Author: merittmusings

I've been in ministry in the Christian Churches/ Churches of Christ for 20+ years. Finished my doctorate in Biblical Studies in 2015. Serve today as a Hospital Chaplain.

Once Clean

bible.com/72/1jn.1.7.hcsb

Do you understand the privilege you now share because you are a Christian? Because you have been cleansed by the blood of Christ, and since you are now free from the slavery that is sin, you now have fellowship with every other person on earth that has made that decision. Imagine never being alone again. Imagine that because God is your father, all of these others have now become your family. All because you all share this unique quality, you are cleansed from sin. You are part of an amazing family. Let us choose this day to rejoice for the wonderful gifts He has showered upon us. Thank you Jesus for my brothers and sisters. I can’t wait to meet them all one day.

One Voice in a Choir

bible.com/72/psa.116.1.hcsb

I have to believe that millions of people are probably praying at the same moment I am. If I am listening to someone talk to me, I have to devote attention and focus to keep up with their dialogue. If not, I get hopelessly lost and have to ask them to repeat themselves. But God in His ability to be fully present in all places at once, can hear my voice in this choir of prayer. He can devote absolute attention to my voice, as if I was a soloist, and hear every word. He not only listens to my words, by the voice of my heart, which speaks more truly to Him than my lips.

Jeremiah 17:10

10  I am the LORD who searches the heart, who tests the inner depths to give to each person according to what he deserves, according to the fruit of his deeds.

May my lips match the words of my heart.

Why did God ask us not to wear Wool and Linen mixed clothing? – Bible things in Bible ways

Why did God ask us not to wear Wool and Linen mixed clothing? – Bible things in Bible ways
— Read on www.google.com/amp/s/biblethingsinbibleways.wordpress.com/2016/09/15/why-did-god-ask-us-not-to-where-wool-and-linen-mixed-clothing/amp/

I saw this as a result of looking in on this topic. Interesting take.

No Change

bible.com/72/heb.13.8.hcsb

Do you hate change? I do. I like being able to rely on the aisles at Walmart being the same every time I go so that I can find stuff I need. Like last night, I went back to the electronics department to look for a WiFi usb stick for my wife. I used to know where to look. It took me longer this time because they had completely CHANGED the department. I was annoyed. I had to ask a sales associate where to find it. I knew where it was supposed to be, but they had changed. Not so with Jesus. If you are looking for peace or hope of grace today. You can still find it, because it is right where you will be looking for it, in Jesus Christ. He never changes.

Feeling Overwhelmed?

bible.com/72/mat.6.34.hcsb

All of us, at one time or another, can confess to being overbooked, overstressed, and anxious for the future. I’ve been having a season like that lately. Faced with yet another stack of things that needed to get done, I felt anxious at first, but then remembered that God sees the future. God knows what coming before I do, and He’s already prepared a way forward. I put my faith in that, even though I couldn’t see far enough ahead to know it. Just knowing I have a loving Father who knows what I can handle, who wants me to grow and be challenged, I know that the path ahead will be difficult, but He will walk the path with me because He already knows the way through. Thank You Lord that I have to only worry about today. Help me be prepared for what’s coming, but appreciate you in the now for the joy and beauty you bring.

Thought for the Day

bible.com/72/jhn.7.38.hcsb

My community has come through some flooding recently, and many of our people have had s tough time working through the recovery. Ironically, this is the verse of the day in the Bible app. The verse describes the joy of life-giving faith that Jesus gives to believers. Water is a powerful force, and when under control, in our faucets and fountains, it can be incredibly useful. But when unleashed from the heavens it can be a terrible force for destruction. What Jesus extends to us is an incredible, life-giving power through the Holy Spirit to give us joy and peace and life through His saving power. It is the power of a flood to sweep away all the debris in our lives, but also the power to cleanse us and make us pure. It is a power that can flow from us into others, giving them hope and joy as we share with them the source of life-giving water we have found. He is the fountain that fills us to overflowing. Take a moment today and thank Him.

Connecting the Dots – Barnabas

In Bible Study last night, we saw this passage from Acts:

When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. (Act 12:12)

By itself, it is just an historical note. but note also this passage from Colossians:

Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him), (Col 4:10)

And then we remembered that Barnabas used to own land around Jerusalem (due quickness he was able to sell the land in light of the church’s need):

Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet. (Act 4:36-37)

So we remember that Mary, the mother of John is the one who owned the house in Jerusalem. This is possibly the same house that Jesus and the other disciples met in to have the Last Supper.

And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. (Mar 14:12-16)

We’ve always found this passage odd, because men don’t carry jars of water. That is a servant’s job, or the job of a woman. Yet, and this man stands out from the crowd here for this act, here is the sign for the address for the Upper Room. Whoever the Master of his house is, this is the only mention we have of him (AD 30). If this is Mary’s house by Acts 12 (AD 44) then this family has been through a few things.

We might explain Joseph’s presence by being the eldest male member of the family. Even if he is a Cypriot, we would be obligated to come back to the homeplace to help take care of things, and even be a father to John Mark in a sense.

Thus we see him first in Acts 4 already given his nickname by the fellowship due to his encouraging nature, but then infrequently through Acts 15 where he decides to take Mark with him to Cyprus against Paul’s desires. This disagreement may have stemmed from Barnabas’ nature of encouragement, trying to encourage his young cousin’s work in missions against Paul’s objections. Barnabas wants to give Mark a second chance while Paul does not. Barnabas and Paul separate, and Barnabas takes Mark to Cyprus. According to tradition, Barnabas eventually is martyred in Salamis, whose dying wish is that Mark follow Paul after he is gone.

Some early church fathers attest that Barnabas was one of the original 70 disciples that Jesus sent throughout Judea. (“According to Clement of Alexandria (Strom. 2, c. 20, vol. 2, p. 192, ed. Klotz), Eusebius (Hist. Ecc_1:12), and Epiphanius (Haer. 20:4), he was one of the seventy disciples (Luk_10:1).” – “Barnabas”, Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, 1895) ) If so, Barnabas was involved in the Christian movement from the very beginning, even causing some to say that the other disciple proposed to replace Judas was a misspelling of Barnabas, spelled Barsabbas. Even so, we find Barnabas involved early in the work of the Church. His family, that is his cousin’s mother (sister-in-law?) Mary may have hosted the very Passover that Jesus instituted the elements of Communion. His family’s home became a place for the early church to meet and pray, at least as we find it in Acts 12, within the walls of Jerusalem.

With this, the persons of Barnabas and John Mark become more significant. If we read between the lines, we find a family who is involved with the birth and growth of early Christianity and culminate in this family’s contribution to the New Testament in the gospel of Mark. Perhaps Mark’s gospel is more than just the preaching of Peter, but also of Barnabas.