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Coming Lord...

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0500

Coming Lord, Your Kingdom indeed does come without our asking, but we ask that it might come to us also along with all other Christians and that we might be given the blessing of living as Your Kingdom’s heirs and workers in this world. Amen.

Image: Christ the King by Loci Lenar at Flickr

"Three challenges of living in this world: 1. A big gap between our good intentions and our..."

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0500

“

Three challenges of living in this world:

1. A big gap between our good intentions and our actions.

2. Our problems are connected, but we are not.

3. The world is full of good ideas that don’t spread quickly enough.

”

- The Idealist.org vision manifesto

"What’s the oldest thing in your closet? Why haven’t you parted with it?"

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0500

“What’s the oldest thing in your closet? Why haven’t you parted with it?”

- Jay Asking

November 23: Ezekiel 16, Psalm 119:121-128, Philippians 1-2

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:58:22 -0500

November 23: Ezekiel 16, Psalm 119:121-128, Philippians 1-2

I wonder how often this is the mixed message I give. :-/ Thanks...

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:00:00 -0500

I wonder how often this is the mixed message I give. :-/

Thanks nakedpastor.

“[Pilate said] ‘So are you a King?’”...

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:30:00 -0500

“[Pilate said] ‘So are you a King?’” John 18

Image: Jesus Before Pilate by StuBramley at Flickr

Bible In A Year - Ephesians 5 - 2 Thessalonians 1

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:30:00 -0500

The Bible in a Year - New Testament

Ephesians 5-2 Thessalonians 1

Read this coming week:

Nov 22 Ezek 14‐15, Ps 119:113‐120, Eph 5‐6 Nov 23 Ezek 16, Ps 119:121‐128, Phil 1‐2 Nov 24 Ezek 17‐18, Ps 119:129‐136, Phil 3‐4 Nov 25 Ezek 19‐20, Ps 119:137‐144, Col 1‐2 Nov 26 Ezek 21‐22, Ps 119:145‐152, Col 3‐4 Nov 27 Ezek 23, Ps 119:153‐160, 1 Thess 1‐2 Nov 28 Ezek 24‐26, Ps 119:161‐168,1 Thess 3‐5 Nov 29 Ezek 27‐28, Ps 119:169‐176,2 Thess 1

Reading Questions

For next week you’re reading the end of Ephesians into the beginning of 2 Thessalonians. Be able to answer the following:

Watchman Nee, one of the historical leaders of Chinese Christianity, said that Ephesians contains the following actions: “Sit” (under grace), “Stand” (take a stand), “Walk” (do actions that live out faith). Find examples of each.
Philippians is a letter that encourages joy throughout persecution and smallness. How does Paul encourage the Philippians?
You’re going through several of Paul’s letters. What similarities are present in each?
What can we tell about the coming of Christ from Thessalonians?

Paul the Apostle

Paul’s letters are sometimes a little easier to understand within the timeline that they were written and what was going on in Paul’s life:

PAUL’S CONVERSION AND FOLLOWING EVENTS [31-45 AD]
PAUL’S FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY [46-August 48 AD]
PAUL’S SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY [Autumn 49-52 AD]
1. 51 – 53 AD – Letter to the Galatians, I Thessalonians, II Thessalonians (late 52 to 53),
PAUL’S THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY [52-58 AD]
1. 55 AD - Letters to the Romans, I Corinthians, II Corinthians (late 55),
LAST YEARS OF PAUL’S LIFE [58-66 AD]
1. 60 AD – Letters to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon,
2. 65 AD – 1^st Letter to Timothy
3. 68 AD – 2^nd Letter to Timothy, Letter to Titus

Seeing this timeline, Paul began writing his epistles after his 2^nd missionary journey. While detained during his 3^rd missionary journey, he appears to write again, and then finally writes a bevy of letters during his last (mostly imprisoned) season of life.

Image: The Sword of the Spirit by New Life Christian Education at Flickr

“I am the Alpha and the Omega…who is, who was, and...

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:30:00 -0500

“I am the Alpha and the Omega…who is, who was, and who is to come.” Rev. 1

Chi Rho and Alpha Omega by Leo Reynolds at Flickr

"You had better know how to roast a turkey."

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0500

“You had better know how to roast a turkey.”

- Stuff They Forgot To Tell Me At Seminary #490

“Your decrees are very trustworthy, holiness befits Your...

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:30:00 -0500

“Your decrees are very trustworthy, holiness befits Your house.” Psalm 93

Image 11 Ministry Decree by andrexabstract at Flickr

“As I watched, thrones were set in place, and an Ancient...

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 11:30:00 -0500

“As I watched, thrones were set in place, and an Ancient One took His throne.” Daniel 7

Ancient of Days by William Blake at Spinozablue

Bible In A Year - Ezekiel 14-28

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 11:00:00 -0500

The Bible in a Year - Old Testament

Ezekiel 14-28

Read this coming week:

Reading Questions

For next week you’re reading Ezekiel 14-28. Be able to answer the following:

What imagery does God speaking through Ezekiel use to explain His judgment?
What is the “everlasting covenant”?
What is God teaching in the “parable” of Ohola and Oholibah?
What is the character of the city of Tyre?

Tyre

Biblical geography can be tough because most of the places that are mentioned in the Bible don’t exist anymore. However, without at least some working knowledge of the places in the Bible, we miss out on the message that God is trying to communicate.

Location: Tyre is just west of the region of Galilee where Jesus would have walked. It is a part of Phoenicia.

Prominence in the text: Tyre is mentioned 57 times by name in the Bible.

People Group: Phoenicians. Phoenicians were sea-faring traders with close relations to nearby Assyria and not-so nearby Egypt. They were pagan worshipers who considered “Melqart” (a kind of Baal-type god) to be the head of their multi-god religious system.

Modern day equivalent: Tyre was an industrious and wealthy nation-city. They would have been known throughout the world for their trading and trade goods (especially purple dye made from sea-urchins). A modern day equivalent might be Japan – a small nation with lots of trade.

Image: About.com

The Bible In A Year - Psalm 119 (Part 3)

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0500

The Bible in a Year - Psalms

Psalm 119 – Part Three

Read this coming week:

Reading Questions

For next week you’re reading Psalm 119, vs. 113-176. Be able to answer the following:

How many times are the following used (keep a tally):
- Law
- Testimonies
- Precepts
- Statutes
- Commandments
- Rules
- Word
- Promise
Phew, you’re done with the longest Psalm. Now try to condense the message down into one sentence.

Praying with the Psalms

The Psalms are possibly the easiest genre of Scripture to pray, as many of them were composed as prayers. Using the Psalms can enrich your prayer life by making sure that praise and thanksgiving are a part of your prayers (which is something we often forget about). Use this step by step process to pray the psalms:

Read the Psalm (or section of the Psalm) once through before praying.
Determine the speaker of the Psalm. Is this 1^st person (I, me, us) 2^nd (you), or 3^rd (they, he)? Is it singular or plural?
Are there any places or names that you don’t understand? (You can look them up and/or replace them with places or names that fit in your own life.)
Set aside at least 10 minutes (even if you don’t think you’ll need that long).
Pray the Psalm to God, taking your time to let His Words guide your prayer and your thoughts.
If there Psalm leads you to think of a neighbor, pray for them.

Image: Whole heart by what_marty_sees at Flickr