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Saturday, November 12, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
P31-Proverbs Chapter 4
I'm starting to have a little trouble differentiating between the different contexts of wisdom. It is starting to seem like the same message. I guess maybe it seems as though this chapter is exploring the benefits of wisdom more than encouraging one to seek wisdom. Ultimately, the message is still clear to me. Seek to gain knowledge and understanding, and you will find the will and hand of God. Continue to gain wisdom and aggressively search it out and the path God intends you to walk will be clear with no gray area. We can use the wisdom of God to build our relationship with him. Which is his greatest desire! I pray that God will clear my mind and make his intended message for each of these chapters plan for me to see.
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Tuesday, March 1, 2011
P31-Proverbs Chapter 3
Ok, so to me, this chapter carries on the central theme from chapter one just with some additional perspective. Beyond that I think it really throws several small yet clear points at you. Of these, the basis for the discipline of God is what stood out. I mean how many of us have said or thought or maybe heard from someone else how hard our parents were on us when we were kids and although we resented them for it then, we are so greatful for it now that we are adults? Exactly. So my aim is to be greatful for God's loving discipline now with the understanding that I know I will be greatful for it at some point in the future of God's choosing. This reminds me of a quote in George W. Bush's book Decision Points. He said "Eventually their patient love affected me. When you know you have unconditional love, there is no point in rebellion and no need to fear failure. I was free to follow my instincts, enjoy my life, and love my parents as much as they loved me." I feel that applies perfectly to God as well. How awesome is it that God loves us enough to disciple us so that we can mature and grow strong in the ways of Christ!
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Monday, February 28, 2011
P31-Proverbs Chapter 2
As you can tell by the gap between my post on Proverbs chapter one and this one, I still have a long way to go in improving my discipline of spending time in the word daily and journaling my thoughts. In my defense, I do have a couple other bible readings and small group studies going on. But in either case, I am going to continue to get better with my disciple.
So on to Proverbs chapter two. I think I have a couple thoughts here. First, on a secular level, I am a huge proponent of this message. I whole heartedly believe that we each have a responsibility to continually educate ourselves both on the world around us and in our general knowledge and that to do so empowers us to make wise, responsible decisions as we interact with the rest of humanity. I believe this to be an aspect of what is being prescribed here. I find the primary intention of this chapter is that we build our knowledge in the word and the ways of Christ so that we can conduct ourselves as closely to Gods's will for us as possible. I think the other key point, is that if we focus and strive to live up to that, we will have the wisdom to identify and avoid those people, situations and circumstances that would tempt us to leave the path which God has laid out for us.
Now earlier I said that I felt secular knowledge and wisdom were an aspect of the central theme of this chapter. I will leave that statement to stand as is with the following disclaimer. The leading force needs to be biblical knowledge so that we have the tools and the information to reconcile the two together to ensure that we do not become wise in those ways of the world that would lead us away from the will of Christ. Furthermore, we have to be humble and use humility in our use of knowledge and understand that it is a gift from God. We are not the source of intellect and it's purpose is not to fill our own ego or to give us an inflated sense of our own worth.
So on to Proverbs chapter two. I think I have a couple thoughts here. First, on a secular level, I am a huge proponent of this message. I whole heartedly believe that we each have a responsibility to continually educate ourselves both on the world around us and in our general knowledge and that to do so empowers us to make wise, responsible decisions as we interact with the rest of humanity. I believe this to be an aspect of what is being prescribed here. I find the primary intention of this chapter is that we build our knowledge in the word and the ways of Christ so that we can conduct ourselves as closely to Gods's will for us as possible. I think the other key point, is that if we focus and strive to live up to that, we will have the wisdom to identify and avoid those people, situations and circumstances that would tempt us to leave the path which God has laid out for us.
Now earlier I said that I felt secular knowledge and wisdom were an aspect of the central theme of this chapter. I will leave that statement to stand as is with the following disclaimer. The leading force needs to be biblical knowledge so that we have the tools and the information to reconcile the two together to ensure that we do not become wise in those ways of the world that would lead us away from the will of Christ. Furthermore, we have to be humble and use humility in our use of knowledge and understand that it is a gift from God. We are not the source of intellect and it's purpose is not to fill our own ego or to give us an inflated sense of our own worth.
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Monday, February 7, 2011
P31-Proverbs Chapter 1
Ok, so I got through four chapters of John while the rest of the church blasted all 21. Today, as a church we are starting the P31 reading challenge. I am going to start fresh and pray that I do A LOT better job of staying caught up! Lol. I am still going to complete John. I just want to stay with the church so I can stay in fellowship with the group.
