March Newsletter
Insights from "The Big Picture"
In 2012 Prineville Christian studied “The Story” which is an overview of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.
It was a good study for me. Listed below are 4 catch phrases that stuck. Perhaps they will be helpful to you.
Trust me: God consistently asked people to trust him. He asked Adam and Eve to stay away from one tree. He asked Noah to build a big boat. He asked Abram and Sarah to leave their home and travel to a country they did not know. He asked Moses to go head-to-head with Pharaoh. He asked the Children of Israel to follow Moses through the wilderness. He asked Joshua to attack Jericho with a few men and seven trumpets. He asks us to place our past, present and future in Jesus loving hands. Basically, God’s question was and is, “Will you trust me”.
Terrible twos: Randy Gariss says the terrible twos are a child struggling to learn how to operate in freedom under the umbrella of authority. That struggle might start at age two, but it seems to continue for a lifetime. In “The Bible and in life today” we see individuals and groups wrestle with the concept of operating with free will under the umbrella of God’s authority. The concept that “this is God’s world and we just are living in it” seems a tough reality to embrace.
Faithful follower or Willful Wanderer: Which will it be? From the beginning answering that question has and continues to be the human struggle. Will I follow God’s leading or pave my own path?
Past, present and future: The people we read about in “The Bible” knew the past, were living in the present, but couldn’t see into the future. We can see what their future held because we are reading it as past. If they knew what we know they probably wouldn't have done what they did. They might have trusted God and did what he asked. We can learn from them. Like them we know the past, are living in the present but don’t have a clue about the future.
Maybe we should trust God and do things his way.
Perhaps, “Father knows best.”
See you in Church!
Dan
March Is Near
There are some words among the Bible which are rich with history and theology. One of those words is “Church.” Or as it would have been classically written in its original language:
ἐκκλησία
Transliterated into English: ekklēsia
Pronounced as “ek-klay-see'-ah”
The author of Matthew is the first to record this word from Jesus himself (Matthew 16:18 and 18:17). But this would have been pre-cross before Christians would assemble together!
Before church was a building, it was first considered an assembly of people in a public place. This would mean “church” is actually more focused on the people gathering.
The church of the first century focused more on the people who gathered together rather than on a building. In 2023, Christians have a designated place of worship and fellowship. This is often called the church.
However, we can never forget the early Christians in the book of Acts did not have dedicated buildings. The assembly of Christians was the Church. Whether in a home, temple or even a church building. Those who profess Christ as Lord are the Church.
Scott Carpenter