5/23/13

From Gary... Who are you?



Today, on facebook, someone posted the above video from You Tube.  This 14 year old guitarist named Tina, plays Van Halen's "Eruption" as easily as a concert pianist would play "chopsticks".  And, she does it with a very extremely relaxed manner to boot.  If she decides to continue playing no one will ask "Who are you, Tina"- they will KNOW!!!  In asking the question "Who are you", I asked another... Has that ever been said in the Scriptures?... The answer is listed below...

Ruth, Chapter 3

 1 Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?  2 Now isn’t Boaz our kinsman, with whose maidens you were? Behold, he winnows barley tonight in the threshing floor.  3 Therefore wash yourself, anoint yourself, get dressed, and go down to the threshing floor, but don’t make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.  4 It shall be, when he lies down, that you shall mark the place where he shall lie, and you shall go in, and uncover his feet, and lay down; then he will tell you what you shall do.” 

  5  She said to her, “All that you say I will do.”  6 She went down to the threshing floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law told her.  7 When Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. She came softly, uncovered his feet, and laid her down.  8 At midnight, the man was startled and turned himself; and behold, a woman lay at his feet.  9 He said, “Who are you?” 

She answered, “I am Ruth your handmaid. Therefore spread your skirt over your handmaid; for you are a near kinsman.” 


The Jews were God's chosen people; this is reiterated again and again.  But, Ruth was from Moab.  Yet, her faith and love for God and her mother-in-law Naomi brought her to Israel.  God blessed her and she is listed in the lineage of Jesus (Matthew 1:5).  "Who are you" is best answered by God, because he knows everything about you- past, present, future- everything!!!



PS.  This post began with seeing my 13 year old Granddaughter's 3rd place picture on facebook today.  She seems to take to photography as easily as Tina does to the guitar.  Who are you- Elizabeth?  Only time will tell- but I can't wait to see the answer!!!!!




From Jim McGuiggan... Enriched in Jesus Christ (3)


Enriched 

in Jesus Christ (3)

“For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speech and in all your knowledge—because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you.” 1 Corinthians 1:5-6
Paul claimed that being in Jesus Christ enriches our speech. This is true because of what Jesus has given us to say. The content and substance of our speech is the gospel about Jesus himself and a Story can’t get any richer than that. But it isn’t just the substance and content that makes the difference—though that is the heart of the difference. While it’s true that the gospel can be resisted it’s nevertheless true that the gospel of Jesus and the Jesus of the gospel give us the motivation to tell the Story. The gospel has power to shape and save us (see Acts 20:32) and by its very nature it leads us to speak about him rather than about ourselves.
If our speech is in keeping with our being “in Jesus Christ” then we don’t peddle the word of the Lord but speak as sincere men and women in the sight of God and “in Christ” (2 Corinthians 2:17). Simple observation seems to confirm the old saying that some live to proclaim Jesus Christ and some make a living out of proclaiming Jesus Christ.
But it’s wrong to take the worst of us and call that “normal”. Those whose “way” shows that they are people of integrity have been enriched in Jesus Christ to speak truth and to speak it from the right heart and with the right motive. “For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake,” is how Paul put it in 2 Corinthians 4:5. That verse is the follow up of the truth in 2:17. “Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.”
He makes no bones about it—he is a speaker! But he doesn’t speak “for profit” whether that profit is applause, approval, acclaim or the success of some personal or community agenda. If he did that he would be a cheap huckster! In truth he had been enriched in speech in Jesus Christ.


©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 Blesses Little Children


                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

                Jesus Blesses Little Children (10:13-16)

INTRODUCTION

1. Jesus had just finished His teachings on the sanctity of marriage...
   a. As an institution ordained of God
   b. As a bond that should not be broken

2. When parents brought their little children...
   a. To be touched by Him - Mk 10:13
   b. To lay His hands on them and pray - cf. Mt 19:13

[It begins with frustration and indignation, but ends with valuable
teaching regarding discipleship and a touching scene of the Lord holding
and blessing the little children.  Let's begin by considering...]

