All posts by AttilaDimedici

December 16, 2013 Bible Study –Do What Is Right, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly With God

December 15, 2013 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

Micah 5-7:20

Micah predicts that a day will come when a ruler over God’s people will arise from Bethlehem. In that day, God will destroy all armies and all defenses. He will get rid of all of the things we use to think we can take control of our lives away from God. Those nations and peoples who refuse to obey God will suffer the consequences of their actions. We are not called upon to make sacrifices to God from our worldly possessions or to make sacrifices of our children. These are not the things which God is asking of us. God has shown us what is good and desires that we do what is right, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him.
Micah warns that when a nation becomes dominated by merchants who use dishonest measures and cheating to acquire wealth and political leaders use violence and extortion to do the same the armies of destruction are on the way. When this happens attempts to save money will fail (inflation?) and plans for the future will fail. When we look around and there seems to be no one godly to be found, then we can be assured that destruction is on its way. However, Micah tells us how to face such a day. Let us wait confidently for God. Let us patiently submit as He punishes us for our sins, for we have all sinned. If we will do this, God will, in due time, take up our case and be on our side against our enemies. God will not stay angry forever. He will pardon our sins and have compassion on us. In that day, all of those who witness what God has done for us will stand amazed. I will trust in the Lord.

Revelation 7:1-17

John continues to describe what he saw after the sixth seal was broken. He saw four angels who had been given the power to harm the land, sea, and what lived upon/within them. They were told to wait until God’s servants had been marked with His seal. The number marked with God’s seal was 144,000 from all of the tribes of Israel. This number had some significance to John and his early readers, but, besides the significance of being a multiple of 12, I do not know what it was.
In addition to that 144,000 from the tribes of Israel marked with God’s seal, there was(will be) a countless number of people gathered from every nation, every tribe, every people, and every language before God praising Him. John is telling us here that there will be people from every conceivable subgroup of mankind who will serve God by putting their faith in Christ. These people gathered before the throne of God praising God are those who came out of and through the great tribulation of life is this broken and sinful world. Whenever you look around and think that there are no righteous people left, remember this throng which will gather before God on that day to praise His name.

Psalm 135:1-21

I will praise the name of the Lord. I will praise Him for all He has done. Anything else that we might give our worship to is but a created thing. It can have no power to do. The things which people worship aside from God cannot speak, cannot see, cannot hear, cannot smell. If we trust in them, we become just like them, unable to speak truly, unable to see what is real, unable to hear the truth, unable to smell corruption. I will not turn to worshiping idols, because the path to life and truth is fearing the Lord.

Proverbs 30:5-6

God’s words prove true and He will shield us when we turn to Him for protection. Let us not add anything to the words which God gives us for if we do we will be found to be liars and subject to God’s rebuke.

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December 15, 2014 Bible Study — The Four Horsemen

December 14, 2013 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

Micah 1-4:13

     Micah prophesied against the people of Israel and of Judah. He told them that disaster would come upon them because of their sins. While the disaster would come upon the whole nation, for the sins of the whole nation, the center of those sins was in the political capitals. The idolatry of the people had its center in their political systems. It was the political leaders who had turned the people to sin.
     He continued by saying that sorrow awaited those who lay awake at night planning evil. He condemns those who, when they want a piece of land, find a way to seize it. As I read this I thought of the Kelo v. New London Supreme Court ruling of a few years back. This entire passage is an indictment of political leaders who use their power to increase their wealth and that of their cronies. Micah condemns leaders who claim to know right from wrong but, instead of doing what is right, do evil and oppress the people. He continues by condemning those religious leaders who use their prestige to disguise the evil of the political leaders. They promise to help the poor and weak while at the same time taking advantage of them for their own interests. Despite all that they do to bring injustice and oppression to the poor and weak, they believe that they will not be harmed because they believe they are on the side of good.
     Micah promises that destruction will come upon such people. He also promises that the day will come when God will gather people from all over the world who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. God will teach them His ways and they will walk in His paths. God will gather the weak, the lame, and the poor. He will mold them together into a strong nation. They will turn their weapons into farm implements. They will not need to prepare for war because God will be their defender and they will serve Him.

