Hello, just wanted to share how much reading the new testament about Jesus is so encouraging and refreshing!!!! I am listing some of my favorite parts. You don't have to read them all. It's for my own reference. :p
Chrono Oct notes
Luke 5:1-10
Go away from me Lord, I am a sinful man. -Simon Peter (the rock, hold keys to kingdom)
Spiritual Food- God's word n saving the lost. John 4:27-28. People have sowed 4 us, we need to reap.
John 3:25-36 the joy is mine, and now is complete. 'He must become greater; I must become less.'
John 3:15-24 Jesus is the light. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
John 4:4-26 Drink from Jesus water, u will never thirst again.
John 1- Story of Nathanial saying something bad about Jesus but Jesus saw good.
Matt 3:7-10 Produce fruit in keeping w/ repentance.
John 4:22-26 True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit n truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Lord seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and truth!
I desire mercy not sacrifice. For I have not come to save the righteous but sinners. Matt 9:10-13
Jesus testimony is powerful n weightier.
"You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. You diligently study the scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the scriptures that testify about me(Christ), yet you refuse to come to me to have life. I do not accept praise from men, but i know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. John 5:30-47
Matt 5:13-16 I am the salt of the earth, but if I lose the saltiness, how can it be made salty again. It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
Be the light of the world...do not hide ur light.
Matt 5:21-26 if you are angry w/ ur brother, you will be subject to judgement.
Settle matters quickly!
Matt 5:27-30 looking at someone lustfully is the same as committing adultry w/ them in ur heart.
Matt 5:33-37 Do not swear by anything. Let your yes be yes and your no be no.
Matt 5:38-42 If someone slaps ur cheek, let them slap the other side too. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
Matt 5:43-48 Love my enemies n pray 4 those who persecute me. What good is it to love those who love me. What reward will I get? Even sinners do that. Love enemies, do good to them and to them without expecting anything back. Then my reward will be great and will be sons of the most high, because he is kind to the ungrateful n wicked. Be merciful as your father is merciful.
Give in secret, do not announce.
Fast in private and unknown.
Matt 6:19-21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Spiritual eyes! What you see is very important in maintaining purity.
Matt 6:25-34 Do not worry. God will take care of me in all aspects of life. Worrying will not add a single HR to my life.
Matt 7:6 Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
Matt 7:15-23 good fruit = good fruit; bad fruit=bad fruit. No good fruit can bear bad fruit. If u do not bear good fruit, is cut down n thrown into the fire.
The good man brings good things w/ the good stored in him.
For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
Matt 7:24-27 Build my foundation on sound rock...nothing will shake me! I am solid in the Lord.
Matt 7:28-39 Jesus spoke w/ authority not as the teachers of the law did.
Matt 12:31-37 Blasphemy of the holy spirit is a no no! We will need to give account on the day of judgement for every careless word I have spoken. By my words I will be acquitted and condemned.
Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it! Matt 12:45
The eyes is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body is full of light, but when it's bad, full of darkness.
Do not fear men but God. Men can kill the body and can do no more. God can kill the body and throw you in hell. Yes, I tell you...fear him.
I must be ready, because the son of man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Luke 12:35-40
For everyone who has been entrusted w/ much, much more will be asked.
Luke 12:49-59 Jesus did not come to bring peace, but division! judge for yourselves what is right! You already know what you ought to do!
Luke 13:1-5 No such thing as the worse sinner. Unless you repent, you are doomed to go to hell n perish.
Fig tree that bears no fruit....cut it down! It's using up soil n space.
Matt 13:24-43 Parable of weeds n wheat.
Matt 13:53-58 Prophet w/ out honor. Jesus came home to find a place that lacked faith. He did not do many miracles because of their lack of faith.
Pharisees were blind guides leading the blind...they will eventually fall into the pit.
It's not what goes into ur mouth that makes you unclean but what comes out of the mouth...evil thoughts, murder, adultry, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. Matt 15:15-20
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Esther
Esther is a great story about a person in authority can help an entire people. Interesting note though, Esther was a Jew, but she became Queen and married someone who was not Jewish. Since she was Queen she was able to save the Jews. Anyone have any thoughts about that?
Monday, October 26, 2009
Beatitudes
Beatitudes:
Matthew 5:1-12
Beatitudes are so called because they begin with the expression "blessed is" or "happy is".
(Hebrew ashre; Greek makarios; Latin beatus).
