Joe, i loved what ou had to say..But i have a question and i want everyones feedback.
Is sickness, made my God, as in: did God make the man blind or did he just use his blindness to glorify him?
i beileve sickness is of the Devil and the enemy has put sickness here on earth to hold us back, but God uses our sickness for his glory, by healing. thats just my opinion, i could be verrry wrong
ive looked at different bible verses about it and i just want to see what you come up with, either comment or text me or message me on facebook, i wanna hear what you think. :]
peaacee sukkkaaaa
-madi
Monday, August 10, 2009
John 9
Heya, everyone. I was reading John 9 the other day, and I found that it was split into two major parts. So I'm gonna break them down for you.
First was the healing, obviously. Now, when you read that, the first thing that you recognize is the amazing power of God to do this. But the one thing that I realized was that God made this man born blind, just so this could happen later and make him a believer. Like, God is merciful. And this man was born blind, and he was healed. So he never had sight. It would be crueler to have sight, then take it. God, to make this man into a believer, took nothing from this man. He didn't take his sight. He only gave. So this man lost nothing, because you can't lose something you don't have.
The next thing that I saw was verses 3-5, when Jesus was talking about the light of the day. Now, I just thought that he was talking about day and night, and that you can't work at night. But when He said, "As long as I am in the world, there is plenty of light. I am the world's Light." That changed it for me. Jesus was talking about as long as he is in the world, that he and his disciples must work and perform miracles while Jesus was on the earth. Jesus is the light, so Jesus is daytime (not literally). But I didn't understand the next part. If what I say is right, (and there's a good chance I'm not) then that means when Jesus leaves the Earth, then it will be nighttime, and then there will be no more time for miracles. But that doesn't seem right. While there weren't as many miracles that happened after Jesus left, they still happened. So if anyone wants to correct me, please leave a comment or something that might help. Thanks.
Then, there's the second half of the story, which was with the Pharisees. When the Pharisees heard about the healing, they seemed scared to me. Some made up excuses to make it seem like he was a bad guy. Others saw what he had and knew a bad guy couldn't Godly things like that. And they called the blind man's parent's to them to make sure that this man was born blind. And that's all the man's parent would say, "Yeah, he was born blind." And when they told the Pharisees to ask the ex-blind man himself, that got me thinking. They were afraid to admit that they knew Jesus had done that. They were afraid to admit that Jesus was our Saviour, and they were afraid that the Pharisees would punish them; that they would get in trouble for believing anything other than what they had been taught. And then there was Jesus calling the Pharisees blind. And I thought about that, and came up with this. Jesus just used that blind man as an example. That accepting God's gift, and all that He has to offer will let you see. But if you claim you can already see, like the Pharisees, that you are really blind, and that you can't see the bigger picture. The one thing that stood out to me most though, was how smart and wise the Pharisees were. They seem like the bad guys in the Bible, and they kinda were. But they were really smart people. They were leaders. They lead an entire religion of people basically. Religion was life for them. And they heard and saw what Jesus had done, and they were worried. They knew. That was enough for them. They had heard, and they were ready to drop their religion for Jesus. They had learned that what they taught was right for so many years. And then Jesus' miracle had them read to drop it. They were smart enough to know that he was the Messiah. And I think the only reason they may not have admitted it to each other or followed Jesus right then and there was because of their social status. They knew they had to lead, and couldn't abandon their posts. Which is another example of how smart they were. Now, I'm not saying that this was all of them. This may have been only one or two Pharisees. Maybe those couple of Pharisees that argued for Jesus. I'm not sure. But they were really smart guys.
Thanks for reading guys, I enjoy writing on the blog. Comment or email me or something if you want to correct me or add something. I'd really like to know.
-Joe
Sunday, August 9, 2009
heart and soul! and mind...
hey quest machine. go grab a pen and paper (not a new note on the computer) before you read this, okay? i just got home from sky ranch yesterday and feel so blessed to have gone again- so i've got some random stuff that's not in John 8, but i'm gonna write about it anyways! First off- write down your definition of your mind. Just, what it is to you. Got that down? Okay, now write how you would describe your heart. Did you write it? Gooddd! Now, how do you define your soul? Okay cool. So this random stuff sort of stems from what Cameron had talked to some of us about. He read us this passage-Matthew 22:37 And he said to him "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Then Cameron asked how do we do that. I challenge anybody who is reading this to try to write 5 ways you are loving God with your heart, 5 ways you are loving God with your mind, and 5 ways you are loving God with your soul. Then write 5 of how you are not loving God with each as well.
Did you manage to get that many? I know I didn't. This is kind of important though, because the next verse in Matthew says, This is the great and first commandment. Meaning, this commandment is GREAT. It's got to be important. I mean, in 1 Corinthians 13:13, it says, So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. Each of those are required for a relationship with God, and I feel like we need to try understand how to fully love God- it's got to be important!
Anyways, I want to love God with all my heart, mind, and soul. Any ways I could avoid not loving Him, and any new ways to love Him would be so awesome- I challenge you to go think for a second about those 5 things. See if you can come up with any more. Then, comment them on. Some may be personal, if you want to share, go ahead, if you want to put down 1 or 10 go ahead! If you write any on this post, keep checking back, and writing more! I think it'd be awesome to just have a long list of ways that we can work on loving our Lord and things that aren't loving towards God.
So. Moving on. How do we love God with our hearts? Well, what is our heart? I know that God can dwell in our hearts [Ephessians 3:17], our heart has our emotions; true desire [Psalm 37:4], true joy [Proverbs 17:22], true trouble [John 14:1]... Our hearts can be deceitful [Jeremiah 17:9], but they can also be pure. [Matthew 5:8] But most of all, God knows the ways of our hearts.[Luke 16:15] He knows exactly where we are in our lives anyways, [Psalms 139 and Jeremiah 29:11], but He knows when you're just going that extra step for somebody so they'll like you and you'll be popular, instead of showing God's love and bringing Him glory. Man, I'm convicted of that. I guess that's one way I wouldn't love God with my heart. My biggest way to love God with all my heart (and if I fail, it's a big one for the not loving God with my heart side), is trying to guard my heart, meaning that God should be number 1 in my life all the time. Well, in John 7:37-39, John writes about Rivers of Living Water. To thirst for Christ is to want to know Him-when you go to Jesus and believe in, trust in, and have a relationship with Him it's like drinking His living water. So, when God is working in you, He's like a river flowing to others. This crossreferences with a verse we read not so long ago- Proverbs 4:23. It was one of my 'theme of the summer verses' along with John 3:27, 3:30 and Psalm 143. But yeah, that verse in Proverbs says- Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. So basically, I think this verse connects in that God has to be in your heart so you can let His river flow to others. The biggest way I don't love God is whenever I have a boyfriend or let someone in to far, and let the trust I should have in God fall on them, I think about them more than God. For me, that leads to temptations and Satan can easily get a foothold in my heart them fumble around just a little and get into my mind. If I keep God my only priority as far as my heart goes, he should be the only thing on my mind.
Next, we've gotta ask how we love God with our minds? How do we not love God with out minds? What does the bible say about loving with your mind? Well, when I think of my mind, I guess I'm thinking! So our mind represents the thoughts we have, images in our brain, things like judging people. God can open our minds to understand new things, like Scripture [Luke 24:45], we change our minds unlike God who doesn't [Numbers 23:19], the Lord can test our minds (and hearts) [Psalms 26:2], our minds can serve the law of God [Romans 7:25], but we don't know God's mind [Romans 11:34]. So, I sort of thought of our minds like eyes after reading Luke 24:45 and 2 Corinthians 4:4. In Luke it talks about how God opens our eyes, and in 2 Corinthians how the god of this world, Satan, closes our minds and blinds unbelievers to keep them from the Word. So, if we know God's law (New Testament+10 Commandments), and obey it, that's one way to love God through our minds. Romans 8:5 says For those who live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their mind on the things of the Spirit. To me, this verse showed me a way to love God with my mind- by keeping my mind on God at all times. I was talking to Madi G today and she told me about how someone told her something really wise about how Satan attacks us through our minds so easily. In cults, they avoid evil thoughts by thinking, hypothetically, on a straight line. If they swerve, they're wrong. But God gave us free will, He didn't intend us to be robots and not strive to learn more about Him. But sometimes, just letting my mind wander isn't a good thing. I think the mind of a believer should look like a rectangle. We can think inside the box, but when we start overthinking, and thinking of sinful things, thats going outside of the boundaries God gave us. For me, I always have music in my head. Typically, on lyric from a song bounces around over and over again then it changes. Some music I've heard before doesn't evoke pure images or thoughts in my mind, so I decided instead of listening to music that talks about sins, I started trying only to listen to worship and clean wholesome music these past couple days. Instead of having some dirty lyric bouncing around stuck in my head, I think about worshipping Christ. That leads me to think about Him. It sounds kind of strange but it's been working and I suggest tryin it out for a couple days and see how much better your mind feels.
