Tune and Prepare!

God is Love – 1/3 ..how the two loves are linked A study on divine love and the intertwined Christian character Kindness and faithful love (hesed) pursue me every day of my life. I make my home in the house of YHWH for all time to come. Psalm 23:6 For this is how God loved (agape) the world: he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. John 3:16 What is Hesed? The word that is translated to “faithful love” is the Hebrew word “ Hesed (or ' checed' ).” This word is translated in other places as “kindness,” “faithfulness,” “mercy,” “goodness,” “loyalty,” and “steadfast love.” God's love for His covenant people in the Old Testament is expressed by the Hesed . This love expressed in the Hebrew texts as hesed we'emet for example in Gen 24:49; 32:11; 47:29; Ex 34:6; Jos 2:14; 2 Sam 2:6; 15:20. However hesed has a narrower definition than the English word " love ". In th...

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Is 1:18 the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant*, full of mercy and good fruits. Jms 3:17 *"easy to be intreated", "open to reason" the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; Act 17:10-12

With all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:2-3) Ephesians 4 begins a whole new part of Paul’s letter. The first three chapters explain in glorious detail all that God has done for believers, freely by His grace. Starting with chapter 4, he tells believers how to live rightly, but only after having explained what God did for His people in Jesus Christ. Having considered and received all that God has done for us, we are to live with all lowliness and gentleness , not a pushy desire to defend our own rights and advance our own agenda. Before Christianity, the word lowliness always had a bad association to it. In the minds of many it still does; but it is a glorious Christian virtue (Philippians 2:1-10). It means that we can be happy and content when we are not in control or steering things our way. Having considered and received all that God has done fo...

..and their restoration This article is part of the "Vitalize" pack Pre Protestantism have seen many changes, variations, (and ramifications) since Martin Luther. Even in the early days, Calvin himself modified (theologically developed) Luther's original prophetic vision. Meanwhile, the ever-ubiquitous Catholic culture continues to "keep pace with the world" and with its needs in various human activities. I think We, faithful folks are not to be like them... We can see many strong, portfolio building trend: "come as you are" we hear "and do not change for the purse sake!" is the reason why. The result? Growth-centered mindset and technique, aiming quantity at the expense of quality. We have seen this before and although we repeat the warnings, this is a thriving practice for the sake of the church budget. The Portfolians are on the threshold, brothers! New strength and vitality In the following note, I would like to highligh...

A   nd where there agape exists, there is a loving invitation and calling. We have a calling to the nations, and NOT an increase in numbers in a club. Club members meet for fellowship - but not to save other people's lives. There is a difference between filia and agape .

God is Love – 2/3 ..how the three connect a study about divine love and interlocking Christian characters This article is part of the "Vitalize" pack “His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness..” 2Pt 1:3.. Pre In this very beginning I must say that there are a lot of ideas floating around about what the apostles teach about love. On the one hand, this is quite scary (knowing that there are theories about love) but it also gives us a great opportunity to investigate the original viewpoint. From the New Covenant perspective, it is important to note that God's love is much brighter for us than it was in the time of the Old Testament. I'm pro classical musician , learned to interpret the original concept and composition . My wife was a linguist so in such cases {and always} I go to the source rather than the traditional di...

by Andreas Köstenberger ... Women’s Roles in Titus 2:3–5 In our day and age, few parts of Scripture are more controversial that the household codes of the New Testament. Indeed, as family structures continue to unravel and hierarchical relations, in the home, the church, or the workplace, are often abusive, the biblical teaching that men and woman have distinct, God-given roles and that women submit to their husbands has fallen on hard times. Yet, for those who are committed to Scripture, we must take a closer look to see what God says about male-female relationships, and women’s roles in particular, throughout Scripture. And one important place to do that is Titus 2. For more details, see chapter 6 in God’s Design for Man and Woman. Paul’s instructions to Titus in chapter 2 are given as part of a household code that conceives of the Church as God’s household . In keeping with this format, Paul gives ministry directives regarding older men (v. 2), older and...

by todaydevotional.com Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy. Hebrews 12:14 For many years ReFrame's Russian-language ministry has been producing a talk show called The Dificult Questions . In this live radio broadcast we answer listeners' questions about the Bible and Christianity. But sometimes we hear from people who have a complaint rather than an inquiry. One caller recently shared that her family left the church because the congregation had many bitter divisions and fights. The woman said that these conflicts weakened her faith. In our Bible reading for today the author of Hebrews urges readers to "make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy." This is not an optional short-term activity but a necessity that requires our lifelong commitment. People who are at peace with God are responsible to pursue peace in their relationships with others. You see, when we seek peace with others, we somehow m...

