Gospel of Th0mas 48
If two make peace with each other in one house,
they will tell the mountain, "Move,"
and the mountain will move.
If a marriage is not in peace the two will not prosper.
If a marriage is in peace through Christ you can move mountains.
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Luke 11:1-13
Luke 11:1-13 (New International Version)
Jesus' Teaching on Prayer 1One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." 2He said to them, "When you pray, say:
" 'Father,[a]
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.[b]
3Give us each day our daily bread.
4Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.[c]
And lead us not into temptation.[d]' "
5Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.'
7"Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' 8I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness[e] he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
9"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
11"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[f] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
James 1:16-27
James 1:16-27 (New International Version)
16Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
Listening and Doing
19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Jesus Prophesied
Isaiah 53
1 Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression [a] and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken. [b]
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes [c] his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After the suffering of his soul,
he will see the light of life [d] and be satisfied [e] ;
by his knowledge [f] my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, [g]
and he will divide the spoils with the strong, [h]
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Life as a Christian
Colossians 3:1-17(NLT)
Living the New Life
1Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits at God's right hand in the place of honor and power. 2Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth. 3For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4And when Christ, who is your real life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.5So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual sin, impurity, lust, and shameful desires. Don't be greedy for the good things of this life, for that is idolatry. 6God's terrible anger will come upon those who do such things. 7You used to do them when your life was still part of this world. 8But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9Don't lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old evil nature and all its wicked deeds. 10In its place you have clothed yourselves with a brand-new nature that is continually being renewed as you learn more and more about Christ, who created this new nature within you. 11In this new life, it doesn't matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
12Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
16Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father.
Philippians 3:12-14 (New Living Translation)
Pressing toward the Goal
12I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. 13No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.Monday, April 04, 2005
This weeks Purple Book entry
Anyone who wants God's best for their life must begin by building a strong foundation. Jesus said as much when He declared,"Everyone who comes to Me, and hears My words, and acts upon them is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation upon the rock." (Luke 6:47-48 NASB). He then contrasted this wise man with one that was foolish, who heard but failed to act and found himself living in a house built on sand.
Both had their works tested by the storms of life (storms that come all the more often in today's uncertain world). And in this real life game of survivor, only one person was left standing. The large number of damaged and/or collapsed lives in today's Church is testimony to the pressing need to once again build strong foundations.
Several years ago I took a team of students to the island of Guam for an evangelistic outreach. Checking into my hotel I was given what would later prove to be a prophetic sign. "Sir," the clerk said as she handed me my key, "your room is 911." Everyone joked about how I would be getting all the emergency calls.
Two days later, one of the century's worst earthquakes - 8.2 on the Richter scale - jolted the island. Even more incredible, it lasted for sixty bone-chilling seconds. Inside room 911, the world seemed to explode. The television hurtled to the floor. Slammed from its perch, the sliding glass door shattered into a million slivers. We ran for the fire escape only to find the route blocked. With nowhere else to go, we stood on the balcony, riding out the most terrifying minute of our lives.With each tremor came a growing certainty that the building would soon collapse.We were about to die!
Suddenly, just as it felt like the hotel would rip in half, all motion ceased. We found a way out and made our way to the street, singing the praises of our God. Never had I found a more humble audience and an easier time telling strangers about the Lord! The next day we toured the island to assess the damage. One of the things that stuck out to me was a brand new hotel that was now on the verge of collapse. Two of its floors had disintegrated and the rest of the structure tilted like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Before the quake it had looked perfectly sound. But the "storm" of this earthquake revealed what was really beneath the surface. Because the foundations were faulty the entire building had to be torn down.
Thankfully, the engineers who designed our hotel did not make the same mistakes. Though it cost them time and money, they took into account the fact that they were building in an earthquake zone and designed and built the foundations accordingly. There is an important lesson in all of this.We, too, live along a "fault line." The tectonic plates of sin are pushing hard against us. From the Middle East to our middle schools, everywhere we see massive upheaval. If we are going to build lives that will stand, not just any foundation will do.
Both had their works tested by the storms of life (storms that come all the more often in today's uncertain world). And in this real life game of survivor, only one person was left standing. The large number of damaged and/or collapsed lives in today's Church is testimony to the pressing need to once again build strong foundations.
Several years ago I took a team of students to the island of Guam for an evangelistic outreach. Checking into my hotel I was given what would later prove to be a prophetic sign. "Sir," the clerk said as she handed me my key, "your room is 911." Everyone joked about how I would be getting all the emergency calls.
