When you feel betrayed.

Everyone has been betrayed by someone close to them. Please think about what it was like when someone betrayed you. What did you feel? How did you respond?

Also had did you feel when you may have betrayed someone close to you? How would you have liked them to respond with you?

No need for specifics on the site. If you are compelled to share more personally feel free to e-mail me at frostymalt23@juno.com.

Thanks
Dan

The 6th Commandment and war in the Bible?

How do we reconcile the 6th commandment and commands by God in the Old Testament to kill people? Does the command to be understood as thou shalt not kill or thou shall not commit murder? Especially when God commanded the people of  Israel to kill. The story of Noah is all about death.

New Study Idea

Hey all. Wanted to try something new with our study. I have been convinced that  Jesus used questions to help people gain a better understanding of what people really believed. I want to try to help all of us process through truth. So I want to have an interaction about our coming study here leading up to Saturday night. This can become a great forum for us to discuss truth throughout the week, as well as to keep us connected to one another. So here is the Question:

In light of the 5th commandment, is the family a natural or a supernatural function?

Thanks for the feedback

Dan

By the way if you live in the Rockford area, our group meets at 3 sister cafe in Byron on Saturday nights @ 6.  If you stop by I will buy you a cup of coffee

God’s Love

A couple of us decided to write  about the love of God check it out.

Todd’s view on God’s love

In this article, I will look at what love means in a biblical sense and in the worldly sense.  I will discuss the definition of love. The verses I will look at in the biblical sense are (1 John 4:8), (John 3:16), (1 John 4:19-20), and (1 Corinthians 13:4).
In addition, I would like to define how the world uses love. It is a strong positive emotion of regard and affection for someone or something. Furthermore, I would like to say that the world sees love being a lustful desire instead of selfless love of God. The world does not understand the true meaning of love.
In contrast, I would like to see what the Bible has to say about love.  1 John 4:8 says, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” What the verse is saying is that we miss the things that God does for us because we do not have the faith and trust that would keep us in a relationship with him. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” This means that God so loved us that he died ultimately for his glory and to bring us into a right relationship with him. As a result, we can believe in him and have a life that will be full of joy and goodness. We will begin to lose feels like we have regrets, hatred, and sadness. This does not mean that you are not without those negative emotions, but we can still put our hope in the unconditional love of Jesus. In addition to the love that God shows us in this life, we hold on to the promise of eternal life; which far out weights the joy and goodness of this life. 1 John 4: 19-20 says, “We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, I love God, yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.” This is saying, we need to love everyone just as God does. Moreover, we can only love God because he loved us first. God’s love is everlasting, never failing, and he loves us even when we sin. This does not mean we can continue in our sins, but we can still repent to God allowing God to work in us.  1 Corinthians 13:4 says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” The word envy in this verse means discontent and resentment aroused by the desire for possessions or qualities of another. The word boasts means to talk in a self-admiring way. This says that our love should not boast or envy. 1 Corinthians 13:8 says, “Love never fails.” We know that God’s love will never fail.
In conclusion, we have looked at the biblical sense of love compared to the worldly sense. What does love look like to you?  Do you feel like you need to envy or boast? Where is your love compared to God’s love? These are things we all need to ask ourselves.

Eric’s view on God’s love

In 1 John 4, Scripture tells us “God is love.”  Most people would agree with that statement, but what does that really mean?  So, let us look at what God’s love does not mean, what it does mean, and what should be a believer’s response to the love of God.
God’s love does NOT mean tolerance.  The first part of John 15 talks about if one does not remain in Jesus, that person will lead a fruitless life.  That person will be cut off and sent to hell.  Jeremiah 16:5 states, “ For this is what the LORD says: ‘Do not enter a house where there is a funeral meal; do not go to mourn or show sympathy, because I have withdrawn My blessing, My love and My pity from this people,’ declares the LORD.” God Hates sin.  He must hate sin or else He would cease to be God.  Because God is Holy, He must love righteousness and hate evil.
How would one describe God’s love?  Ephesians 2:4 describe it as “Great.”  Jeremiah 31:3 talks about God’s love being everlasting.  Romans 8:35 says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?”  Once God has saved a person NOTHING can separate that person from Jesus’ love.  John 14:21 says, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me. He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love him and show Myself to him.”  Ephesians 3 talks about Christ’s love as being so huge that no one can fully comprehend it.
Now, what does this mean for the believer?  First off, one must understand that one can only love God because He first loved that person (1 John 4:19).  How can dirty, stinky, raggy, unclean, and deserving-hell sinner love a perfect and just God?  They can’t.  While a person is still an enemy of God, He laid down His life for them.  Jesus’ love is sacrificial, and if one wants to be more like Jesus that person must laid down his life for Jesus.  1 John 3:1 states, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.”  How awesome is it to be called a child of God?  Jesus said that if we love Him then we must obey Him.  We must respond to the love of Christ with obedience.  Also, the God of love should always make one go wwwwoooohhhhoooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Have a great day!