Por Andreas Köstenberger Las falacias lógicas, tanto formales como informales, se encuentran en todos los campos de estudio, y la exégesis bíblica no es una excepción. Las disyunciones falsas se producen cuando un argumento se presenta de forma "o bien": o bien A o bien B es cierto, pero no ambos. Sin embargo, hay ocasiones en las que la respuesta es "ambos/y" en lugar de "o lo uno o lo otro". Tomemos la relación entre Gálatas 3:28 y 1 Timoteo 2:12, por ejemplo. Gal 3:8 Y la Escritura, previendo que Dios había de justificar por la fe a los gentiles, dio de antemano la buena nueva a Abraham, diciendo: En ti serán benditas todas las naciones. 1Tim 2:12 Porque no permito a la mujer enseñar, ni ejercer dominio sobre el hombre, sino estar en silencio. {RVR1977} A veces se afirma que la afirmación de Pablo en Gálatas 3 de que en Cristo "no hay varón ni mujer" erradica todas las distinciones de género con respecto al minis...

By Andreas Köstenberger Logical fallacies, both formal and informal, are found in every field of study, and biblical exegesis is no exception. False disjunctions are made when an argument is presented in an either or fashion: either A or B is true, but not both. However, there are times when the answer is "both/and" rather than "either/or." Take the relationship between Galatians 3:28 and 1 Timothy 2:12, for example. Gal 3:8 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 1Tim 2:12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. {ESV} It is at times claimed that Paul's assertion in Galatians 3 that in Christ there is "no male and female" eradicates all gender-related distinctions with regard to church ministry, so that the prohibition of women teaching or exercising authority ove...

By Ed Welch During my first year in seminary, I stumbled across a sentence that would deeply shape my relationships with God, those closest to me, and the people I would counsel. It was a year when Scripture appeared to me as a series of fragments. They were all good fragments, but the pieces seemed to lack coherence — and that lack of coherence could sometimes feel painful. So I was always alert to books and ideas that could help me see one story in Scripture rather than an anthology of short stories. I was reading J. Gresham Machen’s book The Christian View of Man with that in mind, and a comment caught my attention. It was something like this: as God is personal, so man is personal. Ah, here was a grand unifying principle for Machen; perhaps it would become one for me.. ... Around the same time, I read Biblical Theology by Geerhardus Vos. He wrote so well about Christ as the center of Scripture, which set me off in a direction that I am still on... Vos gav...

Tanulmányok a Káptalanházban Kölcsönös hit és a gyülekezeti kapcsolatok Az Újtestamentum szellemisége ápolja a tehetségeket, segítve mindenki személyiségét és értékeit. A szimplán vallásos emberekkel ellentétben a hívők elmerülnek Isten szavának és kinyilatkoztatásainak tanulmányozásában. Ez egy szellemi munka: nagyfokú egymásra­utaltságot / kölcsönösséget igényel. A kölcsönösség igazi kihívás, manapság feltérképezetlen terület. Ahogy Tim Maton ( Everyday Church, Wimbledon ) bölcsen megjegyezte: 59 konkrét "egymást" kifejezés, utasítás van a Bibliában arról, hogyan viszonyuljunk egymáshoz az egyházi közösségen belül. Az "egymás" kifejezés a görög allelon [al-el-on] szóból származik, ami azt jelenti, hogy " egymásnak, egymás között, kölcsönösen ". Többek között úgy olvashatjuk: szeretni, gondoskodni, szolgálni, építeni, tisztelni, elfogadni, vigasztalni, bátorítani, és imádkozni egymásért, valamint az a parancs, hogy figyelmeztessü...

