The Lives Of The Stoics

 I've lost count of how many times I have read the Bible all the way through.  What is cool is that as you read it over and over again it is filtered through your life's experiences.  Because of that effect different verses jump out at you at different times in your life.

This is just a recent example.  Here is the verse that triggered this post.

Colossians 2:8-10 Beware lest anyone [e]cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead [f]bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all [g]principality and power.

It is that first part.  "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy…"

As you know the prophets of the OT stopped speaking around 400-450 BC.  What filled that void?  

One of the big things was philosophy.  How do I know that?  Because I had just finished listening to The Lives Of The Stoics by Ryan Holiday.   It covered the lives of a lot of the "great" philosophers.  Zeno, Cato, Cicero, Seneca (who lived during the time of Jesus), and many others.  

It's interesting how we sometimes compartmentalize knowledge.  What I learned is that Greek philosophy flourished from about 400 BC right up and through the life of Jesus.  Seneca for example was born 5BC and died 65AD.  Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus both lived shortly after Jesus. 

I knew of Jesus and the Bible in history.  I knew of the philosophers.  For some reason I never realized that they were actively being taught at the same time in history.  These weren't two separate ethos at separate times in history.  These were way of living that were competing daily in the market place of ideas in a real world way.  

For that reason all the previous times I read this passage I thought it was just a general use of the word philosophy.  Now I realize that it was a real and active philosophy being preached and practiced at the time throughout the area of Paul's ministry.   Kinda cool!

Navigating Creativity with a Dash of Patience and a Sprinkle of Faith

 As the guy behind AI Mad Marketeer I find that mixing creativity with analytics is like trying to blend oil and water – challenging but not impossible. And let me tell you, it’s quite the adventure, especially when you’re leaning on God for some timely guidance.

Creative Hurdles and Heavenly Help

So, creativity and I aren’t exactly besties. It’s like trying to catch a butterfly – you know it’s beautiful, but it just won’t sit still! Each project starts with a bit of an idea, and then it’s off to the races, trying to piece it all together. It reminds me of Proverbs 3:5-6, about trusting in the Lord and not leaning on your own understanding. That’s my go-to when the creative juices are more of a trickle than a flood.

A Lesson in Divine Timing

The whole process is a bit like a treasure hunt – you find one clue, which leads to another, and so on. It’s all about patience, as James 1:4 says, letting perseverance finish its work. It’s not just about getting to the end; it’s about the journey and the growth along the way, with a little divine nudge here and there.

When It All Clicks

And then, boom! Everything clicks into place. It’s like that moment in Philippians 1:6, where you’re reminded that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion. That’s the golden moment, right there.

Wrapping It Up

So, that’s a little snippet from my world at AI Mad Marketeer – where faith, patience, and a splash of creativity mix to make something pretty awesome. Keepin’ it real and trusting in the Big Plan, one project at a time.

Standing with Israel!

 I try not to get political in my posts but I ran across these verses from Isaiah today.  

Isaiah 41: 8-13 

8 But you, Israel, are My servant,

Jacob whom I have chosen,

The descendants of Abraham My friend.

9 You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,

And called from its farthest regions,

And said to you,

‘You are My servant,

I have chosen you and have not cast you away:

10 Fear not, for I am with you;

Be not dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you,

Yes, I will help you,

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

11 “Behold, all those who were incensed against you

Shall be ashamed and disgraced;

They shall be as nothing,

And those who strive with you shall perish.

12 You shall seek them and not find them—

[e]Those who contended with you.

Those who war against you

Shall be as nothing,

As a nonexistent thing.

13 For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand,

Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’

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Just to be very clear, I fully support Israel in their war against Hamas.  I believe Israel needs to prosecute this war Old Testament style.  Maybe they should look to the story of King Saul to see what happens when you don't prosecute a war as God instructed.  

Who you gonna follow, "Spiritual Leaders" or Scripture?

As many of you know, one of my Bible study principals is that I look for confirmation of my beliefs in both the Old and the New Testament.  