Two days later, one of the century's worst earthquakes - 8.2 on the Richter scale - jolted the island. Even more incredible, it lasted for sixty bone-chilling seconds. Inside room 911, the world seemed to explode. The television hurtled to the floor. Slammed from its perch, the sliding glass door shattered into a million slivers. We ran for the fire escape only to find the route blocked. With nowhere else to go, we stood on the balcony, riding out the most terrifying minute of our lives.With each tremor came a growing certainty that the building would soon collapse.We were about to die!
Suddenly, just as it felt like the hotel would rip in half, all motion ceased. We found a way out and made our way to the street, singing the praises of our God. Never had I found a more humble audience and an easier time telling strangers about the Lord! The next day we toured the island to assess the damage. One of the things that stuck out to me was a brand new hotel that was now on the verge of collapse. Two of its floors had disintegrated and the rest of the structure tilted like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Before the quake it had looked perfectly sound. But the "storm" of this earthquake revealed what was really beneath the surface. Because the foundations were faulty the entire building had to be torn down.
Thankfully, the engineers who designed our hotel did not make the same mistakes. Though it cost them time and money, they took into account the fact that they were building in an earthquake zone and designed and built the foundations accordingly. There is an important lesson in all of this.We, too, live along a "fault line." The tectonic plates of sin are pushing hard against us. From the Middle East to our middle schools, everywhere we see massive upheaval. If we are going to build lives that will stand, not just any foundation will do.
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Statements of Faith to live by
1. I am a new creation in Christ, old things are passed away and all things have become new. (II Cor. 5:17)
2. In Christ, I am redeemed and forgiven of all sin. (Col. 1:14)
3. I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. (II Cor. 5:21)
4. In Christ I am Holy and without blame before God. (Eph. 1:4)
5. By faith in Christ Jesus, I am a child of God. (Gal. 3:26)
6. In Him, I have boldness and access with confidence to God. (Eph. 3:12)
7. In Christ, I no longer have condemnation. (Rom. 8:1)
8. In Him, I walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh. (Rom. 8:2)
9. In Him, I am free from the law of sin and death. (Rom. 8:9)
10. In Christ Jesus, I am created unto good works, and I am His workmanship. (Eph. 2:10)
11. Through Christ, I am indwelt by all the fullness of the Godhead and in Him I am complete. (Col. 2:9-10)
12. I am redeemed from the curse of the law. (Gal. 3:13)
13. I am delivered from the power of darkness, and am translated into the kingdom of His dear Son. (Col. 1:13)
14. I do not have a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and a sound mind. (II Tim. 1:17)
15. In Christ Jesus I live and move and have a being. (Acts 17:28)
16. I am more than a conqueror through Him that loved me. (Rom. 5:17)
17. I reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. (Rom.5:17 )
18. I am healed by Jesus' stripes. (I Pet. 2:24)
19. Christ Jesus took my infirmities and bore my sicknesses. (Mat. 8:17)
20. In Christ, I am anointed by God. (II Cor. 2:14)
21. In Christ, I am always caused to triumph and, in Him, I am made manifest the savor of His knowledge in every place. (II Cor. 2:14)
22. I am chosen and ordained of the Lord to go forth and bear much fruit. (John 15:16)
23. I am God's Ambassador and I have been given the ministry of reconciliation. (II Cor. 5:18-20)
24. I am blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Eph. 1:3)
25. In Him we are fitly framed together unto a Holy temple which is the habitation of God. (Eph. 2:21-22)
26. The Lord will perfect that which concerns me. (Psa. 138:8)
27. I will trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not unto my own understanding. (Prov. 3:5)
28. In all my ways I will acknowledge Him and He will direct my paths. (Prov. 3:6)
29. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Phil. 4:13)
30. My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:19)
31. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. (Psa. 23:1)
(these were taken from the Solid Foundations Course, Kingdom Essentials Class.)
