On a Positive Note...

The good thing about being forced to stay home... I completed my first whole week of our Genesis 2 class! Starting off on the right foot!

SP Conference, Part Five

During the last leg of the day, we had the priviledge of listening to Steven Meyer of the Discovery Institute. Dr. Meyer is one of the leading individuals presenting the case for intelligent design, and this is what he showed us tonight. He shared his testimony, why he has pursued forming a "rigorous scientific argument" in favor of intelligent design, and the situation when the person (I can't remember his name) responsible for the content of the Smithsonian's publication allowed Dr. Meyer's article into the magazine. He was literally put through the ringer for even allowing an article that didn't support evolution into the journal- nevermind that the article was well written, accurate, and worth considering, which was his opinion. This man was later vindicated by a government agency for this abuse. His entire story is in Ben Stein's movie "EXpelled."
Dr. Meyer also gave us several of the examples he's used to exemplify ID- the nanotechnology that exists inside each of our cells, the motors that govern our cellular functions. The nail in the evolutionary coffin is that no one can explain the origin of information. Life does NOT happen without the information, and information had to be in place prior to, not evolving later. Even in the smallest of single cell organisms, these tiny machines with 20+ moving parts could not have evolved. One thing that was funny to me was that when he would put pictures of these miniature motors on the screen, you could see the recognition in the faces of the crowd. Not mine! All I see is a picture with lots of different parts. Just an example of how non-mechanically I think :-)

For the final presentation of the night, Joseph Farah (founder of Worldnetdaily.com) inspired us to stand strong to our convictions. Biblical convictions in particular. He started out by saying that he had a great talk all written out, just to listen to Alan Keyes present it the night before! :-) He then went on to tell us about the Tea Party movement, and how the masses are jumping on board in waves, but also how some groups are trying to limit what it is standing for... ie. economic change instead of a sweeping return to constitutional rights and freedoms. Then he shared the beginning of what I thought was one of the most convicting portions of the whole conference. He began with sharing what had happended earlier this summer with WorldnetDaily and Ann Coulter... ending with a list of conservative leaders who are bending on the issue of same-sex marriage. The point is that if you claim Christianity, if you stand by God's law, if you want to reflect Biblical morality... you better not be compromising on the issue of homosexuality. God could not have been more clear on His position regarding this sin. It is punishable by death, it is called "wicked," "perversion," "unnatural," "penalty...." (Genesis, Leviticus, Romans, Jude, 1 Corinthians) There is no "gray area." Marriage is defined by Christ Himself as between a man and woman. We can justify whatever we want- we've become very good at it. But if we take on the name of Christ as Christians, and then try to explain away what God has made very clear... we'd better be prepared to reap the consequences of our hypocrital testimony, from both God and the world.

How's that for controversial? :-) And please note- I have people I know and love who are gay. But when the time comes for me to stand on the Word, I pray for courage and strength and love towards all who disagree. We are called to be NOT of this world...

Home Again- Notes from Strategic Perspectives Confernece

I so wanted to post last night and the night before about what we were attending, but I know I have to be safe about posting that we aren't home! But now we are, and I can share.

I love this weekend. Every year it is such a rejuvenating experience! First off, the getting away with Gabe is so great :-) Second, the teaching is beyond fabulous, and I really really love when the Lord validates what He has been saying to my heart!

Friday night started with Ben Courson, a 23 year old author/teaching pastor who speaks regularly in front of a crowd of 1000-1500 young adults. He spoke on how our generations (x,y, and Millenials) have, for a variety of reasons, been taught and/or raised without the fear of God, even though we seem to have a great grasp on how much He loves us. I loved this because I felt exactly that way as God was maturing me- how I knew all about Him, but I had NO IDEA what it even meant to FEAR Him! John 14:15 If you love me, keep my commandments.

