Mountainview Christian Fellowship

Mary received praise and gives praise to God. God does praise humans (eg Job, Mary). In this case, praise does not mean worship; it is an acknowledgement of positive qualities and an expression of gratitude. We should seek praise from God, not other people. Praise can lead to some becoming proud/self-centered. Mary shows us how to handle praise in a healthy way; she graciously accepts and then praises God. In this context, praise is worship. Mary's praise/worship was not just in words, she did it from the depths of her soul. God was great in her mind and her love overflowed. She was humble and in awe of how blessed she was. Her song of praise was very personal. She describes God in specifics; she knows His character. The language she uses reflects her knowledge of the scriptures. Despite being a teenager, she kept the Word close to her. Mary respects and loves the name of God. God's holiness can be intimidating and it would be hard to worship Him unless He has touched your life - His mercy allows us to be in His presence.

Mary received praise and gives praise to God. God does praise humans (eg Job, Mary). In this case, praise does not mean worship; it is an acknowledgement of positive qualities and an expression of gratitude. We should seek praise from God, not other people. Praise can lead to some becoming proud/self-centered. Mary shows us how to handle praise in a healthy way; she graciously accepts and then praises God. In this context, praise is worship. Mary's praise/worship was not just in words, she did it from the depths of her soul. God was great in her mind and her love overflowed. She was humble and in awe of how blessed she was. Her song of praise was very personal. She describes God in specifics; she knows His character. The language she uses reflects her knowledge of the scriptures. Despite being a teenager, she kept the Word close to her. Mary respects and loves the name of God. God's holiness can be intimidating and it would be hard to worship Him unless He has touched your life - His mercy allows us to be in His presence.

Michael Down shares about the period after Jesus' ascension. We must remain steadfast in our faith in Jesus. There are what appear to be contradictions in Judas' death. To resolve this: he hung himself and was left there so long his body deteriorated to the point of falling and bursting on the ground. His reward for betraying Jesus was a lonely death. The point of selecting a replacement was to make it clear that Judas forfeited his seat in heaven for a field he died in. It is a way to enlarge the Kingdom of God.

Our lives can become dominated by fear affecting our decision making (rather than relying on faith). Jesus encourages to take courage because He is with us; God is omnipresent. He has perfect power, wisdom, and love. We can be afraid of nature (like a storm), and afraid of Jesus' actions (walking on water). Through their fear they learn something about Jesus. He shows us that He has the power of the curator over the creation (is the divine son of God). Humans are compared to sheep in the Bible. Courage is the ability to do something that you're frightened of. Jesus showed courage when facing death on the cross. The Holy Spirit can reproduce this courage in our lives - we need to pray for this. We all struggle with fear, but we know that God is always working in our lives for our good.

The brokenness/sin we experience is innate and inescapable. Pre-fall, Adam and Eve had freedom and knew each other intimately. First thing that happens after the fall is Adam and Eve hiding from each other and God; they cover themselves because of fear, guilt, and shame. This is the beginning of self-destructive blame-shifting that is passed down through the generations of humanity all the way to us. We see both Adam and Eve ultimately blame God for their mistake (God gave Adam a "defective" partner, Eve was deceived by the snake God made). And then their children do the same. God's question of "where are you," is redundant as He already knew where they were. To His second question of how they knew they were naked, they responded with excuses and blame. God sacrifices life to make clothes for the couple before He removes them from the garden. God doesn't allow them to eat from the fruit that would allow them to live forever, because if they did so in their current state, they would live in brokenness forever. He has a plan to cure us from sin with His son's sacrifice (we cannot fix ourselves) before we live with Him in His kingdom forever. Like Abel, we must approach God in our brokenness.

God was leading the Israelites down the longer but safer route, even if they didn't know it. His directions must have seemed strange, but there was great wisdom behind it. God knew His people and how they would have reacted to the war that would have happened if they went the "easier" way. Just because they had been saved doesn't mean they were ready to handle every trial before them. God also knew Pharaoh's heart, and would bring Himself glory and show His power by leading His people in a wandering way. Pharaoh's heart was hardened and they were realizing that without the slaves they would need to do all the work. This reflects how Satan/sin will never let you go while you're on this earth. God fights for usso that we can persevere. Pharaoh was so depraved it is as if he had forgotten all about the plagues they had just suffered through. The Israelites also had short-term memory as their cried to God were in fear and not in faith for the Lord to deliver them as promised. There are those that idealize those at top like Pharaoh and those that idealize the underdogs - we must remember there is madness on both ends. Don't go into a ministry of helping the underdog for personal glory or quick results. God alone would be able to save His people, there was nothing they could do against Pharoah's army. He makes a way for us. Sometimes we must just go instead of delaying in prayer. God reveals His sovereignty over nature by parting the sea. Before the Egyptian army was destroyed be the sea, the Lord already defeated them and caused them to panic. The army's death in the water could have been a reflection of the Israelites' babies being slaughtered before. Moses told them not to fear man, but to fear the Lord. They were to trust in God and give Him praise.

2 themes: judgement and salvation of God God had given Pharaoh multiple warnings before the worst of the plagues. Sometimes judgement falls on individuals, sometimes a nation, and sometimes both. The firstborn died simultaneously at the same time - this shows God's completeness of His knowledge. Judgement fell on everyone equally; no matter the person's position in life. Once God's judgment came, there was nothing the Egyptians could do to save themselves. God reserves the greatest judgment for the end. Man's threats are not to be taken as seriously as God's - Pharoah's threat against Moses wasn't followed through on. In the end, Pharoah learned you can't negotiate with God. The Egyptians were motivated by fear in encouraging the Israelites to leave. Pharaoh had once offered to let the Israelites leave, but to leave behind what was left of their wealth/goods. In the end, the Israelites plundered the Egyptians. Salvation was purely from the Lord. It was open to anyone wanting to be saved. This also shows that God's salvation can come in a moment (blessed are you if you are ready). There were many prophesies and fulfillment in this story. God was keeping vigil (He will keep His promises). To show our gratitude, we remember what was done and praise God. God took the people on the harder, longer route for their own good. It is one thing to be saved, it is another to keep from being tempted to return to the old life. We must remember that God will always be there with His people.

The passover meal originates with God (rooted in divine revelation and authority), therefore it is not a tradition that can be altered by man. God is the God of new beginnings, and He wants His people to remember this in their new calendar. The passover meal is to be communal not just for an individual. That being said, there were boundaries/requirements and distinctive beliefs associated with the meal. It is a highly symbolic meal (details correspond to other things that God has planned: Christ's sacrifice). Bitter herbs are included to remind the Israelites of the hardship they had faced in Egypt. They were to be dressed and ready to go. 2 themes: judgment and death for those not protected by the blood of the lamb; deliverance and salvation for those who are protected. This teaches that what made salvation possible was a substitute: every household was going to experience death (of the first born or a lamb). The meal not only looks back at what the Lord has done, but what He has promised to do. While it is good to know, and perhaps observe, the Passover meal and all it represents, it is not mandated in the Christian calendar. Instead, we celebrate Jesus' death and ressurection with the Lord's supper.