If it weren’t for God…

Crossroads wouldn’t
be here.

Can we assume that since
God was with us in the past,

we can do what we
want and

He’ll just keep
acting on our behalf?

Have you heard of Shiloh?
God showed up to meet with His people HERE (Joshua 18:1)

• Ephraim hill country, religious capital 300 years before Jerusalem.
• Tabernacle built to house the Ark of the Covenant.
• Talmud (written oral tradition) –the tent sanctuary was here 369 years

People stopped showing up, but assumed He was still there

• Samuel 3- The Battle
• The Ark captured by the Philistines at Aphek
• When the “lucky-God-charm” (ark) didn’t work…
• Philistines marched on Shiloh and destroyed the shrine (1 Sam 4:4-5)

The power that didn’t work as a good luck charm, did work as a power that cursed the Philistines

• Philistines didn’t want it.  It was “bad luck”

What do we learn?

• Misused power is still power…but it will be destructive rather than constructive
• Jeremiah uses Shiloh as a lesson:  Jeremiah 7:4

SHILOH BECAME AN ICON OF THE FOOLISHNESS OF SYPATHETIC MAGIC

• Is my faith about a relationship or about a system?

Raffle Items Needed!
If your family or business wants to donate a
raffle basket or items for a basket to be given
away at the dance, please drop items off at the
church office or the Cave Kids room by FEB. 7th.
ideas for Basket Themes:
Movie Night  (popcorn, movies, candy etc)
Family Night (board game, snacks etc)
Scentsy
Thirty One Bags
Oh Baby!  (diapers, onesies)
Date Night
Outdoor Fun (seed packets, gardening gloves)
Financial donations towards the purchase of basket items is also greatly appreciated!  You can drop a donation in the giving box.  Questions? rebecca [at] crossroadsnampa [dot] com

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What God Is Like: Part 3

The Eternal Son of the Father

What comes into our minds as we think about God is the most important thing about us.

A.W. Tozer

I. IN HIS ESSENCE (BEING): eternal God

(Jn. 1:1-4, 14-18; 8:58; c.f. Heb. 1:1-14; Col. 1:15-18; 1 Tim. 2:5)

II. IN HIS CHARACTER & ACTIONS: just like the Father

1. Always doing what His Father does (Jn. 5:19-20)

2.  Always acting like His Father (Jn. 14:8-11; c.f. Ps. 103)

III. IN HIS RELATIONSHIP TO THE FATHER: in a Unique Relationship w/ the Father

1. As the (monogenes) Son of the Father

(Jn. 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18; 1 Jn. 4:9; Acts 13:33; Heb. 1:5; 5:5; 11:17)

2.  As the “beloved” Son

(Matt. 3:17; Jn. 3:35)

IV. IN HIS RELATIONSHIP TO US: Connecting God and Us

(1   Cor. 15:20-22; Heb. 2:12-14; Heb. 12:2; Ps. 2:7,8)

Nicene Creed re: Jesus

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God, begotten, not made,

of one Being with the Father. through him all things were made

[ICET translation of original 325 Nicea w/ 381 Constantinople revisions]

What God Is Like: Part 2

A Reintroduction to Your Father

Ps. 103:1-22

What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. [A.W. Tozer]

There is One God, Who has eternally existed as three distinct Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, within the One God.  All three Persons are fully God.  All are equal in power and glory.  These Three have always existed in perfect love, unity and agreement.

My view of God the Father is a result of many life experiences.  Some of these experiences have caused me to be confused about who God My Father is.  The Bible reveals His true nature to me.

Our view of God the Father (in our experience) needs to be more and more connected to who He says He is (list on the right).  What aspect of God the Father is hardest for you to believe?  Ask the Holy Spirit to help you grow in this understanding.

Who is Jesus according to the Father?

Matthew 3, Psalm 2, Genesis 22 and Isaiah 42

Another part of the story is what the Father says about who Jesus is…

When Jesus was baptized, we learn who He is:

John tries to talk him out of it (Matthew 3:14)

And God speaks
The Father quotes scripture:

Torah (first five books of Moses-the teaching or the law)

Neviim (prophets- the historical and prophetic books)

Ketuvim (writings- Psalms, Proverbs, Job etc.)

TaNaKh =all three make up what we call the Old Testament

Jesus himself reveals he accepts TANAKH as scripture:

His three favorite books (Deuteronomy- T, Isaiah –N, and Psalms- K)

The stringing of pearls- (first sentences=the whole/like phrases= strung together)

You are my son (K-Psalm 2:7 “He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father”.)

Whom I love (T-Genesis 22:2 “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah.  Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about”)

With you I am well pleased….(N-Isaiah 42:1 “Here is my servant, whom I uphold;  my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations –wasn’t that what John saw?)

Be assured in the trustworthiness of scripture…Jesus was!

Jesus is

• Servant-spoken of Isaiah (N)
• Son-spoken of in Genesis (T)

God took all three sections of scripture in one sentence to say that Jesus is the fulfillment of all the scripture

So who was Jesus from God’s perspective?

Merry Christmas!

*Research on this comes from (and highly recommended for a better understanding of first century Christian understanding), Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus, by Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg

Who Was Jesus?

Part 2 – His Life

John 1:1-18; 35-43

Between the birth and the death of Jesus lie most of the things that people struggle with about Him.  It is normally the things He said and did during His life that get a reaction.  In many ways, Jesus can rightly be said to be the most controversial figure in history.  He divides us.  Christmas is the celebration of His birth.

1. I. WHO IS HE?
   1. a. The logos (v.1)
   2. b. The life (v.4)
   3. c. The light (v.4,5)

1. OUR MIXED RESPONSE TO HIM (zooming in – the world, His own, Us)

1. a. A NEGATIVE RESPONSE (the world, His own)
   1. i. Predicted by Isaiah’s prophecy (Is. 53:1-3)
   2. ii. Unknown to the World He created (v. 10)
   3. iii. His own did not receive Him (v. 11)
   4. iv. WHY did they (do we) reject Him?
      1. 1. Didn’t fit their paradigm, cramped their style?
      2. 2. Too high of a standard, too demanding, too exposing?
         1. Receive (lambano) – “to take, lay hold of”
         2. Believe (pisteuo) – “active trust”
         3. Follow (akoloutheo) – vv. 35-43; c.f. 1 Ki. 19:21
         4. Truth (aletheia) / light (phos) – c.f. Jn. 3:19-20

1. b. A POSITIVE RESPONSE (We, Us Disciples)
   1. i. But (contrast)
   2. ii. To as many as received, believed, followed Him
   3. iii. To them He gave the right to become children of God
   4. iv. Jesus is “full of (charis)” – c.f. 2 Pet. 3:18; Lk. 2:52; Jn. 17:23
   5. v. From His fullness we have all received

Will you and I receive Him?  What will we do with Jesus, the historical Jesus, this Christmas?

Duty or Delight

Tammie Head leads you on a journey of taking your relationship with God from a duty to a delight. This is a subject shes lived, and you will enjoy her candid transparency.  To sign up click on this link:  “Duty or Delight”

Faithful, Abundant, True

While these three women each speak on the distinctive topic the Holy Spirit had lead them to teach, the messages result in a marvelous blend. Kay Arthur challenges us to faithfulness in difficult days. Priscilla Shirer points to the essential of trust in God’s ability, and Beth Moore teaches on how to discern truth from error in these difficult days.  To sign up click on this link:  “Faithful, Abundant, True “