Thinking On Scripture

 

I usually like to put things in context on my blog, but this time I’m just going to list a couple of verses, and encourage you to go read them, in their context for yourself.

 

What is our conclusion, brothers? Whenever you come together, let everyone be ready with a psalm or a teaching or a revelation, or ready to use his gift of tongues or give an interpretation; but let everything be for edification.  (1 Corinthians 14:26, CJB)

 

Instead, keep on being filled with the Spirit - sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to each other; sing to the Lord and make music in your heart to him; always give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. Submit to one another in fear of the Messiah.  (Ephesians 5: 18b-21, CJB)

 

let the Word of the Messiah, in all its richness, live in you, as you teach and counsel each other in all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude to God in your hearts. That is, everything you do or say, do in the name of the Lord Yeshua, giving thanks through him to God the Father. (Colossians 3:16-17, CJB)

 

These verses (and their surrounding chapters) are talking about how we are to conduct ourselves when we meet together as believers, when we gather for “church”.  How often are these things happening where Christians are meeting together?  Is everyone ready with something to share?  Are they given the opportunity to share?  Are we teaching and counseling each other?  Or do we leave that type of thing up to the professionals?

 

Just some food for thought…  Something I’m thinking about… Our services are so passive.  We just sit and listen, sing when we are told, stand here, read this.  Where is the interaction?  If I am building a relationship with God and with my fellow believers, I need to be interacting with them.  Some could say to me, well, that should be happening during the week.  Yes, I agree and “cell groups” or Bible studies are great for that.  But what about our corporate worship… should something change there?  I don’t know.  I don’t have the answers, just questions.

 

Digging deeper,

Thinking On Scripture

Here’s the point: he who plants sparingly also harvests sparingly.  Each should give according to what he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  Moreover, God has the power to provide you with every gracious gift in abundance, so that always in every way you will have all you need yourselves and be able to provide abundantly for every good cause.  ~~ 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (CJB)

 

Here’s some thoughts:

• blessed beyond measure!
• giving like we’ve never given before
• provided with every gracious gift in abundance!
• all our daily needs are met
• able to provide for good causes all around us
• there is JOY in the giving
• it is humbling to receive

Can you see these blessings in your life?  If you can’t, if you are at a different place in life, that’s okay too.  We were there – at that place where we didn’t know where the food was going to come from, but you know what, the food, the clothes, the needs were always there, always met, by gracious givers, cheerful givers, loving friends and family.  I hope and pray you don’t feel alone, don’t feel unloved, unwanted.

 

May God open your eyes the the blessings all around you, even in times of trouble, just as He has for us this winter.

 

Striving to learn and live God's purposes,

Thinking on Scripture

I used to think the Old Testament was boring.  But lately I’ve started reading to get the information out.  To learn.  To understand what God is trying to tell us, HIS people!  I was reading Exodus 21-24.  The Bible is so full of common sense.  If we would just get back to the basics, back to treating each other with respect and dignity, our society would be a better place!  I know it shouldn’t really surprise me (or you) that the Bible is full of instructions on how we are to live our lives, but I am surprised!

We all hear sermons and teachings on how to apply much of the New Testament, but what about this common sense stuff?  Are we just supposed to know it?  If it’s not being taught at home, is it being taught in our churches and schools?  From looking at society, I don’t think so.

When was the last time you read an Old Testament passage and walked away with some good old common sense, like how to treat your neighbor and how to deal with disputes over borrowed items?

I have been trying to follow the Torah Portions for three or four months now and really enjoy seeing the Bible from a different perspective.  It’s almost like reading these passages for the first time.  Although I’m sure I’ve read the Bible from cover to cover at least once in my life, I didn’t read because I wanted to, or because I was looking to get something out of what I was reading.  I was reading to keep up appearances, to keep my parents / Sunday School teachers happy.  I was studying to earn a reward of some sort.  This time I am reading each passage for what it is worth, for the reward it provides, for the content, the words of God.

