OC Bereans

Gentlemen,

What a treat to have our living room FULL of men committed to “read, hear and heed” the Word of God!

Remember to memorize Revelation 1:3 ~ “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.”

Six questions remain from the previous blog post that will be our focus of attention this coming Monday:

• What is a basic outline for the book? (cf., 1:19).  You may want to search online for more complete outlines for the book, but then attempt to distill these down to a simpler form.

• What do you know about the human writer of Revelation?  How was he uniquely equipped to write down what he saw, heard and experienced?  What experiences had he encountered in his life that may have shaped him for this calling?

• What are some of the most striking attributes in the description of Jesus in 1:12-20?  Do these remind you of other passages within Scripture?

• What significance does 17:14 have for your everyday life?

• What hopes and/or hesitations do you have about Jesus Christ’s “Second Coming”?

• What do you make of the warning in 22:18-19?

The complete list of questions are in the handout: Readying for Revelation.

A new feature has been added to the blog! … a Calendar of events … check the tab located in the lower left corner of the picture of Lake Mission Viejo in the header.

Dr. J. Vernon McGee, the long-time teacher for Through the Bible Radio Network, suggested a simple, 7-step method for studying the Bible.  This handout, Chapter Summary Bible Study, has been adapted from him.  Enjoy this simple tool!

Dessert will be served by 7 pm this coming Monday, so be sure to arrive a little early to enjoy that!

Shalom!

~ tr

Gentlemen,

The countdown for our launch into the Book of Revelation is nearly finished!

Here are 11 items to consider prior to Monday night:

1. Assuming you have already been reading the book, then re-read the entire book this weekend, preferably in one sitting.  If you have not read the book yet … oh my! … please do so before Monday night.
2. When questions, thoughts, comments, etc., about the book pop into your head, then quickly jot them down, and continue reading.
3. After reading through the book, what general observations did you make?
4. What is a basic outline for the book?  (cf., 1:19)
5. What do you know about the human author?  How was he uniquely equipped to write down what he saw, heard and experienced?
6. What do you make of the blessing promised in 1:3?
7. What are some of the most striking attributes in the description of Jesus in 1:12-20?
8. What is the significance of 17:14?
9. Jesus proclaims about Himself, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty … the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (1:8; 22:12).  What does this mean to you in your everyday life?
10. What hopes and/or hesitations do you have about Jesus Christ’s “Second Coming”?
11. What do you make of the warning in 22:18-19?

Here are some logistical announcements about Monday night:

• Please arrive by 7 pm to enjoy a brief time of fellowship around the dessert provided by Bill M.
• My 92-year-old father, Hal, will be our special guest.  Since becoming a Christian just prior to my birth, he has developed a love relationship for the Book of Revelation … he will tell us why.
• Each of you will be given a 1″ 3-ring binder to hold the study materials and notes that you are sure to accumulate over the next several months.  Moving forward from Monday night, most of these materials will be uploaded to the blog prior to each week’s gathering.
• Bring your Bible, plus something to write with.

Please place on your calendar two upcoming events:

• Saturday, January 19th, 8a-noon — Camp Pendleton food distribution
• Saturday, February 9th, 7-9a — Solitude & Fellowship @ the Beach

Personally, I am eager to be back in your presence and have our living room filled with OC Bereans!  If you have invited a guest, please let me know so that I can provide him with directions and a map, plus place his name on the gate pass-list.

Shalom!

~ tr

A life-changing verse has been “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).  Alternate readings for “Be still” are “Relax,” “Let go,” and “Cease striving” (NASB).  This is an enticing invitation from God to lay down our cares and seek His Presence.  I believe that God yearns for these quiet moments with us even more than we do.  I also believe that He still speaks to those who listen to Him (John 10:27), and I continually depend on the Holy Spirit’s help in this.  As J.I. Packer writes in his book Your Father Loves You, “God … guides our minds as we think things out in His presence.”  ~ Sarah Young, p. xii

Gentlemen,

One of my prayers for all of you this new year is that you will grow in your ability to “think things out in God’s presence.”  The daily devotional book, Jesus Calling by Sarah Young is a favorite tool that I use to help set the course of my day … every day.  I have also made it a practice to read her 8-page Introduction at the beginning of each new year … I exhort you to read it, too.  Her introduction will enhance your appreciation for her daily writings.

Did you know that you can download her book in written or audio form for your iPhone, iPad or Android device?

Shalom!

~ tr

 Sunrise over Koh Samed, Thailand

Gentlemen,

As the New Year 2013 dawns, I encourage you to invest some time pondering the 20 questions in this 4-page handout: Preparing for 2013.

You may choose to do this alone, or with your spouse or family member(s), or even in a small group of friends.

Shalom!

~ tr

Gentlemen,

As we enter the last few days of this calendar year 2012, I encourage you to invest some time pondering the 20 questions in this 4-page handout: Reflecting on 2012.

You may choose to do this alone, or with your spouse or family member(s), or even in a small group of friends.

*Another handout … “Preparing for 2013” … will be posted here on January 1.

Embrace God’s Grace!