Revelation 6:1-17

This passage describes the opening of six of the seven seals on the scroll. With each of the first four seals a different horseman appears. The first one is given a crown and rides out to conquer the earth. The second one is given a sword and rides out to bring violence throughout the earth. The third horseman carried a scale and rode out to bring famine (and what sounds like severe inflation to me). The fourth horseman rode out to bring painful death to one fourth of the living creatures on the earth. When the fifth seal is opened John sees those who were killed because they served Christ. They called out asking how long until God held the people of earth accountable for their sins. They were given garments of purity and told to wait a short time longer until all had been fulfilled. Then the sixth seal was opened and the sky was rolled up like a scroll and the geographic features of the earth were moved from their places. When this happened the people of earth sought places to hide from God’s pending wrath.
There is much symbolism in this passage, but the key factor for me is that God is in control of all that happens. When a nation or power conquers, it is because God allows and desires it to be so. When violence springs up in one place or another, or even over the entire earth, it is because God has allowed mankind’s sin to yield its fruit. When famine and economic turmoil occur, once more, it is because God has so willed. When death spreads over the earth, it can only happen according to God’s discretion. Those who faithfully strive to serve God in the face of difficulty and persecution will be honoured by God. When God’s time is ripe He will bring about the end of this earth. But nothing happens before God’s time and outside of God’s control. He will care for those who choose to serve Him.

Psalm 134:1-3

Let us praise the Lord when He calls us to serve Him, even when it is in ways that might seem less than desirable, even when we are called to serve Him on the night shift. God will bless us when we serve Him faithfully and praise Him despite any unpleasant circumstances. I will praise the Lord, even when He calls me to serve Him in difficult situations.

Proverbs 30:1-4

Let us not be ashamed of being viewed as foolish by human standards. Who, but God, has seen all that there is to see. Human wisdom is not to be desired above that of God. It is God alone who created the world. He alone has understanding of how everything works and fits together. Let us seek wisdom from God, not from mere men who do not truly understand.

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December 14, 2013 Bible Study — Crying Out to God From the Belly of the Fish

December 13, 2013 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

Jonah 1-4:11

     Today’s passage is the entire book of Jonah. So often we are like Jonah. At first when God calls Jonah to confront evil people for their sins, he resists, going so far as to go in the opposite direction. God is calling Jonah to confront people for their sins, but rather than do so, Jonah moves away from them. Who in my life is God calling me to announce His judgment against? Who does He desire me to confront?
     When Jonah ran into problems because of his choice to act against God’s will, he repented and cried out to God. It is worth noting that God took action to save Jonah from the consequences of his disobedience even before Jonah cried out to Him. It is also worth noting that God used Jonah to bring others to Him even in Jonah’s disobedience (the sailors worshiped God and vowed to serve Him). When Jonah cried out to God in his desperation, God brought him forth from the “belly of the fish” and set the task before him once more.
     This time Jonah followed God’s command and confronted the sinners of Nineveh. He told them that God was going to destroy them because of their sin. When they heard his message, they turned from their sin and stopped their evil ways. They cried out to God and begged Him for mercy. God listened to their cry and chose not to carry out the destruction which he had had Jonah proclaim. Jonah became angry with God because what he had predicted did not come to pass. I believe Jonah’s anger was a result of hurt pride. He had told the people of Nineveh that they would be destroyed and now it was not going to happen. He set himself up just outside of the city to watch the city, hoping that perhaps the destruction was merely delayed for a short time. God caused a plant to grow up over Jonah’s shelter, providing relief from the hot sun. Then, in order to communicate a lesson to Jonah, God caused the plant to wither and die. Once more Jonah was angry enough that he wished to die. God pointed out that Jonah had more concern for a plant, which had come into being and grown with no intervention on Jonah’s part than he did for the many people living in Nineveh. Do we have more concern for plants and animals than we do for people? Am I willing to listen to God’s will and give people God’s message, even if I have to risk looking like a kook?

