“Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.” — 2 Timothy 2:8-10 NIV (Bold added for emphasis)

These are some of the last words of encouragement shared to my by a Christian friend. May God Bless his family and him as they begin a new chapter in their life story.

Check it Out Here

Very Sad…

You Must Read It Here

Thanksgiving and Christmas are fast approaching and there is much to do & much that I want to say over this next week.  One thing I realized is that I have not blogged much about the books that I am reading at the moment, partly because there are so many that I get a little behind with writing them up.  However I realize that this is the time that most of us are putting together our Christmas lists (unless you are determined to make this a buy nothing Christmas)  so I thought I would give you my suggestions.

The approach of Christmas seems a good time however to reflect on some the boundary breaking books that I am reading – those books that push my thinking outside the boundaries of the usual ways I think about faith

Top of the list is The Boundary Breaking God: An Unfolding Story of Hope and Promise, by Danielle Shroyer.  I think that this is a must read for all of us who are grappling with what it really means to be a follower of Christ in today’s world.  God’s people were always those being pushed to the margins – the outsiders who are moving towards an unknown yet hopeful future.  I love the way that Danielle stretches our thinking beyond the familiar ways of interpreting bible stories.

I love her telling of the story of the Magi – “these very un-Jewish, pagan astrologers” far from home yet acknowledging Christ as king.  Danielle’s comments seem very appropriate at this season.

“Though God’s activity in the world began with one family, Jesus’ kingship begins with one world.  Christ’s birth marks the beginning of the promised Kingdom of God on earth.  And that Kingdom as we see in Epiphany reaches far beyond Jerusalem.

From the very beginning of jesus life on earth, God makes it clear this Messiah is going to muddy the lines between who is in and who is out.  The story of the astrologers is the story of God’s expanding love from the viewpoint of the unexpected outsiders.

The second book I want to recommend is a new bible that arrived in the mail a few days ago.  It is called Mosaic and combines the New Living Translation with reflections for the seasons of the church year.  Tyndale has drawn together authors from a rich array of backgrounds and cultures to share reflections, poetry and art.  The trouble is that I wanted to read all the reflections on the first day.

I love the New Living Translation – it is very readable but as a translation not a paraphrase which is great.  I also love that proceeds from the bible go to support the work of Wycliffe Bible Translators.  So again this is a gift that I would heartily recommend – and with that feel good sense that you are doing something to spread the word of God into other cultures too.

The third book I want to recommend is one that I actually have not read as yet (I am expecting to receive a review copy in the next couple of days).  It is Samir Selmanovic’s: It’s Really All About God: Reflections of a Muslim Atheist Jewish Christian. Even the title is enough to make my mouth water. I will probably blog more about this after I get into the book but here are some reviews that are definitely enticing me to want more.

His aim is to embrace the diversities and even the mutually exclusive mysteries of the three Abrahamic faiths and atheism to gain a new perspective that is not about ourselves but about God.  Read the entire review here

Through his personal stories and engagement with the stories of  Christians, Muslims, Pagans, Atheists and more, author Samir Selmanovic points the way to a life with God and each other that is bigger and better than most of us have ever dared to dream.  Read the entire review

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

He faced twenty years for being accused of a heinous crime.

I was substance abuse counselor at the jail at the time of his admittance.

“I fell to my knees. I cried out, ‘If there is a God, help me. My life is over.’” That was the agonizing prayer of the young, white felon.

“Then I opened my eyes. I stared into the corner of my cell. There was this Bible.”

When I first met Stan, he was walking down the jail corridor to his work station. In his hand he held a Bible. At first glance, I asked him, “Why are you reading that book?”

“Because it helps me,” he answered in a low-key voice.

The next day I asked him the same question. I got the same answer.

The next day I asked him once again the same question. Once again, I got the same answer.

The next time I asked him, getting the same answer, I told him I was one with him. I informed him that I am a Christian.

With that, we became conversational friends in jail.

One day we were talking about the strength the Word provides us when under pressure. He obviously was under a severe strain with twenty years in prison in front of him.

“The more I read this Book, the more the outside world recedes. Now I have read it through three times. I can honestly say that with this Book in my heart, I don’t care any more about the twenty years. If it’s twenty years behind bars, then it’s twenty years behind bars. I accept it as God’s will.”

