Monday, March 16, 2009

Luke--volume one of a two volume set

We have jumped to the New Testament book of Luke--why?
The Gospel according to Luke is the most complete account of the life of Jesus that has survived from the apostolic age. It was designed to be a full presentation of the career of the Saviour from his birth to his ascension, and was part of a larger work including the book of Acts, which carried the history forward into the missionary activity of the church as far as the establishment of the Christian community in Rome.

The abiding value of the Psalter

According to my commentary:
1. The Psalter is a living testimony to Israel's faith. They echo the aspirations and hopes of men and women in every era of Israel's history.
2. The Psalms form an important background for Jesus' ministry. He learned them in his Jewish home. They are quoted more frequently in the NT than any other book of the OT.
3. The Psalms have proved to be an indispensable source of devotional material to Christians around the world.
4. The Psalter has become the hymnbook of the ages. No other book of hymns has been used so long by so many people. It is read, chanted, or sung every day of year. In the age of informality they provide an indispensable language for worship.

What verses jumped out to you in the first book of Psalms that we have just read.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Digesting Deuteronomy

What did you find in this book. I feel as if I was reading for the first time. Some things I saw/felt:
  • Moses actually pleaded with God to let him cross over the Jordan and God's response was "That is enough . . . do not speak to me anymore about this matter." Deut. 3
  • Deut. 4 and other places--teaching the truth of what they had seen and heard to their children was very important.
  • Throughout the book--God's love for his people is his motivation.
  • A holy people must worship and live in a holy way.
  • God wants his people to care for the poor.
  • Honesty and justice are God's priorities.--and it's not just what other people can see you doing.

Please add what YOU saw.

Monday, March 2, 2009