tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12510699416048615222024-03-05T16:16:52.178-06:00Through the Lens of StagsJust another way to view the worldUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1251069941604861522.post-41502774386570167432017-05-27T09:56:00.001-05:002017-05-27T09:56:46.511-05:00Stone 52 - RevelationSo here we are at the final post in this series of stones: Revelation. It has been a journey that has taken a bit longer to take than expected but well worth the trip. So let's lay out some thoughts on this book.<br />
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The book of Revelation seems to have a particular reputation for being the book that describes the end of the world and how it will happen. Many have tried to interpret and connect the imagery in the book to something in modern day times. I appreciate the video for Revelation for pointing out that this book is not some sort of code to be broken and pointing us back to the original context in which it was written.<br />
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That being said, do not expect me to try and reveal the secrets of this book. Just my thoughts about it.<br />
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The beginning of the book is structured like many of the letters that we have already read. The author identifies themselves and to whom they are writing. In this case, John is writing to seven churches in the province of Asia (Rev 1:4). To me, this means that there is a great deal of information here that might be more clear to the audience than it is to us today.<br />
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Verse 19 states that the Lord spoke to John and told him to write what he has seen, what is, and what will take place after this. I think this is an important verse to consider. I think it says something about the structure of the text to follow. Perhaps it hints that the text will point to events of the past, events that are currently happening, and events that are yet to take place.<br />
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What comes next are the letters to the seven churches.<br />
<ol>
<li>Ephesus</li>
<li>Smyrna</li>
<li>Pergamum</li>
<li>Thyatira</li>
<li>Sardis</li>
<li>Philadelphia</li>
<li>Laodicea</li>
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The churches each have a different message that applies to them specifically but we can certainly learn from what was spoken to them. I found it interesting that for five of the seven churches it was written, "I know your works." To the remaining two it was written, "I know your tribulation and poverty, yet you are rich.", and "I know where you live-where Satan's throne is!" For all seven churches there is a statement of what the "victor" can expect.<br />
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At this point we find the first of three major things that seem to be constantly debated from Revelation: The Scroll. The sealed scroll comes out and it is clear that information within it is hidden to us since no one can open it (Rev 5:3).<br />
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But Wait! Along comes one that can open it! It is the slaughtered lamb (Rev 5:5-6). The lamb is Jesus. Verse 9 is an example of an event that has already taken place. The time of the opening of the seals, however, is debated.<br />
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*I do not intend to enter that debate.<br />
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Chapter 7 talks about the 144,000 of Israel who are sealed. It seems to flow that they are sealed up prior to the opening of the seventh seal in chapter eight which ushers in the seven trumpets and a great deal of destruction and devastation.<br />
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The first six trumpets are mentioned right away, followed by a short break similar to chapter seven. During this break there is another scroll that comes out and John is asked to eat it. This seems odd but we have seen this before (Ezek 3:1-3). Ezekiel was asked to eat a scroll as well and it was sweet like honey as well. Just as Ezekiel was asked to go and prohesy after eating the scroll, so was John. (Rev 10:10-11). We also read that John's stomach became bitter. The bittersweet experience known as ministry...<br />
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Later, after a description of two witnesses, which seems to illustrate the work of Jesus on the cross with a death and resurrection, we have the seventh trumpet going off which seems to signify the Day of the Lord.<br />
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Then there is a description of a woman, child, and dragon that seem to mirror the account of Genesis followed by some more descriptions of the "Beast".<br />
*I have often heard various theories about what the horns on the beast represent. Many have tried to associate the horns with different countries or perhaps specific ones that have a role in the "End of Days".<br />
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I resonate, however, best with the idea that every country seems to become a Babylon in its own way where the idols of sex, money, self, and pride infect the population. This is also where we read about the mark of the beast being 666. Again, many theories have developed around this to the point of trying to identify the beast using a plethora of code deciphering techniques. Many have also tried to identify the mark itself. One such theory is the use of RFID tags being placed just under the surface of the skin and used as a way to track medical history etc.<br />
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Pursue God. Know Him.<br />
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Then come the bowls which appear to share a description of the plagues of Exodus with the trumpets. In the end, the same is seen - the Day of the Lord - the destruction of Babylon, or at least the modern day equivalent.<br />
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On one hand, I admit that I fear America is one of the Babylons - on the other, I dismiss that fear in knowing that I am on the side of Christ.<br />
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I hope that at least one of these posts was helpful in some way for someone. Please take a moment to view the two videos on the book of Revelation from our friends at the <a href="https://thebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Bible Project</a>.<br />
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Thanks for joining me.<br />
Have an awesome day!<br />
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In Christ, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1251069941604861522.post-5886068747643681172017-05-20T08:01:00.000-05:002017-05-20T08:01:16.789-05:00Stone 51 - JudeIn this post we will go over the book of Jude which is another really short book with only 25 verses. Nonetheless, the book contains some wisdom that we can learn from.<br />
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Jude begins his letter by indicating that his intent was to write about something else but instead found it more important to write about contending for the faith (v3).<br />
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Jude reminds his readers about some examples where the end result is destruction. He reminds of the deliverance from Egypt and the death of those who did not believe, the fate of the angels who decided to desert their positions, and the punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah as well as others for their perversions (v5-7).<br />
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Verse 10 says, "But these people blaspheme anything they don't understand, and what they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals-they destroy themselves with these things."<br />
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**How many times have we witnessed that... someone attacking something they do not understand? The acts of sex, sin, and rebellion - which are things that we all know by instinct are things that will end up destroying us if we do not learn how to deal with them. We will share the fates of those examples that Jude gives us in verses 5-7.<br />
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Jude desires to warn the reader of these people and continues to describe them as dangerous people and using some vivid imagery to do so (v12-13).<br />
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Verse 16 also shines some light on the hearts of those people as self-centered and goes on to remind us that it has been said that there will be scoffers who walk around according to their own desires (v17-18).<br />
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Jude tells the reader to keep in the love of God (v21).<br />
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So - beware the natural instincts, do not be quick to dismiss and ridicule that which you do not understand, and remain true to the unfailing love that is God.<br />
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Please enjoy the video about Jude from our friends at the <a href="https://thebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Bible Project</a>.<br />
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Until next time,<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1251069941604861522.post-22447468140588495292017-05-13T08:48:00.000-05:002017-05-13T08:48:16.120-05:00Stone 50 - 1 John, 2 John, and 3 JohnIn this post we will be putting the books of 1, 2, and 3 John together for what I think is an obvious reason.<br />
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<b>1 John</b><br />
My initial thoughts in reading 1John is that we have an appeal to firsthand experience. Right away, the author speaks of "what we have heard, seen with our eyes, observed, and touched with our hands (1John 1:1). This is shared so that we might also have fellowship with God and Jesus (1 John 1:3).<br />
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This fellowship with God means walking in the light (1John 1:7). I see this as having multiple points.<br />
**I think of it in this way - To walk in the light is to be seen as opposed to walking in the dark where we can easily hide and not be seen. As Christians, we ought to be visible. As another point, God is light. We need to bask in it. Grow.<br />
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John makes many statements about saying one thing and doing another (1:6, 2:4, 2:9, 4:20) and also provides examples of those who are in Him and those who are not.<br />
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John gives a piece of advice that is perhaps more difficult than it may sound at first. Do not love the world or the things that belong to the world.<br />
**What a challenge! I admit that I am frustrated by the world but there are plenty of things that I enjoy. But wait, God created the world and the people who inhabit it. Am I not to love them and His creation? Hmm... so of the "world" must have another meaning as it is used here. Perhaps even love has a different meaning in this context. Perhaps I ought not to worship the things that are born of this world - man-made stuff. That seems to fit more logically.<br />
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Much of what I take away from this book is that words are empty. Consider 3:18 where John says we must not love in word or speech but in deed and truth. Clearly this applies to Jesus as well. We should do more than simply give lip service to Him but to live out the commands of Jesus. The lifestyle apologetic.<br />
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We are called to beware of the false teachers and to test everything - we saw this in Paul's letter to the Thessalonians as well (1Thess 5:21).<br />
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In the end, a bold statement (1John 5:12) - "The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn't have the Son of God does not have life."<br />
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**Do you have the Son of God? The most important decision you will ever make.<br />
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<b>2 John</b><br />
This very brief (13 verses) letter shares a warning not to beware of false teachers who do not remain in the teaching about Christ (v9).<br />
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<b>3 John</b><br />
This letter is also very brief (14 verses). John sends a warning to Gaius about Diotrophes and praises him for his helpful aid to those who have come as an encouragement to continue doing so.<br />
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Please enjoy the excellent video about these three books from our friends over at the <a href="https://thebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Bible Project</a>.<br />
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Until next time,<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1251069941604861522.post-15107053405929528592017-04-29T09:11:00.004-05:002017-04-29T09:13:35.285-05:00Stone 49 - 1 Peter and 2 PeterIn this post we will take a quick look at two letters from Peter.<br />
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<b>1 Peter</b><br />
Peter reminds the reader that they a part of something huge - a living hope and an inheritance that is imperishable (1Pet 1:3). We are encouraged to hang on to this future hope despite the persecution that we might suffer.<br />
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In addition we are called to live holy lives (1Pet 1:14-15).<br />
We are called to run from our worldly ways (1Pet 2:1, 2:11, 4:2) and to submit ourselves to authority (1Pet 2:13).<br />
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**I think it is worth noting that we are not to submit with blind ignorance nor are we to engage in activities perhaps mandated by human law which would violate God's Law.<br />
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In essence, we are to be good examples living in the world for others to follow. Of course, what I find interesting is the fact that a good example by God's standard would be thought of as a bad example by a non-believer. That should not dissuade us though. (1Pet 2:19)<br />
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So we are called to submit to government (2:13-14), slaves to their masters (2:18), and wives to their husbands (3:1).<br />
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**Before we get all up in arms over this - submission does not mean inequality nor does it hint at lesser worth. God ordained the institution of marriage but not slavery - Humans came up with that one. God's word addresses the issue but does not endorse it.<br />
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1 Peter 3:15 tells us to always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks for a reason for the hope that is in us. This is a favorite verse of mine.<br />
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We are to model God's grace and love (1Pet 4:10). So much easier said than done, right? If I could but muster what I consider a fraction of that...<br />
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<b>2 Peter </b><br />
Peter writes that we should make every effort to supplement our faith with goodness, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, brotherly affection, and love (2Pet 1:5-7).<br />
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Peter states that they were eyewitnesses to the declaration from God that Jesus was his beloved Son (2Pet 1:16-17). He also makes clear that prophecy does not come from man but from God (2Pet 1:21).<br />
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We must be wary, however, since there are false teachers among us who will distort the truth (2Pet 2:1, 3:16-17).<br />
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Continually pray, my friends, that God will reveal to you the false teachings. That you would be aware and not tricked by them. May he open our eyes to the truth and thereby protect us from the lies of this world.<br />
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Please enjoy the videos about 1 and 2 Peter from our friends at the <a href="https://thebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Bible Project</a>.<br />
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I really like the statement about love at 1:28-1:35 in the video of 2 Peter.<br />
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Love is... "devoting oneself to the well-being of others, no matter their response or the cost."<br />
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Here is my reminder of how I think we get there. Not easy. Still working on it. <br />
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Until next time,<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1251069941604861522.post-12143271292658966872017-04-22T09:04:00.000-05:002017-04-22T09:04:19.391-05:00Stone 48 - Hebrews and JamesIn this post we will take a brief look at Hebrews and James in which there is quite a bit going on.<br />
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<b>Hebrews</b><br />
The book begins by placing Jesus on a pretty big pedestal. A well deserved one, however. Jesus rightfully belongs in a position superior to all else.<br />
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Interestingly, the text specifically states that he was higher in rank than the angels (Heb 1:4). My understanding here is that a comparison is being made with old and new methods of communication. Where communication once took place through angels, Jesus came to communicate and is better (Heb 1:1-2).<br />
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The takeaway is that the angels brought an extremely important message and therefore we ought to pay even more attention to the message that Jesus brought (Heb 2:1-3).<br />
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Hebrews then goes on to make a comparison with Moses and how he was faithful (Heb 3:2). As you recall, Moses helped to lead the Israelites out of Egypt into the promised land. Jesus has come to lead us into a new creation and how much better that is than the promised land! We ought to then take heed and remain faithful, not rebelling, and missing out as the rebellious Israelites did.<br />
