More from Boundaries

Just a few more notes i took from the book boundaries:

Satan is the great distorter of reality.

~

There is always safety in the truth.

~

Physically removing yourself from a situation will help maintain boundaries.

~

What worry really says about you

Worry means you don't really trust God. You don't trust him to keep his word and take care of you. You don't trust that he is able. You don't trust that he is loving. You don't trust God so you are basically saying "I don't believe you" "I'm on my own in everything" "No one will take care of me but me" In a sense you are saying God's not really there..

Or maybe you are questioning God in general. How can you trust someone you don't really know? This is where I have been at. I knew God. Then I lost my footing because of verses that suddenly troubled me. But look outside. Look at the sun and the moon and the stars. See how small you are on this earth. This earth is actually only a speck in the universe. There are multitudes of Galaxies. Endless. We are so small, just created human beings. Our bodies and our souls.. they were created and belong to God. I was reminded of this and became humbled. 

There are verses that say God is a loving merciful God. No you cant save yourself in your own power because you don't have power in and of yourself. You cant will yourself to be saved. It must be God's mercy. His mercy saves you. Through the blood of Jesus. Faith in him is the requirement. If you are struggling, pray with a humble heart. Ask him to reveal himself to you. But remember you are not God. Learn who he is. 

Then you can begin to trust him.

Then you can let worry go.

* Thanks to my boyfriend, Jeff Dul, for this picture

1 Peter 1:15-16

But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16.because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:15-16

vs. 15,Greek:

Alla: but, except

Kata:  down from, against, according to, at

Ton: the

Kalesanta: call, invite, name, caller

Hymas: you, over you, upon you

Hagion: set apart, holy, sacred

Kai: and, even, also

Autoi: he, she, it, they, them, these, they

Hagioi: set apart, holy, sacred, saints

En: in, on, among

Pase: all, the whole, every kind of

Anastrophe: behavior, manner of life

Genethete: come into being, born, let there be

But, as the caller of you is holy, also these be holy in all behavior.

Dictionary:

Call: ask or invite to come, cry out with a loud voice

Caller: person or thing that calls

Holy: devoted to God, Godly, pure, sacred

Behavior: manner of behaving

Behave: to act in a particular way, to act properly

The verse after looking at the meaning of words:

But, as the one who invites you is pure and sacred, also be pure and sacred in all your actions.

** I noticed as I looked up the word for "Called" it means to invite or summon. The definition of call also means to invite. Being called doesn't necessarily mean you have no choice because you have been called. It doesn't mean you were specifically picked. Because other verses in the bible say God does not want anyone to perish but that all would repent. God invites us to come to him. He has compassion on us in our condition and invites us to come to him because of his mercy. But it also says we must be holy in all our behavior. That's an action on our part. That would indicate we have a will in addition to God having a will. I'm not an expert in analyzing text or in the Greek but the subject of predestination has greatly upset me. I have looked up endless articles on the subject. I want to believe that God is good and loving. I want to believe he wouldn't create someone with no power to do good and then send them to hell because he didn't "call" them. That's not the God I have always prayed to. Predestination in that sense has made me depressed. I don't believe that could be from God. But the Greek to English is right there. Called also means invited. Does god invite a select few? I don't like to believe so **

Let the good in..

More from Boundaries: Don't wall yourself in and refuse to accept help. That's keeeping the bad in and the good out. Abused people often do that.

Bible History

I have been finding it very interesting to look into early Christianity. I just recently found as I was searching it up that Catholics have a different bible than Protestants. Orthodox Christians have a different bible as well.
As I searched more I found that the earliest of christian manuscripts were not universal in what what considered "canon." Canon literally means "measuring stick" but the word canon is used to describe divinely inspired scripture. 

