The Great Banquet: Luke 14:15-24

I realize this is really long for some of you, but feel free to print it out and use it as a Bible Study sometime.

The Old Testament background for this parable is found in Isaiah 25:6-9:

6"And the Lord of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; a banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, and refined, aged wine.
7And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, even the veil which is stretched over all nations.
8He will swallow up death for all time, and the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces, and He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken.
9And it will be said in that day, "Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation."

"A ritual banquet is one that marks some personal or interpersonal transition or transformation, held to give honor to those undergoing the important social change. As a ritual feature of hospitality, banquets indicate the transformation of a stranger into a guest (Gen. 19:3-14; Luke 5:29) or of an enemy into a covenant partner (Gen. 26:26-31; 2 Sam. 3:20). Banquets mark important transitional points in a person’s life, e.g., Isaac’s weaning day (Gen. 21:8); the weddings of Jacob (Gen. 29:22), Samson (Judg. 14:10), the Lamb (Rev. 19:9), and in the parable of Matt. 22:2-10; the birthdays of Pharaoh (Gen. 40:20), of Herod (Mark 6:21); or the victory banquet hosted by God in Rev. 19:17. At the Last Supper Jesus changes the ceremonial banquet of the Jewish Passover into a ritual banquet effectively symbolizing the meaning of his impending death (Mark 14:12-25 and parallels)."1

Setting: Jesus was at the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees on the Sabbath. Jesus noticed that some of the invited guests at the house were seeking the more honored places to sit. Jesus spoke about being humble and seeking the lower position. He then spoke about inviting the poor and the crippled to dinner, even though they could not repay the host, because the host would be repaid in the resurrection. Then we have the following...

15. And when one of those who were reclining at the table with Him heard this, he said to Him, "Blessed is everyone who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!"


"To eat bread" is another way of saying, "To eat a meal."

The phrase "kingdom of God" occurs 66 times and it is found only in the New Testament.

Matthew’s Gospel frequently uses the term ‘Kingdom of Heaven,’ while Mark and Luke always use ‘Kingdom of God.’ ‘Heaven’ in these instances is a circumlocution—a way of referring to God without using his name.2

There is both both a present and a future aspect to the kingdom of God. In the present aspect deals with the presence of Christ who is a king. Matt. 12:28-29 says, "“But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 “Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house." The presence of Christ is the king means that the gospel is being preached as a result of the victorious sacrifice of Christ upon the cross.

The future aspect of the kingdom of God deals with the return of Christ and the "age to come," the full redemption of the saved in a resurrected form, the remaking of the heavens and the earth, and all that is promised by God in the future.

The one who said "Blessed is everyone who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God" is a Jew who expects that he himself will enjoy the blessings of the coming kingdom. Jesus takes the opportunity to teach that one enters the kingdom of God, salvation, not by birthright or by works, but by grace.16. But He said to him, "A certain man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many;

It was the custom when giving a dinner, to invite a certain number of people. Those who accepted the invitation were then counted. The meal was prepared according to the number who accepted the invitation. The more people coming, the more food had to be prepared. For example, a chicken would be for 2-4 guests, a duck for 5-8, a lamb for 10-15, a sheep for 15-35, and a calf for 35-75. In other words, the amount and type of meat depends on the number of people who accept the invitation. Once an animal has been killed it must be eaten soon or else it will spoil. Therefore, to back out at the last minute would be rude. The invited guest is duty bound to attend the banquet.

Also, it was considered very rude to attend a banquet if you were not invited; after all, the meal had not been prepared with you in mind.17. and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, 'Come' for everything is ready now.'

The second invitation is a notification to the guests that the meal is ready.

The Greek word "come" means literally, continue coming. This is consistent with the custom of a double invitation.18. but they all alike began to make excuses. the first one said to him, 'I have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; please consider me excused.'

The meal has been prepared, the table set, and people notified. To back out now is an insult.

In the middle East, no one buys a field without first examining it thoroughly. The springs, wells, stone walls, trees, paths, and anticipated rainfall are all well-known long before a discussion of the purchase is even begun. The excuse is a lie, an obvious one, and the guest is stating in no uncertain terms that the field is more important than his relationship with the host. In a community where interpersonal relationships are very important, this strikes even harder as an offence.19. And another one said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.'

Teams of oxen are sold in the Middle East in two ways. They are taken to the market place and a nearby field and there they plow the field. Anyone wishing to buy may then drive the oxen himself and examine the animals thoroughly to see if they work well as a team.

That is like calling your wife at home and saying you'll be late for the big dinner that's been planned for weeks because you need to go out an look at five cars you just bought without looking at them.

The other way to buy the oxen is to announce that the team is for sale and say what day the team will be working in the field. Prospective buyers can then come to the field, watch, examine, and test them for themselves. Only after the team is examined thoroughly is a price discussed.

This excuse, like the other one, is also an insult.20. And another one said, 'I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come.'

In the tightly knit community of the Middle East a wedding calls for a celebration. At a celebration is food, and lots of it. The community would have been aware of the wedding and many people would have been invited. Meals would have been prepared before hand. Therefore, the banquet would not have been scheduled for the same day as a wedding.

Also, if the man simply wants to be with his wife then why did he accept the invitation in the first place.

This one doesn't even say, "Please."21. And the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, 'Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.'

Anger would be a natural expectation of the head of the household. He has been insulted three times.

The invited guests refuse to respond to the good news that the feast is ready. What then is the host to do? He cannot have a feast without guests. He then invites the unworthy, the poor, crippled, blind, and lame. He brings in the undesirables. So, he gives the command to bring in the poor, who aren't normally invited to banquets; the crippled, who cannot test oxen in the field; and the blind and lame who don't normally marry.