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Next we have a comparison of Jesus to the priests of old. Jesus is our high priest. Just as the old priests made sacrifices on behalf of the people, Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of all of us and is a superior priest (Heb 7:27).<br />
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Then we read about the old covenant and the new covenant as well as the superior sacrifice that was made - the new covenant established in blood (Heb 10:9-12). Jesus - the better messenger, guide, priest, and sacrifice - establishing a better covenant, we ought to listen and follow Jesus! The many warnings found in this book are valid and wise.<br />
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**As I watched the video (see below) and read through the text, it made me think about it all in a different light. So often, as I have read through the Bible, I miss that bigger picture. Each book points to Jesus or shows evidence of the "fingerprints" of God in some way. It was so good to see it this way.<br />
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How often as I reflect on my own life do I find parallels! How difficult it is to let go of the old and cling to the new! How challenging it is to break old habits. How powerful the lure of the flesh! I am a broken, tired, and selfish man in need of a savior!<br />
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<b>James</b><br />
This short book starts out by telling us to essentially be grateful for the trials that we endure (James 1:2, 12). We are then given counsel on not treating others differently based on their status or wealth (James 2:1). James then reminds us that faith without works is dead (James 2:17, 26).<br />
**I think it is important to reiterate that it is not our works that save us. There is not a checklist of things that one must accomplish in order to be saved. We need only to have Jesus. The point here is that if we truly have Jesus in our lives that works should be a natural outpouring of that faith. Without the action - our belief is merely a set of empty words.<br />
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James then talks about controlling our mouths. We should not praise God and curse men with our mouths (James 3:9-10). Such a small part of out bodies but whoa, how it can guide us to trouble (James 3:6, 8)!<br />
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**Over the years, I have always thought of "taming the tongue" when I think of the book of James. Seems like this is always the topic when there is a sermon from James.<br />
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Oh, but James has much more to say! He really hits us hard with the comments in chapter four! We are called to submit to God and resist the Devil (James 4:7-8). By drawing near to God, He will draw near to us. We ought to operate based upon His will and not our own (James 4:15-16).<br />
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James reminds us that our wealth and material possessions are nothing and yet we cling to it (James 5:2-3). Instead, we ought to remain patient (5:7), truthful (5:12), and devoted to prayer and praise (5:13).<br />
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**If you are looking for a little conviction, James is the book to read.<br />
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In the meantime, please enjoy the videos about Hebrews and James from our friends over at the <a href="https://thebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Bible Project</a>!<br />
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Until next time,Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1251069941604861522.post-54449607957381783632017-04-08T08:52:00.000-05:002017-04-08T08:52:30.618-05:00Stone 47 - Titus and PhilemonIn this post we will take a brief look at the books of Titus and Philemon. These were actually letters that Paul had written to them. Let's find out what he had to say.<br />
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<b>Titus</b><br />
In his greeting to Titus, Paul mentions God and adds, "...who cannot lie..." (Titus 1:2).<br />
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**As a side note, I had also read that this part comes from the Greek word apseudes meaning incapable of falsehood. I then thought of the parts of that word which are recognizable in the English language such as pseudonym which refers to a false name. Think of pseudo-anything and it implies that the anything portion is not genuine. Then I thought of the prefix a- as in agnathan which refer to fish that do not have a jaw or amoral referring to a person without morals. Putting these two together - a/pseudo - we can infer "without false". So this Greek word apseudes makes sense when looked at that way.<br />
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God does not deceive - and he is trustworthy - we can be assured of the eternal life that He promises to us.<br />
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Paul writes to Titus that he is to appoint elders in every town (Titus 1:5). The characteristics, as I understand it, describe the opposite of the prevailing majority in Crete at the time. He also mentions the Judaizers who insist that new believers be circumcised and follow Jewish traditions from the Old Testament. He calls on Titus to set them straight. Titus 1:16 is Paul basically saying that their actions speak louder than their words.<br />
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Moving into chapter two, Paul shares with Titus about sound teaching and talks about how people should behave.<br />
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This seems to tie into the meat of chapter three and doing good works. It is worth noting that while the subject of good works comes up often, we are not to attempt to gain entrance into the presence of God through them. It is through Jesus that we will make our way to the Father. That being said - as a result of having Jesus as a part of our lives, good works ought to be a natural outpouring of that.<br />
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<b>Philemon</b><br />
So Philemon is a rich guy who has a church that meets in his house (v2). He has a slave by the name of Onesimus. Turns out that Onesimus runs off for some reason and eventually runs into Paul and becomes a Christian.<br />
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As I understand it, Roman law at the time would allow for the death of Onesimus as punishment for running off. As such, I can imagine that Onesimus was likely afraid to go back.<br />
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Paul writes this letter to Philemon as a request to accept his slave back - not as a slave but as a dearly loved brother (v16). Paul cashes in a few chips as well by saying that he will cover for Onesimus but that Philemon owes him one as well (vv18-19).<br />
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**Slavery comes up often in the Bible. That does not mean that God or the Bible endorse the institution. The Bible records history. In this letter to Philemon, Paul encourages a proper Christian response to Onesimus.<br />
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Slavery in those times was not necessarily like the oppressive negative stigma that we place upon it today. If you owed money and could not pay it back - you might become a slave. The law was also that you were to be released after seven years. Those who had kind masters could choose to remain a slave in lieu of going back on their own and falling into poverty or trouble. In a similar way we could think of our own employment as being slaves to our employers. We are willing workers and those for whom we work can be both good and bad. Paul encourages a proper relationship between master and slave, employer and employee.<br />
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Please enjoy the videos on Titus and Philemon from our friends at the <a href="https://thebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Bible Project</a><br />
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Until next time,<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1251069941604861522.post-82665046560372080452017-03-25T13:08:00.000-05:002017-03-25T13:08:05.466-05:00Stone 46 - 1 Timothy and 2 TimothyIn this post we will take a look at the two letters to Timothy.<br />
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<b>1 Timothy</b><br />
Paul writes his first letter to Timothy and calls him to work in Ephesus since there is some strange teaching going on there (1Tim 1:3).<br />
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**Clearly this is something, then, that has gone on for centuries! Nothing new here. We must be vigilant even to this day about false teachings and misuse of the gospel.<br />
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This was Timothy's charge. To correct the bad teaching going on in Ephesus.<br />
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**As with other portions of the Bible - we must keep the writing in context to determine the true meaning. Paul was not writing to us. He was writing a letter to Timothy and it had specific instruction for him. It referred to things going on in a specific place - things that Timothy no doubt experienced first hand while he was there. Because of this - we must strive to understand what was happening there at that time and how the words Paul wrote should be interpreted based upon that. Then we might come to an understanding of how these words might also be useful for us today.<br />
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One of the takeaways from 1 Timothy might be from Paul's reference to himself (1Tim 1:12-17). Paul notes his past in verse 13 as an arrogant, blaspheming, persecutor of the gospel and that despite these awful attributes, he was shown mercy anyway.<br />
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In verse 15, Paul states that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. By substitution, that means everyone as we are all guilty of sin.<br />
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Paul urges Timothy to be an intercessor for the people there through prayer. Paul states that it is good and pleases God (1Tim 2:3). This would hold true today. It continues to please God when we pray on behalf of others for their well-being.<br />
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Paul then makes some statements in his letter to Timothy that many people might struggle with.<br />
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Now, I do not proclaim to know every detail or have every answer but I will suggest to you that perhaps what we read is not as it may appear when we take the words from their original context.<br />
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Here is a great resource called <a href="https://www.str.org/articles/never-read-a-bible-verse#.WNaxZzvyuHs" target="_blank">Never Read A Bible Verse</a>.<br />
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Consider 1Tim 2:9-10. If these are the only verses we read, one particular meaning seems to stand out. Is this really a commandment from Paul to all women of today? No. It is a letter to Timothy about what was going on in Ephesus. Is it possible that the women in Ephesus were dressing provocatively or perhaps that more wealthy women were "outdressing" the poor women?<br />
Remember - something was amiss in Ephesus - that is why Timothy was there - to correct it all.<br />
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Does that mean we cannot take something from this in today's time? No. I do not see anything inherently wrong with the statement about dressing modestly and with good sense. Verse 10 seems to make it clear that DOING good is more important than DRESSING good - as it were.<br />
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I think we can apply the same thinking to the verses about the role of women. Something was happening in Ephesus - something messed up enough that Paul sent Timothy to go and fix it. Ephesus was already known for distorting scripture and false doctrine. Could this have been what the women were up to? Is it possible that the correction was specific to the Ephesian women? I do think it is possible to have equality of all persons who are created in the image of God while maintaining different roles.<br />
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Paul then speaks about the qualifications of the elders. The idea is that they are to be good examples of Christ followers. As leaders of God's household, they should first be recognized as good leaders of their personal household. That seems fair to me.<br />
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The enemy is eager to distort the truth and lure God's children down the wrong path.<br />
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Paul has advice for dealing with widows, other elderly, and slaves as well since it matters how the church deals with them or doesn't.<br />
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In 1Tim 6:10 Paul writes that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. I mention this since it is a pretty familiar saying. Unfortunately, I often hear it as simply "Money is the root of all evil." Notice the subtle but very significant difference in meaning...<br />
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Not -money- but the <b>-love of money-</b> and not -all evil- but <b>-all kinds of evil-</b> Notice how the original refers to an attitude towards an object rather than the object itself. Money in and of itself is not evil and much good can actually come from it when used wisely and in accordance with God' plan. Not to mention that lots of evil comes from many other sources so money cannot be the root of it all. This is just one example of how easily things can be distorted to mean something different.<br />
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<b>2 Timothy</b><br />
Paul writes again to Timothy and encourages him not to be ashamed. Again, looking at the context of what is going on...<br />
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Paul wants Timothy to come and visit him but he is in prison. As such, there is a negative connection in the eyes of the people in many cases when it comes to Paul. Associating with him could look bad for Timothy as well. So in essence, part of this is a plea to Timothy to come anyway and not be ashamed of him for being in prison since he is there because of his work for Christ. This is important for us too. We also should not be ashamed to be associated with Christ even though we may be persecuted as a result. Ultimately we are saved through Christ and should not abandon that.<br />
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Paul urges Timothy to remain strong and faithful and to share in the suffering as Christ suffered. The expectation is no different than a soldier, athlete, or farmer who strives for excellence (2Tim 2:1-7). The message is to run away from fleshly desires and to strive to be holy and special, set apart for God's work (2Tim 2:20-21). This does not come without a cost, however. Living a Christian life is not a simple one. The enemy lurks around every corner waiting to devour us (1Pet 5:8-10).<br />
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**So let us be strong in the scripture! Test everything against the Word and hold onto what is good (1Thess 5:21). The Word is good and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness (2Tim 3:16-17). This is why we must take up the full armor of God (Eph 6:13), to resist evil! We must be prepared.<br />
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**1Tim 4:3 - "For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will accumulate teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new."<br />
This is in effect now. People around the world are trying to craft their own truth and it is harmful to them and those around them.<br />
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Go forth and be strong!<br />
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Please enjoy the videos about 1 and 2 Timothy from our friends at the <a href="https://thebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Bible Project</a><br />
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Until next time,Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1251069941604861522.post-24700027366977331072017-03-11T09:37:00.000-06:002017-03-11T09:37:17.931-06:00Stone 45 - 1 Thessalonians and 2 ThessaloniansIn this post we will take a quick peek at 1 and 2 Thessalonians. These two relatively short books are actually two letters written by Paul to the church at Thessalonica.<br />
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<b>1 Thessalonians</b><br />
After a short introduction, Paul begins to recall the time when he was there with them. He states that their exhortation did not come from error, impurity, or an intent to deceive and that they were not there to please men but God (1Thess 2:3-4). It was also very clear that they had developed some very positive and close relationships (1 Thess 2:7-8). Paul makes an appeal to their conduct when they were there. He even tells them that they were going to suffer some persecution and that he wanted to find out about them because he was worried about whether or not their faith has held up (1Thess 3:4-5).<br />
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Paul then encourages them to remain sexually pure and to not worry about those who have died. Those who have died will also be with the Lord. Paul comforts them in regards to the Day of the Lord reminding them that Christians are 'of the day'.<br />
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One of my favorite verses is 1Thess 5:21 - but test all things. Hold on to what is good.<br />
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**This always brings me back to defining that which is good. How do you make that determination? What criteria do you use to decide if something is good or not? Is it a selfish or pragmatic examination? Is it one that simply says if it doesn't hurt someone it is not bad and therefore good? Something else? Jesus says that no one is good but One - God (Luke 18:19, Mark 10:18). What makes us think that we are good at all? We are all sinners in need of saving. I realize that is difficult to swallow. I believe it is difficult because we are all guilty of associating good with being nice to others, not getting into trouble with the law, and avoiding culturally set standards of morality. However, it is God that sets the moral standard and I know I, for one, fall miserably short of meeting it.<br />
