A HORRIBLE LIFE REDEEMED

It isn't uncommon for women to feel that they have had such a messed up life that God can't use them for any good purpose.  I've been highly impressed while studying in detail the life of the prostitute Rahab from Old Testament times.  Consider this: "Rahab was redeemed not because of any meritorious works she died.  She did not earn God's favor by any good deeds.  Remember, even what she did do right--harboring the spies--was morally tainted because of the way she handled it.  She lied.  But she is not given to us an example of the power of human works.  She is not a lesson in how to better ourselves through self-improvement.  She is a reminder that God by His grace can redeem even the most horrible life."  John MacArthurAnd she became the mother of Boaz and is one of the few women listed in the ancestry of Christ!

Oh that we would be able to understand that life is not about us and our abilities, but, about God and His abilities and plans. 

See you this Thursday morning at 9:30.  Amanda will be caring for our little ones.  May the Lord be our life!!!! 

DEPENDENCY AND PEACE

How much do we really trust God?  The gravest danger in our lives is being dependent on someone, or something besides God.  Worry, anxiety and stress indicate quite clearly that our trust is not resting on Almighty God, but rather, something very feeble.  As I'm studying Sarah in the Old Testament I see growth from self-reliance to believing and depending on God.  Like all bad news, we tend to most remember her conniving to make things happen.  In reality the most outstanding thing about her is that she grew to trust God even when the outcome looked completely impossible.  Can you imagine having a baby at 90 years of age when you had never had one before?  But, God promised and eventually Sarah believed Him.  Think of the trouble she would have saved herself and the entire world from if she had trusted God from the very beginning.  Think of the peace that could have been.

This painting by Ezra Suko gives a good illustration of peace--made by God.

Oh that we would read God's words and believe what He says.  If we did that consistently, what would our lives look like?  May the Lord be our life. 

WHAT WAS EXTRAORDINARY ABOUT EVE?

Why does John MacArthur list Eve as the first of the "extraordinary" women of the Bible for us to study?  It seems to me that most of us have a bit of a black mark next to her name; after all we have a lot of pain and troubles that she triggered.  But wait, besides being the mother of all living, there are some other amazing aspects of her life.  As you study the first chapter in our study book, please consider these three questions:

1- What does it mean to have a complementary relationship between a man and woman?

2- What are the most significant challenges you face in seeking to fulfill a complementary role?

3- What types of pressure do you feel, or have you felt, to pursue equality with other people, and equality with men?

See you on Thursday morning at 9:30 for a good time of encouraging one another to love and good works and knowing God better.  May the Lord be our life!