The Eastern Orthodox Church:
The Old Testament-

• The pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)
• The history (Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther) Also included in history: Prayer of Manassah, 1 Esdras, Additions to Esther, Tobit, Judith, 1 2 & 3 Maccabees. 4 Ezra and 4 Maccabees are included by the Georgian Orthodox Church
• The Wisdom (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs) Also included in wisdom: Psalm 151, Sirach &Wisdom
• The Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel) Also included in the major prophets: Baruch, Letter of Jeremiah &Additions to Daniel
• The Minor Prophets (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi)

The New Testament-

• The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
• Acts
• Paul's Letters (Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Phillipians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon)
• General Letters (Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1 2 & 3 John, Jude)
• Revelation

The Catholic Church:

• Almost the same as orthodox except it excludes several books : Prayer of Mannassah, 1 & 2 Esdras, 3 & 4 Maccabees and Psalm 151

The Protestant Church:

• The protestant church excludes all the extras that the catholic and orthodox add in. The basis of that is that the Jews do not use the Apocrypha in their bible. 

I have always identified with protestant churches and therefore never considered the bibles of the other churches. I disagreed with beliefs of catholic and orthodox churches. I was unware their bible was different from mine. It makes me realize that we tend to believe most what we were first taught. But let's say you were first taught hinduism. That doesnt make it right. I want to look more into this. 

Romans 9:22-23 Continued

Verse 23 in Greek:
Kai: and, even, also, namely
Hina: in order that, so that, for the purpose that
Gnorise: make known, declare, know, come to know, realize
Ton: the
Plouton: riches, wealth, abundance
Tes: the
Doxes: honor, renown, glory, splendor, what evokes good opinion
Autou: self
Epi: on, to, against, on the basis of, upon
Skeue: a vessel, goods
Eleous: pity, mercy, compassion
Ha: who, which, what, that
Proetoimasen: prepare beforehand, made ready in advance, to make ready before
Eis: in, into, among, till, for
Doxan: honor, renown, glory, splendor, what evokes good opinion

Also, for the purpose that he would make known the abundance of honor of himself, upon the vessels of compassion, who were made ready in advance in honor.

Dictionary:
purpose: the reason which something exists
vessels: a person who receives something
compassion: deep sympathy for someone stricken by misfortune

Also, for the purpose that he would make the abundance of his honor known, upon the people he felt deep sympathy for, who were made ready in advance in honor.

~~

 I don't know really how to analyze this. It says that he wanted them to know the abundance (how much) good opinion (honor) he had. I think this might mean God has a lot of good opinions towards the vessels of mercy. a vessel is just someone that receives something and mercy or compassion means to have a deep sympathy for someone struggling. So God thinks honorably toward those people. Those people he had made ready in advance and in honor.

The greek words used for "prepared" in both verses are different. The ones deserving wrath it says he fit together or made it what it ought to be. The ones deserving honor it says he made ready in advance.

I mean God is God the creator of everything, so he can pick specific people and get them ready for honor. and he can "mend" or tweak those deserving wrath.

He could make us all puppets if he wanted. He's God. But the bible says he is a God of love. So would a loving God create people on the earth and control their every move and and tweak them to how ever he wants them to be? Would God really want to tweak someone till they were destroyed? I am still so lost on this subject.

~~

Romans 9:22-23

What if God, wanting to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had prepared beforehand for glory. Romans 9:22-23 NKJV

These verses are very troubling to my soul. I am struggling with these right now and it is shaking my faith. Does God give us free will or are we predestined to whatever he chooses? Do we really make our own choice to follow God? Or is this a wicked scheme by god to just create the ultimate "movie" and watch it play out how he designed it? I don't want to believe the latter is true. Because that ruins everything, it ruins my whole life.

So I'm going to analyze it word by word.

Verse 22 in the Greek:

Ei: If

De: But, on the other hand, and

Thelon:will, wish, desire

Ho:the

Theos:God

Endeixasthai:show forth

Ten:the

Orgen:anger, wrath, passion

Kai:and, even, also

Gnorisai:make known, declare, know

To:the

Dynaton:powerful, able, possible

Autou:self

Enenken:carry, bear, bring, lead

En:in, on, among

Polle:much, many, often

Makrothymia:patience, forbearance

Skeue:a vessel to contain liquid, utensil, tackle, goods

Orges:anger, wrath, passion, steadfastly opposing something or someone

Katertismena:fit together, prepare, adjusted exactly down, mend, complete thoroughly, making him what he ought to be

Eis:in, into, among, till, for

Apoleian:destruction, ruin, loss, completely severed, cut off
 

What if, on the other hand, it was the desire of God to show forth his anger, and make known the power of himself, carrying on much patience, the vessels that he steadfastly opposed, making them what they ought to be till completely cut off.