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Test all things... Hold onto what is good. Compare to the standard.<br />
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Please enjoy the video from our friends at the <a href="https://thebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Bible Project</a> on 1 Thessalonians.<br />
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<b>2 Thessalonians</b><br />
In this second letter, Paul addresses some concerns that are still affecting the folks in Thessalonica. The first of which is the severe persecution that continues to plague the people. The concern here is that the persecution would drive the people away from Christ as a way to escape the persecution.<br />
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Don't give in, friends! There are some today that would walk away from Christ due to simple scare tactics or just common ridicule. This pales in comparison to the violence that the Thessalonians endured in the first century.<br />
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The second is about the second coming of Christ. The people are worried that they might have missed it. No, says Paul. It is gonna be way more obvious than that. We must first experience the revelation of the 'Man of Lawlessness'. This person is described as one who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship publicizing that he himself is God (2Thess 2:4).<br />
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The third is to work as to not be a burden to others. We ought to work hard, (3:8), and provide for ourselves (3:10, 12).<br />
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Again, please enjoy the wonderful videos that the <a href="https://thebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Bible Project</a> has provided.<br />
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**Do not grow weary in doing good (2Thess 3:13)!<br />
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Until next time,Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1251069941604861522.post-1436976888945735152017-03-04T09:10:00.000-06:002017-03-04T09:12:34.726-06:00Stone 44 - ColossiansIn this post we will take a look at Colossians, the letter which Paul wrote to the church at Colossae.<br />
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Paul wrote a lot of letters to different groups of people for a number of different reasons. In this case we have the church at Colossae which had been started by Epaphrus (Col 1:7) - my understanding is that Epaphrus sought out Paul for help because he was not sure how to deal with the Colossians and the struggles they were facing there.<br />
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Paul reminds the Colossians that they were once apart from God because of their evil actions but the work of Jesus on the cross cleared that up (Col 1:21-22).<br />
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As I read verse 27, "...which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." I was reminded of the song '<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOY-eHUsHdM" target="_blank">Everything</a>'.<br />
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Paul addresses the false teachings to which Colossae has been exposed. He does this through a warning not to be deceived by persuasive arguments, human tradition, and forces of the world (Col 2:4, 8).<br />
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*Indeed the world is ripe with false teachings and it is extremely difficult at times to parse out the truth. Paul brings it all back to Christ - Everything - it is in Him that we live, move, and have our being (Acts 17:28). Therefore, bring it all back to Him and test for that which is good.<br />
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Paul reminds them that they no longer belong to the world (Col 2:20) - or really questions why they still behave as if they did. Our focus should be on Him. Paul tells them to put to death all that which is worldly (Col 3:5).<br />
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*A tall order, no doubt. Even today our culture struggles with the compartmentalization of our people - labeling. Col 3:11 puts an end to that. We are one body in Christ. We are to accept and forgive one another just as Christ forgave us (Col 3:13).<br />
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Some good words at the end of this short letter.<br />
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Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should answer each person." (Col 4:6)</blockquote>
Easier said than done, right? Remember to keep Christ in everything and this becomes easier. He will be a natural outpouring when He permeates all you do.<br />
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Please enjoy this video about Colossians from our friends at the <a href="https://thebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Bible Project</a>.<br />
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Until next time,Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1251069941604861522.post-3237254264570263442017-02-25T10:30:00.002-06:002017-02-25T10:30:09.784-06:00Stone 43 - Ephesians and PhilippiansToday we will take a look at two books which were both letters that Paul wrote to the churches in that area: Ephesians and Philippians. Let's start with the letter to the church at Ephesus.<br />
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<b>Ephesians</b><br />
Paul begins the letter by pretty much laying out the gospel. As I read Eph 1:8 I was reminded of a song that I enjoy called "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tvN2xR-gxA" target="_blank">Hello My Name Is</a>" by Matthew West. The connection was simply due to the word 'lavished'.<br />
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...that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding"</blockquote>
In the song, Matthew sings, "What love, the father has lavished, upon us, that we should be called his children."<br />
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Isn't it amazing?! The gospel story...! So much love that He would give His one and only perfect Son in an effort to reclaim sinners like us. What love the father has lavished upon us! To top it off, as 1:8 states, it was done with all wisdom and understanding! God knew what He was doing!<br />
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The word lavish is defined as bestowing something in generous or extravagant quantities. So much undeserved love He has lavished upon us that we might not perish but would have everlasting life. As with any gift, however, it must be accepted. It must be opened.<br />
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Paul reminds the Ephesians about this amazing gift.<br />
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In verse 18 Paul prays that the eyes of our hearts might be enlightened which made me think of another song called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vnqb7Vn4AEE" target="_blank">Open the Eyes of My Heart</a>. Many people have sung this song but the one I remember and am fond of is the version by Michael W. Smith.<br />
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I also pray that our hearts might open up to the message of the gospel. I just think of sitting in a hot tub and imagine the warmth of the water surrounding me. In the same way, I desire that all of us might enjoy the warmth of God's love filling our hearts to overflowing. Lavish.<br />
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Chapter Two observes that we were dead in our flesh - children under wrath - and that we were made alive in Christ because of His great love for us (Eph 2:3-5). Lavish.<br />
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However, although we were once gentiles of the flesh (Eph 2:11), we now, through Him (Jesus *1*), have access by one Spirit (*2*) to the Father (*3*) - (Eph 2:18)<br />
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We are now called to live new lives in Christ according to the gifts we have been given to build up the church (Eph 4:11-12). We are to no longer walk as the gentiles walk (Eph 4:17). Lord, help us to walk in the light as Paul encourages (Eph 5:8-10).<br />
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**It is sort of funny, I think, that Ephesians 5:19 talks about music and I have multiple songs that I have thought about while reading this.<br />
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Paul then makes a comparison with Christ and the church to husbands and wives. Just as Christ gave His life for the church, husbands ought to give their lives to their wives in an effort to build her up. Wives ought to willingly allow their husbands to guide them they they may fulfill that responsibility.<br />
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**I know that I am in need of improvement in that area. Ironically, the battle against the flesh is a difficult, spiritual one (Eph 6:12). My flesh is a selfish sort. Each of us have our tendency towards sin. Mine is in the area of selfishness. While at times, I feel as though "progress" has been made - whatever that is - I know that really just fall flat on my face in this area. Paul describes the armor of God and admittedly, I have always enjoyed the imagery of this. You know, I am a guy that likes fighting and battle movies so picturing this some sort of futuristic version of Camelot makes me smile. Unfortunately, I feel as though sometimes when I want to suit up and go to war, that my suit doesn't fit right and my shield is too heavy making me look like just a kid in an adult uniform. Then I am crushed. The journey is long and no one ever said it was easy.<br />
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Please enjoy the video on Ephesians from our friends at the <a href="https://thebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Bible Project</a>.<br />
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<b>Philippians</b><br />
More thoughts on music... (Php 1:6) An old song by Steve Green - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcfBRtmZfGs" target="_blank">He Who Began A Good Work In You</a>.<br />
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Have you started developing a relationship with Jesus? Regardless of where you are in that relationship - Jesus began a good work and will be faithful to complete it. Will you be faithful to Him as well?<br />
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Paul writes about how it would be better to die and live with Christ (Php 1:23) but acknowledges that to stick around is better for others (Php 1:24).<br />
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Verse 1:27 calls us to live our lives in a manner that is worthy of the gospel of Christ. That is a pretty tall order. Are we willing to live a life of suffering for the sake of the gospel (Php 1:29)? Will we remain steadfast despite the heat? The power of the flesh is strong.<br />
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In chapter two, Paul writes about Jesus and his death on the cross and encourages us to live like Christ (Php 2:5, 14-15). Paul warns us to beware of those who would mutilate the flesh and to not put any confidence in the flesh (Php 3:2-3).<br />
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The value of Christ is such that all things are filth and their loss is actually gain in comparison (Php 3:8-9).<br />
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It is for this reason that we rejoice! Of course, I could not miss mentioning the song based on Philippians 4:4 - Rejoice in the Lord Always. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzyckxqXoZ4" target="_blank">This one</a> is how I remember it from years ago but I enjoy this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUBZF5_aWFU" target="_blank">newer modernized version</a>.<br />
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One of my favorite verses is Philippians 4:8.<br />
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Finally Brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable - if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise - dwell on these things.</blockquote>
Such a great encouragement, but remember that our battle is a spiritual one and the enemy is more than happy to make you think that morally evil things are good. This is why we must be grounded in scripture - in God's Word. He alone knows all about that which is good.<br />
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Enjoy the Philippians video from our friends at the <a href="https://thebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Bible Project</a>.<br />
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Keep fighting the Good Fight!<br />
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Until next time, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1251069941604861522.post-824546352218790712017-02-18T11:06:00.000-06:002017-02-18T11:06:54.281-06:00Stone 42 - GalatiansThis week we take a look at Paul's letter to the Galatians. Let's find out what he had to say.<br />
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<b>False Gospels</b><br />
Paul starts off quickly by addressing the people on the issue of turning to a different gospel (Gal 1:6). Even subtle differences from the message of Christ can be a false gospel and we must be diligent in our testing against scripture.<br />
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Galatians 1:10 asks, "For am I now trying to win the favor of people, or God?"<br />
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**Such a powerful question! I know I am guilty of trying to please people. If we are honest, I think all of us are at some point. The question for me is where the line is drawn between people and God. What I mean is that it seems reasonable that pleasing God at some point could have the effect of pleasing some people as well. Is it not a heart issue? What is the motivation for pleasing people versus pleasing God? Is it for selfish reasons - for some personal benefit? What if these things collide?<br />
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In Galatians 1:11, Paul writes that the gospel he preaches is not based on a human point of view. Paul shares of his former life when he persecuted the Christians. Paul states rather plainly that his radical change of heart was not a result of hanging out with the Apostles but it was because God set him apart (Gal 1:15-17).<br />
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So, as I understand it, Paul wrote the letter to the Galatians because some Jewish Christians were insisting that the gentile Christians must be circumcised and begin to follow the laws of the Torah. Paul worked hard to debunk that by telling the people that circumcision is not a requirement.<br />
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**I like what is said in chapter two verse six - "...God does not show favoritism." The gospel message is for everyone! Then in verse 16 - "yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ."<br />
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Paul wants them to know that it is not by following the law that one is saved but by following Christ. Paul writes, "...if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing." (Gal 2:27). Wow! It seems clear that Paul recognizes the futility of people trying to follow the law. All of us are hopelessly lost in our sin and inability to follow the law. Now, in Christ, we can have hope.<br />
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Paul asks a great question - "After beginning with the Spirit, are you now going to be made complete by the flesh? Our flesh is not capable of doing what is necessary to gain everlasting life. This is why we are in need of a savior who is capable of making us complete.<br />
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Paul goes on to write that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of failing to live under the law. Jesus took on the curse in our stead that we may be free to live in Him. Paul talks about the law being a guardian until Christ came such that we would no longer be under a guardian but rather justified by faith (Gal 3:24).<br />
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<b>The Pain of Truth</b><br />
As I was reading through Galatians, I took note of Gal 4:16 where Paul asks, "Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?"<br />
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The truth can be quite painful, even when it is delivered with gentleness and respect. This is especially true when the truth speaks contrary to what our flesh wants to corrupt within our hearts. Paul speaks often to the Galatians about circumcision and that it is not a requirement any longer since it was under the law. Rather, we are called to circumcise our hearts (Deut 10:16, Jer 4:4, Rom 2:24-29, HCSB).<br />
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Do you seek the truth? If you do and are serious about it, be prepared for some shocks to the system, as it were, as truth does not care about your feelings. Truth stands independent of what anyone thinks.<br />
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Paul calls out the works of the flesh as obvious (Gal 5:19-21).<br />
Isn't that interesting? These things run rampant in our society and there are many that would label these things as "normal". Do these things not have some sort of inherent dissonance within us? Do we not write off the dissonance for the sake of pleasing people rather than God? Peer pressure is a powerful force. I pray that we are given the strength and wisdom to stand up against those forces when faced with them.<br />
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On the flip side, Paul indicates what the fruits of the Spirit are as well (Gal 5:22-23). I think it is fair to say that these things are universally accepted as good and many would legitimately lay claim to evidence that demonstrates having exhibited any of them.<br />
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Cast away the works of the flesh and tire not of doing good as Paul encourages (Gal 6:9). Boast not of yourselves but of Christ, who makes you a new creation and through who all things are possible (Gal 6:14-15).<br />
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Please enjoy the video on Galatians from our friends at the <a href="https://thebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Bible Project</a>.<br />
