Many people (myself included) have trouble believing in a God they can't see or hear or touch or discover with their five senses. But here's the thing, God has no need or desire to interact much with our physical self, He chooses instead to reveal Himself to our soul. And if we are too stubborn to believe in a God we can't sense physically, then our soul's senses aren't in good working order or, more likely, we've never learned to use them. And if many people have never learned to use their souls senses, why is the world does God reveal Himself in a way where you need a soul to detect Him rather than a physical body?
The reason behind God's chosen method of interaction with us makes much more sense when it dawns on us that Jesus isn't saving our physical self, He's saving our soul. Since this is the case, of course our souls are the most important part of us to Him and the part He wants us to use when getting to know Him since it's our souls that will continue to interact with Him through eternity.
p.s. I just had that little thought when I was writing my Digging Deeper post so there it is! :)
Friday, May 2, 2014
Digging Deeper
Another post of John 20! Yay! This one is specifically focusing on Thomas and Jesus so before reading this post please take a look at the source, John 20:24-29.
I've always felt empathetic towards Thomas and despised the nickname many believers have given him, doubting Thomas. It feels so wrong to me to identify a person with his sin when he's been freed from sin by Jesus already, when he was freed in the very story that he gets his nickname from! Unfortunately, I struggle with doubt just as Thomas did and I don't think I'm alone.* That's why we should be encouraged by Thomas story instead of focusing on his label.
At the beginning of this story, we have the disciples trying to persuade Thomas of what they've seen while he refuses to believe, to hope. Thomas did listen but he did not believe, could not believe, until He too had seen Jesus. Personally, I think there is a great spiritual metaphor to be found in this. I think we are often like the disciples, we think that our words and persuasive techniques will be enough to make people believe, but they're not. The situation requires Jesus coming himself and doing whatever it takes, in the way that only He can,* for anyone to believe. As disciples of Jesus, we can never take His place and are being extremely sinful and arrogant if we try. God is good and He will reveal Himself to everyone individually and lead them to Him in the way that fits their personal needs. It is our job to listen and obey God so that we can play a part in preparing their heart! (<- that is a rhyme!:))
(Please know that this paragraph is not a follow up of the last one, it is completely it own!!!)When you stick something into a wound, it deepens. I think this is interesting keep in mind when Jesus comes to Thomas and offers to let him stick his had in His side and his finger in His palm. Jesus comes to Thomas and instructs him to deepen His wounds because He knows it will help Thomas believe. And beyond physically, don't you think Jesus was already wounded as the disciples hid and Thomas' unbelief was just deepening His spiritual would as well?! I do, but I certainly don't think that the wound deepening ended with Tomas. Even 2000 years later, our unbelief wounds Him, yet He is willing to be wounded again and again for our sakes. And just as He did for Thomas, He comes to us to do whatever we need, even if what we need will be painful for Him.
*I know for some people, it's hard to believe in someone they can see but that's never been a big problem for me. For a while my great "faith" was a source of personal pride (as though we can choose our spiritual gifts, as though that natural faith wasn't directly from God!) but then I realized that I had a lot of doubt too, it was just different. I don't doubt the Bible or God's existence and goodness but it's often hard for me to believe I should obey someone when I can't audibly hear their instructions. Many people who don't think doubt applies to them may be like me, not having yet recognized what form their doubt tends to take.
*No one else could have made Thomas believe except Jesus because only Jesus had the holes in His hands and side, only Jesus could meet His conditions a surpass His expectations.
I've always felt empathetic towards Thomas and despised the nickname many believers have given him, doubting Thomas. It feels so wrong to me to identify a person with his sin when he's been freed from sin by Jesus already, when he was freed in the very story that he gets his nickname from! Unfortunately, I struggle with doubt just as Thomas did and I don't think I'm alone.* That's why we should be encouraged by Thomas story instead of focusing on his label.
