January 2010
26 posts
The Words you need to hear
Watching the ending part of The Princess of the Frog reminded me of Jesus in the desert - The Devil came and offered him Food (basic need), The Nations (Material Need), and all Glory given (Innermost desire).
Could the Devil have given it?
Probably.
Jesus didn’t back down, these were things that He was promised, things He knew He could have, He just needed to fulfill the plan that God had...
Apt, I felt
A man came home from work and his children ran to him and called out ‘Ayah! Ayah!’.
His neighbor got very upset and said to him, “Can you please tell your children not to call you ‘Ayah’?”
The man asked, “Why?”
The neighbor retorted, “Because my children call me ’Ayah’ too. They might get confused and mistake you to be their father.”
If your children cannot differentiate you and some other...
Trying to figure what works
So, obviously blogging is not a daily affair for me, with the possibility of sudden internet strikes (where I am determined not to go online and try and read a book instead).
Just letting you know. Maybe I’ll start doing 1st Corinthians in bigger chunks - heh.
Who do you follow?
What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” - 1st Corinthians 1:12
We see this alot nowadays in churches - “I follow Kent Hovind”, “I follow Chuck Missler”, “I follow John Piper” (These are three you’ll hear if you attend my...
To be Poor is Gain; to be Rich, is security
Why do we eagerly want to be rich?
Not everyone does it for the glamour, or for the freedom to buy whatever you want - I believe most of us do it for financial security first.
We want to know that whatever we do, whatever comes across - we are secure in that there’ll be some left for us in the case of unexpected circumstance (or expected ones like funding your childrens education).
We...
Don't get in my face, KJV
I don’t know why, but all I feel is mad when I am researching the KJVonly Textus Receptus is the best argument.
The KJV also has it’s faults. Isaiah 9:3 for example is not a fault of the NIV, but the KJV translation, something you would see if you looked at it in context. Isaiah 14:12 is not referring to the Devil, but the King of Babylon, again something you’d notice if you...
Intolerance
For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. - 1st Corinthians 1:11
The rules for “Don’t Complain” should never include things that are essential to our growth - for example ‘tattling’ about quarrels in the church that cause division, ‘telling on’ your brothers and sisters who are living in sin, or...
United in Christ
I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. - 1st Corinthians 1:10
Was Paul asking for them to put aside their judgments and beliefs just so they can agree for the sake of unity?
In the later verses, it clears up - please be united in the same mind...
Which Bible?
To be honest?
I don’t care which bible you use as long as it acknowledges our Lord, it does not hinder your view on correct theology (Mainly the essentials for the unity of Churches in Ephesians), and you constantly grow to a deeper knowledge of Jesus Christ and trust in his provisions for you through your life.
(Also as long as it doesn’t include other gospels, or epistles)
...
Anti-KJV-onlyism
Yes, the KJV is a good translation, indeed one that the church depended on for 300 years before another decent translation came along, but because it has not been updated (and no one wants to), it’s limited in it’s ministering because it creates more language barriers to cross.
Take for example the Love passage, 1st Corinthians 13, where the KJV translates it as Charity - Now, Charity...
Prose a
It’s the man with the hardest shell, with the frailest soul,
The man behind the veil, with the heart of gold.
It’s the man with the least of friends, the highest dream,
The man who wouldn’t defend, more than he seems
He calls, you gotta answer.
God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1st Corinthians 1:9
God is faithful, to whom he has called. Predestination, if you please, is quite clearly shown here, if you believe that the call of God is never ineffectual.
Salvation in 3
… and the very next day, I fail to do any reading, or even do my 1 verse quiet time. It’s going to be a rough year.
…who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1st Corinthians 1:8
Christians who have been listening or researching for awhile know this, our Salvation is Done, Ongoing, and a Future Hope - We were saved from the Slavery of Sin...
A (late) New Years Resolution
I was thinking about how I’ve been spending my time in general, and all the things I used to do but stopped for lack of time, interest, or the overarching reason for almost everything nowadays - the Internet, and I was rather inspired by cool dude Bing.
This year, starting tomorrow, I’ll endeavour to finish a book a week, non-fiction or fiction. Thankfully I have friends with big...
On Gifting, and it's usage
…so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1st Corinthians 1:7
God has done all that needed to be done so that we would not be lacking, we would instead be gifted! All this as we look forward to the grand goal - The Revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ!
The Corinthian Christians were indeed gifted, yet carnal. “Should it...
I'm forever grateful.
…even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you - 1st Corinthians 1:6
The words that come to mind are these “You did not wait for me to draw near to you, but you clothed yourself in frail humanity.” - Christ Gave us all things by his grace not when we show ourselves strong first, nor when we exhibit change first, but even as these things are confirmed. God’s...
The poor, made rich
…that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge… 1st Corinthians 1:5
This, the hallmark of real Christians - Enriched in Him in all speech and knowledge - not that we are better speakers, or more knowledgable (although things that are good), but that in Him we are enriched - for what is more precious than the grace that we proclaim? What could be more...
Our lives, or theirs?
It’s hard being a Christian.
On one hand, we have to look after ourselves - temple of the Holy Spirit and all that - we have to eat healthy, work hard to support ourselves and our family, fellowship, be active in church activities, encourage our brothers and sisters, and over all meet with our non-Christian colleagues, friends, and family to share God.
On the other, their are so many...
Because He gave?
I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus - 1st Corinthians 1:4
I find this sentence interesting - Paul starts his letter (after the common introduction) with thanksgiving, not for what they have done, nor for anything that he’s given or received, but that God gave them grace through Jesus. The very first thing that Paul is...
So common, but who understands?
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1st Corinthians 1:3
It’s probably the one thing that Paul always says at the beginning of every letter he writes, ever present and it sounds nice. Indeed! Let Grace and peace from our God be unto you!
But what exactly does it mean? Grace is not something passed on to each of us by each other, grace was given by God in...
“The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when...”
– Just to add on the quote before, it reminds me of a Calvin and Hobbes comic where Calvin says “Genius is only recognized when verified by a higher authority”
Genius’ don’t have to have a pHd to be a one, but if they want to prove themselves, it’ll help.
The precedence that qualifies
To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours. 1st Corinthians 1:2
Considering the content of the letter, the start of it seems significant enough. 1st Corinthians was generally about division in the church due to misunderstandings...
Called by Will
Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes (1 Corinthians 1:1)
Called by the will of God - such a strong way of saying it! Question is, a call is not something you Must obey - we know of people who ignore calls, or do not return them. Paul could very well have not answered the call. The bible itself says that if they will not believe it, nothing...
I'm sorry
Twitter’s just easier.
If you don’t know where my twitter stream is, just insert my first name (english name or Christian name for those of you who don’t know what first name means), into the brackets here
http://twitter.com/( )