I love these first verses. I'm considering committing them to memory.
Be of one mind, having compassion for one another, love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous, not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, know that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
Blessing means to speak well of, find ways to serve, pray for salvation or spiritual progress, expressing thankfulness, speaking well and desiring well being.
If you want to love life and see good days:
-refrain tongue from evil
-refrain lips from speaking lies
-turn away from sin and do good
-seek peace and pursue it
-pray
Who will harm you if you act in such a way? But even if someone does, you are blessed.
Always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks a reason for the hope in you with meekness and fear.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
I Peter 3--Wives and Husbands
Wives, be submissive to your own husbands.
Gentle = meek and humble
Quiet= character of her action and reaction to her husband and life in general.
Perhaps I could learn to be more quiet in my reactions to life. My dh and I have very little conflict. Unless you count that once a year argument that we used to have over how to hang the lights on the Christmas tree. But we've handled that one, last year we bought a prelit tree! Hee! Hee!
Husbands dwell with wives with understanding, giving honor to the wife as to the weaker vessel ...so that your prayers may not be hindered.
Understanding = sensitive to needs, fears, and feelings of wife.
Physically weaker--in need of protection, provision and strength.
All I could think when reading this is how grateful I am for my sweetie and what a wonderful husband he is. And how hard it must be to dwell in understanding with me when I flip-flop emotionally. Also, he is so great to be my source of protection, provision and strength, especially as a homeschooling mom. He encourages me to persevere even when I'm at my wits ends, which fortunately is not too often. I am so grateful to the Lord for the best hubby in the world!
Well, I have a story about being submitted. So I won't go down the road of pride and say that I am so submitted. I said that once, and the Lord tapped me on the shoulder and reminded me of an area I wasn't. But I try.
Do not let adornment be merely outward. Rather let it be the hidden person of the heart with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.Gentle = meek and humble
Quiet= character of her action and reaction to her husband and life in general.
Perhaps I could learn to be more quiet in my reactions to life. My dh and I have very little conflict. Unless you count that once a year argument that we used to have over how to hang the lights on the Christmas tree. But we've handled that one, last year we bought a prelit tree! Hee! Hee!
Husbands dwell with wives with understanding, giving honor to the wife as to the weaker vessel ...so that your prayers may not be hindered.
Understanding = sensitive to needs, fears, and feelings of wife.
Physically weaker--in need of protection, provision and strength.
All I could think when reading this is how grateful I am for my sweetie and what a wonderful husband he is. And how hard it must be to dwell in understanding with me when I flip-flop emotionally. Also, he is so great to be my source of protection, provision and strength, especially as a homeschooling mom. He encourages me to persevere even when I'm at my wits ends, which fortunately is not too often. I am so grateful to the Lord for the best hubby in the world!
I Peter 2-Submit to Authority, Words to Live by, Suffering
Beloved abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.
Submit yourself to every ordinance of men for the Lord's sake.
For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.
Words to live by:
Honor all people
Love the Brotherhood
Fear God
Honor the King
But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. I've done good and suffered before, but can't say that I took it patiently. Oh well...I still can grow by God's grace! :-)
Submit yourself to every ordinance of men for the Lord's sake.
For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.
Words to live by:
Honor all people
Love the Brotherhood
Fear God
Honor the King
But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. I've done good and suffered before, but can't say that I took it patiently. Oh well...I still can grow by God's grace! :-)
I Peter 2-Lay Aside, Jesus is.., Who you are
Lay aside
~malice
~deceit
~hypocrisy
~envy
~ and evil speaking
And desire the milk of the Word that you may grow.
I think we have to lay down the bad stuff and focus on desiring the Word. As we feed on the Word we grow and those evil traits lessen.
To those who believe, He is precious. But to those who are disobedient, He is a stumbling block and a rock of offense.
You are:
-a chosen generation
-royal priesthood
-holy nation
-His own special people.
That you may
-proclaim the praises of Him
-who called you out of darkness
-into His marvelous light.
~malice
~deceit
~hypocrisy
~envy
~ and evil speaking
And desire the milk of the Word that you may grow.
I think we have to lay down the bad stuff and focus on desiring the Word. As we feed on the Word we grow and those evil traits lessen.
To those who believe, He is precious. But to those who are disobedient, He is a stumbling block and a rock of offense.
