Bulletin for 7-31-22

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Birthdays and Anniversarie

None this week

Prayer requests:

Paul Tyler has a bad sort Parkinson’s. Please pray for him. His granddaughter, Michelle, scheduled for surgery

J R Medellin, Tiffany’s (Chance) husband, still doing well. Vanessea‘s surgery coming up.

Shirley Weeks, Steve’s mom, continues to have trouble.

Sarah, Chris Girvin’s sister, on hospice care

Robert and Sue Waller, health issues.

Darla Nitti, Wendi’s mom, not doing well.

Leta, has a recurring cancer, prayer request from her granddaughter via our website.

Tammy Jones, Weeks’ neighbor, kidney failure/dialysis

Back to school

Sympathy:

Also for the family of Darlyne Stewart, Karl Jones’s sister. Her services will be held August 1, 2 under direction of

Moore Funeral Home in Arlington. Please keep both families in your prayers.

Article

Why are easy to read Bibles a mixed blessing?

Easily understood Bibles facilitate contemplating God, Christ and ourselves. If we are willing, they also empower us to live for God as they shape our beliefs, attitudes, values and behaviors.

More could be said in favor of an easy to read  Bible. Yet, there is also a trade off.

On the spectrum of difficult to easy, literal translations provide a greater challenge to understand. These use a formal equivalence approach reproducing as much as possible the word-for-word structures of another language with its grammar and syntax. The resulting English can sometimes be awkward or difficult to understand.

On the other hand, functional equivalence translations seek to convey the sense of another language. With this approach the translators will ask questions like, what is this sentence communicating?

Once they arrive at their understanding of the text, then their goal becomes  conveying that idea into an easy flowing English. The final product should be easy to understand.

Lying somewhere midway between the literal word-for-word and the sense-for-sense approaches are optimal equivalence Bibles. These translations will attempt to balance a readable text with some literalness. Popular examples include the ESV, NIV and NET.

The down side for the easier to read Bibles is that some details within the original language can become lost in translation. Furthermore, they reflect an increasingly greater degree of the translators’ perspectives than do literal Bibles. Let’s look at these two caveats starting with the latter.

All translations, even literal ones, contain a certain degree of interpretation. For example, within a particular sentence should the Greek word pistis be rendered faith, trust or faithfulness? After all, it’s semantic range covers all three. Should baptisma be transliterated as baptism or translated as immersion?

This influence of the translators’ perspectives only increases with the easier to read functional equivalent Bibles. Imagine how different religious traditions might render the text to support their terminology or views. For this reason, committees comprised of translators from various religious traditions are generally regarded as more reliable.

Thus while easy to read translations can clear up ambiguities for the reader and facilitate comprehension, they also provide more of the translator’s understanding. The accuracy of these viewpoints can vary.

Consider how the following Bibles handle the literal wording, “But if one thinks he’s acting improperly toward his virgin, if one is past the high point.” (1 Corinthians 7:36).

  • “A man might think that he is not doing the right thing with his fiancée. She might be almost past the best age to marry.” Easy To Read Version
  • “If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong.” English Standard Version
  • “If anyone is worried that he might not be acting honorably toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if his passions are too strong.” New International Version 2011
  • “If anyone thinks he is acting inappropriately toward his virgin, if she is past the bloom of youth” New English Translation
  • “No father would want to do the wrong thing when his virgin daughter is old enough to get married.” God’s Word Translation
  • “But if any man thinks that he is not acting properly toward his daughter, if she is past her youth.” Comprehensive New Testament
  • “But if any man thinks that he is acting unbecomingly toward his virgin daughter, if she is past her youth,” New American Standard Bible 1995

These quotes illustrate how the translators’ understanding of “virgin” and “high point”  influenced how they handled this verse. This is true even for the literal NASB (’95). However by placing daughter in italics the NASB identified daughter as their insertion.

Obviously, I’ve chosen a verse that would reveal translation differences. When we encounter differences, we should not allow them to undermine our confidence in our Bibles.

Rather, I would hope this realization would encourage us to study from several translations. On the one hand, the easy to read Bibles will promote Bible reading habits. They can facilitate a quick understanding.

On the other hand, the more literal Bibles can provide an opportunity to be careful. We may discover overlooked details or identify certain translations pushing in different directions.

And if we do, we have the opportunity to delve deeper to learn which is the better translation. The NET’s translator notes can provide an initial investigation point. We also might wish to learn more about those who made the different translations.

God has spoken. His message has been rendered into English with varying degrees of precision and ease of understanding. Read from several good Bibles. May you be richly blessed in your study of God’s word.

Barry Newton, link to original article

Bulletin for 7-24-22

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Birthdays and Anniversaries:

7-26 Tommy Reames

7-29 Luis & Wendi Camacho

Prayer requests:

Reames family, several members have covid. All improving.

