Guidelines for living.
September 1st, 2026

Does My Life Have Any Purpose?

For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep. Acts 13:36

One of the greatest tragedies in life is to get very close to reaching your goal, arriving at your full potential, accomplishing what you set out to do, only to fall short of what you wanted. It's always sad to have to quit a few hundred meters short of the top, or to get so very close to winning, only to have victory snatched from your grasp.

Unrealized goals, unfulfilled potential - what a tragedy! With a sigh, we speak of, "The man he might have been," or "the woman she could have become."

You tell me what your heart yearns to do, what you think about when you lie awake unable to sleep in the night hours, and I'll tell you what kind of a person you really are. If money consumes your thinking, you're materialistic. If you think only of revenge, you're angry and bitter. If your thoughts are of God and how you can serve Him, you are a person of spiritual sensitivity and dedication.

When I interview people, I often ask the interviewee a closing question: "At the end of your life, how would you like to be remembered?" Answers tell me a lot about the person who responds.

A thousand years after David, the king of ancient Israel, Luke, one of the writers of the New Testament, included a few thoughts about how David was remembered. He wrote, "For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep ... " (Acts 13:36). Another translation adds a single phrase which injects even more meaning. It reads, "For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation according to the will of God, he fell asleep" (Nestle's Greek text). The overview of history is often so much different than how we appear in the smoke and the dust of the battle.

For a few moments, measure your life against the benchmark of what Luke wrote about David. First, he served God's purpose. Now translate this to our generation: to your family, your workplace, your neighborhood. Would you say that you are really accomplishing God's purpose for your life? Or would you have to say, "No, I fall far short of that"?

You may be asking, "Well, what is God's purpose for my life?" Good question! There's a whole book that answers that one. It's called the Bible. It explains very clearly what God's purpose is for your life in simple, easy-to-understand language.

Now, the second thought is that David was responsible only for his generation. You can't do anything about what took place a hundred years ago, or even a generation ago. That's history. But you can do something about your generation today - the world in which you live.

Some think, mistakenly, that the sum total of their influence in life is zero. It's untrue! Every person, no matter how humble or significant, influences someone. You, friend, like David, can serve God's purpose, touching someone's life, making a difference.

Now, a final thought. David served God's purpose according to the will of God. That's a powerful thought. So, "does God have a will for my life?" you may be wondering. The Bible contends that He does. The writers of Scripture say that what happens to your life is of great importance to our Heavenly Father. Paul wrote, "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore," he said, "do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is" (Ephesians 5:15-17). There you have it - a life of purpose touching our generation according to the will of God!

Resource Reading: Ephesians 5:1-20

Present Truth # 1
God's Letter to You

Heaven's Pledge - Our Assurance
At some stage in life, individuals question their existence and purpose in life. A young mind generally has hopes and aspirations for the future. A discontented or discouraged mind finds it hard to accept a purpose or reason for life. Then there are the lonely, the empty, the unhappy. How can your life become more fulfilling, healthy, interesting? What lies after death? Is it possible to receive eternal life? Human hearts of every walk of life question the uncertain, yet desire an answer to satisfy their needs of security and contentment. No doubt at times such questions enter your mind. Are there answers to life's vital questions? Where can you find them? We all have some beliefs or ideas, but how accurate are they? No book ever written reveals so well the answer to these and many other fundamental questions except the Holy Bible. It reveals how life can be lived and enjoyed to the fullest. This is a promise.

Who Wrote the Bible?
Some critics have claimed that the Bible is only a book written by ordinary men, and therefore is just like any other book. The first part of this assertion is partly true but the latter is false. Yes, the book was written by men, but they had one different characteristic to most authors.

“ . . . holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 2 Peter 1:21.

God selected righteous men to pen His messages. They were not naturally creative writers, but events and messages were recorded as they were revealed and inspired by the Holy Spirit. Visions and thoughts were received and these holy men, knowing these were from God, faithfully wrote in their own language what they were shown.