Second on Friday night was Alan Keyes. I had heard his name before, and was somewhat familiar with his resume, but had never heard him speak. When he started, I actually had the naughty thought "This man was a candidate for the 2000 Republican Presidential nomination?" His voice was quiet, introspective, and thoughtful. Not minutes later, I was blown away by his presence as he quickly got rolling into one of the most edifying and accurate! political speeches I've heard! One of my biggest pet peeves about politics is that I can't believe a single word that I hear. But from this man came truth and perspective that is uncommon among any realm of politics. I felt encouraged to vote with GOD's principles, and not those of our world. To have faith in what HE can do when we OBEY and follow His Word! One of my most favorite notes I took was this: (not exact, as I was desperately trying to keep up!) "It is better to live under the rule of sinners who acknowledge the Truth that condemns their sin than to live under those who would condemn that Truth." Wow! What's the point? For Christians to stand up and 1- VOTE! We have no right to complain one iota if we did not participate in the political process. 2- If you don't see it, BE IT! We are all disgusted by the "choose the lesser of two evils" options, so if God lays it on your heart- Be the better option! 3- READ the Word and understand what God has to say about government, military, social programs, and education! Understand why our founding fathers made this country into what they did, based upon Christian morals and beliefs, and vote to return it to a place of freedom, not socialistic opression.

More later... Saturday was overflowing with more amazing teaching and enlightenment!

Hermeneutics

I've been pondering this post for a long time- It is difficult to put faith into words sometimes! After a request to more fully explain what to take literally and not, we enrolled in a Hermeneutics class. I gleaned a great deal from the class, but have been unsure of how to verbalize it. I think sharing notes is the easiest way to explain it? We'll see.

Hermeneutics refers to your method of interpreting the Bible.
I don't know what I'm classified as- when I read things about "literalist," they are terribly limiting by their own definitions and assumptions- This may just be the different authors or what, but I would say that their perspectives definitely skew their opinions!

However, I do agree with these statements regarding Bible study:
* God means what He says, and says what He means.
* The Bible is an integrated whole: Every detail is there by design.
* Nothing is trivial: All things are for our learning.
* God is His own interpreter. (Not such and such teacher, or translation, or denomination!)

I also have been long vexed by the arguments for the different translations, as they all have their pros/cons, but obviously, none is perfect. Some are better than others, *most* all can be used to bring someone to faith, but for study purposes, it's better to get as close to original as possible, right? The conclusion I believe I was given is that no matter what "translation" I am using, none of them are the direct word of God. The Words of Scripture are God's own- in the original languages. (That's why I look up what the Greek definition is, not Websters!)
This is why I find it so exciting that I do not have to know Hebrew or Greek to be able to find out what God was originally saying; we live in an age where research is open to all, and thanks to computers, I don't have to have a personal library to do it. (Not to say I shouldn't be building one, but you know...) Example: blueletterbible.com with just a click you can access lexicons, translations, concordances.... It's amazing!

A few other notes:

All Scripture is given by inspiration [Godbreathed]
of God, and is profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction, for instruction
in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16
I like this expansion....
“All Scripture is . . . profitable” in four ways: for
doctrine—that’s what’s right; for reproof—that’s
what’s not right; for correction—that’s how to get
right; and for instruction in righteousness—that’s
how to stay right.

*What about figures of speech?
There are over 200 different types of figures of speech in Scripture- No, we don't take them literally, as they are not meant to be. But they are more than worthy of study and consideration; the deeper meanings are such a treasure! Often, they can be used to help interpret a different scripture because of the correlating figures of speech... it's a treasure hunt!

Pitfalls to be aware of regarding bible study:
1. Analysis Paralysis: Data lacking relevance- This is a spiritual study, not intellectual only.
2. Textual Doubts: Founded in "scholarship" or arrogant skepticism?
3. Relying on Church History: Set aside your traditional teaching and read the Word!
4. Not "Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth"
5. Distinguish between Israel and the Church: the Lord deals with Israel and the church mutually exclusively; their origin, mission, and destiny are each unique.
6. The Hazards of Presuppositions: Examine the texts for yourself- sometimes we are taught theories that are more simplistic than accurate. Line them up Biblically and make your own decision.
7. Lacking the Whole Counsel of God: the entire Word is the final test, don't let single contexts drag you down without comparing them to what the whole context says.

