Let’s look for deeper meanings
How many times have you read or heard this story about the “woman at the well”? You know, the Samaritan woman that Jesus encounters and speaks to about living water. How many times do you just think it’s a nice story, it shows Jesus’ compassion, with no other thought at all? Maybe you have other ideas about the passage already. Today I am going to look at this story in John 4:1-42. Read the passage and see if you agree with me.
First off, I apologize for no new post last week. My cat is ill and has been taking up a lot my time with caring for her. She’s nearing 16 and we may be looking at the end for her but in the meantime trying to keep her comfortable and medicate the symptoms the best we can. Just seeing if she can recover this time. If you ever had an aging or ill animal you know the stress and exhaustion (and expense) it can bring. Posts may be sporadic temporarily. Don’t give up on my blog. I appreciate anyone who visits here.
Now for the topic at hand, should you fear God, or should you revere God? Is there a difference? The short answer is, yes, there is a difference. I often hear people say you should “fear God” and by the way they describe this fear is they are fearing what God will do to them. They fear that God will strike them down with a fatal illness, or just end their life abruptly. Some fear that God will punish them if they don’t live up to some standard they created in their hand or when they make a mistake. There are people that fear they are not “saved” and God that will reject them. Finally, some people fear that they just aren’t doing enough for God, as in works.
Continue readingLet’s look at this parable told by Jesus today. What was he saying? How can we apply this? What is the deeper meaning, if there is one? Read Luke 10:25-37. This parable starts out with a man described as being an expert in the law (religious law this would mean) asking Jesus what he must do to obtain eternal life. Jesus asked this man to tell him what the law says and the man replied with,“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,” and “your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus tells him that he is correct. But then the man asks Jesus to tell him who a “neighbor” is. The motive behind these questions is not clear in the text but we see it read, “to justify himself” which could indicate selfish reasons. Jesus answered him with a parable about a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho and encountered robbers who robbed him, beat him and left him for dead.
Continue readingLuke 16:19-31 Read the passage
This passage of scripture Jesus is telling the parable of the rich man and a man named Lazarus (this is not the Lazarus he rose from the dead). This Lazarus is described as a poor man covered with sores, compared to the rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen (purple symbolized royalty or wealth). Both men died in this parable but Lazarus was said to have gone to Abraham’s side, a place of comfort, while the rich man went to Hades, a place of torment. So why did these 2 men go to different places and what are these 2 different places? What was the reason Jesus told this parable?
Continue readingWhen you read the account of Jesus’ death on the cross at Calvary (Golgotha), are you seeing the whole picture? Many people don’t. They see one thing happen there and that one thing is Jesus’ death, but is there more? What about his death? So many people can tell you he died there but they really don’t know the significance or anything outside the fact that he died hanging on a cross. What about the other 2 men who were also there hanging to their deaths? Do they have any significance? It wasn’t an accident or just by chance that they were there, I can tell you that. God always has a plan. Nothing that is done is by accident or just by chance because God is in control of all things and everything is significant. Do we see it? Do we make this scene about us? Is it? What does it say about God? Let’s look at it together. First you need to read the scripture so you know what is being discussed. You can read the account in several places and we are only focusing on the day of the crucifixion but please read the events leading up to it and after (his burial and resurrection). I suggest reading all 4 passages.
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