Bible Read Thread

[Swan7]

Matthew 5:3-12

Jesus says Blessed 9 times for different things. This might be for those who are in a certain place in their life and each are blessed accordingly, I think.

What caught my eye was Matthew 5:3 what does it mean to be “poor” in spirit? I thought we were supposed to be rich in spirit?

Matthew 5:14 I remembered some cross references to this and found this interesting and little funny :

John 9:5 & John 12:36 I know 12:36 is taken out of context after Jesus explained in Matthew 5 not hide our light under a bushel, but I couldn’t help but laugh.

I think why Jesus said we are the light of the world is because it all stems back to Genesis where Adam and Eve were created. We are made in His image. If Jesus is the light of the world, so are we as the Children of God.

Matthew 5:16

In the Bible it always says to glorify and worship, but what does that mean? When I read worship, I think of singing. Are there other ways to glorify and worship God?

Matthew 5:17 Right here a lot of people seem to think that Jesus changed the law (His Commandments) when that was never so. That would entail God changing His mind when we know that is not the case as He is the same as yesterday as He is today. It just simply means that Jesus, being the Word in the flesh, completed what he was prophesied to do.

Matthew 5:19 This right here proves my point, and His. I certainly don’t want to be called the least in Heaven.

Then Jesus gives us a warning: Matthew 5:20 Be better than those of the Pharisees and lose that pride!

Matthew 5:21-26 It seems to me that anger and murder are in balance with sin. These verses make me afraid for my dad because he does hold anger, and when things don’t go right... >.<

Matthew 5:33-37 Hmm. This reminds me of swearing on the Bible in court.

Giving charity and praying in secret go hand in hand. Interesting.

Mathew 6:7 Sometimes I have this problem, though it’s not for vain things, but sometimes I know what I want to say and yet can’t find the words to say them in prayer. Does this happen with anyone else? This may be caused by my dyslexia and I get annoyed with myself because I feel like I’m not conveying myself correctly. Sometimes I will even start over... >.<

 

[Goodbook]

thinking about this sermon, Jesus says that anyone who marries a divorcee who did not divorce on grounds of fornication makes her commit adultery. Matthew 5:31-32

basically Jesus was saying that in the law it was ok to divorce or put away your wife, divorcing her, but his interpretation of it was that people often did this for the wrong reasons, making more adulterers and adulteresses.

You can't just divorce each other cos you don't get along, the ONLY reason is if someone has been unfaithful. And anyone interfering with that first marriage is guilty of adultery. So marriage is for life.

 

[SarahsKnight]

What caught my eye was Matthew 5:3 what does it mean to be “poor” in spirit? I thought we were supposed to be rich in spirit?

I think what Jesus meant by "poor" in this case would be "humble". Like, not spiritually arrogant, thinking you have a better mindset than others and such.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Mathew 6:7 Sometimes I have this problem, though it’s not for vain things, but sometimes I know what I want to say and yet can’t find the words to say them in prayer. Does this happen with anyone else? This may be caused by my dyslexia and I get annoyed with myself because I feel like I’m not conveying myself correctly. Sometimes I will even start over... >.<

Don't worry about that, Sheena. It happens to me, too, and probably a lot of other people. In any event, God knows what you are trying to convey.

 

[Goodbook]

I often think of just how many divorced men have hit on me. Or unhappy married men. It's shocking.

I don't want to be an adulteress. Or have that man's wife or ex-wife then go and find someone else making HER an adulteress, simply cos the husband is clueless and doesn't know how to love his own wife.

 

[Swan7]

I think what Jesus meant by "poor" in this case would be "humble". Like, not spiritually arrogant, thinking you have a better mindset than others and such.

Ahh, ok that makes more sense now Thank you!

Don't worry about that, Sheena. It happens to me, too, and probably a lot of other people. In any event, God knows what you are trying to convey.

Oh I'm not the only one!
*sigh* yeah, that's true to as it is also said in the next verse. Thanks again

 

[Goodbook]

Vain repetitions...well, I dont know what an example of that would be, like maybe a kid saying to their dad whos driving, 'are we there yet?', 'are we there yet?' Over and over. Dads already driving and he would tell you when you are there wouldnt he?

God is not deaf...and I dont think He likes to be nagged.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Sunday: The Epistles

This morning let us read through Romans 5 and 6.