It is amazing how the Bible can insulate a soul for sound mental and emotional health. The Word is powerful. It can redeem and cleanse. It can rejuvenate and implant hope. It can retrain thought patterns and emotional networks. It can perform miracles.

Stan was experiencing in jail all of these changes within his very person. From the first night, slamming his body against the cell floor in desperation, to this moment of confessing liberation, he had traveled quite the inner journey.

Being in ministry for nearly half a century, I could trust this man to be relating to me the whole truth. He had no reason to fabricate. If he had tried to fabricate, it would have shown itself without doubt, considering the twenty years in prison that was hanging his life.

I promised him that I would intercede for him in my own humble prayers. He thanked me sincerely.

We continued our friendship. Though I was employed in a secular position at the jail, yet there were opportunities for me to speak with Stan, even though briefly, about grooming his soul in the Holy Spirit’s presence.

I could not get over his words about the outside world receding the more he immersed himself in the Word. I thought of how many believers outside jail could come upon such release if they only took the time to do as Stan.

Our lives are so filled with nonsense and worldly lures.

We don’t know the freedom that we could experience if we only immersed ourselves in the Bible with greater discipline. Instead, we content ourselves with a five-and-dime religion of superficial spirituality. Television, MP3s, chit-chat on cell phones, trivia, movies and all the rest of our culture’s sidelines keep us away from soul depth.

Stan came upon God’s treasure house only because his crime had corralled himself inside a jail cell with a Book. That became his key to real-life freedom.

He was imprisoned in a July. By a miracle, the next February he was released. There is no human explanation. It is sheer miracle. It is nothing but the divine hand.

Years have passed.

Stan has proven over time his surrender to the Christ he met in the Book. Today he is a model believer, happily married and rearing a family, serving in his local church and witnessing to the power of God to set a prisoner free.

One essential thing for the Christian is that they be a person who attends to the Holy Scriptures.

The Word of God is a necessary ingredient in our lives.

It is by the Word of God that we come to faith (Rom 10:17;1Pet 1:22-25).

It is the Word of God that we are to intensely crave, just as  a newborn babe craves its mother’s milk (1Pet 2:1-3).

It is by the Word of God that we are trained and mature into the person that God would have us to be (2Tim 3:14-17).

Let us then search the Scriptures daily that we might profit thereby, and by them grow into that person who will give glory to God.

This is something I posted last May; I’m re-posting it because some of these questions were brought up in the comments in my last post (“Yeshua Does Dafoe”), and they made me remember writing this.

5/1/2009

It’s occurred to me that there are those who would claim that I’m under the influence of “evil spirits” who are trying to teach me to undermine their beliefs. There are those who claim that talking to spirits (if they believe that it’s possible at all) is evil in itself. Others claim that there is no afterlife (and, as I never much believed in it myself until spirits and lost souls began speaking to me–sometimes in languages I’d never studied, no less–in ways that I could in no way attribute to my imagination, I can understand their position).

I’m not so delusional that I think that I’ll ever be able to convince anyone of what they are determined not to believe, or what they have never experienced themselves, and I know that it’s a waste of energy to try. All I can do is relate my experiences and what I’ve been taught here, and, like Yeshua, leave the rest to God.

But I also knew that it was important to ask myself whether it is possible that I’m being swayed by “evil” influences. And, as many times as I’ve asked myself that question, the answer is always the same.

I’ve spoken to many angry, wrathful, or perhaps just plain frightened lost souls. Some have tried very hard to scare the hell out of me, and they used to succeed.

But, from the beginning, two-and-a-half years ago, there has been one voice that speaks to me lovingly, and with care, and protectively. It was that voice that got me through the terrifying times at the beginning without my going insane, and it’s that voice that has patiently and carefully taught me things that I may have never learned on my own–things that have given me peace, and a real relationship with God, and a happiness that I’ve never felt before.

