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Table of ContentsLinda's Letter: Becoming...Who 'We' Are **Names of God Bible Study — El Shaddai** You Can Help Stop SPAM |
The Oyster The Holiness Habit Why Does God Allow Trials? I'm Drinking from My Saucer | Becoming He's Good Bad Habits Infinite Lord Unconfessed Sin The Pursuit of God Give Me 100 Preachers | Money The Deep Hole More Ponderings The Aerobics Class Thoughts on Exercising |
Greetings, dear friends! Because of the volume of e-mail I receive, it is impossible for me to respond to every person who writes. If you have an opinion or question, please understand that I will not offer personal advice or debate theological issues. You are welcome to send your opinions, corrections and questions, but I can't guarantee I'll be able to respond. If you're looking for some good Bible study sources, I suggest Bible.org - Trustworthy Bible Study Resources, Blue Letter Bible Study Resources, Precept Ministries International, and Shepherd Serve all of which offer hundreds of pages of well-organized teaching articles and Bible studies. |
To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world. Back to top |
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 El Shaddai "Let them praise the name of the LORD: for His Name alone is excellent; His glory [is] above the earth and heaven." Psalm 148:13 (KJV) Editor's Note: As there is considerable variance among Bible scholars as to former customs, usage, and translations of the various names of God in the Bible, the neutrality and factual accuracy of this article may be disputed. These articles are a summation of those ideas and conclusions on which most scholars agree. As discussed in last month's study, "El" is sometimes translated "God", "God Almighty", and "Mighty God" approximately 250 times in the Old Testament and frequently in circumstances which especially indicate the great power of God. The name "El" is also used in conjunction with other words/names (i.e., El Shaddai, El Elyon, El Olam, etc.) to further designate certain aspects of God's character. In this study, we'll take a closer look at the best-known of the "El" compound names, El Shaddai. The name "El Shaddai" (pronounced "el shad-dy") means The All-Sufficient One and is usually translated in English Bibles as "God Almighty" or "the Almighty". The exact derivation of the word "Shaddai" is not known. According to my research, all of the following words have been used at various times in the development of the name:
As Nathan Stone wrote: "...the idea of One who is all-powerful and all-mighty is implied . . . for only an all-powerful One could be all-sufficient and all-bountiful. He is almighty because He is able to carry out His purposes and plans to their fullest and most glorious and triumphant completion. . . . So He is able to save to the uttermost. And He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think." The name "Shaddai" itself occurs 48 times in the Old Testament, 31 times in Job alone, and is translated "Almighty". In fact, the name "Shaddai" is the one written on the mezuzah scroll. The first appearance of "El Shaddai" is in Genesis 17:1: "When Abram was ninety-nine years old, Yahweh appeared to Abram, and said to him, 'I am God Almighty [El Shaddai]. Walk before Me, and be blameless.' " Further passages in the Old Testament that use the name Shaddai or El Shaddai:
 Click here for a print-friendly copy of this Bible study The names by which God has revealed Himself represent His power, actions, and reputation. Almighty God cannot be conjured or treated as an object, since He is the Master of the universe and subject to no one. In Scripture we are strictly forewarned not to invoke the name of God for selfish or manipulative purposes (Exodus 20:7). The material provided here is for educational purposes only and is not an endorsement of any form of occultism or Kabbalah. Sources for this study include: Blue Letter Bible Study Resources Hebrew for Christians Judaism 101 Lambert Dolphin's Library "Names of God" by Nathan Stone Wikipedia — the Free Encyclopedia To view all of the previous "Names of God" studies, go to www.myredeemerlives.com/biblestudies/namesofgodstudy.html. Back to top |
