Alpine Chapel Online Bible Study

2011 Advent of Joy Thursday

2011-12-02T13:25:42Z

Luke 15:10 is the completing sentence of the second of three parables about the lost coming home. "In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

God is telling us when Joy happens in His world. When one sinner repents and comes home. When one sinner trusts that God loves him and has been seeking him. When one sinner surrenders her pain and takes up God's gift of life instead.

When the sinners (and we all are sinners) come into the presence of God.

What happens? Joy.

So when do you find joy? Same time? When you see someone come into God's presence, is rejoicing your only response?

As it is in Heaven, so let it be here.

2011 Advent of Joy Wednesday

2011-11-30T13:03:32Z

Being with God is the source of joy.

Loneliness tends to rob us of our passion and desire. We find it difficult to swim in uncharted waters when nobody is found on the shoreline cheering us on. We ask, 'Is there purpose if I am the only one to see it?'

Going alone is difficult.

This is why the words of the angel spoken to Mary in Luke 1:28 are so valuable to us.

"And coming in he said to her, 'Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.'"

It was a difficult pregnancy, no doubt. The life that followed could not have been simple either. But we all recognize the joy in Mary's eyes.

A Child is born. The Lord is with all of us.

2011 Advent of joy Monday

2011-11-28T12:25:00Z

In John 15:11, Jesus tells us the answer to the question.

"These things I have spoken to you that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full."

Full joy! Being full of joy! Seems like a dream, doesn't it. Will I ever be filled up with God's joy? When will I see that?

In the proceeding verses, Jesus reminds us of the importance of following commandments and continuing with a restored relationship with God. The word He uses is "abide".

Abiding is rarely easy and never our first reaction. We want to go out on our own. We want to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. It is me against the world!!!

But what happens when we abide in Christ? In God's word? In God?

Jesus gives us the answer in John 15:11...

Joy.

2011 Advent of Hope Thursday

2011-11-24T14:03:45Z

The Advent of hope can be elusive. We ask, 'Has hope really come; because the world still seems so hopeless.'

As with much in life, perspective plays a key role.

Today is Thanksgiving in America, but you still have the choice as to whether you would like to be thankful or not. You also chose for what you will be thankful and Who you will thank.

The same is true of hope.

As you look around your world today, will you see it? Will you notice it? Will you look where the rest of the world has missed?

There stands Jesus, the hope of the world.

1 Thessalonians 2:16-17, "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, gwho loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hhope through grace, comfort your hearts and iestablish them in every good work and word."

2011 Advent of Hope Wednesday

2011-11-23T13:11:10Z

The writer of Hebrews reminds us that hope, once accepted, saturates our lives.

Does hope fill you? Are you found in hope? Do you have hope for your family that will not subside? Is hope for your future waning or increasing?

Hebrews 6:19 says, "[The hope set before us.] This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which endures within the veil..."

Hope anchors our soul; it keeps us in this world but does not let us give up on this world.

Hope endures within the veil. Great image here. The veil, in our tradition, is the one that separates us common folk from the Holy of Holies - the mercy seat. So hope endures behind that veil, but until when?

When Christ died, that veil was torn down the middle. Hope is released.

Christ's life, ressurrection, and death bring us hope.

That hope has endured, which means that it was waiting for us - meant for us - long before we received it.

2011 Advent of Hope Tuesday

2011-11-22T12:58:06Z

When hope comes to my heart, the entire world changes.

It changes because of the way that I look at the world.
It changes because my heart, now full of hope, changes whatever it touches.
It changes because my heart changes me, and I change the world.

Then where does this all start? The life-changing, world-changing, everything-changing hope - from where does it come?

Colossians 1:27 says, "to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

The hope of glory!

When we focus on the advent of hope, the coming of hope, we would do well to remember first from where that hope is born.

Look first to Christ, hope will always follow.

2011 Advent of Hope

2011-11-21T12:56:30Z

Happy Advent!

What is Advent? The word means arrival or coming. During Advent we celebrate the coming of Christ. It is all about Jesus.

We begin the season of Advent by specifically looking at the advent of hope.

Did Christ bring hope? Does Christ bring hope?

Ephesians 4:4 says, "There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling."

There is one hope...

Interesting. Seems like we often disagree. We think there are many hopes, or we think there is no hope.

Paul says that the ONE HOPE of the world is, and can be, experienced every day in our calling.

That is good news, because God calls all of us to Him.

Hope is on the way. Hope is here. Hope was born in a manger for the sake of calling us to Himself.

Ephesians 4:4

2011-11-16T23:28:53Z

"There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;"

Paul continues to write to the effect of unity.

In fact, Paul is hoping to remind the Gentiles tat their connection with the Jews and with each other is familiar to them. They experienced it when they were called.

God calls all people to Himself. And God calls all people to Himself in the same way.

That way is Jesus. Jesus is the Way.

God calls us like this today as well.

Come to God is the same as come to Jesus!

Come to Jesus.

Ephesians 4:3

2011-11-15T12:14:36Z

"Being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

Paul is adamant about this word, 'unity'. Why?

I believe we are looking at the enemy of the powerlessness, ineffectual, directionless church. Unity.

The unity that Paul is talking about is described as unity created by the Spirit of God - even sealed, or bonded by the Spirit of God. Peace is its signature and it belongs, in responsibility (like a stewardship) to the church.

