Bible Study @ MindSay 
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This series is on the Fruit of the Spirit. See 1 Corinthians. We usually have the same basic notes, and we just note the answers for ourselves. In my case, and I'm sure other people do this, most of my margins are taken up with additional notes about brainbenders people have said.
Tonight we're on gentleness. Or, if you like, meekness/humility. This is a doozy. I've heard a friend say, "Of all the cultures in the world, Americans have to have the hardest time being Christians. You have to submit to someone else, you have to admit that you can't do something on your own, AND you have to admit that there's something wrong with you. Americans can't do that." I don't know how accurate that is, but it made me think. Meekness is not a happy word in our vocabulary.
'Til we started exploring this further and figuring out, by a Christian definition, what meekness is. And contrary to the impression we've got, it doesn't mean having the temperament of Bambi's mother. Rather, it is the kung fu master, who holds the strength, and can recognize when not to use it.
The flip side of that is that if you can recognize when NOT to use it, you also recognize when TO use it - but we only made a note of that, it wasn't our point for tonight.
Meekness was Christ on the cross. He's God's son, he IS God, he has the power to bring himself down, or to call legions upon legions of angels to blast everyone there and carry him away. He's in so much suffering that a new word had to be invented to describe it - "excruciating" literally means "out of the cross". He's in pain beyond anything, he's humiliated, he can't breathe, his skin is hanging in ragged tatters, and he's likely excessively dehydrated. And he made the call, with every breath, that it was more important for him to die this way, for these miserable creations to be saved, than for him to come down.
We were talking about how that applies to us, in marriage (most of us aren't) and work relationships. J summed it up, "Yeah, I could win this argument, but then I'd do some major damage to the relationship." He's made the call to walk out of a fight, to let the other person come out on top, even though he knows he can completely destroy their argument. Not because he's afraid or submissive, but because it's more important to him that this relationship be maintained, and that they find a way to solve this (that's probably going to be longer and take more effort) that allows them to work together.
Strength under control. Having the power, and choosing to walk away from a fight. The kung fu master.
There's a lot of great stuff that was said tonight. I've got one that's definitely going on my quote board, and maybe three.
Britta: "For your own personal health, don't expect to be respected."
That one made us laugh, but she made an impressive point. Respecting the people around you, yes, we're supposed to do that. But as soon as you expect them to respect you back, you're setting yourself up for misery. If they don't, you're going to be irked, and you've effectively given them the power to wreck your day.
That's definitely another brainbender for me. I'll be working on getting my head around that concept for awhile.
I have one section that I'm definitely teaching on if I'm a counselor for the junior high or high school girls this summer. One of the girls read it, and you could see this smile spread around to every woman in the group, and then we all started talking.
By the way, the guys were NOT touching that one. It was talking about beauty of spirit, being more real, lasting longer, and being more attractive than physical beauty. Every guy in the room claimed that touching that one in any way was digging himself a hole.
Which made us laugh more.
There's a lot that we learn during these nights, but also a lot of goofy relationship building. Jared, who's very health conscious, made the celery sing at me when I chose the Oreos instead. Kristina and I were talking about some girl stuff on the stairs, Gabe came up to badger us, was perhaps kicked, and fell back down the stairs to land in a tangle with the bike. We're all in the same discussion during the study, but as soon as we're done, we break off into about six separate conversations, and there's this animated joy that just kinda hangs out in the atmosphere above all of them.
I love this group. :)
Worldwide Grand Bible Exposition!
The Latter Rain...
alvation comes from God, whom the Bible calls as the Living God and Savior. God is employing a human being in order for His will to be fulfilled ... and that is the salvation of man.
Our Lord Jesus Christ will bring two kinds of salvation, through the Bible. At the time He assumed human form, He saved Israel from its sinfulness. That is written in Matthew 1:21, which says-
"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."
However, when He comes again, for the second time, He will bring salvation to the faithful. And, the Bible is teaching us how we can become one among those people that our Lord Jesus Christ will save come judgment day. The first verse that we have to pay attention to is Ephesians 3:6, which says-
"That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospel."
St. Paul, the Apostle, said, "The Gentiles should be fellow heirs." But before we continue analyzing this verse, let us find out from the Bible: who are called "Gentiles" and why are they also called "heirs?" In Ephesians 2:11-12, this is what is written--
"Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world."
In those lines, St. Paul reminds the Christians in Ephesus of their former conditions. According to the Bible, during those times, "they were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel." Therefore, Biblically speaking, the Gentiles are those who were apart from Christ. They were "strangers from the covenants of promise," ... they were the hopeless, and they were without a God in the world because they were not part of Israel. And we, who live at the present time, may also be called Gentiles if we will use the Bible as our basis.
