Bible Study - Class meets on Thursday from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM CST.

[1luv]

1.  I know I am late to the game and I just saw this thread just now.  I would like to join in the discussion to understand the bible even more. 

In Mark 8, Jesus Christ did a miracle on a blind's man eyes but at the end, he told the blind man not to go into the village.  Why? 

Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into[a] the village.”

[1luv]

Starting with Mark 8:31, we see this. 

31i He began to teach them that the Son of Man* must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. 32He spoke this openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

1.  This shows me that even we can speak the tongues of the devil.  I know I am guilty of it.  Sometime I speak with the holy spirit to guide me but other times, I speak of the devil.  If Peter, a disciple of Jesus Christ, a man who is close to Jesus Christ and is able to get tempted by Satan then who are we again? 

2.  Peter went on to denied Jesus Christ 3 times which ask us if there were times that we rejected Jesus Christ in our lives.  Even Mother Theresa in her memoirs have said that she had doubts. 

[cali_lady]

Cali_Lady, do you still have questions about Chapter 8?  I am going to try and touch on a few items throughout the book of Mark.

not anymore, thanks...i'm reading 1luv's summary...

[1luv]

not anymore, thanks...i'm reading 1luv's summary...

1.  I will try to add additions to the works being done by the ladylion if possible.  I like to use the bible and see how it fits in our everyday modern life.  I know that the bible was written during the ancient times but when she fits into our life with the teachings on how we can live a better life, it then strengthen our belief and makes the bible even more that interesting. 

2.  Carry on

[LadyLionness]

1luv,

We would love to have you join us.  It is true that the Bible was written long ago, for an entirely different people and culture, and the beauty of it is that the Word of God is timeless and can be applicable to our daily live, regardless of time, culture, etc.

[LadyLionness]

Mark 7:1-10
1 When some Pharisees and some teachers of the law came from Jerusalem, they gathered around Jesus. 2 They saw that some of Jesus' followers ate food with hands that were not clean, that is, they hadn't washed them. 3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews never eat before washing their hands in a special way according to their unwritten laws. 4 And when they buy something in the market, they never eat it until they wash themselves in a special way. They also follow many other unwritten laws, such as the washing of cups, pitchers, and pots.) 5 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law said to Jesus, "Why don't your followers obey the unwritten laws which have been handed down to us? Why do your followers eat their food with hands that are not clean?" 6 Jesus answered, "Isaiah was right when he spoke about you hypocrites. He wrote, 'These people show honor to me with words, but their hearts are far from me. 7 Their worship of me is worthless. The things they teach are nothing but human rules.' 8 You have stopped following the commands of God, and you follow only human teachings." 9 Then Jesus said to them, "You cleverly ignore the commands of God so you can follow your own teachings. 10 Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 'Anyone who says cruel things to his father or mother must be put to death.'

I often find that we are a culture where being proper is very highly value and as Christians, we are expected to represent that.  It's good to strive to be Christ-like, but it can be taken to a whole different level when some people believe that Christians are supposed to look, act, and talk a certain way and is not allowed to go or do certain things.  Anyone stepping out of that expected norm is criticized or looked down upon as being less of a Christian... without anyone knowing what's in their hearts.  Adn the I also see the "perfect" Christian, who dresses, act, and speak perfectly proper and correct all the time (or so it seem and as far as any outsider can tell), and these people are put on pedestals and leadership positions.... without anyone really knowing or examining what's really in their hearts.

One great design of Christ's coming was, to set aside the ceremonial law; and to make way for this, he rejects the ceremonies men added to the law of God's making. Those clean hands and that pure heart which Christ bestows on his disciples, and requires of them, are very different from the outward and superstitious forms of Pharisees of every age. Jesus reproves them for rejecting the commandment of God.  And sometimes as Christians, God told us very clearly to not judge anyone, but to leave them to Him and He alone.

[LadyLionness]

Mark 7

19 It does not go into the mind, but into the stomach. Then it goes out of the body." (When Jesus said this, he meant that no longer was any food unclean for people to eat.) 20 And Jesus said, "The things that come out of people are the things that make them unclean. 21 All these evil things begin inside people, in the mind: evil thoughts, sexual sins, stealing, murder, adultery, 22 greed, evil actions, lying, doing sinful things, jealousy, speaking evil of others, pride, and foolish living. 23 All these evil things come from inside and make people unclean."

