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What Did He Mean?

Posted in , , , By Unknown 0 comments

My wife and I were reading our Bible together and doing a little discussing. I don't even remember why, but I looked at her and said "All things are possible with God!"

She answered, "that is not what that verse means. It's talking about salvation."

This got us thinking about all the verses people use out of context...but I'm getting ahead of myself.

The Bible is a group of letters or historical records written for or to certain groups of people. When reading the Bible it is so very important for us to remember that. Because it is true that "All Scripture is God-breathed" (2 Tim 3:16), not all Scripture quite applies to our lives the same way.

Take, for instance, at the end of the second letter we have that Paul wrote to Timothy. In chapter 4 verse 13 he says, "When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments." It would be ridiculous for us to try and track down the coat, scrolls, and parchments and then try to find Paul. This verse is one that we simply do not follow. It would be taking the verse out of context.

There are others though, that we don't think as much about. Like the "All things are possible with God" verse. Jesus is talking about who would be saved, and he says its easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter heaven. This really freaks the disciples out and they ask, "Who then can be saved?"

Jesus replies, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." So many times we forget the context. Jesus is saying it is absolutely impossible for a person to save themselves or for someone to be saved without the hand of God. But God can save anyone!

Now, it may be true that when we align ourselves with God's will, He will make things possible for us that are otherwise impossible, but I'm not sure this is the verse to use to prove it.

It is so important for us to keep in mind the AIM, or the Author's Intended Meaning. This will actually help us understand Scripture so much more and can help us live our lives closer to what God desires. Sometimes it is more difficult, but any journey or adventure worth doing is always a little difficult. 


Adjectives

Posted in , , , By Nick Smith 0 comments


Adjectives are words that describe something.  A person can be old or young, short or tall, nice or mean, silly or serious, etc.  Objects can be red, orange, yellow, green, blue, or purple, and they can be square, circular, or triangular.

When we look at the adjectives that describe people, we find that many of them are subjective; they only work when the person being described can be compared to other people.  When you call a person tall, you’re not truly saying that they are tall; you are saying that they are tall compared to others.  If they were not taller than others, you would not describe them as tall.  This is the case of many (but not all) of the adjectives that we use to describe ourselves.

There are a few points I want to make with this.

Firstly, God gives everyone gifts and He delights in variety.  If you want to know of several ways that God delights in you, simply compile a list of adjectives about yourself.  Some people are funny, witty, and popular.  Others may be shy, smart, and introverted.  These traits are neither good nor bad.  God uses all of them and He delights in all of them.

Picture a scale with one trait on one end and its opposite on the other end (i.e. short/tall, serious/silly, introverted/extroverted).  God didn’t make us all the same.  That would be boring and we’d probably drive each other crazy.  God took all of those scales and he chose what would make up you – the unique combination that would make you special.

We sometimes look at these traits that God has given us and assign values to them.  Maybe we think it’s better to be tall than short or better to be popular than shy.  But God doesn’t view it that way.  He doesn’t make anything second rate.  To illustrate my point, consider Down Syndrome.  Many people consider Down Syndrome to be some horrible disease, but you know what?  I don’t know that I have ever seen a person with Down Syndrome who was not smiling.  I wish to God that I was that happy.  What a blessing.

My second point is this: since adjectives are used to compare ourselves to others, we need to be cautious that we do not become prideful.  We all have some trait or skill that exceeds other people.  If you want to keep your pride in check, just change who you’re comparing yourself to.  Instead of comparing yourself to others, compare yourself to God.  Now what adjectives can be used to describe you?  Certainly nothing flattering.

Lastly, there are some adjectives that don’t require comparisons.  You can describe a tomato as red without comparing it to a carrot.  When these adjectives are used with people, they describe our shared humanity.  We have all been sad, afraid, worried, and defeated and we have all been happy, courageous, calm, and victorious.  We need to never forget that we are all God’s children.  We are all sinful and need Jesus Christ.

Who knew that there was so much we could learn from a single type of word?

Hold On!

Posted in By Cheryl Huston 0 comments

Good evening everyone!
It has been a glory filled day in church for me.
Waiting, it is a hard thing to do. Nobody really likes to wait on anything. We want it right now, when we order food, get our car fixed or go to the movies, we want instant gratification. Many of us have become that way with God too. As I sat in church this afternoon, I began to think about all of the things that God promised to me and then I began to wonder, "When will these promises come to pass?" Immediately the scripture,...wait upon the Lord...came to my mind. God's time is not our time, His ways are not our ways. He does things differently than we would. And thank goodness He does!!! Can you imagine if we did everything the way we wanted how much more our lives would be messed up!!! I know my life would have definitely taken a different path!
So, I'm glad to wait on God to fulfil His promises in my life. I know that it will be well worth the wait!
Good night, sweet dreams and God bless!!! Love ya'll!!!
Cheryl

Built to Last

Posted in By Mike Johns 0 comments

We all like things that are built to last.  I am currently shopping for a new car.  My wife went off-roading amongst trees in the median of the highway a couple weeks ago.  She walked away without a scratch, but the car was not so fortunate.

 So, now, the search begins.  We always are looking for bigger, better things.  We always look for something that will last.  

 I am challenged this week by 1 Peter 1:24-25.  
All flesh is like grass and all it's glory like the flower of grass.  The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of the Lord remains forever.

 A wise man told me you can only take two things with you after this life:  God's Word & Friends.  

 Let's be intentional today to love God's word and love those around us.
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