Rövid meditáció A kapcsolati változás Iten Újszövetségében. Jézus személyes üzenetként jött hozzánk: Az Ige testté lett és közöttünk lakott {sátrat vert, letelepedett}, és láttuk az ő dicsőségét, mint az Atyától származó egyszülött Fiú dicsőségét, telve kegyelemmel és igazsággal... 1Jn 1,14 Újra kell gondolnunk a naptárunkat, találkozóinkat, hogy biztosak legyünk benne, azokkal az emberekkel töltjük az időnket, akiknek hallaniuk kell és "meghallaniuk" is a Jó Hírt. Ezért, mert hallottam az Úr Jézusba vetett hitetekről és minden szent iránt való szeretetetekről { agape - szeretet }, nem szűnök meg hálát adni értetek, megemlékezem rólatok imáimban, hogy a mi Urunk Jézus Krisztus Istene, a dicsőség Atyja adja meg nektek a bölcsesség és a kinyilatkoztatás Szellemét az ő ismeretében* , hogy megvilágosodjanak szívetek szemei, hogy megismerjétek, mi az a reménység, amelyre elhívott benneteket... Ef 1:14 *A héber gondolkodásmódban "valakinek a megismerése ...

A vezetők figyelik egymást és hajlamosak egymás társaságából és tetteiből meríteni. Nem így az apostolok. Az ő köreik másképp épülnek fel. Együtt járnak Jézussal és ő a modell. .. az élet megjelent, láttuk, tanúságot teszünk róla, és hirdetjük nektek az örök életet, amely az Atyánál volt, és megjelent nekünk. Amit láttunk és hallottunk, azt nektek is hirdetjük, hogy ti is közösségben legyetek velünk. 1Jn 1:2-3 Nem ment fel téged az hogy vezető vagy. Ellenkezőleg. Keresztyén vagy: Modell vagy és Istentől függő életed a minta nem pedig a hajlandóság arra hogy jónak látszó dolgokat tegyél. Isten képes optimalizálni az életedet - ám ezt mások közreműködésével teszi, akkor is ha vezető vagy. "Mi pedig, miközben fedetlen arccal, mint egy tükörben szemléjük az Úr dicsőségét mindnyájan, ugyanarra a képre formálódunk át az Úr Szelleme által, dicsőségről dicsőségre." 2Korintus 3:18 Olvasd el és elmélkedj: Lk 6:45 ; Col 1:11 and Rom 1:11-12 Kapcsolódó cikkek:...

L eaders watch each other and tend to draw from each other's company. Not so the apostles. Their circles are structured differently. They walk with Jesus and He is their only model. .. {The} life was revealed to us, and we have seen it and testify about it. We declare to you this eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us. What we have seen and heard we declare to you so that you, too, can have fellowship with us. 1Jn 1:2-3 {ISV} You're not exempt because you're a leader. On the contrary. You're a Christian: You are a model and your life is patterned on God , not on your willingness to do things that "look good". God can optimize your life - but He does it through others even when you are a leader. "As all of us reflect the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, we are becoming more like him with ever-increasing glory by the Lord’s Spirit." 2Cor 3:18 {ISV} Read and reflect: Lk 6:45; Col 1:11 and Rom 1:11-12 R...

Short Meditation The relational change in Gd's New Testament. Jesus came to us as the personal message : The Word became flesh and dwelt {tabernacled} among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth... 1Jn 1:14 The Word became flesh, forever – and we are not to restore principles based on mere words and orders. We need to reorientate our diaries to make sure we're spending time with the people who need to hear & "hear" the Good News. For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love { agape - love } toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge* of him , having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you... Eph 1:14 *In the H...

Gary Chapman and Clarence Shuler 5lovelanguages.com , clarenceshuler.com W ith the racial tension in Winston-Salem in 1968, there’s no way that I could ever imagine that I would become friends with a white man. I’m not sure Gary Chapman had that on his purview either. Gary and I met in a church gym. Russell, my best friend at the time had been invited by some white girls from his school to this youth function. He didn’t want to be the only black person at this event, so he asked me to go with him. Basketball was my god at that time, so I was all in. The only problem would be convincing my parents that I would be safe at a white function. A family “town hall” meeting was held to determine if I could go to a white church. Just as the decision was being made that I couldn’t go, I yelled, “Jesus will be with us!” Even though I wasn’t a Christian. My proclamation turned the tide because my parents had me in church all the time. In the sixties, it seemed that most blac...