They have no way of repaying the host and he knows it. Therefore, he is being gracious, very gracious in light of the insults received.

Matt. 9:36, "And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He *said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 “Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”22. And the slave said, 'Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.'

Some have already been saved. But there is room for more.23. And the master said to the slave, 'Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house my be filled.'

The previous guests were all part of the immediate community. But here, the highways and hedges are sought out for more to join the banquet. Isaiah 25:6-9 is important for a proper understanding of this parable. In Isaiah the Gentiles are included in the banquet with the Lord.

Notice also, that the command is not carried out in this parable. It is given but no account of its fulfillment is mentioned. This is because those being compelled to enter in have not yet been all invited. Redemption is still going on.24. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of my dinner.


With what would the original audience have identified in the parable?

The Banquet = the messianic banquet that ushers in the age to come.

Matt. 12:32, blasphemy of the H.S. will not be forgiven in this age or the age to come. Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30, we receive much in this age and in the age to come we will receive eternal life. Eph. 1:21, "(the power of God) is far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come."

In this age We will receive 100 times as much, Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30; People are given in marriage, Luke 20:34; The wisdom of this world is the wisdom of this age, 1 Cor. 1:20; The rulers of this age are coming to nothing, 1 Cor. 2:6; Satan is the god of this age, 2 Cor. 4:4; Jesus rescued us from the present evil age, Gal. 1:4; In the age to come we will receive eternal life, Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30; 1 Tim. 6:9; we do not marry, Luke 20:35

The Original Guests = the leaders of Israel who are rightfully the first to be invited.

Acts 3:25-26, “It is you who are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ 26 “For you first, God raised up His Servant, and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.”

The Lame and Poor of the City = the outcasts within the house of Israel.

Matt. 10:5-8, "These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them, saying, “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; 6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons; freely you received, freely give."

The Guests from the Highways and the Hedges = the gentiles.

Acts 13:46, "And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles."
This parable teaches that no one may enter the kingdom of God without an invitation from God. An invitation by grace.

It also is a warning to heed the invitation when it is heard. Because the invitation does not last forever.

In between two great banquet parables, each declaring pure grace (the Great Banquet and the Prodigal Son), is set a collection of sayings that speaks of the high cost of discipleship in clear and demanding terms (Luke 14:25-35).

The Banquet is free, the invitation by grace, but acceptance carries with it responsibility. Discipleship is our responsibility.

Luke 14:25-35:

"Now great multitudes were going along with Him; and he turned and said to them, "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.; Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and take counsel whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand/ Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks terms of peace. So therefore, no one of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions. Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned?"

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1. Achtemeier, Paul J., Th.D., Harper’s Bible Dictionary, (San Francisco: Harper and Row, Publishers, Inc.) 1985.
2. ibid.

Parables

Over the next few days I think I'm going to do a series on parables. I've found a neat resource that really puts the parables in the context of their history. Here's the introduction.The parables of Jesus are treasure houses of wisdom masterfully woven in story form. They are deep, theological, practical, sometimes confusing, but always worth the effort needed to unlock their mysteries.
Basically, a parable is a short story with a moral lesson. Jesus’ parables teach a series of moral concepts using the culture of the times. Though the parables have much to offer to us in the present day via a casual reading, they have even more to offer when we understand the culture of the time and examine them in that light. For instance, in the story of the Prodigal son, when the son asked for his father’s inheritance, that was equivalent to saying he didn’t care if his father lived or died. He just wanted his money. Why? Because a son never ever asked for an inheritance until after the death of his parent. To do so prematurely was to imply he wished his parent’s death!
There are many such cultural gems waiting for us to discover. When laid in the rich framework of the parables, we can see the majestic beauty and power of Jesus’ living words reflected in the light of His truth...and we are not left unaffected.
In the presentation of these parables, I have gleaned heavily from the book Poet & Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes, by Kenneth E. Bailey. This book forced open my eyes when reading the parables caused me to see things in them I had never thought of before.
It is important to know that the nobleman of ancient Israel did not run, but walked at a dignified pace. Then what does this mean when the Prodigal’s father runs to his son?
Isolation from impure food and people was especially crucial for the Pharisees when they sat down to eat. How do we consider this when the Pharisee asked Jesus to eat with him and provided no means for Jesus to wash?
A person’s ethnic background could be seen through his speech and his clothes. How does this bear upon the Good Samaritan parable where the man is left unconscious and naked?
A woman could be divorced for letting her hair down in public. What does this mean when the woman wet Jesus’ feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair?

The parables used familiar symbols so the listener could relate and, if need be, be shocked. Whatever the outcome in the hearer, the parables required a response. Either the hearer was to change a behavior, or a thought, or a belief, or something else. But change is the reason for the parables.
They were not simply stories. They were living words from the mouth of God.

Jesus Paid It ALL

Here's another great message from Bill Bright.

No one can ever boast in the presence of God (1 Corinthians 1:29, NLT).

Dear friends:

It is an insult to God to try to add anything to Christ's finished work.

Imagine a boy swimming in a lake one day, and suddenly he yelled for help. Another young man on shore ran to the water and swam out to rescue the first fellow. In the process of saving the life of the boy who was drowning, the second young man lost his life. The two families, who had been observing all of this, were overwhelmed by the unexpected turn of events. The father of the youth who had been saved approached the father of the dead young man to offer his sympathy. "I really can't express how much I appreciate what your boy did, and how sorry I am that he lost his life. But I just happen to have $1.83 on me, and want to offer this to you as an indication of my feelings.

Was the salvation of this man's son paid for by the other boy's life, or by the measly $1.83?