Revelation 5:1-14

Next John saw that the one who was sitting on the throne had a scroll in His hand. When no one was found worthy to break the seals and read the scroll, John wept. However, he was told not to weep because there was one who was worthy to read the scroll. John had not been patient enough. He needed to wait until the Lion of Judah had won the victory (this to me is a metaphor for our patience and for the history of the world from Creation until Jesus’ death and resurrection). So, John looked, and what he saw was a Lamb which had been slain, but was now living.
The Lion who has won the victory is the Lamb who was slain. Do we understand the significance of this? God did not gain victory by crushing His enemies. He gained victory by allowing them to crush Him. The Christian message is not that of Islam. Islam proclaims that God will rule the world through the military conquests of His followers. Christianity proclaims that God will rule the world through the death of Jesus Christ. God will rule the world through the apparent defeat of His followers. Let us not be disheartened by apparent defeat because in God’s calculus, being defeated while faithfully serving God results in victory. Death results in new life.

Psalm 133:1-3

It is definitely true that it is good and pleasant when brothers live together in harmony, whether that brotherhood is biological or the brotherhood of believers. It is God’s will that we live in harmony with one another and I will strive to do so, in as much as doing so is within my power.

Proverbs 29:26-27

Many seek the favor of those with earthly power, but if we truly desire justice we must apply to God. You can tell a lot about someone by whom they dislike. The righteous dislike those who are dishonest and unjust. The wicked despise those who are godly.

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December 13, 2013 Bible Study — Do Not Gloat Over the Misfortune of Others

December 12, 2013 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

Obadiah 1:1-21

Obadiah prophesied against the kingdom of Edom. He said that they would be utterly destroyed and not even a remnant of them would remain. The people of Edom were confident that their natural defenses would protect them. They thought their cities were impregnable. As a result of their arrogance, they thought they had no reason to come to the aid of their neighbor Israel when enemies attacked. They not only did not come to their aid, they actively abetted those who conquered and enslaved the people of Israel, confident that the same could never happen to them. Obadiah prophesied that they would be utterly destroyed as a people, yet the people of Israel would be restored. The people of Israel would even come to inhabit the mountains of Edom.
There can be many lessons to learn from this, but the primary one is that we must not gloat when others suffer misfortune and strive to profit from their suffering. Rather we should strive to alleviate that misfortune and aid them in recovering from their loss.

Revelation 4:1-11

There is a lot of symbolism is this passage, but today only one thing struck me. I read the passage and saw that the four living beings and the twenty-four elders were spending all of their time praising and honouring God. It is not clearly spelled out in the passage, but I get the sense that they are taking great joy from doing so. Am I willing to spend my time praising and honouring God the way they do? And do I take the same joy out of doing so that they seem to me to be getting?

Psalm 132:1-18

I will go to the sanctuary of the Lord and worship at the footstool of His throne. I will worship Him in humility, as one who does not even deserve the honour of being allowed to worship Him. Those who oppose God’s anointed one, Jesus Christ, will be shamed. Let me never be counted among them.

Proverbs 29:24-25

Those who aid thieves and the dishonest bring about their own downfall. They will be sworn to tell the truth and afraid to answer questions because they will indict themselves. If we act out of fear of others we will trap ourselves, it is only by trusting God that we can rest safely. I will trust the Lord and depend on Him to defend me.

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December 12, 2013 Bible Study — Categories of Christian Groups (Part III)

