"This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made!
I will rejoice, I will rejoice and be glad in it, and be glad in it!"
Sunday! Praise the Lord for these days...
Church was great this morning. I was able, in the Lord's strength, to understand a good bit of the sermon. Just don't ask me what it was about now....
After church, I headed over to the Maust house, skyped a bit, discovered that my brother's dog, Jenne Jewel, has 11 PUPPIES!!! Praise the Lord! After making Andrew wait for quite a while, he, John Mark, and I headed over to the house of Tony. After meeting Tony for the first time, the four of us headed to an under-construction apartment-type building to play air soft. Now I'm the kinda cocky guy who looks at the movies and thinks "if I were ever in a situation where I needed to use a gun, I'd be sweet at it." Pride definitely comes before the fall. I was dreadfully awful. Like, if you were ever in a gun fight and needed to choose a partner, you would choose Pee-Wee Herman over me. Heck, I would choose Pee-Wee Herman over me. Ok, maybe I wasn't THAT bad... but it was pretty close. After Andrew and John Mark began to bleed, we ceased playing, went back to Tony's house and hung out for a while.
We then headed back to the house, a little horseplay occurred along the way, and arrived at the Maust house running a little bit late. Because no one arrives before 7:05 to Bible Study on Sunday Nights and we don't usually start until at least 7:20, JM and I assumed it would be alright. Ladies and Gentlemen, we arrived at 7:04 PM at night, and EVERYONE was there waiting for us. Eight people came that night, and they were all there before we arrived. I felt quite embarrassed, and just laughed that the one time we arrive the slightest bit late, everyone is already there. Praise the Lord for His grace when we're not the smartest with our time, though...
Bible Study went well! The Lord taught through John Mark and me and we learned more about Paul's job, to preach the gospel, and how the mystery has been revealed to the Gentiles as well as the Jews. The Bible Students were very attentive and seemed to learn a good amount! Praise God for that...
I came back to the Maust house, skyped with family again, then headed back to the casa.
Monday was good as well... John Mark was finally able to come to SMAC with me, and he did a great job of helping the students learn! We reviewed some of the idioms and phrasal verbs that we studied last week, and because many of the students were not present the week before, it turned out really well! The second hour consisted of more questions, one of them being "Do you have a girlfriend? Why not?" To John Mark, since I shared last week. He did a great job of sharing how he's waiting and doesn't feel ready for a relationship of that magnitude. He wants to fall in love with ONE woman... so ladies, like I said before in the posts previous, this guy is a catch! FACEBOOK.
Afterwards, we walked around Riobamba and I ate my packed lunch while John Mark grabbed a bite at another restaurant. While in the park, I tried to read CS Lewis' book but it kept raining off and on. Whenever I opened the book, it would begin to rain, so I'd put it away. Then it would stop, I would open it again, and the process would repeat. When John Mark returned, we were blessed with a great conversation and I was able to encourage him in different ways. Thanks, God :-). Afterwards, we scoured the town for good fruit (kiwi, pears, apples, cantaloupe, bananas, and tangerines) and then met with Mr. Johnny for a great recap of the trip so far, how we're feeling, etc. Afterwards, we met with Luis at his church and just told him the English words (and I learned the Spanish words) for many things inside the church. We rushed over to Paul's house under the impression that we were going to play sports, only to find that he had to study and was sick. Thanks, Paul. Oh well... we still had a good chat! After that, I had a splendid time at the Coupe's house, playing "guess the coin" and the Penguin computer game.
They were very gracious and allowed me to call my parents and talk to the best brother in the whole wide world, Hunter Sjogren, for a bit and then talk with my friend Cat over in the Down Under. For those who are reading, please keep the Coupe family in prayer because they have had a stomach bug attack their family.
That brings me to today... SMAC (with a record 19 people in the second hour- record for me, at least), a seafood lunch (a good Shrimp Ceveche), and then posting here.
Now I want to share some wonderful things the Lord has been teaching me in 1 Peter...
13-17 deal with submission. I especially like verse 16: "Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God." We have freedom in Christ, and having our sins forgiven means that we know whatever happens in the future is already forgiven! But Peter here says that we're not to let ourselves fall into this temptation. Jesus said, in John 14:15: "If you love me, you will obey what I command." And in Luke 10:27a, Jesus says that the greatest commandment is to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind." So it's kinda like a circle: We're to obey because we love, and we love because we obey. Our God is SO amazing...
18-21 talk about slaves submitting to their masters. I see this in a modern-day view of employees obeying their boss. The Bible says in verses 19-21:
"For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps."
We have been called to endure suffering just as Jesus did! So when your boss is mean to you, when you're just angry at life, especially at work, remember these words. God does not commend the worker who cries out to Him when he has a bad boss or a bad situation at work or just in life if all the worker does is complain and whine. Is that what Jesus did when the sin of the world was placed upon Him?
And finally, in verses 22-25, Peter explains that the reason Jesus "bore our sins in His body on the tree" is so "that we might die to sins and live for righteousness..." (24). Jesus died on the cross for His Father's greatest glory and in accordance with His perfect will, but because of Jesus' obedience to the Father, we are able to DIE to sins and live for righteousness! And we're not just ABLE to do it, but we're called to! Praise YOU Lord, for spelling it out so clearly...
So let us not use our freedom for evil, but obey the Lord because we love Him. Let us be good stewards of wherever the Lord puts us, enduring the suffering "because (we are) conscious of God." And let us die to sin and live for righteousness, because Jesus died for OUR sin to glorify the Father...
I love God's Word.
Please continue to pray for patience, discernment, humility, joy in the Lord alone, and discipline...
To Him be all glory, honor, power, and praise forever and ever. Amen.
