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THE CHURCH ALPHABET — Incarnation
Posted in The Church Alphabet
Tagged Christmas, God becomes man, humanness, incarnation
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Wrestling with Truth — May 6, 2012
RESURRECTION — Job 19
We considered and then sang two great hymns which arise from this passage:
HYMN 1
I know that my redeemer lives;
What joy the blest assurance gives!
He lives, He lives, who once was dead;
He lives, my everlasting head.
He lives to bless me with His love,
He lives to plead for me above.
He lives my hungry soul to feed,
He lives to help in time of need.
He lives and grants me daily breath;
He lives, and I shall conquer death:
He lives my mansion to prepare;
He lives to bring me safely there.
He lives, all glory to His name!
He lives, my Saviour, still the same.
What joy the blest assurance gives,
I know that my redeemer lives!
–Samuel Medley, 1775
HYMN 2
I know that my Redeemer lives,
And ever prays for me;
A token of His love He gives,
A pledge of liberty.
I find him lifting up my head,
He brings salvation near,
His presence makes me free indeed,
And He will soon appear.
He wills that I should holy be,
What can withstand His will?
The counsel of His grace in me
He surely shall fulfill.
Jesus, I hang upon Thy Word;
I steadfastly believe
Thou wilt return and claim me, Lord
And to Thyself receive.
–Charles Wesley 1742
1. Tom Shepard (Jewels from Job) suggests that Job 19 could be outlined as follows:
Job feels that he has been . . .
- Wronged by comforters. (verses 1-4)
- Wronged by God. (verses 5-13)
- Wronged by family and friends. (verses 14-22)
But he knows that he is . . .
- Right with God. (verses 23-27)
2. Based on Colin Smith’s (Unlocking the Bible) reference to candles down through time and then a great light, I suggest the following model:
A CANDLE: Genesis 3:15
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
A CANDLE: Job 19:23-27
For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.
And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God,
whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.
My heart faints within me!
THE LIGHT: John 11:25
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
THE LIGHT: 2 Timothy 1:8-10
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, . . .
3. Job affirms that no matter what comes he can know and believe and live with three ultimate truths (see verses 23-27):
- I have a redeemer
- I know that my redeemer lives
- I shall see my redeemer upon the earth
TLT
THE CHURCH ALPHABET — Holiness
Posted in The Church Alphabet
Tagged elijah, holiness, holy, holy spirit, salvation, sanctification
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Wrestling with Truth — April 29, 2012
Today, the WWT class broadly addressed the question: “Why do the righteous suffer?
We sang a great hymn by Thomas Moore:
Come, ye disconsolate, where’er ye languish,
Come to the mercy seat, fervently kneel.
Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish;
Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.
Joy of the desolate, light of the straying,
Hope of the penitent, fadeless and pure!
Here speaks the Comforter, tenderly saying,
“Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot cure.”
Here see the Bread of Life, see waters flowing
Forth from the throne of God, pure from above.
Come to the feast of love; come, ever knowing
Earth has no sorrow but heaven can remove.
There was lots of good discussion with many helpful ideas. Here are some encouraging thoughts:
from Gleason Archer . . . three principles . . .
- God is worthy of love even apart from the blessings He bestows.
- God may permit suffering as a means of purifying and strengthening the soul in godliness.
- God’s thoughts and ways are moved by considerations too vast for the puny mind of man to comprehend, since man is unable to see the issues of life with the breadth and vision of the almighty; nevertheless God really knows what is best for His own glory and our ultimate good.
from Colin Smith . . . a prayer . . .
Gracious Father:
Help those who are in great pain and distress to see Your greatness and to find strength in You. Help me to accept that there are many questions that I will never be able to answer this side of heaven, and to find peace in knowing that You know what is hidden from me.
Help me to love You for who You are and not just for what You give, so that my worship in times of trouble may bring glory to Your name. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
and in summary . . . three great thoughts . . .
- No matter what, God is!
- No matter what, God loves!
- No matter what, God is enough!
TLT
Posted in Ideas to think about, Wrestling with Truth
Tagged earth has no sorrow, encouraging thoughts, God, pain, spirituality, suffering
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Home, Sweet Home!
Hi, Everybody!
A friend of mine who lives in Toronto suggested to me recently that she would like to see some pictures of our home on our website and hear what’s happening for us personally. So this writing is an attempt to do just that. We’ve attached some pictures taken today of our house. Timothy and I have been working hard to get the yard “ready” for spring. I’ve still got work to do, but we’re making progress. I’ve also included a picture of our guest bedroom–in the chance that we might lure some of our out-of-town friends to come visit. And, then, there’s the kitchen–that’s where the action really happens!
Well, besides working in the yard, Timothy and I have been working on “organizational projects,” recently. He’s trying to sort through some of his books. Some may end up at Good Will. Some he’s trying to sell online–kind of fun, even if he’s not exactly getting rich! Meanwhile, I’m working through closets trying to bring order out of (at least a degree of) chaos. You wouldn’t believe how many picture frames we’ve found! Timothy is also working regularly on preparing his Sunday School lessons. He recently acquired a bowed psaltery and has been diligently practicing playing it–it sounds rather like a violin. I’ve been working on my Etsy creations. If you haven’t seen them yet, there is a link at the right side of this post.
