More pictures: http://sheepspeak.spaces.live.com
Monday, October 30, 2006
Happy Reformation Day!
October 31st is tha anniversary of Martin Luther nailing up his 95 Thesis. Here they are if you would like to read them in Latin or in English:
Amore et studio elucidande veritas hec subscripta disputabuntur Wittenberge, Presidente R.P. Martino Lutter, Artium et S. Theologie Magistro eiusdemque ibidem lectore Ordinario. Quare petit, ut qui non possunt verbis presentes nobiscum disceptare agant id literis absentes. In nomine domini nostri Hiesu Christi. Amen.
Read more: http://www.luther.de/en/95th-lat.html
Out of love for the truth and from desire to elucidate it, the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and Sacred Theology, and ordinary lecturer therein at Wittenberg, intends to defend the following statements and to dispute on them in that place. Therefore he asks that those who cannot be present and dispute with him orally shall do so in their absence by letter. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Read more: http://www.luther.de/en/95thesen.html
Saturday, October 28, 2006
John 3:16 - Jesus loves you
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Read the whole chapter on-line: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=50&chapter=3&version=9
Have read through the Bible in a year on-line: http://www.havelock-viha.com/journal.htm
Thursday, October 26, 2006
With whom did Jacob wrestle?
I ran across this old comment of mine:
I was reading Hosea 12. To me, on this time reading through, it seems to discount the theory that Jacob wrestled with a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus. A question has been raised for me through my meditation on this:
1) if there were pre-incarnate appearances of the Christ in full bodily
form, why did he need to bed born of woman?
2) Was God (Christ) overcome by 'the deceiver' (AKA Jacob)?
In our readings in class this year I was also struck by:
A conclusion of Holmgren’s, in the article we read, after an informative discussion of the word ’elohim, was that “in the ancient world…the divine sphere is not always completely separate from the world of human beings.”
I found this interesting...does anyone have any thoughts?
I was reading Hosea 12. To me, on this time reading through, it seems to discount the theory that Jacob wrestled with a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus. A question has been raised for me through my meditation on this:
1) if there were pre-incarnate appearances of the Christ in full bodily
form, why did he need to bed born of woman?
2) Was God (Christ) overcome by 'the deceiver' (AKA Jacob)?
In our readings in class this year I was also struck by:
A conclusion of Holmgren’s, in the article we read, after an informative discussion of the word ’elohim, was that “in the ancient world…the divine sphere is not always completely separate from the world of human beings.”
I found this interesting...does anyone have any thoughts?
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Spiritual Authority?
The LORD used a prophet of His to give a powerful message to King Jeroboam;
In 1K 13:2-3, he relays that the LORD will punish the king for the high
places that the king had set up. When Jeroboam stretches out his hand to
command the prophet's capture, his hand is shrivelled up and he can not
withdraw it. He asks the prophet to intercede with the LORD that his hand
may be restored. The prophet intercedes, the hand is restored by God. The
king then invites the prophet to have dinner with him and in order to
present him with a gift. Declining the prophet declares in verses 8 and 9
that "even if you were to give me half of your possessions, I would not go
with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water here. For I was commanded by
the word of the LORD: 'You must not eat bread or drink water or return by
the way you came.'" So he took a different route.
Now it gets interesting...
A) An old prophet seeks out the prophet who is travelling home. He invites
him for dinner. The young prophet declines. The old prophet then lies to
him, saying the LORD asked him to invite the young prophet to his home to
eat and drink with him. The young man accepts.
B) While they are dining together the LORD speaks to the young though the
old telling him that because he has defied God (by eating and drinking at
the old prophet's home) his body "will not be buried in his father's tomb"
(vs. 22).
C) The young prophet is killed and by a lion of God on the way home. The old
prophet gets him and buries him in his tom
Why did the old prophet lie?
Why did the LORD use the old profit to prophecy in his lie?
Why was there no punishment recorded here for the elder prophet?
Are we ever tempted to only follow God's instruction to a point and then
assume that others with spiritual authority (both were prophets) have words
from God that override direct orders that we have received?
What are our consequences?
In 1K 13:2-3, he relays that the LORD will punish the king for the high
places that the king had set up. When Jeroboam stretches out his hand to
command the prophet's capture, his hand is shrivelled up and he can not
withdraw it. He asks the prophet to intercede with the LORD that his hand
may be restored. The prophet intercedes, the hand is restored by God. The
king then invites the prophet to have dinner with him and in order to
present him with a gift. Declining the prophet declares in verses 8 and 9
that "even if you were to give me half of your possessions, I would not go
with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water here. For I was commanded by
the word of the LORD: 'You must not eat bread or drink water or return by
the way you came.'" So he took a different route.
Now it gets interesting...
