Hebrews 6

I've been waiting for you to write on this one for a couple of days.
I don't sense much cohesion here.  I like the first portion of the chapter where it talks about not falling away from God.  If you do, you are sacrificing Jesus again, and again.  That's a pretty powerful image.

But the second part I don't get at all.
God swears by himself, since he's the highest thing........duh!

any wisdom from the midwest?

Hebrews 5

¹³ Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. ¹⁴ But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

This one is a real challenge for me. 
I'm trying, using this blog as a tool, to be a self-feeder rather than relying on others to feed my soul.
Its difficult to stay focussed for me.  Its a LOT easier to let someone else prepare the lesson, package it nicely with some talented singers, maybe a nice video, and I feel pretty good.  I think to be fully vested, we need to be learning from others around us, and digging in the verses ourselves.  There's a ton of discovery to be had in both.

And anyway......why buy the cow, when........................never mind.

Hebrews 4

I struggle with this one sometimes. 

It seems that our schedule gets ramped up on Sundays, and not down.
I'm not sure where the line is, or how we should be treating this.....but, as a person who needs some real down time.....I can feel when its not good.

Having said all that.  Sometimes our Sunday is packed tight with church stuff.  3 hours in the morning, and then small group at our house at 6-9.....then throw a 2 hour soccer game in there, and voila.......PACKED sunday!  Its all good stuff, but doesn't always allow us to get our rest.

just thinkin....and no answers

Hebrews 3

12  See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 12 But, encourage one another daily, as long as it is called "Today"so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulnes.

My message to Chris Knudsen today;
keep the faith, keep up the good work, listen for his gentle words.

BOOM!

Hebrews 2

¹⁴ Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—

I didn't really have a single verse that jumped out at me today.  But the entire passage about Jesus being made like us and thinking about what he came and went through for us makes me so thankful.  The thought of him calling me personally his brother is a pretty powerful thought.  The God of the universe knows me personally, kind of hard to get your arms around but what a comforting fact to realize.

have a good day.

Hebrews 1

I like how this one starts.  It feels different from the last several books we've read.

1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and throuogh whom also he made the universe.

This is one of those times when I have to put my pragmatic nature aside, and simply have faith.  A lot of the structure of the relationship between God and his Son don't really make sense to me......logically.  Then the talk of the universe being folded up like a used garment........that puts me over the edge.  But, the imagery is beautiful.  And its clear who is in charge of all of it. 
I just read an article yesterday on Yahoo about science being close to explaining everything in the universe, and when that happens, we won't have a need for a God......it makes me laugh.  No matter the frame work, or the construct by which things were put into motion....there is no doubt in my mind that someone put the construct there in the first place.  Something had to make up all the scientific laws by which our universe rolls...

you dig?

Philemon 1

Dial tone on this one....................

Titus 3

I didn't pull much today.

10 Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time.  After that, have nothing to do with them.
I know those people......we have em in our church.  People that are always trying to drive a wedge into things.......trying to cause contraversy, it seems.

Titus 2

7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good.  In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speaech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

I really like that line. Makes me understand the seriousness of my actions.....and the potential reflection of God in those actions.  And the possible outcome of my acting in a negative way, being a drain on other Christians.

have a great weekend!

Titus 1

There's lots to touch on here.

1.  I find it interesting that Paul refers to the Jewish people as the "circumcision group"
2.  Makes me uncomfortable to read this
"  Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons"....seems like a mass generalization

3. Heres the big one for the day for me

16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him.  They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

That phrase describes my fears about myself. 

2 Timothy 4

I can sense a little desperation in Paul's writing here.  He must be close to death. 
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finsihed the race, I have kept the faith.

Now there is something to shoot for.  I have often thought about the legacy I would like to leave.  I've been to funerals, and wondered what people would be saying about the life I lived.  Would it be a positive remark?  Would people leave the church saying they wished their live could be like mine was.........would I have made an impact?
I've never thought about my own mindset, at the end.  Would I be able to say the world that Paul is saying here?
That must be a very comforting thing to know.

somethin' to shoot for.

tp

2 Timothy 3

¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God^[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.


Gina and I just had a conversation on our porch 2 nights ago.  She was talking about how she is going to start memorizing scripture not just reading it and how nothing scares the devil more than someone who has scripture on there heart.  So both yesterday's versus about the devil's deceit and now this today about all scripture being God-breathed and equipping us for every good work were very timely affirmations of the need to take my daily chapter very seriously, making sure I don't just go through the motions but actually soak up the the teaching and apply it.

have a great day--knut

2 Timothy 2

⁴ No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.

I just liked the vision here of following God without question, doing as he commands me to please him.  How will I know what pleases him?  being in his word everyday and speaking with him through prayer.  I need to being in prayer more.

2 Timothy 1

not much pulled today.....here's all I gleened.

6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

I like the concept of fanning the flame of God.

that's it.  Have a good weekend

1 Timothy 6

 ⁷ For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 

speaks for itself, don't worry about accumulating thing--they don't have long term value.  Be content, we are blessed beyond belief.

1 Timothy 5

⁴ But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. 

So this one obviously made me think of my Mom and that I need to make sure I am doing everything I can to care for her.  Its pretty easy to get busy with day to day life and raising our kids but I want to make sure she knows how much I love her and will do anything to care for her, so I need to make sure she knows this.

--side note, I hope your family is getting through this tough time and that God gives you all comfort from your pain of losing Lucy.

knut