At the beginning of this story, we have the disciples trying to persuade Thomas of what they've seen while he refuses to believe, to hope. Thomas did listen but he did not believe, could not believe, until He too had seen Jesus. Personally, I think there is a great spiritual metaphor to be found in this. I think we are often like the disciples, we think that our words and persuasive techniques will be enough to make people believe, but they're not. The situation requires Jesus coming himself and doing whatever it takes, in the way that only He can,* for anyone to believe. As disciples of Jesus, we can never take His place and are being extremely sinful and arrogant if we try. God is good and He will reveal Himself to everyone individually and lead them to Him in the way that fits their personal needs. It is our job to listen and obey God so that we can play a part in preparing their heart! (<- that is a rhyme!:))
(Please know that this paragraph is not a follow up of the last one, it is completely it own!!!)When you stick something into a wound, it deepens. I think this is interesting keep in mind when Jesus comes to Thomas and offers to let him stick his had in His side and his finger in His palm. Jesus comes to Thomas and instructs him to deepen His wounds because He knows it will help Thomas believe. And beyond physically, don't you think Jesus was already wounded as the disciples hid and Thomas' unbelief was just deepening His spiritual would as well?! I do, but I certainly don't think that the wound deepening ended with Tomas. Even 2000 years later, our unbelief wounds Him, yet He is willing to be wounded again and again for our sakes. And just as He did for Thomas, He comes to us to do whatever we need, even if what we need will be painful for Him.
*I know for some people, it's hard to believe in someone they can see but that's never been a big problem for me. For a while my great "faith" was a source of personal pride (as though we can choose our spiritual gifts, as though that natural faith wasn't directly from God!) but then I realized that I had a lot of doubt too, it was just different. I don't doubt the Bible or God's existence and goodness but it's often hard for me to believe I should obey someone when I can't audibly hear their instructions. Many people who don't think doubt applies to them may be like me, not having yet recognized what form their doubt tends to take.
*No one else could have made Thomas believe except Jesus because only Jesus had the holes in His hands and side, only Jesus could meet His conditions a surpass His expectations.
p.s. In case you didn't catch the fact the title of this post is a pun, it is! :) Because we're digging deeper into the word by discovering how Jesus lets us dig deeper(literally and metaphorically) into Him.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Confirmation of Adoption (and of complete forgiveness)
This post will be about John 20 (shocking, I know!) but specifically verse 17.
Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" (John 20:17)
This could possibly be one of my absolute favorite verses in the Bible because it is the first confirmation that, through Jesus, we are part of the family of God and are completely forgiven!
After the disciples hid behind looked doors during the crucifixion and during the time afterward (excluding John and Peter), Jesus' first message to them is that they are a family. That His Father is their Father. He doesn't reprimand them but completely forgives them! He lets them know that they are no longer just friends but brothers, no longer worshipping a God with whom only Jesus has intimate access but a God who is intimate with all of them.
When I read the story of the crucifixion I am always struck by Luke 23:34 where Jesus says, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." I'm consistently amazed by His great love for the people who were hurting Him and His readiness to forgive His persecutors. But could it be that He was not only talking about the ones who were physically hurting Him but also the ones who were hurting His spirit by deserting Him? Should I also be amazed by His great love for and readiness to forgive the disciples who sat in hiding during His time of trouble? I think so. I think that when Jesus asked His father to forgive, He didn't just mean the people standing around Him who were physically hurting Him and dividing His clothes but also His followers who fled in fear when times got tough (Mark 14:50) and Pilate who foolishly thought he could wash away his sin on his own (Matthew 27:24). He was asking forgiveness for the Pharisees who refused to open their eyes to the truth (John 9:40-41) and for Judas who betrayed Jesus then took his own life (Matthew 27:2-5). He was crying out on the behalf of Peter who denied Him with lies then bitterly wept (Matthew 26 74-75) and for Joseph of Arimathea who was too scared to speak up until later on (Mark 15:43; John 19:38). He was praying for those who grew up with Him yet refused to believe Him (Matthew 13:55-57) and for the people of Jerusalem who shouted His praises before calling for His life (Mark 11:9; Mark 15:13). In short, He was praying for everyone. And I know that His prayer reaches far beyond the cross and into the 21st century where He still cries out to His Father on our behalf each time we delude ourselves into relying on our own strength or refuse to open our eyes to the truth or any other of our numerous sins. And I know that because of His love and sacrifice and readiness to forgive us, we are forgiven. By pleading for our forgiveness, He has proven that He has forgiven us all and that is, quite simply, Good News!