Ok now to make complicated words easier:

vessel: a person who is a receiver of something

steadfast: firm

oppose: to act against, to stand in the way of

severed: to separate, to break off

What if it was God's desire to show his anger and make his power known, so he was very patient toward the people that he firmly was against, making them what they ought to be till completely cut off and destroyed.

~~
 I don't know. Thats what I came up with after analyzing it. Maybe the evil was already in their hearts which is why he was against them. Maybe God is saying here that because their hearts are already evil that they deserve and should be cut off and sent to hell. That he wants these evil people to know his anger and power. Maybe he didnt create them to be evil. Maybe they were just evil and chose to be evil and God just "adjusted" them. It was already in their heart so maybe he wasn't messing with free will? If you have insight please comment and leave your thoughts.
~~



He who runs from God..

I love this quote, and my boyfriend turned it into a beautiful picture! He has much better artistic skills than me ;)

1 Peter 1:9

Receiving the end of your faith-- the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:9 NKJV

The Greek:

Komizomenoi: bring, receive, carry

To: the

Telos: an end, purpose, tax

Tes: the

Pisteos: faith, belief, trust

Hymon: you

Soterian: deliverance, salvation

Psychon: the soul, life

Receiving the purpose of your faith, the deliverance of your soul.

Dictionary:

Purpose: the reason something exists

Faith: confidence or trust

Deliverance: salvation

Salvation: saved from the penalty of sin

Soul: your feelings, thoughts, and actions

Receiving the reason for your trust in God, your soul being saved from sin.

~~There is a reason we trust in God. We will receive a reward for trusting in him. Our very souls will be saved from the penalty of sin. Being saved from sin is an unusual thought for some. To some sin is something they strive to avoid but are allured by it. Actually we all are. It's our fallen nature. But, the reality is that sin is ugly. And God wants to save you from that ugliness. Being saved from sin so that sin no longer entices you or controls you is one of the greatest gifts God can give. When we trust him, and we know that he loves us; he gives us his very best. A life of meaning and purpose in this life and totally free from sin in the next. ~~

Depression is such a horrible sickness

Lately I have been struggling with depression. I saved this quote awhile ago. I believe it's from a Rick Warren Devotional. 

Depression is a nightmare. I want a life of meaning and purpose. I don't want to be depressed. Lord come heal me.

What exactly is a boundary?

1 Peter 1:6-7 (Continued)

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:6-7 NKJV

This is a continuation of the previous post on 1 peter. This time I will break down verse 7. 

If you would like to see the Greek letters, a comparison of versions, similar verses, or the strong's concordance then you can click here for the website I use.

ok so on to verse 7

Hina: in order that, so that
To: the
Dokimion: test, trial, what is genuine
Hymon: you, your
Tes: the
Pisteos: faith, belief, trust
Polytimoteron: of great value
Chrysiou: a golden ornament, gold
Tou: the
Apollymenou: destroy, lose, perishing
Dia: through, on account of
Pyros: fire, trials
De: but, on the other hand, and
Dokimazomenou: put to the test, prove, examine, be refined
Heurethe: find
Eis: into, in, among, for, till
Epainon: commendation, praise
Kai: and, even, also
Doxan: honor, renown, glory
Kai: and, even, also
Timen: a price, honor
En: in, on, among
Apokalypsei: unveiling, uncovering, revealing
Iesou: Jesus
Christou: anointed one, messiah, Christ

So that the test of your faith, of greater value than gold that perishes, though it is put to the test through fire, may be found to praise, glory, and honor in the revealing of Jesus Christ.

Test: establishes the reliability of something

Faith: complete trust

Perishes: complete destruction

Praise: approval

Glory: great beauty

Honor: high respect

Revealing: making known

So that the test of your trust in God, which has greater value than gold that is destroyed, though it is put to the test through fire, may be found approved, of great beauty and highly respected when Jesus is made known to the whole world. 

~ So, a test examines the reliability of something; whether it works and is real. God wants our faith to be real and to work so he puts us through tests. Our trust in God is even more valuable than Gold. But after we have gone through the test of fire and survived, we will find that we are approved by God, and that our trust in him is a beautiful thing and others will see it too. They will have a lot of respect for you as a person. At the end of time we will see Jesus as he really is. The whole world will. Every one that ever lived will know that Jesus is Lord. ~  

Just a little quote :)

The word "No"

The word "No"

To some it's a word that comes easy to them. Some abuse it. Some are afraid of it.