Try it.  Read Exodus 21-24.  It doesn’t take long and the “list of rules” is actually great common sense things that NEED to be applied to our lives today.  They need to be applied, not just because they are good things, but because they are commanded by our Father, God.  We claim that the Bible is the “blueprint for life” and other such things.  I am just realizing how true that clique really is in my life these days.

Striving to learn and live God's purposes,

Thinking On Scripture

 

Matthew 27:3-10

English Standard Version (ESV)

Judas Hangs Himself

³ Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, ⁴ saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” ⁵ And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. ⁶ But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.” ⁷ So they took counsel and bought with them the potter's field as a burial place for strangers. ⁸ Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. ⁹ Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, ¹⁰ and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me.”

 

 

Acts 1:15-18

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁵ In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, ¹⁶ “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. ¹⁷ For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” ¹⁸ (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out.

 

Striving to learn and live God's purposes,

Root Of Bitterness

 

Reading the Bible can be a “dangerous thing”.  What I mean is… I should be in bed.  I am exhausted, but while I was winding down with an evening coffee, I decided to read the Torah Portions for the week.  Well, let’s just say it’s two or three hours later and I just had to share with you what I learned / found!  It’s very cool.  I hope you think so too.

 

This week’s reading included Genesis 25:19-28:9, Malachi 1:1-2:7, Romans 9:6-16 and Hebrews 11:20, 12:14-17.  It was when I got to Hebrews that I was really struck.  Hebrews 12:15 warns against a “root of bitterness”.  Do you know what that refers to?  In my ESV there is a little number that led me a a verse / passage back in the Old Testament – Deuteronomy 29:18.

From the ESV:  ¹⁸Beware lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away today from the LORD our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, ¹⁹one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, 'I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.' This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike. ²⁰The LORD will not be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the LORD and his jealousy will smoke against that man, and the curses written in this book will settle upon him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven. ²¹And the LORD will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for calamity, in accordance with all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law.

I’ve also been reading from the Complete Jewish Bible, which is a paraphrase of sorts.  Here’s what the CJB says, in the same passage:

18 So let there not be among you a man, woman, family or tribe whose heart turns away today from ADONAI our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Let there not be among you a root bearing such bitter poison and wormwood. 19 If there is such a person, when he hears the words of this curse, he will bless himself secretly, saying to himself, 'I will be all right, even though I will stubbornly keep doing whatever I feel like doing; so that I, although "dry," [sinful,] will be added to the "watered" [righteous].' 20 But ADONAI will not forgive him. Rather, the anger and jealousy of ADONAI will blaze up against that person. Every curse written in this book will be upon him. ADONAI will blot out his name from under heaven. 21 ADONAI will single him out from all the tribes of Isra'el to experience what is bad in all the curses of the covenant written in this book of the Torah.

The particular part that struck me was… “I will be all right, even though I will stubbornly keep doing whatever I feel like doing”.  We have become a society who does what we want and have an attitude of “what’s right for you is right for you and what’s right for me is right for me”.  That’s WRONG!  The Bible INCLUDING the Old Testament tells us HOW to live, HOW to worship, HOW to be the people of God.

Before when I read Hebrews 12:15, I just figured I needed to steer away from bitterness.  But the ROOT of bitterness is so much more than that… it’s an attitude of doing what we want.  It’s an attitude of entitlement.  The root of bitterness referred to in Hebrews is a poison, and brings death.

 

Anyway, that’s my thoughts.

 

Still diggin',

Thinking On Scripture… Deuteronomy 12

Deuteronomy 12 (ESV)

Verses 1-4

These are the statutes and rules that you shall be careful to do in the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers has given you to posses, all the days that you live on the earth.  You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess serve their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree.  You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire.  You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and destroy their name out of that place.  You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way.

Verse 8-9

You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today, everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes, for you have not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance that the LORD your God is giving you.