When I read the story of the crucifixion I am always struck by Luke 23:34 where Jesus says, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." I'm consistently amazed by His great love for the people who were hurting Him and His readiness to forgive His persecutors. But could it be that He was not only talking about the ones who were physically hurting Him but also the ones who were hurting His spirit by deserting Him? Should I also be amazed by His great love for and readiness to forgive the disciples who sat in hiding during His time of trouble? I think so. I think that when Jesus asked His father to forgive, He didn't just mean the people standing around Him who were physically hurting Him and dividing His clothes but also His followers who fled in fear when times got tough (Mark 14:50) and Pilate who foolishly thought he could wash away his sin on his own (Matthew 27:24). He was asking forgiveness for the Pharisees who refused to open their eyes to the truth (John 9:40-41) and for Judas who betrayed Jesus then took his own life (Matthew 27:2-5). He was crying out on the behalf of Peter who denied Him with lies then bitterly wept (Matthew 26 74-75) and for Joseph of Arimathea who was too scared to speak up until later on (Mark 15:43; John 19:38). He was praying for those who grew up with Him yet refused to believe Him (Matthew 13:55-57) and for the people of Jerusalem who shouted His praises before calling for His life (Mark 11:9; Mark 15:13). In short, He was praying for everyone. And I know that His prayer reaches far beyond the cross and into the 21st century where He still cries out to His Father on our behalf each time we delude ourselves into relying on our own strength or refuse to open our eyes to the truth or any other of our numerous sins. And I know that because of His love and sacrifice and readiness to forgive us, we are forgiven. By pleading for our forgiveness, He has proven that He has forgiven us all and that is, quite simply, Good News!
Ceremonially Clean and Unclean Animals
People are often confused why God gave His people such long, detailed rules in the OT. For instance, the 47 verses dedicated to what animals you can't eat (Leviticus 11:1-47). Most people explain this passage by saying that God was setting these rules for health purposes and He probably was! Most of the animals listed are scavengers and therefore more likely to carry disease. There are also rules saying that if a rat falls into your food you must throw it away so that makes a lot of sense. Personally however, I think that there is more to the laws than health.
According to my Bible, pigs were a common animal used by pagans for religious sacrifice (which means they were probably raised and eaten as well). If the Israelites couldn't eat pigs or use them for sacrifice, they had no use for them. That meant that there was one less link between God's people and the Pagans surrounding them.
God wanted His people to be holy (set a part, different, unique) because He is holy. He knew that mixing with the Pagans would loosen their grip on who they were as God's people because of the compromises they would make over time. It seems like many of God's rules could have served a double purpose by keeping the Israelites away from those who could and would defile them (not associating with certain animals limited reasons for social or business interaction with pagan communities).
This is yet another change that Jesus brought about with the cross. When Jesus was on earth He explained that food doesn't go through our heart, just our stomach, so eating certain foods won't defile us but acting in certain ways will (Mark 7:14-19). This is why I think that the food restrictions were put in place more for spiritual health than physical. When we live with Jesus and have the Holy Spirit inside of us,God wants us to go out into the non-christian world and declare His name. The difference between then and now is, simply put, Jesus. If we love Jesus, He lives inside of us which makes it quite a bit harder to be defiled by the outside world. Also, we can go preach to people because we actually have hope and salvation to share with them (an eternal purpose for association!)