2. In Christ, I am redeemed and forgiven of all sin. (Col. 1:14)
3. I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. (II Cor. 5:21)
4. In Christ I am Holy and without blame before God. (Eph. 1:4)
5. By faith in Christ Jesus, I am a child of God. (Gal. 3:26)
6. In Him, I have boldness and access with confidence to God. (Eph. 3:12)
7. In Christ, I no longer have condemnation. (Rom. 8:1)
8. In Him, I walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh. (Rom. 8:2)
9. In Him, I am free from the law of sin and death. (Rom. 8:9)
10. In Christ Jesus, I am created unto good works, and I am His workmanship. (Eph. 2:10)
11. Through Christ, I am indwelt by all the fullness of the Godhead and in Him I am complete. (Col. 2:9-10)
12. I am redeemed from the curse of the law. (Gal. 3:13)
13. I am delivered from the power of darkness, and am translated into the kingdom of His dear Son. (Col. 1:13)
14. I do not have a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and a sound mind. (II Tim. 1:17)
15. In Christ Jesus I live and move and have a being. (Acts 17:28)
16. I am more than a conqueror through Him that loved me. (Rom. 5:17)
17. I reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. (Rom.5:17 )
18. I am healed by Jesus' stripes. (I Pet. 2:24)
19. Christ Jesus took my infirmities and bore my sicknesses. (Mat. 8:17)
20. In Christ, I am anointed by God. (II Cor. 2:14)
21. In Christ, I am always caused to triumph and, in Him, I am made manifest the savor of His knowledge in every place. (II Cor. 2:14)
22. I am chosen and ordained of the Lord to go forth and bear much fruit. (John 15:16)
23. I am God's Ambassador and I have been given the ministry of reconciliation. (II Cor. 5:18-20)
24. I am blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Eph. 1:3)
25. In Him we are fitly framed together unto a Holy temple which is the habitation of God. (Eph. 2:21-22)
26. The Lord will perfect that which concerns me. (Psa. 138:8)
27. I will trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not unto my own understanding. (Prov. 3:5)
28. In all my ways I will acknowledge Him and He will direct my paths. (Prov. 3:6)
29. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Phil. 4:13)
30. My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:19)
31. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. (Psa. 23:1)
(these were taken from the Solid Foundations Course, Kingdom Essentials Class.)
Word for the day
2 Corinthians 5:17, 21
17What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!
21For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.NLT
1 Corinthians 2:11-12
11It is only our own spirit within us that knows all about us; in the same way, only God's spirit knows all about God.12We have not received this world's spirit; instead we have received the Spirit sent by God, so that we may know all that God has given us.GNT
17What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!
21For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.NLT
1 Corinthians 2:11-12
11It is only our own spirit within us that knows all about us; in the same way, only God's spirit knows all about God.12We have not received this world's spirit; instead we have received the Spirit sent by God, so that we may know all that God has given us.GNT
Friday, March 25, 2005
Sabbath and other laws
Those are just a few of the laws God has given to us in his holy Word. The question is, "What are we supposed to do with them? Does God expect us to obey all of them? Did you sin by trimming your beard this morning? Is it an abomination to God that I'm wearing a shirt with a blend of cotton and some other fabric? Will you be in trouble with more than just your parents when you come home with a brand new tattoo on your skin? If all these commands are written in the Bible, don't we have to obey them?"
This is an excerpt from a sermon I found actually from an evangelical lutheran church. It is a very interesting sermon that uses good verses to verify the information presented.
Click on the link here to view the sermon:
http://www.mountoliveappleton.com/sermons/20030622.html
This helps to explain my viewpoint a lot.
This is an excerpt from a sermon I found actually from an evangelical lutheran church. It is a very interesting sermon that uses good verses to verify the information presented.
Click on the link here to view the sermon:
http://www.mountoliveappleton.com/sermons/20030622.html
This helps to explain my viewpoint a lot.
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Church
Are we supposed to meet and worship on
saturday or sunday?
Are we supposed to use instruments in
our worship or not?
saturday or sunday?
Are we supposed to use instruments in
our worship or not?
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Our Holy Bible
The Word of God!
Have you ever wondered what the actual
process was and how we came to have
the bible as we know it today?
I know a lot of you are going to say why
question what's worked for centuries.
Well, this is the year of judgement,
the year of new understandings,
the year to come unto new wisdom.
If you ask him and are able to understand
he will tell you the truths of the world today.
I've been told by someone recently that
we don't need to hear from God today
because we have the bible as our tutor.
There is a verse in the new testament
that says that the old testament was given
to us(the people of the new testament)
for a tutor and since we have Jesus to guide
us we don't need to adhere to the old
testament anymore. So then what do we
have the old testament for if not to learn from?
Well, I don't know....
I think we can still learn alot from the old
testament and it's many truths and stories
of other peoples mistakes and trials as well
as there triumphs. We can be uplifted by it
and guided by it in ways that don't have to
be the laws in it.
