I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. I Corinthians 1:10-17
Schisms have plagued the church since the first century. In some ways it is a comfort to know that even the Apostle Paul’s ministry struggled with it, but yet distressing that we have failed so miserably to foster the unity that Jesus prayed for.
Divisions happen when we get our minds off of God and onto men. We cling to the one who brought us to Chris rather than to the One they brought us to. We cherish the person who baptized us rather than the One in whose name we were baptized. We forsake the fellowship of our dear brothers and sisters because they interpret Scripture differently and eventually convince ourselves that they are not saved at all. Who are we to decide, amongst those for whom Jesus died, which ones He is allowed to save?
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Ramblings on What We Share: By Proxy
I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge—God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. I Corinthians 1:4-9
Gratitude for God’s blessings on those we love is unending. There is no quicker way to a person’s soul than through those they love. Afflictions endured by loved ones or threats to their health or safety hits at the innermost place of even the hardest, meanest and evil person.
How much more joyous is it, then, when someone acts to heal or protect our loved ones? And no one does it like God does. In addition, He shows them His grace –or favor – by reaching out to them and bringing them into all His purposes and plans for their lives. He touches and sanctifies every part of them, including their speech and their understanding of the world. His gifts towards them are lavish and make them strong and pure. And He never stops blessing them, but faithfully nurtures as long as they hold breath.
Gratitude for God’s blessings on those we love is unending. There is no quicker way to a person’s soul than through those they love. Afflictions endured by loved ones or threats to their health or safety hits at the innermost place of even the hardest, meanest and evil person.
How much more joyous is it, then, when someone acts to heal or protect our loved ones? And no one does it like God does. In addition, He shows them His grace –or favor – by reaching out to them and bringing them into all His purposes and plans for their lives. He touches and sanctifies every part of them, including their speech and their understanding of the world. His gifts towards them are lavish and make them strong and pure. And He never stops blessing them, but faithfully nurtures as long as they hold breath.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Ramblings on What We Share: Holiness
Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, to the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 1:1-3
Holiness is the seal of quality affixed to those who accept Christ's brand of ownership. As a winemaker carefully chooses fine grapes that he believes has the potential to make fine wine, so God has chosen each of us for the potential He sees inside of us. Yet one grape alone does not make wine. God has chosen a people collectively to receive His seal of holiness.
Not only have we been chosen, but we also choose. Our choice is made when we pray to Jesus. Accepting Jesus is to accept Him as LORD (Yahweh), God of Heaven and Master of our souls. For those blessed enough be be chosen, branded, holy people of prayer and obedience will find grace and peace that can only come to those who belong to Him.
Holiness is the seal of quality affixed to those who accept Christ's brand of ownership. As a winemaker carefully chooses fine grapes that he believes has the potential to make fine wine, so God has chosen each of us for the potential He sees inside of us. Yet one grape alone does not make wine. God has chosen a people collectively to receive His seal of holiness.
Not only have we been chosen, but we also choose. Our choice is made when we pray to Jesus. Accepting Jesus is to accept Him as LORD (Yahweh), God of Heaven and Master of our souls. For those blessed enough be be chosen, branded, holy people of prayer and obedience will find grace and peace that can only come to those who belong to Him.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE
And the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
There is an old saying - "Save the best 'til last." The master of the banquet was surprised that the best wine had been saved until the end of the banquet after everyone was already intoxicated. In his experience, families normally did it the other way around. But not Jesus.
Jesus, as the Creator (John 1:3), had complete control over the elements. It was in His nature to only create things that were very good (Gen. 1:31). To turn the water into a substance one step better than vinegar was unthinkable, even if it would have been just as miraculous.
His disciples, who were also at the wedding, saw the miracle and believed in Jesus. He had surprised them, just the first of many times that He would do so. They saw that, although Jesus had been hesitant to intervene when His mother asked Him, that did not mean that He was halfhearted in His actions. He would only be content with complete transformation. The disciples would learn in the months ahead that Jesus is only happy with complete healing, complete truth and complete loyalty.
His standards have not changed. To be a disciple of Jesus, we must be prepared to offer our complete repentance, complete surrender and not to be satisfied until we attain the complete perfection as only Jesus can give (Heb. 7:11).
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Matt. 5:48
There is an old saying - "Save the best 'til last." The master of the banquet was surprised that the best wine had been saved until the end of the banquet after everyone was already intoxicated. In his experience, families normally did it the other way around. But not Jesus.
Jesus, as the Creator (John 1:3), had complete control over the elements. It was in His nature to only create things that were very good (Gen. 1:31). To turn the water into a substance one step better than vinegar was unthinkable, even if it would have been just as miraculous.
His disciples, who were also at the wedding, saw the miracle and believed in Jesus. He had surprised them, just the first of many times that He would do so. They saw that, although Jesus had been hesitant to intervene when His mother asked Him, that did not mean that He was halfhearted in His actions. He would only be content with complete transformation. The disciples would learn in the months ahead that Jesus is only happy with complete healing, complete truth and complete loyalty.
His standards have not changed. To be a disciple of Jesus, we must be prepared to offer our complete repentance, complete surrender and not to be satisfied until we attain the complete perfection as only Jesus can give (Heb. 7:11).
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Matt. 5:48
Ramblings on Why We're Here: A Personal Blog on the Life of Mary, the Mother of Jesus
Dear Ramblings Fans,
I'm back! Currently I am taking a course called Principles of Biblical Interpretation at Global University. The course has inspired me to start blogging again.
Of course, in the two years that I have been dormant, Yahoo! Pulse has discontinued their blog feature. This means that the blog series I had started on there cannot be continued on that site. As a result, I am taking a break from my Ramblings on How We Got Here series that I had started on this site to pick up the Ramblings on Why We're Here series on this site.