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Until next time,Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1251069941604861522.post-88962182311472104442017-02-11T10:15:00.000-06:002017-02-11T10:15:25.764-06:00Stone 41 - 2 CorinthiansIn this post we take a look at some random thoughts I had after spending time in the book of 2 Corinthians.<br />
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I found this to be a somewhat challenging piece to work through. Partially this was due to my inability to fully grasp the context of what was going on. I found myself reading and re-reading this book multiple times over along with utilizing some other resources.<br />
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I found it helpful to take a look at the video for 2 Corinthians and to try and see if I could find how some of the statements had been arrived at.<br />
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In the video, the writers point to chapter 2b and declare that true Christian leadership is not about status. What I found was 2Cor 2:17 which states "For we are not like the many who make a trade in God's message for profit, but as those with sincerity, we speak in Christ, as from God and before God."<br />
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**Just sit and ponder that for a moment. How often have you heard or even thought for yourself the disgust surrounding televangelist scams? I will not go so far as to claim that I know the motives of those folks but nonetheless, I admit that I also have some skepticism on that.<br />
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...we are not like the many who make a trade in God's message for profit...</blockquote>
Even at this early stage it appears as though there were those individuals who would seek to line their pockets with gold.<br />
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**Consider our own culture... who are the ones most often lifted on a pedestal and dare I say "idolized"? Is it not the wealthy ones? Rock stars, movie stars, professional athletes, etc. or is it simply those professions which have the breadth of reach which we pay excessive amounts of money? Is it envy of the wealth and success that they have which is the source of that idolization? Interesting thoughts, but Paul declares that they are not like that - they "speak in Christ, as from God and before God."<br />
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This stood out to me as possibly having a dual meaning. One to simply declare that they were sent from God and therefore before God in terms of recognizing that their actions will be reviewed by God. Two is the flip side of that in implying that those who are seeking to profit from the message are neither from God nor do they recognize that their actions shall also be under scrutiny.<br />
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What I have been reading is that Paul, since he did not fit the wealthy, successful profile, was viewed as less credible than those who did. (Why is that?)<br />
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Then in chapter three, we read about Paul addressing the idea of letters of recommendation and/or statements of credentials. As Paul does, so do I find this to be absurd. It seems to me to be somewhat akin to me getting a job and being successful at it for several years and then being asked to provide a list of my qualifications to do the job. Should not the work performed already be evidence enough of my skills and experience? So it seems an odd request that Paul should provide this to the people he helped to bring to a saving knowledge of Christ.<br />
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**I have often said that the degrees do not have the value that our culture places on them. Consider the high school graduate with eight years of experience working as a successful technician and a man with eight years of schooling and a Master's degree in the same field? I find these to be two very different profiles but while I understand the effort that goes into obtaining a Master's degree, I feel it pales in comparison to the effort of actually doing the work.<br />
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One of my favorite passages comes in Chapter 5, Verse 20.<br />
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Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ; certain that God is appealing through us, we plead on Christ's behalf; "Be reconciled to God."</blockquote>
In the next couple chapters, Paul moves on to talk about the aspect of giving. I have often heard others sort of complain about the giving, (or lack thereof), habits of other people. I usually hear this in judgment of defending a position but not giving financially to the cause. All this as if to say that your argument means nothing unless you put your money where your mouth is. Of course, as finite beings with finite resources, one can only give so much. (And... since when did the amount of money spent or given become a reliable way of determining the truth?) I struggle with this as a person who does not have a great deal of money to share while limping along from check to check. We do try to help as both opportunities arise and as God leads us to participate.I enjoyed reading 2Cor 8:13 in light of that which says, "It is not that there may be relief for others and hardship for you, but it is a question of equality." To share each other's burdens.<br />
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Paul talks about the false apostles and warns the Corinthians about believing in a false gospel. Paul points out that these "super-apostles" (2Cor 11:5) were not superior because of their skill in public speaking (v. 6). So again we have this idea that the more eloquent speaker is the more qualified speaker. How does eloquence determine truth...?<br />
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**We must all be diligent to test what is being said or written against the biblical narrative to distinguish that which is good. We must question our own motivations for why we believe what we believe. We must then hold on to what is good. (1Thess 5:21)<br />
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Please enjoy the explanation of 2 Corinthians in this video from our friends over at the <a href="https://thebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Bible Project.</a><br />
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Until next time,Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1251069941604861522.post-24838206843557519442017-02-04T09:32:00.001-06:002017-02-04T09:32:42.322-06:00Stone 40 - 1 CorinthiansIn this post we will take a look at the first of two letters that Paul wrote to the Corinthians. Let's see what kind of message was in that letter.<br />
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At the beginning of the letter, Paul addresses the division within the church. Turns out that the people of Corinth were forming loyalties, if you would, to different leaders (1Cor 1:12). Paul urged that there should not be this type of division within the church since Jesus is the one they should follow as opposed to the church leaders.<br />
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Paul then moves into addressing some matters of sexual immorality. It would appear that relations were taking place between a man and his stepmother (1Cor 5:1) eww. To compound the issue, it appears that they are even proud of this (1Cor 5:2).<br />
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Paul then writes in 1Cor 5:12 "What is it for me to judge outsiders? Do you not judge those who are inside?"<br />
**It seems reasonable to me that this is a way of saying that we ought to judge those who are in Christ as a means of helping them get back on track. However, for those who do not know Christ, we ought not do that. I believe the idea is that, as non-Christians, they are not bound by Christian rules so to speak. Our focus then should be to lead them to the cross that they might discover Christ and accept His gift.<br />
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Paul then gets after the Corinthians for going to court with each other all the time rather than taking care of matters within the church (1Cor 6:5-6).<br />
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**1Cor 6:12 states that everything is permissible but not everything is helpful. It also makes a claim about not being brought under the control of anything. Addictive behaviors. The text goes on to say that the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord.<br />
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Next, we move into some discussion about food. There has often been controversy over the types of food that Christians should or should not eat - bacon being a hot contender. The idea that is presented here is that all of it is OK - however - if the food has been offered up to some other god - it should not be consumed by the Christian. If eating the food should cause my brother to fall, I should not eat it (1Cor 8:13)- otherwise it is fine to do so.<br />
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The words of 1 Corinthians 9:24 ask if we know that all the runners in a stadium all race but only one receive the prize and then encourage us to run in such a way that we might win. Paul makes a connection here with our following of Christ. We should live it in such a way that we excel, or as Paul puts it, he "does not run aimlessly or box like one who beats the air." He performs as one with purpose.<br />
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**I find it interesting that the words from 1Cor 6:12 are repeated in 10:23 - Everything is permissible but not everything is helpful. We are encouraged to seek the building up of the other person. We also go back to the whole meat idea here as well with verse 25 stating rather clearly that we can eat everything that is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience sake. Verse 31 then tells us that whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, we should do it to the glory of the Lord.<br />
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Moving forward to chapter 13. This is probably one of the more well known passages of the New Testament. The Love Chapter. We have very likely heard these words spoken at multiple weddings. You know the words... "Love is patient, love is kind..." Love is the greatest of the gifts. God is Love. He is the embodiment of all these attributes assigned to love in this chapter. I was reminded of a song (surely one of many) that is built around this passage - Love by Petra - here is a link to it.<br />
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Love must be viewed in light of the gospel message, otherwise the original intended meaning is distorted to become what each individual thinks that love is.<br />
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Then we come to the issue of the resurrection. Some were still against this idea of a resurrection. However, we need to recognize that all of Christianity rests on the resurrection of Jesus. 1Cor 15:17 speaks plainly in stating that our faith is worthless without the resurrection. The beauty of this sort of thing is that the death and resurrection of Christ on the cross is a historical event that can be investigated. It is a truth claim that can be validated. I encourage each and every one of you to investigate for yourselves and determine if it really is reasonable to believe that Christ died and rose again.<br />
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As per usual, I will close this by sharing the video from our friends at the <a href="https://thebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Bible Project</a>.<br />
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Until next time.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1251069941604861522.post-37870228701464201272017-01-28T09:47:00.001-06:002017-01-28T09:47:33.932-06:00Stone 39 - RomansThis week we will take a look at Paul's letter to the Romans.<br />
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So much going on here. Getting started, Paul addresses his audience and lets them know that he is eager to come and visit (Rom 1:10-11) just before he dives in and declares that he is not ashamed of the gospel (Rom 1:16).<br />
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**This 2017. Depending upon the culture or community that you are in, there is a subtle and not so subtle attitude that is held towards the Christian that dare I say would cause many who believe to want to hide the fact that they are followers of Jesus. I am brought back to the post on the book of Esther. Remember Mordecai and Esther? One of the arguments is that Mordecai chose only to reveal that he was a Jew when there was a recognition of something "in it for him".<br />
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Romans 1:18-19 talks about people who suppress the truth despite the evidence while verse 22 declares that they became fools by claiming to be wise. As a result, God delivered them over to the cravings of their hearts (Rom 1:24).<br />
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**God will not force us to love Him or to follow Him. God gave us the freedom to choose whether or not to follow Him. I have often considered my own military experience. I served to help support the many freedoms that we enjoy here in the United States even when some of those choices are not good for those who make those choices. Although, as of this post, we have not looked at Corinthians yet, I am reminded of 1 Cor 10:23 that says everything is permissible but not everything is helpful.<br />
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**Just because the choice is available, the law does not prohibit it, and culture encourages it does not make it a good choice.<br />
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Romans 2:15 talks about the law being written on our hearts. The idea being that a person does not need to be a believer in God in order to do something that is right. People have an intrinsic sense of what is right and wrong already. The question is that if you do not believe in God - how do you ground that sense of morality?<br />
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Then we have Rom 2:24...! "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you." Ouch!<br />
Referring to those who follow in word but not in deed. I have often said to friends that as Christians, we are our own worst enemy and have done more to hurt than help. And here it is folks.<br />
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Such a convicting chapter as I reflect on my own heart. 2:29 talks about circumcision of the heart. Cut away and discard the evil flesh - Thinking back to Joel 2:13 that encourages us to tear our hearts and return to the Lord. I like the ESV translation on this one that says to rend our hearts. Break it open. How well do I do that? I must do better. So much cleansing yet to do.<br />
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Romans has some very popular verses, and rightfully so! One such verse is Romans 3:23 which states that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.<br />
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All.<br />
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Another is 6:23 which states that the wages of sin is death.<br />
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So I recognize that I have sinned and deserve to die. Don't mistake that statement. I am not contemplating suicide. However, as I originally wrote this thought down about mistaking the statement as some sort of announcement that I am in a downward spiral that requires intervention. I realized that it is exactly that. The human fleshly condition has fallen and intervention is required. It is a recognition and affirmation that what I need is a savior. Fortunately, Jesus has already come to intervene and rescue us from that fate. He presents us with the gift of life.<br />
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We have but to accept that gift.<br />
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Is that it...?<br />
I think not.<br />
Open it!<br />
Note that this gift does not give license to sin (Rom 6:1-2).<br />
Flee from sin! Let the Spirit reign in your heart and make it new.<br />
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Again we see this charge to love our neighbor as ourselves in Rom 13:9 and in verse 14 we are called to put on Christ and to make not plans for satisfying our fleshly desires.<br />
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Easier said than done, isn't it?<br />
May we join together in support of one another.<br />
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Please enjoy these videos on Romans from our friends at the <a href="https://thebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Bible Project</a>.<br />
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Until next time,Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1251069941604861522.post-78927677011611564112017-01-14T19:38:00.000-06:002017-01-14T19:38:23.326-06:00Stone 38 - ActsThe book of Acts details the movement of Jesus' message from Jerusalem to the rest of the world. It is the beginning of the church. The book is sometimes called the Acts of the Apostles but more accurately it is an account of the Acts of Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Let's take a look at what goes on.<br />
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<b>Beginnings</b><br />
We begin Acts with Jesus telling the apostles not to leave Jerusalem (Acts 1:4), but to wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. After this they would become witnesses not just locally but to the ends of the Earth (Acts 1:8).<br />
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Shortly after Jesus ascended came the day of Pentecost which actually comes from the Greek word pentekostos which simply means '50'. I am no scholar but I guess I could roughly estimate the time in this fashion to see where they get it...<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Jesus dies on the cross</li>
<li>3 days later He is risen</li>
<li>40 days Jesus spent with them (Acts 1:3)</li>
<li>*7 days later Holy Spirit comes (Acts 1:5) *not many days from now</li>
</ul>
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That would be 50 days. If you have spent some time in the Bible, you might notice that the number seven seems to be a favorite. Notice also that seven weeks would be 49 days.</div>
