Brandishing My E-Sword

I'm doing a bible study with the book Loving God with All Your Mind, by Elizabeth George.


I'm really digging deep -- getting into it -- cherishing what I'm learning -- all by using my Sword!

E-Sword that is.


I've put a link down at the bottom of my blog -- clear down there at the bottom -- see it? Hit your end button... It's green. This could be... but not if you don't use it... it could be the most important think you ever down load. And -- get this -- and... it's FREE!

Here is an example of how I use my e-sword.

I have saved it to my desk top -- so I double click on it and open it up.

Mrs. George's book is going over Phillipians 4.8. So I look up that verse specifically by typing in the reference. I normally use KJV around here... so I have downloaded KJV+, and KJVR. The "+" version looks like this...

Phi 4:8 Finally,3063 brethren,80 whatsoever things3745 are2076 true,227 whatsoever things3745 are honest,4586 whatsoever things3745 are just,1342 whatsoever things3745 are pure,53 whatsoever things3745 are lovely,4375 whatsoever things3745 are of good report;2163 if there be any1536 virtue,703 and2532 if there be any1536 praise,1868 think on3049 these things.5023

...and has all the Strong's numbers besides the words. Each word that has a number, I can look up. Automatic... no searching or flipping of the pages. The numbers are links -- so they are a different color actually... it's not all run together like that. Very easy to see and use.


KJVR looks like this...

Phi 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

... and is what I use most of the time, just for reading. There are many many versions. I bet you can find the one that you use at home.

Well -- the other day I did some digging. What does this verse really mean?

I'm to think on things that are true... what is true? Not concealing. Well -- that makes sense.

Just - Equitable, innocent, holy, just, meet, right(eous). What pops out at me? Innocent. Is my thinking always innocent? Oh yeah... riiight. Hmm...

How about Pure - properly clean, innocent, modest, perfect, clean, pure. Well -- look at that. Innocent shows up again, but also modest, and clean.

Lovely - that's a nice word... what does it mean? Friendly towards, acceptable. Oh ding, ding, ding... friendly towards?? I KNOW my thinking is now ALWAYS friendly towards.

Good report - well spoken of, reputable.

Virtue - properly manliness (valor), excellence, praise.

Praise - laudation, concretely a commendable thing.

THINK ON -- I'm to think on these things. I can even look up "think on" - to take an inventory, conclude, count, esteem, impute, lay, number, reason, reckon, suppose... think on.

Then Elizabeth George reminded me of James 1.22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. Oh hey -- is that nice to throw that verse up in my face. Well... it is the right thing to do actually. Now that I know what things I'm to think on, and how I'm to do it. I'd better do it -- right?

Now I know what Elizabeth George has to say about that verse, because I'm reading her book, but I also like to see what the commentaries say about that verse.

I have downloaded Clark, Henry, Robertson's Word Pictures as well as Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary. I can find all kinds of goodies about that verse, but here is my favorite from MHCC.

All our privileges and salvation arise in the free mercy of God; yet the enjoyment of them depends on our sincere and holy conduct.

And Robertson reaffirms this idea with his words.

Think on these things (tauta logizesthe). Present middle imperative for habit of thought. We are responsible for our thoughts and can hold them to high and holy ideals.

He's quite the wordy guy... but habit of thought jumped out at me. I've got to create a new habit -- create a habit of thinking correctly, and it must be held to high and hold ideals.

IF -- for any reason you need a map -- you can download maps, and look at them through your graphics viewer. I've got NASA maps, and the SONLIGHT maps at my disposal. Very cool thing, if you ask me, especially since I'm homeschooling some rug rats and we are studying Creation to the Greeks in history this year. Very convenient.

So -- that's quite the devotions I just had there from one little verse, using my MIGHTY e-SWORD! For you know... 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. (Heb 4.12)