Preconditions to Study:
* Are you saved? Essential prerequisite.
* Prayer! Always! Be under the tutorship of the Author!
* Obedience. Be pre-commited and surrendered, not in a rebellious frame of mind.

A love of the Bible requires knowing your Bible; Knowing your Bible leads to a deeper love of Him.

Why would I say this method of interpretation is correct? I find freedom in making God responsible for what I believe because of what He has inspired instead of having myself be responsible to decide what in the Bible is truth and what isn't.

Why would I say I'm right in my understanding or learning? Other than the obvious written Truths, such as the Gospel, I wouldn't, not for sure. This is a lifelong journey! But you know those little bites of wonder that the Spirit shares with you? Those I will cling to with certainty, until the Spirit or the Word tells me differently. There is no greater high than having Him give me a treasure, and that alone will keep me on my journey. They may sometimes be far and few between, but the Word has lots to keep me busy! :-) It's probably a good thing, because some lessons take years to fully grasp and apply in obedience- that is definitely a personal experience! It's hard to "put off the old... and put on the new" but it is a blessing to obey!

And a further note: I don't agree with everything that one person teaches. Oftentimes I have this persistent thought to reconsider and examine something myself which makes me not immediately agree; than later as I research it, there is a deeper lesson or a different perspective that I need to consider, either for or against. The Word needs to be our prioritized reference, not man.

I hope this encourages most of you! I find that it helps me to be able to reiterate what I have learned, and this was certainly an exercise! And feel free to agree to disagree- with me! Not with Him! ;-) Your comments and questions are welcome, as there was tons of info and examples I did not include in the interests of brevity. (I know...what brevity?!!)

Whew- moving forward :-)

With KI, we started our Revelation part 1 course at the beginning of December. But with Christmas, I prioritized getting the quizzes done on time, and leaving the discussion boards until I was through the holiday season because of the amount of time they take. Of course, as with all procrastinating, the pressure was building to get back in there and get those done. I only have to do two posts and one response per week, but as of this morning that meant 7 posts and 4 responses.... no light load!

Thankfully, He was gracious during nap time today and I was able to complete 5 posts and 4 responses! AND it was a blessed time! New treasures and everything!

Check this one out-- I love it-- I understood it a little before, now more fully today.

Adam is a type (model) of Christ, in that not being deceived, he gave his life for Eve, his wife...
I had never before considered this verse:
1Ti 2:14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

I found KJV to be a little hard to understand, so I looked at a few other translations:
NKJV: And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.
NIV: And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.
NASB: And {it was} not Adam {who} was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.
"Eve was taken from Adam's body. Instead of allowing Eve to remain in sin alone, Adam sacrificed himself for the one he loved. As a result they had children and the Savior came to redeem the world. This type matches Jesus who was not deceived when He gave His life for all sinners. Christ chose to live with His Bride instead of separating Himself and not taking on the sins of the world at the Cross. His Bride is also taken from His Body, the Church. The Bride of Christ is the rib of the Church." KI post

Previously, any teaching I heard or held seemed to hang onto the whole Adam vs Eve conflict; who really was at fault for all our sin? Even the best one I remember put Adam "at fault" for possibly not teaching Eve all she needed to know to not fall into sin, as instructed... she was deceived, but he willingly sinned- but if you look at it through the lens of the above verse, NIV style- it says that she was the one who became the sinner.
Now, I know this whole passage is so huge and can be dissected/discussed as long as we sojourn here, but I just wanted to mention it because it was one of those truths that just rang so clear when it lined up in my mind. It is different because it looks at the underlying "why" things happened the way they happened-not just whose fault it is. Christ decided to die before Adam even sinned. From the beginning, never being deceived, He chose to become sin so that we could be with Him. A truth we are told over and over, but which becomes even more evident the more we know Him, primarily through His Word.