Verses 29-32

When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘how did these nations serve their gods? – that I also may do the same.’ You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the LORD hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.  Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do.  You shall not add to it or take away from it.

My Thoughts

Verses 1-4 … You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way … Sounds like God has a very specific way he wants us to worship him.

Verses 8 and 9 … everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes … sounds a lot like society today.  “What works for you, works for you.  What works for me, works for me.”

Verses 29-32 … do not inquire about their gods … You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way …  Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do … You shall not add to it or take away from it.

I know I’m going to hear a couple of arguments:

1. But that’s the OLD TESTAMENT.  My simple response to you is: IS it the BIBLE or is it not?  IS the BIBLE true, God’s Word, or just a story book?
2. God was only speaking to them, in their culture; it doesn’t apply to me.  So who is God talking to?  His people?  I think so.  If I consider myself one of God’s chosen people, His daughter, one of His bride, wouldn’t those verses apply to me as well?

We are not careful to do ALL that the LORD has commanded us to do.  We are sloppy messy Christians doing whatever we please.  I am guilty.  I do not worship my God in the way He has commanded that we worship him.

We are the CREATED.  He is the CREATOR.  Does that not give him the right to make the rules?  To tell us how he wants to be honored?  WHO DO WE THINK WE ARE??? You really think we have the right to tell God how we are going to worship him?  No, we don’t.  We are called to OBEDIENCE!  What an arrogant people we have become!?!? I am sickened… I am in agony… My heart HURTS that I have hurt my God, my Savior!

So where do I go from here?  How do I change?  What changes need to be made?

These will not be fast changes.  The things that will change will come, only with baby steps.  The changes to come, in my life, and in the life of my family will come as we learn more, as we dig into God’s Word, as we allow Him to direct our paths, on this new and different, deeper level.

 

If you LOVE me, you will OBEY my commandments … Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?" Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.  (John 14:15, 21-24, ESV)

 

The words of Jesus, are the words of God.  The words of God are the whole Bible.  To show my love for my God, I need to obey … like a child.  A child is eager to please, eager to obey, to show their love… Is my relationship such as that – Am I eager to please, to obey my Heavenly Father?

 

These thoughts were sparked in part by: Truth or Tradition- Should Christians Celebrate Christmas and Easter? a podcast by Jim Staley.

 

Continuing to dig, learn and grow.  I hope you will join me.

 

Still diggin',

Thinking On Scripture

 

I’ve been thinking about getting our children to memorize a chapter this year.  Last September we started with Genesis chapter one.  This year we’re gonna start memorizing Psalm 100.

[1] Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
        [2] Serve the LORD with gladness!
        Come into his presence with singing!
    [3] Know that the LORD, he is God!
        It is he who made us, and we are his;
        we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
    [4] Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
        and his courts with praise!
        Give thanks to him; bless his name!
    [5] For the LORD is good;
        his steadfast love endures forever,
        and his faithfulness to all generations.

(Psalm 100 ESV)

 

Striving to learn and live God's purposes,

Thinking On Scripture

Revelation 2

To the Church in Ephesus

¹"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 'The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

² "'I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.

³I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.

⁴But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.

⁵Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

Passover Thinking and Planning

To familiarize myself with the traditions and stories and other elements of this celebration, I borrowed this book from the library.

 

Wonders And Miracles: A Passover Companion

 

I have found this website very informative and have ordered their book for our homeschool.  This page in particular is a quick read as to why a Christian person should celebrate Passover.  Here’s one about teaching the 10 Plagues.

 

Judaism 101 is another very informative site where I have been gleaning some great tidbits.  This is the page about Passover.

 

For some of my thoughts and explorations, you can visit my other blog, here.

 

Striving to learn and live God's purposes,

The Coming Celebration–Passover and Unleavened Bread

 

The more I study and read and learn the more I see how God’s plan for his people works for me in my life and in today’s society!  I’m just going to share some thoughts and tidbits of information.

