Sunday, January 29, 2017

Rev. 1:8-9 Verse Mapping

Another wonderful morning spent studying the word of God in the book of Revelation!

Traditionally it was believed that the Apostle John wrote Revelation, but more modern scholars reject this idea. Nobody really knows who this "John of Patmos" is. Well, God does and that is all that really matters, eh?

I have always loved it when God calls Himself the "Alpha and the Omega." Maybe because they are Greek words and my father was Greek. I love most things Greek, as I associate them with him. I just like the way they sound. Alpha and Omega! The Beginning and the End of all creation.

Christians still go to Patmos Island on pilgrimage to see the cave where John had his vision. I think I will add it to my "Bucket List" of places I would like to see.  According to the pictures in a search I did on Patmos, it is a beautiful island in the Aegean Sea. Lots to see and do.


My Faith Journal showing Verse Mapping of Revelation 1:8-9. 
The Alpha and Omega picture was found on Pinterest. Artist unknown.
The map was found on Bing doing a search of Patmos.

Gratitude
1. The Alpha and the Omega
2. John of Patmos
3. Visions

Ephesians 1:16
I have not stopped giving thanks for you,
remembering you in my prayers.

May I pray for you?
Please leave a comment below if you are in need of prayer.
I would be honored to pray for you.

Blessings,
Deborah



Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Revelation 1:6-7

I am loving this new study of Revelation using verse mapping.
I have added cross referencing and am finding this very interesting.
I found out that the book of Daniel is an outline for Revelation.
Didn't know that!

Did you know that the New Testament mirrors the Old Testament?
I heard of this a while back.
I'm finding this to be very true.

Daniel talks about his vision of "the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven" which is also talked about in Revelation 1:7 "Look, He is coming with the clouds."

In Zechariah 12:10 it says "...and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son." Revelation 1:7 says "all the peoples on earth will mourn because of Him."


I made the translations I printed from Bible Gateway look like clouds in my Faith Journal, added some washi tape, defined some words, did some cross referencing and looked up a couple of commentaries. Verse Mapping completed!

Gratitude
1. Our Savior
2. The Bible
3. Study of His Word

Ephesians 1:16
I have not stopped giving thanks for you,
remembering you in my prayers.

May I pray for you?
Please leave your prayer requests in the comments below.

Blessings,
Deborah



Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Revelation Study

I am doing a study on Revelation. I plan to do verse mapping and lots of reading on the subject. It has been a book I have wanted to study for years.
Time to conquer Revelation!!

I skipped to verses 1:4-5, since 1-3 were the Prologue. I do love verse three:
3) Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
Isn't that beautiful?

In verse four "the seven spirits before His throne" caught my eye, so I looked it up in four different commentaries.

Nelson's Bible Commentary says:
May refer to the angels of the seven churches. (Used this for my art. See picture below.)

The notation at the bottom of the page in my NIV Bible says:
That is, the sevenfold* Spirit.
*sevenfold = seven times as great.

Bible Gateway says:
A literal translation, perhaps referring to the perfect fullness of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

biblestudytools.com says
These spirits also said to be the "seven eyes," which are the Seven Spirits of God sent out to all the earth. (Rev. 5:6)

Can anyone add to this for me?
Please leave a comment below.

I am excited to begin this journey!
I have challenged the "Verse Mapping, Bible" group on Facebook to join me. Please join the group and the challenge to follow along and post your own work.

My Faith Journal photos:


Graphics found on Google images and traced on vellum.




Amplified Bible (AMP) translation with footnotes printed from Bible Gateway.

Remember you can always click on the photo for a larger image.

Hope you join this challenge!

Gratitude
1. Angels
2. The Holy Spirit
3. Commentaries

Ephesians 1:16
I have not stopped giving thanks for you,
remembering you in my prayers.

If you have a prayer request please leave a comment below.
I would be honored to pray for you.

Blessings,
Deborah




Saturday, January 14, 2017

A Bible Journal Art Challenge

I love challenges!
Can you tell? lol
I have taken on a new challenge today.
It is a 52 week Bible Journaling challenge over at Rebekah R. Jones' site and the challenge is called,
"Deeper Still."
Here is the link if you are interested:

http://www.rebekahrjones.com/bible-art-journaling-challenge/deeper-still/

Rebekah also has a Facebook page so you can share your work with the group.
You can find the link to her group on her website.