You are:
-a chosen generation
-royal priesthood
-holy nation
-His own special people.
That you may
-proclaim the praises of Him
-who called you out of darkness
-into His marvelous light.
I Peter 1-Trials and Holiness
Genuine Faith
The genuineness of your faith is tested through trial.
When a believer comes through a trial with his faith intact he is assured that his faith is genuine.
Prophets of Old Testament
The Old Testament prophets inquired and searched carefully for this salvation. They looked forward with faith. They prophesied of the grace that would come to you. The spirit of Christ testified through the prophets. This is an encouragement to us as New testament believers that hundreds of years before Christ came, it was prophesied that He would come. And even back to the beginning of time, Adam and Eve were told of the Messiah that would come.
Here's an interesting thought:
In his book, Science Speaks, Peter Stoner writes of the probability of just 8 of the prophesies of Christ coming to pass. However, there are many more that were prophesied and came true!
"Let us try to visualize this chance. If you mark one of ten tickets, and place all of the tickets in a hat, and thoroughly stir them, and then ask a blindfolded man to draw one, his chance of getting the right ticket is one in ten. Suppose that we take 10 to the 17 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote using their own wisdom. Now these prophecies were either given by inspiration of God or the prophets just wrote them as they thought they should be. In such a case the prophets had just one chance in 10 to the 17th power of having them come true in any man, but they all came true in Christ."
Holiness
As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in ALL your conduct. If you are a Christian, conduct yourself while on Earth in the fear of Lord.
You've not been redeemed with money, but with the precious blood of Christ. You have been foreordained before the foundation of the world. Since you have purified your souls in obeying truth through the Spirit, then you should love one another fervently with a pure heart. Fervently means stretched to the limits, going the extra mile, going above and beyond the call of duty!
I'm reminded in these last few verses of I John. John speaks of basically 3 essential for a true Christian:
1. Love your brothers
2. Obey God
3. Know God--sound Biblical doctrine, Truth.
The genuineness of your faith is tested through trial.
When a believer comes through a trial with his faith intact he is assured that his faith is genuine.
Prophets of Old Testament
The Old Testament prophets inquired and searched carefully for this salvation. They looked forward with faith. They prophesied of the grace that would come to you. The spirit of Christ testified through the prophets. This is an encouragement to us as New testament believers that hundreds of years before Christ came, it was prophesied that He would come. And even back to the beginning of time, Adam and Eve were told of the Messiah that would come.
Here's an interesting thought:
In his book, Science Speaks, Peter Stoner writes of the probability of just 8 of the prophesies of Christ coming to pass. However, there are many more that were prophesied and came true!
"Let us try to visualize this chance. If you mark one of ten tickets, and place all of the tickets in a hat, and thoroughly stir them, and then ask a blindfolded man to draw one, his chance of getting the right ticket is one in ten. Suppose that we take 10 to the 17 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote using their own wisdom. Now these prophecies were either given by inspiration of God or the prophets just wrote them as they thought they should be. In such a case the prophets had just one chance in 10 to the 17th power of having them come true in any man, but they all came true in Christ."
Holiness
As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in ALL your conduct. If you are a Christian, conduct yourself while on Earth in the fear of Lord.
You've not been redeemed with money, but with the precious blood of Christ. You have been foreordained before the foundation of the world. Since you have purified your souls in obeying truth through the Spirit, then you should love one another fervently with a pure heart. Fervently means stretched to the limits, going the extra mile, going above and beyond the call of duty!
I'm reminded in these last few verses of I John. John speaks of basically 3 essential for a true Christian:
1. Love your brothers
2. Obey God
3. Know God--sound Biblical doctrine, Truth.
I Peter 1-- The Elect
The Elect
This book is written to the elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.
Elect means to pick out, to select. Those chosen by God to salvation.
I know there is a great debate in the church over what Elect means. And just for sake of clarification, I'll say that I lean reformed and therefore hold to the position that it's all God's doing. He chooses to bless those whom He wants to and elects them for salvation. At some point in the future as I have time. I'll try to go into the reformed position. Although I know that this has been debated for centuries and greater minds than mine have discussed, debated, and argued this subject. There have been books and lengthy debates and councils throughout church history that have discussed at length the Remonstrance and TULIP. So I'm not sure that my feeble attempts at a synopsis will do justice. But I may try sometime, just for the sake of trying.
