Signal Hill Foundation Blog

Does the Bible, the ancient Scriptures, even those nearest to us which are over 1900 years old, have any relevancy for us today? Or were they only for, say, the Jews, or the twelve Apostles, or the original early church, or for just those in Jesus’ day?

Obviously, there are Scriptures that applied specifically and only to the “ungodly,” and the “godly,” and the “Jews” of the Old Testament. There were specific truths for the people in Jesus’ day and some only for His disciples, and some just for His Twelve. We should recognize this as simply good interpretation of the Bible.

But if one will look closely there can be discerned and separated a number of verses that apply to any people of any time and any social class. These I call “Universal Truths” as they apply across the board in the broadest possible sense. We should consider these as they definitely apply to us today.

These universals can be found throughout the Bible; Old Testament and New Testament alike. And they can be both negative and positive – a blessing or condemnation.  For instance, in just the New Testament, the universal word “whoever” and “whatever” each are used around a hundred times.

Recently, I began focusing on this concept and narrowed my research down to the New Testament. Then I narrowed it further to just the teachings of Jesus. What I found was very interesting and insightful. The bottom line was that there are some powerful verses that definitely and specifically apply to us in this twenty-first century.

As I read through the Gospels I would come across a “whoever” (MKJV) or a “whosoever” (KJV) and place out in my margin a reference of “UT” (not University of Tennessee!) which I meant as “Universal Truth.”

Although, there are negatives and positives – blessings and judgments in this regard, allow me to give just one brief passage that encompasses this concept from a positive and powerful aspect. It is also from the mouth of Jesus. I have bolded and underlined the words in observation.

Mar 11:23  For truly I say to you that whoever shall say to this mountain, Be moved and be cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he said shall occur, he shall have whatever he said.

Mar 11:24  Therefore I say to you, All things, whatever you ask, praying, believe that you shall receive them, and it will be to you.

I have also tried to examine these “universals” throughout the New Testament to find their common denominators. For finding common characteristics or denominators is a useful investigative tool to get at certain and specific truths. It also lends credibility to the conclusion.

In reference only to the above Scripture and to other positive examples like it, I have come up with some obvious conclusions. Among other things I have discovered:

1. These universal truths seem to have little or no limiting time factor. They are ageless.
2. They are not limited by age, sex, social class, religion, ethnicity, or spiritual understanding. They can be applied to all people in any time frame.
3. They are not limited in their scope or capacity or what can be accomplished.
4. They are not limited by the physical.
5. Therefore, they are often couched in the realm of the non-physical or spiritual.

There are other negative or judgmental universals. I have just focused on one passage from the teaching of Jesus that has both “whoever” and “whatever” in a more positive light.

You should do your own study of the universal truths throughout the Bible and especially those from the mouth of Jesus. Underline or make a notation out in your margin. Better yet, copy out all the verses. Some will be warnings but some will be powerful statements of encouragement.

What does this mean? It means that the Bible is not only relevant but that it is relevant to us specifically today. It means that those powerful statements from Jesus are not just for first century Jews, Gentiles, His Apostles, or early Believers – they are just as relevant for us TODAY!

Anyone can give. But not every act of giving gets Heavenly “credit.” There is a way of giving that leverages both approval by God and blessing response to you from God.

Do you want to do something tangible and physical that causes approval from God and motivates Him to bless you? Here is the key from the Apostle Paul.

“Each one, as he purposes in his heart, let him give; not of grief, or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that in everything, always having all self-sufficiency, you may abound to every good work…” (2 Corinthians 9:7,8 MKJV).

1. The word purposes is in the perfect tense meaning that one determines to be in that attitude and will continue in that attitude. In other words there is a solid commitment without wavering on what is to be given.

2. The word heart takes the concept past the logical thinker of the conscious mind to a relational position with God. The heart, or sub-conscious part of us, is where we commune with God. So this type giving comes from the “secret place” (see my previous article) and is not necessarily “logical” – this type giving may not make sense to the outward man or the logical thinker of this world.

3. The word not of grief (grudgingly in the KJV) literally means – not out of sorrow. In other words, if you are crying about seeing your dollar leave you as a sacrifice to God or to help someone else, something is wrong. The heart is wrong. This must be corrected if Heavenly credit comes. God is not pleased with this attitude and the intimation is that He will not bless, prosper or favor. So you could be “shooting yourself in the foot” and not getting Heavenly credit even when you give!