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**Anyway- as a side note, I am OK with this layman's description of where the word Pentecost came to be used for this beginning of the church.</div>
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So the Holy Spirit comes on the people and they began speaking in different languages (Acts 2:4). Peter then preaches to many of the people who had come to Jerusalem for the celebration of Passover (Acts 2:14). As a result, about 3,000 people accepted and were baptized (Acts 2:41).</div>
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Not only did the apostles witness to the people but they also performed some miraculous things through the Holy Spirit and in the name of Jesus. Chapter Three gives the account of the healing of a lame man who would sit at the gates and beg for money. I love what Peter says to the man.</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I have neither silver nor gold, but what I have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!" (Acts 3:6)</blockquote>
More valuable than silver or gold. Jesus.<br />
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Peter and John later addressed the crowd that gathered and gave credit to Jesus for the man's healing. The guard came and arrested them (Acts 4:1-2) for proclaiming in the person of Jesus the resurrection of the dead.<br />
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Since the beginning of the church, people have been trying to silence the name of Jesus. Consider some of the reasons for this...<br />
In this case, the Sanhedrin acknowledge the healed man and that the people did as well meaning that they could not deny this event, (but seems to me that they would if they could), so they decided to threaten them not to preach in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:16-17). The religious leaders of that time felt threatened by Jesus and they did not like having their authority in question. Does this not also apply today...? Is it not the "authority" of our own hearts and to some extent as well, the government that we struggle with? We have this urge to "do what we want" and to not have a superior moral authority trying to deny us the cravings of our flesh.<br />
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Ananias and Sapphira sold some property and lied about the amount they got for it so that they could keep some of it for themselves. They both immediately died right there on the steps of the Colonnade for what they had done (Acts 5:3-11).<br />
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**Imagine the fear indicated in verse eleven... like, whoa! better not screw this up! God is not playing games here, this is for real! Don't lie to God, you fool! What were you thinking? It had to have been a wake up call for many who witnessed the event. Not so much a fear to run away but to recognize the truth. More preaching and healing took place at the Colonnade and many more were added to the church.<br />
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They were arrested again and placed in jail to be brought before the Sanhedrin. An angel released them in the middle of the night and ordered them to go and preach (Acts 5:19-20). They were reported and then brought peacefully to the Sanhedrin who were like, "Hey, didn't we tell you not to preach in the name of Jesus...!?" (Acts 5:28).<br />
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The Sanhedrin wanted to kill them but they were encouraged not to so simply beat them and told them again not to speak in the name of Jesus but it didn't work (Acts 5:40-42).<br />
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<b>Enter Stephen</b><br />
Stephen is also preaching in the name of Jesus and encounters a rather belligerent group of men who when they were unable to defy the logic and truth being spoken through Stephen decided to bear false witness against Stephen before the Sanhedrin (Acts 6:11-14).<br />
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When asked if the accusations were true, Stephen gives them some history of Israel, citing the scriptures they followed, but when Stephen convicts them in 7:51-53, they get extremely angry and drag him to the streets and stone him to death. Apparently the truth hurts.<br />
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We are also introduced to Saul here (Acts 7:58), who agrees with killing Stephen (Acts 8:1).<br />
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**I find it amazing although I am not surprised... 8:3 talks about Saul going from house to house and dragging people off to prison... that people are imprisoned simply because they believed differently. Then I compare that to our culture today... perhaps we do not always go so far as to imprison people but the court system does impose some pretty hefty financial penalties for those who may believe differently. If not that, perhaps a debilitating social stigma.<br />
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**One need only go so far as the comments section of a YouTube video or Facebook post to see this same level of hatred played out over differing views. Instead of taking a rational look at the ideas or views, the comments quickly break down into nasty attacks on the opposing person's character in a way that attempts to convey the notion that "if you don't believe the way I do then you must be wrong" - only in a much more destructive way. Acts 13:45 illustrates that this was what people did 2000 years ago as well.<br />
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So after Stephen's death, the people scatter - and the message of Jesus spreads.<br />
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<b>Back to Saul</b><br />
Remember Saul, who we met just a moment ago? He was a big-time persecutor of Christians and witnessed the stoning of Stephen. He is still on the rampage trying to imprison others who believed in Jesus (Acts 9:1-2).<br />
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Jesus has another plan. He confronts Saul personally, and when asked "Who are you, Lord" by Saul, responds with "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting." (Acts 9:5).<br />
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**Whoa! What a moment for Saul. Imagine. That which you vehemently deny to the point of imprisoning those who don't deny it - personally speaks to you. Wake up call. How do you continue to deny Him after such an encounter?<br />
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So Saul, in short order, gets baptized and begins to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah. What a turn around! Naturally, folks were skeptical of this conversion (Acts 9:21). It did not take long before they tried to kill him too (Acts 9:23). The guy they all looked to for doing this work was now the guy they wanted to kill too. Sigh.<br />
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Some time later Peter has a dream about a sheet full of animals (Acts 10:11-12). A voice calls out to Peter to get up, kill and eat. The voice also calls out that what God has made clean we must not call common. Hey, that is good news for all the bacon lovers out there.<br />
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It was a two-fold message as it also related to the Gentiles. Jews did not associate with them as they were viewed as unclean. God, however, meant for the work of Jesus on the cross to cover them as well. Peter was to accept and spread the gospel to the Gentiles as well.<br />
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We are now slowly transitioning over to Paul and much of his adventures. We see the spread of the good news beginning to spread across the landscape and while there are many who are coming to know Jesus as the Messiah, there are still many who oppose the teaching.<br />
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Paul actually spends a great deal of this time in prison. (Looks like the persecutor was persecuted himself quite heavily - the irony). Nonetheless, this time allowed Paul to write up those letters that are now a part of the New Testament.<br />
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Take a peek at these great videos that give an overview of the book of Acts by our friends over at the <a href="https://thebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Bible Project</a>...<br />
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Until next time...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1251069941604861522.post-79919247556446336632016-12-10T09:34:00.000-06:002016-12-10T09:34:27.773-06:00Stone 37 - JohnThe Gospel of John is the fourth and final gospel found in the New Testament. John, however, is often the answer that I hear when someone asks where they should start reading in the Bible. One of my favorite quotes refers to a fifth gospel.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
There are five gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the Christian. Most people will never read the first four. - Rodney (Gypsy) Smith</blockquote>
John is jam-packed with information. Let's take a closer peek.<br />
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John begins with what I might suggest is a relatively well recognized verse. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1) Verse two goes on to add that "He was with God in the beginning."<br />
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Right out of the gates, John works to establish the deity and power of Jesus. "...apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created." (John 1:3)<br />
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John declares Jesus as God and also as distinct from God establishing support for the trinity.<br />
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John moves into describing the first miracle performed by Jesus - turning the water into wine.<br />
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Another, even more widely recognized verse is John 3:16.<br />
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**It dawned on me as I read this again that the verse comes during the conversation Jesus is having with Nicodemus and the text gives the impression that the events of the cross have already taken place. Also, an interesting comparison to the teachings of the Quran...<br />
In the Bible, John 3:16 states that God gave his one and only son whereas in the Quran Surah 23:91 states that God has not taken to himself a son, nor is there any other deity besides him. These statements are contradictory. Since God either had a son or he did not, both statements cannot be true.<br />
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Jesus later meets a Samaritan woman at the well and asks for some water. He interestingly offers up some water of his own and states that those who drink it will never thirst again. (John 4:14). This is a more striking encounter because the Jews would have preferred to steer clear of the Samaritans. Jesus, however, came for everyone - even the gentiles.<br />
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John recalls a couple more miracles - the healing of the official's son. Jesus simply tells the official to go and that his son would live. He did not even need to go to his son. The official heads home and is met partway there by his slaves who share that the boy is alive. (John 4:51-53)<br />
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Jesus heals the sick man at the pool. I found it interesting that the man had been sick for 38 years and when asked if he wanted to be well again, his response was that he did not have anyone to lift him into the water. Jesus simply tells him to get up and walk and he does.<br />
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**Here are a couple examples of "the Word". In both cases, Jesus only spoke and it was so. I comparison I would make to the Genesis account.<br />
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Now we find a couple more miracles. Jesus feeds the 5,000 and walks on water. These are likely to be well known miracles. Taking the five loaves and two fish and multiplying that to feed everyone. While often referred to as the feeding of the 5,000, careful examination of the text shows that the number of men was about 5,000. If we then consider the number of women and children present, the number who actually ate were much greater.<br />
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The day after feeding them all, Jesus addresses the crowd that followed him indicating that they only followed because they got a free meal (John 6:26).<br />
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**Jesus talks about eating of His flesh and drinking of His blood. (John 6:53) LOL - I can only imagine some of the looks on their faces as they assumed this was some sort of invitation to cannibalism. As a result (v 66) a bunch of them quit following Jesus.<br />
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John 7:24 says "Stop judging according to outward appearances; rather judge according to righteous judgement." We are called to discern right from wrong, good from evil.<br />
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Miracle number six is the healing of the man born blind. I find some humor in this one. So here is the blind guy who is able to see now. The fact that he was born blind makes it so much more astonishing for those around him. They drag the guy before the Pharisees to be questioned about how he can see now. They were upset that this took place on a Sabbath day. The Pharisees then bring in the parents and ask if it is the son they say was born blind and how is it that he can now see. The parents are like "We don't know. He is our son that was born blind. Why don't you ask him?"<br />
So they ask him again and he is like I already told you and you won't listen. (John 9:27)<br />
LOL - how common today.<br />
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In John 10:11 Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." In 10:27 He says, "My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me."<br />
**I have often thought about end times stuff. Let's take a peek back at Matthew 24:4-5. "Then Jesus replied to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many." I read this and then I think of John 10:27.<br />
Now, I enjoy engaging in local community theatre and my wife comes to watch. During a show, cast members do not get to go and mingle with the audience. At intermission times, we remain hidden behind the curtain or in dressing rooms. There was a time when I was back stage during intermission and I heard talking and some laughter. Even though I could not see her through the curtain, I immediately recognized the voice and laughter as that of my wife. I recognized it because I know her. I wonder if it will be the same when Jesus returns. Though I have not heard Jesus speak audibly as if next to me, I think those who follow Him will recognize Him.<br />
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Chapter 11 shares the death and resurrection of Lazarus. Consider the following three verses... John 11:35-37.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Jesus wept. So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"
But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?"</blockquote>
Verse 35 is quite popular as it is referred to as the shortest verse in the Bible, although I would argue that there is a shorter one. Verse 36 is simple recognition of Jesus' love for Lazarus as the Jews see the tears. But verse 37...<br />
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Verse 37 gives us a glimpse into the hearts of those Jews standing by and hints at a very real issue that continues to plague people to this day. A common objection to the existence of God goes something like this...<br />
If God is all-good and all-powerful, He would have prevented that.<br />
John 11:11 informs us that Jesus is aware that Lazarus has died. Verse 4 informs us that it will not end in death but is for the glory of God.<br />
Jesus had a plan that the others were not aware of and they make the mistake of trying to judge God and his actions by human standards.<br />
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In Chapter 12, Jesus was with Lazarus just prior to the Passover and Judas was also there. In the account, Mary takes some oil and puts on Jesus' feet and wipes it with her hair. Judas speaks up since he recognizes the oil as a pure and expensive variety by asking why the oil was not sold and the money given to the poor. As verse 6 points out, this was really a heart issue for Judas. he was thinking of himself in that moment and not really the poor. Instead, Judas chose to belittle Mary because he did not get an opportunity to steal from the money bag. Interesting.<br />
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Now Jesus is in town and many are aware of what He did for Lazarus and have started to believe. Oh! but read verses 42 and 43!<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.</blockquote>
Ouch<br />
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In Chapter 15 verse 19 states, "If we were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you."<br />
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Look around - open a newspaper - watch the news - It does not take long to see the division, the pain, and the evil around every corner. I must consider where I fit into this. Am I part of the givers or the receivers? I should strive to be a receiver, shouldn't I?<br />
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The book of John moves to the account of the crucifixion and resurrection and I want to again point out the awesome question that Pilate asks of Jesus that we do not get to hear an answer for.<br />
Verse 38 - "What is truth?" said Pilate.<br />
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I might define truth as that which corresponds to reality. Thoughts and opinions have no bearing on truth as truth stands independent of what anyone thinks about it.<br />
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John's gospel serves to help show the truth of who Jesus is.<br />
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Please enjoy these videos on the book of John from our friends over at <a href="https://thebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Join the Bible Project</a>. I see that the URL has changed but the old ones still seem to work for now.<br />