This brings me to a new question.
Who decided what was left out of the bible
when it was put together and what influenced
there decision. I've been told there over 80
gospels alone that were left out of the bible
and only 4 chosen, one of which I question
the author stated. Why do we need 3 gospels
that repeat the same thing almost word for
word over and over again? Why not put
something in there that is different or at least
showed a different viewpoint? What happened
to all those others that weren't put in the bible?
Where are they now? If we were to find them
and read them could they be considered the
Word of God as well? Were they not also
inspired by the Holy Spirit? What about the
dueterocanonicals/apocrypha? This was some
12-15 books that the Catholics still use today
that I don't have in my Holy Bible. Why were
they taken out? Why does the new testament
only speak about those churches that Paul set up?
What about those others that the other apostles
set forth and kept? What happened to them?
What about all those other gnostic texts that
were discluded?
One last question/comment... The book of John.
I mentioned earlier that I question the author
of one of the gospels. Did John tell stories about
himself in the third person? In John 1:15
it says: John spoke about him. He cried out,
"This is the one I was talking about when I said,
'He comes after me, but he is greater than I am,
because he existed before I was born.'"
Why would John, who also wrote of course 1st
2nd and 3rd John not in the 3rd person, talk
about himself in such a way. This doesn't seem
right to me. And it goes on and on through the
whole book where it talks about John as if
someone else is telling the story.
I don't expect that any one person can or ever
will be able to answer all of these questions.
If you have comments or other questions
please add them.
Have you ever wondered what the actual
process was and how we came to have
the bible as we know it today?
I know a lot of you are going to say why
question what's worked for centuries.
Well, this is the year of judgement,
the year of new understandings,
the year to come unto new wisdom.
If you ask him and are able to understand
he will tell you the truths of the world today.
I've been told by someone recently that
we don't need to hear from God today
because we have the bible as our tutor.
There is a verse in the new testament
that says that the old testament was given
to us(the people of the new testament)
for a tutor and since we have Jesus to guide
us we don't need to adhere to the old
testament anymore. So then what do we
have the old testament for if not to learn from?
Well, I don't know....
I think we can still learn alot from the old
testament and it's many truths and stories
of other peoples mistakes and trials as well
as there triumphs. We can be uplifted by it
and guided by it in ways that don't have to
be the laws in it.
This brings me to a new question.
Who decided what was left out of the bible
when it was put together and what influenced
there decision. I've been told there over 80
gospels alone that were left out of the bible
and only 4 chosen, one of which I question
the author stated. Why do we need 3 gospels
that repeat the same thing almost word for
word over and over again? Why not put
something in there that is different or at least
showed a different viewpoint? What happened
to all those others that weren't put in the bible?
Where are they now? If we were to find them
and read them could they be considered the
Word of God as well? Were they not also
inspired by the Holy Spirit? What about the
dueterocanonicals/apocrypha? This was some
12-15 books that the Catholics still use today
that I don't have in my Holy Bible. Why were
they taken out? Why does the new testament
only speak about those churches that Paul set up?
What about those others that the other apostles
set forth and kept? What happened to them?
What about all those other gnostic texts that
were discluded?
One last question/comment... The book of John.
I mentioned earlier that I question the author
of one of the gospels. Did John tell stories about
himself in the third person? In John 1:15
it says: John spoke about him. He cried out,
"This is the one I was talking about when I said,
'He comes after me, but he is greater than I am,
because he existed before I was born.'"
Why would John, who also wrote of course 1st
2nd and 3rd John not in the 3rd person, talk
about himself in such a way. This doesn't seem
right to me. And it goes on and on through the
whole book where it talks about John as if
someone else is telling the story.
I don't expect that any one person can or ever
will be able to answer all of these questions.
If you have comments or other questions
please add them.
Saturday, March 19, 2005
The Sabbath Relooked!
When was the sabbath ordained unto man to follow?
We should probably start in Genesis.
Genesis 2:2-3
2On the seventh day, having finished his task,
God rested from all his work. 3And God blessed
the seventh day and declared it holy, because
it was the day when he rested from his work of
creation.
Ok now, he didn't say we had to rest on that day.
He said he blessed it and made it holy.
Now we go to the time of the Israelites in the
wilderness for 40 years being served manna
from the sky daily, except on the sabbath.
