Last night I had an interesting dream. I was taking my 3 kids to school on the first day. I was looking around to find their teachers. All of the sudden everyone started to freak out. I looked outside and said "It's only Jesus." Just then it began to rain. Everyone was taking cover. The rain didn't bother us 3. In fact we were dry. I think it was painful for everyone because they were screaming. Just then the ground opened up in front of us. Everyone was freaking out. I decided to take my kids and go to the other side where nobody was. Where we were people were freaking out and pushing and stuff. So I get to the other side and look out the window. The sky was navy blue and I saw twinkling things and one bright thing in the center. As it got closer I could hear the angels singing and praising the Lord. I began to sing and praise Him as well. Then one of the angels came and sat with us. I woke up. I would have liked to find out what happened next but when I went back to sleep it was gone. In the dream I was giddy! I mean totally excited. I mean Jesus was coming. I wasn't afraid or anything. It was like telling the kids they were going to the ice cream parlor or toy store and they could get whatever they want. Anyway...just thought I would share that with you.
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Love
1 Cor. 13:1-13
This shows that if we have not love we are nothing. We are to act Christ-like right? The easiest way to do this is to do everything in love. In verses 4-7 it says "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. (5)It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. (6) Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. (7) It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." If we act according to this then we are treating others as Christ would. These verses show me how exactly we are to be towards others. Christians and non-Christians alike. Verse 13 "And now these three remain:faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
Equality
1 Cor. 12:12-31
This passage lets us know that we are put right where He wants us. One is not more important than another. Each of us has a special purpose and are all equally important to God.
Friday, March 25, 2005
Sacrifice and Obedience
This weeks submission to Flannel's Bible study.
Sacrifice: an offering, a voluntary loss
Lev. 1-7:21
In the old testament there were different sacrifices for different reasons. You had to had to give sacrifices to pay for what you did in order to come into God's presence. But Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice. The last sacrifice. His death covers over all of our sins so we may come into the Father's presence. He was the sacrifice.
Matt. 26:36-44 (NIV)
Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." (37)He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.(38)Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."(39)Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (40) Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. (41) "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing ,but the body is weak."(42)He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unles I drink it, may your will be done." (43)When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. (44)So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
Mark 14:32-39 (NIV)
They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray."(33)He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.(34)"My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch." (35)Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.(36)"Father, Father," he said, "everything is possible for your. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." (37)Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?(38)Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." (39) Once more he went away and prayed the same thing.
Luke 22:39-44 (NIV)
Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. (40)On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." (41)He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, (42)"Father, if you are willing , take this cup from me;yet not my will, but yours be done." (43)An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. (44) And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
He knew what was to be done. He was troubled and prayed that this cup be taken from him. Three times he prayed this. But he also said the Father's will be done and not his will. He knew the pain and suffering he would endure and yet he was still obedient to the Father. This shows us an example of how we should be. We may not want to do what we are to do ,but, it is the Father's will we should be doing and not our own. We need to be obedient to our Father just as Jesus was. He did not resist the Father's will. He did the Fathers will.
Matt. 27:27-31 (NIV)
Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him.(28)They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, (29)and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of of him and mocked him. "Hail, the king of the Jews!" they said. (30)They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. (31)After they had mocked him, they took the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
Mark 15:16-20 (NIV)
The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. (17)They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. (18) And they began to call out to him, "Hail, king of the Jews!" (19)Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. (20)And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
John 19:1-3 (NIV)
Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. (2)The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe(3) and went up to him again and again, saying. "Hail , King of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face.
Beaten! Beaten because he was doing the Father's will. Beaten for us! You and me.
The crucifixion.
Matt. 27:32-50
Mark 15:21-37
Luke 23:26-46
John 19:16-30
The ultimate sacrifice. He died doing the Father's will. At any point he could have stopped it all. He did as the Father asked of him. He was unselfish. He knew what his death would mean. So unselfishly he died so we might live eternally.
Jesus was mocked and made fun of up until death.. Life following the Father's will won't easy and we may even be mocked. We need to be making sure we are doing the Father's will and not our own.
As I reflect on the meaning of all of this I am in awe. As humans we avoid pain. Even the smallest of things (like a paper cut) can really hurt. Jesus knew how much it would hurt. And yet did it anyway. For you. For me. To give your life so another might live is the greatest love of all. It hurts to think that all of the wrong I've done caused another pain. But if it wasn't for that pain I/we couldn't live. I am thankful for the sacrifice that was made.
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Spiritual Gifts
In response to Flannel Avengers Spiritual Gifts post here is my take on it. Let's start with the scriptures.
1 Cor. 12:1-11 NIV
Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. (2) You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. (3) Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. (4) There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. (5)There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. (6) There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. (7) Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. (8) To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge of the same Spirit, (9) to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, (10) to another miraculous powers, to another prophesy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and still to another the interpretation of tongues.(11) All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
So God gave them out in biblical times and God is the same yesterday as He is today and will be tomorrow. So if He gave them out then He will certainly give them out today. And in verse 31...
(31)But eagerly desire the greater gifts.
He says we should desire to have them. So thus saying He will give them out and we need to eagerly desire them. Then in this verse...
1 Cor. 14:1
Folow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophesy.
It again states we should desire to have them.
So my belief is that they are still in effect and He still gives them out. But we must also use them responsibly.
1 Cor. 14:40
But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, (39) neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us form the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What a nice way to end my studies today.
What I read today
1 Cor. 7:12-14
(12)To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord):If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. (13)And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. (14)For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.
1 Cor. 7:20
Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him.
But then you go back to verse 15 which says...
1 Cor. 7:15
But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances;God has called us to live in peace.
So then if the believer is not bound in these circumstances are they allowed to remarry? The following scriptures say not.
1 Cor. 7:10-11
To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord):A wife must not seperate form her husband.(11)But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled with her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.
1 Cor. 7:39
A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.
Romans 7:2-3
For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. (3) So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adultress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man.
So from these scriptures it is saying that unless the one dies you cannot marry again. Is that what you guys understand?
Monday, March 14, 2005
Romans 2:1-3 NIV
(1)You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. (2) Now we know that God's judgment is based on truth. (3) So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?
I take this as a warning against judging others.
Romans 1:18-32 NIV
(18)The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,(19) since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God made it plain to them.(20) For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. (21)For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. (22)Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools (23) and exchanged the glory of the imortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and amimals and reptiles. (24)Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hears to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. (25)They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-who is forever praised. Amen. (26)Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural realtions for unnatural ones. (27)In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men comitted indecent acts with other men, and recieved in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. (28) Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. (29)They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, (30)slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful;they invent ways of doing evil;they disobey thier parents; (31)they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. (32) Althought they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Romans 1:18-32
Here is what I took away from this...people are not born gay, murderers and such. They are given over to it because they worship other things instead of God.
When you read this what do you get from it?
