seriously, this study has reawoken my love for the Word and has really aloowed me to get some serious stuff out of it...thanks guys
""The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet: 26" 'Go to this people and say, "You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving." 27For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them."
Could that passage be reffering to our current situation here in the American Church? i think so...
and paul was a snake handler? lol
once again, we are left with a cliffhanger. good ole luke. This one is a little more serious though as there is no more after this...Why he chose here as a stopping point, i wonder....does anyone have a good reason?
interestingly enough, what has stuck out to me today seems to be an answer to your question. i think where it ends provides an excellent summation to all of this and lays down yet another piece to this puzzle of a blueprint for our lives as followers of The Invisible Living God.
Ac 28:30-31 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.
yeah. i think that sums up the mission for our lives fairly well. what that looks like may be different for each one of us, but i believe it is what we are to be about. not to say that nothing else is important. but i think this theme is what should be central to our lives, each one, as citizens of the kingdom in our modern world.
it is indeed a concise telling of what is at the heart of "the party" which i have begun in my home. and hope to see continue to grow.
yes, yes, and amen. i have been blessed to no end by this study. for those who followed and read each day i thank you. though, in truth, it does not have to end. if anyone else is interested in doing another study of another book (doesn't need to be daily), or hosting a study of this sort, i am definitely game. if it can be as powerful and life changing as this one, i say...
Sometimes Scripture is curious for what it leaves out (how I wish we had more details about Jesus' early life) and sometimes it is curious for the details it does tell us. For example v. 11 "It was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux." I wonder why God included this? Is it because God can use even the pagan things of this world as vessels to get His message through?
The study has been great. Thanks for hosting it, Jon.
Perhaps it was mentioned as proof of the time period that Paul was travelling in. Alexandrian ships were ships of commerce to carry goods back and forth between Egypt and Italy. Castor and Pollux were the gods of navigation and it seems these gods were important to people back in those days. :-) Just another thought ....
The miracles done by the apostles were an important part of this study. God was showing His love and merciful presence through them .... the miracles were always events that helped people. I'm thinking of another time in the Old Testament where the Lord showed off His stunning abilities through Moses. A battle between Pharoah's magicians and the rod that Moses carried. He upstaged the magicians of the day over and over again to prove to Pharoah that it was time to let the people of Israel leave. Things we only hear about today...usually in some distant land where the Gospel of Jesus Christ is being preached anew and there are many enemies of the cross surrounding. A good friend of mine asked a question the other day.... what does it take for these miracles to be manifested again in our midst? I'd like to hear people's answers. I stood helplessly and watched as a beautiful 15 year old girl was told that her brainstem tumour was inoperable. As far as the medical world is concerned, it will take her life soon and she is 7 months pregnant. My heart sank, my heart cried, yes I cry out to the Lord to spare her. And I ask as well ...what will it take for your love and mercy to be poured out in this way among this spiritually poor flock.
4 comments:
is it really feb 28? ah man....
seriously, this study has reawoken my love for the Word and has really aloowed me to get some serious stuff out of it...thanks guys
""The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet:
26" 'Go to this people and say,
"You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving."
27For this people's heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them."
Could that passage be reffering to our current situation here in the American Church? i think so...
and paul was a snake handler? lol
once again, we are left with a cliffhanger. good ole luke. This one is a little more serious though as there is no more after this...Why he chose here as a stopping point, i wonder....does anyone have a good reason?
interestingly enough, what has stuck out to me today seems to be an answer to your question. i think where it ends provides an excellent summation to all of this and lays down yet another piece to this puzzle of a blueprint for our lives as followers of The Invisible Living God.
Ac 28:30-31 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.
yeah. i think that sums up the mission for our lives fairly well. what that looks like may be different for each one of us, but i believe it is what we are to be about. not to say that nothing else is important. but i think this theme is what should be central to our lives, each one, as citizens of the kingdom in our modern world.
it is indeed a concise telling of what is at the heart of "the party" which i have begun in my home. and hope to see continue to grow.
yes, yes, and amen. i have been blessed to no end by this study. for those who followed and read each day i thank you. though, in truth, it does not have to end. if anyone else is interested in doing another study of another book (doesn't need to be daily), or hosting a study of this sort, i am definitely game. if it can be as powerful and life changing as this one, i say...
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Sometimes Scripture is curious for what it leaves out (how I wish we had more details about Jesus' early life) and sometimes it is curious for the details it does tell us. For example v. 11 "It was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux." I wonder why God included this? Is it because God can use even the pagan things of this world as vessels to get His message through?
The study has been great. Thanks for hosting it, Jon.
Perhaps it was mentioned as proof of the time period that Paul was travelling in. Alexandrian ships were ships of commerce to carry goods back and forth between Egypt and Italy. Castor and Pollux were the gods of navigation and it seems these gods were important to people back in those days.
:-) Just another thought ....
The miracles done by the apostles were an important part of this study. God was showing His love and merciful presence through them .... the miracles were always events that helped people. I'm thinking of another time in the Old Testament where the Lord showed off His stunning abilities through Moses. A battle between Pharoah's magicians and the rod that Moses carried. He upstaged the magicians of the day over and over again to prove to Pharoah that it was time to let the people of Israel leave. Things we only hear about today...usually in some distant land where the Gospel of Jesus Christ is being preached anew and there are many enemies of the cross surrounding.
A good friend of mine asked a question the other day.... what does it take for these miracles to be manifested again in our midst?
I'd like to hear people's answers.
I stood helplessly and watched as a beautiful 15 year old girl was told that her brainstem tumour was inoperable. As far as the medical world is concerned, it will take her life soon and she is 7 months pregnant. My heart sank, my heart cried, yes I cry out to the Lord to spare her. And I ask as well ...what will it take for your love and mercy to be poured out in this way among this spiritually poor flock.
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