Closer
Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three, when they spoke to Pharaoh. Exodus 7:7 NASB
Eighty years old– I’m getting closer. Today I am another year closer. Oh, not to being Moses. That’s never going to happen. No, I’m just another year closer to maybe being useful to God. At least I hope so. I can wait. God seems to do something with us when we reach the age where life is shorter on the front end than the back. So just a few more years to go now.
Some time ago someone collected some of the things I have written over the years. So today, since it is my birthday, I thought you might like to read a few of them again:
The world does not recognize servants, only celebrities. Be careful.
God shapes how we live and what we do, not just what we think. God’s gift is behavioral alignment and correction. A sound mind is seen in the hands and feet of obedience.
Knowledge is not my problem. Acting is my problem. So many times we know exactly what we should do. We just don’t do it.
We have been seduced by the “kindly old grandfather” theology. Our morality is mixed up with a doctrine of fairness. But Micah clears up our confusion. God isn’t fair; He’s just. And justice is tied to “until” He acts.
The greatest paradox of the universe is that sin promises power but delivers bondage.
Do you want to experience a life of struggle and frustration? Do you want to be powerless? Let me tell you how. Disobey. The results are guaranteed.
The Bible tells me that I am not ready for freedom until I come to the point where I stop trying to get myself out. As long as I keep thinking that I will find a way out, I am lost. I have to come to a brick wall dead end before I can be free.
No English translation can be considered totally reliable. When you really want to know what the passage says, you’ll have to do a lot of comparison shopping.
There is something deep within us that rebels, something that resists no matter how much we surrender. There is an oily darkness for human domination that lubricates self-will. It’s easy to slide away.
Whenever we practice antiseptic forgiveness, we anesthetize our guilt. God wants us to know that sin brings death to the innocent.
If prayer is ultimately about walking naked in the Garden in conversation with the Lord, then how disturbing must it be to God when we attempt to converse with Him while we are clothed in deceit and disobedience. It’s enough to make Him walk away.
God’s operating plan for blessings is distribution, not accumulation.
Topical Index: sayings
Happy Birthday Skip
I’m reading your piece on Loneliness 1/3/16 …. excellent gleanings in a difficult time… thanks for your insights and your continued contributions and thoughts etc.
May Abba give you the years and space to continue to pursue and grow.
Happy birthday Skip! You are a blessing to me.
Thanks for sharing.
Happy Birthday Skip, with many thanks for sharing your daily walk so honestly with us. You bring encouragement to continue despite falling and failing. May you find deep shalom at the centre every storm…
Happy Birthday Skip!!! Those are some great words of wisdom. I will be 63 this year and I too have thought about the fact that there are more than one example of men in their golden years suddenly being conscripted into service.
I did want to comment on the two that I see as being directly related. “Knowledge is not my problem. Acting is my problem.” & ” … “kindly old grandfather”
I have thought, based on my personal experience and observation that we, the modern body of Christ spend so much time and energy on Bible studies and seminars on end times because the acquisition of knowledge gives us cover for disobedience and the appearance of maturity. I can’t stop remembering that Jesus said love the Lord your God with all your heart soul and strength & love others as yourself and that everything else is just an unpacking of that baseline commandment. (obviously a paraphrase)
Anyway, I love and am blessed by your Today’s Word. I am attempting to learn Hebrew. I am working through “The First Hebrew Primer” 3rd edition – Simon – Resnikoff – Motzkin Still working through the Alephbet and vowel symbols.
Happy Birthday, Skip! You have blessed us all more than you know! I am so thankful for your obedience and contribution to the Kingdom and YHWH’s people! May these coming years produce an abundant harvest from the many seeds He has planted through you. Rejoice in His goodness! Enjoy!
Happy birthday Skip. May your reach exceed your grasp. Much love on your journey!
Happy Birthday Skip ! And for many more ! God is using your work in my life lots. Thank you !
Happy birthday Skip. Thanks for sharing Biblical investigations and insights all these years. I don’t have enough words to express how much of a blessing it’s been on my spiritual walk.
Happy Birthday! You have changed my life, opened my eyes and given me a banquet of food for thought. I wake each morning looking forward to see what I can glean from your hard work in “Today’s Word”. I am blessed by you and thank our Father for you.
In His love
Happy Birthday Skip!
Every morning your words awaken my head and heart and challenge my hands, feet and voice to take another step on the journey. Though the terrain may be tough, it is well worth it. Thank you.