So. This is the hardest for me. What is our soul? How do we love God with it? How is it different from our heart and mind? Okay. So first off. Our soul is eternal. That's how it's different. It lasts FOREVER. Think on that word for a second. In Matthew 10:28 we are warned And do not fear those who kill the obdy but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. That's something I can't grasp- I don't think we as humans were intended to be able to understand eternity. But, anyways, more on the soul- it can be cast down [Psalm 42:4], it can long for something [Psalm 84:2], it needs rest [Jeremiah 6:16], it can be saved [James 1:21], and it can be purified [1 Peter 1:22]. So there's a pretty vague description, but 1 Peter 4:19 tells of how those who suffer can entrust God with their souls- Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. Anyways, I guess I still haven't figured out how to love God with my soul. I feel like it's different from your spirit, but I don't really know. In fact, have no idea! Maybe loving God with our souls is proclaiming our love for Him. I know there's stuff about the spirit speaking through tongues, but it's controversial, and I don't want to post something about it and say something wrong since I don't know much about it. So I'll wrap up the soul part with a question i've been wondering about and would love feedback on- Are our souls part of our minds, while our minds part of our hearts, and hearts part of our souls since we don't really know where any of them are and how to really completely define each?
So I guess this wraps up my thing. I'd appreciate it if you typed up your 5 ways to love God on each topic. Or just any amount on any of them. I'm ready for input, feedback, and more knowledge on this entire subject so please comment about anything on this.
Thanks for reading! Much love & peace.
in Him, [John 3:30]
evi
Did you manage to get that many? I know I didn't. This is kind of important though, because the next verse in Matthew says, This is the great and first commandment. Meaning, this commandment is GREAT. It's got to be important. I mean, in 1 Corinthians 13:13, it says, So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. Each of those are required for a relationship with God, and I feel like we need to try understand how to fully love God- it's got to be important!
Anyways, I want to love God with all my heart, mind, and soul. Any ways I could avoid not loving Him, and any new ways to love Him would be so awesome- I challenge you to go think for a second about those 5 things. See if you can come up with any more. Then, comment them on. Some may be personal, if you want to share, go ahead, if you want to put down 1 or 10 go ahead! If you write any on this post, keep checking back, and writing more! I think it'd be awesome to just have a long list of ways that we can work on loving our Lord and things that aren't loving towards God.
So. Moving on. How do we love God with our hearts? Well, what is our heart? I know that God can dwell in our hearts [Ephessians 3:17], our heart has our emotions; true desire [Psalm 37:4], true joy [Proverbs 17:22], true trouble [John 14:1]... Our hearts can be deceitful [Jeremiah 17:9], but they can also be pure. [Matthew 5:8] But most of all, God knows the ways of our hearts.[Luke 16:15] He knows exactly where we are in our lives anyways, [Psalms 139 and Jeremiah 29:11], but He knows when you're just going that extra step for somebody so they'll like you and you'll be popular, instead of showing God's love and bringing Him glory. Man, I'm convicted of that. I guess that's one way I wouldn't love God with my heart. My biggest way to love God with all my heart (and if I fail, it's a big one for the not loving God with my heart side), is trying to guard my heart, meaning that God should be number 1 in my life all the time. Well, in John 7:37-39, John writes about Rivers of Living Water. To thirst for Christ is to want to know Him-when you go to Jesus and believe in, trust in, and have a relationship with Him it's like drinking His living water. So, when God is working in you, He's like a river flowing to others. This crossreferences with a verse we read not so long ago- Proverbs 4:23. It was one of my 'theme of the summer verses' along with John 3:27, 3:30 and Psalm 143. But yeah, that verse in Proverbs says- Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. So basically, I think this verse connects in that God has to be in your heart so you can let His river flow to others. The biggest way I don't love God is whenever I have a boyfriend or let someone in to far, and let the trust I should have in God fall on them, I think about them more than God. For me, that leads to temptations and Satan can easily get a foothold in my heart them fumble around just a little and get into my mind. If I keep God my only priority as far as my heart goes, he should be the only thing on my mind.
Next, we've gotta ask how we love God with our minds? How do we not love God with out minds? What does the bible say about loving with your mind? Well, when I think of my mind, I guess I'm thinking! So our mind represents the thoughts we have, images in our brain, things like judging people. God can open our minds to understand new things, like Scripture [Luke 24:45], we change our minds unlike God who doesn't [Numbers 23:19], the Lord can test our minds (and hearts) [Psalms 26:2], our minds can serve the law of God [Romans 7:25], but we don't know God's mind [Romans 11:34]. So, I sort of thought of our minds like eyes after reading Luke 24:45 and 2 Corinthians 4:4. In Luke it talks about how God opens our eyes, and in 2 Corinthians how the god of this world, Satan, closes our minds and blinds unbelievers to keep them from the Word. So, if we know God's law (New Testament+10 Commandments), and obey it, that's one way to love God through our minds. Romans 8:5 says For those who live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their mind on the things of the Spirit. To me, this verse showed me a way to love God with my mind- by keeping my mind on God at all times. I was talking to Madi G today and she told me about how someone told her something really wise about how Satan attacks us through our minds so easily. In cults, they avoid evil thoughts by thinking, hypothetically, on a straight line. If they swerve, they're wrong. But God gave us free will, He didn't intend us to be robots and not strive to learn more about Him. But sometimes, just letting my mind wander isn't a good thing. I think the mind of a believer should look like a rectangle. We can think inside the box, but when we start overthinking, and thinking of sinful things, thats going outside of the boundaries God gave us. For me, I always have music in my head. Typically, on lyric from a song bounces around over and over again then it changes. Some music I've heard before doesn't evoke pure images or thoughts in my mind, so I decided instead of listening to music that talks about sins, I started trying only to listen to worship and clean wholesome music these past couple days. Instead of having some dirty lyric bouncing around stuck in my head, I think about worshipping Christ. That leads me to think about Him. It sounds kind of strange but it's been working and I suggest tryin it out for a couple days and see how much better your mind feels.
So. This is the hardest for me. What is our soul? How do we love God with it? How is it different from our heart and mind? Okay. So first off. Our soul is eternal. That's how it's different. It lasts FOREVER. Think on that word for a second. In Matthew 10:28 we are warned And do not fear those who kill the obdy but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. That's something I can't grasp- I don't think we as humans were intended to be able to understand eternity. But, anyways, more on the soul- it can be cast down [Psalm 42:4], it can long for something [Psalm 84:2], it needs rest [Jeremiah 6:16], it can be saved [James 1:21], and it can be purified [1 Peter 1:22]. So there's a pretty vague description, but 1 Peter 4:19 tells of how those who suffer can entrust God with their souls- Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. Anyways, I guess I still haven't figured out how to love God with my soul. I feel like it's different from your spirit, but I don't really know. In fact, have no idea! Maybe loving God with our souls is proclaiming our love for Him. I know there's stuff about the spirit speaking through tongues, but it's controversial, and I don't want to post something about it and say something wrong since I don't know much about it. So I'll wrap up the soul part with a question i've been wondering about and would love feedback on- Are our souls part of our minds, while our minds part of our hearts, and hearts part of our souls since we don't really know where any of them are and how to really completely define each?
