Tag: John

  • Banquet of the King in the House of Wisdom

    Banquet of the King in the House of Wisdom

    The House of Wisdom

    Does not wisdom cry out,
    And understanding lift up her voice?

    Proverbs 8: NKJV

    6 Listen, for I will speak of excellent things,
    And from the opening of my lips will come right things;
    7 For my mouth will speak truth;
    Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

    8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness;
    Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.
    9 They are all plain to him who understands,
    And right to those who find knowledge.


    Ah, wisdom, such a rare jewel among riches, a hidden treasure in the palaces of kings.

    Does a son of man in this 21st century even consider her value before proclaiming foolishness?

    O, that a humble King could be found, a son of man with whom wisdom occupies a seat of honor at his banquet.

    15 By me kings reign,
    And rulers decree justice.
    16 By me princes rule, and nobles,
    All the judges of the earth.
    17 I love those who love me,
    And those who seek me diligently will find me.

    Wisdom. A wise ruler surveys the land, chooses the high ground and builds upon a foundation of the Lord’s righteousness. Though cunning may sweep an evil one into a palace on shifting sand, no monument outlasts the wisdom of the Lord.

    In the Beginning

     

    22 “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way,
    Before His works of old.
    23 I have been established from everlasting,
    From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.
    24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,
    When there were no fountains abounding with water.
    25 Before the mountains were settled,
    Before the hills, I was brought forth;
    26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields,
    Or the primal dust of the world.
    27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there,
    When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,
    28 When He established the clouds above,
    When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,
    29 When He assigned to the sea its limit,
    So that the waters would not transgress His command,
    When He marked out the foundations of the earth,
    30 Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman;
    And I was daily His delight,
    Rejoicing always before Him,
    31 Rejoicing in His inhabited world,
    And my delight was with the sons of men.


    John 1:

    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

    10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.


    Proverbs 8:

    33 Hear instruction and be wise,
    And do not disdain it…

    35 For whoever finds me finds life,
    And obtains favor from the Lord;
    36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul;
    All those who hate me love death.”


    Do you seek the house of wisdom and will you hear her voice?

    What word of wisdom would you with ears to hear obey?


    To be continued…

     

  • About Roger, a 21st c. Christian Author

    I first wrote for myself

    Roger Harned, born in Ohio in the USA. I grew up in a small village listening to many stories of family and others every day. I grew up listening to good preaching as well.

    I’m a storyteller, some may say an author. I read and write out of my love for understanding the hearts of others, more specifically the Lord. My writing career had been a private pastime which included lyrics, poems and scribbled ramblings on the youthful musings or love.

    Did I mention my first love was music? As a teacher listening to music entering the hearts of others, I arranged what I hoped would be heard. Yet mostly, it was not. A conductor dreams of becoming a maestro and leader of the genius of others. A woman once called me ‘maestro’ after hearing me conduct the Cortland Community Band in a 30th anniversary concert. One fan, for whom I am thankful. Even so I did compose many songs which never had an audience. Great music, silent for all time.

    Now I orchestrate words for others lead by the Creator of all readers. I pray that the Lord brings hearers of the word to my exposition of scripture.

    We listen to a lyrical love of a Savior who loves us sacrificially. Once born again in the Spirit of the Living God, my writing flowed from the Word, Christ Jesus.

    Since that time twenty some years ago, the Bible speaks volumes to a silenced soul with prophetic conviction I sometimes tremble to share.

    The written of the LORD humbles my flesh and refines my soul.

    A Perfect Author draws new readers to His Love

    Any preacher could tell you (in private) that expository preaching is nothing less than revealing an unfolding story of a Perfect Author. No man in the pulpit or arena is up to it. The Author of Scripture IS the LORD, who reveals to mortals by the Spirit what must be written and proclaimed.

    Only One Son of Man, God Incarnate, taught perfect Law and unerring prophesy to the elect and adopted of the LORD.

    John 1:1-4

    I’m not the Author, only a messenger

    Readers here will not be particularly interested in what I have to say, but what the Lord has to say. I try not to say too much, as is the reaction of Prophets before Almighty God. Isaiah 6:5 

    Links provided here from my personal research direct the reader to scripture or trusted scriptural authority from more studied teachers of the faith. Again, any faithful writer about God will direct you to the Lord’s story and not our own imperfect application. I pray that the Lord draws you to explore further the great richness of scripture behind these links.

    Let the Spirit speak to the depths of your soul from scripture.

    “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

    2Timothy 3:16-17

    My author blog

    Roger Harned - Author blogThe Lord led me to this place because a publisher convinced me that authors need followers. To that end I also promote my posts on other social media such as FaceBook, Pinterest and Twitter. Therefore your follows are most appreciated.