Thus there is a variety of style and of expression in the Bible, but no contradictions. There is a common theme throughout the collection of writings and a unity of beliefs.

“The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.” 2 Samuel 23:2.

No one was entrusted to write God’s sacred messages without receiving divine assistance.

Actually the Bible is a compendium of books and its real Author is the Almighty. Throughout all these sacred writings is the theme of salvation from sin and its consequences, if we accept God's provisions and counsels.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16, 17.

The Scriptures also tell us of God and His loving character. “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” John 5:39.

Divisions
Sixty-six books were written by nearly 40 writers during a period of approximately 1,600 years. Thirty-nine of the books constitute what is known as the Old Testament and twenty-seven comprise the New Testament. Whenever Jesus referred to Scripture, He quoted the Old Testament (the New Testament had not yet been written).

The Old Testament has three major sections. Jesus said, “. . . These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.” Luke 24:44.

“The law of Moses” refers to the first five books of the Bible. They were written by Moses and are often referred to as “the law,” because they contain all the laws that were given to ancient Israel. The ceremonial laws were symbolic and terminated at the cross. But there is far more to “Moses” than just the ceremonial system. Primarily it consists of the doctrines and principles of establishing God's church on earth. First there is the moral law as given by God Himself, then nature's laws, health, and doctrines of order and organization.

“The prophets” refer to all the prophetic books. Some books in other classifications also have prophetic sections but, for ease of identification, each book is only placed in one category. For instance, Jesus used this type of terminology when talking with two disciples who were traveling to Emmaus after Jesus' resurrection: “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” Luke 24:27.

One of the most compelling tests of the authenticity of the Scriptures is the evidence of prophecy, for true prophecy is the recording of history in advance. Many of the prophecies of the Bible were written hundreds of years before their fulfilment, others are occurring now, some refer to our future. So important is prophecy that God challenges anyone to accurately predict the future in detail as He does.

“Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods; yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.” Isaiah 41:21-23.

“Psalms” or poetry. The poetical books are Job, the Song of Solomon, and the Psalms. Some translations of the Bible record all the poetical sections in poetical format rather than prose. Although the meter is lost in translation from the original language, the beauty, majesty and pathos of the poetry of the Bible is still apparent and may be readily appreciated.

The Power and Purpose of the Bible
The power of God's word is demonstrated in many ways. When we scan the heavens and behold the sun, moon, planets and the myriads of stars, all orbiting their appointed trajectory through the immense expanse of space, we are witnessing the power of the Word of God!

“By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.” Psalm 33:6, 9.

Yet a still greater power is contained in the living Word. Jesus, the son of God said, “. . . the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63. What is this power? What is its purpose?

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12.

“The word” has within itself power, deep, abiding, and eternal. It leads us to see ourselves as we really are. It searches our inmost failures and yearnings, and provides the power to raise us from the lowest degradation. It has power which is able to make and keep men right, something we cannot do for ourselves. The Bible is able to transform our character and to make each person radiant, joyous, and full of hope.

The Psalmist testified of this marvelous transforming power: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Psalm 119:11.

How long will the word of God endure? Christ declared: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” Matthew 24:35.

Comparing the short life span of man with the Word of God, the apostle Peter wrote: “For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: but the word of the Lord endureth forever . . . ” 1 Peter 1:24, 25.

On the midst of all the turmoil and strife of this present age, the Bible stands as an immovable, unchangeable beacon, with its light pointing to the true haven. It is a teacher and counselor of the highest order.

Can Everyone Understand the Bible?
For centuries it has been claimed by the clergy that the Bible should not be read by lay members because only learned theologians are able to interpret its doctrines. This withholding of the Scriptures from the people resulted in an intellectual, spiritual, and moral decline known, today, as the “Dark Ages.” “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Hosea 4:6.

Contrary to the stated belief of “the clergy,” “the entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” Psalm 119:130.