So I guess this wraps up my thing. I'd appreciate it if you typed up your 5 ways to love God on each topic. Or just any amount on any of them. I'm ready for input, feedback, and more knowledge on this entire subject so please comment about anything on this.
Thanks for reading! Much love & peace.
in Him, [John 3:30]
evi
oh whats up quest?
so I am a chapter behind but i will read chapter 9 sometime today but I really just wanted to get on here to tell ya'll how excited I am about this blog. I will be on it all the time and i can't wait to do it with you.
also... this is the last week of camps and all of us quest counselors were placed all around camp in different cabins. we were so spoiled with you guys so be praying that all of us would finish strong and be ver intentional this week.
We need your prayers.
also... this is the last week of camps and all of us quest counselors were placed all around camp in different cabins. we were so spoiled with you guys so be praying that all of us would finish strong and be ver intentional this week.
We need your prayers.
Monday, August 3, 2009
does God send people to hell?
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
This verse got me thinking about hell and heaven and eternal life. Honestly the whole though of all that stuff scares me because I can't imagine it but I wanted to share something in "A Reason for God" by Timothy Keller that really changed my whole perspective on hell.
For a long time I struggled with the thought of people who I loved or just people in general who had to suffer in hell for all enternity... i know it is what we deserve it just seemed so hard for me to understand.
I read the chapter titled "How can a loving God send people to hell?" and here is what it presented: God ultimately gives us what we desire most. People reject the son of God because they don't want to let go of themselves. This is the flesh inside of them that does not want what the Lord has to offer. They can't let go of the pride, self indulgance, love for money, fame, sex, drugs, love, or anything else apart from God. They ultimately choose one or several of those things over the Son of God. And God will ultimately give people what they desire most. So those who do not choose God spend eternity with whatever they chose above God without the love of God. So therefore there is nothing good anymore and they choose to fall deeper into the fleshly desires for forever. Apart from God, they glorify the flesh and it is a miserable "hell".
C.S. Lewis describes a illustration of a busload of people from hell who drive to the outskirts of heaven and even though they see the Kingdom of heaven they still are not willing to sacrifice themselves and there fleshly desires for the Lord.
SO ultimately God does not cast people into hell, rather he gives people what they desire most: God or their own desires.
This verse got me thinking about hell and heaven and eternal life. Honestly the whole though of all that stuff scares me because I can't imagine it but I wanted to share something in "A Reason for God" by Timothy Keller that really changed my whole perspective on hell.
For a long time I struggled with the thought of people who I loved or just people in general who had to suffer in hell for all enternity... i know it is what we deserve it just seemed so hard for me to understand.
I read the chapter titled "How can a loving God send people to hell?" and here is what it presented: God ultimately gives us what we desire most. People reject the son of God because they don't want to let go of themselves. This is the flesh inside of them that does not want what the Lord has to offer. They can't let go of the pride, self indulgance, love for money, fame, sex, drugs, love, or anything else apart from God. They ultimately choose one or several of those things over the Son of God. And God will ultimately give people what they desire most. So those who do not choose God spend eternity with whatever they chose above God without the love of God. So therefore there is nothing good anymore and they choose to fall deeper into the fleshly desires for forever. Apart from God, they glorify the flesh and it is a miserable "hell".
C.S. Lewis describes a illustration of a busload of people from hell who drive to the outskirts of heaven and even though they see the Kingdom of heaven they still are not willing to sacrifice themselves and there fleshly desires for the Lord.
SO ultimately God does not cast people into hell, rather he gives people what they desire most: God or their own desires.
background on John
John
Author and Title
The title says that the Gospel was written by John, and other evidence identifies this John as the son of Zebedee. The internal evidence indicates that the author was (1) an apostle (1:14; cf. 2:11; 19:35), (2) one of the 12 disciples (“the disciple whom Jesus loved”; 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:20; cf. 21:24–25), and, still more specifically, (3) John the son of Zebedee (note the association of “the disciple whom Jesus loved” with Peter in 13:23–24; 18:15–16; 20:2–9; 21:2–23; cf. Luke 22:8; Acts 1:13; 3:1–4:37; 8:14–25; Gal. 2:9). The external evidence from the church fathers supports this identification (e.g., Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.1.2).
The title says that the Gospel was written by John, and other evidence identifies this John as the son of Zebedee. The internal evidence indicates that the author was (1) an apostle (1:14; cf. 2:11; 19:35), (2) one of the 12 disciples (“the disciple whom Jesus loved”; 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:20; cf. 21:24–25), and, still more specifically, (3) John the son of Zebedee (note the association of “the disciple whom Jesus loved” with Peter in 13:23–24; 18:15–16; 20:2–9; 21:2–23; cf. Luke 22:8; Acts 1:13; 3:1–4:37; 8:14–25; Gal. 2:9). The external evidence from the church fathers supports this identification (e.g., Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.1.2).
Date and Place of Writing
The most likely date of writing is the period between a.d. 70 (the date of the destruction of the temple) and a.d. 100 (the end of John's lifetime), but there is not enough evidence to be much more precise. A date subsequent to a.d. 70 is suggested, among other things, by the references in 6:1 and 21:1 to the Sea of Tiberias (a name widely used for the Sea of Galilee only toward the end of the 1st century), the reference in 21:19 to Peter's martyrdom (which according to patristic evidence occurred in a.d. 65 or 66), and the lack of reference to the Sadducees (who ceased to be a Jewish religious party after a.d. 70). The testimony of the early church also favors a date after a.d. 70. Thus Clement of Alexandria stated, “Last of all, John, perceiving that the external facts had been made plain [in the other canonical Gospels] . . . composed a spiritual gospel” (cited in Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 6.14.7).
The most likely place of writing is Ephesus in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), which was one of the most important urban centers of the Roman Empire at the time (Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.1.2; cf. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 3.1.1). However, the readership envisioned by John's Gospel transcends any one historical setting.
The most likely date of writing is the period between a.d. 70 (the date of the destruction of the temple) and a.d. 100 (the end of John's lifetime), but there is not enough evidence to be much more precise. A date subsequent to a.d. 70 is suggested, among other things, by the references in 6:1 and 21:1 to the Sea of Tiberias (a name widely used for the Sea of Galilee only toward the end of the 1st century), the reference in 21:19 to Peter's martyrdom (which according to patristic evidence occurred in a.d. 65 or 66), and the lack of reference to the Sadducees (who ceased to be a Jewish religious party after a.d. 70). The testimony of the early church also favors a date after a.d. 70. Thus Clement of Alexandria stated, “Last of all, John, perceiving that the external facts had been made plain [in the other canonical Gospels] . . . composed a spiritual gospel” (cited in Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 6.14.7).
The most likely place of writing is Ephesus in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), which was one of the most important urban centers of the Roman Empire at the time (Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.1.2; cf. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 3.1.1). However, the readership envisioned by John's Gospel transcends any one historical setting.
Theme
The theme of John's Gospel is that Jesus is the promised Messiah and Son of God. By believing in Jesus, people can have eternal life (cf. 20:30–31).
The theme of John's Gospel is that Jesus is the promised Messiah and Son of God. By believing in Jesus, people can have eternal life (cf. 20:30–31).
Purpose, Occasion, and Background
The Gospel of John was written by the apostle John, the son of Zebedee, a Palestinian Jew and a member of Jesus' inner apostolic circle during his earthly ministry. John's original audience consisted of both Jews and Gentiles living in the larger Greco-Roman world in Ephesus and beyond toward the close of the first century a.d. He frequently explains Jewish customs and Palestinian geography and translates Aramaic terms into Greek (see note on 1:38), thus showing awareness of non-Jewish readers. He also presents Jesus as the Word become flesh against the backdrop of Greek thought that included Stoicism and early Gnosticism. But John also shows awareness of Jewish readers as he demonstrates Jesus to be the Jewish Messiah, the fulfillment of many OT themes, and the Son of God who was sent by God the Father to reveal the only true God and to provide redemption for humanity.