And the message of that voice has been consistent–that God’s will is love, that God will be happy if I act out of love in all things, that I should forgive people who have injured me, that, at the end of our lives, God is waiting patiently and with abundant forgiveness, like a loving parent. “Hell” is a state of being in which those who have been taught in life that they are not worthy of God’s love and are afraid to go to God live in fear and confusion, clinging unhappily to the lives they have left, unable to relate to or help one another. I have never once been told to do anything that would harm anyone else–only help where I could–or that I felt uncomfortable with. The biggest challenges have always been when I was asked to be loving and forgiving when my lazy, human instincts would have made it much easier to be angry, to hate, to hold a grudge.

And I have to think, if those are the messages of “evil spirits” out to destroy people’s relationships with God, then bring me more.

It also made me wonder what I would do if the messages were different–if they convinced me that God was vengeful, arbitrary, cruel, unforgiving, and hateful of those who didn’t ascribe to one religion or another (as God is sometimes portrayed). How would I feel about a God who asked me to be those things as well, and to hate those who disagreed with my concept of God? Would I be able to worship and love a God like that? I had to be honest and answer, “No.”

Of course, my knee-jerk Catholic-upbringing responses kicked in just then, and I worried that I was “blaspheming.” I spoke to the spirit who guides me about it, and, for good measure, I spoke to God about it, trying to explain myself and saying that I hoped that that wasn’t offensive (in my heart, though, I know by this time that God would welcome my thinking things through).

“Is it good to ask things like that,” I asked, “or bad?’

“Good,” came the answer. “Faith.”

And then, a little later, “You are God’s answer to yourself.”

I remember to think about

the many things

you did

in years gone by.

Then I lift my hands in prayer,

because my soul is a desert,

thirsty for water from you.

psalm 143:5-6

- REMEMBER – david often tells himself to REMEMBER God and His ways and His works.  its more than just a post it note to remind ourselves but it is a remembering that stirrs up faith, that recalls who God is and the great things He does and has done.  Remembering is encouraging ourselves – to rewrite the whiteboard of our mind and heart with  the knowledge of who God is and all He can do.   when we forget God our faith becomes dull and we doubt and forget and become burdened by fears and worries – forgetting to fix our eyes upon God and trusting Him.

- Remember – THEN – faith leads us to pray and worship and surrender and to have more faith and trust.  when we have faith we are more ready to pray because we trust God to move and are expectant of His intervention.

- only God can satisfy a thirsty sou.

- in the barrenness and wilderness and desert of hard times, when life is pressing in on all sides, and we are tired and worn out in our heart – THIS is the time to remind ourselves of who God is and that He is the one who gives us rest and hope and who satisfies us and has all the answers.  the answer may be to wait and to be transformed and to have hope even in the desert, but we can be assured that God is with us at all times and in all places and that He will bring the breakthrough.

You are my God. Show me what you want me to do, and let your gentle Spirit lead me in the right path.  Psalm 143:10

At church yesterday, we were reading a verse from Psalm 15; but then I continued to look down and read this verse:

I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
Apart from You, I have no good thing.”
Psalm 16:2

How lovely is that verse? I don’t know why it popped out at me, but it’s very true.

On the lookout for a peacoat and a new purse. I started my search today at Marshall’s; I saw a cute bag for $20, that was originally $70. I might go back and get that. I did not see anything good for peacoats. That made me sad.

I’m on the local mall’s website and H&M has a 25% off sale on Friday, from opening (5am) to 10am. Umm, I might just have to go now with the sisters. I do appreciate that store – I just like to get my money’s worth as well.

Might be in the mood to go to DC on Saturday; a bunch of my friends are back in town for break so that might just happen. I would love to walk around, enjoy the fresh air and take some nice pictures. We’ll see….

xoxo

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

¹⁶The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. ¹⁷They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. ¹⁸And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!”

After having scourged Jesus within an inch of his life, the soldiers were not through with him yet. Jesus was in or near a state of shock, and that was the only mercy for him in this ordeal. In shock, Jesus may have been only dimly aware of what was happening to him. On the other hand, he was acutely aware on the cross, so maybe he did feel every blow and hear every insult. I hope not, but if so, it makes his sacrifice for us all the greater. How many soldiers would have been involved in his scourging? 3 or 4? Half a dozen? However many there were, that would have been more than enough to continue beating up a bleeding, exhausted man in shock, but instead they called together the whole regiment or garrison. A garrison, also called a cohort, was 480 men, which was the total amount of soldiers stationed in Jerusalem at the time. This group was probably only those who happened to be in the Praetorium at that time of day, since many would have been stationed throughout the city keeping order during Passover, but it would still have been a large group of soldiers all abusing one helpless man. But of course, Jesus was not helpless. He could have called the armies of Heaven any time he wanted to. But he endured all of this willingly.

