What would you do for your faith? Martyrs

We are learning about the persecuted church this week. Something I've heard about but never really researched. It really makes you think... how much do you love Jesus? Do you really believe that He is the Way the Truth and the Life? Are you willing to die for Him? These men were! (taken from wikipedia)

• Saint Stephen, Protomartyr, was stoned c. 34 A.D.
• James the Great (Son of Zebedee) was beheaded in 44 A.D.
• Philip the Apostle was crucified in 54 A.D.
• Matthew the Evangelist killed with a halberd in 60 A.D.
• James the Just, beaten to death with a club after being crucified and stoned.
• Matthias was stoned and beheaded.
• Saint Andrew, St. Peter's brother, was crucified.
• Saint Mark was dragged in the streets until his death
• Saint Peter, crucified upside-down.
• Apostle Paul, beheaded in Rome.
• Saint Jude was crucified.
• Saint Bartholomew flayed alive and crucified.
• Thomas the Apostle was killed with a spear.
• Luke the Evangelist was hanged.
• Simon the Zealot was crucified in 74 A.D.

(Note: John the Evangelist according to legend was cooked in boiling hot oil but survived. He was the only one of the original twelve Apostles who was not martyred).

Wow! What am I willing to do for the sake of the Kingdom?

Some prophecies fulfilled! The man Jesus Christ!

Here are a few reason's why I believe that Jesus Christ is the man that He said he was!

In the Old Testament there are well over 300 prophecies given about the coming Messiah. Jesus fulfilled them all.

1. Born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:21-23)
2. A descendant of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3, 22:18; Matthew 1:1; Galations 3:16)
3. Of the tribe of Judah (genesis 49:10; Luke 3:23, 33; Hebrews 7:14)
4. Of the house of David (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Matthew 1:1)
5. Born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:4-7)
6. Taken to Egypt (Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:14-15)
7. Herod's killing of the infants Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:14-15)
8. Annointed by the HOly Spirit (Isaiah 11:2; Matthew 2:16-18)
9. Heralded by the messenger of the Lord (John the Baptist) (Isaiah 40:3-5; Malachi 3:1; Matthew 3:1-3)
10. Would perform miracles (Isaiah 35:5-6; Matthew 9:35)
11. Would preach good news (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:14-21)
12. Would minister in Galilee (Isaiah 9:1; Matthew 4:12-16)
13. Would cleanse the Temple (Malachi 3:1; Matthew 21:12-13)
14. Would enter Jerusalem as a king on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21: 4-9)
15. Die a humiliating death involving: rejection, betrayal by a friend, sold for 30 pieces of silver, silence before His accusers, mocked, beaten, spit upon, pierced hands and feet, being crucified with thieves, praying for His persecutors, piercing His side, given gall and vinegar to drink, no broken bones, buried in a rich man's tomb, casting lots for His garments (Psalm 22, Isaiah 53; Matthew 27; John!)
16. Would rise from the dead! (Psalm 16:10; Mark 16:6; Acts 2:31)
17. Ascend into Heaven (Psalm 68:18; Acts 1:9)
18. Would sit down at the right hand of God. (Psalm 110:1; Hebrews 1:3)

Those are just a few reasons. My absolute favorite one is riding into Jerusalem as a king on a donkey! "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you righteous and hiving salcation gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." (Zech. 9:9) Think of the rediculousness of this claim! Who would rejoice and be glad to see a king ride a donkey? Kings do NOT ride donkeys... they have trusty steeds for the kings! But nevertheless Matthew 21 shows Jesus coming into town on a donkey... and the crowd is praising "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comesin the name of the Lord!"

I love the Bible :-)

Time to give

Perhaps it is time for an update! It hasn't been as long as I thought since I last posted something... but it's still been too long!

I've had so many thoughts and almost every thought ends in a "I should blog about this" and yet I haven't thus far...

Fear not- there are good thoughts to come!

My favorite season!

I have decided with certainty that Spring is my favorite season. Without a shadow of a doubt. I love everything about Spring... though I suppose you could probably bring up a few things I may not. I love the weather... I can still wear jeans and a t-shirt, with a sweatshirt for the chilly night. I love the flowers! Lilacs, crab apple trees, cherry trees, and other blossoms and blooms I couldn't identify if I tried. I love the occasional thunderstorm, though I haven't gotten my fill yet!

Yep- I most definitely love spring. I miss the Korean Cherry Blossoms though.
Oh well- for now, I'm content where I am.

Easter

Last year Easter sucked... so much so that I don't even remember it one bit! Nothing special happened and no one made a ham... This year's won't be much better I guess.

BUT- FEAR NOT... a good thought.

Last weekend I went to Bethlehem Baptist and heard John Piper speak. A small sentence struck me right away in the beginning. He said, "Easter is coming and this time you will hve no help from the world. No carols. No presents. It's up to you to decide the impact of this week." Wow... such a country we live in. People just don't care about Easter. It's the most important holiday we have! The most important event in all of history. The thing that breathes life and gives a promise of hope and future. And yet... we don't care.

