Paul did not know how to pray, it’s a lead-pipe cinch that you and I don’t!<\/p>\n

But, we’re not to despair.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Holy Spirit picks up the slack and helps us.\u00a0 He is our intercessor.\u00a0 (I admit to having no idea what that is like, how the Spirit intercedes with the Father;\u00a0 and\u00a0see no point in trying\u00a0to figure it out.) And then–this is where it gets good–in verse 34 the Lord Jesus is said to be\u00a0our intercessor.\u00a0 He is “at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us.”\u00a0 Think of that! We have the Son and the Spirit interceding for us.<\/p>\n

If we thought imagining how the Spirit intercedes was difficult, now imagine both the Spirit and the Son doing it!\u00a0 And yet, that’s what we have in Romans 8.<\/p>\n

Now, just in case we are tempted to say “two members of the Trinity are interceding for us so the Heavenly Father is out-voted from the first,”\u00a0 Romans 8:31 says “God is for us!”\u00a0 (That’s what\u00a0that verse means, even though it says “if<\/em> God is for us.”)\u00a0 The first 30 verses of Romans 8 braid together the three-pronged truth that the Father is for us, the Son is for us, and the Spirit is for us.\u00a0 Then, drawing it all together, verse 31 says since God is for us, it doesn’t matter who or what is against us!\u00a0\u00a0Such a truth is\u00a0too wonderful for words and furnishes meditating material for a month or more.<\/p>\n

Reinforcing all this, verse 32 says, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give us all things?”\u00a0\u00a0Since God\u00a0has given us the best Heaven has, is He now going to start\u00a0withholding further\u00a0blessings?<\/p>\n

This is just a small sample of the riches of this chapter.<\/p>\n

Two. Psalm 103 is saturated with\u00a0wonders.<\/strong><\/p>\n

After memorizing this psalm and preaching it for years, one day I noticed in my grandmother’s Bible a note beside verse 17. “Papa’s favorite verse.”\u00a0\u00a0I was stunned.\u00a0That’s the great-grandfather whom I never knew, but who preached the Word in and around the turn of the 20th century, traveling on horseback or in a wagon or on foot.<\/p>\n

Psalm 103 is all about God’s love.\u00a0 The psalmist\u00a0stacks insight upon insight, accolade upon accolade.\u00a0 Never should we let people say the Old Testament is about wrath or law and the New about grace. It’s all grace, from beginning to the end.\u00a0 The psalmist quotes from God’s self-revelation in Exodus 34:6-7, perhaps the most quoted Old Testament passage of all.<\/p>\n

Verse 14 is great comfort to those of us who sin.\u00a0 (That would be all of us!)\u00a0 “He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.”\u00a0\u00a0He who created us knows we are made of humble stuff.\u00a0 He knows He got no bargain when He saved us.\u00a0 When we sin, the only one surprised is us. And yet,\u00a0God loves us still, as He did from the first.\u00a0 That’s why He built into the system a fail-safe way back into His presence when we sin. It’s called the cross, pre-figured by every altar in the Old Testament.<\/p>\n

Three measurements of God’s love are given in Psalm 103:11-13, then reinforced and extended in verse 17.<\/p>\n

Three. Matthew 10:16ff so perfectly describes the life (the expectations, the conditions, the requirements)\u00a0of the Christian worker.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a young pastor, I would preach this passage\u00a0using the outline of wise up, speak up, stand up, and look up (with maybe another ‘up’ point or two in there which I’ve forgotten!).\u00a0 It’s the charter of God’s people on assignment for Him.<\/p>\n

Look at what He promised us as we go forth to serve Him:<\/p>\n

–we should expect difficulty and opposition.\u00a0 “I send you forth like sheep among the wolves.” He assumes we know what that means.\u00a0 In Acts 14:22, Paul and Barnabas told the new believers something similar.<\/p>\n

–that as we go, we are representing Him.\u00a0 Is there a greater honor? We are ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor 5:20).<\/p>\n

–that\u00a0people will treat us the way they treated Him.\u00a0 It is enough for the disciple that he be like the master. (10:25)\u00a0 We cannot say He didn’t warn us!<\/p>\n