Tell someone about Jesus today!

Extreme Vision Ministries messages on-line

On our Vodpod clips are recorded sermons of the teachings were are going through.  Recently, we went through the seven churches in Revelation.  One message is about the church at Laodicea, and how we can apply that today.  The second message is about Abraham the friend of God.  Each message is in three parts.  Have a great day and God bless!

The Three Stooges Plus One Thoughts on Theology

Hey everyone three of us decided to blog about different theological topics.  Dan, Todd, and Eric are the three stooges, and we will try to have a guest stooges every blog.  Check back every few weeks for a new topic.  Please feel free to comment and interact with us as we think on God’s Word.  The topic for this time is holiness.  Click on the above page.  Have a great day, and tell someone about Jesus today!

On-line Bible study on Romans

We are starting an on-line study of the book of Romans.  We will start immediately, and we will finish at the end of July.   Read through the book and if the LORD shows you something let us know.  Not only share what you are learning on this site, but share it with your family, friends, co-workers, and complete strangers.  Everyone and anyone are welcome to participate.  Have fun reading God’s Word!

Evangelism Training (Week 3)

Extreme Vision Ministries Evangelism Training Week 3

Text: Matthew 7: 13-14, John 14: 1-7

Premise: Truth is more important than belief

Challenge:

Matthew 7: 13- 14

The road to destruction if Wide.

The road to life is narrow.

John 14: 1-7

Jesus is………

The way,

The truth,

The life.

No one comes to the Father but through Jesus.

John 4:24

Worship comes from two thing……….

Spirit and Truth

There is no worship without the truth. Those who try distort the person of Jesus cannot truly worship our Lord. True worship is dependent upon the proclamation of truth. Worship is a by-product of the understanding of the Truth. Jesus is the Truth. The truth is not relative.

Memory verse: John 14:6-7

Theological Foundations of Faith, Repentance, Mercy, and Grace

Extreme Vision Ministries Theological Foundations

Faith: “ trust in the person of Jesus, the truth of his teaching, and the redemptive work He accomplished at Calvary, and as a result the total submission to Him and His message, which are accepted as from God.” (Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary, p 274)

“Faith is the total unswerving acceptance of the person of Christ as the source of salvific power and new life.” (Thomas Merton, Life and Holiness, p 80)

Repentance: “that divinely wrought conviction of sin in the heart that the soul is guilty before God, and a resolute turning away from sin in which the sinner identifies himself with the gracious act of God in redeeming him. Repentance involves both a change of mind about sin, and a change of heart attitude toward sin. It is at the time a renunciation of sin and an acceptance of the Holy Spirits enablement of holy living.” Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary, p 711) (Romans 3:28, Ephesians 2:8, Matthew 3: 2, 8, Matthew 4:17, 2 Corinthians 7:9-10, Acts 20:21, 2 Peter 3:9, Acts 2: 38, Romans 2:4, Luke 18:13)

Two key elements that need distinction are mercy and grace.

Mercy: “forbearance from the inflicting punishment upon an adversary or law breaker.” (Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary, p 525)

Grace: “is the unmerited favor of God towards fallen men, whereby for the sake of Christ- who is the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth- he has provided for man’s redemption.” (Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary, p 322) (Luke 1:30, Romans 16:20,24, Philippians 4:23, Colossians 1:19, 1 Thessalonians 5:28, Ephesians 2:4,5, John 1:14, Titus 2:11, Romans 5:1, 15-17, Romans 8: 1-2, Ephesians 2:8-9, Galatians 5: 4-5)

Seeing God In Daily Life

God is amazing!  He is everywhere at all times.  We have seen God do great and wonderful things in our group.   Sometimes I lose track of how great God is.  As a result, I try to do life my way which always leads to a bad place.  Jeremiah 29:13 states, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”  So when we look for God, we are reminded of how great He is because we see the wonderful work of His hands.  In the most recent Narnia movie, Lucy tell Aslan how he has grown.  He tells her that every year she grows so shall he grow.  When we grow in Christ, Jesus gets bigger and bigger (Dan ism) in our lives especially when we are always looking for Him.

So when ever you see God do something whether it seems big or small to you share with the group.  (Even if your not a part of our group I would still encourage you to share).  So look for God today in everything.  You will be surprised on how much you will seen His hand working.  Then, tell us about it.   All you have to do is click on “Seeing God In Daily Life” and the top and type away.  Have an awesome, great, and amazing day!