Therefore, the Word of God is not only for intellectuals to understand, but if studied and obeyed, it will ennoble and elevate the humble searcher for truth, whatever his station in life. Christ declared that God's Word was more readily understood by those of open minds “babies” in trusting and absorbing just what God says, than by those who claim to be “wise.”

“At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” Matthew 11:25.

Often men of considerable learning, whether secular or theological, are too proud to admit wrong and thus disqualify themselves from understanding the truth of God. This is clearly illustrated in the Bible by the attitude of the learned scribes and Pharisees toward the teachings and person of Christ. Although they had theoretical knowledge, they could not accept the truth being presented to them.

The Lord sees those who are humbly seeking for truth: “. . . to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” Isaiah 66:2.

As we have read before, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God.” In other words, the “Spirit of God” gave the messages to the various writers. In order to understand the Word of God aright, we need this same Spirit to guide our mind when we read the Bible.

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” John 16:13.

The written Word of God is God's voice speaking to us. It should always be treated with respect and should be studied with genuine desire to understand truth and its messages. Time spent searching the Scriptures should be regarded as time being spent in contact with the Divine. Therefore, before opening your Bible always pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance and believe that you will be directed and taught aright.

Why Are There So Many Different Interpretations of the Bible?
This question is often asked by skeptics as an argument that the Bible is unreliable. But are they right? What is the key to true understanding?

One reason is given by the apostle Peter: “As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” 2 Peter 3:16.

In addition the Bible reproves sin and lays open the hidden secrets of the heart. This is not agreeable to our human nature which seeks to obscure the Scripture's plain explanations. The apostle Paul prophesied: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, have itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” 2 Timothy 4:3, 4.

It is impossible to come to a right understanding of the Bible if our hearts are not changed, because sinful human nature is opposed to the Spirit of God. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14.

Today men are eagerly seeking for personal advantage. For the sake of gaining riches, honor or power, they place the maxims, traditions and requirements of men above the requirements of God. From such the treasures of God's word are hidden.

Obedience is one key to a true understanding of the Scriptures. “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” John 7:17.

The Theme of Bible Inspiration
Many books have a central figure around which the story is woven. The Bible too has a central person in both the Old and New Testaments. Jesus said: "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” John 5:39.

When conversing with the two disciples on the way to Emmaus after His resurrection, Jesus explained this vital truth to them: “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” Luke 24:27.

Will There Always Be Opportunity to Study God's Word?
Many people put off searching the Scriptures until they retire, or to some other time in the future. But they are making a fatal mistake!

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: and they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it. In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst.” Amos 8:11-13.

This wonderful book—the Bible—will soon be of no use for men. There will be no more opportunities to understand it or to obey its teachings. The Holy Spirit will not then be available to help people know the truth. Nevertheless, today we still have opportunity. There is still time to become acquainted with God's plan for us.

Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement General Conference.

THE BIBLICAL VIEW OF INSPIRATION, THE EXTENT OF INSPIRATION.

THE BIBLICAL VIEW OF INSPIRATION.
The biblical view of inspiration is called the Dynamic View. The Scriptures are the result of a divine-human relationship, as set forth in Hebrews 1:1. "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets." God did the speaking, but He did it through the prophets or through His instruments. Inspiration is a supernatural work of God in man, involving both divine and human elements, which produced an infallible record of the divine revelation.

The Dynamic View holds all the elements together. God did the speaking, but He did it through His chosen vessels and their personalities. Their individualism is as clearly seen as their inspiration. The Holy Spirit moved on the writers in a dynamic way in harmony with their personalities but not completely suppressing them. God created men as it pleased Him, each man having traits of his own; and through these vessels He spoke His Word, using their lips, their minds, their gifts, their temperaments, and their personalities. Then, He breathed out to them His infallible Word. Another example is Nehemiah 9:30. "Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy Spirit in thy prophets." Nehemiah was saying that God spoke out against Israel in judgment by His Spirit in the prophets.