Notes on a couple of them:
1) Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 5:3)
Poor in spirit: Not those who are spiritually poor, that is lacking in faith or love, but those who have a humble spirit and thus depend on God.
There is a similar scripture in Luke 6:20.
Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of heaven.
From James 5:5 Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him.
2) Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. (Matt 5:5)
Meekness: Humility and gentleness, usually exhibited during suffering and accompanied by faith in God.
Gentleness and faithfulness are fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Definitions are from Holman Illustrated Pocket Bible Dictionary.
Matthew 5:1-12
Beatitudes are so called because they begin with the expression "blessed is" or "happy is".
(Hebrew ashre; Greek makarios; Latin beatus).
Notes on a couple of them:
1) Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 5:3)
Poor in spirit: Not those who are spiritually poor, that is lacking in faith or love, but those who have a humble spirit and thus depend on God.
There is a similar scripture in Luke 6:20.
Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of heaven.
From James 5:5 Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him.
2) Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. (Matt 5:5)
Meekness: Humility and gentleness, usually exhibited during suffering and accompanied by faith in God.
Gentleness and faithfulness are fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Definitions are from Holman Illustrated Pocket Bible Dictionary.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
some thoughts and Bob's message
Some thoughts I had from yesterday and today's reading...
1) Mk 1:23-28, Lk 4:33-37
Jesus healed a man who was possessed by an evil spirit. "The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. The people were amazed..."
I wonder what the people saw? Did they only see the man violently shaking? Did they see any detail of the spirit at all? Or was it like the horror movies we watch and there was a gust of wind but the spirit was otherwise not visible to human eyes? Such is the case now (generally), we don't see the evil spirits amongst us (though there have been stories of "encounters"... and if we did see them, undoubtedly we would all run to God out of fear rite?) hmm?
2) Mt 8:1-4, Mk 1:40-45, Lk 5:12-16
A paralytic was lowered through the roof above Jesus, and Jesus said to the paralytic "Son, your sins are forgiven." When the teachers of the law snickered, Jesus asked "Which is easier: to say... 'your sins are forgiven' or 'get up and take your mat and walk'"?
Forgive means to grant pardon; cancel indebtedness or liability. It's interesting that here, Jesus forgave the paralytic for his sins, knowing that He will pay the price for those sins within a year or so on the cross. Also, when God forgives us, He doesn't simply forgive that sin, He forgives the whole of us. Forgiveness cannot be parceled out piecemeal. It cannot be applied to one single behavior or incident in one's life without also being applied to the whole life. Real forgiveness, like real love, encompasses the entire person.
3) "A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out."
I love that.
4) Mk 3:13-19, Lk 6:12-16
No need for us to wonder who were the 12 apostles, they are listed here :)
Last, Bob delivered an amazing message on Heaven and Hell today. I wanted to share it in case you have time to listen to it or look at the notes (copy and paste the URL below to a [new] browser)...
http://www.ocregion.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=425&Itemid=9
Have a great week everyone,
:) Tera
1) Mk 1:23-28, Lk 4:33-37
Jesus healed a man who was possessed by an evil spirit. "The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. The people were amazed..."
I wonder what the people saw? Did they only see the man violently shaking? Did they see any detail of the spirit at all? Or was it like the horror movies we watch and there was a gust of wind but the spirit was otherwise not visible to human eyes? Such is the case now (generally), we don't see the evil spirits amongst us (though there have been stories of "encounters"... and if we did see them, undoubtedly we would all run to God out of fear rite?) hmm?
2) Mt 8:1-4, Mk 1:40-45, Lk 5:12-16
A paralytic was lowered through the roof above Jesus, and Jesus said to the paralytic "Son, your sins are forgiven." When the teachers of the law snickered, Jesus asked "Which is easier: to say... 'your sins are forgiven' or 'get up and take your mat and walk'"?
Forgive means to grant pardon; cancel indebtedness or liability. It's interesting that here, Jesus forgave the paralytic for his sins, knowing that He will pay the price for those sins within a year or so on the cross. Also, when God forgives us, He doesn't simply forgive that sin, He forgives the whole of us. Forgiveness cannot be parceled out piecemeal. It cannot be applied to one single behavior or incident in one's life without also being applied to the whole life. Real forgiveness, like real love, encompasses the entire person.
3) "A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out."
I love that.