Exodus 31:12-17
12The LORD then gave these further instructions
to Moses: 13"Tell the people of Israel to keep my
Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the
covenant between me and you forever. It helps
you to remember that I am the LORD, who
makes you holy. 14Yes, keep the Sabbath day,
for it is holy. Anyone who desecrates it must die;
anyone who works on that day will be cut off
from the community. 15Work six days only, but
the seventh day must be a day of total rest.
I repeat: Because the LORD considers it a holy day,
anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put
to death. 16The people of Israel must keep the
Sabbath day forever. 17It is a permanent sign of
my covenant with them. For in six days the
LORD made heaven and earth, but he rested on
the seventh day and was refreshed."
This seems a bit extreme.... God doesn't play games.
We have to now look at whether this is a command
that is carried on into the new testament and
set forth further in Jesus new laws or if it was
just for the Israelites.
Mark 2:23-28
23And it came to pass, that he went through the
corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples
began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.
24And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold,
why do they on the sabbath day that which
is not lawful?
25And he said unto them, Have ye never read
what David did, when he had need, and was an
hungred, he, and they that were with him?
26How he went into the house of God in the
days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat
the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat
but for the priests, and gave also to them
which were with him?
27And he said unto them, The sabbath was
made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
28Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
ok so... if David didn't follow the sabbath to
the extreme that the Israelites were told to
and Jesus said that was ok and said that he
is Lord over the sabbath how then are we to
use the sabbath?
Acts 18:4-6
4And he reasoned in the synagogue every
sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
5And when Silas and Timotheus were come
from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit,
and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.
6And when they opposed themselves, and
blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said
unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads;
I am clean; from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.
verse one says this is Paul...
This is after Jesus crucifixion....
This is Paul trying to reason with Jews and the
Greeks trying to tell them about Jesus.
He gives up and wipes his hands clean and goes
unto the Gentiles. He wasn't in the synagogue
because it was the sabbath, he was there to try
to minister to the lost.
Acts 15:21
For these laws of Moses have been preached in
Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath
for many generations."
What I make of all this is such:
The sabbath was ordained by God in the very
beginning as a day of rest. God gave the
Israelites the command to follow it strictly, but
when Jesus was crucified and resurrected the old
law was fulfilled completely and no longer necessary
to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Instead what
Jesus ordained as the new law is simply this:
Believe in Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
Repent of your sins and turn away from your
wicked ways taking up the cross daily.
Confess before men that Jesus Christ is Lord
of your life.
And be buried in water, baptized for the remission
of sins, all according to what Jesus and his disciples
taught in the New Testament.
So do we follow the sabbath or not?
I think that's left up to us to decide.
A mans body needs rest and one day a week is
a good way to do it.
Is it a command for us to follow today?
I don't think so.
Is it hard to follow? Not really.....
It is if you try to follow it the way the Jews then did.
Follow it the way Jesus did. If something needs done,
do it. If you're hungry, then eat. If someone needs
healing, then heal them.
Pick a day, one day a week, to always have free to rest.
This is I feel the best way to have a sabbath today.
We should probably start in Genesis.
Genesis 2:2-3
2On the seventh day, having finished his task,
God rested from all his work. 3And God blessed
the seventh day and declared it holy, because
it was the day when he rested from his work of
creation.
Ok now, he didn't say we had to rest on that day.
He said he blessed it and made it holy.
Now we go to the time of the Israelites in the
wilderness for 40 years being served manna
from the sky daily, except on the sabbath.
Exodus 31:12-17
12The LORD then gave these further instructions
to Moses: 13"Tell the people of Israel to keep my
Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the
covenant between me and you forever. It helps
you to remember that I am the LORD, who
makes you holy. 14Yes, keep the Sabbath day,
for it is holy. Anyone who desecrates it must die;
anyone who works on that day will be cut off
from the community. 15Work six days only, but
the seventh day must be a day of total rest.
I repeat: Because the LORD considers it a holy day,
anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put
to death. 16The people of Israel must keep the
Sabbath day forever. 17It is a permanent sign of
my covenant with them. For in six days the
LORD made heaven and earth, but he rested on
the seventh day and was refreshed."
This seems a bit extreme.... God doesn't play games.
We have to now look at whether this is a command
that is carried on into the new testament and
set forth further in Jesus new laws or if it was
just for the Israelites.
Mark 2:23-28
23And it came to pass, that he went through the
corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples
began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.
24And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold,
why do they on the sabbath day that which
is not lawful?