Paul Tyler has a bad sort Parkinson’s. Please pray for him. His granddaughter, Michelle, scheduled for surgery

J R Medellin, Tiffany’s (Chance) husband, had a liver transplant last week. Home and doing well. Vanessea‘s surgery coming up.

Shirley Weeks, Steve’s mom, continues to have trouble.

Sarah, Chris Girvin’s sister, on hospice care

Robert and Sue Waller, health issues.

Darla Nitti, Wendi’s mom, not doing well.

Leta, has a recurring cancer, prayer request from her granddaughter via our website.

Tammy Jones, Weeks’ neighbor, kidney failure/dialysis

Campers and travelers. Several family members traveling this week

Sympathy:

Prayers for the Mauricio Ramirez family. He passed away earlier this week and services were held yesterday.

Also for the family of Darlyne Stewart, Karl Jones’s sister. Her services will be held August 1, 2 under direction of

Moore Funeral Home in Arlington. Please keep both families in your prayers.

Article

The Master Questioner

No person ever walked the earth with more knowledge. No person ever walked the earth with more to teach. And no person ever used questions more effectively than Jesus.

Reading through the Gospels, one might be struck by how infrequently Jesus answered questions with statements. Jesus was asked over 150 questions, and he directly answered fewer than 10. The rest he addressed indirectly, with questions, or with a combination of questions and statements.

Jesus was not being evasive, at least not in the derogatory sense. His questions were purposeful. Instead of force-feeding, Jesus gave those who heard him an opportunity to ponder and learn.

Often teachers merely impart answers, they inform with facts. Jesus led the willing to discover answers that would sink down deep inside. He invited them to ask, seek, and knock.

The questions Jesus asked fit the occasion. When honest seekers asked Jesus for information, Jesus led them in the right path.

“And his disciples answered him, ‘How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?’ And he asked them, ‘How many loaves do you have’? They said, ‘Seven’” (Mark 8:4, 5 ESV).

Other questions resulted in a mild rebuke. When the sons of Zebedee desired to sit at the right hand and left hand of Jesus in his kingdom, Jesus responded with a question. “Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” (Matthew 20:22).

Often Jesus was asked questions in a confrontational way. He almost always responded with questions, which if answered honestly would cause the accusers to condemn themselves.

When asked if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath Jesus responded:

“Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:11-12).

Perhaps you can hear the pause that I hear as Jesus finishes the question. I see the men looking at each other, knowing that they would indeed rescue their sheep on the Sabbath. And then the hammer hits the nail, “Of how much more value is a man than a sheep!” The ESV places an exclamation mark, others a question mark (see KJV, MLV, LEB, YLT). Perhaps my favorite punctuation, the interrobang, would fit here. This is a exclamatory rhetorical question which leaves the interrogators with just one answer, “It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

Jesus asked a question, then reasoned to a logical conclusion. The Lord used this same formula when asked about paying taxes. “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” he asked. “Caesar’s,” they answered. “Therefore, render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:15-21).  I think we can all see the power of this formula (see Matthew 22:22).

While Jesus would occasionally reason to a logical conclusion, other times his questions hung in the air, their answers obvious, but unspoken. Perhaps the most well-known of Jesus’ table-turning questions takes place in Jerusalem in the week leading up to the crucifixion. Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem, and then cleansed the temple. Upon returning to the temple, the Jewish leaders came up to him and asked, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” (Matthew 21:23).

Jesus answered their question with a conditional question.

“I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” (Matthew 21:24, 25a).

Jesus’ question placed these Jewish leaders on the horns of a dilemma. Either way they answered the consequences were dire. An honest heart would see and admit fault. This question revealed their dishonesty to all who heard, for after reasoning among themselves, they answered, “We do not know” (Matthew 21:27).

Though unspoken, Jesus’ question has a very clear answer. As a prophet, John’s baptism came from heaven. John testified that Jesus was the Lamb of God, sent from heaven. Therefore, Jesus’ authority came from heaven. Jesus’ question not only taught that profound truth, but it also exposed as hypocrites his accusers.

When used wisely, questions can defend the integrity of Scripture, help people discover truth, expose the weaknesses of an accusation, and lay bare the hearts of men.

When was the last time you answered a question with a question?

Lee Parish, link to original article

Bulletin for 7-17-22

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Birthdays and Anniversaries:

None this week

Prayer requests:

Reames family, several members have covid. Tommy and Regena exposed.

Paul Tyler has a bad sort Parkinson’s. Please pray for him. His granddaughter, Michelle, scheduled for surgery

Darlyne Stewart, Karl’s sister, back at hospital on breathing support.

J R Medellin, Tiffany’s (Chance) husband, had a liver transplant yesterday. Surgery went well.

Shirley Weeks, Steve’s mom, continues to have trouble.