In conclusion to this view it should be noted that the inspired Word, the Bible, can be compared to the incarnate Word, Jesus. In the incarnation of Christ the divine and human elements are blended; in the inspiration and the writing of Scripture the divine and human elements also come together into one.

THE EXTENT OF INSPIRATION.
In speaking of the extent of inspiration, this does not refer to how much of the Bible is inspired, because there are no degrees of inspiration. It is all inspired! The genealogy of chapter one of Matthew is as inspired as the account of Jesus' birth in chapter two. Chapter one shows Him to be a son of Abraham coming through the line of David; in chapter two, the birth narrative, He is seen to be the Son of God.

Some believe that only the thoughts were inspired, and that God left the writers of Scripture completely free to choose their own words, their own ideas, and their own expressions. This view is incorrect because it is unrealistic. God reveals His thoughts to man through the media of words, just as man does in communicating with others. If God wished to convey His will and His Word to man in such a way that it could not be twisted and misinterpreted, He would have to inspire the very words. If He merely inspires thoughts, the writers would have to choose what they would say.

The Scriptural view is the plenary verbal inspiration view. The term "plenary" means full, complete, entire, or absolute. This means that the entire Scriptures are inspired, not just a part; all Scripture is God-breathed (II Timothy 3:16). "Verbal" means that which is expressed in words; therefore, verbal inspiration means that God inspired the very words of the Bible and not merely the thoughts. Thus, plenary verbal inspiration means that the Scriptures in their entirety are the words of God; therefore, they are infallible and inerrant in the original autographs or manuscripts.

God said to Jeremiah, "Go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.... I have put my words in thy mouth" (Jeremiah 1:7-9). He said the same thing to Moses in Exodus 4:10-12, "Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say." In Exodus 34:27-28 God told Moses to write the Ten Commandments. In Revelation 1:11 Jesus said to John, "What thou seest, write in a book." God told Ezekiel, "Speak my words" to the people (Ezekiel 2-3). Isaiah 2:1 and Amos 1:1 both speak of the words which the prophets saw. In II Samuel 23:1-2 David claimed to have been anointed and inspired with the very words of God. He said, "The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue."

Critics deny the plenary verbal inspiration view by saying that human agents wrote the Scriptures. Their contention is that all men are fallible; men wrote the Bible; so the Bible is fallible and is not inerrant in all of its words.

In reply, one must distinguish between the prophet and his prophecy, between the writer and his writings. When the Bible speaks concerning inspiration, the emphasis is on the Scriptures themselves, on the writings and not on the writer. For instance, II Timothy 3:16 says that all Scripture is God-breathed, but it does not say a thing about the writer. Paul truly was inspired, but the thrust is upon the Scripture and not the author. "Prophecy came not in old time by the will of man" (II Peter 1:20-21). The emphasis is on prophecy. While the writers were sometimes inspired, their writings were always inspired. Yes, they were fallible men who could (and did) make mistakes; but their writings were God-breathed and, therefore, infallible. For example, when Peter denied the Lord, he certainly was not inspired of God; but he was inspired when he wrote his epistles.

In summary, the Bible shows that all Scripture is God-breathed; consequently, when a man was writing Scripture, he was motivated and inspired by the Lord and recorded what God said to write. Edited. Shared.

God willing, more will be posted soon. All glory to Jesus alone.

Need to know.
The claim that Jesus never existed falls apart when the evidence outside the Bible is examined. The New Testament is not the only source that tells us about Jesus of Nazareth. Ancient writers from outside Christianity also wrote about Jesus, His followers, His execution, and the movement that spread in His name. Some were Roman historians. One was a Jewish historian. Others were pagan critics or hostile Jewish sources. They had no reason to help Christianity, yet their writings point back to the same historical person. Tacitus, the Roman historian, records that Christus suffered the death penalty under Pontius Pilate during the reign of Tiberius and that His followers were called Christians. Suetonius records disturbances among the Jews connected with “Chrestus,” while Pliny the Younger describes Christians gathering and singing hymns to Christ “as to a god.” These were not Christian writers defending the Bible. They were outsiders describing the people who followed Jesus.