 

Passover requires a ridding of leavening from our homes.  Crumbs hide everywhere!  God commands a spring cleaning.  So neat!

 

Earlier I shared a passage from Exodus that gives the command and instructions regarding Passover.  I didn’t realize it was a seven day celebration “wrapped” in two Sabbath days.  I didn’t realize it was for all generations, forever.  (gonna do some more digging on that – the forever part – is the same word in the original languages as when Jesus talks about never changing, etc)

 

Leading up to the Passover were the nine other plagues of Egypt.  Passover is a time of remembering the Israelites being set free; this is a freedom celebration.

 

I have not rid my home of leavening; I will not be able to do so before Passover starts unfortunately; I need to set myself a reminder for next year because it will take quite some time for me to accomplish this.  For this year, I am taking a baby step.  I am learning about Passover and what it means and the traditions around it.  I plan to teach my children about what Passover is all about.  I plan to connect Jesus as our Passover Lamb and why Easter is celebrated during Passover.  I want to move to celebrating Passover and not Easter.  Passover is the celebration of freedom, not just for the Israelites but for us as well; freedom from our sinful nature through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.

 

Traditionally, the first day of Passover would be the feast day.  I have not yet decided when we will have our Easter / Passover dinner.  Jason may be away that weekend, so having our special dinner on the night of the 19th might not a bad idea.  It works.

 

Lent is done when Easter begins.  Lent is a time of fasting or abstinence or giving something up, in preparation of the celebrating of Jesus’ resurrection.  Lent is instituted by man.  Passover is instituted by God.  Jesus’ death and resurrection happen during Passover that year.

 

Still diggin',

Thinking On Scripture

In regards to Passover:

“This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you. And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread.”
(Exodus 12:14-20 ESV)

FOREVER. Hmm.  (emphasis mine, above)

 

Still diggin',

Thinking On Scripture

 ¹³ “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, ¹⁴ if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. ¹⁵ Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. ¹⁶ I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. (2 Chronicles 7:13-16, New International Version, ©2011)



Striving to learn and live God's purposes,

Day Fifteen

 2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.




Striving to learn and live God's purposes,

Thinking On Scripture - Genesis 1:1-10

Very powerful!

I never knew they read / recited Genesis 1:1-10 when they were landing on the moon!

How incredible!  I love this video!


The children and I are learning Genesis 1:1-5 for sure, but we might just keep on going.



Striving to learn and live God's purposes,

Thinking On Scripture – Colossians 3:18-21 Pt. 2

Last week I posted about Colossians 3:18.  This week I want to relate to you a wake up call I had in regards to verse 19, but the words there specifically.

¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.
(Colossians 3:19, New King James Version)

 

When speaking to our congregation about this verse, our pastor stated that the men should not be sitting too comfortably (after just hearing about women being submissive to their husbands) because there are more places in the Bible that God speaks to men about their leadership roles in the home and in the church than He does to women about their roles.  The role that men are God-ordained to fill is a HUGE job and one that needs to be taken very seriously.

 

I have been so focused on the few verses directed at how women are supposed to act and do and be.  Now, this isn’t necessarily bad or wrong, but I have lost my balance.  For sure, I need to know my roles and responsibilities; I don’t deny that.  I am glad that I have spent so much time studying these passages and reading books written by knowledgeable men and women.  I don’t plan on stopping either (though my intensity may be less).  I want to be the best wife and mother that I can be, that God wants me to be.

 

However, I had gotten to the point where I believed (or appeared to believe) that the woman is the cause for every issue in a marriage.  I was coming to believe that if I just did this or did that that I could fix my marriage.  You know what I realized, I can’t!  I can help make things better by fulfilling my role (which is why I want to continue to study) but I can’t do it all.  J needs to learn about and do the things God wants him to do.