Side Note: My study Bible also pointed out that God not only says not to eat them but even touching them will render you unclean. Direct Quote: "He wanted the people to be totally seperated from those things He had forbidden. So often we flirt with temptation, rationalizing that at least we are technically keeping the commandment not to commit the sin. But God wants us to separate ourselves completely from all sin and tempting situations. Perhaps this passage has made you aware of areas of your life where you have "technical" innocence but in which you have actually been involved in sin. It is time to cross back over the line and stay there." That note really hit home for me because I tend to do that a lot. You know, thinking to yourself, "well, mom didn't say I couldn't be reading" but knowing that she did say to do you homework. So yeah, this is definitely something that I need to work on! And if you do too, I hope that you found this as encouraging and enlightening as I did! :)
According to my Bible, pigs were a common animal used by pagans for religious sacrifice (which means they were probably raised and eaten as well). If the Israelites couldn't eat pigs or use them for sacrifice, they had no use for them. That meant that there was one less link between God's people and the Pagans surrounding them.
God wanted His people to be holy (set a part, different, unique) because He is holy. He knew that mixing with the Pagans would loosen their grip on who they were as God's people because of the compromises they would make over time. It seems like many of God's rules could have served a double purpose by keeping the Israelites away from those who could and would defile them (not associating with certain animals limited reasons for social or business interaction with pagan communities).
This is yet another change that Jesus brought about with the cross. When Jesus was on earth He explained that food doesn't go through our heart, just our stomach, so eating certain foods won't defile us but acting in certain ways will (Mark 7:14-19). This is why I think that the food restrictions were put in place more for spiritual health than physical. When we live with Jesus and have the Holy Spirit inside of us,God wants us to go out into the non-christian world and declare His name. The difference between then and now is, simply put, Jesus. If we love Jesus, He lives inside of us which makes it quite a bit harder to be defiled by the outside world. Also, we can go preach to people because we actually have hope and salvation to share with them (an eternal purpose for association!)
Side Note: My study Bible also pointed out that God not only says not to eat them but even touching them will render you unclean. Direct Quote: "He wanted the people to be totally seperated from those things He had forbidden. So often we flirt with temptation, rationalizing that at least we are technically keeping the commandment not to commit the sin. But God wants us to separate ourselves completely from all sin and tempting situations. Perhaps this passage has made you aware of areas of your life where you have "technical" innocence but in which you have actually been involved in sin. It is time to cross back over the line and stay there." That note really hit home for me because I tend to do that a lot. You know, thinking to yourself, "well, mom didn't say I couldn't be reading" but knowing that she did say to do you homework. So yeah, this is definitely something that I need to work on! And if you do too, I hope that you found this as encouraging and enlightening as I did! :)
Expansion on the Chronological Life Application Study Bible
Monday, April 28, 2014
Called by Name
This morning we're starting back up again on John 20! Or, more specifically, John 20:11-18. Please read the whole passage before continuing (and have your paper Bible out to check my facts because I'm not going to cite anything that's in the passage).
So, after John and Peter see the tomb, they head home, leaving a weeping Mary alone outside of the tomb.* I guess it will always be a mystery why Mary stayed outside the tomb but I'd like to think that, in her grief and sorrow, she wanted to be at the place she knew He last was, to stay as close to Him and His "memory" as possible. But regardless of why, she stayed. And as she wept she repeatedly looked back to the tomb even though she already knew exactly what was there. It was as though she couldn't believe that her sadness could be the end of the story after she had personally tasted His love and power (Luke 8:1-2). And each time she turned back to Jesus (or where she thought He should be), she was rewarded a little more for her faith. The first time, she saw two angels and in talking to them, declared that Jesus was her Lord. The next time she saw Jesus Himself.* But when she sees Jesus she doesn't recognize Him* even though He's the one who she most wants to see and who has occupied her thoughts constantly for the past 3 days at least. The reason for this is that she is looking for the wrong thing. She expects to see a dead Jesus but instead He is alive!* It isn't until Jesus calls her name* (reaches out to her on a personal level) that she sees Him for who He is. Thankfully we can always count on Jesus to be personal with us, to know how to reach us and do what ever it takes for us to see Him for who He is!
