So I was trying to look up this one scripture. Everyone quotes it but no one references where it’s at in the Bible. I like to give the address to the script before I go off spouting it. Man, I looked and looked. I used “BlueLetterBible.org” and “BibleGateway.com”, Nothing! I even did Google and Yahoo searches for sermons about it. A lot of people have used the script I’m looking for but they never gave the address. I’m gonna have to go old school and dust off my Strong’s Concordance to find it. Once I do I’ll blog about it. But while I searched & searched I ran across 1 Tim 6:19.This is one awesome script. There is a phrase in there that just jumped out @ me; “Take hold of life that is truly life.” That bad boy right there reached out and slapped my right cheek! What a great scripture. “Take hold of life that is truly life.” My mind instantly went racing on all that this script could mean. I shared it with Kesha, she instantly went on about what is the life we grab hold of and stuff. It just a small sentence but it set our minds set ablaze with all that it could mean. The Life part of it and grabbing hold of it. Where has this scripture been hiding? Apparently is been hiding in 1st Tim all along and I just never grabbed onto it. So now I have to dig in. I said in the last blog that I like to type out scripts, helps me meditate on them. So out comes the big “Mac Daddy 4 Translation” Bible. What I already typed out above is the NIV version but to be fair it’s only part of the whole script. The whole verse 19 states “In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of life that is truly life. Ol’King James states: "Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life." The Amp states: “In this way laying up for themselves [the riches that endure forever] a good foundation for the future, so that they may grasp that which is life indeed”. The Republican version, ops, I mean the New American Standard: “Storing up for themselves the treasure of good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.” And everyone’s favorite, the Message: “If they do that, they’ll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life.”
So what is this script talking about. It’s in the last chapter of the book of 1st Tim. I know, I know. Paul didn’t divide his writings into chapters. What ever! It’s in the last part of his letter to ol’Timmy Boy. There are only 3 sentences following this one before the letter ends. So this is part of Paul’s final charge to Tim. The 1st part of verse 19 says “In this way they will lay up treasures for themselves….” Who are “they” and what “way”? Let’s back up to 1st Tim 6:17 “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain(boy isn’t that true with all that is going on right now), but put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” Let’s move on to verse 18: “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” Now verse 19 states “in this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may TAKE HOLD OF LIFE THAT IS TRULY LIFE." I hope you enjoy this script the way Kesha & I did. There is still so much more that I want to explore with this but I want to keep these blogs kinda short. Let that statement “Take Hold of Life that is Truly Life” sets your mind into overdrive. Talk to ya and stay blessed.
He lives where?
He lives where?
I had to fit this in before sending my computer back to the shop. The cd/dvd/whatever doesn’t want to act right. So while I still have the warranty I’m shipping it back. I’m sticking with the worship theme. I love worship. I sing like a bird, it’s foul. HAHA, as my pastor here in Birm would say “that one is free”. I really do wish I had a great sounding voice. Kind of like my wife’s voice, just more manly. But no matter how terrible Kesha thinks I singing, I know God loves to hear me. Ps 22:3 has been bouncing around my brain for the last few weeks. It says (KJV) “But thou [art] holy, [O thou] that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” I checked that script in my big mac’daddy 4 translation Bible. Seriously, this thing is huge and it has an awesome story behind it. I’ll share that story another day. NIV states “Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel.” New American Standard says “O Thou who art enthroned upon the praises of Israel.” The Amp’d up version says “But You are holy, O You Who dwell in [the holy place where] the praises of Israel [are offered].” It’s crazy typing all those out but it helps me study and meditate on Ps 22:3. I think I like the KJV the best because it’s what I grew up with. But breaking down this scripture I find, from the KJV, that “[O thou] that inhabitest” comes from just one Hebrew word “Yashab”. From what I’m finding in my word study and lexicon is that this is an active thing. It’s like He actively lives in my praise. Let me back up. He actively lives on the praise that I offer to Him. That makes me wonder what kind of place I have built for Him. Have I given a place with great furnishing? Or have I given some broken down sorry apartment on the eastside of Loser Town. Would He even want to live in my place/praise? I don’t want to be the landlord that’s embraced because I know the residency that I’m providing sucks. I want my praise to be well worth living in. Fresh carpet, new tile, not something stuck in the 70’s. Now going back to the translations I typed out before. The Amp’d version seems to be referring that God lived in the “Holy of Holies” of the temple where praise was offered. What ever, we live on this side of the cross & 1 Cor 6:19 states “your body is the temple”. I just want to give Him something that He’s comfortable in, a place that He would want to stay. I know when I praise Him my life is better. It’s the point that when I have praise & worship on my IPod in the gym, I feel stronger. Seriously! The other day I put up 740lds on the leg press & I had Saving Grace playing. I made sure I had it on the part that goes “Jesus Savior, My life belongs to you forever. Cause you have set my heart on fire, you have set me free.” My church here in Birm does such a great job with that song. I guess the only place to leave this blog entry is to challenge you, and myself, not be that sorry landlord. Give Him something great to live in. Something for Him to brag about….
I had to fit this in before sending my computer back to the shop. The cd/dvd/whatever doesn’t want to act right. So while I still have the warranty I’m shipping it back. I’m sticking with the worship theme. I love worship. I sing like a bird, it’s foul. HAHA, as my pastor here in Birm would say “that one is free”. I really do wish I had a great sounding voice. Kind of like my wife’s voice, just more manly. But no matter how terrible Kesha thinks I singing, I know God loves to hear me. Ps 22:3 has been bouncing around my brain for the last few weeks. It says (KJV) “But thou [art] holy, [O thou] that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” I checked that script in my big mac’daddy 4 translation Bible. Seriously, this thing is huge and it has an awesome story behind it. I’ll share that story another day. NIV states “Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel.” New American Standard says “O Thou who art enthroned upon the praises of Israel.” The Amp’d up version says “But You are holy, O You Who dwell in [the holy place where] the praises of Israel [are offered].” It’s crazy typing all those out but it helps me study and meditate on Ps 22:3. I think I like the KJV the best because it’s what I grew up with. But breaking down this scripture I find, from the KJV, that “[O thou] that inhabitest” comes from just one Hebrew word “Yashab”. From what I’m finding in my word study and lexicon is that this is an active thing. It’s like He actively lives in my praise. Let me back up. He actively lives on the praise that I offer to Him. That makes me wonder what kind of place I have built for Him. Have I given a place with great furnishing? Or have I given some broken down sorry apartment on the eastside of Loser Town. Would He even want to live in my place/praise? I don’t want to be the landlord that’s embraced because I know the residency that I’m providing sucks. I want my praise to be well worth living in. Fresh carpet, new tile, not something stuck in the 70’s. Now going back to the translations I typed out before. The Amp’d version seems to be referring that God lived in the “Holy of Holies” of the temple where praise was offered. What ever, we live on this side of the cross & 1 Cor 6:19 states “your body is the temple”. I just want to give Him something that He’s comfortable in, a place that He would want to stay. I know when I praise Him my life is better. It’s the point that when I have praise & worship on my IPod in the gym, I feel stronger. Seriously! The other day I put up 740lds on the leg press & I had Saving Grace playing. I made sure I had it on the part that goes “Jesus Savior, My life belongs to you forever. Cause you have set my heart on fire, you have set me free.” My church here in Birm does such a great job with that song. I guess the only place to leave this blog entry is to challenge you, and myself, not be that sorry landlord. Give Him something great to live in. Something for Him to brag about….
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