December 11, 2013 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

Amos 7-9:15

     The high priest of the Northern Kingdom accused Amos of plotting against the king. He then told Amos to take his prophecies back to the Kingdom of Judah. Amos replies that he was not a prophet, nor the son of a prophet. The implication here is that the priest was implying that Amos was serving the interests of the Kingdom of Judah and his prophesies were meant to encourage the people of Israel to reunite with and submit to the rule of the king of Judah. That is, Amos’ prophesies were serving a political agenda. Amos’ reply was that he had no political agenda and was merely responding to the call of the Lord.
     Amos then prophesies once more about God’s judgment on those whose only interest in religious events is when they will end so that they can go back to taking advantage of the poor. He prophesies that the day is soon coming when the spiritual malnourishment that comes from worshiping something other than God will cause the people to starve spiritually and that starvation will be as devastating as physical starvation. This spiritual starvation will lead to destruction and death. Those who are true followers of God will not be lost, but those who wallow in sin will die by violence.
     This destruction will be followed by the day when God calls people from every nation to be His people. In that day He will build His kingdom with those who serve Him, no matter what their ancestry. The descendants of Jacob have a special place in God’s heart, but so do other peoples on the earth. God may have special plans for the descendants Jacob, but He loves all people.

Revelation 3:7-22

The next category of Christian group is that of the Church in Philadelphia. They did not have much strength. Their power was limited. However, they obeyed God’s word and would not deny Him in the face of opposition. As a result of their faithfulness, God has opened a door for them and what God has opened no one can close. God has given them an opportunity to serve Him and they took it. Let us be this group. Let us recognize that we do not have much strength and must rely on God to open doors for us. I will also recognize that no one can close the doors which God opens for me. No matter what the opposition my path to serving the Lord will NOT be blocked.
Finally we have the Church in Laodicea. They are neither hot nor cold, but merely lukewarm. I have seen different ways to interpret this. I think everyone understands the lukewarm part; they are the “go-along-to-get-along” sort. However, Christ says that He wishes they were either hot or cold. What does He mean by that? Which is which is a matter of little import, but I think He was saying that He wishes they were either those who are confrontational about their faith, “Are you Born Again?” Or those who are welcoming and gentle in their faith. The latter being those who are not judgmental about the sins of those who do not believe, but sacrifice to show them Christ’s love. God has a place in His kingdom for both sorts. For those who call out people for their sin and those who show His love to people despite their sin. I think that we are each called to sometimes be one and sometimes be the other. Further, this group is confident of their material possessions and think that this grants them security. Of the seven groups, this is the one furthest from serving the Lord. Christ tells us that even if we are here, He wants us to join Him. He is standing at the door and knocking. I pray that I am hearing Christ knock at my door and will open it to let Him in. Will you listen for His knock? Will you open the door to Him?

Psalm 131:1-3

I will not be proud. I will not demand that I understand all of God’s plans for me. I will calm myself and be satisfied that He has a plan. I will put my trust in God.

Proverbs 29:23

If we are proud, we will be humiliated. If we are humble, we will be honoured. Oh Lord, let me live in humility. I know that I am no one special. My only value is as someone who allows you to use me.

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December 11, 2013 Bible Study — Categories of Christian Groups (Part II)

December 10, 2013 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

Amos 4-6:14

Amos speaks of those who oppress the poor and crush the needy while living in the lap of luxury. They offer sacrifices to idols, then make offerings to the Lord. They brag about all of the various volunteer offerings they make to God, but do nothing to help those in need. God has brought trouble and misfortune upon them, but they refuse to turn to Him and follow His will. They twist justice, hating honest judges and despising those who tell the truth. They claim to desire to help the poor while at the same time trampling them and stealing their food with taxes and unfair rents. They oppress good people by taking bribes and prevent the poor from receiving justice in the courts. Because of all of this God is preparing to send His judgment upon them, but there is still time to turn to God by doing what is good and running from evil.
I read this today and thought of our society. There are many today who proclaim all of the great things they are doing, yet if one looks closely one sees that all they are truly doing is satisfying their own desires at the expense of the poor and powerless. This passage is an indictment of many who claim to be Christian as well as others. Let us turn to God and seek justice for the poor. Rather than sacrifices for show, let us provide for those in need. God’s judgment will fall on those who continue to do evil.