*Personally I don't think that was very smart on their part and I've always wondered if they just kind of forgot about her and felt really bad when they realized it later? Or if she actually wasn't alone (some of the other gospels say several women went to the tomb originally...)
*I think this is cool literally (obviously!) but also metaphorically. Each time we trust in God's promise and turn back to Jesus, we too are rewarded for our faith.
*It's funny how she mistakes Him for a gardener because He is a gardener! :D John 15:1 (or at least God is!)
*Honestly, I know that I'm guilty of doing the same thing a lot of times. I go into my quiet time with this weird mindset that says it's going to be tedious and boring but instead of finding something that is dead to me, I rediscover the fact that God's word is living a breathing and that hanging out with Him is often the most fun I have all day! (This happened to me on Saturday when I read about Nadab and Abihu!:))
*Isaiah 45:3 Yay! The OT and NT connect once again!
Side Note: I think it's really cool that Mary is the first person Jesus physically reveals Himself to. I think that in doing so He probably made it impossible for the disciples to doubt her importance (and of women in general) to Him and earned her the respect and trust she needed (and probably couldn't of earned herself since she was female) to impact the world for her Lord. It probably also strengthened her faith in Jesus' love for her!
So, after John and Peter see the tomb, they head home, leaving a weeping Mary alone outside of the tomb.* I guess it will always be a mystery why Mary stayed outside the tomb but I'd like to think that, in her grief and sorrow, she wanted to be at the place she knew He last was, to stay as close to Him and His "memory" as possible. But regardless of why, she stayed. And as she wept she repeatedly looked back to the tomb even though she already knew exactly what was there. It was as though she couldn't believe that her sadness could be the end of the story after she had personally tasted His love and power (Luke 8:1-2). And each time she turned back to Jesus (or where she thought He should be), she was rewarded a little more for her faith. The first time, she saw two angels and in talking to them, declared that Jesus was her Lord. The next time she saw Jesus Himself.* But when she sees Jesus she doesn't recognize Him* even though He's the one who she most wants to see and who has occupied her thoughts constantly for the past 3 days at least. The reason for this is that she is looking for the wrong thing. She expects to see a dead Jesus but instead He is alive!* It isn't until Jesus calls her name* (reaches out to her on a personal level) that she sees Him for who He is. Thankfully we can always count on Jesus to be personal with us, to know how to reach us and do what ever it takes for us to see Him for who He is!
*Personally I don't think that was very smart on their part and I've always wondered if they just kind of forgot about her and felt really bad when they realized it later? Or if she actually wasn't alone (some of the other gospels say several women went to the tomb originally...)
*I think this is cool literally (obviously!) but also metaphorically. Each time we trust in God's promise and turn back to Jesus, we too are rewarded for our faith.
*It's funny how she mistakes Him for a gardener because He is a gardener! :D John 15:1 (or at least God is!)
*Honestly, I know that I'm guilty of doing the same thing a lot of times. I go into my quiet time with this weird mindset that says it's going to be tedious and boring but instead of finding something that is dead to me, I rediscover the fact that God's word is living a breathing and that hanging out with Him is often the most fun I have all day! (This happened to me on Saturday when I read about Nadab and Abihu!:))
*Isaiah 45:3 Yay! The OT and NT connect once again!
Side Note: I think it's really cool that Mary is the first person Jesus physically reveals Himself to. I think that in doing so He probably made it impossible for the disciples to doubt her importance (and of women in general) to Him and earned her the respect and trust she needed (and probably couldn't of earned herself since she was female) to impact the world for her Lord. It probably also strengthened her faith in Jesus' love for her!