The purpose statement in 20:30–31 makes it appear that John wrote with an evangelistic intent. However, his depth of teaching shows that he wanted readers not only to come to initial saving faith in Jesus but also to grow into a rich, well-informed faith. John's central contention is that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah and Son of God, and that by believing in him people may have eternal life. To this end, he marshals the evidence of several selected messianic signs performed by Jesus and of a series of witnesses to Jesus—including the Scriptures, John the Baptist, Jesus himself, God the Father, Jesus' works, the Spirit, and John himself. It is also likely that John sought to present Jesus as the new temple and center of worship for God's people, a concept that would be especially forceful if the date of composition (as seems likely) was subsequent to a.d. 70 (the time of the destruction of the Jerusalem temple).
The Gospel of John was written by the apostle John, the son of Zebedee, a Palestinian Jew and a member of Jesus' inner apostolic circle during his earthly ministry. John's original audience consisted of both Jews and Gentiles living in the larger Greco-Roman world in Ephesus and beyond toward the close of the first century a.d. He frequently explains Jewish customs and Palestinian geography and translates Aramaic terms into Greek (see note on 1:38), thus showing awareness of non-Jewish readers. He also presents Jesus as the Word become flesh against the backdrop of Greek thought that included Stoicism and early Gnosticism. But John also shows awareness of Jewish readers as he demonstrates Jesus to be the Jewish Messiah, the fulfillment of many OT themes, and the Son of God who was sent by God the Father to reveal the only true God and to provide redemption for humanity.
The purpose statement in 20:30–31 makes it appear that John wrote with an evangelistic intent. However, his depth of teaching shows that he wanted readers not only to come to initial saving faith in Jesus but also to grow into a rich, well-informed faith. John's central contention is that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah and Son of God, and that by believing in him people may have eternal life. To this end, he marshals the evidence of several selected messianic signs performed by Jesus and of a series of witnesses to Jesus—including the Scriptures, John the Baptist, Jesus himself, God the Father, Jesus' works, the Spirit, and John himself. It is also likely that John sought to present Jesus as the new temple and center of worship for God's people, a concept that would be especially forceful if the date of composition (as seems likely) was subsequent to a.d. 70 (the time of the destruction of the Jerusalem temple).
(Copywright http://www.esvstudybible.org/search?q=john)
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
I love Proverbs!!
I was in Sojo, Session 6, and even though I don't know a lot of the people posting on this blog, I love what they have to say about different passages! I'll read a verse and be completely confused by it, but someone who understood it posts what they think on this blog, and the message really becomes clear.
This past week I was at a volleyball camp with my team, and there was one girl on my team who can be a tad on the frustrating/annoying side. At one point I just wanted to snap at her, but then a few verses from Proverbs came to my mind, and really helped me conquer the anger.
"Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." -Proverbs 12:18
"He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin." -Proverbs 13:3
"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." -Proverbs 15:1
"A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered." -Proverbs 17:27
I was so glad God put these verses in my head, or I would have said something I definately would have regretted later.
Thank you counselors for setting up this blog!
Love, Paige H.
This past week I was at a volleyball camp with my team, and there was one girl on my team who can be a tad on the frustrating/annoying side. At one point I just wanted to snap at her, but then a few verses from Proverbs came to my mind, and really helped me conquer the anger.
"Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." -Proverbs 12:18
"He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin." -Proverbs 13:3
"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." -Proverbs 15:1
"A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered." -Proverbs 17:27
I was so glad God put these verses in my head, or I would have said something I definately would have regretted later.
Thank you counselors for setting up this blog!
Love, Paige H.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Read The Contract First
Hey everyone. I know that everyone's writing about about Proverbs and keeping on track with the daily bible verses, and this is completely unrelated to any of that. But Sunday my Pastor was talking about the book of Acts, and he gave an analogy about how God gave His Son for us, and what we were freed from, and I'd like to share it with all of you because it definitely put things into perspective for me.
Now, when I read John 3:14 about how God gave his one and only Son for us and all the sin and punishment he freed us from, I think "Wow, he must have really loved us. That is so cool!" But the thing is when I read the Bible, I understand what happened, and I try to interpret everything, but I don't usually picture how everyone felt, or how they reacted. Like, I almost don't think of them as people, but as just thoughts. I understand they were people, but I don't think out the entire story. So my Pastor gave this analogy to try and help you think about what God did in a more modern way. Imagine that you really want to do to college, but you don't have the money. One day, a man comes up to you and says, "Hey, I'll pay for you to go to a great college, and after, you can come work for me. All you have to do is sign this contract, and off you go." So, thinking it's a great opportunity, you sign and head off to college. After, you go to work for this great guy. But soon you realize that this job you have is awful. The people are evil, the degrade you and insult you, and you hate it so much. But you can't break your contract. You have nothing you can do. So, after a few weeks at this awful job, a man walks in one day, comes up to you, and says, "I have good news. I just bought out your contract. You can come work for me now. It cost me a lot. It cost me a whole lot. It cost me my son. But I did this so you could be happy, and not have to worry about this job anymore. Come with me, have no worries." And you go, and it's beyond anything you could ever believe.
Now, if you were in this situation, would you not be so thankful to the guy who bought out your contract. You'd praise him, and thank him frequently. And this is exactly what God did for us. Sure, we can't see what would have happened to us if God hadn't given his Son for us, but you can we sure it was worse that just a bad job. This showed me how much God did for me, what he did for us, and the sacrifice he made, just for us.
Thanks for reading guys, I hope you got as much out of this as I did.
this is why we do
Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another."
This is one of my favorite verses in the whole Bible because it is so true. I would not AT ALL be the person that I am if it were not for the people in my life who have challenged, encouraged, and loved me. Community is so so so so so so important.
This verse is exactly why we are doing this. Sharpening each other with every post. Lets go baby
This is one of my favorite verses in the whole Bible because it is so true. I would not AT ALL be the person that I am if it were not for the people in my life who have challenged, encouraged, and loved me. Community is so so so so so so important.
This verse is exactly why we are doing this. Sharpening each other with every post. Lets go baby
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Bless your enemies cause it's fun!
First of all, I just want to apologize for just now posting. However, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading what you all have to say. It is encouraging to me, as a counselor, to see you still seeking God and what he has to say through his Word. I have experienced coming home after camp and noticed the huge difference in environments, but God is constant. No matter what you go through at home, remember that.
Anyways, while I was reading Proverbs 25 verses 21-22 really stuck out to me.
It reads "If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you."
My literal mind got stuck on the heaping of burning coals on his head. I got selfishly excited for a second...then had to dig deeper. I realized that by helping our enemies, they will most likely feel guilty for how they have wronged us. This should not be our goal, however. When it says that the Lord will reward you, something good will come from the "burning coals". Thanks to my handy dandy ESV Study Bible, this good most likely will be leading that person to repentance! This makes me think about my intentions in the past. Like y'all have talked about, God knows our hearts and the real reason we do things. I can think of numerous times when I have done the right thing only to glorify myself and make myself feel better. Who am I? I would like to think this idea of blessing my enemies comes easy to me...but it doesn't. Not even a little bit. Now i really don't have a lot of enemies out there, but I can definitely think of times people have wronged me...and my first thought was not to share the love of Jesus with them!
Refer to Luke 6:27-36. I'm not going to type it all out, but the first two verses are so challenging saying this, "But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you." Once you have read these 9 verses, just stop and think. Think about how you live, and how you are supposed to live. And then reflect on God's love for you. This should automatically change how you see people and treat them. I don't know about you, but I'm feeling pretty convicted right now. Praise God!
The other thing that slapped me in the face was verse 28. "A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls." My Study Bible blatantly states it this way. The lack of self-control is a mark of a fool. He is like a city...left without walls, that is, with no means of defense against enemies. I want to challenge you to look at your life, and pick out one area that you lack self-control in. Be in prayer about it, and make the choice to follow Christ. As you all know, it is worth it!
Well I hope you got something out of this post because I have definitely come away learning from all of you! I can't wait to continue growing with you. God bless you.
Sayings of the Wise Indeed!!