Sarah, Chris Girvin’s sister, on hospice care

Robert and Sue Waller, health issues.

Darla Nitti, Wendi’s mom, not doing well.

Leta, has a recurring cancer, prayer request from her granddaughter via our website.

Tammy Jones, Weeks’ neighbor, kidney failure/dialysis

Campers and travelers. Several family members traveling this week

Article:

God uses imperfect people

by Jon Galloway

We know ourself better than anyone else does. If we are truthful with ourself we realize our short-comings, downfalls, temptations, and weaknesses. Sometimes we might think that God can’t use us because we are just not good enough.

But when we read through scripture we discover that God has always used imperfect people to accomplish his will. We might wonder why that is – until, of course, we realize that no one is perfect. All people have weaknesses just like we do.

Although Abraham is looked on as a great man – and he was! – we realize that he was not great because he was perfect. He was a great man because of his faith in God and his willingness to obey God even when it didn’t make sense. The same man who trusted God enough to sacrifice his own son was the man who lied at least twice about his relationship with his wife.

What effect did this have on his children? Were they the same way?

Isaac was the child of promise. It was through him that a nation for God was going to come.

“Now there was a famine in the land – besides the previous famine in Abraham’s time – and Isaac went to Abimelek king of the Philistines in Gerar. The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, ‘Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because Abraham obeyed me and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees and my instructions.’ So Isaac stayed in Gerar.” (Genesis 26:1-6 NIV)

So far, so good. Isaac listened to and obeyed God and God gave him the same promise as he had given to Abraham: his descendants would be numerous, would be given the land in which he was living, and ultimately all nations would be blessed through his offspring, his seed.

But then it seems almost like déjà vu. I’m sure this is why the writer stressed that this was a different occurrence.

“When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, ‘She is my sister,’ because he was afraid to say, ‘She is my wife.’ He thought, ‘The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful.’” (Genesis 26:7)

But this was the child of promise! This was the one God had sworn to make into a great nation. Yet he blatantly lied about his wife due to fear for his own life. He ended up getting caught out but God still blessed him.

What does this tell us? Does it not emphasize to us that we will never be good enough. When even great men like Abraham and Isaac get caught out in sin it doesn’t excuse us, but it does offer us hope. If God can use men who sinned like these two, and we could add many others like David to the list, he can use us.

What is God looking for? He is looking for faithfulness. He is looking for obedience. He is looking for people who, although they stumble in their living for him, get back up and get back on the path. He is looking for people who “walk in the light”, people who are wanting to live right and when they slip up and sin ask for forgiveness, put the sin behind them, and get back on the path.

“If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7 NASB)

link to original article

Bulletin for 7-10-22

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Birthdays and Anniversaries:

7-11 Bill Grubbs

Prayer requests:

Sam & Alice Pirozzo have been fighting the covid virus.

Paul Tyler has a bad sort Parkinson’s. Please pray for him. His granddaughter, Michelle, scheduled for surgery

Darlyne Stewart, Karl’s sister, is home now, has a treatment plan, keep praying.

Shirley Weeks, Steve’s mom, continues to have trouble.

Sarah, Chris Girvin’s sister, on hospice care

Robert and Sue Waller, health issues.

Darla Nitti, Wendi’s mom, not doing well.

Leta, has a recurring cancer, prayer request from her granddaughter via our website.

Tammy Jones, Weeks’ neighbor, kidney failure/dialysis

Campers and travelers. Dena is at church camp. David and I will be going Tuesday and David will stay.

Article

What are you seeking?

Andrew was standing next to the faithful prophet when that herald of Jesus said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:35-36 ESV). Having heard John’s remarkable declaration, Andrew and his companion left their Rabbi for another. Their walk with Jesus began humbly enough, as they simply followed his steps.

As he turned to look at his nascent disciples, the great Teacher’s first lesson was the piercing question, “What are you seeking” (John 1:38).

As readers of John’s gospel, we have the benefit to see Jesus introduced as God in the flesh, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:1-3). He is the light (John 1:4-9), the Christ (John 1:20), the Lamb of God (John 1:29), the Son of God, and the King of Israel (John 1:49).

We know that these men — Andrew and likely the apostle John — were first disciples of John the immerser. As his task was to “prepare the way before” Jesus (Malachi 3:1), he would have taught his disciples the true nature of the Son. Upon hearing John’s words, they knew that their duty was to follow Jesus.

Yet Jesus’ question to them, “What are you seeking?” gave them the opportunity to confess Jesus as Rabbi (Teacher), and to inquire about staying with him, “where are you staying?”

“What are you seeking?”

When Andrew located his brother Simon, he said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (John 1:41). When Philip found Nathanael, he said, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote” (John 1:45).