Also, imagine a man before a judge who has been given the choice of paying $100 or serving 90 days in jail. The man doesn't have any money, but he does have an invalid wife and five hungry children at home who are depending on him and him alone. He tells such a heartrending story that the courtroom spectators are moved with pity. They take up a collection to help pay the man's fine. Although it is unlike him, even the judge chips in. Altogether they raise $99.95. Even though they are only five cents short, the judge declares that the entire $100 must be paid, and orders the bailiff to take the man to jail. He dejectedly walks out of the courtroom, thrusting his hands deep into his pockets -- where he finds a nickel! Elated, he rushes back into the courtroom and slaps it on the bar before the judge, declaring, "I'm free, I'm free!"

In his mind, what had saved him?? The $99.95, or the measly five cents?

Any works that we might add to our salvation do not even add up to $1.83, or $.05. In fact, each amounts to zero, and 0 + 0 = 0.

If we did anything to merit our salvation, we would be forever boasting about it in heaven, which can never happen.

"No one can ever boast in the presence of God" (1 Corinthians 1:29, NLT).

The fact is that we can do nothing to earn our salvation. Jesus paid it all. Yours for helping to fulfill the Great Commission each year until our Lord returns,

Bill Bright

Brain Teaser

If you were to construct a 7 x 7 checkered square (i.e., a 7 x 7 chess board), how many squares would there be in total?
This is not just asking for the total number of little squares which would be 49, but the board itself is also a square which would add one...and there are also squares made up of 2 checkered squares x 2 checkered squares etc...

If that doesn't make sense let me know and I'll try and clarify it.

There is a pole in a lake. One-half of the pole is in the ground, another one-third of it is covered by water, and 11 ft is out of the water. What is the total length of the pole in ft?

Ann purchased a house for $ 183787. She wants to sell it for a profit of exactly 13%. However, she does not want to sell it herself. She wants a Real Estate Agent to sell it for her. The Agent must make a commission of exactly 5.6% (in addition to Ann's 13% profit). How much must the Agent sell the house for? Give your answer to the nearest dollar.

The answers are now in the comments. I decided to do it that way, rather than post them, on the off chance that someone who likes these things still wants to try. :) I know it's a long shot. :)

Prayer Quotes

I thought I'd kinda tie the last two posts together here by posting quotes about prayer. There is a mighty difference between saying prayers and praying. - John G. Lake

I have so much to do that I spend several hours in prayer before I am able to do it. - John Wesley

Of all the duties enjoined to a Christian, none is more essential and yet more neglected than prayer. - Francois Fenelon

Pray and let God worry. - Martin LutherIf God will do whatever He wishes, regardless of whether we pray or not, then we do not need to pray at all, and the Lord's instructions on praying for the Kingdom and the Will are superfluous. But the truth is that God waits for a Remnant to rise up and to pray in agreement with His Purpose before He does anything - He will do nothing apart from the Church. Apart from HIM we CAN do nothing; apart from US He WILL do nothing. - Chip Brogden

Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work. - Oswald Chambers"Do we realize there is nothing the devil dreads so much as prayer? His greatest concern is to keep us from praying. He loves to see us "up to our eyes" in work - provided we do not pray. He does not fear because we are eager and earnest Bible students - provided we are little in prayer. Someone has wisely said, 'Satan laughs at our toiling, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.' All this is so familiar to us, but do we really pray? Let us never forget that the greatest thing we can do for God or for man is to pray. For we can accomplish far more by our prayers than by our works. Prayer is omnipotent; it can do anything God can do! When we pray, God works! All fruitfulness in service is the outcome of prayer - of the worker's prayers, or of those who are holding up holy hands on his behalf. We all know how to pray, but perhaps many of us need to cry as the disciples did of old, 'Lord, teach us to pray.'" (Quote taken from The Kneeling Christian)

Quotes and the Quoters

As the light changed from red to green to yellow and back to red again, I sat there thinking about life. Was it nothing more than a bunch of honking and yelling? Sometimes it seemed that way. - Jack Handy

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity. - Albert Einstein

A friend is one before whom I may think aloud. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

It is hard enough to remember my opinions, without also remembering my reasons for them! - Friedrich Nietzsche

Nothing takes the taste out of peanut butter quite like unrequited love. - Charles M. Schulz

It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong. - Voltaire

You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you. - Dale Carnegie

Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain - and most fools do. - Dale Carnegie

Prayer and the Invisible Children

I was in Bluffton IN for the weekend. It was a blessing. Saturday night I saw a documentary on the war in Uganda, and how the rebels are abducting children at a young age and brainwashing them to fight by exposing them to extreme violence. The situation needs lots of prayer.

For more on what you can do go to Invisible Children.

On Sunday afternoon we had a bible study on prayer. It was very convicting for me. The challenge that the speaker started out with was this: "If you can't spend 1 to 2 hours praying without repetition, falling asleep, or getting bored, then you don't properly understand the role prayer has in a Christian's life." Then he expounded on Scriptures that show the power and necessity of prayer in a believers life.

During the Bible Study it became apparent that there was a lot about prayer that I didn't have the proper perspective on. I praise God for His continued sanctification!

Worth your time

This post moved me to tears, as so many of her posts do. I highly recommend putting her on your list of blogs to check regularly. You'll have to do some scrolling through her archives to learn her whole story, but it's an amazing story of God, courage, love, and family.

Accomplishment

Lisa left a comment on my previous post asking me, "...what single accomplishment in your life have you been proudest of?"

That's a really interesting, and for me, thought-provoking question. To give you an idea of why that question made me think, here's some background. I think of this story almost everytime I see the word "proud".

When I was in middle school I brought home one of those bumper stickers that said "Proud Parent of a CCR-1 Honor Roll Student!" I'm sure you've all seen something similar. Well, a few days later I noticed it sitting, propped up, on the window ledge in my mom's office. She had crossed out the word "proud" with a black marker, leaving it to read: "------ Parent of a CCR-1 Honor Roll Student".