I. THE NARRATIVE

   A. PARENTS BRING THEIR INFANTS...
      1. The verb tense suggest the parents' persistence ("kept on
         bringing") - Mk 10:13
      2. Mark uses a word (paidia) that can mean children up to twelve,
         while Luke uses a word (brephos) that indicates infants - Lk 18:15
      3. Mark later says Jesus "took them up in His arms", suggestive of
         infants - Mk 10:15
      -- The parents desperately wanted Jesus to touch and pray for
         their babies

   B. DISCIPLES REBUKE THE PARENTS...
      1. The disciples rebuke those who were bringing the children - Mk 10:13
      2. Perhaps they believed Jesus too important to be disturbed, the
         infants too insignificant
      -- The disciples again show mistaken zeal, as we are all wont to
         do

   C. JESUS REBUKES HIS DISCPLES...
      1. When Jesus saw what His disciples were doing, He was indignant
         - Mk 10:14
      2. The infants were to be allowed, "for of such is the kingdom of
         God" - ibid.
      3. In fact, one must receive the kingdom "as a little child" to
         enter it - Mk 10:15
      -- Jesus was angry with His disciples, but He used the opportunity
         to teach them

   D. JESUS BLESSES THE INFANTS...
      1. He first took them up into His arms, laid His hands on them
         - Mk 10:16
      2. He then blessed them, likely in the form of praying for them
         - cf. Mt 19:13
      -- While busy in His ministry, Jesus took time to pray for these
         babies

[The scene of Jesus blessing the little children is a touching one.
What applications might we draw from this episode in the ministry of
Jesus...?]

II. THE APPLICATION

   A. BASED ON EISEGESIS...
      1. Some use this passage to support infant baptism
         a. Though the earliest mention of infant baptism is around 200
            A.D.
         b. It began only after the doctrine of original sin developed,
            that infants are born in sin
         c. The practice increased as baptism became viewed as a sign or
            seal of the covenant God has with His people, akin to
            circumcision - cf. Gen 17:10-12
         d. This connection is further assumed from Paul's mention of
            baptism as a spiritual circumcision - cf. Col 2:11-12
         e. Yet both here and in Colossians, it is reading into the text
            (eisegesis) what is not there
      2. Contrary to Biblical evidence regarding baptism and the new
         covenant
         a. There is no real evidence of infant baptism in the
            scriptures
         b. The guilt of sin is not inherited - Eze 18:20
         c. Baptism requires faith and repentance, of which infants are
            incapable - Mk 16:16; Ac 8:37; 2:38
         d. In the new covenant, no one has to be taught to know the
            Lord; unlike the old covenant where infants had to be taught
            to know the Lord (infant baptism would make that distinction
            of the new covenant meaningless) - cf. He 8:6-13
         e. Paul's comparison of baptism to circumcision pertains to the
            act of cutting away, not of being a seal or sign of the
            covenant - Col 2:11-12
      -- Reading cherished views into the Scriptures is tempting, but is
         it rightly handling the Word of God? - cf. 2Ti 2:15

   B. BASED ON EXEGESIS...
      1. Receiving the kingdom
         a. Jesus used the children to teach qualities necessary to
            enter the kingdom of God
         b. Childlike virtues like trustful simplicity, unassuming
            humility - cf. Psa 131:1-2
         c. To receive the kingdom, we must be poor in spirit, meek
            - cf. Mt 5:3,5; Mt 18:3-4
      2. Receiving the children
         a. Jesus demonstrates His love for children, willingness to
            take time for them
         b. His disciples should show similar concern for little
            children
         c. Are we willing to make time for children?  Be good role
            models? - cf. Mt 18:6,10
      3. Praying for the children
         a. All children need our prayers, just as the parents requested
            for their infants
         b. Even though infants may not be in a state of sin, their time
            will come soon enough
         c. Especially in this day and age, where children are bombarded
            with so much evil
      -- Others may read into the scriptures, let's to read out of them
         what the Lord intended

CONCLUSION

1. Have we taken to heart the lessons Jesus intended for His
   disciples...?
   a. To receive the kingdom of God with a childlike trust and humility?
   b. To show an appreciation and love for little children?
   c. To pray for them and their parents?

2. May we as disciples of Christ never be too busy...
   a. To take time for the littlest of children
   b. To learn from them as to how we should be in the kingdom of God
   c. To pray for them, to encourage them in both word and deed

         "...for of such is the kingdom of God." - Mk 10:14



Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

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