Each part of this mockery was a cruel parody of homage to a king. Kings wore purple, it was considered the royal color. It may have just been a faded red soldier’s cape that looked close enough to purple to suit their purposes. They stripped Jesus naked and put that on him, and it would have stuck to the bloody wounds on his back. Then they wove the crown of thorns. Botanists say that there were many thorny plants growing in that area at the time, with long sharp barbs. Some soldier wove together a “crown” out of a thorny branch, using his metal gauntlet to protect his hand, then shoved it roughly onto Jesus’ head. The blood rushing down his face from that crown of thorns probably blinded Jesus. The standard greeting for Caesar was “Hail Caesar”, so shouting “Hail King of the Jews” was a mocking parody of that.

¹⁹Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. ²⁰And 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.

Matthew 27:29 says “they placed a staff in his right hand”. Putting that together with what Mark says in verse 19, we can surmise that they put some sort of branch or stick in his right hand as a mock scepter to complete the “mock king” picture. Roman centurions were given sticks to designate rank, and they could use those sticks to beat disobedient soldiers or subjects. It may be one of these that Jesus was given. Whatever it was, after they placed it in his hand, they then took it away from him and beat him over the head with it. This would have resulted in multiple concussions, dazing Jesus further. Another customary way to greet a king was to kneel and kiss his ring. These soldiers mocked Jesus by kneeling before him, and leaning in as if to kiss him, spit in his face instead. Then they ripped the robe or cape off his back, which was stuck to the bloody wounds, tearing more flesh from him, and put his own clothes back on for the march to Golgotha.

Finally, they tired of these cruel games, and led him out to be crucified. Those who were crucified were made to march through Jerusalem in a parade while a herald called out the crimes of the condemned. This was done to make people afraid of offending Rome. This is exactly what Jesus was referring to when he called upon us to take up our cross and follow him (Mark 8:34)(See my blog on this passage).

Do we sometimes feel mocked or persecuted for our faith? There are many throughout the world who are persecuted and martyred for Christ to this day, but for those of us who live in a country with freedom of religion, we don’t really know the meaning of mockery or persecution. If we ever start feeling offended or sorry for ourselves because someone made fun of us, or because the media doesn’t give Christians a fair shake, we need to remember what Christ endured, and be thankful our lot is as comfortable as it is. The amazing thing about the suffering of Jesus is that unlike the Christian martyrs who followed him, Jesus had the power to stop this at any time, but he didn’t.

²Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:2-3)

Last week we looked at the present and the future. We saw that the man of lawlessness is currently restrained, but there will come a day when the restraining influence is removed. He will come with, “All power and signs and false wonders.” The only way to be saved from open rebellion is to embrace the truth that is found in Jesus Christ.

This morning, we’re going to look at Paul’s challenge to us as God’s children.

Grab your Bible and look at 2 Thes. 2:11-14. You can listen to the accompanying podcast here.

The first thing we see is the result. “Those who perish, [perish] because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.” We saw last week that the unpardonable sin was not a specific sin, but a rejection of the truth. Jesus is “full of grace and truth” according to John 1:14. “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17) We are to worship, “In spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24) John 8:32 says, “And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” That know is know and understand. That means embracing the truth of who Jesus is and what He stands for. The result is that we are free from the dominion of sin.

V. 11 completes this thought. “For this reason.” Because they did not choose the truth. “They will believe what is false” I don’t want you to misunderstand the wording of this verse. “For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false.” This does not mean what you think it means. Don’t blame God because they believed error. Don’t blame God because people are duped into believing something ridiculous. Don’t blame God for the seemingly endless personal, relative doctrines out there. Don’t blame God that people don’t believe the truth when we have so many supposed Christians engaging in the things of the world.

V. 12 goes on to say, “In order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.” Judged comes from the word that means to distinguish or decide; to separate or choose. It is those that did not believe the truth that will be judged. Did you notice both ends of the spectrum in this verse? It’s not just that they did not believe the truth, but they delighted in wickedness. Truth has moral implications and makes moral judgments. When you consider all of this, it is not the error that is necessarily bad.