Revelation 2:18-3:6

Today’s passage has the message to two more of the Churches, representing two more categories of Christian group. The next category is that of the Church in Thyatira. They have love and faith. They persevere in giving service. Not only have they maintained their love of the Lord and energy serving Him, they are doing even more than when they first believed. However, they tolerate teacher(s) who encourage sexual immorality and discrete worshiping of idols. Those who reject such teachings are commended and encouraged to hold onto what they have received. There is no secret teachings we need to learn, or hidden secrets of God to be revealed to us by special leaders. God’s Spirit is open and reveals God’s word to all who wish to see. Let us maintain our faith and reject those who seek “secret” knowledge and attempt to reveal to us things “never known” before.
The fifth category of Christian group (or group of Christians is perhaps a better way to phrase it) is that of the Church in Sardis. This is a group that has a reputation for being active and alive, but is not truly so. They have lost their love for Christ and the life which comes from the Spirit. They are going on on past accomplishments. They once did the things which God desired, but now they think that they have done enough. They must repent and return to God, return to doing the things they had done to serve God in the past. Despite their lack of life and vibrancy in serving God there remain among them a few who still love and serve Him. Every time I read this passage I think of my congregation. I look back over its history and wonder if we are like the Church in Sardis. The congregation was founded as an outreach to the children in the community who had no other exposure to Christian teaching, yet now I see little in the way of ministry to children (other than to the children of those who regularly attend). I do not know that my perception is accurate, there are aspects of the congregation’s ministry with which I am unfamiliar.

Psalm 130:1-8

From the deepest depths of my despair I will cry to the Lord. I will wait for Him and put my hope in Him. My hope so placed will not be placed in vain. He will redeem me and save me from my troubles.

Proverbs 29:21-22

Those who are pampered in their youth will become insolent when asked to serve others. Those who cannot control their temper start fights and let their anger lead them into all kinds of sin. I will learn to control my temper and serve the Lord as He desires.

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December 10, 2013 Bible Study — Categories of Christian Groups (Part I)

December 9, 2013 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

Amos 1-3:15

     The first thing to take note of is that Amos was a shepherd when God called him to his ministry. He was not one of the elites, nor was he particularly well-educated. If God could call Amos to be one of the men who wrote part of the Bible, He could call you or me for a similar role. Certainly, He has a ministry in mind for us that is just as important to Him as Amos’ ministry was.
     First Amos prophesies against all of Israel’s and Judah’s near neighbors. He prophesies their destruction for their sins. Then he prophesies the destruction of Judah and Israel. He indicts them for selling the honourable and the poor. They trample the helpless and abuse the oppressed. They are immoral and corrupt. Then he comes to the worst of their sins, they forced those who had made vows to the Lord to serve Him break those vows and silenced the prophets whom God had sent to warn them of their sin. The people have forgotten how to do what is right and all of their wealth was acquired by deceit and violence.
     I read this and see that this indictment holds against our society today. Can God’s judgment be long in coming if we do not change our ways and turn back to Him?

Revelation 2:1-17

     In today’s passage we have the messages for the first three of the seven Churches. I believe that every Christian group falls into one of these seven categories. The first category is that of the Church of Ephesus. Those in this group work hard for God and are patient in waiting for Him to work His will in this world. They will not tolerate those who do evil in the name of God or Christ, who use religion as a cover for self-aggrandizement. They hate the practices of those who use the freedom we have through Christ as an excuse for immorality (the Nicolaitans, more of my thoughts on them later). However, they have lost their enthusiasm, their love, for Christ and doing God’s work. They continue to do God’s work, but it is out of obligation and duty, not out of love. Let us serve God, not because we are obligated to do so, but because our love for Him makes it a joy to do what He desires. If you have forgotten the joy of serving the Lord, search your heart and fall to your knees, asking the Spirit to bring it back to you.
     The second category of Christian group is the Church of Smyrna. They are poor and they are suffering persecution. They face opposition from groups who claim to serve God, but actually reject His commands. They face prison and martyrdom. However, they are rich in faith and the joy of serving the Lord. They are enthusiastic for Christ and give of what they have to help those in even greater need. Let us praise God if we find ourselves amongst such Christians.
     The third category is the Church of Pergamum. They remain loyal to Christ despite living among those who dedicated themselves to serving Satan (I do not think that this refers to Satanists per se). Despite the fact that they live among people who worship actions which are evil and immoral, they strive to follow God’s commands. However, they tolerate those who use the freedom we have in Christ and God’s grace in forgiving our sins as an excuse to justify sins of various kinds, but especially sexual immorality. There are two groups among these whom they tolerate. Those who seduce people away from God by encouraging their baser instincts and lusts and those who use these base instincts and lusts to gain power over people. Those who use people’s base instincts and lust to control them include people like David Koresh and Jim Jones, but there are others who are not as obvious. We are to reject such people from our fellowship, so that we, and our weaker brothers and sisters, will not be tempted by their evil. We must not have an attitude of “go along to get along” with such people.

