Fri, Feb 29th - 8:57AM
Love & Respect...
22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body. 31"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Ephesians 5:22-33 (NIV)
1You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. 2Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. 3Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. 6Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. 7In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. Titus 2:1-8 (NIV)
16Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. 17Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. 18Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 1 Peter 2:16-18 (NIV)
I have highlighted what I think important for my line of thought. Feel free to expand the context of the reading, I think it is informative to do so always. Don't give me too much credit for this; it has been the theme of a couple of weeks of teaching from my pastors... In Truth, Mel
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Thu, Feb 21st - 8:45AM
Just one to think about...
Luke 23:34 (KJV) 34Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
As an interesting aside, the part in italics is often noted as not being in many ancient manuscripts. This version had no such note. NKJV did. 21KJV again did not, nor did the amplified bible. This is an important thing to note. Did Jesus, right before he was to die ask for unconditional forgiveness? Was repenting not needed? This raises profound questions in my mind. Do any of you have the answer? In Truth, Mel
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Fri, Feb 1st - 11:19PM
Still Testing...
Deuteronomy 28:15-68 (I am not posting this, but read it in your version of choice -- it will open your frame of mind a bit; I think you will be able to skip it and still get the point though) Proverbs 27:5 (NIV) 5 Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Jeremiah 30:14, 31:19, 28 (NIV) 14 All your allies have forgotten you; they care nothing for you. I have struck you as an enemy would and punished you as would the cruel, because your guilt is so great and your sins so many. 19 After I strayed, I repented; after I came to understand, I beat my breast. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.' 28 Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant," declares the LORD.
I find this phrasing most intriguing... "watch(ed) over them" Hm...
Hebrews 12:5-11 (NIV) 5And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." 7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
I probably could have just posted this last part. The rest is emphasising the point: Some of what we see as testing as in Job is the kind of testing coming directly from a loving Father. Job was accused of this, if you read his story a little closer. God has always loved us, even amidst destruction. And yes, I have yet a further point to take this to. Stay tuned... In Love, Mel
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