A New Creature. . . an Apostolic Pentecostal blog

  The Book of Job Chapter 1 The book of Job is to me one of the most complex books of the Bible.  It takes effort and disciplined study to keep track of what is going on.  There are currents, and undercurrents here which are easy to miss. Here's the first chapter of Job, with my comments. Job 1:1-22 (KJV) 1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. The location of Uz is not precisely known, but is thought to be north of the land of Edom.  From subsequent verses it must be a land capable of supporting many sheep, camels, oxen, she asses, and a great household.  Job was very rich.  Job was also righteous, an unlikely combination.  Jesus spoke of this: Matthew 19:24 (KJV) 24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. Job is recorded here as  being perfect a...

  I started grade school in 1960.  We lived in a small town in northern Indiana.  I don't recall what grade I was in when the following occurred, but I believe that I was in the second or third grade. They were very strict at my school about eating all the food that you were given for lunch.  There were no exceptions given.  Teachers were savvy to every attempt to hide food in milk cartons, up the sleeve of your sweater. . . etc.   I hated.  I hate to this day canned spinach.  The school lunch menu was mimeographed and posted a week in advance, so the dreaded spinach day was no surprise.  On those days, the school janitor took to standing with a little can of sawdust in the lunch room, awaiting my arrival at the lunch line, and my getting sick to my stomach when the spinach as placed on my plate. It became such a problem, that I ended up having to eat my lunch in the school principles office, at his desk.  All this was unbeknownst t...

I recently read this quote of Albert Einstein's: “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” I lived the first 45 years of my life as a hard-core atheist. I knew there was no God. In a series of amazing occurrences, God revealed Himself to me, and my unbelief was gone. The above quote perfectly describes the two halves of my life (coming to God @ 45 years old, if I live to be 90, it will be two halves). . . In the first half everything was luck, or random chance. The second half, the scales have been lifted from my eyes, and I see the hand of God in everything around me. . . God gave me a vision of maybe 12-15 happenings in my early life, where I should have been seriously hurt, even killed, or in great trouble, and every single time something 'lucky' happened to prevent disaster. Looking at them only one at a time, I could attribute them to random chance, or luck, but seen all togeth...

I'm working on re-memorizing Ephesians 6:10-18.  I believe it is very important to have the Word of God inside of you.  Ephesians 6:10-18 KJV Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  (11)  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  (12)  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  (13)  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  (14)  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;  (15)  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;  (16)  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts...

I thought this was fascinating.  Continuing my study of the Hebrew word 'ruach' (Strongs H7307 H7306), usually translated as 'spirit', or 'breath', or wind. I ran across a commentary that mentioned the difference between the phrases "Spirit of God" (Elohim), and "Spirit of the Lord" (Yahweh).  In English the two are only distinguished by God and Lord.  I had not considered that distinction before. I began to wonder if there were any significance in meaning between the two. I'm putting the table below, out there as raw data.  I haven't studied this enough to come to any conclusions.  One thing that stood out to me is that the Spirit of God/the Lord is recorded as associated with Saul (11 times) more than anyone else.  5 times it was recorded as an evil spirit from God, and 1 time (1 Samuel 16:14) the Spirit of God departed from Saul. I'm a believer in the New Testament promise of Jesus that we would be given power when the Holy Gho...

Continuing with my study of the Hebrew word 'ruach' (Strong's H7307 & H7308), which often is translated in the KJV as spirit, or breath, or wind. I ran across this verse: Numbers 11:25 KJV And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him [Moses], and took of the spirit* that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit* rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease. Moses was being overwhelmed by the responsibilities of administering to the nation of the Hebrew people, pretty much by himself. At this point there were millions of Hebrew people, and Moses was acting as the sole leader and judge, deciding controversies that arose among them. Moses prayed for relief: Numbers 11:11-15 And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?  Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten t...