a blog for Ashfield Baptist Church
The Bible readings for Monday 24 and Tuesday 25 September are -- Josh 9:1-10:28; Ps 50:1-6; Pro 11:30-31; Lk 14:25-15:10.
Labels: evangelism, happiness/joy, mission, salvation
posted by Ps John @ 5:28 PM
1 Comments
Hi and welcome. Ashfield Baptist Church is a "caring community church sharing God's love". We are very diverse in our nationalities, backgrounds and ages, but united in our desire to grow spiritually and to reach out and help others. Our vision is "to be a body of Christ-like people living out the great commandment and the great commission in the Holy Spirit's power". This blog is mainly for people connected with Ashfield Baptist Church. It has been set up as an "info & chat space" as we start the "THRU IN 2" challenge. This is our program for reading the Bible right through during 2007 & 2008. Many are using the Every Day With Jesus Bible which also has daily devotions from Selwyn Hughes. As we read through the Bible together over these two years, we can use this blog to share insights, stories, reflections, questions etc. The goal is to grow spiritually together. So leave your comments. Together we can help each other grow. Blessings. Ps John. To leave a comment about the readings for a particular day, or to view the comments of others, just click on "comments" at the bottom of the post.
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Let me share a rather novel and radical thought I had about the parable of the lost sheep (Lk 15:3-7). Who is the shepherd? Like good Sunday SChool children, our almost instinctive answer is "Jesus" (or "God"). We're conditioned to answer that way because the image of Jesus or God as the Good Shepherd is a favourite one so familiar from such well-known passages as Psalm 23 and John 10. Even Selwyn Hughes says in his devotion: "In this passage before us today, we see that God likens Himself to a shepherd."
But perhaps that's not the point here. After all, there are other OT and NT passages which speak of people exercising the spiritual role of shepherding. And Jesus does begin the parable by saying "Which one of you...?"! Maybe the shepherd in the story is supposed to be us. We should be out there rescuing the lost.
Notice also the following parable about the woman and the lost coin (Lk 15:8-10). Who is the woman? Jesus? God? Us? The parable does begin "Or what woman...?"! We should be as diligent in seeking the lost.
If you don't agree with my idea, it doesn't really matter. Say it is Jesus/God doing the searching in those two parables. Well that's a Divine example for us and we are to have the same heart and actions.
Both parables end with rejoicing and a celebration to which others are invited. Jesus says there is joy like that in heaven when a lost sinner repents. A real poke in the eye for the Pharisees and scribes who were complaining that Jesus welcomed and ate with sinners!
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