Date/Time Typo!

It has been brought to our attention that our blog said that Nathan Rages would be sharing this Sunday at 7:00pm under the Bible Study sidebar - that was a mistake and we are sorry for any confusion! Our blog should be updated with the correct information now! He is coming Sunday morning at 10:00am (for anyone who wants to come :) ) but it is actually Clint Leiter that is sharing at our Bible Study next Tuesday the 7th at 7:00pm!

Ryan Skinner 1/31/12 Acceptable Sacrifices

Q&A

Q: What does this verse mean when it says “baptism saves you”? (1 Peter 3:21)

A: The wording is tricky, making it difficult to understand, and this is a particularly mysterious part of scripture. I know of at least 3 or 4 different interpretations. I think the key word here is that baptism “corresponds” to what happened with Noah – Noah was brought safely through the judgment waters on his ark (symbolizing Christ). Baptism symbolizes passing through death, through judgment, into life, dying with Christ and being raised. He is saying this is the illustration, not the means of salvation. I think that’s why he makes it a point to mention that it is “not a removal of dirt” to clarify.

Q: What do you think of the quote “God always answers prayers, but sometimes the answer is no?”

A: Let me ask you this: Is it possible to be outside of the will of God in prayer? Paul prayed three times for the thorn in his flesh to be removed, but God told him His grace is sufficient. I don’t like the way this quote sounds, but I think it is possible to pray outside of God's will. I guess you could word it like this: If you are truly praying in faith, God will do it.

Some thoughts on Acceptable Sacrifices in the gospels:

I’ve been really blown away with Christ and the way he interacts with various individuals lately; the way he viewed things compared with the way the disciples and others viewed things. Tonight I want to talk a little bit about the sacrifices that are acceptable to Christ.

Luke 7:36-50 (The Woman with the Alabaster Flask Anointing Jesus)

• If you can imagine this scene, Jesus is at this man’s house with these Pharisees. You could compare it to a group of super conservative people all dressed up in fancy clothes, and this woman comes in probably dressed like a prostitute using the perfume on Jesus that she probably used to entice men. A very scandalous scene.

• This is a pretty amazing account. The first sacrifice Jesus accepts is the sacrifice of brokenness.

• “For you will not delight in sacrifice…you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalm 51:16-17)

  • You could keep all the religious requirements of the law perfectly, but that wouldn’t cut it. The sacrifice of God is a humble, repentant heart.

• Though in reality they are all equally guilty before God, her sin was more evident for everyone to see. But she was humble and broken, which is more pleasing to God than self-righteousness in law keeping.

Mark 14:3-9 (Woman at Bethany with an Alabaster Flask Anointing Jesus)

• The disciples had no idea that thousands of years later people would still be talking about this.

• They are scolding her and mocking her, but Jesus is saying that this is really important and they are missing the whole point!

• Vs. 8 “She has done what she could...”

  • Jesus won’t despise the sacrifice of giving him whatever it is that we have to offer.

    
    

Mark 12:41-44 (The Widow's Offering)

• No one would probably have noticed this little widow, but Jesus points her out to his disciples.

• Jesus values true sacrificial giving.

• This story means that all national attention and media can be on someone like Bill Gates giving thousands of dollars to charities, but it doesn’t mean anything to God. If it is not a true sacrifice, just for show, not costing you anything, then it does not compare to the poorest believer in Bangladesh giving all he has.

Mark 3:1-6 (The Man with a Withered Hand)

• They hate Jesus so much and are so bent on the Sabbath that they can’t have mercy on this poor man who probably was poor and couldn’t work because of his hand.

• “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.” (Matthew 23:23)

• The last thing I want to point out is the sacrifice of compassion.

• The Bible says to obey is better than sacrifice. Obeying God is better than doing some religious duty.

  • If you are very diligent with your time you may guard your reading time or prayer time very strictly. But what if you are on your way to spend that time with God and you see your roommate crying? Do you just pass by? What about loving your neighbor?

