Emma2

I believe that intercessory prayer is a privilege. It is a gift that God gives to us and to the ones we pray for. If God has designed that no one will be saved without intercessory prayer, then he will make sure that SOMEONE prays for the ones needing prayer. But no, I don't believe that a person's eternal life is dependent on any sinful human being. The only person we are dependent upon for our salvation is Christ. What a privilege, though, that we can grow in grace through praying for others. Why and how, exactly, God works through those prayers will be a wonderful thing to learn!

Q1. (Psalm 57) Why is praise difficult in the midst of trying circumstances? How does praise affect our faith? Our attitude? Our motivation? I think it's because praise seems like something to do when we're feeling happy. When we're worried or in pain, we're weighed down, not happy. But what I've been learning, in my own life, is that when something extreme has occurred to cause me worry, I start reaching out to God more intensely. I even have to pray for the strength to do so. His word becomes more meaningful. And though I am not relaxed, and the problem is still there and requires my response, I sense his presence and comfort. The gratitude that pours through me is praise. There are times when there is no threat, but I feel a distance between myself and God. I reach out for him, and again am so grateful for the sense of his reality, when it comes. To me, that is praise. It is something that he gives me to give back to him. This can happen when listening to his word.....there can be a sense of heightened awareness, that he is connecting with me, helping me to understand something. Again, gratitude! On a different vein of praise.....after years of somber and sober music at church, I've been in awe when I've heard a Christian band request that the audience clap and cheer for God! What a beautiful thing to do! It won't take the place of personal praise in our lives, but is a beautiful way to acknowlege God corporately. I think.

Q1. (Psalm 69:12-18) How could David dare to ask anything from God after the shameful things he had done with Bathsheba and Uriah? How does God's grace and mercy function in the face of our s Guilt is an unrelenting taskmaster, and yet it is like most pain....it tells us something is wrong. I'm thinking that David was a "man after God's own heart" because he allowed himself to feel that guilt deeply, and grieve in horror over all the trouble he'd caused, and people he'd hurt. He knew about his grandmother Ruth, and how his grandfather Boaz was her kinsman/redeemer. So he had an close example of loving redemption. He knew he was a slave to his own guilt and to the devil. It's beautiful that he used those words that referred to buying back, and then to transferring ownership. Along with his understanding of the sanctuary sacrificial services, it's like he felt like he had allowed himself to be in the devil's grip and wanted to be restored to his Father God again.....and knew that God would have to pay a price in order to redeem him. And he was a man after God's own heart because in spite of his discouragement he persisted in banging on God's door, instead of shrinking back from him. Our guilt causes us to reason that it's dishonest and wrong to appeal to God for forgiveness, and that God won't do it anyway. That's why sin is so awful. Besides the fact that we hurt others, our wrongdoing separates us from God, and causes us to think dark, despairing thoughts about him...causes us to be afraid of him. And rightly so! But it takes alot of humility, and persistance, and even courage to reach out to God continuously, regardless of how much in control our condemning thoughts are. And of course, such repentance and feeling after God is from him anyway!

Q1. (Psalm 150) What does this psalm teach us about praise? Where should praise occur? With what should praise be conducted? Who should praise? What does this psalm make you feel like after reading it out loud? For many years I was of the mind that most contemporary Christian music, with its livelier rhythms and instruments, was offensive to God. Sound familiar? Psalm 150 was always poking at me from the back of my mind, but I brushed it off as not meaning what it SEEMED to mean. Then our children got to the age where they listened to it anyway! And so, out of love for them, I started listening to it. And I do confess that praising God has become a richer experience : )) I still love many of the staid old hymns, but many of the more contemporary songs are especially meaningful. When the Psalmist says to praise God in the sanctuary, I'm assuming that he was picturing the tent tabernacle that he was familiar with. The equivalent, for us, would be our churches, in fellowship with others. But I have another idea as well. The OT sanctuary/tabernacle was designed especially around symbolism about Christ. He was the shewbread, he was the light, he was the mercy seat, the incense was his intercession, and he was the sacrifice. So "in his sanctuary" could also mean praising him specifically with Christ, and all that he stands for, at the center of the praise.

Q1. (Psalm 1). This short psalm seems to reaffirm what we already know: the righteous will succeed and the wicked will perish. Why do we need to be reminded of this? From an emotional standpoint, what lines in this psalm stand out to you. Why do you think you like them? It's hard for me to think about the wicked being lost, but I do agree that there are those who would not be happy in heaven, because they haven't nourished themselves in God's spirit on earth. I am in awe when I stand under a cottonwood tree next to the creek, and gaze up into it's branches. It is so full and extensive, and supports so much life. It would be an honor to be used by God in such a way, to help support and nourish others. But to be useful in that way, I must have to give, which means I must determinedly avoid being sidetracked by ungodly and false thinking, while I seek to be truly, humbly, godly.

