Friday, March 17, 2006

Good Morning

 

-- Just a reminder that I won't be there on Sunday -- we are leaving for the beach that morning.  Also, since I'll be at the beach, I may be a bit hit and miss with the emails, but I'll lay out what our reading will be for the week down below. You can save the email, or go to the blog at www.leapclass.blogspot.com to find the list.

 

-- If you don't have volume 2 book, make sure you get one from the Sunday School room.  I'm also going to leave a couple in the church office and in the sanctuary in the sound booth area for people to pick up.

 

-- As we have discussed, Volume 2 starts to get into the really interesting, familiar parts of Revelation.

 

Today's Reading:  Revelation 5:13-14; 198-201 in Barclay, stop at the end of the book. :-)

 

-- short passage again today.

 

-- one thing I thought about at lunch yesterday -- on the comment that Barclay made about there not being an "official" explanation of how Christ is covering our sins.  My thought was -- if the Bible isn't the official word, what is?  It strikes me that there isn't anything "unofficial" in the Bible.  Just a thought there.

 

-- the scripture today wraps up this section, which is a description of the appearance of the Lamb - Christ -- to open the scrolls.  As we end this portion, we can look back at the image -- Christ, appearing in front of God's throne, surrounded by the four living creatures and the 24 elders, who praise him, then a broader circle of the angels -- too numerous to count, and then by all creation -- and everyone of them praising him for his obedienece to God and his sacrifice.

 

-- I think that Barclay makes an interesting point about those who are in Hell praising Christ. That is an odd thought, but it makes perfect sense, that there isn't an exemption for those in Hell.  For some reason, I thought that they wouldn't be doing this, or that Christ wouldn't want their praise, but it seems like, from the reading, that even in Hell, they are compelled to recognize the authority of Christ.

 

Today's Scripture

At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds, with great power and glory.  And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, form the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

Mark 13:26-27

Today's prayer requests:   Spring Break travelers

So many people will be traveling this week on Spring Break -- let's pray for their safe travels, and safety will at the beach or skiing or wherever they have traveled to.

Today's class member prayer:

Kelley Thaxton

Next Week's Reading in Volume Two

Monday -- Revelation 6:1-8 -- pages 1-3 - stop with the "White Horse of Conquest"

Tuesday -- Revelation 6:1-2 -- pages 3-5 - stop with the "Blood Red Horse of Strife"

Wednesday -- Revelation 6:3-4 -- pages 6-7 - stop with the "Black Horse of Famine"

Thursday -- Revelation 6:5-6 -- pages 7-10 - stop with the "Pale Horse of Pestilence and Death"

Friday -- Revelation 6:7-8 -- pages 10-11 - stop with the "Souls of the Martyrs"

Jay

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Good Morning

 

 

Today's Reading:  Revelation 5:11-12 ; 196-198 in Barclay, stop at "The Song of All Creation"

 

-- short passage again today.

 

-- just realized that yesterday's notes were actually about today's lessons -- I skipped ahead apparently to write about the song of the angels.  So what I'm going to do today is the previous one, which is the "Song of the Living Creatures and the Elders."  Tomorrow, we'll have the "Song of all Creation" section.

 

-- as Barclay notes, the song in this section celebrates the effects or the outcome of Jesus's death - the idea it was sacrifice, that it was for everyone, and that it gave us access to God that previously was not available to man.

 

-- the thing I found interesting in this section was one of Barclay's comments -- he notes that Christ's death bought us freedom -- his death redeemed or ransomed us, and notes several passages where that language is used.  Then he makes the remark that the New Testament consistently tells us that we are redeemed or ransomed by Christ's death, but that there isn't any "official" explanation in the New Testament about how that effect is achieved.

 

-- I find that confusing because I really thought that the New Testament really did tell us how that happens -- this is actually a case where our Narnia study is instructive -- in Narnia, there was an Deep Magic that said traitors had to be punished, but there was also part of the Deep Magic that that person could be redeemed if someone else took their place. That is the first part of the plan, and that is what Aslan did for Peter.  In Narnia, you had the second part of that story, which held that there was an even deeper magic at work when someone who was blameless and laid down their life for someone else, which led to Aslan's return from the dead.

 

-- All that said, I thought that the way this salvation plan worked and was explaned is almost like accounting (not to make it trite) - everyone has sinned, and a price must be paid for that sin (we have a debit that is owed) -- that Jesus lived and died without sin, he was perfectly obedient to God, and thus he didn't owe any price for sin (he has a credit), and that if we believe in him, his divinity, and that he is the son of God, and do his will, then he will use part of his credit to offset our debit, canceling our debt.  That might not be very theological, but that is my understanding from reading the New Testament.  I don't understand what Barclay means when he says that the New Testament doesn't have an "official" explanation of how this whole salvation thing works -- I'm not tracking with him there.  Am I missing something?

 

Today's Scripture

Consequentially, just as the results of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.

Romans 5:18

Today's prayer requests:   Brigitte Severance's co-worker Angie

Last week doctors found a brain tumor sitting on top of her brain stem.  She flew to the Mayo Clinic yesterday, having an MRI today and surgery on Monday.  Need to remember her and her family as she faces this surgery and recovery.

Also Brigitte's grandmother, Margaret Rose, who has been on our prayer list is doing better - getting up on a walker, but still unable to put any wait on her right leg.

Today's class member prayer:

Brandon Herring

Have a great day.

Jay

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Good Morning

 

-- We are going to the beach for Spring Break, and it looks like we are going to be leaving early on Sunday morning.  So I won't be at church or in class this Sunday, so y'all will be on your own for class on Sunday.