This to me, is very profound.  

[LadyLionness]

Mark 11:22 - 24

22 Jesus answered, "Have faith in God. 23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, 'Go, fall into the sea.' And if you have no doubts in your mind and believe that what you say will happen, God will do it for you. 24 So I tell you to believe that you have received the things you ask for in prayer, and God will give them to you.

This is a promise that I always hold onto and use when I am emploring God to answer my prayers.  I learned from a prayer warrior that when we pray, we need to pray the promises of God.  These verses are highlighted ORANGE in my Bibles... signifying God's promises to me.

[LadyLionness]

Mark 13:5-8

5 Jesus began to answer them, "Be careful that no one fools you. 6 Many people will come in my name, saying, 'I am the One,' and they will fool many people. 7 When you hear about wars and stories of wars that are coming, don't be afraid. These things must happen before the end comes. 8 Nations will fight against other nations, and kingdoms against other kingdoms. There will be earthquakes in different places, and there will be times when there is no food for people to eat. These things are like the first pains when something new is about to be born.

Mark 13:17-27
17 At that time, how terrible it will be for women who are pregnant or have nursing babies! 18 Pray that these things will not happen in winter, 19 because those days will be full of trouble. There will be more trouble than there has ever been since the beginning, when God made the world, until now, and nothing as bad will ever happen again. 20 God has decided to make that terrible time short. Otherwise, no one would go on living. But God will make that time short to help the people he has chosen. 21 At that time, someone might say to you, 'Look, there is the Christ!' Or another person might say, 'There he is!' But don't believe them. 22 False Christs and false prophets will come and perform great wonders and miracles. They will try to fool even the people God has chosen, if that is possible. 23 So be careful. I have warned you about all this before it happens. 24 "During the days after this trouble comes, 'the sun will grow dark, and the moon will not give its light. 25 The stars will fall from the sky. And the powers of the heavens will be shaken.' 26 "Then people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 Then he will send his angels all around the earth to gather his chosen people from every part of the earth and from every part of heaven.


It is these statement that puts the fire into my heart to lead this Bible Study.  The best weapon against false prophets is knowing the truth.  The only way to know the truth is to ground yourself in the Word of God.  The only way to do that is to read it from cover to cover and not just find the verse that speaks to your situation.

If I pay attention to the news, there is a part of me that feel like we are living in the end times... be ready.

[1luv]

It is these statement that puts the fire into my heart to lead this Bible Study.  The best weapon against false prophets is knowing the truth.  The only way to know the truth is to ground yourself in the Word of God.  The only way to do that is to read it from cover to cover and not just find the verse that speaks to your situation.

Some will say that John the Baptist was the last prophet or that after Jesus Christ, there is no more prophet however, this issue about whether there still is or still not is are subjective to different schools of thoughts.  The definition of it can be hazy as well.   The OT have many prophets, all building a foundation for Jesus Christ.   So do prophets see the future or are they used as an instrument by God to relay the message to people? 

This verse here shows that after Jesus Christ, they will or might be prophets. 
Acts 2:17
‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

You can test our modern day prophets, if there is such a thing, if they accepts Jesus Christ or denies him like Mohammed, Manni or Joseph Smith. 

It seems like the men were unable to have these direct types of communications with their God before Jesus Christ and thus were needed them OT prophet like Moses to be God's mediator.  After Jesus Christ, his Holy Spirit came upon men as he instructed his disciples to go forth and do miracles and healed the sick like how Jesus Christ was able to performs them when he was still alive.  How do we even know that men are now able to get this gift of prophecies so of speak? 
John 14:15-17   “If you love me, keep my commands.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—  the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

This bible verse here shows that there are still prophets after Jesus Christ.
Acts 21:10  After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

However, Agabus is a type of prophet that can see the future.  The prophets we have now are gifted with a different talent, perhaps the kind to heal and comfort but non of them can see the future like agabus. 
1 Corinthians 14:3 But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.

The bible also teaches us to test these prophets for the truth.
1 John 4:1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

With that in mind, I will now leave you with this bible verse here.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.

