From Gary... When a fence is not a fence

I took this picture yesterday afternoon.  Actually, it was a continuation of my experimentation with stitching several pictures together.  This picture is a little deceiving, as the fences intersect at a 90 degree angle and not the apparent 45 degree above.  Also, if the ground on the right of the picture looks odd, it is because there is a mound running parallel to the fence.  Things are not always what they seem, as the following parable indicates...

Luke, Chapter 8

 4 When a great multitude came together, and people from every city were coming to him, he spoke by a parable.  5  “The farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell along the road, and it was trampled under foot, and the birds of the sky devoured it.   6  Other seed fell on the rock, and as soon as it grew, it withered away, because it had no moisture.   7  Other fell amid the thorns, and the thorns grew with it, and choked it.   8  Other fell into the good ground, and grew, and produced one hundred times as much fruit.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” 

  9  Then his disciples asked him, “What does this parable mean?” 

  10  He said, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables; that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’  11  Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.   12  Those along the road are those who hear, then the devil comes, and takes away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved.   13  Those on the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; but these have no root, who believe for a while, then fall away in time of temptation.   14  That which fell among the thorns, these are those who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.   15  That in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it tightly, and produces fruit with patience. 

Verse 14 is very important in this passage, as the beginning of attaining knowledge is often preceded by asking a question.  The disciples were to become fishers of men and therefore needed to know how their future listeners would respond to the word of God.  We need to know this too as we are expected to share God's word today as well.  For me, I look at the picture of the fence and see the individual days of my life (the fence posts) anchored by a fitting nails (the words of God), connected by a union of twisted wire (God's thoughts and my own), set in a pattern ordained by the Almighty for his use.  You might just see a fence, which is fine.  I will be looking for God's presence in everything around me.  You decide which is better!!!  Both are correct!!!

From Jim McGuiggan... Paul, Jerusalem And Antioch

Paul, Jerusalem And Antioch

The confidence crisis at Corinth would have been made worse by those who demanded Paul's credentials. Who vouched for him? What proof was there that he was an apostle? (See 2 Corinthians 3:1-3 and 13:3.) It would appear Paul was always in trouble and with no one to vouch for him he and his message would come under critical scruitiny. As the proverb says, there's no smoke without fire.

1. The church at Antioch was started by Cypriot Jews who preached not only to Jews but to Gentiles who were not proselytes. (Acts 11:19-21)

2. Jersualem heard of it and sends Barnabas to check it out. (Acts 11:22)

3. He went to Tarsus looking for Paul and they spend a year teaching at this Gentile/Jewish church. (Acts 11:23-26)

4. Antioch sent money by Paul and Barnabas for famine relief to Jerusalem. They delivered it and returned to Antioch with Barnabas' cousin Mark. (Acts 11:27-30; 12:25)

5. Teachers from Jerusalem came to Antioch saying that circumcision was essential to salvation and wanted to bind it on Gentiles. (Acts 15:1)

6. The Antioch church sent Paul and Barnabas (and Titus) to the 'Conference' at Jerusalem where the apostles agreed to send a letter to Gentile believers saying only that some Noachic laws be kept (but not requiring circumcision). Antioch believers are overjoyed. (Acts 15:1-35 and Gal 2:1-10)

7. Peter visited Antioch, was eating with Gentiles until Judean conservatives arrived and he withdrew from the uncircumcised Gentiles. Even Barnabas who had seen God at work among the Gentiles sided with Peter in the confrontation. (Galatians 2:11-21)

8. Later Paul and Barnabas split over Mark though there may have been more in it than Luke records. Barnabas went to Cyprus with Mark and Paul went elsewhere with Silas. (Acts 15:36-41)

9. After a prolonged missionary trip (which included establishing the church at Corinth), Paul returned to Antioch and from there he went through the areas of Galatia and Phyrgia (Acts 18:1-22).

10. It may well be that Paul's relationship with the Antioch church had become strained and that Antioch (with the great number of Gentile Christians) became a testing ground where Jewish national righteousness was jealously guarded. This might mean that Paul became a freelance apostle without, so to speak, a 'home base'. He had differed with Peter and even Barnabas his long time missionary partner and had trouble with Jewish believers and unbelievers. Could he be at peace with anyone?

11. It's clear that "they of the circumcision" are Jewish conservatives (see Galatians 2:12, compare Acts 11:2; 15:5) who would create trouble for anyone whose preaching seemed to threaten the peculiar calling of the Jews. It's clear that Paul's opponents at Corinth included Jews (see 2 Corinthians 11:22).

12. This tension between Paul/Jerusalem/Antioch might make many Corinthian Christians (Jews and Gentiles) think less of Paul because it makes them appear less grand as a church. They are "stuck with" a lesser preacher whose credentials are suspect in the eyes of important people and the Corinthians did have a struggle with pride, false glorying about spiritual attainment and status. This is a central issue in the first letter. And see 2 Corinthians 11:7;12:13 with 5:12. Besides, he refused to be salaried by Corinth and that could mean he was a maverick who wanted to maintain his full independence so that he could move on after making trouble.