25And he said unto them, Have ye never read
what David did, when he had need, and was an
hungred, he, and they that were with him?
26How he went into the house of God in the
days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat
the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat
but for the priests, and gave also to them
which were with him?
27And he said unto them, The sabbath was
made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
28Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
ok so... if David didn't follow the sabbath to
the extreme that the Israelites were told to
and Jesus said that was ok and said that he
is Lord over the sabbath how then are we to
use the sabbath?
Acts 18:4-6
4And he reasoned in the synagogue every
sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
5And when Silas and Timotheus were come
from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit,
and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.
6And when they opposed themselves, and
blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said
unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads;
I am clean; from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.
verse one says this is Paul...
This is after Jesus crucifixion....
This is Paul trying to reason with Jews and the
Greeks trying to tell them about Jesus.
He gives up and wipes his hands clean and goes
unto the Gentiles. He wasn't in the synagogue
because it was the sabbath, he was there to try
to minister to the lost.
Acts 15:21
For these laws of Moses have been preached in
Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath
for many generations."
What I make of all this is such:
The sabbath was ordained by God in the very
beginning as a day of rest. God gave the
Israelites the command to follow it strictly, but
when Jesus was crucified and resurrected the old
law was fulfilled completely and no longer necessary
to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Instead what
Jesus ordained as the new law is simply this:
Believe in Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
Repent of your sins and turn away from your
wicked ways taking up the cross daily.
Confess before men that Jesus Christ is Lord
of your life.
And be buried in water, baptized for the remission
of sins, all according to what Jesus and his disciples
taught in the New Testament.
So do we follow the sabbath or not?
I think that's left up to us to decide.
A mans body needs rest and one day a week is
a good way to do it.
Is it a command for us to follow today?
I don't think so.
Is it hard to follow? Not really.....
It is if you try to follow it the way the Jews then did.
Follow it the way Jesus did. If something needs done,
do it. If you're hungry, then eat. If someone needs
healing, then heal them.
Pick a day, one day a week, to always have free to rest.
This is I feel the best way to have a sabbath today.
Friday, March 18, 2005
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Sabbath
Are we or are we not to keep the sabbath today?
I have been going through a study course
the past couple weeks that has been bringing alot
of things in the bible into a new light for me.
I have long since felt that the sabbath is a very
important day of the week and is not to be taken
lightly. God said remember the sabbath to keep it
Holy. The seventh day is for rest in every week.
In the old testament, in the old law, is where we
find this commandment to the Israelites.
When Jesus came he said that he has come to
fulfill the law of Moses that we would no longer
be bound by it but that it was complete or finished
when he died and shed His blood on the cross for
us so that we didn't have to perform sacrifices
and other laws that given for cleansing and
sanctifying purposes. I never really thought about
the fact that it says nowhere in the new testament
that we are to keep the sabbath. Jesus didn't even
keep the sabbath according to Jewish law.
In the new testament we are given a new set of
laws to follow. We are told to follow Christ. We see
in Mark 16:16 the great commission. Go into all
nations and preach the gospel to all men. This is
the most important thing that we as Christians
can do for the kingdom. In Acts 2 verses 38 & 39
it says: "Peter replied,"Each of you must turn from
your sins and turn to G0d,a nd be baptized in the
name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your
sin. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit. This promise is to you and to your children,
and even to the Gentiles- all who have been called
by the Lord our God."
This is what we are told we need to do now to
become part of the kingdom of God. We are to
believe, repent, turn away from our sins of past,
and be baptized for the forgiveness of our sins,
then we will be assured our place in His kingdom.
This is the law that Jesus set forth. This is law
that we are to follow. If we believe, repent, turn
away, and then are baptized we will be saved.
I have been going through a study course
the past couple weeks that has been bringing alot
of things in the bible into a new light for me.
I have long since felt that the sabbath is a very
important day of the week and is not to be taken
lightly. God said remember the sabbath to keep it
Holy. The seventh day is for rest in every week.
In the old testament, in the old law, is where we
find this commandment to the Israelites.
When Jesus came he said that he has come to
fulfill the law of Moses that we would no longer
be bound by it but that it was complete or finished
when he died and shed His blood on the cross for
us so that we didn't have to perform sacrifices
and other laws that given for cleansing and
sanctifying purposes. I never really thought about
the fact that it says nowhere in the new testament
that we are to keep the sabbath. Jesus didn't even
keep the sabbath according to Jewish law.