This is unity that holds two groups together. The two groups are the Jewish people and the Gentile people - two groups that would never have found common ground otherwise.

Unity is difficult to sustain, so Paul tells us that he is being diligent about it - and he implies that we be diligent as well.

Are you WORKING toward unity?

Ephesians 4:1-2

2011-11-14T12:07:04Z

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love."

Here is Paul's plan for the rest of the letter:

Help the people of Ephesus walk.

In fact, this is every pastor's hope. Help the people of God walk in a way that is different than the word's walk.

How does Paul hope they do it?

First, remember your calling. Who brought you to this place? God. He calls us, we walk.

Next, love one another. Our walk is always going to be catalyzed by those around us. Our neighbors, our friends, our family... our relationships are meant to help us walk.

Walk in a manner worthy.

Ephesians 3:21

2011-11-11T12:46:23Z

"to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever, Amen."

This is the end of Paul's second prayer in the epistle. We get a great glimpse at Paul's motivating factor as well.

Paul tells us where the glory goes. It goes to God.

But how does it get there?

Glory gets to God in two ways: in the church, and in Christ Jesus.

We have always seen Jesus give glory to God and when Paul tells us that glory is also supposed to come from the church, then we learn something about character.

The church is supposed to do exactly what Jesus does.

Ephesians 3:20

2011-11-10T11:16:00Z

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,"

This is a complicated way of saying something very simple: Christ is big!

What can He do? He does more than we expect. More than we think or ask.

And where does He work that power?

In you.

Christ, the mighty one, works in you.

Ephesians 3:18

2011-11-09T13:03:55Z

"May be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God."

The casual observation is that God's love is expressed here, by Paul, in four dimensions: breadth, length, height, and depth. So once again we see the incomprehensible love of God.

What Paul is trying to express is that God's love is so vast that it even out-shadows our knowledge - all knowledge - and that when we swim in it (for we will not comprehend it) that we find ourselves filled with God's fullness.

Thus the question:

Are you letting God fill you up?

Ephesians 3:16-17

2011-11-08T11:09:00Z

"That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Holy Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love..."

According to the riches of His glory we receive what? Power.

We receive that power through whom? The Holy Spirit.

Where does the Holy Spirit strengthen us? Our inner self (the inner man) (the heart).

What happens when He strengthens us at the heart? Christ dwells in our hearts.

Gives new meaning to the words, "I invited Jesus into my heart."

Invite Him today.

Ephesians 3:14-15

2011-11-07T12:02:18Z

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,"

Paul is writing to a patriarchal society. If a father has a good name, and a good reputation, then the entire family has a good name - a good reputation. The family banks on the name of the father. "Can I get a line of credit? My father is..."

And if a good name is held, then the children would not be considered to live in the shadow of the father, but rather that the father's name is a fertile soil where they plant their lives.

Paul suggests that he is banking on God's great name. God's name is the fertile soil in which Paul will plant his prayer for the church.

Paul knows the power of the name of Christ.

We must learn that power.

Ephesians 3:12-13

2011-11-04T12:04:00Z

"In Whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory."

This is the strength of God's character in us.

Look at the words Paul uses:

boldness. confident access. not lose faith. your glory.

There is a strength that comes with God's presence. Those who fear, have forgotten the presence. Those who rejoice in struggles are close to God's face.

In Christ, we have boldness.

Ephesians 3:11

2011-11-03T20:03:02Z

"This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord."

A couple of points in this short sentence fragment:

* God has a plan. He has always had a plan. There is an eternal purpose that we are living through. God looked at us at the beginning of eternity and already knew that something great was on the way.

An eternal purpose is ours.

* The plan relies on Jesus Christ. Everything rises and falls on the grace of Jesus. We knew this all along. Christ split time, and with it our purpose. It is as if we are engines and Christ's presence is the fuel.

Our purpose depends on God fulfilling His purpose.

And God did fulfill His purpose - He is Jesus Christ! He is risen! He is Lord!

Ephesians 3:10

2011-11-02T22:54:17Z

"so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places."

An interesting three words that Paul uses. These three words are meant to change the face of the world completely.

The three words that we must pay attention to are, "through the church".

The wisdom of God, according to Paul, is made known THROUGH THE CHURCH.

Wisdom is made known THROUGH THE CHURCH to the rulers and authorities.

The church is set up to reveal God, and to relate to the rulers.

Are we doing what we are supposed to do?

Ephesians 3:8-9

2011-11-01T11:54:35Z

"To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things;"

For Paul, this journey has been a gift. He calls himself the least of all the saints, or holy ones, and then says that the gift was still given to him.

Even I, the worst of the Christians, am given grace!

And to what end?

Two reasons Paul lists: to preach and to enlighten (to teach).

There is a remarkable power in knowing what you are called by God to do.

Why has God given you grace?

Ephesians 3:6-7

2011-10-31T11:12:00Z

"To be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God's grace which was given to me according to the working of His power."

Paul speaks of the working of Christ's power.
What does Christ's power do? It creates unity.

There are very few powers that can bring entire nations together. Christ's power did it with the Jews and the Gentiles.

Christ's power can also bring you to God.

Joint heirs and fellow members of the body of Christ.

This is what waits for you.