1. Teach a person to be lazy (Support someone who could otherwise support himself)
2. Teach a person to be uninvolved with their family
3. Teach a person to interact with other criminals
4. Cause a person to get trapped in the system.
5.
Leadership
We have a number of set backs over the past six months that contributed to my stepping down from youth ministry. A number of key leaders that I had grown to depend upon stepped away from leading the youth. Job transitions and personal issues lead to this reduction but the net effect was to place
Motivation
The winter months are a time of difficulty for me personally. I see the son very little and it tends to effect my mood.
Relationship
Youth ministry is a relational objective. My one hope was to have a good relationship with the youth. I would poor into them and in the process receive some of the benefit of that relationship. But over the past few months I’ve been feeling that increasingly the youth were seeing me less and less as a some to relate to and more and more like a chauffeur for there social life.
Time
Youth ministry is not my only priority. Its not even my number one. But youth ministry takes a lot of time. Over the last few months I’ve been looking for ways to decrease the amount of time while still maintaining a level of success.
If we looked at the first book written it would be 1 Thessalonians or possibly Galatians. And if we looked to the last it would be Perhaps Revelation. So why is the New Testament arranged the way it is?
Gospels and Acts
Letters
Paul’s
Letters to Churches (Largest to Smallest)
Letters to Individuals (Largest to Smallest)
Non-Pauline (Largest to Smallest)
Revelation
The book of Revelation prophecies the fall of Babylon the great city, the mother of prostitutes.
The Roman Catholic Church
Rebuilt Babylon
Apostate Christianity
Rome
The Evil World System
Jerusalem
This of course is not a reference to the destruction of the ancient city of Babylon but like much of Revelation is a cryptic reference to another city. 5 reasons lead me to believe that it refers to the destruction of Jerusalem in the first century.
Revelation links Babylon with the Heavenly Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is only used in reference to the heavenly city that John sees coming down out of heaven. It appears after the destruction of the city of Babylon. There appears to be some link between these two cities. When Babylon is destroyed the heavenly Jerusalem appears. Babylon and the New Jerusalem are antithetical parallels. The passing of the one makes way for the arrival of the other.
Revelation Only Refers to Jerusalem by Enemy Names
The earthly city of Jerusalem is referred to at least twice in the book of Revelation. Neither time is it mentioned by name. Instead the author chooses to call it by one of Israel’s ancient enemies.
Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. Revelation 11:8
Of course the place where there Lord was crucified is the city of Jerusalem. By calling Jerusalem “Sodom and Egypt,” John demonstrates how he may also call Jerusalem Babylon.
Revelation calls Jerusalem and Babylon the “Great City”
In Revelations 11:8, John says the bodies of the two witness will “lie in the street of the great city…” This of course refers to the city of Jerusalem “where also their Lord was crucified.” Babylon is likewise called “the great city.”
Revelation calls Babylon the “Mother of Harlots”
Babylon is described as the mother of Harlot’s. While this term may be used of a pagan city in the Old Testament, the Prophets most often called Jerusalem a Harlot for her lack of covenantal faithfulness to YHWH her husband.
Revelation Ignores the Fate of Jerusalem?
John appears to link the city of Babylon and the heavenly city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is only used in reference to the heavenly city that John sees coming down out of heaven. It appears after the destruction of the city of Babylon. There appears to be some link between these two cities. When Babylon is destroyed the heavenly Jerusalem appears. Babylon and the New Jerusalem are antithetical parallels. The passing of the one makes way for the arrival of the other.
“Jesus Christ!” I hear it all the time. We have this board at work. Things people are thankful for!!! Yesterday I read the notes that were attached to the board. Attached to one is the statement “mythology” and another read “Darwin!!” Both of which were sarcastic in your face responses to Christians writing what they truly beleive. I’m glad to live in a free country but opposition is only mounts against Christianity.
We tend to think of persecution as facing a grulling death. But just like bulying today.
I recently read Larry Hurtado’s book “How on Earthy Did Jesus Become a God? The titles is rather provocative but the subtitle speaks more to the heart of the book “Historical Questions about Earliest Devotion to Jesus.” Hurtado draws that conclusion that Devotion to Jesus is at the earliest Jewish stages of Christianity. He draws this conclusion because unlike the polythestic world which was accustomed to accepting multiple gods, Christianity was pronouncely monthestic or “binetarian” as he terms it. Like Judaism they refused to worship any other God. They did worship Jesus but they believed that this was bound up in the glory due to the one God. This is not pagan Christianity.
In one chapter of his book “living and dieing for Jesus” Hurtado recounts many of the forms of persecution the earliest followers of Jesus faced in making this bold step of faith.
Family Relationships
Wider Social Relations
Political Consequences