Confusing I know, but I'm telling you all this because I need your help. I am going to post a new blog entry today and the school is looking for some feedback from all of you. If you are inclined to help a starving student, then please respond to my post by answering the following questions:
1. What did you like best about the blog entry?
2. How could I improve my blog?
3. Wother other words of encouragement do you have for me?
A great big, humongous THANK YOU to any of you that can take the time to do this. I appreciate it more than I can ever say.
God bless,
Dixie
I'm back! Currently I am taking a course called Principles of Biblical Interpretation at Global University. The course has inspired me to start blogging again.
Of course, in the two years that I have been dormant, Yahoo! Pulse has discontinued their blog feature. This means that the blog series I had started on there cannot be continued on that site. As a result, I am taking a break from my Ramblings on How We Got Here series that I had started on this site to pick up the Ramblings on Why We're Here series on this site.
Confusing I know, but I'm telling you all this because I need your help. I am going to post a new blog entry today and the school is looking for some feedback from all of you. If you are inclined to help a starving student, then please respond to my post by answering the following questions:
1. What did you like best about the blog entry?
2. How could I improve my blog?
3. Wother other words of encouragement do you have for me?
A great big, humongous THANK YOU to any of you that can take the time to do this. I appreciate it more than I can ever say.
God bless,
Dixie
Friday, February 12, 2010
An Upside Down Backwards Valentine
Tonight I arrive home and something isn't right. In my arms is a vase with a bouquet of a dozen roses. They're not for me...they're for my husband.
My husband opens the door with a towel over his arm. He looks like a waiter. He escorts me to the dining room table that he has decked out in candlelight and place settings for the homecooked Valentine's Dinner he has prepared...authentic Hungarian stuffed peppers, lemonade and a brownie with whipped cream for dessert. It was delicious.
Sound a little backwards from your normal scene? It's because my husband has been laid off from work for over a year. During this time, he has adopted the role of hubby homemaker. He cleans the house, washes the dishes, does the laundry and still finds time to play Mr. Fixit with all the home repairs.
Every morning, I get up and get ready for work. I give my husband a quick kiss goodbye on my way out the door. During the day, he calls me to find out how my day is going and to tell me what he's doing in the house. When I get home at 6:00, he is there to meet me with a big kiss and (sometimes) a home cooked meal.
It all might seem a little upside down, but who said role reversal can't be fun?
My husband opens the door with a towel over his arm. He looks like a waiter. He escorts me to the dining room table that he has decked out in candlelight and place settings for the homecooked Valentine's Dinner he has prepared...authentic Hungarian stuffed peppers, lemonade and a brownie with whipped cream for dessert. It was delicious.
Sound a little backwards from your normal scene? It's because my husband has been laid off from work for over a year. During this time, he has adopted the role of hubby homemaker. He cleans the house, washes the dishes, does the laundry and still finds time to play Mr. Fixit with all the home repairs.
Every morning, I get up and get ready for work. I give my husband a quick kiss goodbye on my way out the door. During the day, he calls me to find out how my day is going and to tell me what he's doing in the house. When I get home at 6:00, he is there to meet me with a big kiss and (sometimes) a home cooked meal.
It all might seem a little upside down, but who said role reversal can't be fun?
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
NAMING THE ANIMALS
Original Post Date: Friday, August 15, 2008
Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. Genesis 2:19-20a
There are two incidents in Scripture where God brings all the animals to one man - once to Adam so he could name them and once to Noah to save them from the Flood. Both of these events depict a unique partnership between God and man.
God is an artist. For six days He molded and crafted each animal, plant and land formation. Yet, when the masterpiece was finished, He passed the privilege of naming it to Adam. It was an intentional and meaningful gesture. In effect, God wanted Adam to know that the earth was created for him and his descendents. It was Adam's doman - he was to have authority over it and responsibility for it. God was establishing a collaboration between Himself as the Creator/Sustainer and man as the caretaker that would continue until the end of time.
It is the sole privilege of the artist to name his work. God took that privilege and gave it away - to a man who had no privilege, no rank, no reputation and no authority. That one gift instantly granted Adam all of those things. Suddenly, he had the privilege of being God's partner, the rank of dominance over creation, the reputation as The One Who Names and the authority to determine Earth's fate.
As a descendent of Adam, I have often struggled with pride and arrogance. It is due time that I took a step back and realized that any right I think I have is a privilege that God has placed in the palm of my hand.
Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. Genesis 2:19-20a
There are two incidents in Scripture where God brings all the animals to one man - once to Adam so he could name them and once to Noah to save them from the Flood. Both of these events depict a unique partnership between God and man.
God is an artist. For six days He molded and crafted each animal, plant and land formation. Yet, when the masterpiece was finished, He passed the privilege of naming it to Adam. It was an intentional and meaningful gesture. In effect, God wanted Adam to know that the earth was created for him and his descendents. It was Adam's doman - he was to have authority over it and responsibility for it. God was establishing a collaboration between Himself as the Creator/Sustainer and man as the caretaker that would continue until the end of time.
It is the sole privilege of the artist to name his work. God took that privilege and gave it away - to a man who had no privilege, no rank, no reputation and no authority. That one gift instantly granted Adam all of those things. Suddenly, he had the privilege of being God's partner, the rank of dominance over creation, the reputation as The One Who Names and the authority to determine Earth's fate.
As a descendent of Adam, I have often struggled with pride and arrogance. It is due time that I took a step back and realized that any right I think I have is a privilege that God has placed in the palm of my hand.
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