Q1. (Psalm 8). What does this psalm teach about God? What does it teach about human beings? What does it teach us about Christ? What does it teach about our responsibilities? God is so far above and beyond our capacity to understand, that it makes us seem very insignificant. With our sinfulness and selfishness, HOW is it that he even bothers with us? Still, he has left us in charge of the earth, to care for it and each other. God often uses children, and the child like, to speak for him, or to show his humility and innocent character traits. Which is why it is so crucial that we not squash their willingness to believe, and their trust. I try to understand what is meant by "how majestic is your "name" "in all the earth." And I take his name to be his character, his glory, as revealed in Ex. 34. Those character traits are reveared throughout the earth.

Q3. (Luke 9:57-61) Why was Jesus so harsh with those who made excuses when called to follow him? Why is the call so urgent? Why do our excuses seem so trivial when offered to Jesus? I think Jesus was testing them. I feel certain that if they had put him first, he would have worked with them to help them find a way to fulfill their real responsibilities. After all, he was the one who said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you."

I wonder if Jesus used the examples of birds and leaven on purpose, to make a point. The Jews understood leaven to be a symbol of sin (though that didn't stop them from using it outside of Passover.) And Jesus had used the example of birds to be the devil. But he also said that not one sparrow fell without his Father caring. I wonder if Jesus used those examples in his parables about faith because he knew that so many people feel unworthy, unsanctified, never good enough. As though they are on the devil's team even if they don't want to be. This can especially happen to conscientious believers. I think Jesus was saying that no matter what you feel about yourself, however small and insignificant we each think we are, we are an essential cog in a very big wheel. We need to do our best and not compare ourselves with others, because God is working with each one of us. I'm fascinated by the progress science is making in the microscopic things. We used to think that the smaller things got, the simpler they were. But as we look into a cell......good grief it's complicated! And elements are made up of complicated molecular combinations, which are made up of complicated atomic combinations. And atoms are made up of....... I bet, the more they search, they're going to find that the smaller things get, there's still something smaller.....and so very complex. We think of God being huge, and I suppose he is. But I also think he's infinitely small, small enough to go to infinity with smallness. At which point I throw up my hands in wonder.....why, "big" is just a perfectly coordinated system of smalls. Big would NOT EXIST without the smalls. Makes me very grateful to be a small, with an orbit designed for me, and a Father who understands if I wobble out of orbit more often - it seems - than not. Jesus said the first would be last and the last would be first. I think he was absolutely serious when he said that. Our judgement is often faulty. He sees the infinite complexity and value of each person in the masses of people that are usually belittled and overlooked.

I don't want to say something incorrect, but I've heard that the Jews were familiar with the term "born again." But it referred only to Gentiles who converted to Judaism. Perhaps the thought of being lumped in with the Gentiles was so appalling to Nicodemas that he scoffed at the idea with his extreme example of being physically born again. I don't know exactly what Gentiles had to do to be considered converted, but I'm sure it meant denying old belief systems, taking on a totally new one, new lifestyle, habits, everything. A total change. And as far as physical birth goes, as an illustration, several things take place when a child is born. His/her connection with the mother is severed. He/she starts to breathe for the first time and changes take place within the heart and circulatory system. I see interesting parallels there, especially between breathing and receiving the Holy Spirit.

I think the writings in the New Testament give many examples of repentance as integral to life in Christ. -John the Baptist came as the fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3-5, which spoke of the king's highway being prepared in order for him to arrive....filling in the low areas, scraping down the high areas....making level ground. That may have been partly referring to a "level playing field" where Gentiles were accepted just as much as Jews. But in order for the Jews to accept the Gentiles, some serious heartwork had to happen! It wasn't an easy matter for the rejected Gentiles to accept a Jewish teacher either! -Then Jesus tells the story about preparing the field, in Matthew 13.....the good ground. The ground that wasn't prepared just couldn't bear fruit. To prepare ground we break it up, take out the impeding, hard stones, add nutrients when necessary. He ends up by saying "he who has ears let him hear." And then goes on to explain that the hard hearted will not understand. It's like a person will remain deaf to the truth that matters - in spite of all the forms of religion - until the heart is broken and tender towards God. I think Jesus spoke in parables because he knew how tricky repentance could be and how easily the human heart becomes offended and clams up. He could pique curiosity with the stories, helping those who would to open up. -The 10 virgins story tells of the lamps that had no oil.....I think the oil represents the Holy Spirit, which won't be in a vessel that doesn't want to be filled. But it's a lifelong process. As long as we're alive weed seeds will blow in, old root stocks will resprout. Broken, prepared ground could be MORE susceptible to these problems. But with the Holy Spirit so close to us - the armor of God, the gifts of the Spirit, and other metaphors - in spite of what we feel like, we can have a warrior on our side that won't be vanquished. (Sorry for the mixed metaphors, just borrowing from the scripture's many examples!) I think the examples of repentance go all the way through to the stories that Jesus told and the things he did for people. And I think that's what he was talking about with the picture of the wide and narrow ways.