–that He will use us, even in our weakest, darkest moments.\u00a0 “It is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you” (10:20). Acts 16 shows how God used Paul and Silas in jail. With their backs bleeding from the whipping they had received, and\u00a0their feet locked into stocks,\u00a0they sang hymns and prayed. In the middle of their pain, they were faithful. We read, “And the other prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25).\u00a0 This is such encouragement for believers who suffer for Christ.<\/p>\n

–and that we will not lose our rewards.\u00a0 (10:42)\u00a0 The Lord pays His bills and\u00a0honors His promises. Hebrews 6:10\u00a0says if God were to forget those who have labored long and hard for Him, it would be sin on His part.<\/p>\n

Every time I encounter\u00a0pastors who have\u00a0been mistreated, I encourage\u00a0them\u00a0to\u00a0move into\u00a0Matthew 10:16ff. and set up residence there, just before moving on to Luke 6:27ff.\u00a0 Jesus did everything He could to prepare us for just this very thing. There will be no room for bitterness; we are given no license for anger.\u00a0\u00a0By being faithful during\u00a0our mistreatment, we often shine forth more brilliantly than ever. (By the way,\u00a0I am well aware some ministers are women.\u00a0 Please do not be distracted by the pronouns.\u00a0 Thank you for your faithful service to our Savior.) <\/em><\/p>\n

Four. Luke 18 is my favorite “prayer chapter.” <\/strong><\/p>\n

I particularly love how it begins and\u00a0the way\u00a0it concludes.\u00a0 Jesus “was giving them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to faint.”\u00a0 (Lose heart and quit.)\u00a0 He gave two parables here, followed by other insights about prayer.\u00a0 Even though it may not be immediately obvious,\u00a0this chapter is all about prayer.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0jam-packed chapter concludes with the story of the blind beggar of Jericho.\u00a0When Bartimaeus learns that Jesus of Nazareth is arriving, he begins to\u00a0call on Him, which is the essence of prayer.\u00a0 He continues to call\u00a0loudly when others try to\u00a0quieten him.\u00a0 He perseveres, demonstrating his\u00a0faith.\u00a0\u00a0Finally, when he is brought\u00a0before Jesus, the Lord asks him to get specific. “What exactly do you want?”\u00a0 Enough with the generalities, Bartimaeus.\u00a0 What are you praying for?\u00a0 (Up to this point, Bartimaeus had been asking the Lord to “have mercy on me.” That’s a broad category.) “Lord,” he said, “I want to receive my sight.”<\/p>\n

The Lord wants us to call on Him, to\u00a0remain steadfast in\u00a0praying in spite of discouragement, and to pray specifically.<\/p>\n

Five. The entire Second Epistle to the Corinthians is a huge favorite.<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are so many riches in this epistle, I’ll mention just two.<\/p>\n

I’m impressed by the various metaphors Paul uses to describe believers in Christ.\u00a0 We are a fragrance for Christ (2:15), living letters (3:3), earthen vessels containing precious treasure (4:7), our bodies are earthly tents (5:1), we are ambassadors for Christ (5:20), and we are the temple of the living God (6:16).<\/p>\n

I particularly stand in awe of Paul’s reverse resume’ given in chapter 11.\u00a0 In establishing the authenticity of his apostleship, instead of trotting out his degrees and accomplishments, he points to\u00a0his scars.\u00a0 “Imprisonments, beaten time without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.\u00a0 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked….”<\/p>\n

Wonder what would happen if a prospective pastor handed something similar to a search committee: “I was run off from three churches, nearly lynched in a business meeting, beaten up by a distraught church member….”<\/p>\n

Six.\u00a0 The 20th chapter of Acts is Paul’s valedictory message to the pastors of Ephesus.<\/strong><\/p>\n