Then there is Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian. Josephus was not a Christian trying to prove that Jesus was the Messiah. Yet when he writes about James, he identifies him as “the brother of Jesus who was called Christ.” That short statement is incredibly important. Josephus does not stop to explain who Jesus was or argue that Jesus really existed. He simply uses Jesus to identify James. Jesus was already a known historical figure, and Josephus refers to Him as “Jesus who was called Christ.” This is one of the clearest pieces of non-Christian evidence for Jesus anywhere in the ancient world. Josephus also refers to Jesus in the famous Testimonium Flavianum, which speaks about Jesus, His ministry, His crucifixion under Pilate, and His followers. Regardless of the later debate over the exact wording of that passage, Josephus’s separate reference to James remains. The evidence is sitting right there in the writings of a first-century Jewish historian: Jesus existed, James was His brother, and Jesus was known as the Christ.

The evidence becomes even more powerful when we look at people who opposed Christianity. Celsus, a second-century pagan critic, attacked Christianity and mocked the claims Christians made about Jesus. Yet his attacks assume that Jesus was a real person. His writings preserve traditions about Jesus’ birth, His family, and the miraculous claims made about Him. The Babylonian Talmud also preserves hostile traditions about Jesus, including accusations of sorcery and a tradition that He was executed on the eve of Passover. Mara bar Serapion, a non-Christian Syrian writer, speaks of a wise king of the Jews whose teachings continued after his death—a description that points directly to Jesus. Think about what this means. These sources were not trying to help Christians. Some were trying to discredit them. Yet they still point back to Jesus as a real person. They did not describe Him as a fictional character invented centuries later. They attacked Him, mocked Him, or preserved hostile traditions about Him because there was a real historical figure at the center of the Christian movement.

Two other names are often overlooked: Thallus and Phlegon. Their original writings have been lost, but later ancient writers preserved reports about what they wrote. Julius Africanus connects Thallus’s discussion of an unusual darkness with the darkness associated with the crucifixion of Jesus. Phlegon is also reported by later writers as describing an extraordinary darkness and an earthquake during the reign of Tiberius. We do not have the original books of Thallus and Phlegon today, but we do have ancient testimony reporting what they wrote. That matters. These accounts add another layer to the ancient evidence surrounding the death of Jesus. The point is not that these two writers prove every detail of the Gospel accounts by themselves. The point is that even ancient writers outside Christianity were remembered as recording extraordinary events connected with the very time when the New Testament places the crucifixion.

Now put all nine witnesses together: Pliny the Younger, Tacitus, Suetonius, Josephus, Celsus, the Talmud, Mara bar Serapion, Thallus, and Phlegon. This is not one Christian writer making one claim. This is a collection of ancient voices coming from different backgrounds and different parts of the Roman world. They point to Jesus, His followers, His execution, His identity as Christ, and the movement that spread in His name. The evidence is overwhelming when viewed as a whole. Jesus was not a mythical character invented hundreds of years after the fact. He was a real first-century Jewish man who gathered followers, was called the Christ, was executed under Pontius Pilate, and left behind a movement that spread throughout the Roman world. The very people who rejected Christianity still left behind evidence that Jesus was a real person.