~ tr

Gentlemen,

The following is an excerpt from my son’s December newsletter for his ministry with Uncharted Waters Sports Ministry.  Since Nate & Rachel are expecting the birth of their first child next summer, his new perspectives on the Incarnation are so profound, I just had to share them with all of you.

A favorite part of Christmas for me is all of the traditions.  A favorite movie, cutting down that special tree, a silly gift exchange, whatever it is, most people have their favorite tradition.  My favorite tradition is a simple question my Mom asks us every year, “What about the Christmas Story is different for you this year?”  As the seasons change, and the weather starts getting colder, I know she is going to be asking this question, so my mind shifts to the story of Christ entering our world.

As you can imagine, with the birth of our first child on the way, our focus this year is a little different.  God’s 400-year silence, broken with the cries of a baby is a magnificent story, but we are focusing on what was happening in the nine months prior.

When Jesus stepped out of heaven and was made nothing … “taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” … He wasn’t just sent as a baby.  He was made in our likeness from the very beginning … the size of a poppy seed.  The tongue that would speak words of redemption was formed in week 11.  The eyes that would see our hopelessness moved into place during the 14th week.  The feet that would walk up Calvary, began to kick in week 16.  The ears that would hear our cries for a Savior first opened at 18 weeks.  Likewise, the intricate details and the timing with which the Creator decides to knit our little one together, have kept us both fascinated this season.    ~ Nate Robertson, December 2012

I pray this will add a new dimension to your celebration of our Savior’s conception, development and birth.

Embrace God’s Grace this Christmas season!

~ tr

Gentlemen,

“Names have great significance in the Bible.  A name was not just the label that differentiated one person from another, but it often described something about the person.  The most important names in the Bible describe God Himself.  Through His names, God expresses the reality of Who He is.  Our Creator does not cloak His identity and distance Himself from His creation.  Instead, we have a Heavenly Father who desires to be known.”

“As we rush through the Christmas season burdened with busy schedules, may we take time to seek the Man whose birth Christmas celebrates.  Who is Jesus Christ?  Was He simply a good man, a teacher, or a revolutionary?  Through His names, the Bible gives us great insight into the identity of the baby that was born in Bethlehem in Judea over 2000 years ago.”

These words are excerpted from an article that appeared in the eNews article for Dec. 18th by Koinonia House.  Click here to download the full article, entitled The Names Of Jesus Christ.

Embrace the blessings of the names of Jesus!

~ tr

Gentlemen,

In light of the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut last week, author Max Lucado wrote A Christmas Prayer…

A Christmas Prayer

Dear Jesus,

It’s a good thing you were born at night.  This world sure seems dark.  I have a good eye for silver linings.  But they seem dimmer lately.

These killings, Lord.  These children, Lord.  Innocence violated.  Raw evil demonstrated.

The whole world seems on edge.  Trigger-happy.  Ticked off.  We hear threats of chemical weapons and nuclear bombs.  Are we one button-push away from annihilation?

Your world seems a bit darker this Christmas.  But you were born in the dark, right?  You came at night.  The shepherds were nightshift workers.  The Wise Men followed a star.  Your first cries were heard in the shadows.  To see your face, Mary and Joseph needed a candle flame.  It was dark.  Dark with Herod’s jealousy.  Dark with Roman oppression.  Dark with poverty.  Dark with violence.

Herod went on a rampage, killing babies.  Joseph took you and your mom into Egypt.  You were an immigrant before you were a Nazarene.

Oh, Lord Jesus, you entered the dark world of your day.  Won’t you enter ours?  We are weary of bloodshed.  We, like the wise men, are looking for a star.  We, like the shepherds, are kneeling at a manger.

This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us.

Hopefully,

Your Children

<maxlucado.com>

~ tr

Gentlemen,

As we continue through the Advent Season toward Christmas Day, consider sharing this poem with family and friends … Mary’s Song.

Mary’s Song

Luci Shaw

Blue homespun and the bend of my breast
keep warm this small hot naked star fallen to my arms.

(Rest . . . You who have had so far to come.)

Now nearness satisfies the body of God sweetly.

Quiet He lies whose vigor hurled a universe.

He sleeps whose eyelids have not closed before.
His breath (so slight it seems no breath at all)

once ruffled the dark deeps to sprout a world.
Charmed by doves’ voices, the whisper of straw,
He dreams,
hearing no music from His other spheres.
Breath, mouth, ears, eyes
He is curtailed Who overflowed all skies, all years.
Older than eternity, now He is new.

Now native to earth as I am,

nailed to my poor planet, caught that I might be free,
blind in my womb to know my darkness ended,
brought to this birth for me to be new-born,
and for Him to see me mended
I must see him torn.

I first read this in 1971 in a publication by Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship called HIS magazine.  It speaks clearly to the wonder of our Savior’s birth.

Embrace God’s Grace!

~ tr

Gentlemen,

The attached two-page handout includes details and a map for this Saturday morning’s Solitude + Fellowship @ the Beach.  Feel free to invite a friend (or two) and share the handout with them, too, or simply direct them to this blog.

Embrace God’s Grace!

~ tr