Hello, I'm new to this forum, but not CF in general. I mainly hang out around the Non-denominational forum, but have been more a reader than a poster as of late. Pleased to meet all of you.
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Like SoundCard, I'm not new to CF but I am new to this forum. Just thought to let you all know
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We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand - out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.
I had all but decided to leave CF behind. I think that we're in a critical time in which true Christians, those that believe in the value of Christ's sacrifice and the incredible gift of salvation that God has given us, need to come together as one loving community... one unified voice of praise. Instead, I’ve read every kind of debate, competitiveness, bullying, division, self-edification, etc… really depressing.
Then I reviewed this forum group… Deeper Fellowship. It seems to be honestly about reaching out to one another to provide and receive answers, support and clarity.
My wife and I study quite a bit… not only the Bible, but volumes about the society and culture of first century Palestine, the dynamics of prayer and the principles of Christian discernment. We don’t do this to be armed for debate, but to understand God’s messages through Christ in greater depth and to strengthen our grasp on the impact of his words.
We aren’t interested in convincing anyone about anything. If the Holy Spirit opens their eyes, they’ll see. If not, then any amount of debate will be useless. We’re anxious to read and listen to the discussions here and to occasionally offer (not assert) bits from our own study and careful contemplation. The awareness and power of Christian love is our focus. We hope to contribute and also to grow through our association.
Hi Roscoe, I agree with everything you said, and welcome. I'm fairly new here too.
Would you mind telling me what you've read about 1st century life? I've always wanted to learn more about that but don't know where to start.
__________________ In memory of Sean. We'll always love you. We'll always miss you. We'll never forget.
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You are everything I never knew I always wanted.....
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If i take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139:7-10
We began our historic studies with ‘Palestine in the Time of Jesus’ by Hanson & Oakman ($5.00 Amazon market place). It’s written for use as a sociology text in seminary training… a little heady, but great stuff. The foundational information establishes the huge differences between our industrialized and individual/rights based culture versus the agrarian and community/honor/kinship based culture of Jesus’ day. There are so many subtle implications in Jesus’ words that would have been obvious to people of that culture, but are lost to us. There’s a great deal more insight throughout the book and it’s a tremendous eye opener… not to mention providing a deeper sense of the human and personal impact of Jesus’ message. If you can tolerate the textbook type approach to the information, I would recommend it to anyone who wants to see and hear things in a closer context to how it was meant, received and perceived by the people present at the time.
Thanks for responding, Rosco. I had lost track of this thread and where I posted my question and was going crazy, so I'm happy I finally stumbled back onto it. The book sounds good, I think I'll check it out. LIke I said, I've always been absolutely fascinated with learning about life during the time of Christ, as well as OT times.
btw, I grew up in Connecticut, but haven't been back there in years, ever since my Dad retired to California. Love New England. My best regards to your wife!
__________________ In memory of Sean. We'll always love you. We'll always miss you. We'll never forget.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
You are everything I never knew I always wanted.....
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If i take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139:7-10
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