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Asked the oyster of the grain of sand, "How did you get in here?" Sweetly said the grain of sand, "God's grace has brought me, dear." The oyster said, "Please go away, You're irritating me! I just don't want you hanging 'round; You're bothersome, you see?" The grain let out a lengthy sigh, "Oh sure, I know it's true. I'd gladly leave her right away But there's nothing I can do." The oyster opened wide his shell, "Here, let me help you out." But the sand gripped only harder, "I must be here, there's no doubt." The crustacean now was angry As he yelled, "What do you mean? A reason for you to rub me so By logic can't be seen!" "I'm here to set you free!" The speck tried nicely to explain. But the oyster couldn't understand; Free through vexing pain? And so they lived together In that troubled situation. To the oyster this adversity Defied all explanation. Appeals for relief Just seemed to fall upon deaf Ears. So he kicked against the chafing And provoking all those years. And then one cold New England day A fishing net was cast. The oyster knew he'd be opened up And rid of the grain at last! With glee he let them pry his shell. But much to his surprise, A large crowd quickly gathered At the oysterman's loud cries. What was all the fuss For one annoying piece of sand? But the fisherman held a work of art Within his trembling hand.  The oyster saw, beyond his shell, A pearl quite large and round. Of a color and consistency Rarely to be found. To do an oyster proud. "Is that what it was all about?" He wondered right aloud. "If not for that one grain of sand I'd just an oyster be; Living life in solitude And anonymity. I resented the displeasure But it made my juices flow, And created something wonderful That all the world may know. And so, my friend, remember When you face YOUR grain of sand; That trial becomes a comely pearl By Jesus' gracious hand. Copyright © 2000 Jacqueline Ippolito Dewald, All Rights Reserved. For more poetry by Jacqueline Ippolito Dewald, go to www.myredeemerlives.com/praises.html |
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"If we are going to pursue a goal for our lives that reflects our desire to understand and live up to the highest and best, then we need to know God intimately, for He is our source and model of excellence. Having a proper view of God is necessary if we are to live a life pleasing to Him." by Cynthia Heald "Becoming a Woman of Excellence" Copyright © 1996 Back to top |
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What purpose could God possibly have in allowing us to face terrible trials? First, God allows trials to test our faith. He does not test our faith with the expectation that we will fail. Instead, His intention is for us to learn greater dependence on Him and have increased assurance in His power over the world. Unproven, untried faith is not worth much. How do we know what we can endure in life if our faith has not been tested? The second reason the Lord allows us to face difficulty is to display His sustaining power for His children. As we’ve seen before, everyone — Christians and non-Christians — go through painful periods in life. By drawing on God’s strength during these times, we can become a powerful testimony to those who do not know Christ. Third, our trials equip us for effective work on behalf of others. When we go through hardship, we become specifically equipped. Then, we can empathize with and encourage others who may face a similar ordeal. This principle was an important part of the apostle Paul’s active ministry. (2 Corinthians 1:4) Finally, God permits trials in our lives to purify us. Hardships put pressure on us deep down inside. That’s where we often try to hide sin, shameful habits, and areas of neglect. The Lord knows these things must be brought to the surface. We must face them openly and honestly if we’re to become mature believers. God has a purpose for every challenge He allows to come your way. Stand firm and allow Him to accomplish His will in your life — by whatever means He deems necessary. "In Touch", copyright © 2006 Back to top |
"The moment the Spirit has quickened us to life in regeneration, our whole being senses its kingship to God and leaps up in joyous recognition. That is the heavenly rebirth without which we cannot see the Kingdom of God. It is, however, not an end but an inception, for now begins the glorious pursuit, the heart's happy exploration of the infinite riches of the godhead. That is where we begin, I say, but where we stop no man has yet discovered . . . "To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul's paradox of love." Back to top |
I receive a lot of email messages that have been sent to a group of people with everyone's address displayed in the "To:" or "Cc:" fields. And I receive a lot of spam! Coincidence? Not necessarily. Please read the following and together, let's start protecting each other's identities on the Internet and stamp out SPAM — or at least help to reduce it! How the spammers got your email address... It is estimated that spammers send out between 1 million to 100 million spam emails every day! In addition to purchasing spam address lists from other spammers, they use programs — sometimes referred to as 'WebBots' — that constantly sweep the internet looking for unprotected email addresses. The three primary sources available to spammers for collecting email addresses are:
We can do a lot to help stamp out SPAM by simply taking the following steps to protect one another's addresses on the Internet.