Foreknowledge is the foreordained, predetermined relationship in knowledge of God
Why were some elected? For obedience! They are set apart from sin to obey Jesus. True salvation produces obedience to Christ. So why is it that so many in the church are willfully sinning? Perhaps it's because we do not know what the scriptures say.
Or perhaps we are not looking in the mirror of God's word and being cleansed
This book is written to the elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.
Elect means to pick out, to select. Those chosen by God to salvation.
I know there is a great debate in the church over what Elect means. And just for sake of clarification, I'll say that I lean reformed and therefore hold to the position that it's all God's doing. He chooses to bless those whom He wants to and elects them for salvation. At some point in the future as I have time. I'll try to go into the reformed position. Although I know that this has been debated for centuries and greater minds than mine have discussed, debated, and argued this subject. There have been books and lengthy debates and councils throughout church history that have discussed at length the Remonstrance and TULIP. So I'm not sure that my feeble attempts at a synopsis will do justice. But I may try sometime, just for the sake of trying.
Foreknowledge is the foreordained, predetermined relationship in knowledge of God
Why were some elected? For obedience! They are set apart from sin to obey Jesus. True salvation produces obedience to Christ. So why is it that so many in the church are willfully sinning? Perhaps it's because we do not know what the scriptures say.
Psalm 119:11 says--Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Or perhaps we are not looking in the mirror of God's word and being cleansed
Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
But in order to grow in the Lord, we must be in the Word. I Peter 2:1-2.
We are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation. (verse 5) This is a good verse of the P in TULIP. Perseverance of the Saints.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
James 5--IF, Confess and a Difficult Passage.
What to do IF:
If you are suffering ==> pray
If you are cheerful ==> sing
If you are sick ==> call for elders to anoint with oil in the name of the Lord.
I love to sing. Sometimes I just catch myself subconsciously singing a praise chorus or hymn. But when I'm suffering or sick, I sometimes forget to pray. Fortunately, I don't get sick very often. Nor have I had to endure much suffering. I do have a question about what it means to anoint with oil.
Confess your sins to one another that you may be healed.
The main point here is the need to confess to one another. We have tried to develop this as a habit of our family. Some of us still have a ways to go. But we continue to press on...
v. 19-20 were hard for me.
Here are the verses in the NKJV.
Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back,let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
I had to do a bit of study, but here's what I've come to.
If a brother in the Lord (true believer) is sinning, someone should turn him back (tell him the truth that he is sinning). The one who helps him to see the error of his ways will save his soul (life) from (physical) death and cover many sins (of the one erring).
I lean reformed. I was confused at first as the reading seemed to suggest that a believer could lose his salvation. But I know other passages where it talks about a true believer should be assured of his salvation--also known as perseverance of the saints (the P in TULIP). So it makes sense to me that the word "soul" (psyche in Greek) can be translated as life.
Here's a definition from Strong's (5590)
Psyche--
1) breath
If you are suffering ==> pray
If you are cheerful ==> sing
If you are sick ==> call for elders to anoint with oil in the name of the Lord.
I love to sing. Sometimes I just catch myself subconsciously singing a praise chorus or hymn. But when I'm suffering or sick, I sometimes forget to pray. Fortunately, I don't get sick very often. Nor have I had to endure much suffering. I do have a question about what it means to anoint with oil.
Confess your sins to one another that you may be healed.
The main point here is the need to confess to one another. We have tried to develop this as a habit of our family. Some of us still have a ways to go. But we continue to press on...
v. 19-20 were hard for me.
Here are the verses in the NKJV.
Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back,let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
I had to do a bit of study, but here's what I've come to.
If a brother in the Lord (true believer) is sinning, someone should turn him back (tell him the truth that he is sinning). The one who helps him to see the error of his ways will save his soul (life) from (physical) death and cover many sins (of the one erring).
I lean reformed. I was confused at first as the reading seemed to suggest that a believer could lose his salvation. But I know other passages where it talks about a true believer should be assured of his salvation--also known as perseverance of the saints (the P in TULIP). So it makes sense to me that the word "soul" (psyche in Greek) can be translated as life.
Here's a definition from Strong's (5590)
Psyche--
1) breath
- the breath of life
- the vital force which animates the body and shows itself in breathing
- life
that in which there is life
a living being, a living soul
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