Is God 'Not the Mama'?

Presented to Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army, 08 Jan 12 by Captain Michael Ramsay

There was a show on Television late last century called Dinosaurs; it was about an anthropomorphic family of dinosaurs. There was a mom, a dad, a brother, a sister and a baby. Here is a clip about a running exchange between the dad and the baby. The dad loves the baby and will do anything to just try to get the baby to call him ‘Daddy’ but instead the baby just keeps referring to him as ‘Not the Mama’.

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This, I think in some sense, is God’s relationship to Israel in the book of Judges. God just wants Israel to love Him and show that they love Him. He wants them to call him Father but they just refuse to and instead they just do whatever they see as fit in their own eyes. This is the tragedy of the book of Judges...
 
Read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2012/01/judges-61-16-salvation-theodicy-gideon.html

Year in Review..

Presented to Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army, 01 Jan. 2012 by Captain Michael Ramsay

New Years is often the time when we look back on the year and there are often quizzes to see how much we remember of the significant events that occurred in the world, our country and our community. In that spirit here is a New Years Day Quiz for you.

EVENTS IN OUR WORLD

1)      A tsunami swept through this country?

2)      What did these two cities have in common in 2011: London and Vancouver?

3)      Who is the new General of the Salvation Army in 2011?

EVENTS IN OUR COUNTRY

1)      Who is famous for the following quote from last year? “My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.”

2)      Famous Wedding this past year where the honeymooners visited Canada?

3)      Who won the Grey Cup in 2011?

EVENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY

1)      Which bank was robbed here on January 7/11?

2)      Who won this riding (Swift Current) in the provincial election?

3)      What member of this congregation spoke her first words and took her first steps this year?

  
ANSWERS HERE: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2011/12/2-corinthians-517-turning-page-new.html

Sunday's Test

This is the test for Self-Examination we took on Sunday - hat tip http://www.armybarmy.com/

TEST FOR SELF-EXAMINATION
The following are questions taken from The Salvation Army
ORDERS AND REGULATIONS FOR SOLDIERS.

1. Am I habitually guilty of any known sin? Do I practise or allow myself in any thought, word, or deed which I know to be wrong?
2. Am I so the master of my bodily appetites as to have no condemnation? Do I allow myself in any indulgence that is injurious to my holiness, growth in knowledge, obedience, and usefulness?
3. Are my thoughts and feelings such that I should not be ashamed to hear them published before God?
4. Does the influence of the world cause me to act, feel, or say things that are unlike Christ?
5. Do my tempers cause me to act, or feel or say things that I see afterward are contrary to that love which I ought to bear always to those about me?
6. Am I doing all in my power for the salvation of sinners? Do I feel concern about their danger and pray and work for their salvation as if they were my children?
7. Am I fulfilling the vows I have made to God in my acts of consecration or at the Penitent Form?
8. Is my example in harmony with my profession?
9. Am I conscious of any pride or haughtiness in my manner or bearing?
10. Do I conform to the fashions and customs of this world or do I show that I despise them?
11. Am I in danger of being carried away with worldly desires to be rich or admired?

A Tale of Two Kings: Christ and Caesar

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair”: this is the famous opening line of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens; it is about Paris and it is about London. Today’s story from Scripture is a real life tale of two kings by Luke the physician; it is about Augustus Caesar and it is about Jesus Christ and in Luke’s Gospel, like in Dickens’ story, it is the best of times and it is the worst of times.[1]

The second chapter of Luke’s Gospel opens with, “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.” Caesar Augustus is the first king of our two kings, chronologically speaking, that we will address today.[2] What do we know of this king and of this world that he has ordered taxed?

Read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2011/12/luke-21-20-tale-of-two-kings.html

Do You Believe?

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Luke 1:26: In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,
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This sixth-month referred to here by Luke is the sixth month of Elisabeth’s pregnancy. Elisabeth, as we know from earlier in this chapter of Luke, is Mary’s relative but Mary was quite young and Elisabeth and her husband Zechariah were old and 3 months from now Elisabeth is about to have a baby. The messenger, the angel who went to speak to Elisabeth’s husband was Gabriel. Here Gabriel is bringing another message from God about a miraculous birth but this time he is bringing the message of a very significant birth to a very insignificant fishing town, in an insignificant region, of insignificant Palestine (John 1:36).

Gabriel, the angel, the messenger of God is bringing this message…

read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/12/luke-126-37-do-you-believe.html