God's Girl
This blog was actually started for a school project although I had previously started another blog called God's Girl. I've decided to start posting on this blog only to make things easier but I thought I'd share the link to my other blog with you if you wanted to read any of my other writing: http://thejoysofagirlwhoslivingforgod.blogspot.com/.
Warning: there are 2 or 3 repeat posts from my failed attempt at running two blogs about the exact same thing!
Warning: there are 2 or 3 repeat posts from my failed attempt at running two blogs about the exact same thing!
Gethsemane: the theory
Please read Mark 14:32-42 before continuing. It would also be nice if you would read my last post (Gethsemane: where God broke His heart and His son) as well for a little more info on this story. Thanks! :)
My amazing pastor pointed out something very interesting that I hadn't noticed about this story. His observation was that when Jesus prayed, the only disciples that where near Him were sleeping yet somehow Mark was able to record what Jesus said. What I'm about to type isn't entirely factual but I personally think it is a neat and plausible theory. It is based off two verses and a little bit of imagination! :)
The first verse is in Acts 12 where it mentions that the disciples often gathered at the house of John Mark. The same John Mark who wrote the gospel of Mark. This John Mark was very likely the son of the family that let Jesus eat the Last Supper in their home and at that point in history John Mark would have been a young boy.
The second verse is a random, seemingly out of place verse found only in Mark: Mark 14:51-52. It describes a young man who had been hidden in the garden and managed to escape just in time for no one to discover his identity. So, now for the theory (I will be calling John Mark "Mark" for short).
What if the Last Supper took place in Mark's parents home. All of Israel was extremely fascinated by Jesus and it's doubtful that Mark would have been an exception, especially since Jesus was with His disciples upstairs. It doesn't seem to unreasonable to say the he spied on them a little during their dinner and when they left for the garden, snuck out after them. While the disciples slept, Mark (concealed in the trees) got close enough to Jesus to here Him praying. He stayed hidden so that he wouldn't be sent home and ran away out of fear when the arrest of Jesus took place. Mark may have included Mark 14:51-52 to show us that what Jesus said is factual information.
Another interesting thought is that the young man described in Mark 14:51-52 is said to have been wearing only a linen cloth. I think it is quite possible that that cloth could have been his pajamas seeing as it was very late at night.
So while that theory is not fact I think it is extremely plausible and interesting to think about.
My amazing pastor pointed out something very interesting that I hadn't noticed about this story. His observation was that when Jesus prayed, the only disciples that where near Him were sleeping yet somehow Mark was able to record what Jesus said. What I'm about to type isn't entirely factual but I personally think it is a neat and plausible theory. It is based off two verses and a little bit of imagination! :)
The first verse is in Acts 12 where it mentions that the disciples often gathered at the house of John Mark. The same John Mark who wrote the gospel of Mark. This John Mark was very likely the son of the family that let Jesus eat the Last Supper in their home and at that point in history John Mark would have been a young boy.
The second verse is a random, seemingly out of place verse found only in Mark: Mark 14:51-52. It describes a young man who had been hidden in the garden and managed to escape just in time for no one to discover his identity. So, now for the theory (I will be calling John Mark "Mark" for short).
What if the Last Supper took place in Mark's parents home. All of Israel was extremely fascinated by Jesus and it's doubtful that Mark would have been an exception, especially since Jesus was with His disciples upstairs. It doesn't seem to unreasonable to say the he spied on them a little during their dinner and when they left for the garden, snuck out after them. While the disciples slept, Mark (concealed in the trees) got close enough to Jesus to here Him praying. He stayed hidden so that he wouldn't be sent home and ran away out of fear when the arrest of Jesus took place. Mark may have included Mark 14:51-52 to show us that what Jesus said is factual information.
Another interesting thought is that the young man described in Mark 14:51-52 is said to have been wearing only a linen cloth. I think it is quite possible that that cloth could have been his pajamas seeing as it was very late at night.
So while that theory is not fact I think it is extremely plausible and interesting to think about.
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