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chestnutcurlsThis has not been a good day. I'm having work-related problems again, over a project that I had under control until some other people got involved. I'm confused by the way most people like me and think I do a great job, while Other People Far Away find me completely incompetent and would probably get rid of me if they could. I wonder who's wrong.
This is a perfect opportunity to love others when they're not so easy to love. Every day, I pray for an opportunity to be Christlike towards people I work with. And then that opportunity comes, and what do I do? I get mad. I want to be snippy. What kind of Christian am I? :( I'm glad the Great Physician came to heal the sick, and not those who are well. Because I am in need of some medicine. :P
Some good things have happened, though. Kathy and I suddenly remembered that we have Chick-fil-A coupons, so we went there for lunch. Also, my parents called me this morning, independently of each other, to make sure I was okay. (I hadn't called them since I first got sick.) That was nice.
The weather here is so weird today. For most of the day it's been raining, but the sun keeps coming out, and half the sky is blue. Very strange to look at.
My Wednesday night Bible study, taught by Jean Larroux, was incredible last night. So incredible that, despite the controversy it may cause, I'm going to share. You don't have to say anything about it. I just thought it was great. :)
As I've mentioned before, I'm attending two Bible studies this summer, and coincidentally, both pastors decided to do Revelation. Both studies have been wonderful, but Jean really made some waves last night. Our text was Matthew 24, and our topic was the Tribulation and the Rapture. He spent most of the lesson likening these events to labor- the Tribulation as the "birth pains" of the Church, and Jesus' return as the "delivery." This was very interesting, but then he made a side point about the Rapture itself- the popular view of the Rapture as the Church being "taken away" to meet Jesus. We looked at the text.
Matthew 24:37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.
So wait a minute! Who was taken away in the flood? The wicked. Who was left (on the ark)? The righteous. So, if the last days are going to be like the days of Noah, is it a good thing, or a bad thing, to be "left behind?"
That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
I had never thought about this. Apparently many others hadn't either, because some people actually said, "Wow," out loud. :)
And then consider this:
I Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
He cited other verses, including something in II Corinthians, but I can't find it right now, since I don't have my notes. Anyway, I was excited about this. I love discovering new things in the Bible that were there all along. :)
Oh, and the Save the Last Dance soundtrack is pretty cool. I burned a copy from my sister's, and I've had it on in the car for a couple of days. :)
This is a perfect opportunity to love others when they're not so easy to love. Every day, I pray for an opportunity to be Christlike towards people I work with. And then that opportunity comes, and what do I do? I get mad. I want to be snippy. What kind of Christian am I? :( I'm glad the Great Physician came to heal the sick, and not those who are well. Because I am in need of some medicine. :P
Some good things have happened, though. Kathy and I suddenly remembered that we have Chick-fil-A coupons, so we went there for lunch. Also, my parents called me this morning, independently of each other, to make sure I was okay. (I hadn't called them since I first got sick.) That was nice.
The weather here is so weird today. For most of the day it's been raining, but the sun keeps coming out, and half the sky is blue. Very strange to look at.
My Wednesday night Bible study, taught by Jean Larroux, was incredible last night. So incredible that, despite the controversy it may cause, I'm going to share. You don't have to say anything about it. I just thought it was great. :)
As I've mentioned before, I'm attending two Bible studies this summer, and coincidentally, both pastors decided to do Revelation. Both studies have been wonderful, but Jean really made some waves last night. Our text was Matthew 24, and our topic was the Tribulation and the Rapture. He spent most of the lesson likening these events to labor- the Tribulation as the "birth pains" of the Church, and Jesus' return as the "delivery." This was very interesting, but then he made a side point about the Rapture itself- the popular view of the Rapture as the Church being "taken away" to meet Jesus. We looked at the text.
Matthew 24:37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.
So wait a minute! Who was taken away in the flood? The wicked. Who was left (on the ark)? The righteous. So, if the last days are going to be like the days of Noah, is it a good thing, or a bad thing, to be "left behind?"
That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
I had never thought about this. Apparently many others hadn't either, because some people actually said, "Wow," out loud. :)
And then consider this:
I Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
He cited other verses, including something in II Corinthians, but I can't find it right now, since I don't have my notes. Anyway, I was excited about this. I love discovering new things in the Bible that were there all along. :)
Oh, and the Save the Last Dance soundtrack is pretty cool. I burned a copy from my sister's, and I've had it on in the car for a couple of days. :)