 

Our men need to be re-educated to become the men that God really wants them to be.  They need to re-learn to be the leaders in our churches and in our homes.  I am a firm believer that feminism has feminized our men and changed them into people that we don’t really like.  That being said, I do see a shift happening.  We are blessed in our church to have strong men and to be raising some strong men.  I see men desiring to change, to take back their man-hood.  And I LOVE to see that.

 

I an struggling now with wanting to learn about what God says about men and their leadership.  I’m not sure I should, because I fear that I will take that knowledge and “beat” my husband (and other men) with it.  And, as Kathryn said to me, “That would not be very submissive or obedient.”  I guess my job is to pray and let God continue to work in the lives of the men around me.

 

I’m just glad that I came to the realization that I was obsessed with the role of women.

 

Two words come to mind now:

Relax

Balance

 

Striving to learn and live God's purposes,

Thinking On Scripture – Colossians 3:18-21

On July 18th, our pastor continued working through the book of Colossians and spoke on the passage on Christian families and how they are to operate.  You could write books (and many have been written) on each verse in this passage.

        
¹⁸ Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.
²⁰ Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.
²¹ Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
(Colossians 3:18-21, New King James Version)

 

One statement he made, that I agree with, but I am confused by, is “Submit and obey are not the same thing.”  Unfortunately he did not go on to explain this statement and I have not had the opportunity to really discuss this concept with my husband.

 

I agree that submit and obey are not the same.  What I don’t understand is how can you have one without the other?  I guess you can obey out of a sense of duty and not really with a submissive attitude.  However, can you be submissive without being obedient? 

 

So how does the dictionary define submit: to yield oneself to the power or authority of another.  As you can see at dictionary.com a synonym of submit is obey.  So what does obey mean: to comply with or follow the commands, restrictions, wishes, or instructions of.

 

So, can you be submissive without being obedient?  I don’t know that we can.

¹⁸ Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
(Colossians 3:18, New King James Version)

 

What are your thoughts?  Comments?

 

Striving to learn and live God's purposes,

Thinking On Scripture - Modesty

I am still thinking on and reading about and researching modesty.  I just wanted to share one tidbit I read today.

1 Timothy 2:9-10 (KJV) This will take you to Bible Study Tools where the Strongs Numbers are highlighted and you can click on them.  If you click on the word apparel you will see a definition and some explanation of that word in the Greek.  The word for apparel is Katastole.  The word translated modest is Kosmios.  So women are to dress in kosmios katastole.

What is kosmios katastole?  I found this information, although I have not read the entire article.

Modesty Defined

Actually, the English word modest appears only once in the King James Version of the Bible:

1 Timothy 2:9-10 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

The Greek word for apparel in this text is Katastole, meaning a long dress. Kata meaning down - a garment flowing down; and Stole - a long garment, covering or wrapping.

The Greek word for modest is Kosmios, meaning orderly, well-arranged, decent, modest, harmonious arrangement, or adornment. Modesty is also Biblically applied to one's demeanor or behavior. This same Greek word is translated good behavior in 1 Timothy 3:2 in the qualifications of bishops.

Therefore, sisters are instructed to wear modest long dresses (Kosmios Katastole). This Kosmios Katastole not only specifies that the article of clothing should be a dress, but also specifies that the dress should be of a suitably long length.

The definition of modesty involves both one's manner of dress and inward qualities. Biblical modesty starts within a person but is ultimately demonstrated by their outward appearance.

(source for above:  http://www.christadelphiansisters.org/modesty.htm)

At this point I am only providing information for my readers and for myself!  This search on modesty has taken me in a direction I was not expecting.  I am  unsure how to process all the information yet.  My biggest issue at the outset of this search was Christian teen girls wearing clothing that I considered too revealing.  The more and more I read the more I see that God has a BIG opinion about the way we dress!

Based on this Scripture, going back to the Greek and the information above (which is only one source), I am correct in saying that the clothing many of the girls are wearing is immodest!  For that matter, most of the clothing I am wearing is immodest!  It’s a lot to think about.