Have you ever gotten an email petition that asks you to add your name and address and to forward it to others? The email can be forwarded on and on and can collect thousands of names and email addresses. Professional spammers love these because of the wealth of valid names and email addresses contained therein. If you want to support the petition, send it as your own personal letter to the intended recipient. Your position may actually carry more weight as a personal letter than a laundry list of names and email address on a petition. How to handle 'tracked' or 'traced' emails... Don't believe the ones that say the email is being traced. It is not possible for Microsoft or AOL or Yahoo or any other group to 'track' emails. The only ones who benefit from this action are spammers. How to handle "Amber Alerts" or "Virus Alerts"... Before you forward an "Amber Alert" or "Virus Alert", check it out. Many are junk mail that's been circling the net for years. You can check the validity of an email's content at www.truthorfiction.com or www.snopes.com. If it isn't valid, please don't pass it on! About removing your address from a Spammer's list... Don't respond! Spammers do not know which of the millions of addresses on their lists are real, which are working or not. They're simply spraying their junk at every address they can find. If you send the spammer a "remove me" message, you will have confirmed to the spammer that:
How to handle website email address(es)... If you have a website, don't publish your email address on it. There are a couple of options available to you to receive email from your website and protect your address from spam.
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My heart sings in joyful praise, Not because God says I should But because I know He's good. Back to top |
I've never made a fortune, and it's probably too late now. But I don't worry about that much, I'm happy anyhow And as I go along life's way, I'm reaping better than I sowed. I'm drinking from my saucer, 'Cause my cup has overflowed. Haven't got a lot of riches, and sometimes the going's tough But I've got loving ones all around me, and that makes me rich enough. I thank God for his blessings, and the mercies He's bestowed. I'm drinking from my saucer, 'Cause my cup has overflowed. I remember times when things went wrong, My faith wore somewhat thin. But all at once the dark clouds broke, and the sun peeped through again. So Lord, help me not to gripe, about the tough rows I have hoed. I'm drinking from my saucer, 'Cause my cup has overflowed. If God gives me strength and courage, When the way grows steep and rough. I'll not ask for other blessings, I'm already blessed enough. And may I never be too busy, to help others bear their loads. Then I'll keep drinking from my saucer, 'Cause my cup has overflowed. by Jimmy Dean American Singer & Actor "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over. Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life, And I shall dwell in Yahweh's house forever." Psalm 23:5-6 |
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is the darkest, foulest thing on this sin-cursed earth. D. L. Moody Back to top |
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Walking can add minutes to your life. This enables you, at 85 years old, to spend an additional five months in a nursing home at $5000 per month. My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was 60. Now she's 97 years old and we don't have a clue where she is!  The only reason I would take up exercising is so I could hear heavy breathing again. I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 bucks. Haven't lost a pound. Apparently you have to go there. I have to exercise early in the morning before my brain figures out what I'm doing.  The advantage of exercising every day is that you die healthier. If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country! Reason to smile: Every seven minutes of every day someone in an aerobics class pulls a hamstring. There's always something to be thankful for if you take time to look for it. For example, I'm sitting here thinking how nice it is that wrinkles don't hurt. Back to top |
Idolatry tries to confine an infinite Lord into a finite form to make Him fit human perceptions and desires. But if He can be restricted to some animal or person, God simply would not be worthy of worship. The Father is infinite in His being and in every one of His attributes. His love has no restrictions. His mercy is without end. We cannot sin ourselves beyond the reach of His grace. Dr. Charles Stanley Back to top |