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Until next time...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1251069941604861522.post-11405848352422819152016-11-19T09:03:00.000-06:002016-11-19T09:03:01.065-06:00Stone 36 - Luke<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The gospel of Luke. Luke, as it turns out is a rather noteworthy historian and known for his ability to research. He lays out a great deal of information in this book. We will only scratch the surface of it.</div>
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The book starts off with the births of both John the Baptist and of Jesus. One interesting inclusion in this account is Zechariah, the father of John. Since he did not initially believe what was told to him, he was made mute until after his son was born (Luke 1:20, 63-64). Chapter two gives us some information about the birth of Jesus. We do not get the full on nativity scene but we do hear about the shepherds who watch their flocks by night (Luke 2:8). The shepherds head out to see Jesus in the feeding trough and then proceed to spread the news (Luke 2:16-17).<br />
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Included in Luke is the recollection of Jesus at the age of 12 when he stayed behind at the temple while everyone else headed home (Luke 2:41-50). I can only imagine the horror of Joseph and Mary... They made the assumption he was in the traveling party and managed to go a full day before looking and realizing he was not with them. They did not find him for three days (Luke 2:46).<br />
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Now we segue to John the Baptist. He is a bit older now and is called to head out to the wilderness and proclaim repentance. Jesus shows up and gets baptized too.<br />
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It is here that Luke brings in another genealogy of Jesus and tells of the time that Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. He also includes the report of Jesus who is rejected in Nazareth, his hometown. Jesus proceeds through his ministry by performing several acts of healing.<br />
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<ol>
<li>Jesus drives out the unclean spirit</li>
<li>Heals Simon's mother-in-law and many others</li>
<li>Cleansed a leper</li>
<li>Heals and forgives the guy on the stretcher.</li>
<li>Heals a man with a paralyzed hand</li>
</ol>
Luke 5:31 is an often quoted verse that I like.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Jesus replied to them, "The healthy don't need a doctor, but the sick do."</blockquote>
**In the same way that you do not wait until you feel better to go to the doctor. One does not need to wait until they are "cleaned up" before going to church.<br />
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We read about the sermon on the mount from Luke's perspective and then hear about the centurion and his sick slave. What I like about this particular event is that the centurion tells Jesus that he is also a man of authority who is able to tell people what to do and have them obey. The centurion tells Jesus that he (the centurion) is not worthy to have him (Jesus) under his roof and to simply give the word and that his servant would be cured (Luke 7:7).<br />
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**This is another example of faith. In Luke 7:9, Jesus turns to the crowd and declares that he had not found so great a faith even in Israel. The centurion had probably heard about Jesus and all that he had done. That would explain why people were sent to get him in the first place. "What!? Jesus is in town? Go and get him that my servant might be saved!" The centurion knew of the power of Jesus such that all he had to do was give the word and it would be so. That is not believing without any evidence - it is trusting.<br />
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There are many parables that come throughout the book and an entire post could probably be written on each one so I will not address them here.<br />
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I read about the rich young ruler in chapter 18. What I find interesting here is that the ruler begins by saying "Good Teacher". Jesus responds by asking why the man calls him good and states that no one is good but God.<br />
**We are all sinful. We are only "good" in so far as we have defined it socially. Remember, God sets the standard of good and none of us have met or will be able to meet that standard. Fortunately, Jesus and his death on the cross has given us a chance to be seen as blameless on the day of judgement.<br />
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It would seem evident, then, that there is a whole different standard of good that we are missing.<br />
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Indeed, what follows are some accounts of men attempting to trap Jesus so that they might have cause to destroy him (Luke 19:47, 20:19). How familiar this is! Can you think of a time when you knew the truth would expose you and ruin your plans so you try to suppress it? Can you think of a time when you were the bearer of such truth and have had people try to suppress you? Have you simply been an outsider seeing this play out between others?<br />
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**I don't know about you but I have seen things like this very often.<br />
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In chapter 20 the authority of Jesus is challenged directly by simply asking him by what authority does he do things (Luke 20:2). Then they try to trick him by asking about paying taxes (Luke 20:22) and again by asking about some convoluted string of marriages (Luke 20:27-33).<br />
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Jesus is betrayed by Judas and soon finds himself being sentenced to crucifixion.<br />
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Here are a couple videos on Luke from our friends over at <a href="https://jointhebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Join the Bible Project</a>.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1251069941604861522.post-44907210729801622692016-10-15T09:42:00.001-05:002016-10-15T09:42:50.523-05:00Stone 35 - MarkThe book of Mark is the second gospel account and it is no surprise that there is a great deal of similarity among them. Let's take a look at what mark has to say...<br />
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<b>Hop Right In!</b><br />
Mark starts out quoting the Old Testament about how a messenger will come (Isa 40:3, Mal 3:1) and immediately we read about John the Baptist, Jesus getting baptized, and a whopping two verses about Jesus being tempted in the wilderness. So in 13 verses we have caught up through about four chapters of Matthew.<br />
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Mark does not recount the birth of Jesus but gets right to His ministry.<br />
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Jesus heads out and gathers a few disciples - Simon, Andrew, James, and John (Mark 1:16-20) and then we read about the driving out of an unclean spirit.<br />
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Mark is interested in establishing the authority of Jesus.<br />
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**I find this to be very interesting. Mark 1:24<br />
The man with the unclean spirit says - "What do you have to do with us, Jesus - Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are - the Holy One of God!" What do you get from that...? Even the unclean spirits know who who He is! Nobody even had to tell them. The spirits, however, have a different ability to sense that perhaps... because an awful lot of people refused to believe it. So Jesus has barely gotten started with His ministry and the evil spirits have already publicly declared who He is. Fascinating!<br />
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Jesus responds by driving the spirit out of the man (Mark 1:25).<br />
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We then read some accounts of Jesus performing some healing and driving out of demons. People came in droves! (Mark 1:33)<br />
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Note that Jesus does all of these things but asks that it remain undercover (Mark 1:43-44). Yeah, well that would be pretty hard, I think, to keep something like that under wraps - being healed of leprosy.<br />
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<b>More Than Expected</b><br />
In chapter two we read about some more large numbers gathered around Jesus. Imagine the conviction of the five men - four of which carried their friend in on a stretcher because he was paralyzed! They believed that Jesus was someone who could do something about the paralysis. So convinced and so determined that they broke through the roof of the house and lowered him in because they could not get through the crowd of people (Mark 2:4).<br />
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**The visual is mind blowing to me. I cannot help but think what kind of lawsuit would come from that if it were to happen today...<br />
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Now consider carefully Mark 2:5 "Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."<br />
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**Wait, What? Your sins are forgiven? I am guessing that is not why they came. They did not show up with their paralyzed buddy because Jesus was a forgiver of sins but because he was healing people and so "Hey Jesus! We got a guy here on a stretcher! He really needs some healing! Help us next! Help us next! And all the people in the room shouting "NO FAIR!", "I was here first!" or "Hey! He's budging." or "Hey! Who is going to fix my roof!?"<br />
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They got something they did not expect. Remember that these guys were determined. So convinced that Jesus could heal them that they busted through the roof to have that chance.<br />
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"Seeing their <b><i>FAITH</i></b>, Jesus told the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." (emphasis mine)<br />
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We often hear about how faith is some sort of blind belief without evidence but I think these guys were acting out of the same kind of faith that we have that the chair will hold us up when we sit on it and they acted on that faith. They probably heard many testimonies, saw others being healed, etc. They had good reason to believe.<br />
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They got way more than they expected. While everyone in the room is gazing upon this guy descending from the roof on a stretcher, there is probably not a whole lot of doubt as to why he was brought there. He was paralyzed - a physically visible characteristic of the man. I will go on record saying that I doubt he was simply a really good actor. There was also a lot of people there that could testify to the truth of his paralysis.<br />
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The condition of his heart, however, was not something that could be seen. The sin and corruption of his spirit could not be seen. Those are invisible attributes. Jesus begins by healing what everyone cannot see. He does this by forgiving the sins.<br />
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They got something they did not expect. In the same way, Jesus the King, was a kind of king that the people did not expect.<br />
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<b>Continued Ministry and Rejection</b><br />
Jesus continues to move about healing and driving out demons until he comes to his hometown (Mark 6:1-6).<br />
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**Something amazing to me is this idea we find here of being rejected at home. Jesus comes and wants to do some of the same miracles in Nazareth but gets shut down. In verse three we read about how the people know him as Mary's son and all his brothers and sisters. Simply by virtue of having lived around Jesus for many years as he grew, the people could not come to accept his teaching. As verse three concludes "So they were offended by Him."<br />
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Offended.<br />
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It was not just that they didn't believe him or questioned where he learned it all. They were offended. I mean, right? How dare this guy we have known all our lives come back and try to preach at us. He is just the carpenter's boy.<br />
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Why is it that way? It is always so much easier to teach others outside the family. Spiritual matters aside - let's even look at something like algebra...<br />
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I can be so much more successful in teaching a stranger how to solve an equation than I can my own children or my wife. This has nothing to do with their level of intelligence - let me make that part clear. I think it has to do with feelings of inferiority - that somehow by nature of being in a position of "authority" as the teacher, that it places that individual on a higher level in the mind of the learner. Perhaps psychologically this is easier to accept if we do not know the person. However, if I have lived with you the last couple decades, we probably know each other and our problems and consider each other as peers or equals. When one or the other moves into a teaching or mentoring role, things change and in creep the feelings of "OH, he thinks he is better than me now." or "Why does she think she is so smart." And the heart and mind close up.<br />
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The truth can be offensive. This is no fault of the truth itself. It cares not. It simply corresponds with reality. It is a heart issue. Jesus can repair our hearts. Just as the paralyzed man was forgiven of his sins - as his heart was cleansed - so our hearts can be cleansed.<br />
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Just as the paralytic had good reason for his faith, for his confidence, for his trust - so we have good reasons for believing that Jesus is who he says he is and that through him we may be saved.<br />
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I encourage you to seek out those reasons. Do the research. Do you reject the evidence and reasons? Perhaps it is all a heart issue then and not an intellectual one - like the people close to Jesus from Nazareth who were offended by the message.<br />
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In the end, the truth remains whether we believe it or not.<br />
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Please enjoy the video about Mark from our friends at <a href="https://jointhebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Join the Bible Project</a>.<br />
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Until next time...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1251069941604861522.post-52664788925462411202016-10-08T10:52:00.002-05:002016-10-08T10:52:46.209-05:00Stone 34 - MatthewMatthew is the first book in the New Testament and presents an account of the life and teachings of Jesus. Let's take a look at what we find.<br />
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<b>Hey Everyone! This is the Guy!</b><br />
Matthew begins with another one of those genealogies that makes you wonder if the New Testament is going to be just as dry as the some of the Old Testament.<br />
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Good News!<br />
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This one is short and very deliberate. Matthew is establishing Jesus as a descendant of both Abraham and David. Since Matthew's goal is to show that Jesus is the Messiah that has been prophesied for so long, this is an appropriate place to start.<br />
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Still within the first chapter, Matthew moves to the birth of Jesus. As this account begins, however, take note of Joseph...<br />
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Joseph is betrothed to Mary. They had not even consummated this arrangement yet (Mat 1:18). So as would have been acceptable for him, he was going to break it off in secret as to not disgrace her. That is actually pretty noble if you think about it. All Joseph knows is that Mary is pregnant and they have never slept together. I think it is fair to say that Joseph and the rest of the people have a pretty good understanding of how things like pregnancy happen. So in the eyes of Joseph... she has been sleeping around on him. Imagine how he felt in that moment... and yet he chooses not to disgrace her publicly (Mat 1:19).<br />
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Before he could actually follow through with that - he was told not to be afraid and that her pregnancy was a work of the Spirit (Mat 1:20). Note also here in Mat 1:23 the words from Isaiah 7:14. Matthew is continuing to connect the dots for the reader. This was prophesied.<br />
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In chapter two, the wise men sought the newborn king. They happened to swing in to Herod's place and inquired to the whereabouts of the child. Herod basically does the double-take and brings in the chief priests to tell him where this child was to be born (Mat 2:3-4). Bethlehem as prophesied (see Micah 5:2) comes the answer in Matthew 2:6. (This is the guy!!)<br />
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Herod asks the wise men to return to him so that he can go and worship too (Mat 2:8). Yeah right...<br />
The wise men are warned not to go back to Herod and so they do not (Mat 2:12). Joseph is then told to go to Egypt because Herod wants to kill the baby (Mat 2:13). Ahhhh, the true feelings in Herod's heart are revealed. He was not interested in worshiping at all. He wanted to eliminate a threat to his own rule on the throne. Herod was furious and had all the male children under the age of two killed. Awful. Just imagine. Since Jesus was not there but in Egypt, he was in no danger. After Herod died, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus returned to Israel and settled in Nazareth (Mat 2:21, 23).<br />
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<b>He is Coming!!</b><br />
John the Baptist is now on the scene and he also quotes Isaiah (40:3) and proclaims to the people that the kingdom is near (Mat 3:2). Jesus shows up and wants to get baptized by John as well (Mat 3:13). After some hesitancy and persuasion, John agrees.<br />