In the new testament we are given a new set of
laws to follow. We are told to follow Christ. We see
in Mark 16:16 the great commission. Go into all
nations and preach the gospel to all men. This is
the most important thing that we as Christians
can do for the kingdom. In Acts 2 verses 38 & 39
it says: "Peter replied,"Each of you must turn from
your sins and turn to G0d,a nd be baptized in the
name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your
sin. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit. This promise is to you and to your children,
and even to the Gentiles- all who have been called
by the Lord our God."
This is what we are told we need to do now to
become part of the kingdom of God. We are to
believe, repent, turn away from our sins of past,
and be baptized for the forgiveness of our sins,
then we will be assured our place in His kingdom.
This is the law that Jesus set forth. This is law
that we are to follow. If we believe, repent, turn
away, and then are baptized we will be saved.
His People
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 if my people, who are called by my name,
will humble themselves and pray and seek my
face and turn from their wicked ways, then will
I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin
and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will
be open and my ears attentive to the prayers
offered in this place. 16 I have chosen and
consecrated this temple so that my Name may
be there forever. My eyes and my heart will
always be there.
Philippians 3:14
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which
God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 6:12
Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the
eternal life to which you were called when you
made your good confession in the presence of many
witnesses.
Hebrews 3:13
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is
called Today, so that none of you may be hardened
by sin's deceitfulness.
1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you
may declare the praises of him who called you
out of darkness into his wonderful light.
1 Peter 5:10
And the God of all grace, who called you to his
eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a
little while, will himself restore you and make you
strong, firm and steadfast.
1 John 3:1
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us,
that we should be called children of God! And that
is what we are! The reason the world does not know
us is that it did not know him.
Revelation 17:14
They will make war against the Lamb, but the
Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of
lords and King of kings–and with him will be his
called, chosen and faithful followers.”
14 if my people, who are called by my name,
will humble themselves and pray and seek my
face and turn from their wicked ways, then will
I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin
and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will
be open and my ears attentive to the prayers
offered in this place. 16 I have chosen and
consecrated this temple so that my Name may
be there forever. My eyes and my heart will
always be there.
Philippians 3:14
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which
God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 6:12
Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the
eternal life to which you were called when you
made your good confession in the presence of many
witnesses.
Hebrews 3:13
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is
called Today, so that none of you may be hardened
by sin's deceitfulness.
1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you
may declare the praises of him who called you
out of darkness into his wonderful light.
1 Peter 5:10
And the God of all grace, who called you to his
eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a
little while, will himself restore you and make you
strong, firm and steadfast.
1 John 3:1
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us,
that we should be called children of God! And that
is what we are! The reason the world does not know
us is that it did not know him.
Revelation 17:14
They will make war against the Lamb, but the
Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of
lords and King of kings–and with him will be his
called, chosen and faithful followers.”
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Baptism
I've had the question come up to me recently,
"Do you have to be baptized in order to be saved?"
I've always felt that it didn't seem to be a
prerequisite to going to heaven until recently.
I was baptized under water when I was a teenager.
I felt then that it was just like a washing away of
the sins of past and that's about it. I didn't know
if there was anything more to it or not. I even got
a little bothered when I read in a study course that
you had to be baptized in order to go to heaven.
Now, it really made me start thinking when I
saw some verses that tried to state that very thing.
Many of those verse I was shown didn't really say
that we had to be baptized to be saved, most of
them said you should believe and be baptized.
Mark 16:16
"Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved.
But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned"
Now that tells me that I'm saved if I believe and
am baptized, but it says that I am comdemned only
if I refuse to believe.
Well I found it last night.....
John 3:5
"Jesus replied, "The truth is, no one can enter the
Kingdom of God without being born of water and
the Spirit."
So I see there, I think the only verse in the bible
that states it fully, we must be born of water and
the Spirit in order to enter the kingdom of God.
"Do you have to be baptized in order to be saved?"
I've always felt that it didn't seem to be a
prerequisite to going to heaven until recently.
I was baptized under water when I was a teenager.
I felt then that it was just like a washing away of
the sins of past and that's about it. I didn't know
if there was anything more to it or not. I even got
a little bothered when I read in a study course that
you had to be baptized in order to go to heaven.
Now, it really made me start thinking when I
saw some verses that tried to state that very thing.
Many of those verse I was shown didn't really say
that we had to be baptized to be saved, most of
them said you should believe and be baptized.
Mark 16:16
"Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved.