Back then I just shook my head, and chalked it up to over-zealousness. But it stuck with me. I've never forgotten that.

Throughout my life, as accomplishments have come and gone, I've always tried to remember that all good gifts are from our Father in heaven. (Jas 1:17)

However, it is undeniable that God has instilled in us the emotions which give us satisfaction and make us feel good at the completion of various accomplishments. Even those are good gifts from God. Those emotions can lead us down a number of paths. You could end up wasting your life pursuing those good feelings of accomplishment and taking all the credit for them, or else you could use them to Worship our Father.

Lisa, did you know this would turn into a novel!? *grin*

I do not mean for the above to be a condemnation of the word "proud" as it often has a non-sinful context.(as in this case) It just made me think of that story, so I decided to share.

So, now that I've managed to write a rather lengthy discussion on this, I'll try and just answer the question as it was intended. :-) I just wanted you all to have some idea why this question struck me.

So, without further ado, the accomplishment for which I am most thankful. *wink*

*drumroll*.................................................
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........................
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I'm not sure.

This is really kinda difficult for me. There isn't one thing that stands head and shoulders above the rest, but to answer the question, I'll go with the first one that popped into my head. Getting my Masters degree in Architectural Engineering from Kansas State in 5 1/2 years with a 3.8 GPA.It's amazing how many times God provided the necessary resources, both physically and mentally, which allowed that to happen. It was very rewarding, and it's very humbling to know that God has entrusted me with the resources I have. May I use them to further His Kingdom and not mine.

Drawing a Blank

Ok, so I was trying to come up with a decent post topic this morning, and I can't think of anything.

Here's what I'm going to try. I want you readers to give me topic ideas.

Is there a question you'd like me to try and find an answer to? Is there a topic you'd like my opinion on? Is there something about me you'd like to know? Or maybe there's a topic that you really think I need to study.

I'd love your input on this one.

More Fun Facts!

For those of you who are getting burnt out on the rather heavy discussion we've been having about predestination, here's some lighter reading. :) I love trivia.

A car traveling at 80 km/h (50mph) uses half its fuel to overcome wind resistance.

Knowledge is growing so fast that ninety per cent of what we will know in fifty years time, will be discovered in those fifty years. (This one’s almost scary!)

Ten minutes of one hurricane contains enough energy to match the nuclear stockpiles of the world.

When hydrogen burns in the air, water is formed.

It is energy-efficient to turn off a fluorescent light only if it will not be used again within an hour or more. This is because of the high voltage needed to turn it on, and the shortened life this high voltage causes.

Due to gravitational effects, you weigh slightly less when the moon is directly overhead.

The Earth's average velocity orbiting the sun is 107,220 km per hour (66,623mph).

The United States consumes 25% of all the world’s energy.

A Boeing 707 uses four thousand gallons of fuel in its take-off climb.

It takes 70% less energy to produce a ton of paper from recycled paper than from trees.

Every year in the US, 625 people are struck by lightning.

A bolt of lightning is about 54,000°F (30,000°C); six times hotter than the Sun.

The temperature can be determined by counting the number of cricket chirps in fourteen seconds and adding 40. (This is unbelievable! I’m definitely going to be trying this!)

Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.

The human brain is 80% water.

As an adult, you have more than 20 square feet of skin on your body--about the same square footage as a blanket for a queen-sized bed.

In your lifetime, you'll shed over 40 pounds of skin.

15 million blood cells are produced and destroyed in the human body every second.

The brain uses more than 25% of the oxygen used by the human body.

There are more living organisms on the skin of a single human being than there are human beings on the surface of the earth. (That’s kind of creepy.)

A cockroach can live for several weeks without its head.

Rats multiply so quickly that in 18 months, two rats could have over 1 million descendents.

Responses and Thoughts

Megaen: I have not had a housewarming party yet. I have a roommate who's going to be moving in in June, so I was going to wait until he got here. :) I am very excited about it. I think there's some real potential for growth her for me.
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Meg: Great thought! It's not just about us understand God's heart it's about us giving Him ours.

A thought I had about that is this: Would we even be able to perfom the unselfish act of giving Him our hearts without first receiving something from Him? :-) We love Him because He first loved us and sent His Son to die for us...
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In the May 12th post Paul had left the following comment:
So, since we've been throwing around all these ideas and thoughts. I would like to try to restate what it is your saying in only one statement for clarification.

"The only reason we are able to humbly come to the cross in repentance, is because God has 'given' us the proper motivation that we require to make it an action."

Is that close at all?
God Bless

I would say that is part of it...but it would seem to me that the only reason we can do any "good" thing is because of God and His gifts.

Does that make sense?

One of the thoughts I had on the "why this question matters" topic is this:

If our perspective lies such that we understand that ALL good gifts come from the Father, then when we see someone struggling, we will not be inclined to encourage them to "change their behaviour", but instead we should encourage them to draw near to our Saviour...to kneel before Him and pour out themselves so that He may fill them with the gifts He's promised us in His Word.

I'm not implying that the behaviour doesn't need to change, but rather that we're often tempted to put the cart before the horse. It's our human nature to think, "If I change my behaviour, I can get close to God again." When in reality I believe it's the opposite for a Christian!

Growth and Sanctification

Well, I managed to survive the first weekend in my new place. :) It's very humbling to think that God has entrusted this place to my stewardship. I pray that I'll stay thankful and not take it for granted.