Psalm 129:1-8

The Lord will free us from being bound to serve the ungodly. The psalmist instructs us to refrain from blessing those who hate the City of God and righteousness. I do not believe by this he means (or at least that God intends us to interpret it that way) that we should refuse to desire that good things happen to those who reject God and righteousness. Rather, my understanding is that we should not offer our support to efforts to work against righteousness and God’s will.

Proverbs 29:19-20

Sometimes it takes more than words to convince people to mend their ways. They may understand what you say, but if they suffer no consequences for their bad behavior, they will not change what they do. It is worse to say something without thinking about how it will be understood than it is to take ill-advised action.

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December 9, 2013 Bible Study — The One Who Is, Who Was, and Is Still to Come

December 8, 2013 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

Joel 1-3:21

God does not need human armies to bring about a nation’s downfall. The prophet Joel discusses an army of locusts, but God can bring about the destruction of a nation in many ways. The time to turn to God is now. Our time will run out and then it will be too late. Let us turn to God with fasting and mourning, but not outward mourning that is all for show, rather let us turn with genuine mourning in our hearts. Let us call on everyone we know to turn to God. If we turn from our sins and confess them before God, He will have mercy on us and turn aside the destruction that is on its way.
God has done great things and we will see His glory. He will pour out His Spirit upon His people, those who call upon His name. People will dream dreams and see visions, young and old alike. Men and women will prophecy before the Lord. God will redeem and save those who call upon His name, but those who defy Him and take arms against those who love Him He will strike down and destroy.

Revelation 1:1-20

The book of Revelation is a troubling book, but it starts off with glory. John extends to us grace and peace from God, the One who is, and was, and is to come. Through all of history, past, present, and what is still to take place, God has been there and He has not changed. He was there at the beginning and He will be there at the end. In this passage, John tells us that Jesus is that never changing God. Jesus holds the keys to death and the grave, there is nothing over which He does not have power. He died, but now He lives and through Him we also may live.

Psalm 128:1-6

Those who fear the Lord and follow His ways will find joy. They will flourish and be satisfied. God will give them peace. Let me follow God’s ways and be satisfied by the peace which He gives me.

Proverbs 29:18

Those who refuse divine guidance have no restraint and their behavior is unpredictable, but those who follow God’s wise guidance will be blessed.

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December 8, 2013 Bible Study — Unless the Lord Builds the House…

December 7, 2013 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

Hosea 10-14:9

     Hosea prophesied against Israel, but the contents of this passage apply to all peoples in all times. The richer people get, the more they turn to the worship of idols. People spout empty words and make promises they do not intend to keep (sound familiar?). The result of all of this is that injustice springs up among the people, getting continually worse. From time to time I have heard people justify lies and broken promises as necessary to fight against injustice. This passage reminds us that lying and making promises you do not intend to keep in order to fight injustice is like randomly shooting into a crowd to prevent the people in the crowd from being shot.
     The people fear that something bad may happen to their idols, the things they worship and rely on in place of God, more than they fear injustice or that their neighbor will suffer. People believe that a strong military will keep them safe, even if they commit injustices and sin against their fellow-man. They cheat and steal from their neighbor and think that such actions are the method by which they can acquire wealth. They fail to recognize that their wealth was a gift from God, given to them so that they may carry out God’s will.
     Hosea tells us what we must do if we want to avoid destruction. We must turn to God and confess our sins. Then God will heal us of our faithlessness. Let us stop worshiping things that are not God and turn to walk in His paths. Everything of value comes from God, I will trust in Him and strive to do His will.