Proverbs 1-
I think the message here is very clear. Knowledge is really the key to everything. We should continually be seeking knowledge which will bring us wisdom in God and thus peace and joy in or lives. Additionally, we should be avoiding people and influences that would lead us in ways that are unwise. If we continue to grow and mature spiritually through study and meditation, we will build our relationship with God and increase the extent to which our decisions are in close alignment with what God would choose for us to do.
Proverbs 1-
I think the message here is very clear. Knowledge is really the key to everything. We should continually be seeking knowledge which will bring us wisdom in God and thus peace and joy in or lives. Additionally, we should be avoiding people and influences that would lead us in ways that are unwise. If we continue to grow and mature spiritually through study and meditation, we will build our relationship with God and increase the extent to which our decisions are in close alignment with what God would choose for us to do.
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Tuesday, February 1, 2011
John Chapter 4
So this chapter clearly had two parts. Jesus' interaction with the Samaritan woman and Jesus healing the child in Galilee. When Jesus meets the woman at the well, I am trying to understand why she was hesitant. I am not sure whether Jews feel Samaritans are below them, or vice-versa. But then, when Jesus reveals to the woman who he is and tells her about her past marriage failures, I think he is healing her from the pain of her mistakes. Then she witnesses to the people in the town who are also brought to Jesus and become believers. So Jesus not only healed this woman, but he also gave her life, through her witnessing, the highest purpose our lives can have. Bringing people to Jesus and salvation.
Then the man comes to him for the physical healing of his son. Here I wonder Jesus' thoughts. He says that "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe." Was this annoying to him, or did he just understand the nature of man? What I love here is that even though you can sense the desperation the man has, he does not question at all when Jesus tells him that his son will be fine. He believes and goes to his son. That is the faith I want to have. I think we all trend to question our faith when trouble comes into our lives instead of trusting completely and giving all of our faith to God. That is my prayer. That I give to him all that I am and all that I have. All of my troubles and all of my victories and trust wholly in Him to do his will for my life.
Then the man comes to him for the physical healing of his son. Here I wonder Jesus' thoughts. He says that "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe." Was this annoying to him, or did he just understand the nature of man? What I love here is that even though you can sense the desperation the man has, he does not question at all when Jesus tells him that his son will be fine. He believes and goes to his son. That is the faith I want to have. I think we all trend to question our faith when trouble comes into our lives instead of trusting completely and giving all of our faith to God. That is my prayer. That I give to him all that I am and all that I have. All of my troubles and all of my victories and trust wholly in Him to do his will for my life.
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Tuesday, January 25, 2011
John Chapter 3
In reading chapter 3 in the book of John, I really had to go back through to see what it was God wanted me to gain from it. Pastor Kerry's coaching was helpful as well. 2 things that I take away from this reading. 1-While our earthly bodies are "born" exclusively at the very beginning of our lives, we are never too old, and thus it is never too late for our spiritual birth in Christ. And only by accepting, through our spiritual rebirth, God's free gifts of grace and salvation, can we be saved! 2-Religion will not lead you on the path towards heaven. You can not get there by knowing enough, by doing enough good throughout your life, our by giving enough of your time, talent and treasure. None of us can out give God. It is a relationship with Jesus Christ that will give our lives purpose and through which we may obtain everlasting life. Thank you God for love, patience and mercy.
God Bless you all.
God Bless you all.
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Friday, January 21, 2011
John Chapter 2
Well, as you can see, my plan to catch up by the end of the week has fell by the wayside. But, I push on. Falling short does not mean falling out. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep moving forward.
So.... John 2
So after reading this chapter, I had to search for the theme and explanation of the Gospel of John in its entirety. Again, being new to reading and studying the bible, I expected chapter 2 to pick up where chapter 1 left off. My brief search showed me that this Gospel is John illustrating, with examples he personally experienced (6 of 8), that Jesus is the Son of Man and that through him, we can achieve everlasting life.
In the first half of this chapter, we read about the very well known example of when Jesus turns water into wine. The very first thing that struck me is his response to his mother. He asks why she is involving him in fact that they are out of wine at the wedding. In the next line, he says that his "hour has not yet come." I am left with more questions here than answers. 1. I assume the hour which he references is his crucifixion, which is the very reason he came to earth and the very moment in time that the lives of all humanity where given purpose and meaning. But, I may be mistaking because if that is true, there would be no miracle he could perform on earth that would be valid or necessary in comparison, yet Jesus performed many. So maybe the hour, is referring to another point in time either that night, or some other time previous to and other than his crucifixion. I pray that God will speak to me so that this point becomes clear. 2-If Jesus speaks to his mother with resistance, then why does he proceed and perform the miracle? Does he do it purely to honor his mother's wishes and show obedience? Is there something I am missing?
