Christian Paradigm Shifts

Today's lesson is about the disciples and the resurrection. Peter and John run to the tomb after hearing the news that Jesus is no longer in the tomb. Mary had declared to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put Him [John 20:2]." John gets to the tomb first but does not go in. Peter is bold and goes inside the tomb. Sure enough Jesus is not there. The linen strips are just lying there. The linen cloth which had been wrapped around Jesus' head was folded neatly. I wonder how these two disciples felt at hearing the news that Jesus was not in the tomb. Did they feel bewildered and confused? Were they anxious about the Roman soldiers and how they would react to hearing such news? Were they full of hope or were they feeling hopeless? Death. The Bible declares it is an enemy. The last enemy to be defeated [1 Cor. 15:26].  You may have heard about the stages of grief when a loved one dies - denial, anger, bargaining, dep...

Jesus is on the cross. His mother is standing close by. The youngest of the apostles is also near. Jesus, probably with the most affectionate tone he could muster due to the agony of crucifixion, tells His mother, "Dear woman, here is your son", and to the disciples, "Here is your mother." From that time on this disciple took her into his home [John 19:26-27]. That disciple was John. At the beginning of Jesus' ministry His family and His disciples were together. They were at the wedding in Cana. They were together in Capernaum. Everyone was a happy camper. Then in John chapter 7 we see a little bit of tension between the disciples and Jesus' family. Here is the interaction between Jesus and His brothers ~ Jesus’ brothers said to Him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” For ev...

Hi Friends, I just wanted to share that Courtney at www.womenlivingwell.org is having an ultimate blog bash. You can link-up with other bloggers for an awesome share time. There are numerous categories for bloggers to place their link-up. I am new to the world of blogging. I am having so much fun. I love studying God's Word and sharing what I have gleaned from my own study time. There have been numerous women in my life who have inspired me in my relationship with God. I hope I can do the same for others. I am not perfect. I am just a woman who wants to know God and serve Him to the best of my ability. I have my devotional time each day. It goes something like this ~ I start my coffee brewing, head to my computer and watch the day's video from Wendy Pope. Her ministry is Walking with Women Through the Word. Her website is www.wendypope.org . After watching the video, I read from the NLT Chronological Bible. I try to find one nugget from the day...

Today's study takes place in a familiar place to the disciples - the Mount of Olives (Garden of Gethsemane, which means oil-press). This is a very important Passover night. Jesus comes to the garden to pray before He is arrested, tried, and condemned to die. The remaining 11 follow Jesus there after finishing the Passover meal. In Matthew 26:36-46, Jesus tells the disciples that he is overwhelmed to the point of death. He tells them to stay here and keep watch with Him. His three closest disciples are there - Peter, James, and John - and they go with Him a little farther on. At a close distance they watch Jesus pray. While praying so intensely, Jesus sweats drops of blood. He asks the Father to take away His cup of suffering. Jesus concludes the prayer with not My will but Yours be done. In Luke 22:45, these three fell asleep from the exhaustion of their own sorrow. Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible states - And when he rose from p...

Well, He's at it again. This day's lesson is on....you guessed it...humility. It also brought up a connection to a previous Bible study I did last Fall. Our ladies Bible study group studied the book of James. James 1 talks about wisdom. Well, I don't think I noticed the part that hunility plays in wisdom. A couple of chapters later, in James 3:13-16, it states ~ " Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice." Humility is wise because it gives a right perspective of who we are, especially in relation to other people. Philippians 2:3 - 8 says "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain concei...

Oh, how I needed this today. Pride, envy, jealousy can creep up at anytime. Well, it crept up on me today. I prayed to the Father, "Oh Father, help me deal with this quickly and cut it off right now. I want you to be glorified and not me. Amen" Well, isn't it like God to have today's study about two disciples who wanted to be seated next to the Savior when He came into His Kingdom. I am no different than these two disciples. I can become conceited and maybe I don't even know it. In Luke 9:46-55 the disciples discuss who will be the greatest. After this discussion, John stops people from driving out demons in Jesus' name because they were not part of their group. Then the two "Sons of Thunder (James and John)" want to call fire down from heaven because a Samaritan village did not welcome them. Mark 10:35 - 40 ~ Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”  “What do you w...