I ran across one in Isaiah today regarding the raising of the dead.  It is a great example, to me at least, of how even "Spiritual leaders" sometimes ignore the plain meaning of Scripture.  In this case I am referring to the Sadducees.  Feel free to draw your own conclusions as to whether there are "Spiritual Leaders" today who seem to be like the Sadducees.

Back in Jesus time the two main groups were the Sadducees and the Pharisees.  To refresh your memories, Paul was a Pharisee.  The ruling body, the Sanhedrin, was usually dominated and led by the Sadducees.  

Here is the main difference in their beliefs:

"Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the dead and an afterlife. The Sadducees did not believe in either of these. The Pharisees believed in a realm of spirit and angels. The Sadducees did not."

Let's see what the OT says about that.  

Isaiah 26:19  

Your dead shall live; Together with [k]my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead.

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I don't know about you but it seems pretty clear to me.  Scripture says that the dead shall rise.  

Isaiah lived about 700 years before Jesus and was acknowledged as a prophet.  His prophecies were known and referred to.  The Sadducees of Jesus day knew this yet refused to believe in a resurrection and a raising of the dead.  

So when your "Spiritual leaders" today are advocating things that are clearly unscriptural I hope you realize just how important it is to know your Bible.  Because when push comes to shove, who you gonna follow, the "leader" or Scripture??? 

One of my foundational verses!

 It's always nice to come around to one of my foundational verses again.  I think this is God's success plan wrapped up in two verses.  

Romans 5:3-5 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces [b]perseverance; 4 and perseverance, [c]character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

I have written about this before.  I believe the key that gets everything started is taking "glory in our tribulations".  

What does that mean exactly?  It means smiling in the face of adversity.  It means enjoying the journey that God is leading you on.

Why is it the key?  Because it is an outward manifestation if our inner faith that God has us covered!

Are faith in self and faith in God mutually exclusive?

 To me one of the stark differences between the Old Testament and the New Testament is difference in the interaction with God.   

 
What I mean by that is in the OT it is very much about fear and quaking in your boots.  In the NT it is more about building a relationship with God.   
 
That is why I love what Job says in the passage.   

 

Job 13:15  Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.  Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.  

 

In this passage Job is referring to God.  Job has enough faith in God's sense of justice that instead of groveling in fear, Job is saying I'm willing to stand face to face with God and let him decide.  I don't believe I did anything wrong and I am going to defend myself directly to God!  I'm willing to accept God's decision either way. 
 
Wow!  That is some pretty strong faith....in two things.  Faith in self and faith in God. 

 

Wait a minute, aren't those to mutually exclusive? 
 
I don't believe they are.  We are told we are made in the image of God.  Does God seem to be lacking faith in Himself?  Doesn't seem that way to me. 

 

Therefore I would contend that God would expect us to have great faith in ourselves and to exercise that faith in self in God's service.   

 

Here is the caveat.  As long as we keep our faith subservient to God's faith.  Does that make sense?   

How Do You Know?

 How do you know when God is speaking directly to you?  Have you ever experienced it?   

The reason I ask is that I was reading Job 4 this morning.  Job's friend Eliphaz had a dream or a vision.  Here, let him describe it.   
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Job 4:12-17  12 “Now a word was secretly brought to me, 
And my ear received a whisper of it. 
13 In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night, 
When deep sleep falls on men, 
14 Fear came upon me, and trembling, 
Which made all my bones shake. 
15 Then a spirit passed before my face; 
The hair on my body stood up. 
16 It stood still, 
But I could not discern its appearance. 
A form was before my eyes; 
There was silence; 
Then I heard a voice saying: 
17 ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God? 
Can a man be more pure than his Maker?  

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That passage could be interpreted a couple of ways.   
 
Some might say it was God speaking to him in his dream.  Others such as myself might see that as Satan whispering in his ear, casting doubt and descension.     
 
Here are two things from this passage that make me think it was Satan.   
 
Eliphaz describes it as an undiscernible form.  I look to the story of Moses for this answer.  When God spoke to Moses on the mountain God covered his face so Moses couldn't see it but God did have shape and form and Moses had no question that is was God speaking to him. 
 
Secondly I would say the same exact thing.  When God has spoken to me there has never been any doubt that it was God.   
 
Make sense?