Thanks for all the comments on that last post. I do have a few remarks regarding things people have posted.Mark: I love the thought you expressed about the interaction of our will and God's will and how they can be simultaneously worked out. I also really appreciated your reminder that it's not about what Calvin/Luther/Fruelich/any human said, it's about what God's Word says. Compare teachings to the Word. Take the accurate, leave the inaccurate.

Anonymous: I really appreciate you expressing your thoughts here. I completely agree with your statement "...there are some things we were never meant to understand about God." I don't want to give the impression that I think I can achieve complete and total understanding of God and all His ways. We are told in the Scriptures that we will never understand all things. However, I do want to understand as much as I can about the inspired Word. The entire Bible was given to us for instruction in righteousness. In order to learn from that instruction and be able to apply it to our lives, we must study it. We must understand what the instructions are. As Christians, the burning desire in our hearts should be to understand how God wants us to live, and there is no other place to learn that than the Word of God.

The reason I brought up the specific question in the last post was because it impacts how we view overcoming our failures. Do you grit your teeth and try to overcome by exercising your will, or do you fall on your knees, repent of the sin, turn your focus to Christ, and pray that He will fill you with His goodness? Maybe others don't struggle with this as much as I do, but personally, my nature is to try and overcome by my own power. I feel it's important for me to get an accurate Biblical viewpoint on God's sovereignty vs my will so that I ask for God pleasing things in my prayers. An example of this would be: I used to pray "God, give me the strength to overcome this temptation..." Well, maybe a more Biblically accurate prayer would be "Lord I am as dust, fill me with thy power to live a life pleasing to thee."

You may read those two prayers and think there's not much of a difference, but the mind set they exhibit varies a lot.

I hope that makes some sense. I don't mean to raise questions that we're not meant to ever know, but I do mean to raise questions that help us grow in our understanding of Christ and how we're supposed to live out our lives here upon earth. I believe the key to studying the scriptures is in your motives. If you're studying them strictly to gain knowledge and to impress people, then you need to re-evaluate. If you're studying scriptures so that you may become more Christ-like in your walk, then you'll be blessed. Scripture also supports the notion that not all Christians are gifted with the same ability to study and teach the Word. I don't think that gives some people a license to never study, but I think the degree's vary based on the person.

Something to Ponder

Here's something to think about over the weekend (or whenever you end up reading this). It's something I've been mulling over lately, and I can't say I've come up with a good answer.

Ok, God is totally sovereign right? He is completely powerful and so far above us that there is no way for us to comprehend. We are as worms. We are wretched and filthy before Him. So, can we do any good thing on our own or of our own power/will?

One of the first things that came to my mind was this: Well, we have to surrender our will to Him in repentance and confession of His name. We have to allow Him to have control of our lives. We have to believe in Him.

But then I thought, can we even do that without some sort of un-merited favor from Christ first? Would any of us be able to repent without God first granting us a measure of faith to take that step of confession? Would any of us be able to surrender our will without God first granting us the grace to do so?

I would say that we couldn't. I don't think anyone could come to God in humility on His own without God first granting him grace and faith.

Then the question is: So what is our part in it? What do we have to do? Well, the scripture says we must believe to be saved, but can we believe without God first placing faith within us?

We are saved by grace through faith, and not by works lest any man should boast...

I know it is extremely humbling for me to think about this. I have done nothing to deserve the salvation I have.

I don't understand God.

I don't understand how He works through my free will to accomplish His purposes.

I don't understand how I have the choice to serve Him, yet I could never make the right decision without His grace.

But I do Praise Him for His mighty Power, for His infinite righteousness, for His glorious holiness, and for His perfect justice.

I know that the unsaved don't have to worry about whether they're one of God's chosen(Matthew 22:14). They just have to answer the call, repent, and then praise God for His mercies and grace which brought them to that point.

I hope my discussion here wasn't too hard to follow. Monologues are hard to write sometimes. :)

I would really love your input on this. I think I may even allow anonymous comments on this post. Just to see if I get anyone new. :)

God bless

It is done...well, kinda

Thanks for all of you who have been praying and encouraging me over the last few weeks. It's been a stressful but wonderful time...if that makes sense.

My sister Sandy and her kids (Travis, Jessica, and Jenna) helped me load all of my boxes and furniture into a truck and trailor yesterday morning. Then in the afternoon my mom got off work and helped us unload and organize at my new place.

I think I'd still be trying to organize my kitchen if it wasn't for their help! God bless them.

Living room furniture will be coming when Anthony joins us in June.

I don't know if it's all sunk in really yet...It has been a roller coaster ride emotionally. I have moments of regret and moments of elation. Neither emotion lasts very long. Most of the time I've just been in this "get stuff done" mentality. There is so much to think about when moving to a new place that I haven't really just sat down and thought about what just happened. I'm still working with the builder to get all the last minute things finished up. For example, I just left a note today for them to get some miscellaneous caulking done and tighten up a door. My countertop is going to be completely replaced, so I only have half of it on right now. Just things like that that keep my attention...I think that stuff is keeping it from "sinking in".

Well, here's the pics. It's hard to get a feel for a house through pictures though, so anytime any of you want a tour, just give me a call. If you don't have my cell, write me an email and I'll send it to you. :)

A couple of pics...more to come.

Well...I've got a few decent pics of the basement anyway. Jake's stuff is packed into my living room right now, so you can't really see much. Hopefully tomorrow I'll get some decent pics of the upstairs. Until then, here are the pics I've got.

It's Official

The Condo at 632 N 3rd Ave., Morton, IL 61550 now has my name on the deed. I would say "now belongs to me", but actually it belongs first to God, then to the bank, then to me. I'm a ways down the totem pole. :)

Taryn: Thanks for your encouragement!
Chelsie: Thanks for remembering to put me on the prayer board at Topeka!

