23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, "Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, and not from God's."
24 Then Jesus said to the disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Holy Cross Brother They are blind guides leading the blind
11 You are not defiled by what you eat; you are defiled by what you say and do.*"4
12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, "Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?"
13 Jesus replied, "Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be rooted up,
14 so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch."
15 Then Peter asked Jesus, "Explain what you meant when you said people aren't defiled by what they eat."
16 "Don't you understand?" Jesus asked him.
17 "Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes out of the body.
18 But evil words come from an evil heart and defile the person who says them.
19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all other sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander.
12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, "Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?"
13 Jesus replied, "Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be rooted up,
14 so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch."
15 Then Peter asked Jesus, "Explain what you meant when you said people aren't defiled by what they eat."
16 "Don't you understand?" Jesus asked him.
17 "Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes out of the body.
18 But evil words come from an evil heart and defile the person who says them.
19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all other sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander.
12 To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given,
1 Later that same day, Jesus left the house and went down to the shore,
2 where an immense crowd soon gathered. He got into a boat, where he sat and taught as the people listened on the shore.
3 He told many stories such as this one: "A farmer went out to plant some seed.
4 As he scattered it across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them.
5 Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The plants sprang up quickly,
6 but they soon wilted beneath the hot sun and died because the roots had no nourishment in the shallow soil.
7 Other seeds fell among thorns that shot up and choked out the tender blades.
8 But some seeds fell on fertile soil and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted.
9 Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!"
10 His disciples came and asked him, "Why do you always tell stories when you talk to the people?"
11 Then he explained to them, "You have been permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others have not.
12 To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them.
13 That is why I tell these stories, because people see what I do, but they don't really see. They hear what I say, but they don't really hear, and they don't understand.
14 This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah, which says: `You will hear my words, but you will not understand; you will see what I do, but you will not perceive its meaning.1
15 For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes-- so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.'*2
16 "But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.
17 I assure you, many prophets and godly people have longed to see and hear what you have seen and heard, but they could not.
18 "Now here is the explanation of the story I told about the farmer sowing grain:
19 The seed that fell on the hard path represents those who hear the Good News about the Kingdom and don't understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches the seed away from their hearts.
20 The rocky soil represents those who hear the message and receive it with joy.
21 But like young plants in such soil, their roots don't go very deep. At first they get along fine, but they wilt as soon as they have problems or are persecuted because they believe the word.
22 The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the Good News, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life and the lure of wealth, so no crop is produced.
23 The good soil represents the hearts of those who truly accept God's message and produce a huge harvest--thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted."
24 Here is another story Jesus told: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field.
25 But that night as everyone slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat.
26 When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.
27 The farmer's servants came and told him, `Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds!'
28 " `An enemy has done it!' the farmer exclaimed. " `Shall we pull out the weeds?' they asked.
29 "He replied, `No, you'll hurt the wheat if you do.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds and burn them and to put the wheat in the barn.' "
31 Here is another illustration Jesus used: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field.
32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants and grows into a tree where birds can come and find shelter in its branches.
2 where an immense crowd soon gathered. He got into a boat, where he sat and taught as the people listened on the shore.
3 He told many stories such as this one: "A farmer went out to plant some seed.
4 As he scattered it across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them.
5 Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The plants sprang up quickly,
6 but they soon wilted beneath the hot sun and died because the roots had no nourishment in the shallow soil.
7 Other seeds fell among thorns that shot up and choked out the tender blades.
8 But some seeds fell on fertile soil and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted.
9 Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!"
10 His disciples came and asked him, "Why do you always tell stories when you talk to the people?"
11 Then he explained to them, "You have been permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others have not.
12 To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them.
13 That is why I tell these stories, because people see what I do, but they don't really see. They hear what I say, but they don't really hear, and they don't understand.
14 This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah, which says: `You will hear my words, but you will not understand; you will see what I do, but you will not perceive its meaning.1
15 For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes-- so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.'*2
16 "But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.
17 I assure you, many prophets and godly people have longed to see and hear what you have seen and heard, but they could not.
