Tasty Treats ...

Found some tasty treats recently:
http://www.piercedforourtransgressions.com

http://richardperkins.blogsome.com/

http://pjcockrell.wordpress.com

Studying Mark 8:11-21. Both the Pharisees and the disciples don't get the feeding of the four thousand:

To the Pharisees stubborn verdict on Jesus already (Mark 3), We see that:

1. Jesus presence is sufficient (for us to know who he is)

To the Disciples immediate self concern, We see that:

2. Jesus identity is clear

It is blindingly obvious but they need a miracle to see it. They need healing of their spiritual blindness. This word says to us:

Have we already decided who Jesus is? (Stubborn Pride)

Are we too concerned with our own wellbeing to see who Jesus is? And especially the astounding claim his worksmake about him? (Introversion)

If so we need to heed what we learn here and look to the Jesus come into human history to be the bread of life for us. Him who by taking our judgement on the cross and gives us life in his resurrection if we turn to him.

Don't be blind.

Knowing and Having

Recently been reading:

"He is there, He is not silent." By Francis Shaeffer

It is technical in its detail but I never felt lost (even if a bit confused!) Certain parts of his writing felt really true about how I can feel sometimes about the world around me. He says after the work of Rousseau, Kant and Kierkengaard...

"Young people today live in a generation that no longer believes in the hope of truth as truth ... rationality is seen as leading to pessimism. We can have mathematical knowledge but man is only a machine"

"Man is only the machine; man is only a zero, and nothing has any real meaning. I am nothing - one particular amoung thousands of particulars. No particulars have meaning, and specifically the particular of myself. I have no meaning; I die; man is dead"

Sounds depressing yet my Faith in God has been built up because as much as we feel this way it turns out we can't live this way, simply because 'He is there, He is not silent'

To the Christian there is no problem of knowing because we believe he is there and he has spoken. Schaeffer articulates this well and I cannot recommend this book highly enough (as apparently the foundation of most of his work).

Recently I have been looking at Gods Word to us in Genesis in the account of Jacob and Laban 30:25-31:55.

God is with his people (Gen 30:25-43).

His people are distrusting idolators (Gen 31:1-21)

Yet ..

God protects his people (Gen 31:22-55)

Laban comes after Jacob as he has run away. Gods people are keeping hold of there idols - Rachel nicked Labans. Yet God protects them because he is with his people (31:42). All other gods and idols are shown up to be of value little more than that of a pack of tampons!

I Praise God that he is with those that trust him. I Repent of idolatory that is useless.

Schaeffer tells us there is no problem of knowing our world because there is a God. In the Lord Jesus Christ we can have him with us for eternity. We can have him who is with us protecting and providing for us and will bring us through to his New Creation!