    In addition to excerpts from my book and writings, may posts explore scripture in brief posts directed to our 21st c. attention spans. Therefore many posts from my series will conclude with the well-known cliff-hanger: “To be continued…”

    I’ve never relished the challenge of painting a fancy resume. Let the Lord and others witness my contributions in exposition, prophesy and witness.  And may Christ Jesus speak through me and my writing always glorify the Lord.

    I love scripture, first and each time I study a passage of the Bible the Lord reveals more of His story. I credit many favorite authors and some dedicated instructors of writing and theology for my love of words and writing skills. Anything you may glean from the more than five hundred posts on talkofJesus.com is a gift from the Lord. Yet many more-gifted authors before me greatly influence my appetite for context and application.

    I rely on the Lord and the Holy Spirit for direction of my ‘talk’ of Christ Jesus in this place. I pray you will share the Lord, that by your social witness talkofJesus.com will impact the heart of another in some way.

    Roger’s Personal Post Script

    P.S. On a personal note, I was married for more than twenty-two years to a beautiful soul who was raised Catholic. She suffered cancer and died in her fiftieth year. As a result, our only daughter and I grew into a deeper faith in Christ.

    I was raised in the Methodist church and have been active in lay ministry and teaching in several denominations. The Holy Spirit brought me to my knees before the cross, a story told also on my searchable website.

    I’m a sinner, redeemed in Christ, an unwelcome ambassador in this decaying world. Therefore I live here as one longing for God’s love in an eternal world of light and joy. Here I have also suffered divorce, survived cancer and found a place and purpose in my work and in the heart of my wife.


    The goal of Christian Social Witness is to SHARE the Gospel of Jesus Christ.


    And as for my book and my work, I leave you only with today’s hope for tomorrow’s joy. Please remember me in your prayers and pray that the Lord will continue that good work of this 21st c. Christian.

    I pray, if it is the Lord’s will, your eternal soul and mine, through the love and grace of Christ Jesus are:

    To be continued…

     

     

  • Times of Difficulty – 3

    Times of Difficulty – 3

    Watch Yourselves

    Luke 21:

    34 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”


    Watch yourselves! A warning of apocalypse.

    Be on guard,” states the King James, with the same Greek word where Jesus warns to ‘beware of false prophets.’ And in case you missed it, Jesus reiterates the warning. “Stay awake;” “keep on alert,” the King James Version warns. Matthew records Jesus using these warnings together as one.

    [ctt title=”‘Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.’ – Mark 13:33″ tweet=”Do the cares of this life obscure the Light of eternal life? Watch yourselves!” coverup=”Kj6Z5″]

    Who does Jesus warn?

    21st century readers could easily dismiss this. Jesus is just preaching to the people of His day. The Temple will be destroyed and Israel will be destroyed. And that’s the end of it.

    Not quite. Although these events of which Jesus warned did take place, as is so often the case, prophecy also applies to other times. Just because you and I live in a different place and a later time does not exclude us from the truth.

    Jesus warns of impending disaster: ” and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.” How often over time does this apply to so many.

    [ctt title=”For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth.- Luke 21:35″ tweet=”Disaster prophesied by Jesus: not just for a forgotten time centuries past.” coverup=”1nRD9″]

    Not just Jerusalem. A disaster of the scope of Sodom and Gomorrah comes more to mind. (Lot was on watch. Only Lot sought to obey the Lord by fleeing sin.)

    Jesus does not speak of only ancient Judea, Samaria and Galilee which Rome would destroy later. The Lord warns, “all who dwell on the face of the whole earth.”

    Do those who ignored the warnings of Noah also come to your mind?

    Judgment!

    We don’t like it, the thought of being judged by another. Yet a sovereign God surely rules in righteousness and will judge the living and the dead! We prefer to see Jesus as our humble example of living to love God. Jesus invites us to think of God as Father. Jesus challenges us to love others.

    Yet He often warned of a judgment to come, a judgment with eternal consequence. Here is just one more example of the Almighty authority of Christ Jesus (which could be easily dismissed).


    The Son of Man

    Allow me to isolate what Jesus warns.

    “… But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength… to stand before the Son of Man.

    Judgment! Jesus clearly warns the He will be our judge. And you will not stand in your own strength, but in His.

    Jesus IS the Son of Man! Jesus also clearly states for all with ears to hear:

    “I and the Father are one.” –John 10:30


    Revelation 14:14-16

    Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand.

    And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud,

    “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.”

    So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.


    To be continued…