I am loving digging into God’s Word and really learning what He has to say.  Please, if you have any comments, opinions or suggestions, leave a comment or send me an email.  (My address can be found on my profile.)

Striving to learn and live God's purposes,

Thinking On Scripture

 

   
¹³ Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; ¹⁴ and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, ¹⁵ when the Sabeans raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
¹⁶ While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
¹⁷ While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
¹⁸ While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, ¹⁹ and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
²⁰ Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. ²¹ And he said:

      “ Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
      And naked shall I return there.
      The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away;
      Blessed be the name of the LORD.”
²² In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong. (Job 1:13-22, New King James Version) (emphasis in vs. 20 mine)

Can you worship God in the midst of the trials and pains you are going through?

 

And a second passage that got me thinking:

 

 ¹ Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. ² And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?”
Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
³ Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.”
⁴ So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. ⁵ But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”
⁶ And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.”
⁷ So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. ⁸ And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes.
⁹ Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!”
¹⁰ But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. (Job 2:1-10, New King James Version) (emphasis mine)

I think I’m a little too much like Job’s wife.  I don’t want the adversity.  I am not the supporter I want to be when my husband really needs it.  I’m learning and I’m getting there, but it’s a process for sure.

Striving to learn and live God's purposes,

Eternal Salvation – some scripture

I have been directed a number of times to Romans 11:17-24 (KJV) as proof that there is no eternal salvation.  However, as I was reading the passage, verses 22 and 23 jumped out at me.

22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

So we fell (or could fall) but we can come back and be re-grafted into the olive tree.

And another, to refute eternal salvation: 1 John 5:11-15 (NKJ), especially verse 15.

11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. 14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

I think this can be taken either way since both “sides” use it.  For me, I am assured of my salvation and not fearful of losing it.

 

Psalm 103:17-20 (NKJ) is another one that is supposed to say we can lose our salvation.  I really think the difference of opinion comes in the definition, like I said in another post.  Does God REMOVE it or do we WALK AWAY from it?  Or as a third, do we DENY it altogether?  For me, Psalm 103:17-20 (NKJ) says that we can walk away from it, that we can come back.  This passage tells me that I need to hear God’s words and obey them.

 

I am assured of my salvation because I believe that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ to die for my sin – all my sin.  I show my love for God by obeying His commands and growing in a relationship with Him!

 

Striving to learn and live God's purposes,

Eternal Salvation – a definition is important, but . . . .

What do I really mean by eternal salvation?  I think that the differing definitions has caused some confusion.  Some may say it’s semantics, but it’s important at the same time to “be on the same page”.

So, eternal salvation.  Does God REMOVE His gift?  I do not believe so.  Can we WALK AWAY? Yes.

To be assured of heaven after accepting God’s gift of salvation.

An exact definition is hard to nail down!

God’s gift of salvation is free, but there are requirements of obedience and continued repentance.  There is a relationship to be built and there are consequences for disobedience.

We need to take grace into account, but I agree with one friend who stated that the “modern church” is preaching grace too much.  There is a very harsh side to God; He’s not all loving and sweetness.  I do not believe we are getting the whole picture of God that we could be from scripture.

So by eternal salvation, I think that I mean once you have accepted God’s gift, He will not remove that gift.

UNLESS. . . .

I am uncertain about whether or not we can totally give it back to Him, but I think we can.  We can totally deny Him and what He has done for us and that I think is where the question is coming to a head.  In my searching, this is the only place I see where we can “seal our own fate” so to speak.
There was a conversation about “screw ups” versus blatant, wilful sin.  In my opinion, both can and need to be repented of and neither would send us to hell after our acceptance of Jesus as our personal Saviour.

I’ll leave this topic here for now.  I’ll return with some scriptures at another time.  Some of the verses will be ones I am still struggling with while others will be ones I claim.

Striving to learn and live God's purposes,