4) Mk 3:13-19, Lk 6:12-16
No need for us to wonder who were the 12 apostles, they are listed here :)
Last, Bob delivered an amazing message on Heaven and Hell today. I wanted to share it in case you have time to listen to it or look at the notes (copy and paste the URL below to a [new] browser)...
http://www.ocregion.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=425&Itemid=9
Have a great week everyone,
:) Tera
Friday, October 23, 2009
The Gospel of John movie/DVD
Today's reading was mostly from John's Gospel and it reminded me of the movie, which was word for word from the Book of John, Good News Bible translation. The movie is about 3 hours long and is really good. I have Mitch and Jackie's copy, which I should probably return, after watching it one more time. :)
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
What is myrrh?
What is myrrh?
Matthew 2:11 (NIV) Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. (Given to Jesus after his birth)
Myrrh: Aromatic resin used as an ingredient in anointing oil (Exodus 30:23), applied as perfume (Ester 2:12), placed in cloths to deodorize them (Ps 45:8), given as gift (Matt 2:11), and used to embalm bodies (John 19:39)
Holman Illustrated Pocket Bible Dictionary
John 19:39 (NIV) Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about 75 pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. (Jesus’ burial)
I think the connection between anointing (setting apart), Jesus’ birth, and Jesus’ burial is interesting. Always the King!!!
Matthew 2:11 (NIV) Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. (Given to Jesus after his birth)
Myrrh: Aromatic resin used as an ingredient in anointing oil (Exodus 30:23), applied as perfume (Ester 2:12), placed in cloths to deodorize them (Ps 45:8), given as gift (Matt 2:11), and used to embalm bodies (John 19:39)
Holman Illustrated Pocket Bible Dictionary
John 19:39 (NIV) Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about 75 pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. (Jesus’ burial)
I think the connection between anointing (setting apart), Jesus’ birth, and Jesus’ burial is interesting. Always the King!!!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Tid Bits
John the Baptist and Jesus were cousins. I always found that fascinating!
They were going to name John the Baptist...Zechariah. Back then John was not a common name thus why John was chosen over Z. Pretty funny how today, 1 of every 25 male is name John. Jk! I made that statistic up. Haha! Just wanted to sound smart. Teehee!
I like the name Immanual. It means God is with us! Coolio.
I continue to respect and admire what Mary did and went through to bring Jesus in this world. She had great trust.
And talk about contentment! Anna the Prophetess rocks. Married to the man of her dreams for 7 years and then becomes a widow until she was 84 yrs old! That's 77 yrs of being single! WOW! Not only that, she devoted her whole life to God through fasting and praying! Truly inspiring! She was focused on Jesus!
They were going to name John the Baptist...Zechariah. Back then John was not a common name thus why John was chosen over Z. Pretty funny how today, 1 of every 25 male is name John. Jk! I made that statistic up. Haha! Just wanted to sound smart. Teehee!
I like the name Immanual. It means God is with us! Coolio.
I continue to respect and admire what Mary did and went through to bring Jesus in this world. She had great trust.
And talk about contentment! Anna the Prophetess rocks. Married to the man of her dreams for 7 years and then becomes a widow until she was 84 yrs old! That's 77 yrs of being single! WOW! Not only that, she devoted her whole life to God through fasting and praying! Truly inspiring! She was focused on Jesus!
Psalms
I like the Psalms that are placed towards the end of the OT. I think they fit the time of the people coming back from the exile. There's a sobriety of coming back from the exile. They've been out there and been away from God, but are back now for real. For me too reading them today, they felt right. God is there to save us and his love endures forever. Even when we keep messing up he's there to save us.
I know this was a little while ago, so you can see I'm behind in the reading. I think maybe some of the slowdown on the blog is because we are all at different places in the reading. I hope we can catch up to on pace so that we can all be reading this together. I'm 19 days back now, but when I can I'm reading 2 days at a time to catch up. There's not much time left for this year!
Great posts the last few days too!
Monday, October 19, 2009
The Genealogies of Jesus
The Genealogies of Jesus show that Jesus is a desendant of David, whose dad is Jesse, fulfilling Isaiah 9:6-7 (June 29) and Isaiah 11:1-5 (June 30):
Isaiah 9:6-7:
Isa 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, 27 Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isa 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.
Chrono Bible, June 29
The Holy Bible, New International Version
and
Isaiah 11:1-5
Isa 11:1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
Isa 11:2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD—
Isa 11:3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears;
Isa 11:4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath
of his lips he will slay the wicked.
