Archive for December, 2009

John 10:10 – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

God’s plan for his people is for them to have abundant life. He challenges us to give Him the opportunity for this by putting Him first, before everything else in our lives. God does not ask us to ignore or neglect our families, or jobs, or personal needs.

He only asks that we put Him first, and then attend to these other things. Jesus said the same thing in Matthew 6:33 – “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well.”

Abundant life includes two types of “abundance.” There is material abundance and spiritual abundance. The second type is much more important, but many churches unfortunately focus on material abundance instead.

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그때가 이때

[click twice to download the PDF for better font display: KOREAN_for_such_a_time_as_this]

에스더 4장 14절: 지금 왕비가 잠잠히 있다 해도 다른 사람의 도움으로 유다인은 해방과 구원을 얻을 것입니다. 그러나 왕비와 왕비의 집안은 멸망을 당할 것입니다. 왕비가 지금 왕비의 자리에 오른 것도, 바로 이런 때를 위한 것인지 누가 압니까?”

에스더는 예수의 신부 된 충실한 교회의 예정론적인 예언서이다.  그녀의 이야기를 통해서, 하나님께서 우리에게 충실한 교회가 어떻게 해야 하는지를 말씀하고 계신다.  충실한 교회의 성도들인 우리가 어떻게 우리생활에서 그녀의 교훈을 실제 적용해야 하는지를 말씀하고 계신다.

그 교훈은 하나님께서 에스더를 특별한 사건으로 인도하셨다.  에스더가 그녀의 위치를 이용하여 위기에 처한 하나님의 사람들을 구하는데 아주 적당한 시기였다.  하나님은 에스더를 왕비자리에 앉히시고 “그때가 이때” – 하나님의 사람이 진정한 승리를 위한 순간이라고 말씀하신다.

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Psalm 73 - “For I envied the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”  (Psalm 73:3)

“When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.”  (vv. 16-17)

“Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.  But as for me, it is good to be near God.  I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.”  (Psalm 73:27-28)

In this Psalm, God talks about the “pure in heart,” as well as the “arrogant” and the “wicked.”  To man, the wicked may seem to have no troubles.  Those who are faithful feel that they have many struggles.  Sometimes this seems unfair, even to believers.

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Isaiah 55:1-3

1 “Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.

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Esteri 6:6-10 “Beeni Hamani si wole wa, oba si wi fun un pe, kini a o se fun okunrin naa eniti inu oba dun si lati bu ola fun? Nje Hamani ro ninu okan ara re pe, Tani inu oba le dun si lati buola fun ju emi ti kalami lo? Hamani si da oba lohun pe, okunrin naa eniti inu oba dun si lati buola fun, je ki amu aso oba ti oba ima wo, ati esin ti oba ima gun, ati ade ti oba ti ima gbe ka ori re wa ki a si fi ewu ati esin yi le owo okan ninu awon ijoye oba ti o lola julo, ki nwon fi se oso fun okunrin naa, eniti inu oba dun si lati buola fun, ki o si mu un gesin la igboro ilu, ki o si ma kigbe niwaju re pe, bayi li a o se fun okunrin naa, eniti inu oba dun si lati buola fun. Nigba naa ni oba wi fun Hamani pe, yara kankan, mu ewu ati esin naa, bi iwo ti wi, ki o sise bee gege fun Mordekai, ara juda ni, ti njoko li enu ona ile oba, ohunkokhun ko gbodo ye ninu ohun ti iwo ti so”

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Click to download the pdf of this lesson: MARATHI_church_Ephesus-1b

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Translated from What the Church of Ephesus Did Right – Revelation 2:2-3

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John 8:12 – When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

This story takes place during Jesus’ visit to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles.  This was either on the last day of the festival (see John 7:37), or the next day (see John 7:53-8:2).

“I am the Light” – This is a main theme of the Gospel of John (review John 1:4-9; John 3:19-21; John 11:9-10; John 12:35-36; John 12:46). Jesus is not talking about physical light, but rather spiritual light. In Genesis 1:3, “light” existed for three days before the creation of the sun itself (Genesis 1:16-18).  Spiritual light is part of God’s essence – revelation, truth, and clarity.

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Esther 9:24-25 – “For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the pur (that is, the lot) for their ruin and destruction. But when the plot came to the king’s attention, he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back onto his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. (Therefore these days were called Purim, from the word pur .)”

Esther explains the origin of the Jewish holiday “Purim,” which occurs every year in February or March.  The modern holiday celebrates the victory that God gave His people against the genocide plotted by Haman.  The name “Purim” refers to casting lots, as the passage mentions above.  This practice was an important feature of Israel’s relationship with God in the Bible.  It has an important application for believers today in the form of asking God to speak through His Word.

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Click to download the pdf of this lesson:  MARATHI_Church_Ephesus-1a

Translated from Church of Ephesus (pt.1) – Revelation 2:1-3

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