Identical Souls? Soul Mates?

I may have been reading and watching too much sci-fi lately because I am wondering if a human were cloned would it have a soul?

I don’t know how to be sure of an answer to this…What do you think?

Drinking from the Cup – Which Cup?

I’ve been listening to The Beautiful Girls lately, an Aussie band, and one of my favourite songs of theirs is ‘Bring Me Your Cup’ which is actually a cover of a UB40 song. It’s a cheery little song talking about sharing a drink with a friend who cares a lot but has never actually stated how he feels about the woman he is sharing a drink with. The lyrics go like this:  

Did I ever say, how I feel about you
I think I never found that easy to do
The things that you do, don't need to be heard
You know your actions, girl, speak louder than words

(CHORUS)

I've got the bottle, bring me your cup
Pop the cork, and try a sup
And when you're empty, I'll fill you up
We'll drink it down till the sun comes up

I'm heading home, like a steaming train
Foot to the floor, in the driving rain
My head is aching and my mouth is dry 
I've got a thirst only you can satisfy

And I love the song! It speaks of a close relationship between two people in which their love is shared and known  through their actions. It’s beautiful. 

But I’ve been reading about another cup lately too. One that has also been downed in love by one whose actions speak directly to my heart, loudly but also with words. 

This morning I read in Jeremiah 25 that every nation of the world is to drink of the cup of God’s wrath: 

¹⁵Thus the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it. ¹⁶They shall drink and stagger and be crazed because of the sword that I am sending among them.”

This is particularly terrifying because to drink from God’s cup means to be judged and after years of being reminded to turn back to God, God then says this judgement is to come to everyone. You can read about it in Jeremiah 25.

At this time of the year in our approach to Easter, I am reminded of how Jesus really understood the terror involved in drinking God’s cup. For in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before Jesus was to be crucified he prayed, through bloodied tears and sweat, 

“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39)

And he prayed this prayer – that he would not have to drink from God’s cup – THREE times that night. Three times! He truly must have known the torment associated with drinking the cup of the wrath of God. But he did it. Knowingly, Jesus drank. And he experienced the consequences when he cried out on the cross just before he died, 

“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)

For Christ, drinking God’s cup meant taking on the wrath of God that was due to the WHOLE WORLD because we have ignored God and tried to do things our own way. Jesus drank from that cup and was cut off from God, like we should have been. Instead of us. It’s amazing.  It’s incredible. Now, because Jesus drank from this cup, we don’t have to! Because he took the judgement of God for the world, we don’t have to! Because he rose from death, so can we! It’s amazing! 

So I was thinking, The Beautiful Girls song ‘Bring Me Your Cup’ kinda reflects, in a small way, the relationship we can now have with God. God has shown us how He feels about us through Christ. He has spoken clearly, with actions and words. At the cross we see how God feels about us ignoring him and doing things our own way – He hates it! And it deserves punishment! Severe punishment!! – but He loves us and takes that punishment himself so we never have to experience the judgement that separates us from Him. God has made it very clear how He feels about us.

God has filled the cup and passed it to Jesus, He drank, took the consequences and through obedience came through having won a way free of judgement for us – if we acknowledge that Jesus took the punishment that was really due to us! Thank God! And now Jesus offers to fill our cup with water from the spring of life, not judgement but life,

6He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life…” (Revelation 21:6&7) 

And you know that just makes me feel like “heading home, like a steaming train, Foot to the floor in the driving rain, [because] my head is aching and my mouth is dry, I’ve got a thirst that only [Christ] can satisfy.”

But Revelation shows us that if we don’t take the cup Christ offers us, we must still drink the cup of the wrath of God…for if we don’t accept that Christ has drunk it for us, then we’re left to drink it for ourselves.

I thank God I’m drinking from the cup of life this Easter and forever.

He is Lord: So Sings My Soul

Oh blessed Lamb once slain
Will reign for evermore
His hands once bound now save
Our God will never fail

He is Lord
He is Lord
Sings my soul
He is the Lord
And He lives
Yes He lives
I’m alive
Cause Jesus lives

‘Tis at the cross of Christ
Where earth and heaven meet
Where sin is overcome
To God the victory

And now
Let the earth resound with praise
For our Saviour God He reigns
He is high and lifted up
Arise
For the King of glory waits
He is coming back again
He is coming back again

Aaaaannndddd…

Lidia walked unaided!
And eats.
🙂

It is truly amazing!

She is getting better at an incredible rate.
The doctors are astounded.
We know we are loved by and serve an amazing God. The God of life.

Keep praying.
And pray for Kim’s friend’s little girl too.

Guess what?!

Lidia woke up!

Living Between the Trees – Rob Bell

Check out this video: Trees

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The precious blood of Jesus Christ redeems forgiven I’m alive, restored set free.Your majesty resides inside of me,forever I believe. forever I believe.arrested by your truth and righteousnessyour grace has overwhelmed my brokennessconvicted by your spirit, led by your wordyour love will never fail your love will never fail‘Cause I know you gave, the world your only son for usto know your name, to live within the saviour’s loveand he took my place, knowing he’d be crucifiedand you loved.. you loved, a people undeserving!  

