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Boling Jim

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2月1日

Wii Communicate

This is an odd blog posting to interrupt my lengthy silence, but maybe I'll get better about it.

Got elementary kids?  I do, and no, he doesn't have a cell phone.  Won't for a long time.  We have a Wii, though. One admittedly mundane but cool feature is the ability to send and receive e-mail with it.  My son is never out of the living room for long when he's home.  If I am away and want to just drop him a line, he notices the blue Wii e-mail flash pretty readily, and knows how to reply.

Doesn't happen often but it is nice when I need it.
3月6日

We ought to give thanks...

I was reading in 2 Thessalonians this morning, and began to feel convicted about being so focused on "my church".  In 2 Thess 1:3, Paul makes it clear that we ought to give thanks for those churches that are growing in the Lord.  Paul says we should.  By doing so, we are encouraged and we can encourage others (v4).

Give thanks for what?  Paul, talking to the church there, is thankful for their:
- faith that is growing abundantly
- love that is increasing
- steadfastness in the face of persecution
- steadfastness in the face of afflictions
- faith in the face of persecution
- faith in the face of afflictions

We can't give thanks for this if we don't know what is happening in other churches.  How is God blessing your church?  At Hope, we are preparing for our first two-service Sunday on Easter.  God has been changing lives, blessing us financially, and challenging us to use His provision (people, finances, physical space) more wisely.   I am so thankful for our pastors who have been faithful and sacrificial in their time and energy, and have preached God's word powerfully.  We as a church are being challenged to follow their example.  It is easy to let the staff do it all.  Please be in prayer for us as we seek to be an obedient body.

Please feel free to comment on what God is doing at your church!



1月18日

Why Not?


Oh, be careful little eyes, what you see.
Oh, be careful little eyes, what you see.
For the Father up above is looking down in love,
So be careful little eyes, what you see.

Why be careful?  The opportunities are everywhere of course.  My most recent episode was with Facebook.  I have appreciated the fact that this service has remained essentially free of the ads and such that feature scantily-clad individuals trying to lure viewers to singles sites, etc. etc.  But then just this week, I sign in and, right there on the top of the page is a picture of a topless celebrity.

I spent a few minutes trying to determine how to get rid of it, and finally decided that Facebook wasn't really that important and cancelled my account.

But it got me thinking... I have a son who will soon be dealing with these temptations.  I cannot imagine growing up in today's world, with the junk that is out there - TV, Internet, magazines... I can see him asking "why not?".

1 Corinthians 6
12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything. 13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Matthew 5
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

But come on, Dad - it's just one little picture!
James 1
14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

But everyone reads the stuff!!
Romans 12

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

4月26日

Tell of His excellent greatness!

John 8:48-59 : One of the key senses of "to glorify" would be to directly communicate an accurate estimation of something or someone's significance.  This is the most common use of the word that I hear among believers.  To "glorify God" is to praise Him, specifically to "tell of His excellent greatness" as the old hymn says.

In this passage, Jesus says "If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me...".  There are two examples that come to mind where the Father specifically communicated to those around of Jesus' significance.  In Matthew 3, we read of the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist.  After the baptism, the gospel accounts tells us the heavens were opened, and a voice from heaven was heard to say "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

And again in the account of the transfiguration, for example in Mark 9, we read "And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, 'This is my beloved Son; listen to him.'"

If God Himself glorifies Jesus, how much more should we, who have been redeemed by His blood!!
4月25日

Divine wisdom

Luke 4:15 : Starting from age 12, we see that Jesus did not leave His wisdom behind when He came to earth. In this passage, those who hear His teaching in the synagogue glorify Him because of it. However, we can see that it is possible to glorify Jesus, but to do so only temporarily. He was "glorified by all", but not for long.

His wisdom demonstrated that He is God. He could read the thoughts of those who confronted him or derided him. He knew the future. But many of us are that hard or rocky ground that He warns about, and we are forgetful -- because we do not spend time with Him and His word, being reminded daily of that divine wisdom -- or we allow ungodly things of this world to choke out the truth of His infinite wisdom.
 
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