Week 5 Aug. 29, 2020

The reading for this week was 2 Timothy, Titus and Hebrews.

I decided to focus on Hebrews. From the website st-takla.org Matthew Henry said, "The design of this epistle was to persuade and press the believing Hebrews to a constant adherence to the Christian faith, and perseverance in it, notwithstanding all the sufferings they might meet with in so doing. They needed to believe in the transcendent excellency of the gospel above the law. He needed to take them off from the ceremonies of the law, to which they were so wedded, of which they were so fond, that they even doted on them, and those of them who were Christians retained too much of the old leaven, and needed to be purged from it." 

Hebrews 6:1,2 "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment."

I also found in my study that they were, some of them, stuck on Moses and the laws that he put forth. I believe this is how we can be sometimes when policy changes in the church. We can't quite let go of how it "was" done

Hebrews 8:10 "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my ^alaws into their ^bmind, and write them in their ^chearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:"

Irinna Danielson said on her blog from the church website, "It’s easy to think of “the Church” as a big, global institution. But, really, “the Church” is you and me. It’s the people and their individual acts of love, service, and devotion to God that make all the difference. It’s individuals over institution. When we think of it that way, the responsibility is clear. Our future, as disciples of Jesus Christ, is unprecedented and unparalleled. This is a hinge point in the history of us as individuals to build up what’s ahead—the Savior’s Church for when He returns again."

Week 4 Aug. 19 2020

 This weeks readings were Romans 9-16, Acts 21-28, Ephesians, Phillippians, 

Colossians, 1 Timothy, and Philemon.

I found that the main theme of these chapters is Paul writing to different groups of people putting out little fires and trying to get everyone on the same page. 

He wanted people to not focus on the laws so much and just be good people. The Israelite's had all kinds of laws and it didn't seem to do them any good. What makes us better is our belief and love for Christ that then in turn want to follow the law.

Romans 14:3 "Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him."

Romans 15:6 "That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the ^aFather of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Ephesians 6:11 "Put on the whole ^aarmour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."

Be one, a new person, family under God. We are all different individuals but one entity in God and Christ. Put on armor, habits, that help you grow into this Family unit. Put on the layers that are going to protect you.

Week 3 Aug. 14

 

This week's readings were 2 Corinthians, Galatians, and Romans ch. 1-8. 

As I was reading in Romans ch. 8:36-39 caught my eye and I really liked what it said,

“As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep 

for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that 

loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, 

nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other 

creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our 

Lord.” That is a beautiful thought that I think we need to be reminded about. 

It reminds me of a conference talk The Laborers in the Vineyard by Jeffery R. Holland he 

said, “I do not know who in this vast audience today may need to hear the message of 

forgiveness inherent in this parable, but however late you think you are, however many 

chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or 

talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel 

you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is 

not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines.”

 

I may not always feel worthy of this kind of love but I still always know it's there 

and I'm grateful for that.

Week 2 Aug. 3

This weeks reading was Corinthians and Thessalonians.

So one of the things that was happening during this time was division among the people 

as to who they were going to follow "Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of 

Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified 

for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you," 

I think what is being said here is that Chirst needs to be the center of what and who we 

believe in. I thought about this with the prophest we have had or the ones we hear from 

at conference and we say to our selves I like this one or that one, what they said sounds 

better. What we need to remember is they all speak the same truth which is Christ.

A verse that I don't ever remember reading before caught my eye 1 Corinthians 3:6 "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." What we read, study, hear, or learn can plant the seed but we need to rely on the Lord to make the plant (us) into something.