Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes . . .
So - it's been a while . . . .
Some of my absence was controllable, some was not. I'm sure you've all had the same challenges in life so I'm not going to beat myself up for it - just gonna take the bull by the horns and start again. I must say, it's so much easier to be faithful to this kind of study and writing when teaching a physical class - when you KNOW there will be people there each week expecting to hear something useful from you. I am on a learning and growing curve so Thank You for your patience with me.
That said, I tried to get back to the Return To Me study today. It felt flat. Nothing I read felt like it was what I was supposed to be reading. I re-read Day 5 to get back "into the groove" then on to Day 6 and just felt in my Spirit that this was not where God wanted me today. It's been on my mind a lot lately to be reading the book of John since that is what our pastor is preaching from - reading ahead to prepare my heart for the sermons - so I thought I'd jump into that. As he's going through the book in reverse (you can check out our "REWIND" series at https://vimeo.com/user42684521), I'm not 100% sure what chapter he'll go to next. We've done ch. 20 - 18, so one would presume 17, but he sometimes skips and I like context so I thought I'd start in 15 and work my way up through 17 at least. Again, the reading felt "flat." So I thought for a bit and calculated that if I started in 20 today and read 1 chapter back each day, I'd be on 17 by Sunday and maybe be better prepared with reverse context in mind - so I started on chapter 20 - and it felt right! :-)
Today's thoughts, therefore, are from John 20-21. They will be brief and somewhat light, but it's where the Lord has me today and my prayer is that something in here will inspire, encourage, challenge, or otherwise have a positive impact on your day :-)
20:9-10 "For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead, Then the disciples went away again to their own homes." A lesson in not presuming on what a fellow believer should/should not understand. From our perspective, the teachings were clear - and, in reality, they WERE - HOWEVER, God did not allow the disciples to fully comprehend the truth even when it was staring them right in the face. God's ways are not our ways - His thoughts are not our thoughts - He is taking each of us INDIVIDUALLY on a relational journey that centers on Him. Just cuz we "get it" in some area of doctrine or practice, doesn't mean we can or should expect another to be in the same place on that particular issue and, more importantly, we should not stand in judgement over them. That's like telling God He's not doing His job to our satisfaction . . . At least, that's how I see it.
20:11-17 Nothing major here. It's just that I've heard verse 17 presented by many and Jesus "rebuking" Mary - that word might actually be used in another version than the one I'm currently referencing - but my point is that it's sort of taught as Jesus speaking perhaps a bit harshly to Mary - with a sort of "Hey, back off" type of attitude. I don't see this at all. In my mind - and it's just my mind because Scripture really doesn't lay this out for us - the "rebuke" is much gentler. I see Mary weeping, I see her in such grief she doesn't recognize her Lord (probably did not look him in the face the first time?? - v14). I see Jesus, driven by compassion, speaking the name of his beloved child and her turning, recognizing him, and enfolding him in a loving, amazed, shocked, and perhaps even desperate embrace - needing to make sure he's real and not wanting to lose him again. I see Jesus gently taking her arms and pulling them from him - perhaps holding her hands in his in front of him as he looks her in the eyes with a smile and gently lets her know His job isn't finished yet and she needs to let Him complete it. I think it's probably a beautiful, joyful moment. Just my impression.
John 20:23 - this verse challenges me because of the way it is translated. Rather than go into a long discussion of it (which is what it really needs), I will refer you for now to Dr. John MacArthur - whose teachings I trust. His thoughts on this and the whole concept surrounding it can be found at https://www.gty.org/library/bibleqnas-library/BQ060612/peter-the-rock-of-the-church
This actually went longer than expected :-p and I have to head to work now so I will endeavor to do thoughts on Ch 21 this evening or tomorrow a.m. at latest.
Till then . . . :-)
Some of my absence was controllable, some was not. I'm sure you've all had the same challenges in life so I'm not going to beat myself up for it - just gonna take the bull by the horns and start again. I must say, it's so much easier to be faithful to this kind of study and writing when teaching a physical class - when you KNOW there will be people there each week expecting to hear something useful from you. I am on a learning and growing curve so Thank You for your patience with me.
That said, I tried to get back to the Return To Me study today. It felt flat. Nothing I read felt like it was what I was supposed to be reading. I re-read Day 5 to get back "into the groove" then on to Day 6 and just felt in my Spirit that this was not where God wanted me today. It's been on my mind a lot lately to be reading the book of John since that is what our pastor is preaching from - reading ahead to prepare my heart for the sermons - so I thought I'd jump into that. As he's going through the book in reverse (you can check out our "REWIND" series at https://vimeo.com/user42684521), I'm not 100% sure what chapter he'll go to next. We've done ch. 20 - 18, so one would presume 17, but he sometimes skips and I like context so I thought I'd start in 15 and work my way up through 17 at least. Again, the reading felt "flat." So I thought for a bit and calculated that if I started in 20 today and read 1 chapter back each day, I'd be on 17 by Sunday and maybe be better prepared with reverse context in mind - so I started on chapter 20 - and it felt right! :-)
Today's thoughts, therefore, are from John 20-21. They will be brief and somewhat light, but it's where the Lord has me today and my prayer is that something in here will inspire, encourage, challenge, or otherwise have a positive impact on your day :-)
20:9-10 "For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead, Then the disciples went away again to their own homes." A lesson in not presuming on what a fellow believer should/should not understand. From our perspective, the teachings were clear - and, in reality, they WERE - HOWEVER, God did not allow the disciples to fully comprehend the truth even when it was staring them right in the face. God's ways are not our ways - His thoughts are not our thoughts - He is taking each of us INDIVIDUALLY on a relational journey that centers on Him. Just cuz we "get it" in some area of doctrine or practice, doesn't mean we can or should expect another to be in the same place on that particular issue and, more importantly, we should not stand in judgement over them. That's like telling God He's not doing His job to our satisfaction . . . At least, that's how I see it.
20:11-17 Nothing major here. It's just that I've heard verse 17 presented by many and Jesus "rebuking" Mary - that word might actually be used in another version than the one I'm currently referencing - but my point is that it's sort of taught as Jesus speaking perhaps a bit harshly to Mary - with a sort of "Hey, back off" type of attitude. I don't see this at all. In my mind - and it's just my mind because Scripture really doesn't lay this out for us - the "rebuke" is much gentler. I see Mary weeping, I see her in such grief she doesn't recognize her Lord (probably did not look him in the face the first time?? - v14). I see Jesus, driven by compassion, speaking the name of his beloved child and her turning, recognizing him, and enfolding him in a loving, amazed, shocked, and perhaps even desperate embrace - needing to make sure he's real and not wanting to lose him again. I see Jesus gently taking her arms and pulling them from him - perhaps holding her hands in his in front of him as he looks her in the eyes with a smile and gently lets her know His job isn't finished yet and she needs to let Him complete it. I think it's probably a beautiful, joyful moment. Just my impression.
John 20:23 - this verse challenges me because of the way it is translated. Rather than go into a long discussion of it (which is what it really needs), I will refer you for now to Dr. John MacArthur - whose teachings I trust. His thoughts on this and the whole concept surrounding it can be found at https://www.gty.org/library/bibleqnas-library/BQ060612/peter-the-rock-of-the-church
This actually went longer than expected :-p and I have to head to work now so I will endeavor to do thoughts on Ch 21 this evening or tomorrow a.m. at latest.
Till then . . . :-)
posted by Eowyn7 | 8:59 AM
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