The prophets represented God among the covenant people. They brought new revelation to the people through their preaching, teaching and way of life. At the crucial time in the history of Israel that we find described in the books of Samuel, a new name of God is introduced. I find this very interesting!
Category: Biblical teaching
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We need prophetic mothers
The story of Hannah, Samuel’s mother, is very instructive. She was a prophetic mother who still speak to us today because of who she was and what she did. We need a lot of prophetic mothers like Hannah!
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Living as community
In the book "Emergent Churches" by Eddie Gibbs and Ryan Bolger I found this quote by Jonathan Campell, Seattle:
"In our current cultural crisis, the most powerful demonstration of the reality of the gospel is a community embodying the way, the truth, and the life of Jesus. Healthy community is the life of Jesus in us and through us. For community to last, our love for one another must be surpassed only by our love for Jesus. If the relationships are grounded on anything other than Jesus, the community will fall – and the sooner the better!"
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Insight from the book of Samuel
For some time I have been posting meditations and insight on the prophetic ministry from the first book of Samuel on my Norwegian pages. A friend of mine, Paul Sunde, has on his own initiative started to translate some of my posts into English. These translated posts will be posted here as I receive them from my friend.
But I will continue to share experiences, mediattions and insights as I usually do on this blog.
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Identifying with Jesus
In the book Emerging Churches it is being claimed that the emerging churches focus on Jesus and the good news he embodied and proclaimed. It is the kindom hope that inspires emerging church leaders to realize the long-promised kingdom within their communities, striving for them to become servants and signs of the kingdom as they live God’s future, which is both already here and remains to come.
I fully share this focus on the kingdom of God. The kingdom, or the reign of God, is about our life here and now, and it is concerned not just with individual needs and aspirations but also with the well-being and mission of the community of the representatives of Christ. It is directed beyond the present membership of the body of believers to encompass the world that Jesus came to save from the consequences of its rebellion by turning it in a radically differenr direction. The gospel of the kingdom is not confined to personal salvation. It is also a social transformation arising from the presence and permeation of the reign of Christ.
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The family is the basic community
From the first chapters of the Bible we understand that the family is the basic Kingdom community. At the heart of the family we find a love-relationship and an order of authority, a reflection of the headship in the Godhead itself. The husband is the head, the wife is his equal companion, and together they raise children and bring them to maturity. The father and mother represent the authority of God towards the children and their main objective is to bring the best out of them and help them to reach their full potential.
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Created to be a community
God created people in his own relational image to be a community. We were created in the likeness of God to reflect his glory by being masters of all life, by multiplying and filling the earth, and by subduing it to the dominion of God. In this way people were created to represent the rule of God and to fill the entire earth with the glory of God expressed in his kingdom. God has always existed as three in one and one in three, – a community of love. This community of love he wanted this to be expressed among people created in his own image! Family, friendship, community, and society originate in the covenantal nature of God and can only find their fulfilment in the Kingdom of God.
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Let us act together
In the record of the creational work we discover that the three persons in God never do anything alone. They never act on their own, separated from one another! Because the sovereign God is a community of love, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit always work together. The Divine Way is to take counsel together and reach a united decision: “Let us make! Let us act together!” Sinful human beings have the tendency to say: “I want to do this for this is best for me!” And wilful people often act as dictators forcing their personal will and opinion on others without any thoughts of what the others wants. The triune God is not like that and his rule is never expressed in such a way!
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The earth was created to reflect heaven
In the beginning God created heaven and earth, the invisible and the visible world. Heaven was created first then the earth, as God is working from the invisible to the visible. Behind this creational order we discover that the earth is to be a visible representation of the invisible world to reflect heaven and to be ruled from above. In his sovereignty God arranged for life-rhythm on the earth to be govern by the sun, moon and stars (Genesis
1:14
-19). Through this arrangement God is teaching us that we are totally dependent on his benevolent rule and that we are to seek direction from above, from God himself.
Jesus Christ was confirming this understanding when he taught his disciples to pray: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” The clear implication of this prayer is the understanding that the earth is to be modelled after heaven. The Bible teaches us that heaven is such a perfect place because everything is done according to the will of God! Where ever God rules and his will is done he will bring perfection and harmony.
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The heavenly being acknowledge the sovereign rule of God
Among the heavenly being we find cherubs, seraphs, angles, arch-angles and they are arranged as powers, authorities, principalities or rulers. The sovereignty of the triune God is expressed in the hierarchical order of the invisible world. All the inhabitants of heaven acknowledge the rule of God and sing praises to his covenantal character of love:
The heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones. For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD? Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings? In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him. O LORD God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you. (Psalm 89:5-9)
The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it. Your arm is endued with power; your hand is strong, your right hand exalted. (Psalm 89:11;13)