The Prayer of a Righteous Man Availeth Much

" None of us can remember that any day ever passed unhallowed thus; no hurry for market, no rush to business, no arrival of friends or guests, no trouble, no sorrow, no joy or excitement, ever prevented at least our kneeling around the family altar, while the High Priest led our prayers to God and offered himself and his children there.... I have heard that,in long after-years, the worst woman in the village of Tothorwold, then leading an immoral life, but since changed by the grace of God, was known to declare, that the only thing that kept her from despair and the Hell of suicide, was when in the dark winter nights she crept up close underneath my father's window, and heard him pleading in family worship that God would 'convert the sinner from the error or wicked ways and polish him as a jewel for the redeemer's crown'.
'I felt,' said she 'that I was a burden on that good man's heart, and I knew that God would not disappoint Him. That thought kept me out of hell and at last led me to the only Saviour.' "

-J.G. Paton speaking of his father on page 14 of his autobiography.

Bible Studies Resume! :)

If you haven't noticed our blog's sidebar, we are beginning our Tuesday Night Bible Studies again at the boys' home on the 24th! Please continue to pray that we would be directed in these meetings and that we might be able to secure a more permanent spot. For now though, we praise God for His provision and allowing us to continue meeting in His name and mining for gold in His precious Word! :)

Tuesday Night Bible Studies

Brothers & Sisters,

It seems that we may not be able to continue having our Bible Study at the current location. Please pray about where God would have us in the future. We really hope to continue having studies on Tuesday nights but we are surrendered to the Lord's will in this and simply want to follow His lead. If anyone has any suggestions/encouragements, feel free to speak up! :) We will be sure to update this blog with any news we might have as soon as we have it!

How Kind The Good Samaritan

"How kind the good Samaritan
To him who fell among the thieves!
Thus Jesus pities fallen man,
And heals the wounds the soul receives.

O! I remember well the day,
When sorely wounded, nearly slain;
Like that poor man I bleeding lay,
And groaned for help, but groaned in vain.

Men saw me in this helpless case,
And passed without compassion by;
Each neighbor turned away his face,
Unmoved by my mournful cry.

But he whose name had been my scorn,
As Jews Samaritans despise
Came, when he saw me thus forlorn,
With love and pity in his eyes.

Gently he raised me from the ground,
Pressed me to lean upon his arm;
And into every gaping wound
He poured his own all-healing balm.

Unto his church my steps he led,
The house prepared for sinners lost;
Gave charge I should be clothed and fed;
And took upon him all the cost.

Thus saved from death, from want secured,
I wait till he again shall come,
When I shall be completely cured
And take me to his heav'nly home.

There through eternal boundless days,
When nature's wheel no longer rolls,
How shall I love, adore, and praise,
This good Samaritan to souls!"

~John Newton

Biblical Interpretation of the Bible

Just a few thoughts on Scripture:

Luke 10:25-28:

“And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; “Do this and you will live.”

1) People can have different interpretations of Scripture

• Jesus asks the lawyer how the Law reads to him, as in, what is his interpretation.  

2) People can have wrong interpretations of Scripture

• The lawyer gave his views on Old Testament salvation, in which case he was correct.  This means that he could’ve been incorrect.
• Christ doesn’t say that that’s just his interpretation... As in, “Well good for you, that’s beautiful, but here’s how I read it.”  He says that that’s the correct interpretation!  

John 16:13 - “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”

• The Spirit is called the Spirit of truth.  Not a Spirit of uncertainty, not a Spirit of personal revelations, but a Spirit of truth.  
• There is a definite truth, and our Spirit guides us in it.  Our interpretation, if we have the Spirit of truth, will be aligned to the truth and guided into all the truth.  
• There can be false views, or even different convictions on certain passages, but overall we will be guided and led into the truth.  Christians don’t remain in darkness, they dwell in the light!  
• John 10:27 - “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
• Not talking about issues like when to take communion, or how the worship should be arranged, but black and white issues, like how we gain eternal life, or the person of Christ, etc.

Isaiah 55:11 - “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

• God’s word doesn’t return empty.  Every single word in Scripture has a purpose.
• 2 Timothy 3:16 - “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”
• God sent His word out for a reason, which means that it was objective, or outside of human interpretation.  There is a truth in every word, and just because we believe that one word means something, doesn’t make it true.  God sent the Word out to accomplish what He desires.  He decided what was true and what wasn’t.

Matthew 22:29 - “But Jesus answered them, ‘You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.”

Do we truly know the Scriptures? Are we correct in them? Are we forming our lives around Scripture or are we forming Scripture around our lives?