Revelation 18-19
Check out art by Marilyn Todd Daniels.
I will keep reading because I love the challenge, but I think it is time to quit taking the time to comment. Thanks to everyone who stuck with this for most of the summer. I enjoyed our "chats".
A pipe burst in the middle of the night in our master bath. I woke up at 5:30 and stepped into water in the master bedroom. There are pictures on Facebook. I don't know where anything is, and I realized I have way too much stuff. Not looking forward to putting it all back. Thank goodness it was downstairs and not upstairs.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Plagues, Bowls, and Beasts
Rev. 14-17
According to Revelation 14, the choices we may lead to brutal consequences on the day of judgement. What would you like to be doing when the day of judgement happens? What if it was tomorrow - would you be ready?
Revelation 15 talks about a song of the victorious (Rev. 15:2). What would be your song of victory? Have you ever felt imprisoned by the demands of culture or society?
Revelation 16 is about endurance. Patient endurance. What is the most difficult event you have had to endure? Do you think you could make it through the things the seven angels poured out on the earth? How would you minister to those who were suffering? What would you tell them about what was happening?
Are you familiar with the seven hills that are mentioned in Revelation 17? Check them out on the Internet (Wikipedia is a start). They were in Rome. It sounds like Babylon was ruled by Rome. Without the support of "the beast" (Rome), Babylon would perish.
See you tomorrow?
According to Revelation 14, the choices we may lead to brutal consequences on the day of judgement. What would you like to be doing when the day of judgement happens? What if it was tomorrow - would you be ready?
Revelation 15 talks about a song of the victorious (Rev. 15:2). What would be your song of victory? Have you ever felt imprisoned by the demands of culture or society?
Revelation 16 is about endurance. Patient endurance. What is the most difficult event you have had to endure? Do you think you could make it through the things the seven angels poured out on the earth? How would you minister to those who were suffering? What would you tell them about what was happening?
Are you familiar with the seven hills that are mentioned in Revelation 17? Check them out on the Internet (Wikipedia is a start). They were in Rome. It sounds like Babylon was ruled by Rome. Without the support of "the beast" (Rome), Babylon would perish.
New word for today: hegemony, as in "There was in John's day(and often still is) only a severely constrained range of possibilities for resisting the hegemony of the present day". Hegemony is the "preponderant influence or authority over others". "Preponderant" is a good word, too.
See you tomorrow?
Monday, August 23, 2010
Dragons and Beasts
Rev. 12-17
I have decided that most people are not reading this, so I am going to be very brief.
Does anyone remember the movie "Fisher King" with Robin Williams as one of the main characters? There is a scene in that movie with a red dragon. One of my favorite movies ever because it helped me understand homeless people. My brother was actually a "homeless person" for 3 years after a horrible incident in his life.
I have decided that most people are not reading this, so I am going to be very brief.
Does anyone remember the movie "Fisher King" with Robin Williams as one of the main characters? There is a scene in that movie with a red dragon. One of my favorite movies ever because it helped me understand homeless people. My brother was actually a "homeless person" for 3 years after a horrible incident in his life.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Sweeter than Honey - Not For Long
Rev. 9-11
Rev. 9:5 is the first verse that caught my attention today. "They were not given poor to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony that they suffered was like the sting of a scorpion...". Have you ever been stung by a scorpion? I was stung on the ankle when we lived out in Chappell Hill. The way I described it is that it was like getting stabbed with an ice pick in my ankle. I didn't know at that time that I was allergic to scorpions. I went back to the house, started working on the computer, and noticed I was having a hard time breathing. I happened to look in a mirror and noticed one side of my face was swollen almost twice it size. I honestly looked kind of like a monster. Fortunately my husband was at home and rushed me to the emergency room. That was one little scorpion and one bite. I do not like scorpions.
The picture of the locusts in verses 9:7-10 sounded rather interesting. I love the sound of locusts in the summer, but I do not like the look of locusts. The locusts in this scripture have crowns, human faces, and lions teeth. The noise of their wings is " like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle". I will listen to locusts a little differently tomorrow!
There are 35 wonderful artist's renditions of Revelation at http://www.revelationillustrated.com/.
The scroll that is "sweeter than honey" is in chapter 10:8-10. Compare this scripture to Ezekiel 3.