"Get rid of every filthy habit and all wicked conduct. Submit to God and accept the word that He plants in your hearts." James 1:21 (GNT) Holiness is a habit. It’s much more than that, of course. It’s a characteristic of God himself, displayed perfectly in Christ and imputed to our accounts by grace through faith. But in practical terms, holy living means daily discipline. We form habits, then they form us. That’s why we must weed out bad habits regularly, just as we weed our yards. An untended garden soon deteriorates into a weed patch, and an untended life does the same. It requires the discipline of the hoe to produce hollyhocks in our fields and holiness in our lives. In his book "How to Say No to a Stubborn Habit", Erwin Lutzer writes: "We are responsible for our own sin—including those sins ‘which so easily beset us.’ The fact that we do something wrong habitually does not relieve us of responsibility. On the contrary, it may make the sin all the worse. So we must take personal responsibility for our own habits and not shrink from calling them sin." Ask the Lord to help you identify "weeds" in your life, confess them, turn from them, and replace them with holy habits that produce a crop of righteousness. "Today's Turning Point", copyright © 2006 Back to top |
"The Christian must see that bad habits are ultimately spiritual issues." Dr. Erwin Lutzer Back to top |
Whose cruel idea was it for the word "lisp" to have an "s" in it? Since light travels faster than sound, is that why some people appear bright until you hear them speak? How come "abbreviated" is such a long word? If it's zero degrees outside today and it's supposed to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold is it going to be? Since Americans throw rice at weddings, do Asians throw hamburgers? Why are they called apartments, when they're all stuck together? Why do banks charge you a "non-sufficient funds" fee on money they already know you don't have? When two airplanes almost collide, why do they call it a "near miss"? It sounds like a "near hit to me! Do fish get cramps after eating? If work is so terrific, how come they have to pay you to do it? If you ate pasta and antipasto, would you still be hungry? Why is it called "tourist season" if we can't shoot at them? Why is the alphabet in that order? Is it because of that song? If the black box flight recorder is never damaged during a plane crash, why isn't the whole airplane made out of the stuff? Why is there an expiration date on sour cream? Back to top |
 FREE Gospels of John and other tools to share with people you encounter — in the workplace, at the coffee shop, in school, on the bus, or on the street. Back to top |
It can buy you a House, but not a Home. It can buy you a Bed, but not Sleep. It can buy you a Clock, but not Time. It can buy you a Book, but not Knowledge. It can buy you a Position, but not Respect. It can buy you Medicine, but not Health. It can buy you Blood, but not Life. It can buy you Sex, but not Love. So you see, money isn't everything. The best things in life can't be bought, and often we destroy ourselves trying! I tell you all this because I am your friend, and as your friend I want to take away your needless pain and suffering. So send me all your money and I will suffer for you... Back to top |
"Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on earth. John Wesley Back to top |
These two guys are out hunting and find a hole in the woods that's about three feet across. But it's so deep that when they drop a rock, they hear no sound. So they drop a bigger rock, but they still hear nothing. So they go looking for something larger, and they find a railroad tie, haul it over to the hole, and heave it in. It also disappears without a sound. Suddenly a goat comes running up at about sixty miles an hour and dives head first into the hole. And there's still no sound. Nothing. A few minutes later a farmer appears from the woods and says, "Hey! You fellas seen my goat around here?" And they say, "Well, there was a goat that just ran by here real fast and dove into this hole here." "Naw," says the farmer, "that couldn't be my goat. My goat was tied up to a railroad tie." |
let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to Yahweh, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God [Elohim], for He will abundantly pardon." Isaiah 55:6-7 Back to top |
Be blessed in Jesus' name, and remember: The Christian life is not what we do for God, but what God does for us!
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Scripture taken from:
King James Version (KJV), Copyright © 1990 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
New King James Version (NKJV), Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
World English Bible (WEB), 2001 MT-based public domain update of 1901 American Standard Version (ASV)
Copyright © 2006. My Redeemer Lives Christian Ministry™. All rights reserved.