18 "Now here is the explanation of the story I told about the farmer sowing grain:
19 The seed that fell on the hard path represents those who hear the Good News about the Kingdom and don't understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches the seed away from their hearts.
20 The rocky soil represents those who hear the message and receive it with joy.
21 But like young plants in such soil, their roots don't go very deep. At first they get along fine, but they wilt as soon as they have problems or are persecuted because they believe the word.
22 The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the Good News, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life and the lure of wealth, so no crop is produced.
23 The good soil represents the hearts of those who truly accept God's message and produce a huge harvest--thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted."
24 Here is another story Jesus told: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field.
25 But that night as everyone slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat.
26 When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.
27 The farmer's servants came and told him, `Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds!'
28 " `An enemy has done it!' the farmer exclaimed. " `Shall we pull out the weeds?' they asked.
29 "He replied, `No, you'll hurt the wheat if you do.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds and burn them and to put the wheat in the barn.' "
31 Here is another illustration Jesus used: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field.
32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants and grows into a tree where birds can come and find shelter in its branches.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
A Model for Biblical Exegesis
A Model for Biblical Exegesis
Dennis Bratcher
Adapted by Dennis Bratcher from Frank Carver, "A Working Model for Teaching Exegesis," in Interpreting God's Word for Today: An Inquiry into Hermeneutics from a Biblical Theology Perspective, ed. Wayne McKown and James Massey, Warner Press, 1982.
Presuppositions
Understanding the perspective from which one comes in doing biblical interpretation is essential. Also, acknowledging how one views Scripture will often determine the exegetical approach. These are the basic perspectives to approach the interpretation of Scripture from a Wesleyan perspective.
1. A Wesleyan perspective assumes an incarnational dimension to Scripture. That is, it has a human element and is conditioned by history and culture.
2. Scripture is a Faith document. For Christians, we read Scripture in light of the revelation of God in Jesus the Christ.
3. Scripture is inspired. Without determining exactly how or the manner of inspiration, we assume that the Bible is more than merely human words, and that the Bible continues to function as word of God to the community of Faith.
4. Interpretation is not a matter only of the skill of the interpreter, as important as that is. Interpretation also needs the ongoing work of God through the Holy Spirit to bring that word to life and speak it anew.
5. The Bible is not so much about correct facts as it is about the witness to the work of God in the worlds, past and present.
The Process of Exegesis: Asking the Right Questions
I. Questions of Context
A. The question of Historical Context: Where do we find our text in history?
1. General Historical: What is the life setting of the document in which we find our text?
2. Specific Historical: Is there a definable historical context for the text?
B. The Literary Context: Where is the text located in the larger document of which it is a part?
II. Questions of Meaning
A. How does the author communicate his message?
1. How should the text be translated?
2. What is the structure and form of the text?
3. How should we hear/interpret the language of the text?
B. What is the author attempting to communicate?
III. Questions of Application
A. What does the text tell us about God, us, and our relationship with God?
B. How does the text apply to contemporary life?
1. What do I hear?
2. What should I do?
3. What should I proclaim from this text?
Dennis Bratcher
Adapted by Dennis Bratcher from Frank Carver, "A Working Model for Teaching Exegesis," in Interpreting God's Word for Today: An Inquiry into Hermeneutics from a Biblical Theology Perspective, ed. Wayne McKown and James Massey, Warner Press, 1982.
Presuppositions
Understanding the perspective from which one comes in doing biblical interpretation is essential. Also, acknowledging how one views Scripture will often determine the exegetical approach. These are the basic perspectives to approach the interpretation of Scripture from a Wesleyan perspective.
1. A Wesleyan perspective assumes an incarnational dimension to Scripture. That is, it has a human element and is conditioned by history and culture.
2. Scripture is a Faith document. For Christians, we read Scripture in light of the revelation of God in Jesus the Christ.
3. Scripture is inspired. Without determining exactly how or the manner of inspiration, we assume that the Bible is more than merely human words, and that the Bible continues to function as word of God to the community of Faith.