Chapter 11 is about prophets. What do you think about people who tell you what you are doing is wrong? Do you know any prophets in the church today?
Rev. 9:5 is the first verse that caught my attention today. "They were not given poor to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony that they suffered was like the sting of a scorpion...". Have you ever been stung by a scorpion? I was stung on the ankle when we lived out in Chappell Hill. The way I described it is that it was like getting stabbed with an ice pick in my ankle. I didn't know at that time that I was allergic to scorpions. I went back to the house, started working on the computer, and noticed I was having a hard time breathing. I happened to look in a mirror and noticed one side of my face was swollen almost twice it size. I honestly looked kind of like a monster. Fortunately my husband was at home and rushed me to the emergency room. That was one little scorpion and one bite. I do not like scorpions.
The picture of the locusts in verses 9:7-10 sounded rather interesting. I love the sound of locusts in the summer, but I do not like the look of locusts. The locusts in this scripture have crowns, human faces, and lions teeth. The noise of their wings is " like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle". I will listen to locusts a little differently tomorrow!
There are 35 wonderful artist's renditions of Revelation at http://www.revelationillustrated.com/.
The scroll that is "sweeter than honey" is in chapter 10:8-10. Compare this scripture to Ezekiel 3.
Chapter 11 is about prophets. What do you think about people who tell you what you are doing is wrong? Do you know any prophets in the church today?
Friday, August 20, 2010
Seals, Bowls, Trumpets, Horses, and Angels
Revelation 4-8
Rev. 4:8 "Holy, Holy, Holy, the Lord God Almighty..." Where do you remember words similar to this being used? First place that comes to mind is in the words of our communion liturgy. Every time I get to the third "Holy" I can feel my heart start to beat a little faster. What we are doing in that act of coming together in communion with God is an Xtreme holy moment. Is it Xtreme for you?
The second place I remember using "Holy, Holy, Holy" is in singing the song that is named "Holy, Holy, Holy". Growing up in a church that did not use liturgy for communion, that is my first remembrance of that word used three times together. I also remember singing this song in St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome on a "History of the Church" tour I lead with some church members. We were a small group, so the tour company connected us with a Catholic group. The Catholic priest arranged a morning vespers service for us in some rooms underneath the main part of the church. People from all over the world were in different rooms singing the same song in different languages. It was a very holy moment.
You might want to look over Ezekiel as you read Revelation. Rev. 4:6b-8 seem to be a direct allusion to Ezekiel 1:5, 18. Ezekiel's creatures have four faces each, whereas John has four different creatures that are full of eyes. In Ezekiel the eyes are attached to the wheels of a chariot.
There is a quote in the New Interpreter's Bible, Vol. XII, pg. 596 that says "Reading Ezekiel 1 was severely restricted by by ancient Jewish teachers because of it's use by visionaries and the dangers to faith and life that such visionary activity posed." This quote comes from something called "Megillah 4:10", so I had to look up "Megillah". This is the scroll of Esther that is read during Purim. Here is the link if you want to know more: www.mezuzahdoctor.com/MEGILLAH/megilah.htm.
I need to stop for now and go mow the back yard before it gets too hot (today is my day off). That will be my work out for today.
This is fascinating reading. I recommend an old movie called "The Seventh Sign" with Demi Moore that will make this reading come to life for you. I have it on VHS if you still have a VCR and want to borrow it.
Rev. 4:8 "Holy, Holy, Holy, the Lord God Almighty..." Where do you remember words similar to this being used? First place that comes to mind is in the words of our communion liturgy. Every time I get to the third "Holy" I can feel my heart start to beat a little faster. What we are doing in that act of coming together in communion with God is an Xtreme holy moment. Is it Xtreme for you?
The second place I remember using "Holy, Holy, Holy" is in singing the song that is named "Holy, Holy, Holy". Growing up in a church that did not use liturgy for communion, that is my first remembrance of that word used three times together. I also remember singing this song in St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome on a "History of the Church" tour I lead with some church members. We were a small group, so the tour company connected us with a Catholic group. The Catholic priest arranged a morning vespers service for us in some rooms underneath the main part of the church. People from all over the world were in different rooms singing the same song in different languages. It was a very holy moment.