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So Jesus sets this example for us and gets baptized. This is very important since it marked the beginning of Jesus' ministry and his intention to follow God's will. This was also a way for Jesus to identify himself with all of the sinners that he came here to save.<br />
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Jesus then is led to the wilderness where he is tempted. The account details three times that he was tempted.<br />
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<ol>
<li>Life</li>
<li>Trust</li>
<li>Faith/Worship</li>
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I may not have accurately broken this down but would love to discuss it further in the comments for any who want to.</div>
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The well-known Sermon on the Mount comes to us in chapters five through seven. There really is an amazing amount of guidance and could be an entire course by itself.</div>
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<b>Ugh</b></div>
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Okay so let's segue into a little bit of life reality for a moment. As I was sitting here engaging in some study and reflection on the book of Matthew and typing this up, I was really drawn into taking a close look at the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness and more specifically - number three as listed above. So much so that I put some thoughts out on Facebook. I was going to continue through the book but felt I need to simply end it on this particular topic. Here is the post from Facebook...</div>
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Consider the object of your worship. You might even think that you do not worship anything.</div>
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The word worship probably brings up an image in your mind. The word worship may even stir up positive or negative emotions.</div>
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Maybe it looks like being on your knees and bowing, arms above your head, repeatedly leaning forward to place your palms down on the ground in front of you with the object of worship in front of you. <span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;"><br />Maybe it looks like sitting criss-cross applesauce with your wrists on your knees, palms up, with thumb and forefinger touching while softly repeating the word Ooohhmm, Ooohhmm.<br />Maybe it looks like singing praises as part of a large group in a building called church.<br />Maybe it is something else entirely.</span></div>
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Whatever it may currently be - put that aside for a moment and consider this...</div>
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Implicit in the act of worship is that there is a dependence of the worshiper upon that which is worshiped. In other words, the worshiper acknowledges, (knowingly or not), that they are not sufficient without the object being worshiped).</div>
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Do you feel "less than", insufficient, insignificant, of little value without something? Money, spouse, job, material items, etc...?</div>
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You might say - "Hey, wait a minute! I don't worship those things!" - but is that because we are using whatever image we have of worship?</div>
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Satan is crafty - he is the deceiver. He wants nothing more than to trap us into doing evil while thinking that we are doing good. He will tell you lies about how you can be happy, successful, wealthy, respected, etc... Do you feel insufficient without those things?</div>
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Consider the object of your worship. What does that really look like? Is it what you thought it was? Is it what you want it to be? Is it what you need it to be?</div>
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The faith and worship of Jesus was attacked. Satan offered Jesus the world and in effect, the power to control them all if he would just bow down and worship him. Jesus does not take the bait, of course, but how many of us do?</div>
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How many of us think that we are serving God but are really bowing our knee to Satan? This was just blowing my mind today - especially since I have often told people that Matthew 7:21-23 should be scary verses for all who claim to be Christians. I do not want to be one of these people. I think about all the areas in my own life where I may be engaging in what I might call "unintended worship". What things have I been fooled by? What am I currently pursuing under false pretenses?</div>
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Jesus demonstrated his trust in the Lord in his response to Satan after the first temptation to turn stone to bread and thus satisfy his hunger and perhaps save his life. Noticing that Jesus quoted scripture, Satan twisted scripture in his next temptation and changed his angle by trying to get Jesus to demonstrate that trust by throwing himself off of the top of the temple. Dodging this, Jesus is presented with a third temptation where Satan tries to use the good intentions of Jesus of following the will of God as bait. </div>
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Is this not where we get caught...?</div>
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Jesus wants to bring the kingdom of God to Earth. He could do that. He could be a great king, he could save the people, he could continue to do amazing things for God...?</div>
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Are we ministering for the wrong reasons? We cannot serve multiple gods... Who are we really serving...? Whoa - mind blown at the moment.</div>
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I pray for all of us that God and His Holy Spirit would reveal to each of us the areas in our lives that are bowing to the wrong master. I pray that He would convict and cleanse our hearts. I pray that we would have the will and strength to let go of those things to which we cling so tight for the best of intentions but that are truly not good for us. Reveal to us the truth. Speak to your servants, Lord, and clear the wax the blocks your voice so that we might hear, wipe the sleep from our eyes that we might see, and set a fire ablaze in our hearts to seek you and your will.</div>
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Here are the videos for the book of Matthew from our friends at <a href="https://jointhebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Join the Bible Project</a>.</div>
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Until next time...</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1251069941604861522.post-32512265762928568292016-09-03T09:30:00.001-05:002016-09-03T09:30:49.164-05:00Stone 33 - MalachiMalachi is the final book of the Old Testament and the conclusion is as profound as one might expect. Of course, each of the 39 Old Testament entries are books with endings in their own right but the message of this book is very pointed and convicting. Let's take a look at the last book before a span of 400 years without any writings until Jesus arrives on the scene.<br />
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<b>Rebellious Children</b><br />
Immediately, the book opens up with God pointing out a huge problem...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"I have loved you," says the Lord. But you ask: "How have you loved us?" (Mal 1:2)</blockquote>
This defiant response of the people... "How have you loved us?"<br />
So self-centered in nature.<br />
The question implies that God has not loved them - as they are unaware - surely, if God had loved them they would have known it, right? What do they think it means to be loved by God? What are they expecting? What are the signs that one has been loved?<br />
I would venture a guess that they feel they should be pampered and blessed with health, wealth, and happiness. However, as we have read throughout the Old Testament, the Israelites have had their share of ups and downs and perhaps they are a bit bitter about it.<br />
<br />
You can almost hear the snarkiness of the Israelites now. With one hand on a hip and the other pointing a finger right in the face of God they pose the question while spewing forth all of the reasons they think support their claim. Then they turn their back to Him and walk away in a sort of modern "mic drop" arrogance as if God is really speechless and without rebuttal.<br />
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We see it again in verse six.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of me? says the Lord of Hosts to you priests who despise My name." Yet you ask: "How have we despised your name?"</blockquote>
Again in verse seven.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"By presenting defiled food on my altar." You ask: "How have we defiled you?" When you say: "The Lord's table is contemptible."</blockquote>
Time and again God answers them and they deny the accusations by asking 'How?'.<br />
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**As a father of five myself, I know the pain of this situation. More than once I have told one of my children that I love them only to have them respond with a curled lip and the words "No you don't."<br />
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But now look to Malachi 1:13...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
You also say: "Look, what a nuisance!" "And you scorn it," says the Lord of Hosts.</blockquote>
God wants a relationship with the Israelites and they seem to find the idea burdensome. How different are we in this age? Not much, I fear.<br />
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In chapter two, God talks about how the people are hurt because He does not accept their offerings by asking why He does not accept them (Mal 2:13-14). This is compared to a marriage and Israel has been spending time worshiping other things.<br />
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God says He is wearied by the words of the Israelites and they respond with "How?". God points out that they say things like "Everyone who does evil is good in the Lord's sight." or "Where is the God of justice?" (Mal 2:17).<br />
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Malachi 3:13-14 brings another denial as God tells the people that their words against Him are harsh. They ask what they have spoken against the Lord and I guess they are not happy with the answer. God tells them that they have said that it is useless to serve God because they have gained nothing.<br />
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**Even to this day people ask a similar question. What will we gain? Unfortunately, while the answer to that question is very appealing, people often overlook the eternal benefit in light of the immediate or short term benefit. This is a decision that has eternal consequences.<br />
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**There is still hope. There is still time. This 2000+ year old message is still applicable today. The Old Testament message points to a savior we now know as Jesus. We will begin to look at that next time as we pick up in the New Testament 400 years later.<br />
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In the meantime, please enjoy these resources from the folks at <a href="https://jointhebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Join the Bible Project</a> and <a href="http://rzim.org/" target="_blank">RZIM</a>.<br />
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Worship: A Clue to Meaning in Life<br />
<a href="http://rzim.org/just-thinking-broadcasts/worship-a-clue-to-meaning-in-life-part-1-of-4/" target="_blank">Part 1</a><br />
<a href="http://rzim.org/just-thinking-broadcasts/worship-a-clue-to-meaning-in-life-part-2-of-4/" target="_blank">Part 2</a><br />
<a href="http://rzim.org/just-thinking-broadcasts/worship-a-clue-to-meaning-in-life-part-3-of-4/" target="_blank">Part 3</a><br />
<a href="http://rzim.org/just-thinking-broadcasts/worship-a-clue-to-meaning-in-life-part-4-of-4/" target="_blank">Part 4</a><br />
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Until next time...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1251069941604861522.post-78851483801791950902016-08-20T09:13:00.000-05:002016-08-20T09:13:05.566-05:00Stone 32 - Haggai and ZechariahA difference between Haggai, Zechariah and many of the other prophets we have looked at is that they are on the scene after the exile period has ended. Let's look at the message God has to say now.<br />
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<b>Haggai</b><br />
Okay - flashback to the book of Ezra - Haggai and Zechariah both come and encourage the Israelites in order to keep them moving forward on the rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 5:1-2). This is the same Haggai and Zechariah. Here we get a little more detail on them.<br />
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Haggai begins by getting after the Israelites for spending more time on their own houses and not enough time on God's house (Hag 1:4). In fact, Haggai lets them know that God is withholding until his house is done (Hag 1:9-11).<br />
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If we compare Haggai 1:1 and 1:14-15 we learn that a little over three weeks has passed. That seems pretty good to me.<br />
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About a month later, (Hag 2:1), Haggai shares a word of encouragement from the Lord (Hag 2:3-4).<br />
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<b>Zechariah</b><br />
While Zechariah did help Haggai encourage the people to rebuild, God had another message for Zechariah to share. He was to help encourage the people not to be like their ancestors (Zech 1:3-4). After that, Zechariah had several visions.<br />
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<ol>
<li>Horsemen</li>
<li>Horns and Craftsmen</li>
<li>Surveyor</li>
<li>High Priest and Branch</li>
<li>Gold Lampstand</li>
<li>Flying Scroll</li>
<li>Woman in a Basket</li>
<li>Four Chariots</li>
</ol>
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The horsemen apparently patrolled the Earth and found all to be quiet. Amid the vision is a message that God intends to restore His people and bless them with prosperity (Zech 1:17).</div>
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The horns appear to represent the nations that came in and conquered Israel (Zech 1:19), while the craftsmen appear to represent those who would in turn scatter them (Zech 1:21).</div>
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The surveyor seems to head out and measure for the rebuild but is subsequently told that there will be no walls (Zech 2:4).</div>
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The high priest seems to represent Joshua who was wearing filthy clothes and being accused by Satan when God declares that he will be made clean (Zech 3:3-5). The branch is stated as being the servant (Zech 3:8)</div>
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The gold lampstand has seven lamps and it sounds like it is fed oil by its own channel from two olive tree. These are declared as being the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel and the two annointed ones (Zech 4:6, 14).</div>
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The flying scroll is said to be a curse that goes out to afflict every thief and person that swears falsely by the name of the Lord (Zech 5:3).</div>
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The woman in the basket represents the iniquity of the people and her name is Wickedness (Zech 5:6-8). Apparently a shrine is being built that the basket will be placed upon (Zech 5:10-11).</div>
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The four chariots seem to be headed out to patrol the earth just as the horsemen did in the first dream (Zech 6:7).</div>
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**I am no interpreter of dreams so I will go with the explanation we find in the video.</div>
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Of course, no account of the people would be complete without some sort of rebellion to be found in the hearts of the people.</div>
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Zechariah 7:3 tells of the people asking whether or not they ought to mourn and fast as they have in the past. Of course, God knows the hearts of the people (Zech 7:5-6) and He calls them out as the selfish people they were. However, God also promises to be good to the people (Zech 8:14-15).</div>
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Again, we also have the message of hope! The coming king! (Zech 9:9)</div>
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**All throughout the Old Testament we find pointers to Jesus. He came to be the shepherd of our lives. We are but sheep queued for slaughter without the protection of the shepherd. He seeks to cleanse us of our rebellion and steer us to safety. Consistently we are called away from rebellion and urged to seek the Lord, truth, and all that is good. It is not we who get to decide that which is true and good. God, as creator of everything, has determined this. Our lack of understanding does not change the reality of truth. Have we accepted the truth of our brokenness and need of a savior?</div>
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Please enjoy these videos on Haggai and Zechariah from the folks at <a href="https://jointhebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Join the Bible Project</a>.</div>
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Until next time when we take a look at the powerful conclusion of the Old Testament and the book of Malachi.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1251069941604861522.post-56681771704959810022016-08-13T09:08:00.000-05:002016-08-13T09:08:02.542-05:00Stone 31 - Habakkuk and ZephaniahLet's hear about what a couple more prophets have to say.<br />
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<b>Habakkuk</b><br />
The first few verses of Habakkuk have likely crossed the minds and mouths of many people in some form or another over the years. They present a question that many continue to ask to this very day. The assumption is that God is not listening and that He tolerates evil.<br />
