If you've been reading along for awhile, you might remember that I'm a Teaching Director for a Community Bible Study class... If you don't know about Community Bible Study, then check out their website. It is a non-denominational study that meets across the country...over 600 classes and even in other countries... CBS has changed my life, I am starting my 11th year... Basically, we take 9 months and immerse ourselves in either a single book of the Bible or several books over the course of a year.
Today, we started our study of Revelation! I am SO excited about this study. I did this study 7 years ago, under another Teaching Director and it changed my life, I'm so glad to be back to it...
It's funny, it seems that the church often avoids the study of Revelation... It causes controversy and disputes... People use it to warn of the end of the world and yet, that's not what God intended at all...
The Greek word that we translate as Revelation actually means an unveiling... If it unveils...it does NOT hide... so why do we make it so complicated? And God gave it to His servants to show them what is still to come... He didn't give it to scholars and if He was showing them what is still to come, He obviously meant for them to understand it... Maybe not every single detail, but at least the big picture that will give us hope and encouragement in the face of suffering.
But here's the greatest thing about Revelation... It is an unveiling of Jesus. When we see Jesus in the gospels, He is veiled in human flesh... But in Revelation, we see Jesus in ALL of His fullness and WOW...WOW...WOW... what a vision that is... He is the King of kings... Lord of lords... Mighty Warrior... Conqueror of evil...
Sometimes it may look like evil is winning in this world, but Revelation shows us that things just aren't as they seem...
I wish there were adequate words to describe how Jesus fills my heart when I meditate on the glory and wonder of Him in Revelation... It is AWESOME!! It makes me think of the old hymn, "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus..." The chorus says, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face...And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace."
A very wise friend of mine once said, "When we fix our eyes on Jesus, He gets really BIG and our problems get really small."
I don't know what you're up against today, but Revelation shows us that we have a Savior that is way bigger than anything life could throw at us... He is your Mighty Warrior and He goes before you to fight your battles for you. AND... He loves you beyond reason. If you have put your faith in Him as your Savior, He holds you in the palm of His nail scarred hand and NOTHING can separate you from His love for you...
Final weekly blog – A farewell, not goodbye.
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On June 1st 2011, I wrote this in my first blog journaling our move to
Africa: *“Once we move to Africa, 365 short days from today, we hope you
will con...
3 years ago
1 comment:
Sharla, I am doing CBS for the very first time EVER (can you tell I'm excited)! We are studying the Book of Genesis, which is just so GOD!!! Because the boys, S, and I are studying history from the beginning (starting w/ Genesis). Now we have moved into the Book of Exodus, but it all just fits.
And in Science, we are studying "flying creatures of the fifth day." Again, so many parallels! The boys go to the homeschool classes *amazing* and S is enrolled in preschool. She can't go until after her heart procedure next week, but I have to share with you another God-sized detail with that.
One day my phone rang, and it was a lady named Ashley from our church. We are friends, but are in different SS classes, different age children … but still I would trust my children with her, would call on her if I needed to. You get the idea. So, she says, "Leslie, I'm so excited b/c S is in my class this year at CBS!" I was SPEECHLESS!!! This CBS is not at our church and is actually a good half-hour from this lady's house. I had no idea she attended, and she has been there 8 years!
The thing is: I was really struggling with leaving S in her class b/c she will cry no doubt. But Ashley emails me all the time and says the whole leadership is praying specifically that S will not cry when I am able to bring her that first week after her cath. Can you believe that? And Ashley has shared w/ them all about S.'s journey home and to healing this past year. So who knows how many seeds have been planted about adoption?
God continues to just make me sit back in utter AWE! Sorry to be so long-winded but I've been meaning to share w/ you about how much CBS is blessing me b/c I know it is so near to your heart.
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