You might want to look over Ezekiel as you read Revelation. Rev. 4:6b-8 seem to be a direct allusion to Ezekiel 1:5, 18. Ezekiel's creatures have four faces each, whereas John has four different creatures that are full of eyes. In Ezekiel the eyes are attached to the wheels of a chariot.
There is a quote in the New Interpreter's Bible, Vol. XII, pg. 596 that says "Reading Ezekiel 1 was severely restricted by by ancient Jewish teachers because of it's use by visionaries and the dangers to faith and life that such visionary activity posed." This quote comes from something called "Megillah 4:10", so I had to look up "Megillah". This is the scroll of Esther that is read during Purim. Here is the link if you want to know more: www.mezuzahdoctor.com/MEGILLAH/megilah.htm.
I need to stop for now and go mow the back yard before it gets too hot (today is my day off). That will be my work out for today.
This is fascinating reading. I recommend an old movie called "The Seventh Sign" with Demi Moore that will make this reading come to life for you. I have it on VHS if you still have a VCR and want to borrow it.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Approach with Caution
Jude, Revelation 1-3
Jude is not read or studied very often. One fascinating fact is that out of the 27 verses in Jude 15 appear in whole or in part in 2 Peter. That would be an interesting comparison to make. Verses 5-19 explains false teachers, then verses 20-23 encourage Christians to hold on despite the false teachers.
If you are familiar at all with Jude it is probably because of the benediction in verses 24-25:
"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen". I seem to remember that being given by a preacher or two at the end of a worship seervice. How do these two verses affect you?
Here's a good question from the "Reflect" section of my Serendipity Bible, "What is the most important lesson you learned from this letter?"
Now on to Revelation (notice the book does not end with an "s"). This is apocalyptic literature written in code. It is a strange and difficult book. John Barclay (who has written commentaries on all the books of the Bible) calls Revelation "the playground of religious eccentrics" (The Revelation of John: Daily Study Bible, Vol. 1, pg.1). Some people believe it is about the first century struggle between the church and Rome and others believe it is a prediction of future events.
Here is an interesting exercise, look into millennialism. Here is a good website I found:
www.religioustolerance.org/millenni.htm
I very much enjoyed the discussion this past Sunday in the Faith Builders Sunday School class. They are using the blog for their summer study.
Jude is not read or studied very often. One fascinating fact is that out of the 27 verses in Jude 15 appear in whole or in part in 2 Peter. That would be an interesting comparison to make. Verses 5-19 explains false teachers, then verses 20-23 encourage Christians to hold on despite the false teachers.
If you are familiar at all with Jude it is probably because of the benediction in verses 24-25:
"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen". I seem to remember that being given by a preacher or two at the end of a worship seervice. How do these two verses affect you?
Here's a good question from the "Reflect" section of my Serendipity Bible, "What is the most important lesson you learned from this letter?"
Now on to Revelation (notice the book does not end with an "s"). This is apocalyptic literature written in code. It is a strange and difficult book. John Barclay (who has written commentaries on all the books of the Bible) calls Revelation "the playground of religious eccentrics" (The Revelation of John: Daily Study Bible, Vol. 1, pg.1). Some people believe it is about the first century struggle between the church and Rome and others believe it is a prediction of future events.
Here is an interesting exercise, look into millennialism. Here is a good website I found:
www.religioustolerance.org/millenni.htm
I very much enjoyed the discussion this past Sunday in the Faith Builders Sunday School class. They are using the blog for their summer study.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Burn, Baby, Burn
1st and 2nd Peter
How many of you have heard of the Serendipity Bible for Groups? I love their introductions to chapters and their "Open, Dig, Reflect" questions. "Open" questions get groups to reflect on comfortable questions about how the scripture applies to life. The "Dig" questions are designed to "scratch, sniff, sift, and search...for clues of "what's going on here" or "what do you think?"...Always open ended to give the group a chance to talk about their own point of view". "Reflect" questions are designed to share on a deeper level.
The introduction to Peter talks about the FIRE in Rome in A.D. 64 (now called C. E. instead of A. D. to be politically correct). Three of the "wards" in Rome were totally destroyed, ten suffered damage. It was widely believed that Nero set the fire. In fact, it was well known he did nothing to contain it. Nero had a passion for building, and he needed a scapegoat to blame. The Christians received the "honor". Nero advanced the idea of Christian martyrdom.