It took about 15 minutes to sign all the paperwork yesterday at 1:00pm. After I got done with that I went into Peoria and bought a fridge and some new bedding. I got back to Morton and started helping Jake pack/move about 5:30.

Big "Thank You" to Cody, Trent, and John for showing up around 7ish to help. We'd still be there without you guys.

We finished moving Jakes stuff into the condo around 9:30. Right now it's all just sitting in the living room upstairs. The carpet layers are supposed to be coming back today to restretch the downstairs carpet, so we couldn't move Jake down there yet.

I don't think it's really sunk in yet. It feels a lot like moving into an apartment at school did. The only clue that my brain is registering the fact that I own this one, is the fact that I'm a lot more worried about stuff getting hurt. *grin*

I didn't end up going home after work yesterday, so I didn't have my camera. Therefore I don't have pictures yet. I have my camera today, so hopefully I'll get some pictures posted tomorrow.

The time is almost upon me

Well, in approximately 2 hrs I'll be signing a whole bunch of papers to take ownership of my condo. It's a little surreal. It's not what I expected it to feel like.

I'll try and get some pictures posted soon of the finished interior. Anytime anyone wants to come and check it out, just give me a call.

Prayers are appreciated.

God Bless

Jesus Paid it ALL

Is the title of this post a hard message for some of you to swallow? I mean...I think that all of us would say we "know" that He paid it all...but do you truly believe it to the point of living like it? Do you truly believe it to the point that it affects your attitude. Do you believe it to the point that it affects your worship?

I feel it is very important to have the proper perspective on Christ's redemptive work. I think one of the tools/tactics of satan is to get us to think that, when we're "doing good", we're somehow making outselves more worthy of heaven. This is a lie. We are never more worthy or less worthy. We are always unworthy...

Always...

Always...

Is that hard for some of you to acknowledge? We are ALWAYS unworthy. I don't care how "sinless" you feel you have lived the past week-month-year-whatever. We are as filthy rags. The only reason we can approach the throne is because of what Jesus did.

Sin can not enter into the presence of God.
We're men.
Men sin.

So how can we be reconciled?

We're allowed to put on the robe of the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Let us rejoice as we start this new week!


No one can ever boast in the presence of God (1 Corinthians 1:29, NLT).

Dear friends:

It is an insult to God to try to add anything to Christ's finished work.

Imagine a boy swimming in a lake one day, and suddenly he yelled for help. Another young man on shore ran to the water and swam out to rescue the first fellow. In the process of saving the life of the boy who was drowning, the second young man lost his life.

The two families, who had been observing all of this, were overwhelmed by the unexpected turn of events. The father of the youth who had been saved approached the father of the dead young man to offer his sympathy. "I really can't express how much I appreciate what your boy did, and how sorry I am that he lost his life. But I just happen to have $1.83 on me, and want to offer this to you as an indication of my feelings.

Was the salvation of this man's son paid for by the other boy's life, or by the measly $1.83?

Also, imagine a man before a judge who has been given the choice of paying $100 or serving 90 days in jail. The man doesn't have any money, but he does have an invalid wife and five hungry children at home who are depending on him and him alone. He tells such a heartrending story that the courtroom spectators are moved with pity. They take up a collection to help pay the man's fine. Although it is unlike him, even the judge chips in. Altogether they raise $99.95. Even though they are only five cents short, the judge declares that the entire $100 must be paid, and orders the bailiff to take the man to jail. He dejectedly walks out of the courtroom, thrusting his hands deep into his pockets -- where he finds a nickel! Elated, he rushes back into the courtroom and slaps it on the bar before the judge, declaring, "I'm free, I'm free!"

In his mind, what had saved him?? The $99.95, or the measly five cents?

Any works that we might add to our salvation do not even add up to $1.83, or $.05. In fact, each amounts to zero, and 0 + 0 = 0.

If we did anything to merit our salvation, we would be forever boasting about it in heaven, which can never happen. "No one can ever boast in the presence of God" (1 Corinthians 1:29, NLT).

The fact is that we can do nothing to earn our salvation. Jesus paid it all.

Yours for helping to fulfill the Great Commission each year until our Lord returns,

Bill Bright

Johari

First the good stuff. *grin* This one was a lot more fun to read than the Nohari (see next post) Thanks to everyone who participated! And congrats to B, who got 4 out of the 6 I picked. :)

Arena (known to self and others) dependable, extroverted, intelligent, knowledgeable, self-assertive, witty

Blind Spot (known only to others) able, bold, brave, calm, caring, cheerful, clever, complex, confident, energetic, friendly, giving, happy, helpful, idealistic, independent, kind, logical, loving, mature, modest, nervous, observant, organised, patient, powerful, proud, quiet, reflective, religious, responsive, searching, sensible, sentimental, shy, silly, spontaneous, tense, trustworthy, warm, wise

Façade (known only to self)

Unknown (known to nobody) accepting, adaptable, dignified, ingenious, introverted, relaxed, self-conscious, sympathetic

Dominant Traits

51% of people think that Lrknapp is religious

All Percentages

able (3%) accepting (0%) adaptable (0%) bold (24%) brave (3%) calm (3%) caring (12%) cheerful (15%) clever (12%) complex (6%) confident (36%) dependable (33%) dignified (0%) energetic (15%) extroverted (15%) friendly (27%) giving (3%) happy (9%) helpful (3%) idealistic (3%) independent (3%) ingenious (0%) intelligent (24%) introverted (0%) kind (3%) knowledgeable (30%) logical (45%) loving (9%) mature (12%) modest (3%) nervous (3%) observant (12%) organised (21%) patient (6%) powerful (3%) proud (3%) quiet (3%) reflective (15%) relaxed (0%) religious (51%) responsive (3%) searching (9%) self-assertive (9%) self-conscious (0%) sensible (3%) sentimental (3%) shy (3%) silly (6%) spontaneous (3%) sympathetic (0%) tense (6%) trustworthy (24%) warm (6%) wise (3%) witty (12%)

Created by the Interactive Johari Window on 8.5.2006, using data from 33 respondents.
You can make your own Johari Window, or view Lrknapp's full data.