4. The word cheerful comes from a root word in the Greek pronounced hilaron. I can’t be certain of this but our word hilarious may come from the concept. It is only used here in the New Testament. In other words, the key to leveraging Heavenly credit is in this attitude of cheerfulness when we let the dollar leave our hand.

5. Now notice the positives in verse 8 – all grace, abound, in everything, all self-sufficiency, abound, every good work. And notice that it is personal – toward you.

This is powerful stuff! How we give is important for Heavenly credit.

Devastating Flood In Nashville – The Challenge of Giving Thanks

A weather front stalled over Nashville, Tennessee and surrounding areas for the last two days dumping record-breaking water and flooding the surrounding rivers. Over a thousand people had to be rescued. Beautiful homes had water up to the roof. Close to a dozen people died as a result. The Cumberland River just seven blocks down our street went nearly ten feet over flood stage. As I write it is still rising. Businesses and homes were flooded – most without flood insurance. The interstates were closed with trucks backed up for miles and nowhere to go. Our own building where Sharon and I live had the basement flooded with about 6 inches of water.

I went downstairs to view our stored Gospel Shoes that we donate sitting in water. Our maple furniture that we have had since we were married, along with antique furniture stood in contaminated water. I called our sons to help move it. While I waited I decided to wade the water and drag as much to the only dry room in the huge basement.

Why I tell you this has spiritual significance. I distinctly remember carrying an antique chair and sloshing through the water up to my shins. Half way to the dry area I remembered a message I wrote recently that had to do with giving thanks in all things and the power that it provided. I almost smiled and said out loud, “Thank you Lord, for this mess for out of it will surely come some good thing. Thank you.”

I quietly gave thanks for having it not nearly as bad as some who had lost so much more. That is one aspect of this concept. The other is giving thanks when you cannot find a comparison. The latter is the most significant because it is couched in darkness and not knowing and yet giving thanks. This is an important element of FAITH. Faith is when you cannot see, sense, or know. To give thanks in the face of normally unthankful situations leverages the principle of faith. I like to think of it as laughing in the face of the devil!

Can we do it? Will we think to do it in a time of crisis?

Give thanks in all things and offer it when you can as a sacrifice to God and you will leverage a wonderful principle for your life.

1Th 5:18  “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Psa 116:17  “I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.”

This is truly the practical application of Giving Thanks even in a flood. And the storms and floods of life will come. Be prepared. Apply Thanksgiving in Faith and experience the power and peace of God.

Jerry Smith

www.signalhillfoundation.org

One of the fun things many of us did as children was to create a hiding place; a fort, a treehouse, a tent or just pulling the covers over our head. It was fun to think we had our own private secret place.

This is the second article regarding our Secret Place because I have come to discover just how important it is. My Biblical references include insight from the Psalmist David, the Lord Jesus, and the Apostle John. These are listed for you at the bottom of this article.

I first started thinking about this when I read from The Sermon On The Mount, where Jesus said that if we pray, fast or give we should do it in our “closet” and the Father who sees in secret and is in the secret place will reward us openly. And any time Jesus put a parable, story or statement in triplicate you had better perk your ears up. It was extremely important.

Then I read in the Psalms where David kept talking about God’s secret place; His pavilion, His covering, His shelter, His shadow, His refuge and His hiding place. He kept composing songs (psalms) with this motif. He understood it as a special place where he could go escape and know the peace, protection, power and provision of God like no other place. What was this place?

Before we just repeat what I wrote in the previous article, allow me to share the most recent thought regarding this concept. It has to do with one of my all-time favorite passages – the “abiding” passage in John 15. Here we have an expansion on this most important spiritual concept regarding our secret place. I believe that John’s insight could very well be referring to the exact same place as the secret place of David and the secret place of Jesus. And look, again, how important it is.

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7).

We do not have space to pursue all the important ramifications of this concept but let me summarize –

1. There is an internal spiritual/mental secret place – the “heart.”
2. It is a place where God likes to abide.
3. It is a place from which God likes to protect and provide for His own.
4. It is a place from which come rewards and blessings.
5. It is highly personal and intimate.
6. We can choose to go there or not.
7. It is an active place of interaction – a place of intercession, thanksgiving, request, decision-making and goal-setting.

Although this is a somewhat new and developing concept with me, I have expanded more on a similar topic in my book Logo Dynamics which you can download from our website at www.signalhillfoundation.org in the store section.

References: Matthew 6:4,6,16; Psalm 27:5, 31:20 and 91:1; John 15:7

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