How does the disciples' psychological state after the crucifixion provide excellent support for belief in the resurrection? To my mind it shows that the last thing they were planning to do was to stage a fake resurrection....because they didn't even believe it would happen! The ones who knew him were so devastated they couldn't see past the tomb. Jesus had to appear to a couple of them and remind them of the age-old prophesies pointing to his life, and the events of the last few days. Had any of his followers even remembered those prophesies, and the things he'd said of himself, they would have been eagerly looking forward to it, rather than hiding from the wrath of the Jewish leaders. And the fact is also impressive that it was women who brought the breathtaking news of the empty tomb, and Mary seeing Jesus. Had the disciples been clever-minded enough to plan such a scheme, they would have chosen people with more public credibility to break the news. If this was a scheme, they were shooting themselves in the feet, so to speak. Instead, they were cowering in fear, just like they did in the garden when the arresters arrived. Poor Thomas didn't even believe the reports of the eyewitnesses. Unfortunately I can relate to the fear.

Q2. On the theft theory, what motive might the disciples have to take Jesus' body? What motive might the Romans have? The Jews? Joseph of Arimathea? The only motive the disciples might have had would be to make it look like he'd been resurrected, like he'd been prophesying. BUT.....they were hard enough to convince of the resurrection, after the fact! Aside from that, Joseph's tomb was the best place for him, in their eyes. The tomb of a wealthy and esteemed man was the most worthy place for their Lord. The Romans could have no motive unless they were suicidal. The Jews, maybe, if they didn't think he was worthy of Joseph's tomb. But it seems like they were just happy he was gone. And Joseph was honored to have him in his own tomb....wonderful substitutionary symbolism.

Jacob had been deceptive as a young man. He had repented, he was forgiven, but he still bore a lifetime of consequences, in his own life and in the attitudes of his children. As much as he loved and trusted God, most of the time, he still had to deal with the psychological impact of his early character and the compounding fears and discouragements that he was left to deal with all his life. Joseph's upbringing was different. Instead of one brother, he had 11, most of whom were rascals. Instead of a mother who doted on him and encouraged deceptiveness, he had a father who spoiled him, but probably encouraged honesty. After all, Jacob was repentent of his own early deceptions. Joseph's biggest recorded "fault" was bragging (as it seemed to his family) about his dreams. He probably was just too innocent, and not sensitive enough to realize the effect of his words about his dreams. Guilty or not, he also bore the consequences of that "fault". He had seen all kinds of trouble and confusion in his family and he polarized to side of honesty and faith, as hard as it was. The beauty of it is that even though we each have our own complicated characters, formed by our experiences and observations, God doesn't compare each one of us with others, because we are unique. We are called to learn from one another, help one another, but we are each treasured by our Father equally. And though the story shows Joseph being used by God in a special way, I believe God equally loved each brother - and sister(s)! - and had especial concern over those with the worst character traits and most disadvantages.

Sorry, the above post about not having gifts was a response to jsb, the second response to today's question.

Maybe one of your gifts is seeing the good in others, encouraging others in their gifts. Seems to me sometimes, that the areas we are the most frustrated about in ourselves are actually aspects of abiliiesy or gifts that are blocked. I have been rather introverted all my life, still not good at conversation. But I'm finding, growing out of my frustration over that, a growing care for others and a wish to pray for them. Also, a desire to communicate which is being met by writing....mostly journaling, but it's a start! I believe you will use your strengths (gifts)....maybe already are and don't know it! have absolutely suffered from "gift envy." It seems like I can see everyone else's gift but my own. I've even accused God of skipping me. Maybe it's because of that envy again. I hear one friend singing like an angel, I see another friend who has so much compassion for the sick...the list goes on and on.