The theme of 1st Peter is to encourage people to "Rejoice in that you participate in the sufferings of Christ" (1 Peter 4:13).
Open Questions: If you couldn't live in this country, where would you choose to live?...What did you do as a child that got you into the most trouble?...What is the authority figure you find the hardest to respect?'...As a child, how did you picture your Prince Charming or "girl of your dreams"?
2nd Peter is called "one of the most neglected books of the New Testament" (Barclay, The Letters of Peter and Paul, pg. 335). It deals with "laxity of lifestyle based on defective doctrine" (Serendipity New Testament for Groups, pg. 450).
I recommend purchasing a copy of a Serendipity Bible for questions to consider.
How many of you have heard of the Serendipity Bible for Groups? I love their introductions to chapters and their "Open, Dig, Reflect" questions. "Open" questions get groups to reflect on comfortable questions about how the scripture applies to life. The "Dig" questions are designed to "scratch, sniff, sift, and search...for clues of "what's going on here" or "what do you think?"...Always open ended to give the group a chance to talk about their own point of view". "Reflect" questions are designed to share on a deeper level.
The introduction to Peter talks about the FIRE in Rome in A.D. 64 (now called C. E. instead of A. D. to be politically correct). Three of the "wards" in Rome were totally destroyed, ten suffered damage. It was widely believed that Nero set the fire. In fact, it was well known he did nothing to contain it. Nero had a passion for building, and he needed a scapegoat to blame. The Christians received the "honor". Nero advanced the idea of Christian martyrdom.
The theme of 1st Peter is to encourage people to "Rejoice in that you participate in the sufferings of Christ" (1 Peter 4:13).
Open Questions: If you couldn't live in this country, where would you choose to live?...What did you do as a child that got you into the most trouble?...What is the authority figure you find the hardest to respect?'...As a child, how did you picture your Prince Charming or "girl of your dreams"?
2nd Peter is called "one of the most neglected books of the New Testament" (Barclay, The Letters of Peter and Paul, pg. 335). It deals with "laxity of lifestyle based on defective doctrine" (Serendipity New Testament for Groups, pg. 450).
I recommend purchasing a copy of a Serendipity Bible for questions to consider.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Suffering, Betrayal, and Good Household Mgt.
2 Tim. 2-4, Titus 1-3
It is Saturday and I have a lot to catch up on so this will be brief. These are not verses that we focus on often, so it takes a lot of thought.
First verse that struck me was 2 Tim. 2:14..."Avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening". Seems like good advice.
2 Tim. 2:23 is even better..."Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels". Continuing in verse 25, "And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome, but kindly to everyone...". I guess the problem is deciding what is "stupid and senseless". For some it seems that the controversies are a matter of eternal life or eternal death. I wish it were more simple because the controversies are what divides us.
I love Paul's ability to use metaphors and paint pictures. Chapter 2 talks about soldiers, farmers, gangrene, and utensils. He's good at descriptions that can stick with you.
Titus is all about organization. I like Titus 1:15, "To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure." I think might help explain the value of being naive. I would rather be naive than "corrupt and unbelieving".
I encourage you to read these chapters. They are in the Bible.
It is Saturday and I have a lot to catch up on so this will be brief. These are not verses that we focus on often, so it takes a lot of thought.
First verse that struck me was 2 Tim. 2:14..."Avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening". Seems like good advice.
2 Tim. 2:23 is even better..."Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels". Continuing in verse 25, "And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome, but kindly to everyone...". I guess the problem is deciding what is "stupid and senseless". For some it seems that the controversies are a matter of eternal life or eternal death. I wish it were more simple because the controversies are what divides us.
I love Paul's ability to use metaphors and paint pictures. Chapter 2 talks about soldiers, farmers, gangrene, and utensils. He's good at descriptions that can stick with you.
Titus is all about organization. I like Titus 1:15, "To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure." I think might help explain the value of being naive. I would rather be naive than "corrupt and unbelieving".