In the second part of the chapter, Jesus clears the Temple courts. This too is scripture that I have at least heard referenced before. The first thing that caught my attention, is that Jesus made a whip out of cords and FORCED them from the Temple. I think too many times we assume, or accept in the form of judgement by others, that to be Christians, we must always be passive and meek. Now don't get me wrong, I don't want anyone to try to use my interpretation to justify their use of force in any situation they see fit. I know that the best solution to any circumstance and the one God intends for us to employ is to use love and peace and understanding to resolve conflict or even when coming to the defense of others. But I think this example shows us that if we pick our battles, and if we act with the will of God as our primary focus, then there may come a time or circumstance where being forceful is not only necessary, but expected by God. I humble myself right now that it is possible that I am way off here. My hope is that a-I never come to such a situation and b-that hear the will of God clearly in all things I encounter throughout my life.
Secondly, the premiss of using the house of God (Church) as a marketplace is one that is blurry, especially in today's context. I mean let's take my incredible church as an example. At the Fellowship Campus of Woodlands Church, we have the amazing Sycamore's Bookstore and Cafe. Would this not be an example of having a marketplace in the temple? I know a lot of people who are either jaded about Christianity in general, or who judge the "mega churches" as a disconnected church community and money hungry business, will site this example to support their claim. But I think they are off base and I will tell you why. If we were to allow an outside company to come in and sell products to produce revenue intended to create a profit, then yes, I would agree with the notion. But in the example of Sycamore's, what you have is the complete opposite. The purpose of the Bookstore and Cafe are to a-provide the Christian community with a place to gather in fellowship and b-to generate money that can be put back into the various ministries with the intention of bringing the message of Jesus Christ to those in our communities and throughout to world who have not come to know Christ as their savior.
Well, I kind of went off on a tangent there, but at the same time, I feel that these thoughts apply to this chapter appropriately. Lastly is something that I have missed in this passage any of the times I have read or heard it in the past. And that is when Jesus tells them, in order to provide proof that he is acting on the authority of God, to knock down the Temple for him to bring it back in three days. WOW! I always took it to mean the actual building itself. The simple lesson is that this was another way in which Jesus demonstrated his purpose and that he was indeed the Messiah. It just didn't take place at that very moment. Now I also think that there is an underlying message here as well. Sometimes the message Jesus is trying to get to us is under the surface. It may not be obvious to us or as simple as the literal form of the message so it is important that we know this and ready our heart and mind so that we can fully analyze each lesson so that we may correctly hear and thus follow the will of God.
Well, I still have a ways to go to get caught up. Everyone please keep pulling for me. I pray everyone has a wonderful week. God Bless you all.
So.... John 2
So after reading this chapter, I had to search for the theme and explanation of the Gospel of John in its entirety. Again, being new to reading and studying the bible, I expected chapter 2 to pick up where chapter 1 left off. My brief search showed me that this Gospel is John illustrating, with examples he personally experienced (6 of 8), that Jesus is the Son of Man and that through him, we can achieve everlasting life.
In the first half of this chapter, we read about the very well known example of when Jesus turns water into wine. The very first thing that struck me is his response to his mother. He asks why she is involving him in fact that they are out of wine at the wedding. In the next line, he says that his "hour has not yet come." I am left with more questions here than answers. 1. I assume the hour which he references is his crucifixion, which is the very reason he came to earth and the very moment in time that the lives of all humanity where given purpose and meaning. But, I may be mistaking because if that is true, there would be no miracle he could perform on earth that would be valid or necessary in comparison, yet Jesus performed many. So maybe the hour, is referring to another point in time either that night, or some other time previous to and other than his crucifixion. I pray that God will speak to me so that this point becomes clear. 2-If Jesus speaks to his mother with resistance, then why does he proceed and perform the miracle? Does he do it purely to honor his mother's wishes and show obedience? Is there something I am missing?
In the second part of the chapter, Jesus clears the Temple courts. This too is scripture that I have at least heard referenced before. The first thing that caught my attention, is that Jesus made a whip out of cords and FORCED them from the Temple. I think too many times we assume, or accept in the form of judgement by others, that to be Christians, we must always be passive and meek. Now don't get me wrong, I don't want anyone to try to use my interpretation to justify their use of force in any situation they see fit. I know that the best solution to any circumstance and the one God intends for us to employ is to use love and peace and understanding to resolve conflict or even when coming to the defense of others. But I think this example shows us that if we pick our battles, and if we act with the will of God as our primary focus, then there may come a time or circumstance where being forceful is not only necessary, but expected by God. I humble myself right now that it is possible that I am way off here. My hope is that a-I never come to such a situation and b-that hear the will of God clearly in all things I encounter throughout my life.