On Order & the Bible

I’m feeling kind of ripped off. Yesterday I discovered that the books of my Bible are in the wrong order!!! Can you believe it?!

Our lecture yesterday touched on the order of scripture and noted that while we, as Westerners, tend to approach things quite chronologically, the Hebrew people historically approached things more thematically. The result of which was that the scriptures were reordered to reflect a chronological rather than thematic focus. This, my lecturer argued, has lead to us failing to make connections that the original audience would have made quite logically. It also means we diminish the unity of the scriptures. He gave numerous examples – at which point my head exploded – one of which was that traditionally Chronicles was the last book of the Jewish Scriptures. This is significant because Chronicles begins with a genealogy that is then continued in Matthew and this is only the beginning!!!

Did you know this?

Do you feel as ripped off as me?

This revelation made me wonder about the role of man in recording and passing on God’s word. It’s such an important thing! How could we get it so wrong at times? And then I wondered, if God is in control of this, why did he allow the books of the scriptures to be rearranged? Especially if it means we are missing out, or at least working very hard to get back, significant connections. If the changes happened way back at the completion of the Septuagint Greek Manuscripts, was the reordering part of God’s plan in reaching those outside the Hebrew communities? Those who think chronologically rather than thematically.

What do you think?

Do you feel as ripped off as I do?

Where can I get my hands on a Jewish Bible? I want to read that Bible cover to cover and see what I find.

The original order of the scriptures:

The Torah

1. Genesis [בראשית / B’reshit]

2. Exodus [שמות / Sh’mot]

3. Leviticus [ויקרא / Vayiqra]

4. Numbers [במדבר / B’midbar]

5. Deuteronomy [דברים / D’varim]

The books of Nevi’im

6. Joshua [יהושע / Y’hoshua]

7. Judges [שופטים / Shophtim]

8. Samuel (I & II) [שמואל / Sh’muel]

9. Kings (I & II) [מלכים / M’lakhim]

10. Isaiah [ישעיה / Y’shayahu]

11. Jeremiah [ירמיה / Yir’mi’yahu]

12. Ezekiel [יחזקאל / Y’khezqel]

13. The Twelve Minor Prophets [תרי עשר]

I. Hosea [הושע / Hoshea]

II. Joel [יואל / Yo’el]

III. Amos [עמוס / Amos]

IV. Obadiah [עובדיה / Ovadyah]

V. Jonah [יונה / Yonah]

VI. Micah [מיכה / Mikhah]

VII. Nahum [נחום / Nakhum]

VIII. Habakkuk [חבקוק /Khavaquq]

IX. Zephaniah [צפניה / Ts’phanyah]

X. Haggai [חגי / Khagai]

XI. Zechariah [זכריה / Z’kharyah]

XII. Malachi [מלאכי / Mal’akhi]

The Ketuvim

14. Psalms [תהלים / T’hilim]

15. Proverbs [משלי / Mishlei]

16. Job [איוב / Iyov]

17. Song of Songs [שיר השירים / Shir Hashirim]

18. Ruth [רות / Rut]

19. Lamentations [איכה / Eikhah]

20. Ecclesiastes [קהלת / Qohelet]

21. Esther [אסתר / Est(h)er]

22. Daniel [דניאל / Dani’el]

23. Ezra–Nehemiah [עזרא ונחמיה / Ezra wuNekhem’ya]

24. Chronicles (I & II) [דברי הימים / Divrey Hayamim]

Life Coram Deo

This week I have been privileged to sit under the teaching of Michael Goheen from Trinity Western University, BC, Canada. If you have the opportunity to study under him do so! He has been speaking to us about the importance of Christian Education and teaching from the view of the gospel, working back to creation. One of the most poignant lessons for me has been in Mike’s challenge to abandon our often very deistic approach to life and education and become aware of living life before a God who saturates His creation with his presence, continually.

Mike’s teaching has been reinforced by many things – as well as the Bible – around me this week. For example, my oldest little man had a dream a few nights ago. In his dream, my little man says, “God came back to earth but he didn’t take us to heaven, he just made everything new.” Then, in his dream, he saw God’s arms stretched out in the corner of his bedroom. “Everywhere I went, mama, I could see God’s arms and I knew he was always with me,” explained my little man. I have to admit to being surprised at this dream. God has not ever revealed Himself to me in my dreams but the content of this dream is very Biblical and I am struck by what a beautiful gift and assurance it is to my son. God is good!

As I was sharing with my little man what I was learning at the conference, he said to me, “Mama, that’s like my dream. I know that God is in everything. He is everywhere and that’s what it meant when I could see God’s arms stretched out everywhere.”

My little man has a great awareness that God is present in His world, in His creation and he knows that God is actively involved in his life. I forget more easily. I often fall into the trap of thinking that, as Mike describes deism, God is like some master watchmaker who has created a grand work in such a way that it no longer needs his intervention to run. It can function independent of him. But the Bible paints a very different picture of God. He is not a creator who is removed from His creation. He is in it. He creates and sustains it by his word. He is actively involved in everything that happens. I need to remember this and live my life corum Deo! Before the face of God for His presence is everywhere.