We have guidance for handling error. In Luke 21:15 Jesus said, “I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.” Titus 1:9: “Holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.” Evil is the root cause of the error. This is really clear teaching, but let me summarize it for you.

• They delight in wickedness.
• They did not believe and love the truth.
• Satan deceives them.
• God gives them over to the lies they believe.
• They are condemned and perish.

That’s the progression. It doesn’t start with the condemnation. It starts with a love for evil. The only way to be protected from this slippery slope of deception is to love and embrace the truth. We are living in a time of restraint, but apostasy or rebellion is coming next. Then the consequences of that rebellion will come when the Lord will defeat and destroy the Antichrist and those that believed what is false – those that believed the lies – will be condemned.

Paul doesn’t stop there, he’s always good for some encouragement. Its an exciting segue. Paul has just talked about those that will perish. They perish because they did not love the truth. They chose to delight in wickedness. Then Paul utters that great word in Scripture. Look at v. 13. Paul is thankful for the Thessalonians. The contrast is between those that perish and those that won’t. He’s thankful that they had been chosen. Don’t be scared by that word.   All people have been chosen. John 3:16, “God so loved the world.” 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Eph. 1:4, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.” 1 Thes. 4:7, “For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.”

Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Look at the context of the whole verse. “God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.” The choosing is from the beginning. The two-part method is first through sanctification by the Spirit. Sanctification consists of two things and I often refer to them as two types of sanctification. First, sanctification occurs as a result of salvation.  At the moment of conversion, the Holy Spirit enters our life. We are no longer held hostage by death, but are free to live the life God desires for us. So we are sanctified simply because of our standing as lost people saved by grace.

The second side of sanctification is the one that many Christians seem to struggle with and that is learning to do what is right, what is pleasing to God. It doesn’t take long for new Christians to realize that a battle has begun in our lives. Galatians 5:17; “For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.” Sanctification gives us the ability to please God, to walk in a manner that is worthy of the One we serve. This is the aspect of progressive sanctification. Many times it takes someone to teach us what the Bible says about godly living – discipleship. I encourage you to read Romans; it is the foundational book of our faith and our walk with Christ. Sometimes people speak about how they can’t change or stop a particular behavior.  And that’s true, but we can all be changed. “Our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin.” (Rom. 6:6) Romans 6:11-13 is an incredible passage that tells us that it is the Spirit of God that sanctifies.

The second part of that method is, “We are chosen . . . through faith in the truth.” Look at our final verse. Verse 14 tells us that the Gospel is how all of us have been called. It doesn’t matter if we came to realize the truth of the Gospel through preaching, Bible reading, or a personal testimony.

Paul has one last thought for this verse. We can, “Gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” John 17:22 says, “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one.” God’s glory, not our own. That’s exciting.

We need to recognize Who is doing the work in our lives. The challenge is to allow God to work in us and through us.

I wrote this while ago . . . but it is worth reposting with a few additions . . .

The other night, I was talking with my husband about a teaching I heard on end times, one area where there seems to be more theories than mosquitoes on a summer night in the Deep South; all fighting for life. Okay maybe not that many, but sometimes it feels like it.

Christians seem to disagree more than agree about the various aspects of our faith. What gives us our name, Christ, we agree on but outside of Him most beliefs are up for discovery; end times, hell, salvation by election, prosperity, authority, role of women, and state of church to name a few. The array of denominations and new ones popping up testify to the extent of our dissentions, but that isn’t how it should be. 1 Corinthians 3:3-7

In this life, disagreement will always be there because we are all in the process of learning but it shouldn’t divide us but unite. Dissensions can be beneficial in that they remind us not to put our trust in man’s words, doctrines or interpretations but to rely on God. The thoughts of man are futile, but God’s Word is perfect pure truth. Psalm 94:11, 12:6

But if we are all reading the same Bible how can we have so many different theories?