Luke
I will rejoice, I will rejoice and be glad in it, and be glad in it!"
Sunday! Praise the Lord for these days...
Church was great this morning. I was able, in the Lord's strength, to understand a good bit of the sermon. Just don't ask me what it was about now....
After church, I headed over to the Maust house, skyped a bit, discovered that my brother's dog, Jenne Jewel, has 11 PUPPIES!!! Praise the Lord! After making Andrew wait for quite a while, he, John Mark, and I headed over to the house of Tony. After meeting Tony for the first time, the four of us headed to an under-construction apartment-type building to play air soft. Now I'm the kinda cocky guy who looks at the movies and thinks "if I were ever in a situation where I needed to use a gun, I'd be sweet at it." Pride definitely comes before the fall. I was dreadfully awful. Like, if you were ever in a gun fight and needed to choose a partner, you would choose Pee-Wee Herman over me. Heck, I would choose Pee-Wee Herman over me. Ok, maybe I wasn't THAT bad... but it was pretty close. After Andrew and John Mark began to bleed, we ceased playing, went back to Tony's house and hung out for a while.
We then headed back to the house, a little horseplay occurred along the way, and arrived at the Maust house running a little bit late. Because no one arrives before 7:05 to Bible Study on Sunday Nights and we don't usually start until at least 7:20, JM and I assumed it would be alright. Ladies and Gentlemen, we arrived at 7:04 PM at night, and EVERYONE was there waiting for us. Eight people came that night, and they were all there before we arrived. I felt quite embarrassed, and just laughed that the one time we arrive the slightest bit late, everyone is already there. Praise the Lord for His grace when we're not the smartest with our time, though...
Bible Study went well! The Lord taught through John Mark and me and we learned more about Paul's job, to preach the gospel, and how the mystery has been revealed to the Gentiles as well as the Jews. The Bible Students were very attentive and seemed to learn a good amount! Praise God for that...
I came back to the Maust house, skyped with family again, then headed back to the casa.
Monday was good as well... John Mark was finally able to come to SMAC with me, and he did a great job of helping the students learn! We reviewed some of the idioms and phrasal verbs that we studied last week, and because many of the students were not present the week before, it turned out really well! The second hour consisted of more questions, one of them being "Do you have a girlfriend? Why not?" To John Mark, since I shared last week. He did a great job of sharing how he's waiting and doesn't feel ready for a relationship of that magnitude. He wants to fall in love with ONE woman... so ladies, like I said before in the posts previous, this guy is a catch! FACEBOOK.
Afterwards, we walked around Riobamba and I ate my packed lunch while John Mark grabbed a bite at another restaurant. While in the park, I tried to read CS Lewis' book but it kept raining off and on. Whenever I opened the book, it would begin to rain, so I'd put it away. Then it would stop, I would open it again, and the process would repeat. When John Mark returned, we were blessed with a great conversation and I was able to encourage him in different ways. Thanks, God :-). Afterwards, we scoured the town for good fruit (kiwi, pears, apples, cantaloupe, bananas, and tangerines) and then met with Mr. Johnny for a great recap of the trip so far, how we're feeling, etc. Afterwards, we met with Luis at his church and just told him the English words (and I learned the Spanish words) for many things inside the church. We rushed over to Paul's house under the impression that we were going to play sports, only to find that he had to study and was sick. Thanks, Paul. Oh well... we still had a good chat! After that, I had a splendid time at the Coupe's house, playing "guess the coin" and the Penguin computer game.
They were very gracious and allowed me to call my parents and talk to the best brother in the whole wide world, Hunter Sjogren, for a bit and then talk with my friend Cat over in the Down Under. For those who are reading, please keep the Coupe family in prayer because they have had a stomach bug attack their family.
That brings me to today... SMAC (with a record 19 people in the second hour- record for me, at least), a seafood lunch (a good Shrimp Ceveche), and then posting here.
Now I want to share some wonderful things the Lord has been teaching me in 1 Peter...
13-17 deal with submission. I especially like verse 16: "Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God." We have freedom in Christ, and having our sins forgiven means that we know whatever happens in the future is already forgiven! But Peter here says that we're not to let ourselves fall into this temptation. Jesus said, in John 14:15: "If you love me, you will obey what I command." And in Luke 10:27a, Jesus says that the greatest commandment is to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind." So it's kinda like a circle: We're to obey because we love, and we love because we obey. Our God is SO amazing...
18-21 talk about slaves submitting to their masters. I see this in a modern-day view of employees obeying their boss. The Bible says in verses 19-21:
"For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps."
We have been called to endure suffering just as Jesus did! So when your boss is mean to you, when you're just angry at life, especially at work, remember these words. God does not commend the worker who cries out to Him when he has a bad boss or a bad situation at work or just in life if all the worker does is complain and whine. Is that what Jesus did when the sin of the world was placed upon Him?
And finally, in verses 22-25, Peter explains that the reason Jesus "bore our sins in His body on the tree" is so "that we might die to sins and live for righteousness..." (24). Jesus died on the cross for His Father's greatest glory and in accordance with His perfect will, but because of Jesus' obedience to the Father, we are able to DIE to sins and live for righteousness! And we're not just ABLE to do it, but we're called to! Praise YOU Lord, for spelling it out so clearly...
So let us not use our freedom for evil, but obey the Lord because we love Him. Let us be good stewards of wherever the Lord puts us, enduring the suffering "because (we are) conscious of God." And let us die to sin and live for righteousness, because Jesus died for OUR sin to glorify the Father...
I love God's Word.
Please continue to pray for patience, discernment, humility, joy in the Lord alone, and discipline...
To Him be all glory, honor, power, and praise forever and ever. Amen.
Luke
The next person you see, give them a good punch for me.
2 Corinthians 4
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