HUMOR: Christian Horse?

Not mine. From here.

There's this guy who had been lost and walking in the desert for about 2 weeks. One hot day, he sees the home of a missionary. Tired and weak, he crawls up to the house and collapses on the doorstep. The missionary finds him and nurses him back to health. Feeling better, the man asks the missionary for directions to the nearest town. On his way out the backdoor, he sees this horse. He goes back into the house and asks the missionary, "Could I borrow your horse and give it back when I reach the town?"

The missionary says, "Sure but there is a special thing about this horse. You have to say 'Thank God' to make it go and 'Amen' to make it stop."

Not paying much attetion, the man says, "Sure, ok."

So he gets on the horse and says, "Thank God" and the horse starts walking. Then he says, "Thank God, thank God," and the horse starts trotting. Feeling really brave, the man says, "Thank God, thank God, thank God, thank God, thank God" and the horse just takes off. Pretty soon he sees this cliff coming up and he's doing everything he can to make the horse stop.

"Whoa, stop, hold on!!!!"

Finally he remembers, "Amen!!"

The horse stops 4 inches from the cliff. Then the man leans back in the saddle and says, "Thank God."

MUSICAL INTERLUDE: How Many Kinds

Keeping it brief

Theology of 1 Peter

Every book of the Bible has a theme and/or story to tell. 1 Peter is no different. And unsurprisingly, considering the author, it is all about standing firm under persecution.

First Peter was written as a circular letter to churches in five provinces of northwestern Asia Minor. Because of their conversion to Christ these people had been alienated from their culture and their former friends ( 1 Peter 1:14 1 Peter 1:18 ; 2:9 ; 4:3-4 ), and the letter encourages them in the midst of slander, personal abuse, and ostracism ( 1:6 ; 2:12 ; 3:15-16 ; 4:4 ). Peter instructs them to understand their sufferings as an emulation of the passion of Christ ( 2:21 ; 4:13 ), to anticipate the glory they will enjoy when Christ is revealed to the whole world ( 1:13 ; 4:13 ), and to recognize that the church has become their primary social group ( 2:1-10 ; 3:8-12 ; 4:7-11 ). The message of this letter is the genuine grace of God ( 5:12 ) to be realized in their disciplined response to persecution.

PHOTO: The Last Supper

Thank God for Vacations!

Thank you, Lord, for living in a place where vacations - time away from work - are part of the culture. Where we not only get a Sabbath day each week, to rest and reflect upon you, but also a few day or a week here or there for the same.

It's a good question

HUMOR: What Would Jesus Do?

Not mine. From here.

An old preacher was dying. He sent a message for his banker and his lawyer, both church members, to come to his home.

When they arrived, they were ushered up to his bedroom. As they entered the room, the preacher held out his hands and motioned for them to sit on each side of the bed. The preacher grasped their hands, sighed contentedly, smiled, and stared at the ceiling. For a time, no one said anything.Both the banker and lawyer were touched and flattered that the preacher would ask them to be with him during his final moments. They were also puzzled; the preacher had never given them any indication that he particularly liked either of them. They both remembered his many long, uncomfortable sermons about greed, covetousness, and avaricious behavior that made them squirm in their seats.

Finally, the banker said, "Preacher, why did you ask us to come?"

The old preacher mustered up his strength and then said weakly, "Jesus died between two thieves, and that's how I want to go."

MUSICAL INTERLUDE: On & On

It's not what's on the outside

Outline of 1 Peter

Outlines help us to organize our thoughts and learning. Bible.Org's outline of 1 Peter can be very useful.

I. Salutation (1:1-2)


II. The Identity of the People of God (1:3–2:10)

A. A Precious Salvation (1:3-12)
B. A New Way of Life (1:13-25)
C. A Chosen Priesthood (2:1-10)


III. The Responsibilities of the People of God (2:11–4:11)

A. Summary: The Mission of God’s People in the World (2:11-12)
B. Respect: The Key to Living in the World (2:13–3:12)
C. Doing Good: The Promise of Vindication (3:13–4:6)
D. Mutual Love: The Key to Christian Community in the End Times (4:7-11)


IV. The Responsibilities of a Church and its Elders in the Midst of Trials (4:12–5:11)

A. The Fiery Trial (4:12-19)
B. The Responsibilities of a Church in the Midst of Trials (5:1-11)


V. Concluding Remarks (5:12-14)

A. Purpose of Epistle (5:12)
B. Final Greetings (5:13-14)

PHOTO: Ancient European Bibles

USEFUL: Blue Letter Bible

Everyone knows about Biblegateway.Com as a great resource for online Bible reading, but have you checked out Blue Letter Bible? This relatively new Bible website not only gives you the raw scripture in your chosen translation, but has one-click access to a parallel Bible (view any verse in all available translations, including the original Greek/Hebrew), commentaries, Bible dictionaries, and more! It can be a great resource when you're ready to really dig into the Word.

Click through and check it out. It could be a very valuable tool for the 2011-2012 season!

Words can have an impact

HUMOR: Men and Women

Not mine. From here.

A man dies and goes to Heaven. He gets to meet GOD and asks GOD if he can ask him a few questions.

"Sure," GOD says, "Go right ahead".

"OK," the man says. "Why did you make women so beautiful?"

GOD says, "So you would like them."

"OK," the guy says. "But how come you made them so sensitive?"