For several reasons, but I think one is about trust. If we depend on God to be our Teacher of His Word and not humans we move closer to truth and not farther away. There is one truth and He wants us to know it. The problem is many believers trust people instead of God. Therefore you get a multitude of philosophies and interpretations. How many are learning from God verses from highly esteemed teachers who are just passing along their limited understanding? That system gets us further and further from the truth. It’s like the game of whispering a secret from ear to ear around a circle. In the end it is quite humorous because the statement is much different than how it started. You have to go back to the source to know what was really said. Dwelling in the Source, the Word, you’ll start to see the multitude of lies out there being taught and believed by many.

Many believers aren’t sitting alone with God and diving into the Word with the Spirit as their teacher. There is often the accompaniment of a teacher, commentary or study guide. Not that anything is wrong with these at certain times, but if we rely on them to show us the truth, we aren’t relying on God and probably will be misled. It’s necessary to be with God alone on a regular basis and spend significantly more time with Him listening to His pure words without man’s interpretation than any other source to establish Him as the source of truth in our lives.

In Matthew 23:8, 10 the titles teacher and Rabbi denote authority in the area of instruction. The Rabbi held an honorable place in the synagogues and he was seen as the authority and expert in spiritual matters. When Jesus came, He took the place of the teachers who held that superiority as noted in the verse. Christ alone became The Teacher having preeminence in instruction about Him and His kingdom. He gave each one of us the Holy Spirit to teach us. 1 John 2:27 The Spirit gives us understanding of passages, applies them to our lives, prompts us to dig deeper, and takes us into the depth of God’s Words. If we trust Him to teach, ask for understanding and wait on His instruction, then He is faithful to teach us what we need to know when we need it know it. No one can teach us like He can because He knows exactly where we are at, how to build our understanding, write it on our hearts, and how to explain it so we understand. Jesus came and made everything personal including instruction. Galatians 1:11-12

In contrast, Paul tells us that God appointed teachers in the church. 1 Corinthians 12:28 However, this role doesn’t contain the authority of what Jesus spoke about in the previous verse. If so the verses would be contradictory. Teachers among the brethren are simply that, our brethren. All they say is secondary to our Teacher’s words. Growing up I had two brothers. No doubt in certain areas they were knowledgeable and I could learn from them, but they didn’t hold the authority, wisdom and overall instruction that my father did. Though they had points of enlightenment, they were young and immature like me and often lead me down the wrong path. It is the same within God’s family. For a healthy family, our Father, God, should hold the role as the utmost Teacher in each one of our lives. Both can’t hold first place. We need discernment in listening to others and that comes from spending time in the Word with the Spirit as our Teacher. It’s critical for the strength of His body, the true church, that each one of us builds our foundations on Him and not each other. 2 Timothy 4:3

The Word says that each one of us should be able to teach. 2 Timothy 2:24 That skill is a hint to how we should be spending our time. Students learn from the Master teacher not other students. From our fellow comrades, we share an insight, see another side of an issue, or get confirmation, but we have One, who is our Teacher. Learning from others and disagreement can be healthy, enriching, and a wonderful experience as long as our trust is in God for the source of truth and not man.

Without God’s Word no one can know the truth. There is one truth. The only way to gain truth is by spending time with Him alone one-on-one. I believe He designed it this way to draw us near to Him because He loves us. The one-on-one time builds trust and intimacy which lead us to fulfilling the first commandment and our ultimate eternal purpose – to abide with God in a unity of truth and love.

God isn’t limited by our educational backgrounds. He is able to teach each one of us one-on-one. He is God after all. Yet, if we don’t believe we won’t find. Our minds will be closed off and we won’t seek. We can’t get frustrated by the diversity or throw our hands up and think, how can I know? That mindset is counter to God’s will for us. We will never have the full picture but we can get continually closer. He wants us to know. He wants us to seek and to learn from Him. We have been given the Spirit to teach us and we need learn to hear His voice and to trust Him to do His job.

3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Total de Episódios: 4/4
Qualidade: RMVB (Ruim)
Gênero: Nudez, Sexo
Fansub: —

Sinopse:
Anos depois que Minase tinha derrotado Senhorita Kitami, todas as senhoras da Escola de Feitiçaria se formaram e trilharam caminhos diferentes. A história se desenvolve ao redor de Imari que é um investigadora psíquica que conduz um time em uma investigação de assassinato que despertará a alma da Senhorita Kitami dentro dela.