Secondly, the premiss of using the house of God (Church) as a marketplace is one that is blurry, especially in today's context. I mean let's take my incredible church as an example. At the Fellowship Campus of Woodlands Church, we have the amazing Sycamore's Bookstore and Cafe. Would this not be an example of having a marketplace in the temple? I know a lot of people who are either jaded about Christianity in general, or who judge the "mega churches" as a disconnected church community and money hungry business, will site this example to support their claim. But I think they are off base and I will tell you why. If we were to allow an outside company to come in and sell products to produce revenue intended to create a profit, then yes, I would agree with the notion. But in the example of Sycamore's, what you have is the complete opposite. The purpose of the Bookstore and Cafe are to a-provide the Christian community with a place to gather in fellowship and b-to generate money that can be put back into the various ministries with the intention of bringing the message of Jesus Christ to those in our communities and throughout to world who have not come to know Christ as their savior.
Well, I kind of went off on a tangent there, but at the same time, I feel that these thoughts apply to this chapter appropriately. Lastly is something that I have missed in this passage any of the times I have read or heard it in the past. And that is when Jesus tells them, in order to provide proof that he is acting on the authority of God, to knock down the Temple for him to bring it back in three days. WOW! I always took it to mean the actual building itself. The simple lesson is that this was another way in which Jesus demonstrated his purpose and that he was indeed the Messiah. It just didn't take place at that very moment. Now I also think that there is an underlying message here as well. Sometimes the message Jesus is trying to get to us is under the surface. It may not be obvious to us or as simple as the literal form of the message so it is important that we know this and ready our heart and mind so that we can fully analyze each lesson so that we may correctly hear and thus follow the will of God.
Well, I still have a ways to go to get caught up. Everyone please keep pulling for me. I pray everyone has a wonderful week. God Bless you all.
Monday, January 17, 2011
John Chapter 1
Ok, I'm a week behind on our church wide commitment to read the book of John, and experience 21 encounters with Jesus Christ in 21 days. So I am going to double up for the next week so that I can catch up with the group. This exercise is part of a bigger challenge I have laid out for myself in 2011. My hope is to actively spend daily time in God's word through a couple of self defined plans. 1st, I am hoping to read through the entire bible this year. 2nd, throughout the week, I plan to read the entire chapter of the various reference scriptures that Pastor Kerry uses in his weekly sermons. And 3rd is too cheerfully take on any reading challenges that Pastor Kerry gives us as a church. My goal? Simple. To break down all of the barriers that are keeping me from a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ while strengthening all of the gifts God has blessed me with so that I may be better used to do his will while here on earth. In order to chronicle my journey, and to hold myself accountable, I will be blogging daily about my readings, what I take away from them and how I hope to use them to improve my relationship with Jesus. To all my friends and family out there, please pray that God sees fit to place a spirit of discipline over me so that I can accomplish this task and that my heart and mind be open to grasp the message that God intends for me to.
So.....
John Chapter one.
Two things really stood out for me. 1-what an amazing follower of God that John was. Selfishness is one of the greatest frailties of our human selves. Here, John was all but given the opportunity to claim to be the Messiah, but instead directed all glory to God and the Son of Man.
2-How amazing is our God, who is the King of kings and creator of the universe, that he would come to earth in the flesh so that we may have a more intimate relationship with him and so we understand that he can relate perfectly to what our earthly hearts and minds think, feel and go through. I am so greatful to God for that degree of love. Reading this chapter has also shown me that if I am obedient, and live in a way that reflects God's will for my life, and his love for the world, I can lead others so that they too can come to know the love of Jesus Christ.
God Bless you all.
So.....
John Chapter one.
Two things really stood out for me. 1-what an amazing follower of God that John was. Selfishness is one of the greatest frailties of our human selves. Here, John was all but given the opportunity to claim to be the Messiah, but instead directed all glory to God and the Son of Man.
2-How amazing is our God, who is the King of kings and creator of the universe, that he would come to earth in the flesh so that we may have a more intimate relationship with him and so we understand that he can relate perfectly to what our earthly hearts and minds think, feel and go through. I am so greatful to God for that degree of love. Reading this chapter has also shown me that if I am obedient, and live in a way that reflects God's will for my life, and his love for the world, I can lead others so that they too can come to know the love of Jesus Christ.
God Bless you all.
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