I hope you find this profound as well! :-)

Thoughts from Sunday

Sorry I've been missing for a while! I had a Pampered chef party Friday, then a date night Saturday, and normal church/work Sunday, and here I am ready to smush in a chiropractor visit before I go to work today because every time I stand up I swoon and my cookies are ready to fly....

But God was speaking yesterday, and I wanted to share what was impressed upon my heart.

In church, Pastor Doug made the point that we must be obedient. The statement was something like this: Why do we expect God to speak clearly and give direction when we are not obedient to what He has already made clear?

Then, listening to my class at work, there is a pattern: Call, Obedience, Revelation.

The ponderable point? God speaks very clearly through His Word. (If you doubt this, pray for clarity!) And if we don't obey what He clearly says in the Word, why would He choose to further take us to the next step? Do we give our children further responsiblity if they do not properly complete the current one? If you are wanting to hear His Voice, read the Word, and obey what is clear. Then, if no next step is made available, read more and obey more! We have so many areas in which to grow.

I appreciated this because while I know He speaks through His Word, I find it hard to verbalize when asked how I hear God speak. This will make my own testimony more clear, because I never "heard God speak" until I started to truly obey, to change the hard things, to sacrifice. I couldn't have verbalized this, but the pattern is evident in my own life. And now I can identify it. And in the future, when I or someone I know is going through a dry period, we can draw upon this to help us find our way back.

Conference Debrief, Part One

Ok, so maybe the whole Medianites joke was a little difficult? Here's a clue:

Midianites: Basically, bad guys in the Bible. There are differing opinions as to how many groups there were, but originally they were descendants of Abraham through Keturah (his wife after Sarah died). Several times they were oppressive to Israel, or tried to exterminate Israel, and God gave Israel victory over them. Basically - bad guys.

Medianites: CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, take your pick of any media that doesn't seem to be objectively reporting the facts. like, at all. ;-)

And I repeat, "isn't that awesome?" (In my opinion, and I'm guessing yours, because no matter who you're voting for, you can't excuse what the media has shamefully done with this election.)

********************************************************************
Anyway, since no one introduced any good questions, (and probably didn't really know what to ask, I'm guessing) I will start with a little something that made me cry. Because validation always does-- does it make you cry too?

Lately, in light of the election, I have been pretty frustrated. By many things, but basically because I do not understand what educated American, possibly add in here "Christian," could be "undecided" about who to vote for. And as this has gone on, it just seems like if you do your research and don't let the Medianites do it for you, you would know who your choice was. But during my prayer time of questioning, I just really felt like God was telling me that He is in Control. (I know we understand that God sets up kings and governments, but this was something more) And during the conference, this was validated. That God is in control, but this very well could be the beginning of the fall of America. Possibly that our judgement has already begun. Not even looking at what all else can and will send us reeling into a tailspin, the partisanship of the media and the difficulty of finding real answers as voters is enough to make me wonder "What is going on?" But we will get what we want, and we will reap what we sow. Haven't we been hearing the saying for years - that if God doesn't judge America, He's gonna have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah?
Anywho-- He just totally gave me that gift in my prayer time, and then through many of the speakers, validated that I am not weird in my (gift of) understanding-- If certain things continue to happen, plus all the Perfect Storms that are brewing within and without, America as we know it is over. And, it's ok. We should pray and fast, and possibly gain a reprieve, but His End Game is coming, and America, with or without us (!) will fall.

Ok, further topics: Israel, the AntiChrist/Mahdi, the Slovanian group behind us, Cuba and Miami, Do Not Fear, More Election Stuff (not a lot, just a little, but I just have to share), or the Perfect Storms.
Let me know what you want to hear, because I just have the hardest time picking what to say next.