 

[Swan7]

Yay! A nice short one on a busy day!

 

[Goodbook]

Amen!

 

[SarahsKnight]

It's nice how Paul seems to think so much of Christ's death and resurrection (that we too may have the free gift of eternal life one day) that he just keeps stressing it throughout chapters 5 and 6 in a slightly new way of words every time.

But I guess it can all be summed up in the last verse of Romans 6: The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

[Goodbook]

Well Paul was radically converted on the road to Damascus. I think he knew what the wrath of God would be like....before he was saul and persecuting christians.

Jesus basically knocked him off his high horse.

 

[SarahsKnight]

*hears Vlad's entrance into the thread from the cellar and comes up the stairs to greet him like Dr. Klopek from The Burbs*

Ah, it would appear we have a new guest. Welcome, Vlad.




So, we will be starting off week four this morning by jumping right into the Abraham and Sarah saga with Genesis chapters 12 through 15.

 

[Goodbook]

Interesting chapters of abrahams story, before we get to one of the most memorable events of Genesis.

Somethings I noticed

1. Its stated that sarai is 'fair' and the egyptians really liked her, enough for abram to lie and say she is his sister, i always thought that there must be some truth in the adage blondes have more fun. Well, being blonde gets one noticed.

2. Abram had trouble with the sodomites before disaster struck, he was rescuing Lot before the angels did. Also..he didnt take any of the spoils from them. This shows he was righteous.

3. Ew. Slimepits!

4. The covenant. God was giving abraham and his descendents all this land. And it had to be his seed, NOT to his servants i.e elizier, or as we shall see, surrogate children. Abram was prepared to give this land inheritence to his children, even if they werent really his own! Thats hows his generous nature, but God said no. i think he would have even given some to his nephew Lot.

However God doesnt want to give this land to wicked and sinning people. He wants it to be Holy.

 

[SarahsKnight]

You know, Genesis 14 always fascinated me as to how much the four kings who went against Sodom and the others and then kidnapped Lot must suck in battle if Abram and a little more than three hundred of his men took out their combined forces. =P

Or, I don't know, maybe Abram was the equivalent of a historical Chinese warrior such as Guan Yu or Dian Wei and his men all had some really hardcore battle training under him.

 

[Goodbook]

lol.
Abram had God almighty on his side.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Good point.

But more seriously, the event at the end of Genesis 15 in which Abram cut the animals that God requested of him into pieces and laid them out, but then fell into a deep sleep while a flaming torch passed through the area amongst the carrion, I never really took note of it until I heard a sermon from a pastor in Oklahoma named Willie George on tape in which he pointed out evidence (don't remember exactly how or what it was) that the passing torch represented God completing the requirements of the covenant he made with Abram while Abram was asleep as a sort of symbolic foreshadowing of the New Covenant that God made with us to cover our sins through the sacrifice of One in our place, in that God knew we humans could never be perfect and would just screw up our end of the bargain if He made a covenant with us that required action and effort on our own part to uphold our end. Thus, Willie George pointed out that perhaps God intentionally put Abram to sleep for the very purpose of God doing all the work Himself afterward to fulfill all of the covenant requirements for him. Much like how God does all the work for us to become made sinless and gain eternal life, in having sent His Son to take our place in the punishment of death that was due us as a result of our sin. All we must do? Have faith, confess in the Lord Jesus Christ and believe that God raised Him from the dead. Which of course might as well be considered no work on our part. It is a gift, after all, from God, whether you look at it from a Calvinist or Arminian standpoint, in my opinion.

I'm not sure if I made much sense in trying to recall that sermon I mentioned. Forgive me. But hopefully you all got the gist of what I was trying to say.

 

[Goodbook]

Um ok. Interesting interpetation.

Not sure what to say about that but God does prepare good works for us to do AFTER we've accepted the covenant.

I mean there are rewards for living the christian life, in additon to faith, because faith without works is dead.

But yes we are justified not by what we do but what God does. It is counted to us for righteousness. But we do see later that abraham learns to obey God. He does stumble a few times but in the end God does reward him for obedience. But am getting ahead of myself here.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Week 4, Tuesday: History

Joshua 16 through 20.

 

[Swan7]

Wow.. that is seriously a LOT of land that had been inherited!