Nohari

This was really interesting. It's amazing how the mind almost immediately wants to start defending and justifying. Just reading through these is an experience. I really appreciate all of you who were willing to do this one. I know it's not usually the easiest thing to do. I'd love comments on it though. Maybe some practical advice on things I could do different. Or maybe a story of something I did that made you select a certain characteristic. Feel free to comment away.

One of the things that really surprised me on this one was the strong showing of "rash".

Rash: Characterized by, or resulting from, ill-considered haste or boldness. See Synonyms at reckless.

I guess maybe ill considered boldness. Sometimes I'm too bold without considering the consequences? I guess when I think of the word rash, I think of someone who makes quick decisions without thinking things through. If anyone has any insight into this for me, I'd love it!

Ok, Kristi Daniel just filled out my nohari, and she picked "rash" also. She said she was thinking more in the context of conversation and not necessarily in my decisions. I think this is why I was so surprised at "rash" being so popular. I was thinking of it as it pertains to, say, buying my condo or my car or something. It's more understandable to me in the context of my conversations. This is something I need to work on.

Also, I'm not really sure why I put "callous". I think I clicked it accidently. My bad.

Arena (known to self and others) inflexible, cynical, impatient, loud, smug	Blind Spot (known only to others) intolerant, aloof, glum, insecure, withdrawn, hostile, selfish, unhappy, unhelpful, needy, brash, ignorant, distant, childish, boastful, blasé, imperceptive, embarrassed, insensitive, self-satisfied, rash, dispassionate, overdramatic, predictable, inattentive, foolish, humourless
Façade (known only to self) callous	Unknown (known to nobody) incompetent, timid, cowardly, violent, stupid, simple, irresponsible, vulgar, lethargic, unimaginative, inane, cruel, irrational, chaotic, weak, vacuous, panicky, unethical, passive, dull, unreliable, cold

All Percentages

incompetent (0%) intolerant (17%) inflexible (17%) timid (0%) cowardly (0%) violent (0%) aloof (5%) glum (11%) stupid (0%) simple (0%) insecure (23%) irresponsible (0%) vulgar (0%) lethargic (0%) withdrawn (17%) hostile (5%) selfish (5%) unhappy (5%) unhelpful (5%) cynical (17%) needy (11%) unimaginative (0%) inane (0%) brash (35%) cruel (0%) ignorant (5%) irrational (0%) distant (11%) childish (11%) boastful (5%) blasé (11%) imperceptive (11%) chaotic (0%) impatient (23%) weak (0%) embarrassed (11%) loud (35%) vacuous (0%) panicky (0%) unethical (0%) insensitive (41%) self-satisfied (11%) passive (0%) smug (29%) rash (35%) dispassionate (11%) overdramatic (29%) dull (0%) predictable (17%) callous (0%) inattentive (11%) unreliable (0%) cold (0%) foolish (5%) humourless (5%)

Created by the Nohari Window on 5.5.2006, using data from 17 respondents.
You can make your own Nohari Window, or view lrknapp's full data.

What's Your Opinion

The Johari Window was invented by Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham in the 1950s as a model for mapping personality awareness. By describing yourself from a fixed list of adjectives, then asking your friends and colleagues to describe you from the same list, a grid of overlap and difference can be built up.

I'd love it if you'd take 5 minutes and go fill out the window for me!

Then do this window next.
This is the flip side of the first one. Be honest, I'm really curious.

Once I get the results I'll post them for everyone. Hopefully I'll learn something! :)

Our God is an Awesome God!

Here's some pretty interesting science facts I found by browsing the web.

Yes, I know, I'm a nerd, but I bet you'll find some of these pretty interesting!

We can only stand in awe of our creator.


Did you know that there are 206 bones in the adult human body and there are 300 in children (as they grow some of the bones fuse together).

Flea's can jump 130 times higher than their own height. In human terms this is equal to a 6ft. person jumping 780 ft. into the air.

The most dangerous animal in the world is the common housefly. Because of their habits of visiting animal waste, they transmit more diseases than any other animal.

The world's largest amphibian is the giant salamander. It can grow up to 5 ft. in length.

The blue whale can produce sounds up to 188 decibels. This is the loudest sound produced by a living animal and has been detected as far away as 530 miles.

A new born blue whale measures 20-26 feet (6.0 - 7.9 meters) long and weighs up to 6,614 pounds (3003 kg).

The Stegosaurus dinosaur measured up to 30 feet (9.1 meters) long but had a brain the size of a walnut.

The human eye blinks an average of 4,200,000 times a year. (How many of you blinked when you read that?)

Tremendous erosion at the base of Niagara Falls (USA) undermines the shale cliffs and as a result the fall recede over 3.5 feet per year!

40 to 50 percent of body heat can be lost through the head (no hat) as a result of its extensive circulatory network. (That’s why mom always wanted you to wear a hat!)

A large swarm of desert locusts (Schistocerca gregaria) can consume 20,000 tons (18,160,000 kilograms) of vegetation a day. (Makes sense why they were a plague on Egypt!)

Armadillos, opossums, and sloth's spend about 80% of their lives sleeping. (Lucky animals!)

The greatest tide change on earth occurs in the Bay of Fundy. The difference between low tide and high tide can be as great as 54 ft. 6 in. (16.6 meters).

The leg muscles of a locust are about 1000 times more powerful than an equal weight of human muscle.