A) An old prophet seeks out the prophet who is travelling home. He invites
him for dinner. The young prophet declines. The old prophet then lies to
him, saying the LORD asked him to invite the young prophet to his home to
eat and drink with him. The young man accepts.
B) While they are dining together the LORD speaks to the young though the
old telling him that because he has defied God (by eating and drinking at
the old prophet's home) his body "will not be buried in his father's tomb"
(vs. 22).
C) The young prophet is killed and by a lion of God on the way home. The old
prophet gets him and buries him in his tom
Why did the old prophet lie?
Why did the LORD use the old profit to prophecy in his lie?
Why was there no punishment recorded here for the elder prophet?
Are we ever tempted to only follow God's instruction to a point and then
assume that others with spiritual authority (both were prophets) have words
from God that override direct orders that we have received?
What are our consequences?
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Monday, October 23, 2006
Bramwell Booth Quote
Bramwell Quote
Bramwell Booth:
Come in, my Lord, come in,
Show forth thy saving power;
Restore, renew, release from sin,
O save this very hour!
Thy promise now I claim,
By faith put in my plea,
And trust in that almighty name,
Bramwell Booth:
Come in, my Lord, come in,
Show forth thy saving power;
Restore, renew, release from sin,
O save this very hour!
Thy promise now I claim,
By faith put in my plea,
And trust in that almighty name,
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Prosperity Gospels next logical step?
The following is taken from armybarmy:
(hat Tip Harold Hill via ekklesia.co.uk)
"A new Bible translation is causing controversy after it cut out difficult parts surrounding economic justice, possessions and money.
"The new bible version, released by the Western Bible Foundation in the Netherlands, has created a storm by trying to make the Christian gospel more palatable.
"According to Chairman Mr. De Rijke the foundation has reacted to a growing wish of many churches to be market-oriented and more attractive. "Jesus was very inspiring for our inner health, but we don't need to take his naïve remarks about money seriously. He didn't study economics, obviously."
"According to De Rijke no serious Christian takes these texts literally. "What if all Christians stopped being anxious, for example, and started expecting everything from God? Or gave their possessions to the poor, for that matter. Our economy would be lost. The truth is quite the contrary: a strong economy and a healthy work ethic is a gift from God."
"The foundation wanted to "boldly go where no one else has gone before" by cutting out the confusing texts.
"“We don't use them anyway! There's no single Christian selling his possessions and giving them to the poor."
"The Western Bible is published – in Dutch only so far – by the well-known Christian publisher Buijten & Schipperheijn. IN it, some of the most important passages of the Bible: the Ten Commandments, sections of Isaiah, Proverbs, and the Sermon on the Mount, contain holes where the original translation urged radical actions around money, justice or affluence...
Frank Mulder, chairman of (the publisher), is surprised by the commotion.
"Many Christians accept the Western lifestyle, including the degradation of creation and the injustice of our trade, and they only take the easy parts of the gospel. But it isn't until we publish this gospel with holes, that they get confused!"
any thoughts? click the comments button on the left or the clarifications button on the right or e-mail us at info@havelock-viha.com
(hat Tip Harold Hill via ekklesia.co.uk)
"A new Bible translation is causing controversy after it cut out difficult parts surrounding economic justice, possessions and money.
"The new bible version, released by the Western Bible Foundation in the Netherlands, has created a storm by trying to make the Christian gospel more palatable.
"According to Chairman Mr. De Rijke the foundation has reacted to a growing wish of many churches to be market-oriented and more attractive. "Jesus was very inspiring for our inner health, but we don't need to take his naïve remarks about money seriously. He didn't study economics, obviously."
"According to De Rijke no serious Christian takes these texts literally. "What if all Christians stopped being anxious, for example, and started expecting everything from God? Or gave their possessions to the poor, for that matter. Our economy would be lost. The truth is quite the contrary: a strong economy and a healthy work ethic is a gift from God."
"The foundation wanted to "boldly go where no one else has gone before" by cutting out the confusing texts.
"“We don't use them anyway! There's no single Christian selling his possessions and giving them to the poor."
"The Western Bible is published – in Dutch only so far – by the well-known Christian publisher Buijten & Schipperheijn. IN it, some of the most important passages of the Bible: the Ten Commandments, sections of Isaiah, Proverbs, and the Sermon on the Mount, contain holes where the original translation urged radical actions around money, justice or affluence...
Frank Mulder, chairman of (the publisher), is surprised by the commotion.
"Many Christians accept the Western lifestyle, including the degradation of creation and the injustice of our trade, and they only take the easy parts of the gospel. But it isn't until we publish this gospel with holes, that they get confused!"
any thoughts? click the comments button on the left or the clarifications button on the right or e-mail us at info@havelock-viha.com
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