While reading Proverbs 24 a few verses stuck out to me that I would like to share with everyone.
"By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasure."
Pr. 24:3-4
"Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice..."
Pr. 24:17
"I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw..."
Pr. 24:32
My thoughts:
"By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasure."
Pr. 24:3-4
"Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice..."
Pr. 24:17
"I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw..."
Pr. 24:32
My thoughts:
- Verse 3-4: I like this verse because it makes the word of God your very own fortress and your furnishings are the knowledge you obtain.
- Verse 17: The lesson is pretty much written in stone. Don't gloat! Not only is it annoying, you are also kicking your enemy while they're down.
- Verse 32: Another pretty easy concept. Learn from others, whether it's their achievements or failures there's always wisdom to be gained from others.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Proverbs 23:13-14 "Perfect Sense"
Hi, i'm new to this. i was in quest Stonewall session 7.
Proverbs 23. I think there is some great life lessons in this passage.
Theres one verse that really stuck out to me. Proverbs 23:13-14
13 Do not withhold discipline from a child;
if you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
and save his soul from death.
I have a bible that is translated into contemporary language and this is what it said:
13 Don't be afraid to correct your young ones;
a spanking won't kill them.
from something worse than death.
Its funny how in modern day society there is constant arguments and questioning whether punishments such as spankings are morally incorrect or not, yet here in these verses it is specifically saying that a spanking could save the kid's life and possibly their soul from hell. If more people in the time of questioning would turn to the bible the world would be a more peaceful place. These two verses make perfect sense and thats why they stick out to me. It obviously doesn't mean you have to spank your kid every time he eats a cookie out of the jar without asking. It means discipline him when he does things wrong.
Anyway thanks for reading,
Shane Steiner
Childhood
Think back to a time when you got in trouble for something mischievious that you've done. How did your parents punish you? Some people get whats called a "stern talking to", some get put in "timeout", and others (such as myself) got the good old-fashioned spanking. Whenever I did something to get a spanking I was sure to NEVER do that thing ever again. I remember after getting a spanking running up to my room and hating my parents for doing something like that. Proverbs 22:15 and 23:13-14 say that it was right for our parents to discipline us in these ways.
"Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him."
Pr. 22:15
"Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, be will not die. Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death."
Pr. 23:13-14
(Based on these two verses I think we should consider ourselves lucky that our parents use their hands and not the "rod of discipline"!)
It is our parents duties to discipline us for bad behavior. Today your "rod of discipline" might be losing the computer/tv or getting your phone or car taken away for some period of time. Whatever the case may be, the message is still sent that what you did was wrong and if you want to avoid the same situation you will not do it again.
One last thought...
Next time you know you've done wrong and your parents punish you, give them a sincere "thank you". When they seem confused or ask why you would say that just tell them Proverbs 23:13-14!
"Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him."
Pr. 22:15
"Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, be will not die. Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death."
Pr. 23:13-14
(Based on these two verses I think we should consider ourselves lucky that our parents use their hands and not the "rod of discipline"!)
It is our parents duties to discipline us for bad behavior. Today your "rod of discipline" might be losing the computer/tv or getting your phone or car taken away for some period of time. Whatever the case may be, the message is still sent that what you did was wrong and if you want to avoid the same situation you will not do it again.
One last thought...
Next time you know you've done wrong and your parents punish you, give them a sincere "thank you". When they seem confused or ask why you would say that just tell them Proverbs 23:13-14!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Proverbs 21-Right vs. Wrong
Okay, so this is my first post, so I'll try my best. (:
Evi~I read your last blog about Proverbs 20, and I totally agree about everything you said. Like how we have to walk the walk and how our actions and our behaviors are SO much more important than our words. Thanks for that!
So about Proverbs 21...
Proverbs 21:2
"All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes, but it is the Lord who proves hearts." To me, this verse says that in our own eyes we may think that we are doing the right thing and making the right choices, but God is the ultimate decider of that. He is the ultimate judge of right and wrong. We must always live according to His will, not ours, no matter what, and only then will we be making the right choices.
Proverbs 21:8
"The way of the culprit is crooked, but the conduct of the innocent is right." This verse just really sticks out to me...I just love the way the Bible says certain things like this. Instead of simply stating, "it is bad to make bad choices and it is good to make good choices," the authors of the Bible have made it SO interesting to read! Gotta love it! (: And yet the message is so clear and understandable, but it's just stated in such a cool way!
Proverbs 21:12
"The just man appraises the house of the wicked: there is one who brings down the wicked to ruin." Ahhh I love this verse. So basically it's saying that the just man will observe the ways of the wicked and asses the value of the wicked, but ultimately the just man will ALWAYS overcome the wicked man (in the end). At least that's the way I see it! "...with God anything is possible." (Matthew 19:26-my favorite verse) With Him and only Him are we able to overcome the "wicked" and all things evil...we will never be able to do it alone. He must always be a part of our lives. And it seems as if God likes to reward us when we make good decisions in life and when we try to grow closer and closer to Him. This verse is so powerful to me because it gives me the hope that good will overcome evil at the end of time. Just knowing that gives me the strength and courage to keep fighting for my beliefs and doing what I know is right-even if it may not be what everyone else is doing.
Okay, I feel like I can say something about every single one of these verses! I wish I had started blogging earlier...this is so interesting! haha.
Proverbs 21: 13
"He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will himself also call and not be heard." This is another one of my new favorites! This verse reminds me of Matthew 7:12 (the Golden Rule). How can we expect people to help us when we are in need if we do not help them when they are in need? Treat others how YOU would want to be treated. It seems like that verse has really had an influence on my life lately. Something I've been working on. I've heard about the Golden Rule and have been told to follow it ever since I was little, but it seems like the message is just now (finally) sinking it. It seems so easy to follow this rule, yet it is SO hard when you actually try to apply it to your life. For example,-girls especially who are reading this-(I guess boys too, but not as much)-the next time you are with your friends and they are gossiping about another girl...stop and THINK...how would I feel if I found out that someone was talking bad about me and gossiping about me? Because trust me, I've had my fair share of girls gossiping about me in high school, and it's not pretty. Why would I ever want to put another girl through that same pain that I went through? I hope this isn't sounding too cheesy, and I really do hope y'all will apply this message to your lives!
Proverbs 21:20
"Precious treasure remains in the house of the wise, but the fool consumes it." For some reason, I see "precious treasure" as being temptation in life. You may see it differently, but just look at the way I see it...There are SO many temptations and things we think we absolutely need in our everyday lives. Those temptations and needs are just sitting there, right in front of us, all the time. Evil things just waiting to cause our relationship with Christ to come to a standstill. But good people in this world-people that follow Christ-don't allow these temptations, these seemingly "precious treasures" to hinder their relationship with God. "Fools" and bad people (for lack of a better word...) do allow these treasures and temptations to overcome their discernment between right and wrong and their walk with Christ. Challenge yourself and channel all of your focus and energy on God! Don't allow the bad things in this pretty messed up world to harm your relationship with Him. Stay strong. (: I know I've struggled with that in the past-letting people influence my thinking and almost permanently destroy my relationship with God-and I hope we all never give up hope and ALWAYS walk with the Lord, ignoring those precious treasures.
And I'm sure you are all familiar with the Sky Ranch summer theme two years ago from 2 Corinthians 4:18..."as we look not to what is seen, but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal." This is another way to look at Proverbs 21:20. It basically says that we shouldn't focus on the tangible/seen things in life, but rather on the UNSEEN. The most important thing in our life should be our relationship with Christ. Material things should be way down at the bottom of our list or maybe not even on it. Think about it...each day, what do YOU put first in your life? What is your number one? Try to not focus so much on the physical things around you, but focus on all things Christ-like, things that are unseen. You will definitely not be able to bring any of the material things in this world with you into Heaven, so why should they matter here on Earth?!