The cosmos contains approximately 50,000,000,000 galaxies.

There are between 100,000,000,000 and 1,000,000,000,000 stars in a normal galaxy.

That’s 5,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars at a MINIMUM!

The only letter not appearing on the Periodic Table is the letter “J”. (That one’s for you Jenny!)

Guilt and Forgiveness

It seems termites might be turning into a theme here. Let's hope not. :)

I wasn't going to post another message by Bill Bright today, but when I read this message, it hit me pretty hard. Sometimes it's really hard for me to find that balance between striving to overcome and claiming God's promise of forgiveness when I do sin. It tend to struggle with extremes.

It's like, sometimes I can hear satan whispering in my ear, "It's ok...go ahead...God will forgive you." Other times it's as if I hear satan whispering, "God can't forgive you again...Think how many times you've failed...there has to be a limit to His mercy."


Do You Have Termites?

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1, NLT).

Dear friends:

Real estate owners in California have a fear of termites. I know, having lived there many years when our international headquarters was at Arrowhead Springs, near San Bernardino.

These hungry little insects love the climate. It's just dry enough and just warm enough for them to flourish.

Totally unsuspected, these pests find a vulnerable, subterranean entry and, if unchecked, will virtually destroy a building. You cannot sell a home in California without having a termite inspection and making a legal disclosure of the results. A bonded professional must survey the property, inspecting every nook and cranny prior to the sale. It is his responsibility to ensure that the new owner is not purchasing damaged real estate.

Likewise, there is a tiny spiritual termite gnawing away at the spiritual and emotional foundation of many Christians today. You cannot see him from the outside. But he is busily engaged in destruction.

Just like the literal termite, this symbolic pest, called "guilt," is devouring bite by bite, chomping away at the inner-strength and vitality of their lives. His primary target is one's peace, and his appetite is voracious. Unless checked, he will eat away until all of one's peace, inner-strength and vitality are gone.

This devouring termite of guilt finds entry into a person's life in two ways.

First, he finds entry through unconfessed sin. To defeat him, to maintain our peace, and to remain in fellowship with God, we must confess any disobedience as soon as the Holy Spirit reveals it to us. "If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong" (1 John 1:9, NLT). This wonderful promise from God's mercy is available to us 24/7.


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Second, this pest of guilt finds entry in many people who just cannot believe that once sin is confessed and forsaken, they are truly forgiven. It sounds too good, too easy. They feel they need to carry the guilt to atone for their sins.

Well, it is good, but it is not easy. It cost Jesus His life to provide this for us. It honors Him when we believe His word and appropriate the great sacrifice He made for us, but it dishonors Him when we act as though we must add to His sacrifice and try to atone for our own sins.

Do not let the termite of past sin destroy your peace. Confess any known sin, then walk in the faith and victory our Lord desires for us, and paid for with His own blood.

Yours for helping to fulfill the Great Commission each year until our Lord returns,

Bill Bright

Relay for Life

Kristi asked me post this letter to help their fund raising efforts for their Relay for Life team. I would be surprised if anyone reading this blog has not been touched in some way by cancer. It can be a real struggle, not only for the patient, but also for their family and friends. Often the financial burden that is placed on these people is too great to bear and can lead to all sorts of negative consequences. Here's the letter Kristi sent me:Hello Everybody!!!

Relay for Life is an amazing fundraiser for Cancer patients. It provides tons of services to people in this area with cancer who don’t have the money for different things. I’ve been Relaying for the past five years and the past two years I have raised an amazing amount of money due to all the people who have donated. This year, Taryn Kaiser and I have gotten together and set a goal for ourselves to raise 5,000 dollars!!! We’re almost there!! We need 1,100 dollars more. That’s not that much, and we’d love to raise more if possible.

I’m asking all of you fellow bloggers to please donate to this amazing cause. You don’t have to donate a great amount of money. Every single dollar gets us closer to this goal! All you have to do is go to my blog…, notice that there is a donate button towards the top right hand side. Click it, and enter the amount you wish to donate. It’s that easy!!!! If you don't have a paypal account, it's not hard to sign up for one. If you ever use eBay it will come in really handy. If you don't wish to donate through paypal, feel free to mail us a check. If you'd like our address just send me an email: kristilee85@insightbb.com

I understand if you can’t donate, I’m a college student too, and I realize cash is rough. Please just keep those with cancer and those who have family members with cancer or any disease in your prayers! Thanks all!

Kristi Daniel and Taryn Kaiser

Humility

A daily email devotional I get has me thinking about pride this morning. The issue of pride dovetails well with the issue of motives we talked about at Cory Metzgers bible study in Topeka on Saturday morning (see previous post).

If you're anything like me, you struggle with pride - with esteeming yourself more highly than you ought. It's sad, often even spiritual gifts can make us proud. Satan loves to whisper in our ear about how "great of a deed" that was. He loves it when, even in our minds, we cease to give glory to God.

Here's some practical advice I read about keeping the proper perspective: "First of all, just acknowledge that you're a creature of God. Everything you possess is a gift from God, whether it's talent or time or treasure. It's all a gift from God. And you know, He can take it all away from you any moment with a car crash or a heart attack or any number of things."

Who are we, merely creatures of clay, born in sin, limited physically and mentally, to have self-pride in anything? Any positive trait that we have is a gift from God. He is the all-powerful One who created us, and we are less than a termite compared to Him. While I can do all things through Christ, I try to keep a termite perspective concerning my human nature. I am regularly reminded of Romans 8:7-8: "For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God" (NLT).How many of you were slightly grossed out at the picture of the termite? That's how we deserve to be viewed by God, but somehow, in His divinity, He loves us unconditionally.