I encourage you to read these chapters. They are in the Bible.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
False Teachers and Social Order
1 Timothy 1 - 4
Interesting thing about the letters to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon is that they are all letters addressed to an individual, not to a church. There seems to be a problem with some of the local leadership, so it is safer to send a letter directly to his trusted friends than to the church as a whole. Paul spends a great deal of time outlining the qualifications of leaders in the church - and it is not information found in the letters to churches.
These people were in a hostile Roman occupied situation that was nothing like our Western democracy where we have the constitutional rights of freedom of speech and "all are created equal".
As a woman in ministry who is encouraged to "take authority" over certain situations, I am saddened by the power the few words in 2:11-15 have had for women. The 4 words "she must be silent" hurt me to my core of my being. I just don't think Jesus would have given this kind of advice. Oh wait - Jesus didn't! I love Jesus.
Chapter 4:4 is a verse I particularly like..."For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving." And 4:7 -8 "Train yourself in godliness, for while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way." Many are not physically or spiritually fit. We tend to be more concerned about being about the business and pleasures of this world when it comes to how we spend the majority of our time.
If you were to design a spiritual fitness training program, what would it look like? We are trying to get people to sign up for Disciple Bible Study at our church, and I am even offering Disciple Bible Study for Busy People and cutting the class time down to one hour, but we aren't getting many to sign up to participate. Maybe people's brains are still on vacation. I get to choose not to take summer vacations. It's too hot here in this part of Texas.
Let me know if you have any ideas about how to get people interested in real spiritual fitness. I am praying for revival of the Holy Spirit.
Interesting thing about the letters to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon is that they are all letters addressed to an individual, not to a church. There seems to be a problem with some of the local leadership, so it is safer to send a letter directly to his trusted friends than to the church as a whole. Paul spends a great deal of time outlining the qualifications of leaders in the church - and it is not information found in the letters to churches.
These people were in a hostile Roman occupied situation that was nothing like our Western democracy where we have the constitutional rights of freedom of speech and "all are created equal".
As a woman in ministry who is encouraged to "take authority" over certain situations, I am saddened by the power the few words in 2:11-15 have had for women. The 4 words "she must be silent" hurt me to my core of my being. I just don't think Jesus would have given this kind of advice. Oh wait - Jesus didn't! I love Jesus.
Chapter 4:4 is a verse I particularly like..."For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving." And 4:7 -8 "Train yourself in godliness, for while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way." Many are not physically or spiritually fit. We tend to be more concerned about being about the business and pleasures of this world when it comes to how we spend the majority of our time.
If you were to design a spiritual fitness training program, what would it look like? We are trying to get people to sign up for Disciple Bible Study at our church, and I am even offering Disciple Bible Study for Busy People and cutting the class time down to one hour, but we aren't getting many to sign up to participate. Maybe people's brains are still on vacation. I get to choose not to take summer vacations. It's too hot here in this part of Texas.
Let me know if you have any ideas about how to get people interested in real spiritual fitness. I am praying for revival of the Holy Spirit.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Persistence
James 5, 1 Thessalonians 1-4, 2 Thessalonians 1-2
I thought reading a few chapters a day and commenting on them would be interesting summer reading to help our congregation stay more "up" on their Bible reading. It has been a real challenge for me because I have felt I needed to set the pace and keep up. I didn't realize how difficult that it was to just get the reading done, much less come up with comments that would hopefully result in some dialogue.
It is amazing to me how little Christians know about the Bible. I think if they understood it more, their faith would be stronger and people would be kinder to each other. We would be more accepting of our differences of opinion and we would focus on what breaks the heart of God.
James 5 has a lot to say about arrogance and solidarity. We need to be careful about accumulating possessions that will rot and rust. And here's an interesting verse, James 5:9, "Do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged". Verse 11 encourages endurance. Ah - that would be wonderful if we prayed for healing of situations instead of grumbling about them.
1 and 2 Thessalonians are letters written by Paul to a church where he was only able to stay a very short time. After only 3 Sabbaths of preaching, there is a lot of grumbling going on by some of the Jews (Act 17:5) because people like what Paul has to say, so these jealous Jews gather people from the marketplace to start a riot in the city. These Jews apparently told "the mob" that Paul and and his friends "are defying Caesar's decrees, saying there is another king, one called Jesus".