After reminiscing about\u00a0his time in their city bringing the gospel of Jesus and informing them of the trial awaiting him in Jerusalem, Paul reminds these servants of the Lord\u00a0of their call.\u00a0\u00a0That’s verse 28. Here, we\u00a0are given\u00a0three terms for pastors–elders, pastors (shepherds), overseers. We have a high Christology here–in dying\u00a0on the cross, Jesus shed the very\u00a0blood of God.\u00a0 Pastors are appointed by the Holy Spirit as overseers of the church.\u00a0 And the pastor’s priority is established:\u00a0he is to be on guard\u00a0for himself first (his health, his spirituality, his family) and for the flock second.\u00a0 Pastors who put care of the flock ahead of their own health, relationship to Christ, and concern for their family often end up\u00a0losing their ministry. The flight attendant tells passengers, “In the event of a loss of cabin pressure, the air masks will drop out of the ceiling. If you are traveling with a child or handicapped person, secure your own mask first.”\u00a0 Take care of yourself so you can help others.<\/p>\n

Verse 28 is followed by a warning of two problems the church of the future will face: ‘savage wolves’ from outside and ‘perverse’ people from inside.\u00a0 “Therefore, be on the alert.” To our dismay, God’s people keep getting blindsided by the group from inside the church.\u00a0 I hear them say, “But these were good people. How could they do such a thing?”\u00a0 Answer: Read your Bible.\u00a0 Be prepared for anything.<\/p>\n

Since Paul will not see these beloved friends again,\u00a0their visit ends with this: “He knelt down and prayed with them all. And they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they should see his face no more.” So emotional, so\u00a0tender.\u00a0 Oh, that every minister were so well-loved.<\/p>\n

Seven. In John 3, the Lord’s discourse with Nicodemus, the verses most people\u00a0rush past to get to verse 16 have special meaning\u00a0to me.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before the great John 3:16, Jesus establishes His credentials. That’s critical, because before making such a grandiose claim as this gospel-in-a-sentence, it’s important to know how He is able to do so. What is His authority?<\/p>\n

–verse 11. Jesus says, “I know what I’m talking about. I’m telling you what I have seen.”<\/p>\n

–verse 12.\u00a0“But,” He says, “If you don’t believe when I tell you earthly things–which are verifiable, observable–how\u00a0can you believe when I speak to you of heaven?”\u00a0 That question pops the balloons of\u00a0those who say Scripture is reliable only\u00a0in spiritual matters, but cannot be trusted regarding science, history, etc.\u00a0 We are not given the option to pick and choose.<\/p>\n

–verse 13. “No one has been to Heaven except the One who came from there, Myself.”\u00a0 Wow.\u00a0 Think of that! Jesus says, “I am a native of Heaven.\u00a0 You can believe me when I talk about my home country.”\u00a0 After all, who should know more about a country than a native. Everyone else speaking on heaven has just read the brochures; but Jesus knows!<\/p>\n

–verse 14. Then, Jesus points to the cross.\u00a0 He does this by pulling out the single most obscure story in the Old Testament, the “snake on a pole,” and shows how it points to the cross.\u00a0 The little incident takes up only four verses in Scripture (Numbers 21:6-9). Interestingly, not one word of commentary or explanation\u00a0is given after the incident in Numbers.\u00a0 The first indication the story had any spiritual value whatsoever came many hundreds of years later when Jesus spoke these words.\u00a0 That snake was the symbol of their sin. And we read, “He who knew no sin became sin for us…” (2 Corinthians 5:21).\u00a0 Oh, one thing more.\u00a0 All the Israelis had to do was look at the snake and they would live.\u00a0 Is that ever grace or what?\u00a0 No works whatsoever.\u00a0 I’m recalling that Charles Haddon Spurgeon was converted to Christ when he heard a layman preach on Isaiah 45:22, “Look unto me and be saved, all ye ends of the earth.”\u00a0 Amen!<\/p>\n

Eight. I\u00a0revel in\u00a0I John 3:1ff.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God!\u00a0<\/em> And such we are.<\/em><\/p>\n

For this reason, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.\u00a0<\/em> (That’s reminiscent of Psalm 17:15.)<\/p>\n

And everyone who has this hope in Him keeps himself pure, even as He is pure.<\/em><\/p>\n

Confession: I don’t always quote these verses exactly right.\u00a0 But I do not obsess about it, and here’s why…<\/p>\n

