Bible Study log
Hatfield says 'ah'
Hatfield says 'fired for me'
Jotham says 'heh'
Cyto beams a smile at Hatfield.
Hatfield says 'anyway'
Jotham says 'okay'
Cyto says 'okay then its on'
Cyto smiles happily.
Cyto must like Jotham a great deal to beam at him so broadly!
Jotham says 'Well as I was seeking the Lord for what to study tonight He led me to start with 1 Thess'
Cyto nods.
Jotham says 'so unless there is someone who objects that is what I had planned to do'
Cyto beams broadly at nothing in particular.
Redfieldt says 'whatever floats your boat'
Hatfield says 'we're not ones to object to the Lord's leading, rock on'
Jotham says 'i didn't think there wpuld be any objections'
Jotham says 'so lets just strt right into it with verse 1'
~Verse to Room from Jotham~
1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jotham says 'From the starting of this letter what can we learn'
Hatfield says 'its from Paul, Silvanus and Timotheus, Paul's not traveling solo'
Jotham says 'bingo'
Jotham says 'that is the first thing that I want to point out'
Cyto says 'the church is In God and The church is In Jesus, Grace and Peace come From God and Jesus and Jesus is Lord'
Hatfield says 'no, Bingo's Wednesday nights at the VFW'
Jotham says 'No matter where Paul went to do ministry he never went alone'
Wargreymon nods.
Jotham says 'I have seen too many Christians who try to stand on their own'
Redfieldt says 'speculation on why is that paul had eye trouble'
Jotham says 'Possibly that may be the case'
Jotham says 'But even if we look when jesus sent forth the seventy they were sent two by two'
Hatfield says 'Paul apparently had a number of health issues, but that's off subj so I'll shut up'
Hatfield nods at Jotham.
Jotham says 'This is something that too many today have forgotten'
Jotham says 'People think that they will be fine on their own when proclaiming the word of God'
Redfieldt says 'one will send hundreds to flight two will send ten thousands'
Jotham says 'if someone like Paul, who is responsible for writing a good chunk of the NT guided the Holy Spirit's direction had a partener then i think there is something to it'
Hatfield says 'Aye, if he needed one, who says I'd do well without?'
Hatfield says 'forgive me folks.  But its late for me and work calls early tomorrow.'
Jotham says 'np'
Tealc says 'cya hattie'
Jotham says 'sleep well'
Kendogarurumon says 'bye owl'
Hatfield says 'I'll be sure and read the log'
Kendogarurumon gives Hatfield a sisterly hug.
Hatfield says 'good night, and be blessed'
Hatfield bows deeply.
Kendogarurumon says 'erg...'
~Verse to Room from Jotham~
1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jotham says 'the next thing is the verse after to who it is to the the designation that Paul give to God'
Jotham says 'God as Father is not a new concept'
Jotham says 'God is concidered that Father of Israel'
Jotham says 'The statement that Jesus is Lord a statement that is believed to acctually be piced up from the gentile church'
Jotham says 'but the word i want to focus on in that statement is actually the word "and"'
Jotham says 'Paul had no problem with stating  God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ'
Tealc nods.
Jotham says 'Paul is putting the two on the same line and stating that both are One and the same'
Jotham says 'next thing paul gives is the blessing to the people'
Jotham says 'the blessing that he gives is different from the blessing that one roman would give to another'
Jotham says 'Paul says Grance and Peace to you'
Jotham says 'sorry Grace'
Jotham says 'not grance'
Jotham says 'the greeting grace is simualar to the greek greeting that the people would have given to each other'
Jotham says 'both greetins stem from the same word but the standard greek greeting simply ment rejoice where as the greeting that paul is using is staing that he wishes for the unmerrited foavor of Christ upon the people'
Wargreymon nods.
Jotham says 'the Peace greetingseems to be taken from Paul's roots as a Jewin the greeting Shalom'
Cyto nods at Jotham.
Jotham says 'but Paul is wishing for the Peace of Christ which passes all understanding to come upon the people.'
Jotham says 'This is a greeting that we can take alot from not just in the understanding of what it means but in the manner it was done.'
Wargreymon nods.
Wargreymon says '(--|CuratorS> hey'
Vayrim says 'Hi.'
Jotham says 'Whenever Paul wrote to the Churches he used this greeting.  How often do we when we see certain people do we seem to almost want the exact opposite for them'
Jotham says 'welcome'
Vayrim says 'Thanks. Please continue. Don't let me interrupt.'
Jotham says 'it may be a person that has just gotten on our bad side or someone that just caught us on a bad day'
Jotham says 'we need to remember that in all we do we are witnesses to the world including in the way in which we greet people'
Tealc nods.
Jotham says 'Let us move on to verse 2'
~Verse to Room from Jotham~
1 Thessalonians 1:2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
Wargreymon nods.
