Sufficient Self's Bible Study Group

[Denim Deb]

I've read chapter 1, but haven't posted on it yet, just haven't had time.

 

[Shiloh Acres]

I wanted to answer your question earlier, but no time to type it out when I saw it.

Actually having a hard time typing it out now ... I keep backspacing trying to decide how much to share. This happened about a year and a half ago.

Let's just say that, as a mother, I was struggling, praying, needing reassurance with a very difficult situation. It was getting to the point that it was hard to keep going. I was driving up a mountain road, praying about the situation, and thinking of my child because the mists around the mountain were strange and reminded me of a time we had enjoyed together. It was a hard, hard day for me, and I had lots of hard days then.

I remember a thought coming to me "Look up" and I did. There was a sort of ridge that ran up the mountain, and led my eye up it. At the very top of the peak, the mist cleared, the sun shone at the top, and I saw what looked like a cross. I couldn't believe my eyes.

Later I came back and looked at it through a zoom lens, and sure enough, it really was a small wooden handmade cross at the top of the mountain. I still can't believe I was able to see it with my naked eye. I took pictures of it to remind me, because it FELT like a reassurance that things will somehow turn out to be ok.

Every year for the past 15 years or so I have gotten a Christmas ornament for each member of my household (everyone picks out their own) to signify something important that happened that year. The Christmas following the sighting of the cross, I couldn't find anything that I was interested in until I saw a little ornament with a cross hidden in the back that reminded me of that moment, and I had to have that ornament for my daughter.

Later, when I was trying to do what I could about the situation, I was staying with a dear friend from church. While she was at work, I looked around her living room, and on the mantel I saw that she had the exact same ornament, except hers was cast in metal. I took that as an encouragement too.

Some days I can't keep going without encouragement, and God is gracious to give it to me when I need it most.

It's a LOOOONNNNGGG way up there ... it's much harder to see than it looks in that picture. That was as close as I could get with a zoom from the road below.

Edited to add: and it's probably not THAT small actually ... I can't even figure out the scale because it was so far up there, and those are full sized trees. This peak was one of a range of peaks, many, many mountains with a road snaking through them, so it actually was pretty much a miracle that I ever saw it. No one else who drove there had ever noticed it when I asked them about it.

 

[BarredBuff]

Wow!!

 

[savingdogs]

Wouldn't it be nice to know who mounted that cross up there for you? I bet they would appreciate how meaningful it was for you! Maybe you should try to find a way to let them know.

 

[Beekissed]

1 John 3 >>
New American Standard Bible

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Children of God Love One Another

1See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
4Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. 5You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. 6No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. 7Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; 8the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 9No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.

11For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; 12not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brothers were righteous.

13Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. 14We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. 15Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17But whoever has the worlds goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. 19We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him 20in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.

23This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. 24The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.



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<< 1 John 3 >>

Commentary Summary:

Chapter Contents
The apostle admires the love of God in making believers his children. (1,2) The purifying influence of the hope of seeing Christ, and the danger of pretending to this, and living in sin. (3-10) Love to the brethren is the character of real Christians. (11-15) That love described by its actings. (16-21) The advantage of faith, love, and obedience. (22-24)

 

[BarredBuff]

I watched The Passion of The Christ today. It was a very good portrayal of his last 12 hours on Earth. If you havent watched it, you should!

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Wouldn't it be nice to know who mounted that cross up there for you? I bet they would appreciate how meaningful it was for you! Maybe you should try to find a way to let them know.

Maybe a local forum of some sort. I wanted to try to hike up there but I didn't get to. I think it's public land, and no roads up there.

I really would like to know more about it, yes, and would love to share with them. I wonder how many people know it's there. It really is very hard to pick out even when you know it's there.

I do know of a hiker/climber forum there. I'm glad you mentioned it. I think I'll ask.

 

[Beekissed]

There are many places in OH and WV that I've seen groupings of three crosses on hillsides and mountains. I read about them years ago...some fellow decided to make that his mission in life to remind people about Jesus.

 

[savingdogs]

We have a place like that here, too.

 

[Beekissed]

What does it feel like physically when you folks feel the presence of the Holy Spirit? Can you describe it? I'm wondering if we all feel the same feeling....