4. Interpretation is not a matter only of the skill of the interpreter, as important as that is. Interpretation also needs the ongoing work of God through the Holy Spirit to bring that word to life and speak it anew.
5. The Bible is not so much about correct facts as it is about the witness to the work of God in the worlds, past and present.
The Process of Exegesis: Asking the Right Questions
I. Questions of Context
A. The question of Historical Context: Where do we find our text in history?
1. General Historical: What is the life setting of the document in which we find our text?
2. Specific Historical: Is there a definable historical context for the text?
B. The Literary Context: Where is the text located in the larger document of which it is a part?
II. Questions of Meaning
A. How does the author communicate his message?
1. How should the text be translated?
2. What is the structure and form of the text?
3. How should we hear/interpret the language of the text?
B. What is the author attempting to communicate?
III. Questions of Application
A. What does the text tell us about God, us, and our relationship with God?
B. How does the text apply to contemporary life?
1. What do I hear?
2. What should I do?
3. What should I proclaim from this text?
"Not everyone who says 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven.
A truly prophetic voice is one who has the courage, perhaps even in some sense the calling of God, to look around at the community of faith in its status quo and say, "Not everyone who says 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven." A prophetic voice is one who calls God's people to return to their calling as His people. A prophetic voice is one that will not settle for the status quo, not for the sake of stability, or security, or comfort, or even for the sake of conserving the tradition. A truly prophetic voice is a radical voice, a liberal voice that calls for change, even if that change is a return to a vital tradition long obscured by false piety and self-righteousness.
A prophetic voice will not gloss over injustice or oppression, will not be silent in the face of bigotry or prejudice or false pride, and will not compromise faithfulness for practical ends no matter how noble those ends may be in themselves. A truly prophetic voice is one that will sweep away all the trappings of religion and simply ask, "What does God require?", and answer simply, "do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God." Or simply "love God, love others." A prophetic voice is one that will settle for nothing less than holiness of heart and life as the result of faithful obedience to the voice of God. In a real sense, a prophetic voice even today is the voice of God.
In our culture, and with our history, it is easy to claim the role of a prophet. But it is also easy to claim that role as its own form of ambition and power. It is perhaps too easy to claim to speak prophetically, but to do so with arrogance, anger, and bombast as David Koresh well demonstrated. A truly prophetic voice speaks in love, not anger, even when it cries "Woe to you hypocrites!" Jeremiah spent 40 years of his prophetic ministry telling the people, sometimes in the harshest and coarsest language possible, that they were sinners and were going to die. But he took no joy in that message. At the same time that he stood firm as the lone prophetic voice against the tyranny, injustice, and idolatry of God's people, he was weeping. He told them they were going to die for their sins, but he did so with tears in his eyes (for example, Jer 8:22-9:1)!
And Jesus on more than one occasion soundly denounced religious folk who could not envision anything beyond their own little world of truth. And yet, he stood overlooking the city of Jerusalem and wept over it, knowing that the very people over whom he was weeping had murder in their hearts.
Do we need prophetic voices today? Perhaps. A few. Not everyone can be a prophetic voice. It's costly. Prophets often get thrown into cisterns and tried for treason. Or beheaded. Or crucified. Or shot. It's just not a very popular position, so it takes a certain kind of person to be a prophetic voice.
Prophetic voices just aren't "team players." They just don't understand that you can't say certain things or make certain people mad. They just don't understand that bills have to be paid and buildings have to be built. They just don't understand how the system works and how things get done.
Prophetic voices are often on the fringe of the crowds who flock to hear the latest "how to" speaker. They just don't fit in with polite conversation about the latest triviality, because they want to talk about much too serious topics. They are socially insensitive because they continually want to bring up topics no one else wants to talk about, and are often politely told that they should find a more appropriate forum, perhaps at that "other" church that really needs to hear it. Prophetic voices often see things that others do not see, and so are often an embarrassment to their "family," who sometimes accuse them of being just a little mixed up.