Isa 11:5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
Chrono Bible, June 30
The Holy Bible, New International Version
Isaiah 9:6-7:
Isa 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, 27 Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isa 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.
Chrono Bible, June 29
The Holy Bible, New International Version
and
Isaiah 11:1-5
Isa 11:1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
Isa 11:2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD—
Isa 11:3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears;
Isa 11:4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath
of his lips he will slay the wicked.
Isa 11:5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
Chrono Bible, June 30
The Holy Bible, New International Version
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Jesus!
We have been reading the old testament for over TEN months and alas the hero, the reason for the season, the Word, the "true light that gives light to every man," the Son, and through whom "all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made," our love, and our life.... JESUS was born.
(My date introduced me to this artist and song last night, GREAT song!)
(My date introduced me to this artist and song last night, GREAT song!)
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Nehemiah's Prayer
Nehemiah's Prayer:
Nehemiah 1:4-11a
Verse 4: Nehemiah mourned, fasted and prayed.
He was in touch with his emotions, fasting probably helped him get in touch with how dependent he was on God.
Verse 5: Nehemiah realized the importance of both loving and obeying God.
Verse 6 and 7: Prayed both day and night. Nehemiah prays for himself and others.
He confesses the sin of his country, his family and himself.
He would pray whenever he felt the need. He understood the importance of confessing sin.
Verse 8, 9 & 10: The unfaithful will be scattered, but if they return to God and obey his commands, they will be gathered and redeemed by God.
Verse 11: Prayed for success before going to the king.
We should pray for success for the events that come up in our lives, through out the day.
Nehemiah 2:1-3 He goes to and talks to the king
Verse 4: The king asks him what he wanted, Nehemiah stopped to pray to God before answering the king.
Nehemiah is quite the prayer warrior! He prays night and day, before he has to do things, and even in the middle of conversations!
We can learn a lot from him.
Nehemiah 1:4-11a
Verse 4: Nehemiah mourned, fasted and prayed.
He was in touch with his emotions, fasting probably helped him get in touch with how dependent he was on God.
Verse 5: Nehemiah realized the importance of both loving and obeying God.
Verse 6 and 7: Prayed both day and night. Nehemiah prays for himself and others.
He confesses the sin of his country, his family and himself.
He would pray whenever he felt the need. He understood the importance of confessing sin.
Verse 8, 9 & 10: The unfaithful will be scattered, but if they return to God and obey his commands, they will be gathered and redeemed by God.
Verse 11: Prayed for success before going to the king.
We should pray for success for the events that come up in our lives, through out the day.
Nehemiah 2:1-3 He goes to and talks to the king
Verse 4: The king asks him what he wanted, Nehemiah stopped to pray to God before answering the king.
Nehemiah is quite the prayer warrior! He prays night and day, before he has to do things, and even in the middle of conversations!
We can learn a lot from him.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Remember me with Favor...
I really enjoyed yesterday and today's reading! So encouraging! It's still amazes me how loving God is....his love is unfailing! I love how Nehemiah takes us back to the days of Abraham..Moses to remind us how unfailing, merciful and loving is our God. God's love story resonates to the days of Nehemiah. Wow!!!
I know recently we all received a letter about our current standing on our tithes. I found it appropriate to share how God's people understood what it meant to give monetarily so that the house of the Lord would be taken care of. They saw it as a responsibilty and personal committment that they will not neglect the house of the Lord.
"Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and it's services."
What do you want to be remembered for? What legacy do you want to leave behind? What would you want God to remember and say proudly about you?
I know recently we all received a letter about our current standing on our tithes. I found it appropriate to share how God's people understood what it meant to give monetarily so that the house of the Lord would be taken care of. They saw it as a responsibilty and personal committment that they will not neglect the house of the Lord.
"Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and it's services."
What do you want to be remembered for? What legacy do you want to leave behind? What would you want God to remember and say proudly about you?
October Chrono Bible Meeting
So yes we are still meeting and we are still reading the chronological Bible. A few of us were there and we had a short discussion about Job and the prophets. Keep going out there. One interesting note, I offered my Liz offer to the girls at this meeting. So if they finish on time I'll have to buy them lunch. I guess it pays to come to the meetings. Anyway I want to encourage everyone to keep going. I've got some catching up to do and with the NT coming up I'm going to go a little faster. I hope you all are enjoying this!