If you follow here regularly, you know I don't journal in a Bible, but do so in my Faith Journal.
I decided to go "Deeper Still" and verse map the verses a little with a word study and one comparison of verses 10-13.
Those verses spoke to me the deepest.
(see photo below)

The graphic is a free one from Rebekah for taking the challenge. She also links to her YouTube channel and shows you how do it all. She has many wonderful videos, as she has given these challenges for a couple of years. You can still do those, also.

Let me know if you take the challenge in the comments below.


Gratitude
1. Challenges!
2. The Psalms
3. Restoration by God

Ephesians 1:16
I have not stopped giving thanks for you,
remembering you in my prayers.

Blessings,
Deborah


Thursday, January 5, 2017

Verse Mapping

How many of you have done Verse Mapping?

I did it here for the month of November, but I have never done it like this.
(see photo in my Faith Journal below)

This is a study on:

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
For it is by grace 
you have been saved,
through faith -
and this not from yourselves,
it is a gift from God -
not by works,
so that no one can boast.


The only thing I left out was Bible comparison, which I will try to incorporate next time.
I simply forgot.
But, I did add the history of Ephesus.

This is a great way to do a more in depth study of God's word.
I really enjoyed this.

I hope you will give it a try.
Let me know if you do or have.



Gratitude
1. Salvation
2. Gifts
3. Snow

Ephesians  1:16
I have not stopped giving thanks for you,
remembering you in my prayers.

Please leave any prayer requests in the comments below.
I would be honored to pray for you.

Blessings,
Deborah

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Watch Your Mouth

Did your mother ever tell you to "watch your mouth" or "bite your tongue," when you got a little sassy as a kid? I will admit mine did. Every once in a while I would forget myself and get a little sassy and she would say one of those quotes to me. Sternly. I deserved it. I was out of line.

Thinking back on this the other day, I decided to do a Bible study on the words tongue and mouth.

Here a few of my favorite verses.

Job 27:4
My lips will not say anything wicked
and my tongue will not utter lies.

Psalm 12:3
May the Lord silence all flattering lips
and every boastful tongue

Proverbs 10:19
...but the prudent hold their tongues.

Proverbs 10:30
From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom,
but a perverse tongue will be silenced.

Acts 2:26
Therefore my heart is glad
and my tongue rejoices;
my body will also rest in hope.

Romans 14:11
...every tongue will acknowledge God

1Corinthians 13:1
If I speak in the tongues of man or of angels,
but do not have love,,
I am only a resounding gong
or a clanging cymbal.

There are many others, but I can't share them all.

I also documented this study in my Faith Journal.


All images are from Google images. I choose the pink washi tape, because it reminded me of open mouths. I used the dogs with tongues hanging out, because I thought they were cuter than humans with their tongues hanging out. :-) And I believe ALL tongues give praise to God.
Anyway, it makes me smile. I hope it makes you smile, too and gives you food for thought.

Someone once said that we use our mouths to Praise God and to tear down our fellow humans.
Let's all try to pause before we speak and think about our words.

Gratitude (prompts from aholyexperience.com)
3 gifts that might never have been
1. My son Donovan
2. My son Travis
3. My life

Ephesians 1:16
I have not stopped giving thanks for you,
remembering you in my prayers.

Blessings,
Deborah



Sunday, January 1, 2017

Happy 2017!!

Happy New Year, everyone!!
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas.
Mine was lovely. Quiet, but nice.

I feel 2017 is going to be a good year.
I'm hopeful.
I have new focus.
A new outlook.
I have new goals.

There are snowflakes falling outside my window as I write this.
Each one is unique and different and beautiful.
God created them that way.
Just like He created us that way.
Find kindness in your heart this year for everyone you encounter.
Look out from God, instead of at God.
You will see a whole new world.


The cover page for 2017 in my Faith Journal. You may need to click on it for a better view. The blues are showing up kind of light.

Ephesians 1:16
I have not stopped giving thanks for you,
remembering you in my prayers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you have any prayer requests, please leave a comment below.
I would be honored to pray for you.

Gratitude
1. Each of you
2. Snowflakes
3. A new year, a new beginning

Blessings,
Deborah

Blank Pages Can Be Intimidating

Greetings from the bower on Church St. Yes, blank pages can be intimidating sometimes. I sat looking at this one for quite some time thi...