Jotham says 'This one little verse can humble us so much'
Jotham says 'how often do we tell certain people that we are going to pray for them and we let it slip our mind'
Jotham says 'Paul is stating that he prays for the people and Gives thanks to God for them all of the time'
Jotham says 'it seems that whenever Paul prays he is giving thanks to God for these people.'
Jotham says 'Can you imagine if everytime we went to prayer we lifted up each other and gave thanks to God for each other.'
Jotham says 'It doesn't say that it was a long prayer only that he is making mention of'
Wargreymon nods.
Jotham says 'every little prayer has power for the Scripture promise us that no prayer goes unheard'
Cyto says 'when we pray it changes our attitude towards people'
Jotham says 'yes it does'
Tealc nods in enthusiastic agreement with Cyto.
Jotham says 'the shortest prayer in the Scripture was Lord, Save me and it literally saved a man's life'
Cyto says 'If we pray every time the thought of the person we hate most, for their best interest, than eventually God will work in us so we truly desire it probably'
Jotham says 'and we would truely be amazed at what could happen when we completely surrender to God in that way'
~Verse to Room from Jotham~
1 Thessalonians 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
Jotham says 'i know this verse states more of what Paul is thanking God for but i wanted to break it up for a reason'
Jotham says 'in this first is what i like to call the trifector of the christian life'
Wargreymon nods.
Jotham says 'can anyone pick out what that might be'
~Verse to Room from Jotham~
1 Thessalonians 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
Vayrim says 'Faith, love, and hope?'
Jotham says 'exactlly'
Jotham says 'these three things are key in every Christians life'
Jotham says 'they can be found quite a few times in the teachings of Paul'
~Verse to Room from Jotham~
1 Corinthians 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
~Verse to Room from Jotham~
Ephesians 4:2-5 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
~Verse to Room from Jotham~
Hebrews 6:10-12 10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: 12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Jotham says 'those are just a few'
Cyto says 'charity is translated love in other translations'
Jotham says 'yes it is'
Jotham says 'lets just take a moment and break each of those down'
Jotham says 'we will start with faith'
~Verse to Room from Jotham~
1 Thessalonians 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
Jotham says 'here it is interesting to note the kind of faith that Paul is talking about'
Jotham says 'he is giving thanks for the works of faith that the church was doing'
Jotham says 'this is not contrary to the fact that we are saved by faith alone as stated in romans 3:28'
~Verse to Room from Jotham~
Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Jotham says 'we are saved throughfaith in Christ and not by works'
Jotham says 'this same faith that we are saved through is the same faith that will produce in us the desire to do good'
Jotham says 'this is the same faith that James is talking about in his letter'
Jotham says 'james and Paulk and in agreement that this faith which we are saved through (in Christ) is the same faith that we show by doing the will of God'
Jotham says 'if anyone tries to tell you that Paul and James contradict each other they are wrong'
Jotham says 'Paul and James are in complete agreement'
Wargreymon nods.
Jotham says 'the second of the trifecta is love'
Tealc says 'i gotta go. i'll try to make it for the next study. god bless you all!'
Jotham says 'this love is understood a the agape love which is the neverending love which comes from God'
Jotham says 'later Tealc'
Jotham says 'this is not a love which humans are capeable of on their own'
Wargreymon nods.
Jotham says 'yet it is the same love which needs to be evendent in the life of a believer'
Jotham says 'this love is given us through the Holy Spirit and not of ourselves'
~Verse to Room from Jotham~
Romans 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Wargreymon nods.
Jotham says 'verse to self 1thess 1:3'
Jotham says 'Paul is thanking God for the churches labors of love'
Jotham says 'the labor of the agape love'
Jotham says 'this is were the english langage is a bit diffeciant when it comes to getting a point across'
Wargreymon nods.
Jotham says 'when the greek usued this word labor it is not talking about doing little things like sending cards or preparing food(although those are good things)'
Jotham says 'it is speaking about work that is strenous and sweat-pouring'
Cyto nods.
Jotham says 'somethat that without the agape love that is givin to us we would not be able to do'
Jotham says 'too many christians think that when they do something like send a card or give and offerering to the church that they are doing the deed and that is all they ned to do'
Jotham says 'Paul is saying that you need to go beyond that'
Jotham says 'labors of love are selfsacrificing labors that in themselves procaim the gospel of Christ'
Cyto says 'a mechanistic view of the universe says that we don't do anything without self-ineterest'
Jotham says 'you will be sweating after doing labors of love and they will be strenous but they will never go unnoticed by God'
Jotham says 'if my self interest is to have God pleased with me then I will take it'
Cyto says 'do you want him pleased with you to obtain rewards for yourself or because you love him?'