Justin
Friday, October 9, 2009
Our God Will Fight For US!!
Nehemiah! What a guy! Not only did his heart go out to the people, it was evident and written all over his face...that the king thought he was sick. He saw distress and mourned for many days and nights...fasting and praying to God. This really convicts me. When was the last time I really had that heart for someone's whose life is broken? The broken walls symbolizes the brokenness that sin causes in our lives.
Despite Nehemiah's enemies harassment, it didn't stop him from completing what God intended. He knew that God was with him and that he was doing a great work and it will prosper. The wall was rebuilt in 52 days! Incredible. Nehemiah attributes his success to God who strengthens his hands!
Looking forward to reading more about the great political and social reforms he leads. The best is yet to come...
Despite Nehemiah's enemies harassment, it didn't stop him from completing what God intended. He knew that God was with him and that he was doing a great work and it will prosper. The wall was rebuilt in 52 days! Incredible. Nehemiah attributes his success to God who strengthens his hands!
Looking forward to reading more about the great political and social reforms he leads. The best is yet to come...
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Job - Continued
As I mentioned in my last post, I wanted to share some of the cool “nuggets” from the commentary I read on the book of Job (“The Gospel According to Job” by Mike Mason, all thoughts below are from this book) in honor of the book of Job we read last week (sorry I have not been able to post this sooner). Notes: 1) There were many great points in the book and it was difficult to narrow them down to a few, but here are some that I really liked. 2) The structure of the book: the author took a verse or group of verses from the Job, broke it down, then provided life applications based on the verse(s). The following are thoughts/life applications drawn from the verses in Job.
Job 33:1-2
One of the principle lessons of the book is the need to wait upon the Lord and persistently seek Him though times of darkness. Without painful waiting, true faith would be impossible.
Job 36:16
Often unhappiness merely signals that the Lord is about to open some new door for us, or to unveil some new facet to our character. Happiness may be given to us not so much for our own comfort, as to enable us to bring relief to someone else in need.
Job 23:16-17
Without fear, one does not take evil seriously. Yet without comfort, one cannot take a stand against it.
Job 26:7, 14
Throughout the bible the things of nature are immensely significant as living signs of our Creator’s glory. Yet more than that, they are signs of the inestimable worth of His highest creature, human beings. Just to look into the eyes of the most miserable and repulsive person on earth is to be closer to God, in truth, than when gazing at a flowery meadow or starry sky. Stars are finite things, but a human being can go on forever. A flower can develop only so much and be only so beautiful, but for people there are no such limits.
Job 27:2
Faith is the ability to tolerate the intolerable paradox of God’s clear and undisputed title as Lord of the universe in spite of His apparent absence.
Job 31:13-15
What makes an act truly great is not its bigness, but the purity of heart of the one who performs it.
Job 34:33
We do have free will, but it is the freedom to make just one choice: Christ. If we do not choose for Christ, then already we have chosen not to be free. We have thus abdicated our freedom. We are not free but are in the grip of something we might call fate, a kind of self-determined prison existing outside the freedom which is only to be found in Christ.
(There are many more great points, but I need to go to bed, sooooo sleeeeepy hehe)
Job 33:1-2
One of the principle lessons of the book is the need to wait upon the Lord and persistently seek Him though times of darkness. Without painful waiting, true faith would be impossible.
Job 36:16
Often unhappiness merely signals that the Lord is about to open some new door for us, or to unveil some new facet to our character. Happiness may be given to us not so much for our own comfort, as to enable us to bring relief to someone else in need.
Job 23:16-17
Without fear, one does not take evil seriously. Yet without comfort, one cannot take a stand against it.
Job 26:7, 14
Throughout the bible the things of nature are immensely significant as living signs of our Creator’s glory. Yet more than that, they are signs of the inestimable worth of His highest creature, human beings. Just to look into the eyes of the most miserable and repulsive person on earth is to be closer to God, in truth, than when gazing at a flowery meadow or starry sky. Stars are finite things, but a human being can go on forever. A flower can develop only so much and be only so beautiful, but for people there are no such limits.
Job 27:2
Faith is the ability to tolerate the intolerable paradox of God’s clear and undisputed title as Lord of the universe in spite of His apparent absence.
Job 31:13-15
What makes an act truly great is not its bigness, but the purity of heart of the one who performs it.