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**Have you ever asked why God does not listen? Just because things do not happen on our timeline or in the manner by which we think it should happen does not mean that God is not listening. God is not at our beck and call to do whatever we wish. It does not work that way. Patience and trust are needed. How do you respond when God does not answer the way you want Him to...?<br />
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God replies by telling Habakkuk that the Chaldeans are being raised to come in and clean house (Hab 1:6). Habakkuk has a problem with this too...<br />
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**How often have we felt the way Habakkuk does? He says wait a minute... How can you let these guys who are worse than us win over us...!? What gives? (Hab 1:13)<br />
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God replies to Habakkuk with a vision and five 'woes'.<br />
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<ol>
<li>Woe to him who amasses what is not his (Hab 2:6)</li>
<li>Woe to him who unjustly gains wealth for his house (Hab 2:9)</li>
<li>Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and founds a town with injustice (Hab 2:12)</li>
<li>Woe to him who gives his neighbor drink in order to look at their nakedness (Hab 2:15)</li>
<li>Woe to him who says to wood: Wake up! or to mute stone: Come alive! (Hab 2:19)</li>
</ol>
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Just as Israel is being punished for their wrongdoing, so will the other nations. God is just and all will receive their due.</div>
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Habakkuk recounts the power of God and reaffirms his trust in Him.</div>
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**So many struggle with this very idea of evil and suffering in the world and we should be upset by evil. We should also seek out the only force that is capable of dealing with it and trust on His timing and manner by which it will be dealt with.</div>
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Please enjoy this four part series of talks from Ravi Zacharias on the problem of evil and suffering called 'Though The Fig Tree Does Not Bud'.</div>
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<ol>
<li><a href="http://rzim.org/just-thinking-broadcasts/though-the-fig-tree-does-not-bud-part-1-of-4/" target="_blank">Part 1</a></li>
<li><a href="http://rzim.org/just-thinking-broadcasts/though-the-fig-tree-does-not-bud-part-2-of-4/" target="_blank">Part 2</a></li>
<li><a href="http://rzim.org/just-thinking-broadcasts/though-the-fig-tree-does-not-bud-part-3-of-4/" target="_blank">Part 3</a></li>
<li><a href="http://rzim.org/just-thinking-broadcasts/though-the-fig-tree-does-not-bud-part-4-of-4/" target="_blank">Part 4</a></li>
</ol>
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Also please enjoy the video on Habakkuk from the guys at <a href="https://jointhebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Join the Bible Project</a></div>
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<b>Zephaniah</b></div>
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Zephaniah has a similar message to many of the other prophets. We hear about the day of the Lord coming, a call to repentance, and a message of hope.</div>
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The first chapter describes the downfall of the nation and specifically the tearing down of the temples of the false gods that i are being worshiped there.</div>
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The first few verses of the second chapter is the call to repentance while the rest outlines the downfall of many nations and it isn't pretty.</div>
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The last half of chapter three provides the message of hope.</div>
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**It is worth noting that because of the righteousness of God, He <i><b>cannot</b></i> allow sin to go unpunished. He does not tolerate the worship of other gods and He does not tolerate any other sin. God will address the sin and evil in the world but it will not be at the time or in the manner that we may want. God will not deal with His creation using a human understanding of things. He will use divine understanding - something we just don't get but will have to trust.</div>
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We need to stop and listen to the voice that cries out, seek him, and worship him.</div>
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Please enjoy the video on Zephaniah from the guys at <a href="https://jointhebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Join the Bible Project</a></div>
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Until next time...</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1251069941604861522.post-44636604731745886482016-08-06T08:42:00.000-05:002016-08-06T08:42:18.965-05:00Stone 30 - Micah and NahumTwo more small books this time; Micah and Nahum. What do they have to share?<br />
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<b>Micah</b><br />
We start out with some judgement against Israel for their rebellion. Sound familiar? So many prophets came and shared a similar message.<br />
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**Many times, through many prophets, across multiple generations, God tried to warn the people of the coming consequences of their rebellion and gave them an opportunity to repent and follow Him.<br />
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Micah 3:1-2 shares an interesting tidbit that is not all that different from today regarding the leadership of the people. A great question is asked... "Aren't you supposed to know what is just?" and a statement made... "You hate good and love evil." Ouch.<br />
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In Micah 3:9 the leaders are accused of abhorring justice and of perverting everything that is right. Because of this, Micah states, Jerusalem will become ruins (Micah 3:12). However, we read that all is not lost. God will redeem His people and restore the nation with a new king (Micah 5:2).<br />
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Chapter 7 reveals the moral failings of the people and how one cannot trust even those in their own home (Micah 7:5-6).<br />
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God has the power to save, to redeem, and to heal but we must first come to Him.<br />
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<b>Nahum</b><br />
This book brings a two-sided message. On the one hand, God looks after those who take refuge in him (Nahum 1:7). On the other hand, God will bring justice against evil (Nahum 1:2-3).<br />
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In this message, the main event is centered on Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire. Assyria was known as a cruel nation that continually brought destruction to other nations for the purpose of gaining riches and power. Assyria was the nation that brought down the northern kingdom of Israel.<br />
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Eventually God brings justice to this oppressive nation. While this is a poetic book, it is not really what you would call a rated PG book. A great deal of violence is depicted here. Some may struggle with this aspect of God. God's justice against evil is necessary because He is holy, righteous, and just but his love is even greater. Seek Him and take refuge in Him.<br />
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**These are short books with quick messages. Please enjoy the videos about Micah and Nahum from the folks at <a href="https://jointhebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Join the Bible Project</a>. They do such a great job at bringing these messages to life.<br />
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Until next time.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1251069941604861522.post-58353382823673298712016-07-30T09:31:00.000-05:002016-07-30T09:31:15.883-05:00Stone 29 - Obadiah and JonahLet's take a look at two more short books and see what message from the Lord they bring: Obadiah and Jonah.<br />
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<b>Obadiah</b><br />
While it is the smallest book of the prophets, it packs a powerful message to the people: A message of pride. The book begins with a judgement against Edom. In verse four we read about how the nation of Edom "seems to soar like an eagle" but even so they will be brought down.<br />
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**This makes me think of the saying about bringing someone down off of their high horse.<br />
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We also have many references to Esau here. Verse six, verse eight, verse nine, verse 18, verse 19, and verse 21 all mention the name of Esau. Remember Esau from Genesis? That is the guy. He was the beginning of the Edomites. You will also notice references to Jacob here in Obadiah's message. Verse 10, verse 17, and verse 18 all mention the name of Jacob and verses 10 and 12 use the term brother to connect Esau with Jacob.<br />
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**Hopping into the time machine we can read in Genesis 25:23 about the two nations in Rebekah's womb who were named Jacob and Esau. In Genesis 25:30 we read how Esau got the name Edom and in Genesis 36:9 Esau is called the father of the Edomites.<br />
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**Now look at Genesis 32:28 - God gives Jacob the name Israel.<br />
In Genesis 27:41 it is stated that Esau held a grudge against Jacob. Now perhaps I am reaching a bit far but I find it interesting that the Edomites (Esau) as a nation continue to be at odds with the nation of Israel (Jacob).<br />
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So Obadiah talks about Esau and Jacob, Edom and Israel. Edom takes advantage of the situation rebellious Israel has found itself in. Israel is busy being handed over to the enemy and Edom sweeps in to gloat. In verse 15 we read that Edom will get exactly what they deserve based on what they have done. The prideful, high and mighty attitude of the Edomites would come crashing down.<br />
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In the last few verses we read about Israel and the blessing as they are restored to the area. Let us take note that in the end good triumphs - the goodness of God not the goodness of mankind.<br />
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Please enjoy the video on Obadiah from the folks at <a href="https://jointhebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Join the Bible Project</a>.<br />
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<b>Jonah</b><br />
This book, while short, provides a wonderful narrative that reveals so much about human nature. Jonah is one of those names from the Bible with which, it seems, many people are familiar. I think this is in large part due to the account of the great fish event - but do we know the whole story?<br />
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We begin with God calling Jonah to go to Nineveh (modern day Iraq) to preach a message. Rather than obedience, Jonah chooses to run from God by hopping on a ship and travelling in the opposite direction to a place called Tarshish which would have been in modern day Spain.<br />
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While at sea, a huge storm ravages the ship and the crew comes to blame Jonah for their predicament. Jonah tells the crew to toss him overboard in order to be rid of the problem. Unfortunately for Jonah, his desire to die was not to be granted. Enter the great fish. Jonah is there for three days and nights (Jonah 1:17).<br />
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**If God can do something as amazing as create the universe and everything within it, I think this is possible for God as well. Thing is... that is not the focus of the message... Let's continue.<br />
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Jonah cries out to the Lord, grateful for saving him and agrees to do what God asks. The great fish spits him out and Jonah then travels to Nineveh and delivers the short message that in 40 days Nineveh would be overthrown.<br />
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The people of Nineveh repent and God spares them the disaster which really upsets Jonah.<br />
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Jonah is angry because God spared the people of Nineveh - his enemies. He knew God was good and merciful but Jonah, in his heart wanted disaster for Nineveh. So Jonah heads out to the countryside and watches the city (Jonah 4:5). God has a plant grow up and provide some shade which Jonah likes (Jonah 4:6). God takes away the plant the next day (Jonah 4:7).<br />
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So God asks Jonah if he is angry about the plant and he replies in the affirmative (Jonah 4:9). Now God replies with a great question. You cared about the plant that you didn't even have to labor over and grow - should I not care about all these people?<br />
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**We sometimes complain when good things happen to bad people don't we? Just as God asks in Jonah 4:4 - Is it right for us to be angry?<br />
God cares about all of his creation. He calls each and every one of us to repentance and genuine love and obedience. Check your heart. Where are you at right now?<br />
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Please enjoy the video on Jonah from the folks at <a href="https://jointhebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Join the Bible Project</a>.<br />
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Until next timeUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1251069941604861522.post-36725011407875518002016-07-23T09:40:00.000-05:002016-07-23T09:40:28.297-05:00Stone 28 - Joel and AmosIn this post we will take a look at two short books - Joel and Amos. Let's see what these prophets have to say.<br />
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<b>Joel</b><br />
Here we start out with Joel receiving the word of the Lord. It is about a plague of locusts and the destruction that it caused. In the verses that follow, the utter destruction is described as well as the response. Indeed, we read about the priests who mourn (Joel 1:9), the land that grieves (Joel 1:10), and the human joy that has dried up (Joel 1:12).<br />
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Oh, but wait! Joel basically announces that if we thought this was bad - just experience the devastation to come (Joel 1:15). It is known as the Day of the Lord. Again, the next few verses describe the power and destruction. Joel asks, "...the Day of the Lord is terrible and dreadful- who can endure it?" (Joel 2:11)<br />
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Like other prophets, Joel calls for repentance. He says that the Lord asks them all to turn to Him (Joel 2:12).<br />
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**I really like the way verse 13 is worded. "Rend your hearts and not your garments. Many times we have read about how someone would tear their clothes and grieve but God wants more than that. he wants us to tear our hearts open - true repentance. Genuine worship. - not just a display.<br />
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God responds by restoring the land and the people. Note that this is a response to true repentance and is reflective of the wonderful grace and mercy that our God has to offer. God then promises to pour out His spirit on all people (Joel 2:28), to judge all the nations (Joel 3:2), and to restore Israel (Joel 3:17-21).<br />
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**Ultimately we continue to see this common thread appear... repent and turn to God.<br />
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<b>Amos</b><br />
We begin with proclamations of judgment against several nations...<br />
Damascus (Amos 1:3)<br />
Gaza (Amos 1:6)<br />
Tyre (Amos 1:9)<br />
Edom (Amos 1:11)<br />
The Ammonites (Amos 1:13)<br />
Moab (Amos 2:1)<br />
Judah (Amos 2:4)<br />
Israel (Amos 2:6)<br />
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Amos 3:2 recalls the covenant with Abraham which became the nation of Israel. However, the covenant was not kept by Israel and so consequences are in order. As a result, they would be given over to the enemy (Amos 3:11) and enslaved (Amos 4:1-3).<br />
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**Stubborn is the word that comes to mind. Israel was stubborn and would not listen despite several attempts to discipline and despite the warnings from prophets. Amos 4:6-11 states several times - "...yet you did not return to me."<br />
You have been warned.<br />
I think of today. Parents all over the world who love their children and try their best to warn them of the dangers of engaging in certain activities but they go ahead and do it anyway and ultimately pay the consequences. Not much has changed.<br />
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Amos 5:4 - Seek me and live!<br />
To this day... seek me and live! The message is still valid.<br />
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Amos 5:14 - Seek good and not evil so that you may live!<br />
The message is still valid.<br />
In Luke 18:19 Jesus says that no one is good except God alone. Seek good. Seek God.<br />
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Amos then has several visions.<br />
1. Locusts (Amos 7:1-3)<br />
2. Fire (Amos 7:4-6)<br />
3. Plumb Line (Amos 7:7-9)<br />
4. Basket of Fruit (Amos 8:1-14)<br />
5. Lord at the Altar (Amos 9:1-6)<br />
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Each vision was a form of judgment against Israel. Between the third and fourth vision there is mention of Amaziah, a priest, who was not happy with the proclamations that Amos was making (Amos 7:10-17).<br />
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Finally, Amos reveals a glimmer of hope. Restoration will come.<br />
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Please enjoy the videos about Joel and Amos from the folks over at <a href="https://jointhebibleproject.com/" target="_blank">Join the Bible Project</a>.<br />
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Until next time.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0