Good Morning - September 2, 2005

Good Morning! 

 

Internet access is down again this morning, so this is coming out late.

 

Important note -- I will most likely not be at class on Sunday -- fall softball season has started.  I know that many of you may be traveling this weekend, but if not, don't let my absence keep you from meeting together, if nothing else other than just the fellowship time. 

 

Don't forget that you can find all of the back issues of the daily email on the web at www.leapclass.blogspot.com.  

 

The new unit for this week is Unit  18 - Salvation by Faith

 

Focus Scripture for the Week:   Psalms 51:12 

 

 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit 

 

Today's Scriptures:   Acts 4:1-12, Luke 19:1-10, 2 Corinthians 6:1-10    

 

Today's Discussion:   

 

-- focusing on the verse in Acts -- verse 12 -- "Salvation is found in no one else, for these is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved".

 

--  this verse was quoted in some TV report I saw this week about inter-religious understanding.  The gist of the report, if I remember, was talking about the reasons why the various religions have a hard time accepting each other.  The fact of the matter is that each faith -- Islam, Judaism, Christianity -- teaches that they are only way to salvation.

 

-- our culture -- our American culture -- has wired us in a way to be reluctant to say that the way we believe is correct, and the way that others believe is wrong.  We are raised to be tolerant of other thinking and ways of life and religions.  And that is very good, to a point, and I'm not talking about religious intolerance.  But the fact of the matter is that our scripture is very, very plain on the matter -- there isn't any way to heaven and salvation other than through Christ.  Peter's preaching is above is very, very plain, and his preaching is based on Jesus' teaching in John 14:6.  I personally don't see any wiggle room on that point.

 

-- even though that is our faith, and our believe, that point is scary and disconcerting to us, at least it is to me, because that means that a good portion of the world's population -- in the Middle East, in India, in China, Japan, etc -- are not going to be saved.  They are following the wrong faith.  That's a very hard thing for me to write.  Again, I have a hard time saying or thinking that someone is wrong in their faith -- it is just something that I have been raised not to do or to think -- but I as I get older and I study the Bible, I don't know how I can come to any other conclusion.  Surely, I like to think, that God has a another plan for all these people, another way that we don't know about.  If there is one, Peter certainly wasn't tuned into it, and he should know.

 

Question for Sunday:   

 

-- is it difficult for you to embrace/accept the fact that believing on Jesus is the only way to be saved?

 

Today's prayer request:     We have three for today:

 

Amanda and David Edwards' daughter Kasey.

We need to continue remember Kasey -- I haven't heard an update, but I don't want us to forget her -- she isn't sick, but she is having a terrible time adjusting to school -- she's been acting up a great deal, and Amanda and David have been called to school once already, and the school has said that they will suspend Kasey for a week if it happens again. Kasey has been diagnosed with ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder), and they are still trying to find medication that works for her in treating this. This has been a very trying situation for all of them, and Amanda said that they could really use all of our prayers

 

Joey Harbarger

 

As Ron Ray wrote a couple of days ago, Joey is going (is gone) to Gulfport for relief and recovery work.  We need to remember him and Monica and the kids during his absence

 

The storm victims  of  Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama   

 

I think we need to continue remembering these people.  The leadership of these areas, the rescue workers and the survivors have all listed prayer as the first, most important thing we can do to help at this time, so let us continue to remember them. 

 

Today's class member prayer: 

 

Wes Russell 

 

Have a great day.

 

Jay