mindy

Exercise...Then report to the forum what the exercise meant to you personally or share what you've written with others. I took Psalm 8 and rewrote it using names of places and people in my daily life. "You have set Your glory above Madison. From the lips of Jade and Kendall You have ordained praise..." It was so cool seeing the Psalm personally. Not a dusty story from an age old book, but rather, my God cherishing me personally. It's one of those things you always know, but suddenly it just felt more real. Cool exercise.

Q3: In what way does the wonder of creation in the psalm seem to affect the psalmist? Wonder becomes awe, awe becomes reverence, reverence becomes surrender. Q3: In his concluding prayer in verses 23-24, what does he ask God to do? Get closer and lead him through forever.

Q2. (Psalm 19) Verses 1 to 6 seem very different from verses 7 to 13, but there is a common thread that relates the first part to the second part. What is it? As I understood the lesson, Dr. Ralph said these parts were linked by a common existence as products of God's Word. As I read the Psalm though, I noted that the common thread was not that they were both created by God's Word, although that is most assuredly true. The common thread according to my reading in this context is that both creation and Bible point us to God. These sections of the Psalm tell me how creation and Bible evangelize, proclaim, declare and illustrate God for us teency-weency-made-in-the-Image-of-God humans. Q2 continues: In what way does the psalmist seem to bask in God's Word? Have you ever felt that way? How does the psalmist's wonder in creation seem to affect him in this psalm? I see the beauty of creation and the Bible driving David to passionate, joyful dedication to his relationship with God. Q2 continues: In the classic prayer of verse 14, what is David asking God to do? David would like to be an acceptable offering to God. In this prayer David asks God to make him fit for Heaven even on the earth. Sounds alot like another prayer, don't it?

This Psalm teaches me that even God's name is far greater than I can ask or imagine. It shows me that I have nothing to fear even though I am vapor in the wind. I'm not sure I can say it teaches specifically about Jesus, although I can infer some things about Jesus because He is one with Yahweh who is the person praised in this Psalm.

Luke 16:22 "So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 "And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 "Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.' 25 "But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 'And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.' I don't know where this paradisical bosom of Abraham is. I am sure I want the angels to carry me there! The tortures of the damned are apparent here as well. I know I don't want to go there. I trust that when I die Jesus will put me in a safe, happy, free and loving place until those last days come. Whether we call it Heaven or Paradise, or the Bosom of Abraham makes little difference to me as long as I get to hug my Jesus.

I signed up to go wherever Jesus is, to be like Jesus is, to become all that Jesus co-created me to be. I intend to let Him plant me in His presence where we can all enjoy one another forever. I hope to see you there.

In baptism, God affixes the sign and seal of innocence upon us AND imparts to us our ministerial calling. From this position of innocence we are born again as witnesses to His faithfulness using whatever talents He created us with.

God chooses witnesses to share the Good News. Here is a case where He chose good witnesses and set them on a course to change the world. Thank God He gave them the experiences they needed to come to believe and to pass that faith on to others who have passed that faith on throughout the generations all the way to me and you!

I love that Jesus is raised from the dead, the first fruits of all creation. I am having a bit of trouble being distracted by the language in this lesson, though. I sense that I am supposed to be angry at liberal Christian scholars as I read this rhetoric. The liberal Christian is not my enemy. The scholar is not my enemy. No matter how conservative my viewpoint, nor how liberal theirs, our common enemy is God's adversary (also known as beelzebub, the devil, satan, etc). I would like to see language that addresses resurrection without vilifying people.

In times of great crisis, those who keep their heads about them can maintain control over positions of power. We have seen this again and again in business and on church boards. The Pharisees and Saducees knew the Bible and knew the possibilities. They kept their cool against many Messiah-wanna-be's. They probably did this 'guard-the-tomb' thing many times. Keep in mind this is apocryphal thinking on my part. My point is this: If you know the truth and you want to keep the power you hold over the masses, all you have to do is prevent the truth from setting people free. There are three steps to accomplish this power play: 1) Learn to express your own truths confindently when Scripture offers options which offend you. 2) Post guards to prove that you are defending the faith against thieving interlopers. 3) Continue teaching your perspective confidently while the "Messiah's" disciples are grieving and crying and afraid.

Jesus is already my life. Everytime I draw breath, everytime I set His example, everytime I come to the Communion Table; I am participating in a foretaste of my resurrection joy. I think Jesus will open my heart, mind, soul, and strength to a greater experience of that new life. I will be "like a tree planted by the water" and God (Father, Son, Spirit) will be the water... forever and ever, Amen

Hello all. It is a beautiful rainy spring day in Kansas. I pray all is well in your neck of the woods. I hope these posts can uplift us and help us make stuff "on earth as it is in heaven."

These two witnesses received a call from God and answered it humbly and without fear even unto death...Out of His grace and mercy, God raised them into new life with His own breath, adding His proof to their faithfulness.

Obedience, period. It is important because nobody else ever did, or ever could, be obedient.

We have become apathetic because we have forgotten (or we never learned) that everyday is precious opportunity to live in God's presence. Every moment of breath we are given is truly a gift that we may revel in or squander. We are creatures designed for worship, and without the energizing power of that worship, we lose our passion to be His well loved children.