Job 34:33
We do have free will, but it is the freedom to make just one choice: Christ. If we do not choose for Christ, then already we have chosen not to be free. We have thus abdicated our freedom. We are not free but are in the grip of something we might call fate, a kind of self-determined prison existing outside the freedom which is only to be found in Christ.
(There are many more great points, but I need to go to bed, sooooo sleeeeepy hehe)
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Ezra- mixed emotions
Hey guys,
I'm no blog pro, nor am I a bible scholar. However, I felt compelled to share something which struck me as very poetic as well as powerful. To me, the September 23rd reading, the first couple chapters of Ezra, came as a relief, as it was the beginning of a new regime and its attendant policies. Thankfully the Israelites were able to live in happiness, which entailed rebuilding their temple, due to the fact that Cyrus figured that a happy people would lead to a submissive nation.
I think this happiness is evidenced in the reading, is a stark dichotomy from the previous readings, and culminates in the passage Ezra 3: 11-13, specifically, "No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away." The exiles were in an emotional upheaval. It seems to me that happiness is not just being happy, but being afforded the opportunity to display a wide range of emotion. That is powerful. We as disciples are safe, and have every good thing in Christ.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Job - Background
Since the Chrono bible scheduled the book of Job for the last few days (Sep 8th until today) I wanted to share some thoughts from a commentary on the book of Job that I read last year (“The Gospel According to Job” by Mike Mason… all thoughts below are from this book).
The book of Job can be viewed in 6 parts:
1) Job 1-2: Prologue
2) Job 3-11: Round 1 of the discourse between Job and his friends
3) Job 12-20: Round 2 of the discourse between Job and his friends
4) Job 21-31: Round 3 of the discourse between Job and his friends
5) Job 38-42:6: Theophany
6) Job 42:7-17: Epilogue
There are 7 main characters involved:
1) God
2) Satan
3) Job: God called him “blameless” (1:1b). Guiltless and blameless are 2 distinct terms. When someone is guiltless, he has done nothing wrong. When someone is blameless, it means no matter how horrible his offense may have been, all charges against him are dropped and absolutely no blame attaches to him.
4) Eliphaz: Most mature member among Job’s friends; comes off as a kindly and articulate older man. Job sat before his friends stripped of everything, his heart torn and exposed, his words desperate, and what does Eliphaz offer? Amidst his smoothly eloquent talk, perhaps the gist of his entire message may be summed up by the stinging yet almost hidden little comment in 4:8 “As I have observed, those who sow trouble reap trouble.”
5) Bildad: Comes across as a staunch, ramrod traditionalist, one who sees all issues in black and white and who prides himself on his straightforward, no-nonsense approach. He is the kind of person whose mind is already made up and whose faith is a simple matter looking to the past for answers (8:8-9). People who place such heavy reliance on tradition show that they have little in the way of a personal relationship with God. Bildad insinuates that Job’s faith is like “relying on a spider’s web. He leans on his web, but it gives way” (8:14-15).
6) Zophar: Probably the least sophisticated of the 3 friends. He wastes the least breath on tact and diplomacy. A sort of fellow who shoots first and asks questions later. In his criticism of Job he is not just blunt but insulting, calling his friend a scoffer and a windbag (11:3) and broadly accusing Job of arrogant self-righteousness (11:4). Zophar has an open scornful attitude. Zophar’s real fault, as with all Job’s friends, lies in his forcing of the issue-that is, in the injury he does to the freedom and inviolability of Job’s will by trying to press him into accepting simplistic answers.
7) Elihu: Comes into the scene near the end. He is a classic angry young man, and does not side with Job or the other 3 men. He talks too much, repeats himself, and is enormously conceited. The actual substance of Elihu’s arguments is similar to Job’s other 3 friends even though it contains some slight variations. But his last comments (38-40) are stirring and profound, comparable to what God will say in the last chapters.
That is all for now, I will be posting the cool “nuggets” from the book in my next post…
The book of Job can be viewed in 6 parts:
1) Job 1-2: Prologue
2) Job 3-11: Round 1 of the discourse between Job and his friends
3) Job 12-20: Round 2 of the discourse between Job and his friends
4) Job 21-31: Round 3 of the discourse between Job and his friends
5) Job 38-42:6: Theophany
6) Job 42:7-17: Epilogue
There are 7 main characters involved:
1) God
2) Satan
3) Job: God called him “blameless” (1:1b). Guiltless and blameless are 2 distinct terms. When someone is guiltless, he has done nothing wrong. When someone is blameless, it means no matter how horrible his offense may have been, all charges against him are dropped and absolutely no blame attaches to him.