 

-- note that this is our last week with Volume 1 -- we will be moving into volume 2 next week.

 

Today's Reading:  Revelation 5:9-10 ; 194-196 in Barclay, stop at "The Song of the Angels"

 

-- short passage today.

 

-- one of the great things about a study such as this are the little things that get brought to your attention.  In this case, the idea that the song of the angels has seven things that Christ possesses. Somehow, knowing that they have seven things in their song just makes it fit with everything else we have read to date, and I get the message that God manages every little detail.

 

--  interesting how this list (power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, the blessing) is echoed in other things, such as the Lord's prayer (for thine is the kingdom, the power, the glory, forever).  We say those words, but don't really connect with them after awhile due to familiarity, but they represent amazing and important concepts.

 

-- on a another train of thought, there is something really majestic and powerful about a group reciting or singing together.  One of the things I try to do when I am running the sound during the worship service, is when we have the Lord's Prayer or Apostle Creed, I try to take down Bobby's mike as far as I can, so that we can hear each other as a group, as a chorus, reciting these, rather than just listening to one man.  I think that feeling -- from hearing a host of people in unison -- is the feeling that John is experiencing here -- only that his host is in the millions rather than the hundreds.

Today's Scripture

"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him.  The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."

Mark 10:51

Today's prayer requests:   Brad and Megan Douglas

Brad's grandfather Joe Adair passed away on Sunday night about 9A.  Funeral is going to be today.  We just need to remember their family during this time of loss.

Today's class member prayer:

Danny Walker

Have a great day.

Jay

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Good Morning

 

-- We are going to the beach for Spring Break, and it looks like we are going to be leaving early on Sunday morning.  So I won't be at church or in class this Sunday, so y'all will be on your own for class on Sunday.

 

-- note that this is our last week with Volume 1 -- we will be moving into volume 2 next week.

 

Today's Reading:  Revelation 5:9 ; 193-194 in Barclay, stop at "The Song of the Living Creatures and of the Elders"

 

-- today's reading is a brief bit of commentary about the idea of a new song that is sung by the elders and four living creatures.

 

-- Barclay makes an interesting point that Revelation is all about new things -- John mentions several things as new in Revelation -- which I think is one of the reasons that people find Revelation scary, since the new things are result of all the old things passing away or going away.  But it is also the reason why one could consider Revelation a book of hope -- in it all things are new.

 

-- Barclay also makes a good and interesting point about John's word choice for new -- he uses the Greek word for new that speaks to both the idea of newness from a time point of view, but newness from a never-existing-before, quality point of view.  One perspective on this idea is that Christ doesn't just give you restart on life, but the life he offers is unlike the life you had before.

Today's Scripture

Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi,  On the way he asked them "Who do the people say I am?"  They replied; "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others one of the prophets."  "But what about you?" he asked, "Who do you say I am?"

Mark  8:27-29a

Today's prayer requests:   Brad and Megan Douglas

Brad's grandfather Joe Adair passed away on Sunday night about 9A.  Funeral is probably going to be tomorrow. We just need to remember their family during this time of loss.

Today's class member prayer:

Jodi Findlay

Have a great day.

Jay

Monday, March 13, 2006

Good Morning

 

-- stormy day on the way today -- keep an eye on the weather.

 

-- we will finish volume 1 up this week, so you'll need to get volume 2 by Sunday so you will be ready to continue on with the study.  Volume 2 is the box in our Sunday School room if you make it by the church.

 

-- this week, we will read six segments instead of five, so we can finish volume 1.

 

Today's Reading:  Revelation 5:7-14 ; read two sections, "Music in Heaven" and "The Prayers of the Saints", stop at "The New Song"

 

-- two sections -- one an overview of this passage, the second a more detailed view of one section.

 

-- this is a major moment in John's vision -- the Lamb stepping up to open the scrolls, and receiving praise from three, ever-widening circles

 

(1) at the throne, from the four living creatures and the elders

 

(2) in heaven, from the angels, who number 10,000 upon 10,000.

 

(3) every creature on earth, in the sea, in heaven and under the earth.

 

-- We need to be conscious that Barclay quotes several books of Jewish thought that are not part of the Bible, but whose quotations look like Bible quotations.  Enoch, the Apocalypse of Paul and Baruch are all not part of the Bible, but they are written in Bibilcal form.  We need to remember that their thoughts about heaven, etc. are part of Jewish tradition, but they are not part of the Word.

 

-- what is interesting in all of this is the idea of intermediaries, the idea that we cannot pray to God directly, but that someone or something -- angels for instance, need to take our prayers and bring them to God.  I'm not on board with that thought, my sense is that I can pray directly to God.  That said, the line of Jewish thought highlights an interesting perspective -- that God is so different from us, that we simply can't pray directly to him, someone has to take our prayers to him -- such as an angel or other heavenly creature.  In reading my first thought above, I realize that there is a lot of arrogance in the way that I expressed that idea -- I can pray directly to God because he permits it, not because of my standing. Reading my statement above, the tone is such that you would think that I can pray directly to God because I'm too important to have my prayers handled by an intermediary. The appropriate attitude should be that I'm thankful to God, and to Christ, that he is willing to take the time to hear my prayer directly.

 

Long story short, it seems like we need to keep an idea of humility when thinking about this topic.

Today's Scripture

No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, not the Son, but only the Father. 

Mark  13:32

Today's prayer requests:    Nelson Ferreiro, friend of Megan's family

He has just completed chemo after surgery to remove a tumor from his brain.  The tumor is gone as of now, they will recheck in 60 days, but we need to pray for his continued improvement, and that the cancer stays gone.

0.Today's class member prayer:

Lynn Rocksvold

Have a great day.

Jay