After such a brief start, these new converts were having some problems so Paul addresses some of their concerns. I particularly like James 4:11 "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands". Some felt since the second coming was near, they could just quit working. Others were worried about those who died before the Lord's return. Paul assures them that the dead in Christ will rise first (4:16).
2 Thessalonians compliments 1 Thessalonians. Basically Paul is encouraging the converts and thanking them for "hanging in there". He also encourages them again not to be idle while they wait for the second coming. He says in verse 3:11 "They are not busy, they are busybodies" (oops - getting ahead on the readings!).
I have learned so much from this discipline of reading and this blogging has definitely kept me busy. The other books I want to read are stacking up. Also, I did not purchase even one book for myself at Leadership Summit, although I do want to get a copy of Jack Welch's book called "Winning" since Bill Hybels reads it again every 6 months. Must be a pretty good book.
Love to hear your comments. Going to an Emmaus closing this afternoon. Keep reading.
I thought reading a few chapters a day and commenting on them would be interesting summer reading to help our congregation stay more "up" on their Bible reading. It has been a real challenge for me because I have felt I needed to set the pace and keep up. I didn't realize how difficult that it was to just get the reading done, much less come up with comments that would hopefully result in some dialogue.
It is amazing to me how little Christians know about the Bible. I think if they understood it more, their faith would be stronger and people would be kinder to each other. We would be more accepting of our differences of opinion and we would focus on what breaks the heart of God.
James 5 has a lot to say about arrogance and solidarity. We need to be careful about accumulating possessions that will rot and rust. And here's an interesting verse, James 5:9, "Do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged". Verse 11 encourages endurance. Ah - that would be wonderful if we prayed for healing of situations instead of grumbling about them.
1 and 2 Thessalonians are letters written by Paul to a church where he was only able to stay a very short time. After only 3 Sabbaths of preaching, there is a lot of grumbling going on by some of the Jews (Act 17:5) because people like what Paul has to say, so these jealous Jews gather people from the marketplace to start a riot in the city. These Jews apparently told "the mob" that Paul and and his friends "are defying Caesar's decrees, saying there is another king, one called Jesus".
After such a brief start, these new converts were having some problems so Paul addresses some of their concerns. I particularly like James 4:11 "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands". Some felt since the second coming was near, they could just quit working. Others were worried about those who died before the Lord's return. Paul assures them that the dead in Christ will rise first (4:16).
2 Thessalonians compliments 1 Thessalonians. Basically Paul is encouraging the converts and thanking them for "hanging in there". He also encourages them again not to be idle while they wait for the second coming. He says in verse 3:11 "They are not busy, they are busybodies" (oops - getting ahead on the readings!).
I have learned so much from this discipline of reading and this blogging has definitely kept me busy. The other books I want to read are stacking up. Also, I did not purchase even one book for myself at Leadership Summit, although I do want to get a copy of Jack Welch's book called "Winning" since Bill Hybels reads it again every 6 months. Must be a pretty good book.
Love to hear your comments. Going to an Emmaus closing this afternoon. Keep reading.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Love, Light, Love - and Watch Yo Mouth
1 John 2-5, 2 John, 3 John, and James 1-4
There are a lot of good statements in these readings. I am going to list a few that grabbed me. Let me know which verses struck you as interesting...
1 John 2:11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him. (Christine Caine www.equipandempower.org had an amazing message about the darkness of human trafficking in her message to the Global Leadership Summit today. Wow!)
1 John 3:1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God! And that is what we are! (Do they have exclamation points in Greek?)
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love casts out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
1 John 5:19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.
The issue addressed by 2nd and 3rd John is that of wandering missionaries. Roman Inns were notorious for being dirty and flea infested. It was hard to distinguish between false prophets and angels. Look up the word Didache. It was an early church manual that suggested rules for the reception of itinerant ministers. A prophet who stayed longer than 3 days, or asked for money, was a false prophet.
Beads of wisdom in James. "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has withstood the test, he will receive the crown of life..." (James 1:12) and "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry" (James 1:19).
James 3 is about taming the tongue. The tongue is like a small bit in a horse's mouth or the rudder on a ship, and is "full of deadly poison" (James 3:8). Maybe today we should change tongue to fingers. Email has a tendency to be very misunderstood. Just call me if you don't understand something I have written. It takes too long to type.