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Jim McGuiggan... Paul And Corinth: Possible Chain Of Events

Paul And Corinth: Possible Chain Of Events

1. The First Visit: Establishes the church (Acts 18).

2. Writes Letter 'A' We don't have that letter. See 1 Corinthians 5:9

3. Writes Letter 'B' (Our 1 Corinthians) in response to reports and questions)

4. The second visit: 2 Corinthians 2:1 and 13:2 (not recorded in Acts). 

While there on the 2nd visit, he was attacked and humiliated by some brother which provokes the next letter ( Letter "C") This second visit was a "flying" visit and was not what he had promised in 1 Corinthians 16:5-7. That was to be an extended stay. 

See 2 Corinthians 1:15.

5. Writes Letter 'C' Described by Paul in 2 Corinthians 2:4 and 7:8 as a "tearful and grief-bringing letter". (We don't have that letter.)

6. Waits anxiously for a response to Letter C and finally learns from Titus that there had been a good response (2 Corinthians 7:6-16). Well, a better response than he might have expected. At least the whole church hadn't turned from him.

7. Along with that news or maybe even subsequent to it he heard that Jewish critics were among his opponents ("super/false apostles") and were generating tension and fragmentation. This leads him to write Letter 'D' (our 2 Corinthians).

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com

From Mark Copeland... Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial (14:27-31)

                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

                Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial (14:27-31)

INTRODUCTION

1. How well do we know ourselves...?
   a. Confident that our faith is strong?
   b. Certain that we would never deny our Lord?

2. In our text (Mk 14:27-31) we find examples of over-confidence...
   a. Not just in Peter who denied the Lord
   b. But in all the apostles who stumbled and fled

[Let’s begin with a reading of our text, with the Lord and His disciples
having just completed the Last Supper and on their way to the Mount of
Olives...]

I. NARRATIVE

   A. DESERTION AND REUNION FORETOLD...
      1. Jesus speaks of desertion by His disciples - Mk 14:27
      2. As foretold by Zechariah - cf. Zec 13:7
      3. But also of His resurrection and reunion in Galilee - Mk 14:28;
         cf. Mk 16:7

   B. PETER’S DENIAL FORETOLD...
      1. Peter asserts that even if all others stumble, not him! - Mk 14:29
      2. Jesus tells Peter that he will deny Him three times that night
         - Mk 14:30
      3. Peter angrily disagrees, even if it means death - Mk 14:31
      4. The rest of the disciples all say the same thing - Mk 14:31

[Jesus’ prediction soon came true (Mk 14:50,66-72).  What would we have
done if we were one of Jesus’ disciples at that time?  Before answering
too quickly, consider a few lessons from the text...]

II. APPLICATION

   A. THE LIMITS OF SELF-KNOWLEDGE...
      1. How well do we really know ourselves?
         a. The disciples seem so certain in their faithfulness
         b. Yet they all stumbled and Peter denied the Lord, just as He
            said
         c. Like Hazael, they really did not know their true selves
            - cf. 2Ki 8:12-13
         d. Indeed, can any of us know our true selves? - cf. Jer 17:9
      2. Then what can we do?
         a. Acknowledge that only God truly knows us - cf. 

            Jer 17:10; Ps 139:1-16; He 4:13
         b. Look to the Word of God to see ourselves as we really are
            - He 4:12
         c. Look to God in prayer for help - Ps 19:12; 139:23-24; e.g.,
            2Th 3:5

   B. BEWARE OF COMFORT MISSED BY SELFISHNESS...
      1. Notice how the disciples ignored Jesus’ words of comfort
         a. He spoke plainly of His resurrection - Mk 14:28
         b. Yet they focused on defending themselves - Mk 14:29-31
      2. Might we be guilty of the same?
         a. We have been given many comforting words - e.g., Ro 8:31-39
         b. We can enjoy comfort from both God and one another - cf. 2Co 1:3-4
         c. But we can overlook such comfort when focused on selfish
            concerns!

   C. BE CAREFUL OF PROUD ASSERTIONS...
      1. Notice the self-confidence of the disciples
         a. Peter angrily stating that he would die before denying the
            Lord - Mk 14:29-31
         b. The rest of the disciples said likewise - Mk 14:31
      2. Might we be guilty of the same?
         a. Quick to boast of our faithfulness to the Lord or His
            church?
         b. Remember the wisdom of Solomon about pride and a haughty
            spirit - Pr 16:18

CONCLUSION

1. As disciples of Jesus Christ, let us learn...
   a. From His first disciples
   b. From those who were even His apostles

2. What can we learn...?
   a. The limits of self-knowledge
   b. The danger of missing comfort due to selfishness
   c. The need to be careful of proud assertions

We can also learn of our Lord’s grace and mercy, for He was quick to
forgive those who denied Him and fled away.  So He will do for us when
we stumble, if we are willing to repent and return to Him...!

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011