And this destroys the claim that Jesus was simply invented. The question is not whether there is evidence that Jesus existed. There is. The question is why anyone would ignore this substantial body of ancient testimony simply because it is not found in the Bible. Tacitus connects Jesus to Pontius Pilate. Josephus identifies James as the brother of Jesus who was called Christ. Pliny records Christians worshiping Him. Suetonius records disturbances connected with the movement surrounding Him. Celsus attacks the claims made about Him. Jewish tradition preserves hostile accusations against Him. Mara bar Serapion remembers a wise Jewish king whose teachings survived His death. And ancient reports connected with Thallus and Phlegon preserve traditions about extraordinary events surrounding the time of His death. The evidence does not disappear because it comes from outside the Bible. In fact, that is precisely what makes these witnesses so important. They were not writing the New Testament. They were not preaching the Gospel. Some were not even friendly toward Christianity. Yet they still point back to the same historical person. Jesus Christ was not a myth invented by Christians. He was a real man who lived in first-century Judea, gathered followers, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and left behind a movement that changed the world. The historical record does not erase Jesus—it confirms that He was there.

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Note





The Stick You Write With



When we read the bible,what do we think about? Do we think about the writer being inspired by the Spirit of God? Do we look to the setting it was written in, the culture of the times, etc? Do we look at the style of writing as some scholars teach us to do?

These and more are often taught as the way to read the bible. In more modern education we are taught to think critically and what is being said and written. In other words what can we infer or deduce from the text we are reading?

Questions such as these, more often than not lead to an overly complicated mess of confusion that is sometimes hard to navigate. Complicating the simple way the people of the day actually thought. What is more is that the New Testament was written in Koine ( common Greek).

This Greek as written in the NT is often studied by scholars, pastors and laymen alike, searching for a clearer picture of what the biblical writers were intending. And in this way, we may more accurately discern the truth that God, through His servants, is trying to convey to us, 2,000 years later. Mind you in a culture that is very far removed from the culture it was written in.

In short a lot has happened in 2,000 years, and some ideas just don’t translate well. To make up for this, scholars have tried hard to come up with different and new translations, paraphrases etc, that are everything from absolute trash, to literal word for word hard to read versions of the bible.

Many popular bible translations we read are something of a dynamic equivalent, that’s thought for thought. Others are word for word. And still others are a paraphrase giving the general sense of what is being spoken of. Yet, for all this we seem to lose a little or a lot depending, when we try to bring this all into a culture, language and thought process that is far removed from the original.

So we dig, scholars and laymen alike, dig. We dig into the language it is written in. We find meanings to words, and their roots. Sometimes we look at the society and culture around them and it brings out even more. Yet for all that, it seems we still come up short and we wonder why.

In my own life, the more I dug into some limited Greek studies, the more I saw it was not really going too far, so I stopped looking. I would only look up what I was curious about or led to. If I am honest at times, I would remember my pastor who told me of his friend who was a biblical Greek scholar, who said it really doesn’t do you that much good to know Greek. As I studied I could see that, but why. Aren’t we taught to look into the language? Isn’t that the example that is set by many, if not most pastors and writers of biblical material? Look into the Greek to find the meaning of the words used in the NT, so we can understand a bit better? But its really not helping that much so what am I missing?

What I found was not intentional. I was not looking for it. At all.

I found where Jesus wrote about being the bread of life In John 6:35:

“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

In our minds we wonder what that means so we dig. And that is just what I did. I wanted to find out what that meant, exactly. My research led me to the cultural life of the Jewish people. And I found out that they, without a long explanation, knew that Jesus was saying, without bread, you die, you have no life.

That may seem obvious and overly simplistic, yet for a people who lived in the desert, to not have bread and water, was a fact of certain death. Biblically the principle stems back to the time in the wilderness when God supplied bread for them in the form of mana. Again, this may seem obvious, but it’s not something most in western culture know very much about.

We don’t know starvation as a possibility as well as they did then, we don’t know the waterless tracts of land they made their home in for thousands of years. They knew intimately the slow agonizing death by starvation and thirst, in a land where water is a commodity. Unlike us who just go to the faucet or by another water bottle at the nearest grocery store. These things were their reality, unlike ours.