James 4:1 "What causes fights and quarrels among you?" Oh that we would "humble ourselves before the Lord" (James 4:10a) so that he could lift us up (4b).
Remember - "You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14b).
I love the book of James!
There are a lot of good statements in these readings. I am going to list a few that grabbed me. Let me know which verses struck you as interesting...
1 John 2:11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him. (Christine Caine www.equipandempower.org had an amazing message about the darkness of human trafficking in her message to the Global Leadership Summit today. Wow!)
1 John 3:1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God! And that is what we are! (Do they have exclamation points in Greek?)
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love casts out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
1 John 5:19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.
The issue addressed by 2nd and 3rd John is that of wandering missionaries. Roman Inns were notorious for being dirty and flea infested. It was hard to distinguish between false prophets and angels. Look up the word Didache. It was an early church manual that suggested rules for the reception of itinerant ministers. A prophet who stayed longer than 3 days, or asked for money, was a false prophet.
Beads of wisdom in James. "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has withstood the test, he will receive the crown of life..." (James 1:12) and "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry" (James 1:19).
James 3 is about taming the tongue. The tongue is like a small bit in a horse's mouth or the rudder on a ship, and is "full of deadly poison" (James 3:8). Maybe today we should change tongue to fingers. Email has a tendency to be very misunderstood. Just call me if you don't understand something I have written. It takes too long to type.
James 4:1 "What causes fights and quarrels among you?" Oh that we would "humble ourselves before the Lord" (James 4:10a) so that he could lift us up (4b).
Remember - "You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14b).
I love the book of James!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Pray for Us!
Hebrews 13, 1 John 1
There is nothing stranger to me than trying to recruit shepherds (faith leaders) for our Children and Youth programs here at the church. Hebrews 13:2 says "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so some people have entertained angels without knowing it." Getting to know 2 year olds through senior high youth is like getting to know strangers. They are not the people you hang out with on a regular basis. I have always found them to be angels in disguise. Why don't people want to hang out with angels?
I know some people have children of a particular age feel like they need a "break" from their own children. What a great way to get to know what your child will be facing when they get to junior and senior high! Or - what a great way to remember what it was like when your children were small and their lives weren't as stressful, Sunday School was fun, and they didn't complain about "having to go".
1 John 1 talks about fellowship and light. The letter is written to "make our joy complete"
(1 John 1:4). If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another...". The problem seems to have been heresy of some kind. There's been a church split.
I want to be the light. I don't want the darkness of being out of fellowship with fellow believers. I want to illumine the Bible so it makes sense to follow Christ. Any ideas you might have about encouraging people to "entertain" our angels would be greatly appreciated.
There is nothing stranger to me than trying to recruit shepherds (faith leaders) for our Children and Youth programs here at the church. Hebrews 13:2 says "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so some people have entertained angels without knowing it." Getting to know 2 year olds through senior high youth is like getting to know strangers. They are not the people you hang out with on a regular basis. I have always found them to be angels in disguise. Why don't people want to hang out with angels?
I know some people have children of a particular age feel like they need a "break" from their own children. What a great way to get to know what your child will be facing when they get to junior and senior high! Or - what a great way to remember what it was like when your children were small and their lives weren't as stressful, Sunday School was fun, and they didn't complain about "having to go".
1 John 1 talks about fellowship and light. The letter is written to "make our joy complete"
(1 John 1:4). If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another...". The problem seems to have been heresy of some kind. There's been a church split.
I want to be the light. I don't want the darkness of being out of fellowship with fellow believers. I want to illumine the Bible so it makes sense to follow Christ. Any ideas you might have about encouraging people to "entertain" our angels would be greatly appreciated.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Ritual and/or Relationship
Hebrews 7-12
Hebrew 7:11 talks about attaining perfection. What in your world is perfect? What is the perfect meal? The perfect evening? The perfect you? We can be very critical of others, not realizing that we are just as imperfect in many ways.
The writer of Hebrews talks about ritual not accomplishing the perfection that was desired by the people of God. I grew up in a church that did not use rituals like an affirmation of faith or communion liturgy. What I find comforting now about these rituals is that I feel "a part of" a larger Christian community when I visit other mainline denominational churches because we have something about our "order of worship" in common. I am not a total stranger to strange customs as I once was. Even though we are different denominations, we know similar words.