Besides all this, I am busy trying to plan various trips over the next few months. We have a grand-baby arriving in September (courtesy of Sarah and Clint!) and that surely deserves at least a couple of trips to Oregon. And Jeremy and Laura are moving this summer to Idaho where Jeremy will be teaching beginning this fall at Idaho State University. Can’t miss a trip out there, either! And, then, there’s Evan in Phoenix. We mustn’t forget to stop by and say “hi” to him, as well!
Anyway, hope you are doing very well. Have a wonderful summer! Come see us some time.
Joyce
Worry-free living
We understand from Scripture that God is love—not that God merely is loving, but that who God is defines love, rather than love defining God. But, being limited in our perspective, we still seek to comprehend the nature of God through our understanding of love.
In 1 Corinthians 13:7 we read this of love: “It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” And in James 1:17 it says that “every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father.” And John tells us (1:18) that “no one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.”
So, how do I put this altogether to create a meaningful thought-picture of how I may expect God to relate to me? I wonder what it would be like if Jesus came today to Wilmore? You know, I am confident that he would have time for me. He would listen and he would care. And then he would talk to the Father on my behalf about the issues and problems that concern me. And he would say, “I’ve got it under control, Joyce. Now you just need to trust me and enjoy the beauty of this day I have given you. Let me carry your hurts, your fears, and your anxieties and I will do what you cannot. Walk with me and I will be your joy.”
So I come away with this thought: I can’t fix my external world and I don’t think God really wants me to be burdened with the impossible. Instead, he just wants me to enjoy this present moment with him. He’ll take care of the rest. So I am to relax, trust, and look for the good and perfect gifts he would give me today. Thank you, Jesus!
Joyce
Wrestling with Truth — April 22, 2012
WRESTLING WITH TRUTH — APRIL 22, 2012
Linking to the WWT lesson from last week (April 15, 2012), we considered THE ULTIMATE QUESTIONS as applied to Mark 11 and 12.
[Ultimate Questions modified from Lynn Taylor, Religion & Culture in Education (University of Kansas 1977), p. 13.]
| Mark 11 and 12 Questions | Ultimate Question | Application |
| Authority; nature of sonship | IDENTITY | WHO AM I? |
| Life/death; resurrection | DESTINY | WHERE AM I GOING? |
| What is a son?; legal/political versus moral/spiritual; taxes to Caesar | REALITY [ONTOLOGY] |
WHAT IS REAL? WHAT IS ABSOLUTE? [WHAT ARE THINGS MADE OF?] |
| Greatest commandment | EPISTEMOLOGY | WHAT IS TRUE?HOW DO I RECEIVE TRUTH? |
| Vineyard parable | ANOMALY | WHY DO PEOPLE SUFFER? WHY DO I SUFFER? |
| Widow’s mite; the question of “how” |
MORALITY | WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO LIVE? WHAT SHOULD I DO? |
The Widow’s Mite
In Mark 12:41, it should be noted that many translations leave out the word, “how”. The NASB includes it as follows: ”And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums.
I am affirming that “how” should be included because of its various meanings such as:
- in what way or manner
- to what extent
- in what state or condition
- for what reason;
- why
- to what effect
- with what meaning
and their respective pertinence to the observations of Jesus about giving. HOW did the widow give the money?
Halford Luccock summarizes the points well in the following statement:
The distinguishing mark of the widow’s gift, however, was not merely its proportion to her means; there was something in her heart that lifted the gift out of routine into the realm of sacrifice.
We all know only too well the easy, reasonable justifications she might have had for withholding her two copper coins: “What difference could a penny make? It is so small it will not count at all. Let those give who can afford it. I really haven’t got a penny to spare. No one will ever notice whether I drop in anything or not.” We know the case for the defense from start to finish—and at the finish the two coins are in our purse. Jesus’ recognition of the greatness of the gift knocks over our shabby defense. No gift of love is too small to count; nor can any life be excused from the grace and duty of sharing. Nothing escapes the notice of the God from whom no secret is hid.
This scene in the temple starts our minds out on journeys of remembrance. How great and many have been the gifts which have come out of poverty! They have been gifts of life, of thought, of skill, of devotion. The support of the church throughout the world has come far more from the two coppers of the poor than from the large checks of the rich. Paul is not the only one of whom it may be truly said, “as poor, yet making many rich” (II Cor. 6:10). (from the Interp
reter’s Bible, vol. 7; page 853)
[The picture to the left is that of a farthing or 1/4 of a penny in the British/South African systems discontinued in the 1960’s. 12 pennies to a shilling and 20 shillings to a pound. One penny equaled 1/240 of a pound.]
TLT
Posted in Wrestling with Truth
Tagged pennies, reality, ultimate questions, widows mite
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Wrestling with Truth — April 15, 2012
Mark 11:27 – Mark 12:44
The Wrestling with Truth class addressed four big questions that were asked of Jesus:
QUESTION ONE (Mark 11:28):
By what authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do these things?
QUESTION TWO (Mark 12:14):
Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?
QUESTION THREE (Mark 12:23):
In the resurrection, when they rise again, which one’s wife will she be?
QUESTION FOUR (Mark 12:48):
What commandment is the foremost of all?
Various possible answers on two levels of understanding were discussed:
- Level 1 Level 2
- Present authority Eternal authority
- Message from religious system Message from God’s word
- Immanent Transcendent
- Political Spiritual
- Biological inheritance Moral inheritance
- External law Internal law
- Legal Spiritual, moral
- Giving some Giving all
- Separation from God Eternal life
- Death Resurrection
The discussion will continue next week.
TLT
Hillside Laughter 