[LadyLionness]

With that in mind, I will now leave you with this bible verse here.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.

Before I read the Bible through, from cover to cover, I used to be terrified of Nuclear War and the End Times.  Now, I know that it will come, and even if it comes in my life time, I am ready for it.

[LadyLionness]

Thank you, Jumong.

[LadyLionness]

Intro to the Book of James (John Maxwell's Leadership Bible)

James is the kind of book you ought to read standing up.  It contains a ringing call for action, a plea for vital Christianity and a faith that demonstrates itself not in mere words, but in lifestyle.  James is one of the most pratical books of the Bible, teaching that faith without corresponding action is dead.

If James were leading an organization and you were his employee, you would feel the heat of this leader.  he would motiviate you wiht words like:

"Don't tell me about your accomplishmens; show me!"

"The more you walk the walk, the less you have to talk!

"Let's put some shoe leather on our core values!"

In this short book of five chapters, James addresses temptation, hypocrisy, prejudice, how to deal with problems, deception, discipline, controlling the tonue, recognizing godly wisdom, conflict, humility, priorities, patience, and faith.

James models a leadership weary of steile mission stements framed on a wall.  he cares nothing for the set of core vaues the subcommittee wrote down last year if they were only words on paper that got filed away.  he is an activist who labels as "self-deceived" those who say they are committed to do something but never do it.

James also models a leadership that errs on the side of gragmatism.  Because he doesn't want anyone to miss "practicing what they preach," he suggests several ideas on how to flesh out the mission of Christ - from feeding and clothing the poor, to providing good seating at church services for the poor, to controlling your speech, to praying for th esick and those in need.  He intuitively knows that leadship integrity exists only when our words and actions meet.

James also furnishes us with the best common-sense wisdom regarding life on earth.  he strongly advocated humility in the sight of God and encourages us to pray when we don't know what to do next.  He possess a divine perspective that enables a follower to trust him more easily.  Jeames maintains a big-picture viewof eternity while incarnating his beliefs in a pair of overalls.

[LadyLionness]

Translating Faith into Obediance (John Maxwell's Leadership Bible)

God speaks to leaders in this book about real-life sitations.  This book especially helps the leader who gets caught up in an idealistic vision and never gets to his to-do list.  God calls us to translate our faith into obedience.

Every leader should read this brief book with the goal of personal faithfulness to God and to his or her leadership position.  After reading this book, you will sense a leader's passion and conviction about jsutice.  You will also observe a wise leader communicating persepective to erring followers.  And you will be challenged to pay the pirce to practice what you preach.

- The more you walk, the less you have to talk.

- Integrity occus when words and actions match.

- Leaders will be judged more strictly than followers.
 
- If you can bridle your tongue, you can discipline any part of your life.

- Leadership motives must be pure; mercy and justice are healthy motivators.

-Leaders are to be humble themselves and let God exalt them in due time. 

[LadyLionness]

A story from the Max Lucado Devotional

Francis of Assisi once invited an apprentice to go with him to a nearby vilalge to preach.  The young monk quickly agreed, seizing an opportunity to hear his teacher speak.  When they arrived in the village, St. Francis began to visit with the people.

First he stopped in on the butcher.  Next a vsist with the cobbler.  then a short walk to the home of a woman who'd recently buried her hsuband.  After that a stop at the school to chat with the teacher.  This continued throughout the morning.  After some time, Francis told his disciple that it was time to return to the abeey.

The student did not understand.  "But we came to preach," he reminded.  "We haven't preached a sermon."  

"Haven't we?" quested the elder.  "People have watched us, listened to us, responded to us.  Every word we have spoken, every deed we have done has been a sermon.  We have preached all morning."

His message is bare-nuckled; his style is bare-boned.  Talk is cheap, he argues.  Service is invaluable.

It's not that works save the Christian, but that works mark the Christian.  In James' book of logic, it only makes sense that we who have been given much should give much.  Not just with words, but with our lives.  Or as St. Francis was noted as saying, "Preach without ceasing.  If you must, use words."

James would have liked this story.  As far as he was concerned, Christianity was more action on Monday than worship on Sunday.  "My brothers and sisters, if people say they have faith, but do nothing, their faith is worth nothing.  Can faith like that save them? (2:14).