Things I've learned about God in the past couple weeks

Sermon from church 9/26 Pastor Chris Martin
Mark 12:13-17

• It's the 3rd day of Passion Week (the wk of the crucifixion). In a few days, Jesus will die. The day before Jesus cleared out the temple (Mark 11:12-19).
• If the pharisees could get the Romans mad at Jesus, they'd get rid of Him. This way, the Romans wouldn't be mad at the pharisees. The nationalists, a political party, refused to pay taxes because only God was their King.
• A Revolutionary Question: The pharisees asked Jesus if it was right to pay taxes. They expected Him to say no. If He did, He'd be trapped.
• A Remarkable Answer: Jesus answer reflected the political tension.
  
• Political Simplicity: verse 14 Don't vote by political party, alone. Don't get so wrapped up in political parties that you let go of your political values.
• Political Complacency: Give Caesar some of what he wants, but not all of it.
  
• Political Primacy: People, in general, voted for Obama because he promised that the government would do so much (more than it's suppose to). Regardless of political party, we need to vote for a limited government.
  
• verse 15 a denarius was the day's pay for a blue-collar job. Jesus didn't even have that! He didn't own anything! Would you rather a poor man or a rich man rule?
• Luke 6:20-26 Jesus promotes what the world doesn't want & condemns what the world wants. Luke 6:27 We have so much love from God, that we're able to do this. That's not of the world.

Something I learned from a friend: My friend Sheri, wrote a note on facebook about something she'd learned while reading the Bible. I'm going to summarize it here. To read the note, I posted a link on my facebook profile page. This is from Genesis 3. Before Adam & Eve sinned, they had perfect fellowship w/God. When they sinned, God was so disappointed because He knew that He would no longer have that perfect fellowship with them. He clothed them in leather before sending them out into the world. They had no idea what the world was like. They only knew the perfect world that they'd lived in. God knew what they were going to experience. He didn't want to send them out. It's kind of like when parents send their kids off to school for the 1st time. God would've been very sad that He'd lost that perfect fellowship w/Adam & Eve. How far would He go to get them back? Read John 3:16 for the answer.

Notes from church 10/3 Pastor Mike Faler

• Mark 3:7-19
• Jesus prayed before every major decision. He spent all night praying before appointing the apostles.
• (tangent) John 10:17-18 Jesus willingly died.
• Jesus chose the 12 out of others who followed Him because they sacrificed everything for Him. Those are the ones He gave His authorities to. Matt 10:1
• When we sacrifice for God, we get it back 100x. They may not be in the same way or on earth. Mark 10:30
• Mark 1:35-37, Luke 5:15-16 Jesus was very busy & in demand. Huge crowds w/diseases waited for Him. Most of us don't have dying people waiting for us to heal them. Why do we find it so hard to find time to spend w/God when we're so busy?
  
• My dad has a new job that he works 4 nights/wk. It's really different & hard on all of us. I value my time w/him more now. I'm sacrificing small things to spend time w/him. Why isn't my attitude the same w/God? I pray it will be.
  
• We sang "Arms Open Wide." Some of the lyrics are I am yours. You are mine. It reminds me of how some of us are our daddy's or momma's girl/boy. We're also God's girl/boy.
  

Beth Moore Simulcast

• Prov 31 was originally written in Hebrew as an acrostic poem.
• Prov 31:26 This woman lives by the "Torah (law) of Kindness."
• The Torah is God's instructions in different languages.
• EXHIBIT A- WE LIVE IN A MEAN WORLD & IT'S GOING TO GET MEANER.
• 2 Tim 3 talks about environmental disasters during the "last days," which began at Pentecost. That was the last spiritual thing that happened.
• EXHIBIT B- SHE OPENETH HER MOUTH.
• Women speak more than men.
• After being raised from the dead, Jesus went to women 1st.
• Most women are published, which can be texting, email, etc (anything that can be forwarded to anyone). We need the Holy Spirit to be our editor. "Look before publishing."
• Luke 6:45 Even if you're quiet, you WILL speak. Words are a reflection of our hearts, even for something we don't know is on our hearts.
• POINT 1- KINDNESS IS NOT WEAKNESS. It's strength that takes divine power.
• Luke 6:35 "Then you will be sons of Most High" (NIV). It shows who we belong to.
• If we can't think of someone who's not kind, we're not getting out enough.
• Nice is from Latin. The original meaning is 'ignorant.' You're nice because you don't know.
• Psalm 141:5 Kindness can speak strongly. "Nice is fine, but kind is divine."
• POINT 2- KINDNESS IS NOT AN ACTION. IT'S A DISPOSITION.
• The Old Testament was written in Hebrew & the New Testament was written in Greek.
• The Greek meaning of the word, kind, is profitable, good for any use, (for people) good-natured.
• Being a kind person is to be available to be of any use by God.
• Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit. Grace permeates the whole person.
• Because kindness is a disposition from grace, it can't be faked. It must come from the Holy Spirit.
• POINT 3- KINDNESS WEARS DOWN WHEN WE DO.
• Daniel 7:25 NASB or ESV.
• Matt 11:28-30 The word, easy, is Greek for the word, kind. We're not kind because we're worn down. The only yolk we're meant to carry is God's.
• Things that wear us down: 2 Tim 2:24 resentment, Gen 37:4 hatred. Anyone we're capable of hating, we've probably loved.
• When we're worn down, we need to be built up.
• Eph 4:12, 16, 29
• POINT 4- KINDNESS LOOKS PAIN IN THE FACE.
  
• Job 6:28
• POINT 5- KINDNESS IS A SAVIOR.
  
• Titus 3:3-8 In verse 4, the Greek word for the word, appeared, means epiphany.
• Eph 2:4-10 It's a sin to try to be someone's savior. It wears us out because we're not suppose to be the savior.
• POINT 6- KINDNESS HAS GOOD MEMORY.
• Hosea 11:4
• POINT 7- KINDNESS CRAVES AN OUTLET.
• 2 Samuel 9:1
• "I don't want women to take men's places. I want them to take their own."- Beth Moore
• POINT 8- KINDNESS LEAVES A LEGACY.
• 83% of people on the island of Malta give to charity (from a newspaper that Beth shared). Acts 28:1-2 In chapter 27, Paul, along with other prisoners sailed to Italy. They were sailing in the Mediterranean Sean when a Nor'easter storm came. The ship was going to sink so they all got out of the ship & landed on the island of Malta.
  

I finished the quarter w/A's in both of my classes, 1 being hematology! Praise God!

Oro was neutered a week or so ago. He's recovered & doing well. For a couple days, we had him roaming the house (not the basement) during the day & separated at night. We had the bedroom doors closed, too, so none of the cats could run in a room to escape. For part of last night, Pumpkin & Oro were in my parents' room last night. Oro & Maggie have been sleeping on opposite ends of my bed for maybe an hr now. I think we're going to let him roam the house tonight, keeping the basement door closed. He did go down there once without anyone knowing. lol