Jude 1:1-25

     Jude warned us against those who claim that God’s grace leaves us free to live immoral lives, that we do not need to live righteous lives because of God’s grace. God rescued Israel from the land of Egypt but later destroyed those who did not remain faithful. The same is true for us, God rescued us from sin, but will destroy those who choose to return to that sin.
     There are people who claim to have received authority from their dreams, or some other source that cannot be confirmed by others. They use this imputed authority to justify living immoral lives, defy those whose authority derives from more traditional (and verifiable) sources, and scoff at the supernatural. The writer reminds us that we do not have power over supernatural beings, our power versus the devil is not our own. We merely have the authority to invoke Jesus’ power. Those who scoff at what they do not understand are blemishes on our fellowship gatherings. They are people who use others for their own aggrandizement and give nothing in return. They are a contamination of the body of Christ.
     Jude tells us how to recognize them. They do not produce the fruit of the Spirit (see Paul’s writing to know what that is). They grumble and complain, only interested in what satisfies their own desire. They spend their time telling others about all of the “wonderful things” they have done. They tell you what a wonderful person you are in order to get you to do what they want (if you dare to resist their desires, you suddenly become a pariah). I watch my behavior because these characteristics are a sign that I am drifting away from God’s will for my life (or have already moved away from it). It is these sorts of people who create division in the Church.
     Jude concludes by telling us the counter to such people, the way to live so as not to be like them (or be led astray by them). He tells us to build each other up in our faith in Christ, show mercy to those who struggle with doubts. Let us reprove those who are destroying themselves with their sin, but extend friendship and hospitality to those who are struggling. As we strive to show love to those who are struggling in sin we must be cautious not to allow their sin to become our own. In all of this, let us never forget that God is able to keep us from falling into sin, if we only trust and rely on Him.

Psalm 127:1-5

Today’s psalm is an important reminder that no matter how skilled we are, no matter how hard we work, all of our efforts will be wasted if we do not work within God’s will.

Proverbs 29:15-17

It is through being disciplined that children learn wisdom. It is only by the discipline instilled by our parents when we were young that we learned the skills we need to thrive in this world. It is only through the discipline instilled by God that we learn the skills we need to thrive in the next.

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December 7, 2013 Bible Study — The Lord Has Done Amazing Things For Us

December 6, 2013 AttilaDimedici Leave a comment

Hosea 6-9:17

God wants us to show love/mercy more than He wants us to offer sacrifices. He wants us to know Him more than He wants us to follow specific regulations. But we have broken His covenant and betrayed His trust…I have broken His covenant and betrayed His trust. Despite all of this God wants to heal us, to heal our land. Let us each one of us take the responsibility to turn from our sins and cry to God for help. Let us not follow the example of the people of the Kingdom of Israel, who looked everywhere, except to God, for help. Let us turn to God, and cry out for His help, now, before it is too late.

3 John 1:1-14

In this letter, John tells us of the importance of helping traveling teachers, those who go from place to place to bring the word of God. We should provide them with support because they will not accept aid from non-believers. John also warns us against church leaders who want to prevent anyone from hearing the teaching of anyone they do not control, leaders who are dictatorial and controlling. Let us follow only what is good. Those who do good prove that they are children of God, while those who do evil show that they do not even know God.

Psalm 126:1-6

I will have faith in God, even though I am facing difficult times. He will restore my fortunes and I will bless His name. Things may be difficult now, but I trust God to bring joy into my life.

Proverbs 29:12-14

Rulers who listen to liars will quickly end up with advisers who are all wicked. Those who think that it is acceptable for those in positions of authority to lie in order to accomplish “worthy” objectives will discover that those worthy objectives are not what they thought they were. Integrity is vitally important in order to accomplish anything of positive value.

Fact and Fantasy

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