How does one become a prophetic voice? I don't know. I think there are a variety of factors, but no one thing that I can name. Sometimes life experiences can open our eyes to the injustice and prejudice around us. Sometimes the passion of others provides a model for that "alternate reality." Sometimes the written word of God may call us to see beyond where we are. Sometimes the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to a new vision of His work in the world. Sometimes it is a personality trait that is sensitive to certain things. Sometimes a deep commitment to the things of God leads to a spiritual growth that opens up new vistas. Sometimes, perhaps, God simply speaks.
I don't know how to become a prophetic voice. But I wouldn't recommend it anyway. There's not much future in it. At least, not now.
A prophetic voice will not gloss over injustice or oppression, will not be silent in the face of bigotry or prejudice or false pride, and will not compromise faithfulness for practical ends no matter how noble those ends may be in themselves. A truly prophetic voice is one that will sweep away all the trappings of religion and simply ask, "What does God require?", and answer simply, "do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God." Or simply "love God, love others." A prophetic voice is one that will settle for nothing less than holiness of heart and life as the result of faithful obedience to the voice of God. In a real sense, a prophetic voice even today is the voice of God.
In our culture, and with our history, it is easy to claim the role of a prophet. But it is also easy to claim that role as its own form of ambition and power. It is perhaps too easy to claim to speak prophetically, but to do so with arrogance, anger, and bombast as David Koresh well demonstrated. A truly prophetic voice speaks in love, not anger, even when it cries "Woe to you hypocrites!" Jeremiah spent 40 years of his prophetic ministry telling the people, sometimes in the harshest and coarsest language possible, that they were sinners and were going to die. But he took no joy in that message. At the same time that he stood firm as the lone prophetic voice against the tyranny, injustice, and idolatry of God's people, he was weeping. He told them they were going to die for their sins, but he did so with tears in his eyes (for example, Jer 8:22-9:1)!
And Jesus on more than one occasion soundly denounced religious folk who could not envision anything beyond their own little world of truth. And yet, he stood overlooking the city of Jerusalem and wept over it, knowing that the very people over whom he was weeping had murder in their hearts.
Do we need prophetic voices today? Perhaps. A few. Not everyone can be a prophetic voice. It's costly. Prophets often get thrown into cisterns and tried for treason. Or beheaded. Or crucified. Or shot. It's just not a very popular position, so it takes a certain kind of person to be a prophetic voice.
Prophetic voices just aren't "team players." They just don't understand that you can't say certain things or make certain people mad. They just don't understand that bills have to be paid and buildings have to be built. They just don't understand how the system works and how things get done.
Prophetic voices are often on the fringe of the crowds who flock to hear the latest "how to" speaker. They just don't fit in with polite conversation about the latest triviality, because they want to talk about much too serious topics. They are socially insensitive because they continually want to bring up topics no one else wants to talk about, and are often politely told that they should find a more appropriate forum, perhaps at that "other" church that really needs to hear it. Prophetic voices often see things that others do not see, and so are often an embarrassment to their "family," who sometimes accuse them of being just a little mixed up.
How does one become a prophetic voice? I don't know. I think there are a variety of factors, but no one thing that I can name. Sometimes life experiences can open our eyes to the injustice and prejudice around us. Sometimes the passion of others provides a model for that "alternate reality." Sometimes the written word of God may call us to see beyond where we are. Sometimes the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to a new vision of His work in the world. Sometimes it is a personality trait that is sensitive to certain things. Sometimes a deep commitment to the things of God leads to a spiritual growth that opens up new vistas. Sometimes, perhaps, God simply speaks.
I don't know how to become a prophetic voice. But I wouldn't recommend it anyway. There's not much future in it. At least, not now.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
George Harrison - It Don't Come Easy-Holy Cross Brothers/ Naah
After you get your GED equivalent degree from Thomas more high, then you have to go to Junior college to take the pre college classes so to go to an actual college..
the brother of holy cross are poor , educators , poor leaders, with poor character, don't even think you might get a good religious training or spiritual guidance
the brother of holy cross are poor , educators , poor leaders, with poor character, don't even think you might get a good religious training or spiritual guidance
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
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