"So you would LOVE them", GOD replies.

The man ponders a moment and then asks, "But why did you make them such airheads?"

GOD says, "So they would love you!"

MUSICAL INTERLUDE: Days of Elijah

Developing...

Who is the author of 1 Peter?

While it may seem like a trick question, some scholars over the millennia have questioned the authorship of 1 Peter for various reasons. But current Evangelical scholarship is fairly united that the apostle Peter wrote 1 Peter. It is interesting to think a man who started out life as a simple fisherman wound up writing one of the most influential books of all time (inspired by the Holy Spirit, of course)

The author identifies himself as the apostle Peter (1:1), and the contents and character of the letter support his authorship (see notes on 1:12; 4:13; 5:1-2,5,13). Moreover, the letter reflects the history and terminology of the Gospels and Acts (notably Peter's speeches). Its themes and concepts reflect Peter's experiences and his associations in the period of our Lord's earthly ministry and in the apostolic age. That he was acquainted, e.g., with Paul and his letters is made clear in 2Pe 3:15-16 (see notes there); Gal 1:18; 2:1-21 and elsewhere. Coincidences in thought and expression with Paul's writings are therefore not surprising.

From the beginning, 1 Peter was recognized as authoritative and as the work of the apostle Peter. The earliest reference to it may be 2Pe 3:1 (see note there), where Peter himself refers to a former letter he had written. 1 Clement (a.d. 95) seems to indicate acquaintance with 1 Peter. Polycarp, a disciple of the apostle John, makes use of 1 Peter in his letter to the Philippians. The author of the Gospel of Truth (140-150) was acquainted with 1 Peter. Eusebius (fourth century) indicated that it was universally received.

PHOTO: Robot Bible Scribe

30% of Americans agree Bible is the Word of God

We at Quizpad.Com definitely agree that the Bible is the word of God, but it is unsurprising to know that there is some disagreement on the subject among the larger American population. 30% of respondents in a recent poll beleve that the Bible is the literal word of God, while the rest believe it is either divinely inspired but mainly symbolic or simply an old book. On the upside, this number is higher than it has been in the recent past.

While nearly 50 percent agree that Scripture is “inspired” by God, only three in ten say that it should be interpreted literally. Another 17 percent say the Bible is merely an ancient book of stories recorded by man. According to Gallup, the view that the Bible is divinely inspired, but should not be taken literally, has been the most common opinion over the 40 years that the pollster has been querying Americans on the issue. Gallup noted that the “high point” in the number of Americans believing in the literal interpretation of Scripture was 40 percent in 1980 and 1984, with the low coming in 2001, when only 27 percent said they thought the Bible was the actual, literal word of God.

It's always time for fireworks!

Some days it is okay to take a break from bible-focussed posts, and just have some fun. How about a quick video or two from the Derby-Shelton fireworks?

HUMOR: Shell Game

Not mine. From here.

A man was driving to work when a truck ran a stop sign, hit his car broadside, and knocked him cold. Passersby pulled him from the wreck and revived him. He began a terrific struggle and had to be tranquilized by the medics.

Later, when he was calm, they asked him why he struggled so. He said, "I remember the impact, then nothing. I woke up on a concrete slab in front of a huge, flashing 'Shell' sign...and somebody was standing in front of the "S"!

MUSICAL INTERLUE: Lead Me

Magic philosophy

INTRODUCTION: 1 Peter

Unlike Hebrews, there is little doubt as to who wrote 1 Peter. But like Hebrews, 1 Peter is very much focused on how a Christian lives in a hostile world. Check out John McArthur's introduction to this brave and fearless book.

When the city of Rome burned, the Romans believed that their emperor, Nero, had set the city on fire, probably because of his incredible lust to build. In order to build more, he had to destroy what already existed.

The Romans were totally devastated. Their culture, in a sense, went down with the city. All the religious elements of their life were destroyed—their great temples, shrines, and even their household idols were burned up. This had great religious implications because it made them believe that their deities had been unable to deal with this conflagration and were also victims of it. The people were homeless and hopeless. Many had been killed. Their bitter resentment was severe, so Nero realized that he had to redirect the hostility.

The emperor’s chosen scapegoat was the Christians, who were already hated because they were associated with Jews, and because they were seen as being hostile to the Roman culture. Nero spread the word quickly that the Christians had set the fires. As a result, a vicious persecution against Christians began, and soon spread throughout the Roman Empire, touching places N of the Taurus mountains, like Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia (1:1), and impacting the Christians, whom Peter calls “pilgrims.” These “pilgrims,” who were probably Gentiles, for the most part (1:14,18; 2:9,10; 4:3), possibly led to Christ by Paul and his associates, and established on Paul’s teachings. But they needed spiritual strengthening because of their sufferings. Thus the Apostle Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote this epistle to strengthen them.

Happy Birthday Coach Mark

Happy Birthday Coach Mark. Thanks for all the hard work you do on the website in season and out of season.

PHOTO: A Good Reminder

Happy Independence Day

HUMOR: God's Name

Not mine. From here.

A blonde got into heaven, and when she arrived at the Golden Gates, she was asked one question: "What is God's name?" She replied, "Andy."

"Andy? Why Andy?", she was asked.

She replied, "Oh, you know, 'Andy walks with me, Andy talks with me, Andy tells me I am his own.'

MUSICAL INTERLUDE: Praise You In This Storm

Planning ahead