Proverbs 21:21
"He who pursues justice and kindness will find life and honor." Yay! I'm glad this verse was in here! This proves the point I was making earlier in Proverbs 21:12...how God always seems to reward His true followers, and how good things always seem to happen to me when I'm really close to Him. Some of my best moments in my life so far have happened at times when I'm super close to Christ (like at Sky Ranch, of course!). Here's a great quote someone told me to explain why some of my best moments have been times spent at places like Sky Ranch..."You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments that stand out, the moments that you have really lived, are the moments when you have done things in a spirit of love." ~ Henry Drummond. And that spirit of love is CHRIST and only Christ...living our own lives centered around His will and working to share his love and message of salvation with others.
Wow, I love this blog! That was a great way to end my day. (: Hope you all get something out of my post. And thanks everyone for posting; I'm getting SO much out of everyone else's messages, and I hope more people start to join the blog soon.
God bless,
Haley Hoyle
Evi~I read your last blog about Proverbs 20, and I totally agree about everything you said. Like how we have to walk the walk and how our actions and our behaviors are SO much more important than our words. Thanks for that!
So about Proverbs 21...
Proverbs 21:2
"All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes, but it is the Lord who proves hearts." To me, this verse says that in our own eyes we may think that we are doing the right thing and making the right choices, but God is the ultimate decider of that. He is the ultimate judge of right and wrong. We must always live according to His will, not ours, no matter what, and only then will we be making the right choices.
Proverbs 21:8
"The way of the culprit is crooked, but the conduct of the innocent is right." This verse just really sticks out to me...I just love the way the Bible says certain things like this. Instead of simply stating, "it is bad to make bad choices and it is good to make good choices," the authors of the Bible have made it SO interesting to read! Gotta love it! (: And yet the message is so clear and understandable, but it's just stated in such a cool way!
Proverbs 21:12
"The just man appraises the house of the wicked: there is one who brings down the wicked to ruin." Ahhh I love this verse. So basically it's saying that the just man will observe the ways of the wicked and asses the value of the wicked, but ultimately the just man will ALWAYS overcome the wicked man (in the end). At least that's the way I see it! "...with God anything is possible." (Matthew 19:26-my favorite verse) With Him and only Him are we able to overcome the "wicked" and all things evil...we will never be able to do it alone. He must always be a part of our lives. And it seems as if God likes to reward us when we make good decisions in life and when we try to grow closer and closer to Him. This verse is so powerful to me because it gives me the hope that good will overcome evil at the end of time. Just knowing that gives me the strength and courage to keep fighting for my beliefs and doing what I know is right-even if it may not be what everyone else is doing.
Okay, I feel like I can say something about every single one of these verses! I wish I had started blogging earlier...this is so interesting! haha.
Proverbs 21: 13
"He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will himself also call and not be heard." This is another one of my new favorites! This verse reminds me of Matthew 7:12 (the Golden Rule). How can we expect people to help us when we are in need if we do not help them when they are in need? Treat others how YOU would want to be treated. It seems like that verse has really had an influence on my life lately. Something I've been working on. I've heard about the Golden Rule and have been told to follow it ever since I was little, but it seems like the message is just now (finally) sinking it. It seems so easy to follow this rule, yet it is SO hard when you actually try to apply it to your life. For example,-girls especially who are reading this-(I guess boys too, but not as much)-the next time you are with your friends and they are gossiping about another girl...stop and THINK...how would I feel if I found out that someone was talking bad about me and gossiping about me? Because trust me, I've had my fair share of girls gossiping about me in high school, and it's not pretty. Why would I ever want to put another girl through that same pain that I went through? I hope this isn't sounding too cheesy, and I really do hope y'all will apply this message to your lives!
Proverbs 21:20
"Precious treasure remains in the house of the wise, but the fool consumes it." For some reason, I see "precious treasure" as being temptation in life. You may see it differently, but just look at the way I see it...There are SO many temptations and things we think we absolutely need in our everyday lives. Those temptations and needs are just sitting there, right in front of us, all the time. Evil things just waiting to cause our relationship with Christ to come to a standstill. But good people in this world-people that follow Christ-don't allow these temptations, these seemingly "precious treasures" to hinder their relationship with God. "Fools" and bad people (for lack of a better word...) do allow these treasures and temptations to overcome their discernment between right and wrong and their walk with Christ. Challenge yourself and channel all of your focus and energy on God! Don't allow the bad things in this pretty messed up world to harm your relationship with Him. Stay strong. (: I know I've struggled with that in the past-letting people influence my thinking and almost permanently destroy my relationship with God-and I hope we all never give up hope and ALWAYS walk with the Lord, ignoring those precious treasures.
And I'm sure you are all familiar with the Sky Ranch summer theme two years ago from 2 Corinthians 4:18..."as we look not to what is seen, but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal." This is another way to look at Proverbs 21:20. It basically says that we shouldn't focus on the tangible/seen things in life, but rather on the UNSEEN. The most important thing in our life should be our relationship with Christ. Material things should be way down at the bottom of our list or maybe not even on it. Think about it...each day, what do YOU put first in your life? What is your number one? Try to not focus so much on the physical things around you, but focus on all things Christ-like, things that are unseen. You will definitely not be able to bring any of the material things in this world with you into Heaven, so why should they matter here on Earth?!
Proverbs 21:21
"He who pursues justice and kindness will find life and honor." Yay! I'm glad this verse was in here! This proves the point I was making earlier in Proverbs 21:12...how God always seems to reward His true followers, and how good things always seem to happen to me when I'm really close to Him. Some of my best moments in my life so far have happened at times when I'm super close to Christ (like at Sky Ranch, of course!). Here's a great quote someone told me to explain why some of my best moments have been times spent at places like Sky Ranch..."You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments that stand out, the moments that you have really lived, are the moments when you have done things in a spirit of love." ~ Henry Drummond. And that spirit of love is CHRIST and only Christ...living our own lives centered around His will and working to share his love and message of salvation with others.
Wow, I love this blog! That was a great way to end my day. (: Hope you all get something out of my post. And thanks everyone for posting; I'm getting SO much out of everyone else's messages, and I hope more people start to join the blog soon.
God bless,
Haley Hoyle
Planning on Plans
Evi,
Absolutely love reading your blogs. Don't stop, it is encuraging me to keep posting on here. I feel like other people will start posting on here pretty soon.
About your question, I think you were asking about all the passages about our plans and how they are the Lords and that kind of thing. Here are some of the verses in Proverbs about plans:
Absolutely love reading your blogs. Don't stop, it is encuraging me to keep posting on here. I feel like other people will start posting on here pretty soon.
About your question, I think you were asking about all the passages about our plans and how they are the Lords and that kind of thing. Here are some of the verses in Proverbs about plans:
16 The plans of the heart belong to man,but l the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. 2 m All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,but the Lord n weighs the spirit. 3 o Commit your work to the Lord,and your plans will be established.
The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
The centrality of these verses to me is that God is ultimately in control of what goes on in our lives. But, I also read that he wants us to make plans that are committed to him and he will bless those. In summary, we need to focus our life on the Lord and plan to serve him in everything we do. We will make plans, some will happen, some won't, but ultimately God is in control of what happens.
Let me know if that helps.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Judgement and Discernment
I promise I won't blog too many times a week, but I recently received the ESV Study Bible and really dug into Proverbs 20 today- I learned so much and am so excited to share so I'm going to start into it!!!
Proverbs 20:5 tells that one has to be discerning to really understand a person's true intentions and continues on to the next few verses to say that people's pretenses are often wrong. Meaning, when we first assume something about another person or anything, we're often wrong. This happens a lot for me, especially with first impressions, and I have to remind myself, I don't know any one person's entire background except my own (Almost like in the book, The Secret Life of Bees), so I can't assume or judge them on anything- only God can do and know that.
In Proverbs 20:6, it asks, "Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?" This is questioning who can find an honest man, who can find true goodness? I think the next verse could be interpereted as a sort of answer, "The righteous who walks in his integrity- blessed are his children after him!" This pretty much means that behavior shows who some one truly is. It's probably where the phrase about talking the talk then walking the walk really comes from. It doesn't really matter what you say, because people will believe and can't deny what you do. So to find, or become, an honest man and true goodness, a basic rule of discrenment from Proverbs 21:8 comes in handy, "The way of the guilty is crooked, but the conduct of the pure is upright." Meaning, the crooked do evil and the upright do good.
