CONVERSATIONS
WITH GOD
Salt & Light: Distinctive
Archived Conversations with God
Day One
St. Augustine of Hippo
This week let's look at some distinctive Christians from the past and see what we can learn from looking at their lives. Check out this link to read about St. Augustine, perhaps the most well known sinner turned saint: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo
Prayer Topics: Uniqueness, Separation, Bravery
Day 2
John the Apostle
The disciple named John is a very interesting historical figure. He seems to have had a special relationship with Jesus, and is sometimes referred to in church history as John the Beloved. Scholarship of the modern era finds John to be a contentious figure, as the authorship of the biblical books that bear his name, as well as the book of Revelation, has come under scrutiny. Many modern scholars believe that different men named John are responsible for writing these books from the John who was an apostle of Jesus. What I find interesting is the connection that all of these works have with the apostle. The book of Revelation, the epistles, and the gospel all share an emphasis on love and relationship that would be quite a coincidence if coming from different authors. The book of Revelation itself lays out a unique vision of the afterlife that is distinctive among world religions. Most religions found in the world do not have at their core a personal God. Because of this, their views of the afterlife consist of something like nirvana, or a melding of all things into a singularity that loses all distinction. Out of the religions that do have a personal God, modern Judaism has largely abandoned a belief in the afterlife, while Islam has a largely impersonal view of heaven. What do I mean by this? Islamic views of heaven revolve around personal pleasure rather than relationship with God. While they believe Allah will be there, and you can talk to him and ask him questions, he is more of a background character. Only the revelation that the Apostle John brought the world places a loving relationship with God at the center of an eternal afterlife, changing completely the point of the story. John's distinctive vision is Salt and Light to the world.
Verses: John 3:16, 15:13, 13:34-35, Revelation 21: 3-4
Prayer Topics: Unity, Relationship, Love, Joy
Day Three
Revealed
Christianity is a faith unique in its revelation. Most religions are built around the wisdom of man. Siddhartha Gautama sat under a tree and became enlightened, thus becoming the Buddha., or enlightened one. In Buddhism there is no God, so it is really a philosophy based around the elimination of suffering through stoicism. Islam shares the idea of revelation with Christianity, but it is a different type of revelation, one that comes through an angel to one man. In contrast to this biblical revelation is not dependent on one man, but comes through a variety of people over the course of hundreds of years, from a variety of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. The prophet Elijah is a great example of this distinctive understanding of revelation. After receiving revelation from God and guiding the nation while confronting its evil and corrupt leaders, Elijah becomes weary of his task. God tells him that his replacement is available, and there are thousands of faithful people throughout Israel. The plan does not depend on Elijah alone, even though he has an important and distinct part to play. No one man ever controlled God's revelation, and today no person carries the full burden of the faith. You and I have distinct parts to play in the drama of faith, will we play our parts? What is keeping you from playing yours? What will happen if you don't?
Verses: Galatians 6:5, 1 Corinthians 3:8, Colossians 3:23
Prayer Topics: Awareness, Responsibility, Burden, Character
To Be Continued!