Finding this set me on a journey of sorts to looking into their culture more. As I did I began seeing things that we don’t often talk about. Then one day I realized that almost every NT writer with the exception of Luke was born Jewish. That meant that they came from a Jewish background, culture, traditions and language.

Then I began to wonder how come we are looking at the NT from a western outlook, through the Greek language, when we should possibly be looking at it from a more Hebraic outlook? Why weren’t we looking at what they were saying through the culture, history etc of the person who was speaking it? They knew the language and ideas of the OT far better than we do.

So, again I began digging. What I found was that as a general rule, the Jewish people of that day, had gained some complexity of thought because of outside influences, such as the Babylonian captivity, the Roman occupation etc, they still retained much of their original simplicity and straightforward thinking. In fact, without going too deep in this, most Jewish men at the time had at least some knowledge of the OT scriptures and how they were written and the thoughts behind them. This is due to the fact that they would teach the fathers trade to the children and were required to teach them the word of God as well.

For them, things were relatively simple. Their culture and thought process, at least so far as these things are concerned, was simple compared to the Romans, or Greeks where we in the west get much of our way of thinking.

To see the difference when we describe something, such as a pencil, we say its long, often yellow, with lead or graphite inside, it has an eraser on one end and the other is sharpened to a point so you can write with it. In ancient Hebrew, it’s literally a stick you write with, that is the description.

To us, who habitually over complicate everything, even a bowl of Cheerios, this seems way too simplistic. Truthfully one may be right with that assessment. But that does not negate the fact that they understood things far different than we do.

Now, I am doing more digging. Looking into the Hebrew language and looking at the NT from somewhat of a different angle. What happened is the truth we all see, written within the pages, started taking on a deeper meaning. Instead of looking at the Word through the lens of our culture or even the Greek, I began to see things that way I think the biblical writers were seeing them, and thus seeing the intent of God through them. Regardless of how it was written.

When we look at the bible in this way it seems to take on new life. It doesn’t change the meaning, but deepens it, brings a fuller, more clear revelation, and application to our lives and ministries.




I write my own writing, I do not use AI to write. All my writing is my own and can be scanned for AI content as well as plagiarism.

The Story Behind the Hymns
THE STORY BEHIND "GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH"

Few hymns capture the journey of faith with the vividness of “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah.” Written out of the rich Welsh Christian tradition, the hymn turns the biblical story of Israel’s journey through the wilderness into a deeply personal prayer for God’s guidance, strength and provision.

The original hymn was written in Welsh by William Williams Pantycelyn (1717–1791), one of the most influential hymn writers of the Welsh revival. The Welsh title, “Arglwydd, arwain trwy'r anialwch” meaning “Lord, lead me through the wilderness” first appeared in 1745.

Williams drew heavily on the story of the Israelites travelling through the wilderness under God’s direction. The hymn speaks of a believer who recognises that the journey ahead cannot be completed by human strength alone. God is asked to lead, sustain and provide until the traveller reaches the promised destination.

The English version familiar to congregations today came through the work of Peter Williams, who translated the hymn in 1771. It was subsequently adapted and revised in English hymnals, helping the hymn move beyond Wales and into the wider Christian world.

Its imagery remains striking: the believer is a “pilgrim through this barren land,” dependent upon the “Bread of Heaven” for spiritual nourishment and upon God’s presence for every step of the journey.

The hymn became especially associated with Welsh Christianity and eventually found a powerful musical setting in the tune “Cwm Rhondda,” composed by Welsh musician John Hughes in 1907. The combination of Williams’ words and Hughes’ stirring melody transformed it into one of the best-known hymns to emerge from Wales.

“Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” has since been sung in churches, at major Christian gatherings, at national occasions and in moments of remembrance and celebration. Its enduring appeal lies in its simple but profound message: life may lead us through wilderness seasons, but the believer does not have to walk through them alone.

The final destination is not the wilderness. The prayer of the hymn is that the Great Jehovah will continue to guide His people until they reach the promised land.

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