Discuss.LCF

Hey folks,
Thanks so much for taking the time to hear a general presentation on what I think is a healthy way to approach the whole dating, courting, marriage thing.
I think I may have not communicated clearly about what part emotion plays in the middle section of a relationship , so I’m going to give it another shot.
It seems to me that courting should come out of a strong brother sister relationship. I always encourage our young people to have strong friendships with people of the opposite sex. If this is going on, I can pretty much guarantee that you will eventually find someone that seems to “be the one.”

The message about Abel, the blood of martyrs, persecution and answering the question, "what does this mean for my life?" produced some simple thoughts:

The answer to that question for my life is this: I am not going to change anything. I will keep doing what I have been called to do each day. I know He is pleased with my obedient and faithful life. I am not looking to find persecution, but I believe it will come if I am obedient.
Lord, help me to run my race patiently!

I was intrigued with those little words, "by faith..." Our witnesses lived by faith and things then happened to them.

I was struck by one of the aspects of Dan's word study on faith. The word implies a drawing of strength from the object in which someone trusts to that person that has faith. This fundamentally shifts the focus of faith from the one who has faith to the object of that faith. This truth also makes the object of the faith infinitely more significant than the person who has faith or the strength of that faith.

I have just been through all the verses that Billy sent out that include the word for believe. It was a powerful study for me and I would like to encourage anyone who has thoughts on it as they study to post them here. You can find my discussion on my blog.

In considering the practical hook of Faith I couldn't shake away from Luke 9:24 "Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it."

Another reading might be, "Whoever trusts in his own decisions will never see the Life I intended, but whoever surrenders his decisions to me will see Life at its greatest." With Jesus' requisite being to "lose our lives", we see the Faith that God requires is trust on the deepest level of human possibility... because what more can be asked of the soul than its will?

Seeing Faith as an utter forfeiture of the will to God, consider its implications on Ephesians 6:16 “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.”

These are the six steps one may follow in the process of a character study.

1. Pick a person to study. Make sure there is a clear reason to study the selection. The character should be relevant to a topic of interest.

2. Collect information on the character. For example find every scripture in which the person is mentioned. Then with the topic in mind winnowed down those verses to the most relevant texts. Make sure to collect context of the verses.

3. Study the context of the person's life. Specifically look at where this character is in the Biblical story. Using the Bible make a chronology of their life.

I have been thinking about this idea of loving God with all my heart, soul, and might.

First, if God commanded it then grace is there to do it. While the command seems far beyond our reach it demonstrates what grace is all about, allowing a sinful limited man to do the seemingly impossible.

Second, how does one "love God with all your ..."? Jesus said, "If you love me keep my commandments." (John 14:15) Obedience is the true sign of one who loves. Before I set out to convince God that I loved Him I read the next verse, "and I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever." (John 14:16). Grace again. I thank God through Jesus that as we set out to love Him we are not left to our own pitiful devices.

As I have been following along with Billy's study on faith, I have also been reading the Psalms extensively. Again and again I hear the language of a refugee coming from the Psalmists. Either God is described as a "refuge" or the psalmists is "taking refuge" in him. Considering these scriptures and thinking about what it means to "take refuge" I wonder if there is a connection here with the New Testament understanding of faith.

...It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Matthew 4.4

There are many beautiful truths contained in this one quote by Jesus. I think we would all appreciate hearing one another's thoughts as we consider this scripture. Meditate on this quote a few days and then write a short entry below (200 words or less).

Let God get Himself a big smile