Throughout Scripture, other scriptures are often quoted.\u00a0Interestingly, they are almost\u00a0never quoted perfectly.\u00a0 In fact, not a single time that I know of.\u00a0 The wonderful self-revelation of God in Exodus 34:6-7 is quoted by Moses, David, Nehemiah, Joel, Jonah, and others.\u00a0 But no one quotes it perfectly or fully.\u00a0 No doubt, this is because they did not have written copies of the Word in front of them, whereas we do. But the point still stands, I think. In preaching, we must not be shackled by a slavish devotion to what “the original” says, but to stay with the sense of it.<\/p>\n

Nothing profound about my love of I John 3:1 and following.\u00a0 It’s just wonderful in every way.<\/p>\n

Nine.\u00a0 Ephesians 4-5 on the subject of unity in the Body of Christ.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chapter 4 describes and defines the unity. And chapter 5 gives the means to it, specifically verse 21. “Be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.”<\/p>\n

I have long suspected that the people in churches I know place small value on unity.\u00a0 In fact, some seem to glory in their varied opinions and divided votes.\u00a0I’ve worked with deacons who would insist on their right to oppose the recommendation of their leadership on the floor of the church because “I’m an American.”\u00a0 Such thinking is shallow and contributes to the troubles of those churches.\u00a0“Is Christ divided?” asked Paul (I Corinthians 1:13). In Ephesians 4:3, leaders are told to be “diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”<\/p>\n

Why unity? Because the reputation of the Lord depends on it, the work of Christ is more efficient with it, the enemy is defeated by it, and fewer Christians are injured by the harshness of fellow believers in a unified church.<\/p>\n

And where does unity come from?\u00a0 From loving believers submitting to Christ, their Head, and to each other. That’s all over Ephesians 5.\u00a0 Submission to Him is easy, but submitting\u00a0to one another is\u00a0another story altogether.\u00a0 “Why should I submit when I’m in the right?” asks someone. Answer: So, when would you submit, when you’re in the wrong? That’s not submitting, but simply admitting you were wrong.\u00a0 To submit has to mean one thinks his position is the correct one, otherwise it’s a meaningless concept.<\/p>\n

Two motorists met on a one-lane bridge. The first guy leans out and yells, “I never back up for fools!”\u00a0 The second throws his car into reverse and says, “I always do.”\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

Only the strong can submit and yield.\u00a0 The weak are unable to do something requiring such strength and self-control.<\/p>\n

In I Corinthians 6:7, Paul asks a divided congregation, “Why not rather be wronged?”\u00a0 My opinion is that\u00a0only the spiritual mature can handle such a concept. God help His church to be led by the mature.<\/p>\n

Ten.\u00a0I Thessalonians 4:14\u00a0brings tears to my eyes every time.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.”<\/p>\n

I have loved ones–dear, dear beloved family members who mean everything to me–who are with the Lord.\u00a0 I miss them\u00a0every day. My heart aches with their absence.\u00a0 In the words of Psalm 27:13, “I would have despaired had I not\u00a0believed\u00a0I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”\u00a0 But we have His word that we will see them again.\u00a0 Thank God for His promises. Thank God for the Lord Jesus Christ, our risen and living and returning Savior!<\/p>\n

That’s my list. I’ve worked on this lengthy article for a week. And in that time, have thought of a dozen other scriptures which mean everything to me and which cry out to be included on this top-ten list.\u00a0 But, let’s send it forth for the time being in hopes that it will encourage pastors to share with their people the texts which mean most to them.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

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This is semi-funny.\u00a0 In my retirement ministry–preaching in various churches–I naturally preach the passages that mean a great deal to me.\u00a0 And, since I know them so well, in many cases I quote the verses from memory.\u00a0Often I don’t\u00a0even carry … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,12,24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-conflict","category-prayer","category-scriptures"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/joemckeever.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12383","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/joemckeever.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/joemckeever.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joemckeever.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joemckeever.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12383"}],"version-history":[{"count":81,"href":"https:\/\/joemckeever.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12383\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12499,"href":"https:\/\/joemckeever.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12383\/revisions\/12499"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/joemckeever.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joemckeever.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joemckeever.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}