Jotham says 'because I love him'
Cyto says 'how can you know that your love is pure and not motivated by self interest'
Jotham says 'arguing from a mechanistic point of view is interesting to do because if you do it well you can say that even God only does something to get something in return but i will save that for another day'
Cyto nods.
Jotham says 'the third point of the trifecta is hope'
Jotham says 'Paul here calls it the patience of hope'
Jotham says 'the hope in in Christ Jesus both in the resurection and in the second coming'
Jotham says 'these three things are all evedint in the lives of believers'
Jotham says 'they are faith love and hope'
Jotham says 'verse 5'
Jotham says 'or 4 rather'
~Verse to Room from Jotham~
1 Thessalonians 1:4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
Jotham says 'the term brethern (brothers) is a generic term used to speakc to all of the church both male and female not just the males of the church'
Jotham says 'the interesting word here is election'
Cyto says 'so the election, being of God, we have confidence that nothing can change it'
Jotham says 'yes that is true'
Jotham says 'what i want to get at here is the understanding of the notion of election'
Jotham says 'without getting into predestination here I want us to understand why God elects not who he elcets if you can understand'
Jotham says 'I will look at two verses which will help us understand why God elects'
Jotham says 'the first id Deut 10:15'
~Verse to Room from Jotham~
Deuteronomy 10:15 Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day.
Jotham says 'here we see that God elects because he loves'
Jotham says 'i will give it to you in the NASB version'
Jotham says 'Yet on your fathers did the LORD set His affection to love them, and He chose their descendants after them'
Jotham says 'The Lord elects His people because he loves them'
Jotham says 'the second verse is eph 1:5'
~Verse to Room from Jotham~
Ephesians 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Jotham says 'the election here is showing us that it is God who has done the redemptive act and nothing of ourselves'
Jotham says 'in this case the word predestined is used but it has the same meaning'
Jotham says 'the fact that we are elected shows that it is not by our merits that redemption is given it is all because of God'
Jotham says 'and i for one am thankful for that'
Vayrim says 'Me too.'
Cyto says 'and Hopeful?'
Jotham says 'yes i always have hope'
Jotham says 'at this point it is up to you guys if you want to keep going tonight or not'
Cyto says 'how would you say the faith hope and love relate to each other'
Jotham says 'beacue of the faith we do the labours of love in continual hope of Christ returning for us'
Jotham says 'are there any other questions from tonight'
Wargreymon shakes her head no.
Cyto says 'I personally see a relationship there where they are all increasing each other'
Jotham says 'yes as we grow in Christ all three manifest them selves in us more and more'
Jotham says 'i defenitly agree with you'
Cyto says 'the faith results in us feeling more comfortable loving, we can get our minds around the love more'
Wargreymon nods.
Cyto says 'the faith producing the works, we see the reality and the love has substance to build on'
Cyto says 'having seen the evidence we have greater reason to hope'
Jotham says 'the also the more hope we have the more faith is developed'
Cyto says 'the Love in our lives also flows from the hope, a life without hope is dead but with hope we have emotionally understandable reason to love God'
Cyto says 'the Love produces works that change our lives and make them better  producing more faith and hope'
Cyto says 'and we see the reality of God and the more of his plan and its wonder'
Vayrim says 'This has been a wonderful Bible Study! Praise be to God! I feel like I should be going, though.'
Wargreymon nods.
Jotham says 'would someone like to close us in prayer'
Cyto nods.
Cyto says 'Lord I praise you, thankyou for the time together, please bless Jotham and these studies, help us learn more of your word and get closer to you, God we ask your help to ko your will alwasy, you are glorious and Holy God please bless our fellowship connect us and make us one body and ready for your work, keep us strong and in you'
Cyto says 'God please let your will be done'
Cyto says 'bless us and our families and mission fields,'
Cyto says 'In your name we pary'
Cyto says 'Pray'
Cyto softly says amen.
Jotham boldly proclaims 'Amen!'
Vayrim says 'Thank you all, and bye for now.'
Jotham says 'thansk for coming'
Vayrim says 'Thanks for having me. Oh, and thanks for the invitation, Cyto.'
Jotham says 'hoe you come again'
Jotham says 'hope that is'
Cyto smiles happily.
Vayrim waves happily.
Jotham says 'gotta forgive me it is after midnight here'
Jotham waves happily.
Cyto nods at Jotham.
Wargreymon nods.
Wargreymon says '(--|CuratorS> its past 10 PM here'
Cyto nods.
Jotham says 'you on central time?'
Wargreymon nods.
Jotham says 'i am on atlantic'
Wargreymon nods.
Jotham says 'cyto you on est right?'
Cyto nods.
Cyto says '11 here'
Wargreymon says '(--|CuratorS> its past 11 PM where cyto lives'
Jotham says 'yep'
Cyto nods.