Home Again

Wow. wow wow wow wow.

It's frustrating that I cannot possibly explain or encourage you to attend this conference by using words to describe how tremendously good it is. But I never regret taking time off, begging someone to take the girls, and spending the money to go. Never. I would do nearly anything to go.

I don't know what you would call this, but under the name "Strategic Perspectives" is the line "Intel, Insight and Inspiration." That describes it perfectly.

I have so much to share- I love this conference because it defines my focus. Where does my focus need to be? On God. No matter what is happening in our country and world, I need to look to the one who is in control. On what He is tellling me. And that is something else! I always get some sort of validation! Do you understand how sweet that is to me? To know that I know that He is talking to me. To me! In my prayer time He is giving me secrets and understanding that I don't deserve, and then He is gracious enough to validate it through a trusted source. The God of the Universe, My Saviour, cares enough about me to calm and direct my heart.

So, before I start in on sharing a few gleanings with you, feel free to ask any questions, and they will direct what I start with. But first.....

The hottest new term coined by Amir Tsarfati this year that everyone, including the other speakers went nuts over....

The Medianites.

Isn't that awesome!??!

Prophecy 101: Finished, and a new poll

It's funny, for one of the shorter classes, this has seemed harder. Probably because we had a shorter time frame to do it in, and I kinda cheated and listened ahead :-)

But I am done, finally. Now Gabe and I have to decide how we will go on with KI; whether both of us or just one of us to pay for the credits.

I am adding this poll because I am curious. It's not exactly "kosher" to talk religion :-) but I know or have gotten the impression that my extended friends and family have a myriad of beliefs and understandings. So, I am curious.

Let's see what shows up!

Spiritual Disciplines Class: Q&A

Ken V said...
I'd like to know more about your class... was it worth the time? Were there any surprising new insights? What new disciplines are you feeling challenged to try out?
Well.... where to start...
Koinonia Institute based their achievement levels on three "tracks;" the berean track (scripture study), the issachar track (end times knowledge-where we are on God's timeclock) and the koinonos track (living the Word).

The first two classes we took (old and new t) were obviously Berean, and this one signified our switch to Koinonos. And it was a switch! Not so much head knowledge, and a whole lot more heart knowledge. This makes it much more difficult for me! (I like black and white!)

But because we are on our first achievement level, the class itself was pretty basic. It went over what it really means to be a disciple through the lens of Judean schools. (I found this fascinating-- one of the literal meanings is "to follow in the dust of your Rabbi." Am I so close to Jesus that I live in His shadow?) To be a true disciple, I must be of the Shema, of Prayer, of the Word, and for others. Included was a week on the emergent church, which I appreciated because although I hear the term and know I don't want to be part of it, I didn't really know what was behind it.

The biggest leading I felt was to make my own copy of the Bible. I posted on this earlier because it was such a special answer to my prayer of how to go about studying now that our church bible studies are ceasing for summer. I just (finally) started on this-- I am starting with 1 Peter. (I wanted to do a book I didn't know much about, and a short one. It fits :-) I did a whole chapter today during naptime-- I think I will try to cut it down and try for more often-- We don't "hand"write very much in today's culture, do we?

Anyway, I totally think the class was worth my time, not because I "enjoyed" it per se, because Dan is a very different teacher than Chuck Missler, so the style was difficult to get used to, but God has led us to take these courses, and that means everything is part of the package! I learned a lot, more about what is lacking in my life because of time, but also that I need to act on the answers He gives! The classes like these that hint at being uncomfortable (!) give evidence to the areas in my life that need work in order to glorify Him.

Praise Him for His faithfulness and patience!

Phew!

Done! Probably a B, but I am done with my Spiritual Disciplines class.

I applaud all of you who take summer courses. This was so hard, and summer has just begun! Thank goodness we didn't schedule our Prophecy class till the August 18 one!