But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned"
Now that tells me that I'm saved if I believe and
am baptized, but it says that I am comdemned only
if I refuse to believe.
Well I found it last night.....
John 3:5
"Jesus replied, "The truth is, no one can enter the
Kingdom of God without being born of water and
the Spirit."
So I see there, I think the only verse in the bible
that states it fully, we must be born of water and
the Spirit in order to enter the kingdom of God.
Friday, March 04, 2005
Taken from My Utmost For His Highest
March 4
Is This True of Me?
None of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself . . .
Acts 20:24
It is easier to serve or work for God without a vision and without a call, because then you are not bothered by what He requires. Common sense, covered with a layer of Christian emotion, becomes your guide. You may be more prosperous and successful from the world's perspective, and will have more leisure time, if you never acknowledge the call of God. But once you receive a commission from Jesus Christ, the memory of what God asks of you will always be there to prod you on to do His will. You will no longer be able to work for Him on the basis of common sense.
What do I count in my life as "dear to myself"? If I have not been seized by Jesus Christ and have not surrendered myself to Him, I will consider the time I decide to give God and my own ideas of service as dear. I will also consider my own life as "dear to myself." But Paul said he considered his life dear so that he might fulfill the ministry he had received, and he refused to use his energy on anything else. This verse shows an almost noble annoyance by Paul at being asked to consider himself. He was absolutely indifferent to any consideration other than that of fulfilling the ministry he had received. Our ordinary and reasonable service to God may actually compete against our total surrender to Him. Our reasonable work is based on the following argument which we say to ourselves, "Remember how useful you are here, and think how much value you would be in that particular type of work." That attitude chooses our own judgment, instead of Jesus Christ, to be our guide as to where we should go and where we could be used the most. Never consider whether or not you are of use, but always consider that "you are not your own" ( 1 Corinthians 6:19). You are His.
Is This True of Me?
None of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself . . .
Acts 20:24
It is easier to serve or work for God without a vision and without a call, because then you are not bothered by what He requires. Common sense, covered with a layer of Christian emotion, becomes your guide. You may be more prosperous and successful from the world's perspective, and will have more leisure time, if you never acknowledge the call of God. But once you receive a commission from Jesus Christ, the memory of what God asks of you will always be there to prod you on to do His will. You will no longer be able to work for Him on the basis of common sense.
What do I count in my life as "dear to myself"? If I have not been seized by Jesus Christ and have not surrendered myself to Him, I will consider the time I decide to give God and my own ideas of service as dear. I will also consider my own life as "dear to myself." But Paul said he considered his life dear so that he might fulfill the ministry he had received, and he refused to use his energy on anything else. This verse shows an almost noble annoyance by Paul at being asked to consider himself. He was absolutely indifferent to any consideration other than that of fulfilling the ministry he had received. Our ordinary and reasonable service to God may actually compete against our total surrender to Him. Our reasonable work is based on the following argument which we say to ourselves, "Remember how useful you are here, and think how much value you would be in that particular type of work." That attitude chooses our own judgment, instead of Jesus Christ, to be our guide as to where we should go and where we could be used the most. Never consider whether or not you are of use, but always consider that "you are not your own" ( 1 Corinthians 6:19
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Do you believe?
Do you really believe?
What does it mean to you to believe?
In the book of John it talks a lot about believing.
In the Amplified bible it says next to many
scriptures what they are saying by believe.
John 3:12 says it means trust in, adhere to, rely on
John 3:18 says it also means cleave to
John 4:42 says believe means trust, or to have faith
There are so many verses we could look at read
the whole book of John again. You will find it also
states all these same things in the scripture along
with the word believe in many places.
Can you believe and not trust?
I don't believe you can. Part of believing is trusting.
If you don't trust, how then can you say you believe.
These are my thoughts of current...
tell me in the comments what you think and feel...
what do you believe?
What does it mean to you to believe?
In the book of John it talks a lot about believing.
In the Amplified bible it says next to many
scriptures what they are saying by believe.
John 3:12 says it means trust in, adhere to, rely on
John 3:18 says it also means cleave to
John 4:42 says believe means trust, or to have faith
There are so many verses we could look at read
the whole book of John again. You will find it also
states all these same things in the scripture along
with the word believe in many places.
Can you believe and not trust?
I don't believe you can. Part of believing is trusting.
If you don't trust, how then can you say you believe.
These are my thoughts of current...
tell me in the comments what you think and feel...
what do you believe?
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