But according to Boundaries, the ability to use the word is essential to living a healthy, whole and peaceful life.

The word No means you won't allow certain things into your life.

For example: You may have a friend ask you to try drugs. You know that you don't want to do drugs for many reasons. But, if you are afraid say no then you have just allowed drugs into your life.

Not learning how to say no can very negatively affect you as a person. You cannot protect yourself from evil and harm if you cannot say no

_

There is a flip side to this though.

Some people abuse the word no. They aren't afraid to say no. They will say no to whatever they please. But, that comes at a cost. Saying no to someone in need. Saying no when its in your power to help someone. Saying no just because it gives you the "control". These are not from God. That is selfishness. God did not give us a voice so we could abuse it. He gave us these gifts so that we could do "the good things that he has prepared for us to do"

Personally, I am a mix of the two. I have a long way to go before I will feel satisfied with my character. But I take it a day at a time and I know that I must keep my eye on the goal and on Christ!

1 Peter 1:6-7

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ  -- 1 Peter 1:6-7 NKJV

Another thing I enjoy doing in my free time is looking up the original greek text and comparing that to the modern version of the bible. Its always interesting to see the result. Sometimes it gives you a better understanding of what the author intended to say. 

Here's the Greek: 

Ἐν ᾧ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, ὀλίγον ἄρτι, εἰ δέον ἐστίν, λυπηθέντες ἐν ποικίλοις πειρασμοῖς, ἵνα τὸ δοκίμιον ὑμῶν τῆς πίστεως πολὺ τιμιώτερον χρυσίου τοῦ ἀπολλυμένου, διὰ πυρὸς δὲ δοκιμαζομένου, εὑρεθῇ εἰς ἔπαινον καὶ τιμὴν καὶ εἰς δόξαν ἐν ἀποκαλύψει Ἰησοῦ χριστοῦ·

That is from the majority text and is transliterated as:

En ho agalliasthe oligon arti ei deon estin lypethentes en poikilois peirasmois hina to dokimion hymon tes pisteos polytimoteron chrysiou tou apollymenou dia pyros de dokimazomenou heurethe eis epainon kai doxan kai timen en apokalypsei lesou Christou

I'm going to break down verse 6 into detail.

En : In, on or among

Ho: Who, which, what, that

Agalliasthe: exult, you are full of joy

Oligon: small, brief, few

Arti: now, just now

Ei: If

Deon: necessary, inevitable

Estin: exist, you are

Lypethentes: pain, grieve, vex

En: In, on or among

Poikilois: various, different colors

Peirasmois: trial, testing, temptation

In which you are full of joy, briefly right now, if necessary you are pained by various trials.

In the dictionary:

Joy: feeling of great pleasure and happiness

Briefly: for a short time

Necessary: required to be done

Pained: hurt or troubled

Various: different kinds

Trials: A test of the qualities of someone

So We could take all that and determine that 1 Peter 1:6 means:

In which you are full of happiness, for a short time right now, if it needs to be done, you are troubled by different kinds of tests of your character

Side-note: Notice that they were full of happiness even though they were going through troubling tests? Also, the testing was only for a short time. Testing is meant to make you a better person not to make you so discouraged you fall apart. They had the strength of God to keep them happy. It also says if needed. Sometimes in order to grow as a person we need troubling things to happen to us. I wish it wasn't that way but it is. 

But the lesson is that God is always with you to give you happiness, God wants the very best for you and he's not afraid to put you through tests and troubling days to help you reach that. But, he's not a mean God, he only makes it last for a short time.

Stay tuned for verse 7 ;)

Insights from the book boundaries

I like to read and one of the books I am reading right now is Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend. After I read a chapter I go back through and take notes.

This quote means that everyone has a daily workload to carry. Some people don't and are irresponsible. Some people carry others workloads in addition to their own. They are called codependents and enablers. But sometimes we legitimately need help. Our workload has become overwhelming. A burden. In these instances we should be willing to accept help. and vice versa. We should help those with burdens if we are able.