The next couple verses, Proverbs 20:8-12 and 20:22-25 all seem to have a common theme- judgement. The first set of verses speak of a king's purpose- to seperate good from evil through judgement, and that he needs to recognize his own guilt and sin to be able to judge others. His scales of judgement should be equal, impartial, fair, and balanced, or else any acts of judgement by him are a shame to the Lord. He would most likely possess discernment, and know its basic principle: that a person's actions show his true intentions (mentioned before- Proverbs 21:8), not his words. This rule is used to evaluate children, as said in Proverbs 20:17. However, for God, I don't think he needs that rule since created our eyes and ears- He could probably use it, but He knows how to assess us for good. However He judges us will be final because He knows our true intentions inside and out. Although we, God's people, need to hold back from judging, we should not be unwilling to find balance and discern good and evil in others. The later verses, Proverbs 20:22-25, teach that God is the true judge, not any people- He uses the equalled scales and knows our inmost beings (Psalm 139). Proverbs 20:24 shows how He is the top authority, He directs our steps even if we make our own choices and are responsible for them. In Psalms 37:23, it says that "If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm;" and in Jerimiah 10:23, "I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps." These verses basically back up Proverbs 20:24 in that our lives are Christ's even if we make our own desicions. I think that is so cool, but I can't really understand it- so if any one has an analogy or insight that'd be awesome!
Anyways, that was sort of an awkward way to wrap up but it's all I have left to say :]
Also, if you ever have the chance to read, or purchase a good study bible, I really reccomend it. If I had read this chapter with only my teen study bible, I wouldn't have understood it nearly the way I did with all the cross references and explainations! So I guess that's it- God bless everyone
By the way, some small phrases I didn't know how to explain in my own words of this were copied from the "ESV Study Bible"
Proverbs 20:5 tells that one has to be discerning to really understand a person's true intentions and continues on to the next few verses to say that people's pretenses are often wrong. Meaning, when we first assume something about another person or anything, we're often wrong. This happens a lot for me, especially with first impressions, and I have to remind myself, I don't know any one person's entire background except my own (Almost like in the book, The Secret Life of Bees), so I can't assume or judge them on anything- only God can do and know that.
In Proverbs 20:6, it asks, "Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?" This is questioning who can find an honest man, who can find true goodness? I think the next verse could be interpereted as a sort of answer, "The righteous who walks in his integrity- blessed are his children after him!" This pretty much means that behavior shows who some one truly is. It's probably where the phrase about talking the talk then walking the walk really comes from. It doesn't really matter what you say, because people will believe and can't deny what you do. So to find, or become, an honest man and true goodness, a basic rule of discrenment from Proverbs 21:8 comes in handy, "The way of the guilty is crooked, but the conduct of the pure is upright." Meaning, the crooked do evil and the upright do good.
The next couple verses, Proverbs 20:8-12 and 20:22-25 all seem to have a common theme- judgement. The first set of verses speak of a king's purpose- to seperate good from evil through judgement, and that he needs to recognize his own guilt and sin to be able to judge others. His scales of judgement should be equal, impartial, fair, and balanced, or else any acts of judgement by him are a shame to the Lord. He would most likely possess discernment, and know its basic principle: that a person's actions show his true intentions (mentioned before- Proverbs 21:8), not his words. This rule is used to evaluate children, as said in Proverbs 20:17. However, for God, I don't think he needs that rule since created our eyes and ears- He could probably use it, but He knows how to assess us for good. However He judges us will be final because He knows our true intentions inside and out. Although we, God's people, need to hold back from judging, we should not be unwilling to find balance and discern good and evil in others. The later verses, Proverbs 20:22-25, teach that God is the true judge, not any people- He uses the equalled scales and knows our inmost beings (Psalm 139). Proverbs 20:24 shows how He is the top authority, He directs our steps even if we make our own choices and are responsible for them. In Psalms 37:23, it says that "If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm;" and in Jerimiah 10:23, "I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps." These verses basically back up Proverbs 20:24 in that our lives are Christ's even if we make our own desicions. I think that is so cool, but I can't really understand it- so if any one has an analogy or insight that'd be awesome!
Anyways, that was sort of an awkward way to wrap up but it's all I have left to say :]
Also, if you ever have the chance to read, or purchase a good study bible, I really reccomend it. If I had read this chapter with only my teen study bible, I wouldn't have understood it nearly the way I did with all the cross references and explainations! So I guess that's it- God bless everyone
By the way, some small phrases I didn't know how to explain in my own words of this were copied from the "ESV Study Bible"
Why God, Why?
Every single one of us finds ourselves asking this question to God. Why did you let this happen Lord? Why did you not let me do what I wanted to do? I don't understand why God.
In Proverbs 20:24 it reveals a little bit of light on these kind of circumstances.
24 A man's steps are from the Lord; how then can man understand his way?
The Lord determines our steps because he has a purpose for our life. Our life was meant to bring him glory, that is why he created us. So this means we will go through seasons that we don't understand just like the second part of this verse talks about. There will absolutely be times in our life where we don't get why things are happening, but we have to rememeber GOD IS IN CONTROl. He promises he will never leave us or forsake us. He is our STRONG TOWER. He is working things to bring himself glory and we will be exalted on the behelf of Christ when the season of confusion is over.
So press on in the times of your life where you just don't get it knowing that God's got it under control.
In Proverbs 20:24 it reveals a little bit of light on these kind of circumstances.
24 A man's steps are from the Lord; how then can man understand his way?
The Lord determines our steps because he has a purpose for our life. Our life was meant to bring him glory, that is why he created us. So this means we will go through seasons that we don't understand just like the second part of this verse talks about. There will absolutely be times in our life where we don't get why things are happening, but we have to rememeber GOD IS IN CONTROl. He promises he will never leave us or forsake us. He is our STRONG TOWER. He is working things to bring himself glory and we will be exalted on the behelf of Christ when the season of confusion is over.
So press on in the times of your life where you just don't get it knowing that God's got it under control.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Glorious Goodness
Proverbs... so good... so loaded with glorious goodness.
Proverbs 18:15
An intelligent heart acquires knowledge,and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
I love reading all of your posts! You guys are aquiring and seeking knowledge right in front of me. My prayer is that you will be so encouraged and blessed by seeking the Lord.
Miss you guys,
Cam
Proverbs 18:15
An intelligent heart acquires knowledge,and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
I love reading all of your posts! You guys are aquiring and seeking knowledge right in front of me. My prayer is that you will be so encouraged and blessed by seeking the Lord.
Miss you guys,
Cam
proverbs 18
I just want to start off by saying that you all are astounding me. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your posts below about God's word...it is INCREDIBLE how doing the interactive bible study has equipped you to look deeper into each verse, taking it apart so intricately and pulling out so many beautiful and awe-inspiring connections, thoughts, and meanings...you guys are doing a great job posting, so don't be afraid or timid. Keep it up and keep diving deep into His word.
Evi, I love the paragraph you wrote about the name of the Lord being a strong tower. THINK about that--just His NAME ALONE is a strong tower...not to mention, everything that He IS! He is a strong tower, a refuge of strength, comfort, and love. He is all that is strong...His weakness is stronger than any human strength (1 Corinthians 1:25). His WEAKNESS....God's weakness....is stronger than any human strength or man-made strength on earth. That just shows us how strong He is. And the fact that His name alone, just His name, is representative of stronger than anything of this world...that is so big.
I wanted to talk about verse 11, which follows the strong tower verse:
10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.
11 The wealth of the rich is their strong city; in their imagination it is like a high wall.
I was really curious about this verse and so Cam and I looked it up on a website to find out more about what this was saying. Basically what we found was that this proverb is talking about security-- true security and strength in Christ, or finding security in things of this world, like riches, wealth, pride, vanity, etc. I strongly believe that our biggest struggle as humans is security. We try to place our identity and our security in what people think about us, if people like us, if we have a lot of things or material wealth, if we are acknowledged for our talents or deeds, if we have someone tell us we are beautiful or that they love us, security in a person or a friend or a relationship, security in everything other than God. When we place our identity and security in these things, once they fall away from us or are no longer present in our lives, we crumble. The ground beneath us is shaken and we don't know who we are anymore.