These men, along with the faithful remnant, were looking for the Messiah. Their souls were longing for the promised One who would deliver them. Though they had much to learn, they were dedicated to being taught by their Master.

“What are you seeking?”

Many people have seen Jesus. Some find him intriguing enough to walk a few steps toward him. The question we must all ask ourselves is, “What am I seeking?”

Am I seeking someone who will primarily comfort me in my distress? Am I seeking someone who will confirm all my priors? Am I seeking someone who will conform to my priorities? If so, it is not Jesus of Nazareth for whom I am longing.

Yes Jesus comforts, but he also challenges.

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?  For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:23-26).

Jesus calls us to make his desires ours (Luke 16:13), and to transform our way of living to his (Romans 12:2; Galatians 4:19).

None of that is easy. But if we claim to seek Jesus, it is necessary. Knowing about Jesus is not enough, the information we gather about him should beget transformation.

On that afternoon nearly two millennia ago, two disciples began their walk in the Son. And it all started with a question, “What are you seeking?”

Lee Parish, link to original article

Bulletin for 7-3-22

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Birthdays and Anniversaries:

7-11 Bill Grubbs

Prayer requests:

Sam & Alice Pirozzo have been fighting the covid virus.

Paul Tyler has a bad sort Parkinson’s. Please pray for him. His granddaughter, Michelle, scheduled for surgery

Darlyne Stewart, Karl’s sister, having some breathing problems due to treatments, cancer may have spread.

Shirley Weeks, Steve’s mom, had a fall again this week.

Sharon Best, Steven’s mom, finished chemo, declared in remission.

Sarah, Chris Girvin’s sister, on hospice care

Robert and Sue Waller, health issues.

Darla Nitti, Wendi’s mom, doing fairly well

Leta, has a recurring cancer, prayer request from her granddaughter via our website.

Tammy Jones, Weeks’ neighbor, kidney failure/dialysis

Article:

Teaching like Jesus

C.S. Lewis in his essay, “The World’s Last Night” explored a question. What if we have experienced our last night? What if the world were to end today?

Lewis claimed that preachers tend to avoid confronting people with mortality and the coming judgment. How does this square with Jesus’ preaching? Did Jesus ever address disturbing thoughts?

Jesus’ teaching ministry covered a great many topics.  On one occasion he violated Pharisaic societal norms and values regarding outcasts and finances as he taught about the ways of God (Luke 15:2; 16:13-14). Later, to illustrate how important it is to embrace God’s counter culture kingdom ways, Jesus told a story.

His story placed in stark contrast a wealthy man and a poor beggar, Lazarus. The rich man’s success was underscored not only by his sumptuous meals, but also by receiving a proper burial. Conversely, the beggar sitting by the wealthy man’s gate longed for scraps of food. Then he died (Luke 16:19-22).

Jesus unveiled a shocking reversal of fortunes as he drew back a curtain to reveal the world of the dead. In hades the beggar was enjoying paradise whereas the rich man was trapped in agonizing torment.

Our human trait of empathizing invites the question, what would it be like for us to become trapped in such suffering hopelessness? We shutter at the thought.

For those willing to listen, Jesus pressed further. Within that fiery furnace situation Jesus sought to refine whether our hearts will give God’s ways the appropriate priority.

First, he recounted how the tormented man’s thoughts turned to his family.  “I beg you, father—send Lazarus to my father’s house (for I have five brothers) to warn them so that they don’t come into this place of torment” (Luke 16:27-28).

Then came the harrowing and sober response. “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them. … If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead” (Luke 16:29,31). Jesus confronted his listeners with the future and the necessity of responding to God’s word.

On various occasions Jesus focused on what would happen at the end in order to convict his listeners about how they should live in the present. These stories could include how some will be bound and cast out into darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12; 22:13; 25:30). At other times he graphically described the separation that will occur at judgment (Matthew 25:31-46).

All of this can cause us to reflect on today’s teaching. Perhaps you have encountered the same thinking I have. Some reject discussing God’s judgment because they regarded this as being manipulative and causing fear. Often the statement “perfect love casts out fear” is then quoted. This is followed by asserting that people should be drawn to a winsome Savior, not motivated by the fear of hell. Yet within scripture as well as within practice people often respond to Jesus to save themselves (Acts 2:40). Having been saved, love for the Lord casts out fear.

I’ve taken a third path that avoids the extremes of always focusing on punishment or just extolling how Christ blesses. It is a path shaped by what I see in scripture.

Jesus’ preaching embraced many themes. Sometimes the Son of God found it necessary to explain the coming judgment. To help people live as they ought today he warned against being unprepared for tomorrow.

If we wish to teach like Jesus, then on occasion we too will announce a coming day in which God will judge the secrets of human hearts (Romans 2:16). Teaching like Jesus will surpass any well-intentioned thematically limiting filter we might contrive.

Barry Newton, link to original article