According to St. Paul, for the Gentiles to be a part of the salvation that comes from our Lord Jesus Christ, they have to be made parts first of the body; and only after that will they become partakers of a promise in Christ by the Gospel.
You will notice that St. Paul made reference to a "body" ... a body into which the Gentiles must integrate themselves so that they also become heirs. The explanation to that may be read in Colossians 1:18-
"And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the first born from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence."
Therefore, the body whose head is Christ is the CHURCH. At this point, we must understand that the Gentiles, like us, must join the body, or the Church. And when we say that we must join the Church, it means that we no longer have to build any. We no longer have to establish our own church just for us to become partakers of a promise in Christ.
And whenever we say "join," or be a part of the body, of the Church, it denotes that, there is already an existing Church. In fact, this Church already exists even before the promise of salvation was given to the Gentiles. There is an existing Church even before Paul was made apostle. And this was the same Church that our Lord Jesus Christ taught, when he assumed human form. ... And there can never be another church.
Today, there are preachers who claim that another church had appeared in the Philippines. And according to them, this church was different from the one in Israel. If this is the case, it would appear that, despite the fact that there was already a church in Israel, another church appeared in the Philippines. As far as the Bible is concerned, such a belief is wrong because, according to St. Paul's epistle to the Ephesians, in 4:4-
"There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling."
There is just one body ... there is no other body. And the proof that there is only one body can be read in Colossians 3:15-
"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which ye are called in one body; and ye be thankful."
Here, St. Paul is addressing the brethren who, in the beginning were Gentiles, but were eventually called to one body. In other words, the body that the early Christians (the Israelites) made themselves a part of, is also the same body, or church, into which the Gentiles were being called upon to join. Now, if the Gentiles will just integrate themselves to the body, then, the Church will remain ONE.
It is against the teachings of God, and of the Holy Scripture, that other churches is built in other places, let's say in the US, or in England, or in Germany, or in Rome. They also claim that another church had also been founded in the Philippines. The truth is, God did not give any right to anybody to build his own church. It is indeed disgusting that today, a lot of ministers build churches of their own. They deliberately oppose and defy what the Bible said - that, the Gentiles, like us, must join or make ourselves a part of the body, or the Church, for us to be saved.
And what is the reason why we must abide by it? It is because, as far as God is concerned, He did not give anybody His consent to build a church right now in our time. This is what Psalms 127:1 says-
"Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that built it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."
The verse mentioned of a "house," which becomes useless if it is not built by the Lord. Let us now ask the Bible. What is being referred to as the "house," which only God has the right to build? In I Timothy 3:15, it says-
"But if I tarry long , that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."
If you have noticed, in the New Testament, the word house refers to the Church of God. This is, truly, the house of God because it was built by God, Himself. That is why, if, in our time, you come across churches, whose founders are also their ministers, you can be sure that they are NOT REAL!
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Welcome to The Grand Bible Exposition
Worldwide Reality...
"The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God." -Isaiah 52:10
"Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it." -Acts 28:28
Grand Bible Expo Here!
"But as I said before, it's your spiritual growth that I'm concerned with right now, and it's that that is the biggest factor in our relationship for me right now. It's the spiritual part of our relationship, that growth, that maturity, that learning, that is what is most important to me right now."
Okay...so this was from 6-16-07. I am starting to see more that this is why we broke up. We didn't talk about any studies or anything like that after this......It would have been so easy to fix too. I just want to go back in time, I'm trying so hard not to cry. I'm still so hurt. I still miss him so much. He was supposed to have hope....and give me hope. And I was supposed to have him. I feel like I'm back to square one. I'm trying not to cry at work. So I'm going to stop this right here......:(
I have never seen myself as having leadership qualities – in fact, never had any desire for leadership qualities, nor any desire whatsoever to assume any leadership role of any kind – yet life seems to have a knack for forcing reluctant leaders into their intended roles in spite of their reluctance. Much to my surprise, my family recently announced to me that they all look to me as a worthy and capable leader of our family unit. Hence I humbly take on the following assignment.
We have taken on a practice recently of gathering together on Sunday afternoons for a time of family fellowship – a time where we can freely and respectfully air our differences, discuss personal issues, hopes, fears and whatever else. Our first few sessions were productive, but as time has progressed, we have all felt the need for more focus in our meetings. It was the family’s unanimous vote to conduct a sort of Bible study, based on Rick Warren’s popular book, The Purpose Driven Life.