4) Eliphaz: Most mature member among Job’s friends; comes off as a kindly and articulate older man. Job sat before his friends stripped of everything, his heart torn and exposed, his words desperate, and what does Eliphaz offer? Amidst his smoothly eloquent talk, perhaps the gist of his entire message may be summed up by the stinging yet almost hidden little comment in 4:8 “As I have observed, those who sow trouble reap trouble.”
5) Bildad: Comes across as a staunch, ramrod traditionalist, one who sees all issues in black and white and who prides himself on his straightforward, no-nonsense approach. He is the kind of person whose mind is already made up and whose faith is a simple matter looking to the past for answers (8:8-9). People who place such heavy reliance on tradition show that they have little in the way of a personal relationship with God. Bildad insinuates that Job’s faith is like “relying on a spider’s web. He leans on his web, but it gives way” (8:14-15).
6) Zophar: Probably the least sophisticated of the 3 friends. He wastes the least breath on tact and diplomacy. A sort of fellow who shoots first and asks questions later. In his criticism of Job he is not just blunt but insulting, calling his friend a scoffer and a windbag (11:3) and broadly accusing Job of arrogant self-righteousness (11:4). Zophar has an open scornful attitude. Zophar’s real fault, as with all Job’s friends, lies in his forcing of the issue-that is, in the injury he does to the freedom and inviolability of Job’s will by trying to press him into accepting simplistic answers.
7) Elihu: Comes into the scene near the end. He is a classic angry young man, and does not side with Job or the other 3 men. He talks too much, repeats himself, and is enormously conceited. The actual substance of Elihu’s arguments is similar to Job’s other 3 friends even though it contains some slight variations. But his last comments (38-40) are stirring and profound, comparable to what God will say in the last chapters.
That is all for now, I will be posting the cool “nuggets” from the book in my next post…
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Fall of Jerusalem
It's sad to see Israel, Judah and Jerusalem destroyed. I was watching Kingdom of Heaven the other day and it kind of gives a glimpse to what this might have looked like. The city is attacked and in flames. I've seen the movie before, but this time I connected it to the exile and the destruction we've been reading about recently. So if you need something to help you visualize this it might help. It's not the same time period, but it might show you a glimpse of what it was like.
Also I have to say it's pretty hard core for God to tell Ezekiel not to mourn for his wife. That would be a tough situation to be in.
Keep up the reading everyone!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
the weeping prophet, Jeremiah
My reading today was Aug 31 and it ended with Jer 51:46b "The words of Jeremiah end here." That made my heart sad :(...
Jeremiah was a prophet from 627-586 BC, that's 41 years. What constituted those years?
And yet, Jeremiah's days were full of faith and obedience to God. What was his motivation? He didn't have the Holy Spirit in him to give him power and strength? He didn't have the promise of heaven like we do? He didn't have Jesus' example of suffering and sacrifice to follow? He couldn't tell himself that his suffering was nothing compared to what Jesus suffered? Wow, sad but... AMAZING.
Jeremiah was a prophet from 627-586 BC, that's 41 years. What constituted those years?
- He prophesied during the reign of the last 5 kings of Judah (Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah).
- He began delivering God's message to Judah during Josiah's reign... it was well received, Josiah lead the people to repentance and obedience.
- During the reign of the next 4 kings, he was thrown into prison, then a cistern, he was rejected by his neighbors, his family, and his friends... he was alone.
- His personal sufferings aside, his heart was grieved as he witnessed Judah's increasing depravity and moral decline.
- He wept as he witnessed many of God's people exiled, many others killed, and those left were suffering and dying.
- God told the remnant, through Jeremiah, if they remained in Israel, He would deliver them from the Babylonians, and He would restore and heal them.
- But again, they did not obey. Instead, they went to Egypt! They went back to the very land God had freed them from! Jeremiah was forced to go with them and before he died, he saw them bowing down to the Egyptian gods.
And yet, Jeremiah's days were full of faith and obedience to God. What was his motivation? He didn't have the Holy Spirit in him to give him power and strength? He didn't have the promise of heaven like we do? He didn't have Jesus' example of suffering and sacrifice to follow? He couldn't tell himself that his suffering was nothing compared to what Jesus suffered? Wow, sad but... AMAZING.
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