This summer has been a huge search for my security in the Lord. I finally realized that this was my biggest struggle. I was placing my identity and my security in people--if a boy liked me, if people thought I was a good dancer or a good Christian, if my campers liked me and thought I was a cool counselor...these types of things, although they aren't inherently sinful themselves, when placed above what God thinks of me--which, He views me as His CHILD, as His beloved, as His daughter, someone who He loves and cherishes and treasures...as He does all of those who believe-- when they are placed above Him and His wonderful thoughts for me, they bring such disappointment. We all are insecure beings. We constantly want people to tell us that we are doing things right, and that we are important and loved. But we just need to know that we are HIS...we are children of the creator of the universe, and He loves us. That is so much bigger and eternal, whereas people and things of this world are temporary.
Brooke Fraser writes in her song C.S. Lewis Song:
If I find in myself desires nothing in this world can satisfy,
I can only conclude that I was not made for here.
This goes to show that when we desire the Lord above all things...when we desire HIS love and HIS acceptance above riches, above people, above a boyfriend or a girlfriend...that is eternal. We are not made for here...we are made for heaven to be with Him and praise Him for eternity! I pray that all of you, if you are feeling insecure, unworthy, or unloved, to just K N O W that God created you, knows the hairs on your head, has amazing plans for you, and loves you...more than you can imagine. Find your true security in Him alone, and you will never be disappointed.
Evi, I love the paragraph you wrote about the name of the Lord being a strong tower. THINK about that--just His NAME ALONE is a strong tower...not to mention, everything that He IS! He is a strong tower, a refuge of strength, comfort, and love. He is all that is strong...His weakness is stronger than any human strength (1 Corinthians 1:25). His WEAKNESS....God's weakness....is stronger than any human strength or man-made strength on earth. That just shows us how strong He is. And the fact that His name alone, just His name, is representative of stronger than anything of this world...that is so big.
I wanted to talk about verse 11, which follows the strong tower verse:
10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.
11 The wealth of the rich is their strong city; in their imagination it is like a high wall.
I was really curious about this verse and so Cam and I looked it up on a website to find out more about what this was saying. Basically what we found was that this proverb is talking about security-- true security and strength in Christ, or finding security in things of this world, like riches, wealth, pride, vanity, etc. I strongly believe that our biggest struggle as humans is security. We try to place our identity and our security in what people think about us, if people like us, if we have a lot of things or material wealth, if we are acknowledged for our talents or deeds, if we have someone tell us we are beautiful or that they love us, security in a person or a friend or a relationship, security in everything other than God. When we place our identity and security in these things, once they fall away from us or are no longer present in our lives, we crumble. The ground beneath us is shaken and we don't know who we are anymore.
This summer has been a huge search for my security in the Lord. I finally realized that this was my biggest struggle. I was placing my identity and my security in people--if a boy liked me, if people thought I was a good dancer or a good Christian, if my campers liked me and thought I was a cool counselor...these types of things, although they aren't inherently sinful themselves, when placed above what God thinks of me--which, He views me as His CHILD, as His beloved, as His daughter, someone who He loves and cherishes and treasures...as He does all of those who believe-- when they are placed above Him and His wonderful thoughts for me, they bring such disappointment. We all are insecure beings. We constantly want people to tell us that we are doing things right, and that we are important and loved. But we just need to know that we are HIS...we are children of the creator of the universe, and He loves us. That is so much bigger and eternal, whereas people and things of this world are temporary.
Brooke Fraser writes in her song C.S. Lewis Song:
If I find in myself desires nothing in this world can satisfy,
I can only conclude that I was not made for here.
This goes to show that when we desire the Lord above all things...when we desire HIS love and HIS acceptance above riches, above people, above a boyfriend or a girlfriend...that is eternal. We are not made for here...we are made for heaven to be with Him and praise Him for eternity! I pray that all of you, if you are feeling insecure, unworthy, or unloved, to just K N O W that God created you, knows the hairs on your head, has amazing plans for you, and loves you...more than you can imagine. Find your true security in Him alone, and you will never be disappointed.
What We Say
Hi everyone! This is kind of my first post and I may not do it right, but bear with me cause I'm trying! So today is Proverbs: 18. I went through and read the whole thing, then went back and picked apart each verse- but, since my blog would be about 30 pages long if I said everything I learned, I'm going to share the top two verses that stuck out to me and what I learned from them.
Proverbs 18:10- The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
When I read this I thought to myself, Wow, just His name is so powerful- we can just say it and we are safe. I just think that it is so cool how the Lord's name is a strong tower. I wasn't too sure what a strong tower was, so I looked it up all these different places and could only find Christian references to it- that says something in itself! However, I did find that it was a place of protection, a sturdy and, well, strong tower that stood tall- a place where nobody could harm you if you were attacked. So let us run to the Lord and use His name- Jesus Christ.
Proverbs 18: 21- The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it eat its fruit.
This is so neat to me because it is so true today, and has been since Proverbs was written about 2900 years ago! It applies in court, (Proverbs 18:17) and daily life. So, to me, this verse means that what you say can glorify life, but it can also bring about death. Whoever is careful about their words, will be rewarded for not using words in a bad way- he will reap what he sows. (Hosea 8:7 and 10:1-4) The power of the tongue can bring others to Jesus Christ, it can bring repentance, and faith. It can comfort those who are hurt, and be a way to express love. (words of affirmation!) We can call out the Lord's name, and be safe. (Proverbs 18:10) This is the power of life the tongue has. However, the power of death is misuse of words; critisism, lying, gossiping, using the Lord's name in vain, cursing, and so on are using the tongue in the wrong way. So to apply this to my life, I will try not to speak in the way of death, but think about what I say before I say it, and use my words to bring others to Christ. I think this is so important because we are the people who can bring others to the Lord! We live in America and go to Christian camp, we can talk about God openly and not be killed. We can read our bibles every day without horrible concequences- so let's take advantage of this and use our freedom! I am so driven to spread His word and can't wait to express how great God is to others, so let's use the power our words have- the power of life!
Okay, well this is the end of my blog- hope it was helpful! :]
Proverbs 18:10- The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
When I read this I thought to myself, Wow, just His name is so powerful- we can just say it and we are safe. I just think that it is so cool how the Lord's name is a strong tower. I wasn't too sure what a strong tower was, so I looked it up all these different places and could only find Christian references to it- that says something in itself! However, I did find that it was a place of protection, a sturdy and, well, strong tower that stood tall- a place where nobody could harm you if you were attacked. So let us run to the Lord and use His name- Jesus Christ.
Proverbs 18: 21- The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it eat its fruit.
This is so neat to me because it is so true today, and has been since Proverbs was written about 2900 years ago! It applies in court, (Proverbs 18:17) and daily life. So, to me, this verse means that what you say can glorify life, but it can also bring about death. Whoever is careful about their words, will be rewarded for not using words in a bad way- he will reap what he sows. (Hosea 8:7 and 10:1-4) The power of the tongue can bring others to Jesus Christ, it can bring repentance, and faith. It can comfort those who are hurt, and be a way to express love. (words of affirmation!) We can call out the Lord's name, and be safe. (Proverbs 18:10) This is the power of life the tongue has. However, the power of death is misuse of words; critisism, lying, gossiping, using the Lord's name in vain, cursing, and so on are using the tongue in the wrong way. So to apply this to my life, I will try not to speak in the way of death, but think about what I say before I say it, and use my words to bring others to Christ. I think this is so important because we are the people who can bring others to the Lord! We live in America and go to Christian camp, we can talk about God openly and not be killed. We can read our bibles every day without horrible concequences- so let's take advantage of this and use our freedom! I am so driven to spread His word and can't wait to express how great God is to others, so let's use the power our words have- the power of life!
Okay, well this is the end of my blog- hope it was helpful! :]
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