Since this will now comprise a major aspect of my personal ‘journey’ in life (the primary focus of this blog), and at the encouragement of others, I will also make this experience available to share with my most cherished blog buddies – the more the merrier I say! Please feel free to participate with your own commentaries, views and insights. And please note that I am not offended by opposing views. Nor am I rattled by some of our very ‘heathen’ friends’ humorous lacks of reverence, etc. (you know who you are, boys – please promise you will not divulge our dark secrets – I am trying to maintain a certain aura of righteousness here). This will likely not be the ONLY subject I blog about, but since it will likely be a very consuming task (if done correctly), it will surely comprise a large portion of my posts. For those curious about my unique spiritual beliefs, here’s your chance!
If you wish to participate in this venture with my family and I...
my lessons will be based on the assumption that you have acquired a copy of said book from which we will be studying. You can get a paperback version at most any bookstore for less than $15. We plan to start next Sunday, so you have 5 days to get one!
The time frame suggested in the book is a 40-day study. It is most likely that we will take more than 40 days. (We’re a slow bunch in this household.) Starting next Sunday, the minimum reading requirement will be a chapter per day (7 chapters each week), though it is likely that might change, since I strongly suspect our discussion of each will be so lengthy, we will not cover 7 chapters each week.
One more tool that we plan to use is meditation beads. (dogyo knows all about these.) Now don’t all my Christian friends get in a tizzy about this – I will not be attempting to convert anyone to some strange eastern or new age religion. We will be using them merely as aids to concentration during meditative exercises. The suggestion is a strand of 108 beads with either a tassel or one larger bead in the center. If you don’t want to be bothered by stringing together your own (as we will be doing here) or purchasing one (search online for mahlas – they can be found for as little as $25), use any other method of counting you wish – moving 108 marbles from one bowl to another – use grapes or rice or sunflower seeds...jacks, Tinker Toy sticks, dice or dominoes. The purpose of counting is to aid in concentration and duration of the exercise, so just plan for some method of counting that you would be comfortable with.
I will have one rule for participants and/or those who wish to reply: NO ARGUING! Discussion of opposing views is not only welcomed but encouraged, but must be in a non-confrontational and kind spirit, respectful of the beliefs of others. Smart-ass remarks such as is common from our beloved misterghoulie and Chris (I can't keep up with his identities these days) are accepted because we all need to be continually reminded that we must never take ourselves too seriously. LIGHTEN UP guys, and enjoy the ride!
Now, for everyone else, I promise that before week’s end, there will be a few more ‘normal’ Sojo posts. We have a hawk rearing a family of chicks in a HUMONGOUS nest high in a tall tree at the far end of the pasture and I’ve gotten a few shots of her! I’ve also FINALLY gotten an acceptable shot of one of our bluebirds – not National Geographic quality as I would’ve liked, but then, I don’t have $10,000 worth of lenses and admittedly, don’t really have National Geo level talent either – but what I got is a START! And for all those Nutkin fans, I’ve got some squirrels too! Now, if I could just get a shot of our resident heron…
PS...how many of you thought, after reading that subject line, that I was making a wedding announcement? HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Standing on tiptoe to organize the top shelf of a filing cabinet will incur a smothering of "short" comments from every guy that happens to walk by. It's a good thing I'm so good natured and have such a strong sense of humor. And, yes, if one of them had actually had a stepstool to offer, I would have happily accepted. But they are just talk. Teasing talk.
Yesterday evening was a delight. Paul is an amazingly gifted teacher. I would like to give him a witty (or vapid) nickname, but I can't picture him as anyone but "Paul." So Paul he shall remain.
We've made it up to the first four ingredients (the previous two having been already tackled a few weeks ago). I was particularly stunned to discover that the original Greek word can be translated as both patience and perseverance. Here I'd been thinking I'd been making a littlle oxymoronic joke by telling everyone that I was in a season of "patient perseverance." Shows what I know.
Also, I learned that self-control has very little to do with the self. What a relief.
On a final note, showers are wonderful. Not only do they provide a fantastic venue for song and make you smell like a rose, but they also solve tricky issues. I have figured out how to leave the past in the past. Lovely.
Update: do you remember Mike? He and his wife were at the meeting last night. He had an MRI last week that has suggested that the cells once thought cancerous were merely inflammed, and that the doctors, indeed, removed most of the tumor. He is still pushing forward with the chemotherapy because, in his own words, "it doesn't matter what the doctors say or the tests results are -- we're going to battle through this." Amen to that. And hallelujah for a faith that won't be shaken.
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