- Para poder entender o Bible Black Revival você deve assistir o Bible Black caso não o tenha feito faça para a historia ficar ainda mais interessante.

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Perfection of the Bible… as I understand it, means that the “autographa” (the originals) were without any type of error.  We no longer have the originals, so what we have today is God’s Word that contains “man-induced” errors (copy/grammatical).  There are sometimes apparent errors (were there two angels at the tomb or one?)… Matthew and Mark have one, Luke has two.  Eyewitness accounts of anything will have distinct differences based on time, location and perspective.  A word-for-word match would cast doubt on the truthfulness of the witnesses.

Interpretation of the Bible should be taken literally, but in the sense it was written.  History books are interpreted as history, wisdom books as wisdom, prophesy as prophesy, etc.  So, we need to look at the full context of what we read in light of the surrounding verses, chapters, book and the entire Bible.  Here’s an example…

In Psalm 98:8, it reads “Let the rivers clap their hands, Let the mountains sing together for joy.”  In Luke 24, the two men in gleaming clothes said, “”Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!”  Both should be interpreted literally, but in the sense they are each written.  Both seem quite impossible.  One uses personification as a literary device, while the other is intended as history.  Can you guess which is which? 

Jeff @ http://www.onefiftythree.net

I wanted to clarify a couple things about my last post.  I want to start by stating a couple of ABSOLUTES that I follow in my life.  I try my best to approach these ‘absolutes’ with the heart and mind like a child would have.

#1. God is Good! Nahum 1:7

#2. He is able to do more than I would ever dare to ask or hope. Ephesians 3:20

#3. Jesus said that we could ask anything…ANYTHING!…in His name and it would be given.

I don’t know why people who follow Jesus, who have faith for healing, and who pray for healing don’t receive it sometimes.  I don’t have that answer.  But, because of the 3 things I stated above I refuse to say that it was because God didn’t want them to have it.

In all honesty, God can do anything He wants.  If He wants me to have cancer, and He wants me to die because of that cancer, then who am I to question God.  But, I refuse to believe that might be the case because that type of belief gives me room to not pursue with all of my heart that which Jesus paid for on the cross.

I personally believe that God doesn’t want anyone to have cancer, the same way He wants everyone to be saved…yet, people are still perishing and will go to Hell.  Why do people still get cancer and die when prayed for? Why are people still going to go to hell? I don’t have those answers.

It’s like I’m a gambling man.  I’m going to go all in on the side that I have the best chance of winning…in this example, getting healed.  Matthew 11:12 talks about taking the Kingdom by force, and faithful praying is forceful!!

Yes, we all have to die.  God Himself limited us to 120 years.  But, why do we accept cancer and other diseases that cause insurmountable amounts of suffering, as okay ways to die.  I am sure that these diseases will continue to take the lives of faithful followers of Christ.  But, just because it claims one life doesn’t give us the right to pray for ‘whatever God wants to do.’ God did what He wanted to do.  He came to earth and paid for all iniquities and transgressions.  And, then He left us in charge to go out and claim what He paid for.  WE OWE HIM WHAT HE PAID FOR.  He is not here to claim it, it is up to us.

How would you like to pay for a car in full by emptying your bank account, but, due to circumstances, the only way you get to enjoy the car is if your friend picks it up for you.  All they have to do is go to the dealership, ask for the keys to your car, and drive it home to you…but, they never even went to the dealership because they thought you might not want it…WHAT? You paid for it up front and in cash, but you might not want it.  That’s crazy!…C-R-A-Z-Y!!!

Again, I don’t have the answers to all of the hard questions.  And, I’m not trying to search out those answers.  I will just stick to the absolute truths in the Bible.  Due to the busyness of the world, I have a hard enough time going after the Truth with all of my heart, so I don’t have time to waste throwing in my own ‘what-ifs’ and ‘it didn’t work that way for them.’

Right now, there is a friend of my wife’s family who is a younger man (45-55 yrs old) who has been told he has  just a few months to live because of cancer.  He has a two children I think, and both are still in high school. I will never agree with the thinking that Jesus paid for all iniquities except his, and that God wants him to leave this world with two children whom he is still raising. I can’t!   His name is Kevin.  Kevin’s life may very well depend on my faith to live.  Please join with us in praying for his miraculous healing!!