I've found that I myself am offended at the pictures of the cross. Many were upset at the Passion movie scenes of brutality. The pain. Death. But oh then the Resurrection! It's amazing to think of it all. To actually sit back and think about the history... the implications... the pain... and the hope that follows.

Piper gave a message that was really interesting to me. I felt like I learned something new. It was from John 3 and Number 21. "Snakes in the Wilderness". I didn't really know about the story of God sending poisonous serpants to kill the Israelites in the desert. And Moses praying for Mercy and God granting it... Read the story... it's good. Seemingly unimportant yet intriguing. John 3:14- "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyon who believes in him may have eternal life."

A snake is offensive... why didn't they lift up a sheep? Or maybe a kitten. I wouldn't mind so much looking at something cute and cuddly to save me... but a snake? A beaten and bloody man?

A few observations from the sermon. 1) The serpent on the pole (Number 21) is not preventative- it doesn't stop the people from dying. It is a choice to look on it and be saved. There is still trouble and pain involved.

2) God poured out His justice and Wrath, but is reversing His anger by giving saving grace.

3) God chose to rescue sinful people from the curse with a picture of the curse.

Great thoughts. Cherish the Holiday... even if no one bakes you a ham.

Love- what the heck is it?

We did a project this week within my cell group. We've been having a little trouble with people not doing their chores and eating other's food, etc. A lot of carelessness. So, instead of a fine or a stern warning, my mentor met with us with tears. She brought the message to us loud and clear. We weren't showing love. So this last week was a week of serving each other. It was good. It was hard, but it was good. We all had to choose someone to serve for the week and the one suggestion was to make each other's beds. It was a little weird, but good. We also could try everything else we could possibly think of to serve. Let me tell you, the dishes were always done and so far my food hasn't been stolen.

The entirety of the last week has focused a lot on love, not only in this small challenge within my cell group, but also in class and in a paper I wrote.

Do you love? 1 Corinthians 13 seems so cliche... everyone has heard it read time and time again at weddings, seen it in cards, etc etc. But really... do you know what love is? Better yet- do you love?

Here is a small excerpt from my paper.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” (1Corinthians13:4)
We begin the list that greater explains the attributes and non-attributes of love with two positives. What is love? Love is patient, Love is kind; an automatic slap in the face to most. Patient? You mean when someone angers me with their selfishness or misunderstanding I should be patient? You mean when my child is on the floor of the grocery store complaining, I should be patient in my love? Ouch. When my spouse doesn’t remember dinner plans and shows up late I should be patient? How often we forget that Love is patient! I consider patience to be one of the fruits of the Spirit that is extremely difficult to be consistent in. But what a beautiful fruit it is. When I have better realized how to be patient, I know that I will better realize how to really love.
It is a little easier to connect Love with kindness. The opposite of being kind is mean, and certainly if you Love someone you won’t be mean to them! And yet I remember acts of injustice that I have done to friends and family that I love. Stealing, unkind words, fights, curses; the list goes on. I guess it is much more difficult to be kind than I thought. After the two aspects of what love is, Paul gives us a few of what love isn’t. Love does not envy. I love my brothers. They both have substantially more money than I do, but by the grace of God I don’t envy them for it. Though I’m certain there were times growing up that they got a bigger piece of cake than I did and I didn’t love them for it. “It does not boast.” And what happened if I got the bigger piece? Did I rub it in their face? What about a better report card? How do you handle blessings that you are given? How about blessings that another is given? Love is not proud; arrogant, conceited, self-important, pompous, self-righteous, overconfident. Ouch, ugly words. These synonyms for proud are easy to see as outside the realm of love. And yet I’m sure we can all come up with an example of how we treated someone we “love” badly because of being proud.

Pretty bad when you forget your Blog

Yep- I forgot the name of my blog. And clearly forgot or rather denied to post anything except the first entry. I promise there will be things to come... but for now I need to work on my newsletter... and then I'll post it!
Cheers!

To ever Sing for Joy

I figured I'd start a blog again. And I want to try to make it good... but we'll see.

I'm really loving this new season of education. It is constantly stretching my mind. It's awesome to study the scripture as an adult (finally!) and to have amazing professors and people all around with incredible hearts!

I am amazed that I have gone 25 years without ever hearing some of the ideas that they talk about here. Normally I'd be raising a red flag! ABORT ABORT! BUT- I have yet to find fault with it. I thought I knew so much when I was younger, but the more I learn, the less I know! There are a few here who think they've got it all figured out (just like I did). I hope they can get past their ignorance.

My life verse... well chapter really- Psalm 5

Give ear to my words, O LORD,

consider my sighing.
2 Listen to my cry for help,

my King and my God,

for to you I pray.
3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;

in the morning I lay my requests before you

and wait in expectation.
4 You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil;

with you the wicked cannot dwell.
5 The arrogant cannot stand in your presence;

you hate all who do wrong.
6 You destroy those who tell lies;

bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors.
7 But I, by your great mercy,

will come into your house;

in reverence will I bow down

toward your holy temple.
8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness

because of my enemies—

make straight your way before me.
11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad;

let them ever sing for joy.

Spread your protection over them,

that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
12 For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous;

you surround them with your favor as with a shield.