When I go to services where there is no ritual, there is a tendency to not know what exactly that church believes. There is an acceptance because of using the same book and talking about the same stories, and it takes awhile to get down to what actually makes those churches "non-denominational".
The writer of Hebrews uses the word "conscience" several times (9:9, 14; 10:2, 22; 13:18). Conscience would refer to "the center of our being, doing, and valuing...the seat of all conduct and relationships" (The New Interpreter's Bible, Vol. XII, pg. 117). Ritual without relationship, to me, is empty. Except as I mentioned, the ritual does help me feel a part of a group.
Knowing that Christ is my mediator (Heb. 9:15) helps me because I know sometimes what I am trying to say or do isn't making any sense, and asking for help from the source of what I am trying to get across makes me a little more confident (Hebrew 10:19) in the outcome.
Jeremiah, Psalms, Proverbs, Deuteronomy, Habakkuk, and even Haggai are quoted. When was the last time you even read Habakkuk and Haggai? Have you ever read them?
I like Hebrews 10:24 "Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds". That is definitely the "work" of the church. Through the constant reminders, if we take advantage of the opportunities, the people in a church are "provoked" to do lot of good in this world. The local church is the hope of the world! The hope begins in me, and with the help of others, I can accomplish more than I ever could by myself. So, then I am not frustrated with the little that I can do.
I learned another new word - ennui. This is the sentence, "If the writer of Hebrews thinks the church being addressed is even approaching ennui, then one can better understand the intensity of the warning against apostasy." According to Webster's dictionary ennui means a feeling of weariness or dissatisfaction. Good word! But definitely not a good feeling.
Hebrews 11:1 is the most familiar verse in the whole reading. What do you hope for? I hope for a day when Christians can get along with each other. Come Lord Jesus Come.
Enough for today.
Hebrew 7:11 talks about attaining perfection. What in your world is perfect? What is the perfect meal? The perfect evening? The perfect you? We can be very critical of others, not realizing that we are just as imperfect in many ways.
The writer of Hebrews talks about ritual not accomplishing the perfection that was desired by the people of God. I grew up in a church that did not use rituals like an affirmation of faith or communion liturgy. What I find comforting now about these rituals is that I feel "a part of" a larger Christian community when I visit other mainline denominational churches because we have something about our "order of worship" in common. I am not a total stranger to strange customs as I once was. Even though we are different denominations, we know similar words.
When I go to services where there is no ritual, there is a tendency to not know what exactly that church believes. There is an acceptance because of using the same book and talking about the same stories, and it takes awhile to get down to what actually makes those churches "non-denominational".
The writer of Hebrews uses the word "conscience" several times (9:9, 14; 10:2, 22; 13:18). Conscience would refer to "the center of our being, doing, and valuing...the seat of all conduct and relationships" (The New Interpreter's Bible, Vol. XII, pg. 117). Ritual without relationship, to me, is empty. Except as I mentioned, the ritual does help me feel a part of a group.
Knowing that Christ is my mediator (Heb. 9:15) helps me because I know sometimes what I am trying to say or do isn't making any sense, and asking for help from the source of what I am trying to get across makes me a little more confident (Hebrew 10:19) in the outcome.
Jeremiah, Psalms, Proverbs, Deuteronomy, Habakkuk, and even Haggai are quoted. When was the last time you even read Habakkuk and Haggai? Have you ever read them?
I like Hebrews 10:24 "Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds". That is definitely the "work" of the church. Through the constant reminders, if we take advantage of the opportunities, the people in a church are "provoked" to do lot of good in this world. The local church is the hope of the world! The hope begins in me, and with the help of others, I can accomplish more than I ever could by myself. So, then I am not frustrated with the little that I can do.
I learned another new word - ennui. This is the sentence, "If the writer of Hebrews thinks the church being addressed is even approaching ennui, then one can better understand the intensity of the warning against apostasy." According to Webster's dictionary ennui means a feeling of weariness or dissatisfaction. Good word! But definitely not a good feeling.
Hebrews 11:1 is the most familiar verse in the whole reading. What do you hope for? I hope for a day when Christians can get along with each other. Come Lord Jesus Come.
Enough for today.
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