Happy Birthday. Hope you are having success securing your Italian visa
May your day be full of sweet memories, and inspiring hopes for the future!
I see I’ve missed some of the important quotes above, but I must share some that are so meaningful to me. ~
“Everything important in the Bible happens in the first four chapters of Genesis. All the rest is detail.”
“What the head of the household accepts alters the identity of the entire household.”
“A servant takes his cues from the Master, not from the circumstances.”
“A world that thinks peace is achieved by negotiation or force is practicing insanity and perpetrating chaos.”
“Do not mistake instruction for legalism.”
Thank you, Skip!
Wishing you many blessings in your birthday. Praying for much love and peace in your life ?????
Happy Birthday Skip, wish more to come. So we could learn more from you. And Thank you.
Happy Birthday Skip! In the short time that I’ve followed you, you have shown be a whole new level of the faith, the Messiah, and G-d than I even thought was possible or existed. Thank you so much for your wisdom and teachings. Shalom on this wonderful day!
Happy birthday Skip! I’m very glad you were born. May your day, and year, be filled with the fruit of the Spirit and the blessings of a life of righteousness. You are so loved!
Happy B-Day, Skip!
Older is better, and wiser, too!
Your written thoughts are great reminders how
God shares His wisdom with us. And He’s certainly
given you a facility for insight and a determination
to know. Thanks for sharing your gift.
May we all get to know HIM!
Happy Birthday Skip! Have a blessed day and a blessing filled year. I am grateful for all the years that you have been writing and sharing your heart.
Skip, Happy Birthday! May you “keep pursuing the goal in order to win the prize offered by God’s upward calling in the Messiah Yeshua.” (Philippians 3:14 CJB)
Thank you that as a scholar you don’t treat us as dogs under the table and feed us scraps, but invite us to daily feast with a world wide community on a Kosher Smorgasbord of the Word. Like Mephiboshet I am grateful to eat at your table, as is Arnella. May YHWH bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and grant you shalom.
Thanks for the powerful quotes above Skip. All were excellent…some really spoke to me. Those will make it to my refrigerator door, (copy, paste, print, and hang up with little magnets,) for me to be reminded…and friends to read when they come over. One of my favorites (already on the door) is one you wrote in 2011, “Having a good feeling about God is about as useful as having an imaginary dollar in my pocket. Neither makes much difference in the world. Feelings in the heart are worthless without tangible evidence of transformed behavior.” This has had a such a huge impact on my life. Thank you!! Meanwhile, I hope you have a wonderful Italian birthday celebration. I’m sure Rosanne has something fun planned for you. BUON COMPLEANNO!!
Happy Birthday Skip, I enjoy walking this path with you. Blessings
Joy on your Birthday, Skip! You are a great blessing – thankful for you.
Yea Skip! I rejoice in this day you were born.
Thank you for pouring your heart, soul, body and mind into bringing truth to us. You have realigned my life to seek truth not just to be spoon-fed sugar from the pulpit. Your passion is contagious to me and others who are seeking The Way. Thanks and Yeshua’s blessings on you and your work. May He continue to bless the work of your hands. Psalm 90 and give you a long, healthy life. May all you do bring glory to the Most High.
I am hoping to see you in Flagstaff!
Lori Boyd
Happy birthday. Thanks for sharing your wisdom even on this day – an occasion when so many people think solely of themselves.
Happy Birthday, Skip. May God fill you with the fullness of blessings in proportion to those I have received from you. I praise God for you, your ministry, and your impact on my desire to know God. Thank you for giving yourself to Him
Very Happy Birthday Skip…It has been fun, challenging and a great blessing growing old with you. Love Tom and Marilyn
Happy Birthday Skip!!
“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear brother Skip, happy birthday to you “. And he is able to make all grace abound toward you, so that you, having all sufficiency in all things might abound unto every good work !”.
Happy B. Day Skip. Gotta love it when professions and beliefs align with actions, I call that Integrity. As noted above “God’s operating plan for blessings is distribution, not accumulation.” Thanks for being a distributor of truth in grace. It has one source that I know of. Shalom dear brother Shalom….
BTW It was 120 years that God limited the years of Man because he grew” weary of wresting with man.” Yet Moses who died at 120 had “lost none of his vigor”. May it be so for you my friend. May you my bother live every year and take every breath the Lord has purposed for you and may you as Moses, loose none of your vigor till they day you are called home…