ST. MARK UMC February 22, 2015: 1 Peter 3:18-22 and Mark 1:9-15

1 Peter 3:18-22

New International Version

(NIV)

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19 After being made alive,[a] he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God.[b] It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

Mark 1:9-15

New International Version

(NIV)

The Baptism and Testing of Jesus

⁹ At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰ Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. ¹¹ And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

¹² At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, ¹³ and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted^[a] by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

Jesus Announces the Good News

¹⁴ After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ¹⁵ “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

***

Only went to the Faith Seekers Bible Study Class this morning; them finishing up with the Book of Daniel.

 "Rest with God..?" 

or

"Enter into God's rest..?"

Did I hear Don Clarke right on this one..?

I swear!  

It seems like everything out of that ones mouth irritates the fuck out of me!

"Don!  I'm so sorry; but I'm going to have to give this church a bad review.   I just attended my first (St. Mark UMC) Crystal Meths Anonymous..."
~(Simply Jim:  Mature Methodist Crackhead)~

"Gooooooood."
~(Don Clarke: Methodist)~

"And it only confirmed what I already knew; not going to work."
~(Simply Jim:  Radical Atheist The Methodist Fag)~

"Why are you so negative?"
~(Don Clarke: Methodist)~

"Negative theology...ever heard of that one?  Just a different way of saying the same thing.  'If I speak to you of  earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak to you of heavenly thing?"
~(Simply Jim:  One Pearl, Total Pig, Anti-Christ)~


"Sounds like you are preaching to me?  I don't listen to people who preach to me..?"
~(Don Clarke:  Methodist)~

"OBVIOUSLY NOT HERE...EITHER!"
~(Simply Jim:  Anti-Christ, Armilus, Dajjal)~


And before this incident was the very first time we met; me approaching him after having just witnessing my very first Faith Seekers Bible Study Class  attending...in action.  And this was purely by accident as I was originally there only to check out Rainbow Group.

"Although not using these words ( when boiling it down as the "Reverend Ass" of their Dr. Beth nothing but a "Catholic Fag Hag Paid a Methodist Administer to a Congregation Almost 80% Gay Men" "would call it), she basically told me to go fuck myself."
~(Simply Jim:  Methodist Fag The Political Catalyse)~

"I didn't need to hear that?"
~(Don Clarke:  Methodist)~

So I googled it this evening..?

Hebrews 4:10

King James Version

(KJV)

¹⁰ For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

And it came right up!

 One of these day I will ask why this class is called the Faith Seekers Class?  Do they not already have it?  Why would they even want it? 

Or is it the exact opposite?  After all, it is a very small class.  

Going to have to check out the much larger one next time; this Interactive Class..?  But why do they not list this class in the church bulletin? 

As they were coming out at the same time I was walking by the previous Sunday (arriving too late attending Faith Seekers bible study that morning), I stopped and asked a man wearing a bow tie what kind of class they were coming out of?  Topics vary depending on the speakers; that day's topic being
  "THE INTERVIEW."   

In fact, proudly telling me it was him, the one , having just delivered that mornings presentation.    

"As in...JOB...hunting?"

I asked puzzled.

"Yes,"

he answers back, as if, now uncertain?

 

Daniel 1 

King James Version

(KJV)

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.

² And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.

³ And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes;

⁴ Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.

⁵ And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.

⁶ Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:

How amusing. 

Was already thinking Daniel from the Book of Daniel sounding a whole lot like someone being prepped (corrupted) for an interview..?

And then getting the job!

Wondering now what I've missed between between the first day they studied the Bookof Daniel and the last day studying the Book of Daniel..?

Christian everywhere as I observe them to be:  behaving more like someone driving home from a Christmas party under the influence of alcohol.  And they be thinking everything okay because they haven't yet been in an accident themselves; blinded to all the chain reaction accidents they are causing as they continue going along their merrily ways..?

Like I've already said to Rev. Josh Amerson the associate pastor at Glenn Memorial UMC that day we met at Ink and Elm:

"If you guys are going to continue insisting on believing in a God your way, then I have no choice but accepting people halfway around the world believing in God however way they are feeling it necessary, needing, to believe in a God."

And this is where Rev. Josh cocked his head slightly to one side, pursed his lips almost into a smile, both eyebrows and shoulders going up at the same time. Definitely looking as if  he was perfectly okay with this/having just scored a point with ...me?  

"Including seventy-two virgins waiting for nineteen dead pilots soon to be arriving,"
I quickly added without skipping a beat.

Boy did this  knock that smirk of his back into it's proper place.

Anyway,
just didn't feel up to attending church service this morning,  just getting to the parts  differing from Sunday to Sunday; the sermons..?