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The
Reflections Newsletter
Monday, December 28, 2009
**In This Issue**
- Setting New Goals
for the New Year
-
What Does the Bible Say About...?
Welcome to the
Reflections Newsletter from Reflect His Glory. RHG is a co-ministry
with Creation Science Ministries. Feel free to send this to your relatives
and friends.
Setting
New Goals for the New Year
The start of each New Year is traditionally a time for
reflecting on the past, and more importantly, looking to the future.
It is also a time to consider the
changes we want, or need, to make in our lives, and to resolve to follow through
on those changes. A typical list of New
Year's resolutions might include things like exercising more, quitting bad
habits, losing weight, or spending more time with family and friends.
However this year, as you are
setting your objectives for the next twelve months, do not forget to establish some
spiritual goals for yourself. You
could plan to spend more time in prayer, memorize scripture verses, share your
faith with a neighbor, or write letters of encouragement to a missionary.
Perhaps you could begin a Bible study in
your home, or even attend a Sunday Bible study at your church.
You might even decide that now is the
time to start attending a church and/or joining it.
A home Bible study is one of the most rewarding experiences you
will ever have, and one that is virtually guaranteed to help you on your path of true spiritual
growth. There are three key components
to our Christian walk: study of the Scriptures, prayer, and the fellowship of
believers. While the facilities and
formalities of Sunday services have become the norm for many, it was not always
so. In the early church, the fellowships
were, of course, in the homes of the believers.
The church in the house of Philemon grew into the church of Colossae
(Philemon 2). The church in the house of
Nymphas became the church of Laodicea (Colossians 4:15).
The churches in the house of Aquila and
Priscilla, who seem to have made it their primary commitment, became the
churches of both Ephesus and Rome (1 Corinthians 16:19; Romans 16:5).
If you are already attending a Sunday ABF (Adult Bible Fellowship), and are
having a difficult time finding a home study group, we encourage you to pray
about starting one of your own. Of course you should go through your church
leadership. You can gain
copious amounts of
good information and help on how to lead a home Bible Study group.
Studies are available from many good books found in Christian book stores.
A great place to start is with a verse-by-verse study of a book
in the Bible.
Pick a book from
the Bible that is of interest to you
and acquire several commentaries on that particular book.
After reading the introductory
background, it is not hard to "stay ahead" of your group,
studying about a chapter
each week. From time to time, a particular background item, or special issue,
will emerge which will require a little extra
research, so a home library might include a concordance, a Bible dictionary or encyclopedia,
etcetera.
I find these things very helpful.
Outfitting a basic home library does not have to be
expensive and can be most rewarding.
If you are not in a position to expand your home library, you might check
with your church and see whether it has a library with study materials available.
By the time you have completed a particular book in
such a program, you will know that book better than you ever dreamed possible.
The commitment of supporting your group
each week may be just the self-imposed 'pressure' you need to really dig into
the Word.
This year make a resolution to continue to grow in your spiritual walk.
Make a deliberate effort to
delve deeper
into the Word of God. Then challenge
yourself to take what you have learned and apply it in your daily life.
And let us consider one another to
provoke to love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves
together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the
more, as you see the day approaching.
Hebrews 10:24-25
KJV ER
What Does the Bible Say About...?
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In this section of the
Reflections Newsletter we answer questions that have been asked.
If you have a question that you would like ask, and do not mind having
printed in the newsletter, (your name will not be mentioned), feel free to
send your question in an email to me at
biblequestions@reflecthisglory.org. Of course, you may call me
anytime by phone at 801.302-1111.
The question for this issue is,
"Does Isaiah 65:17 mean that in eternity we will lose all memory of what
happened here on the present Earth?" |
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This verse speaks of God's creation of the New Heavens and the New Earth in the future. It says:
"For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and
the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind."
Isaiah 65:17 KJV ER
Some theologians take the position that this verse means that
we will not know any of our friends or family in that environment.
However, since the verse speaks specifically about places rather than people,
taking the Bible literally would limit the verse to that parameter. The
glory and splendor of the New Earth will so eclipse that of the Old Earth as to
obliterate its memory.
Think of this analogy: when we were babies, we probably
enjoyed the love and care of our family members, not limited to mothers and
fathers. We do not recollect any of those experiences now, because we were too
young at the time. However, our subsequent enjoyment of our families was
not hampered by the fact that we do not remember our babyhood. Similarly,
our experiences with them in the New Heaven and New Earth will not be limited if
we do not recall all of the details of our time in the here-and-now.
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**MEMORY VERSE OF THE
MONTH**
For
where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of
them.
Matthew
18:20 KJV ER
We solicit your prayers and support of this ministry. God Bless.
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