Category: Faith

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The expected fates of the Universe (top three illustrations) all correspond to a Universe where the matter and energy combined fight against the initial expansion rate.
In our observed Universe, a cosmic acceleration is caused by some type of dark energy, which is hitherto unexplained.
All of these Universes are governed by the Friedmann equations, which relate the expansion of the Universe to the various types of matter and energy present within it.
There’s an apparent fine-tuning issue here, but there may be an underlying physical cause.
(E. SIEGEL / BEYOND THE GALAXY)

The fact that our Universe has such a perfect balance between the expansion rate and the energy density — today, yesterday, and billions of years ago — is a clue that our Universe really is finely tuned. With robust predictions about the spectrum, entropy, temperature, and other properties concerning the density fluctuations that arise in inflationary scenarios, and the verification found in the Cosmic Microwave Background and the Universe’s large-scale structure, we even have a viable solution. Further tests will determine whether our best conclusion at present truly provides the ultimate answer, but we cannot just wave the problem away. The Universe really is finely tuned, and our existence is all the proof we need.

https://medium.com/starts-with-a-bang/the-universe-really-is-fine-tuned-and-our-existence-is-the-proof-8be11c69c011

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Resources:

Notes:

  • In 1 Peter 3, Peter tells wives to be subject to their own husbands, even if they don’t believe in God. Peter says wives who hae accepted Christ as their savior can influence their husbands to do the same.
    • Peter tells Christian wives to cultivate their beauty from the inside out by developing a gentle and quiet spirit.
  • Peter then tells Christian husbands that they must give honor and respect to their wives.
    • Peter reminds husbands of their wives’ equal standing with God – wives are co-heirs of God’s grace.
    • Peter warns husbands that their prayers will be negatively impacted if they do not honor their wives.
  • Peter then tell all believers to be unified in our faith. We must refuse our instincts of seeking revenge when insulted or treated poorly. We should give blessings to those who hurt or insult us.
    • God’s people have always been called to live set-apart lives, influencing their culture even through suffering. It may be God’s will for us to suffer because we are doing good.
    • Those see us behave in this manner will be confused by how we can be hopeful in the face of bad circumstances. We must be ready to explain to them why – specifically about how we came to be redeemed by God through faith in Christ.
    • If we continue to do good to those who insult or mistreat us they will be ashamed of their behavior.  We need to follow Christ’s behavior here – he prayed for God to have mercy on those who tortured and crucified him.

Notes on the video:

  • When Peter tells wives to be subject to their own husbands he doesn’t mean husbands can dominate their wives. Wives should respect their husbands and husbands must give honor and respect to their wives.
  • 1 Peter 3:7 : Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker partner, showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
    • God will not listen to us if we don’t love, honor, and respect our wives.
  • Husbands and wives can submit to one another when we have a living hope.
  • People see Christ in you and the way you behave.  You have the opportunity to lead others to Christ if you try to behave like Christ.
  • He didn’t have time to cover the rest of the chapter (verses 8-22).

Group chat:

  • We all struggle with taking offense to things when people think differently than we do.
    • A comedian was joking about not saying “Merry Christmas” to avoid offending people – saying instead “Thank you Lord for the birth of my savior”.
    • Christians shouldn’t get caught up in debates over wishing someone Merry Christmas. We need to follow a different example and not get sucked into the world being offended over Christmas.
  • Christ is the reason for the season. But was Jesus really born on 12/25? Is it even important when He was born?
    • It’s not worth being offended by someone else being offended.
  • One member of the group talked about his office encouraging everyone to celebrate Diwali (Indian holiday) in October but being discouraged from openly celebrating Christmas in December.

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Resources:

Notes:

  • Peter had one of the closest relationships with Christ but he also had several screw-ups (denied knowing Christ three times).
  • 1 Peter 1:3: We have a living hope through Jesus Christ
  • 1 Peter 2:1: rid yourself of all malice (“concealed anger”), deceit, and guile
    • Malice creates an unforgiving spirit.
    • Don’t be a hypocrite, avoid envy.
    • Don’t speak evil or slander about others.
  • 1 Peter 2:2: Be like a newborn infant.
    • Newborns desire milk from their mother to survive. We need to desire the word of God to help us grow.
    • Desire means we want something with all of our being (Nelson commentary). We should want to learn more about the Lord because we have been saved.
    • Romans 15:4: whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction so that we may have hope.
    • If we don’t have a desire for the Word we become stagnant and will not grow in our faith.
  • 1 Peter 2:4-5: As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by God— you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
    • Christ is identified as the cornerstone rejected by the builders in Acts 4:11.
    • The stones are ready to be used with the cornerstone to be built into a spiritual house.
  • 1 Peter 2:6-8: Jesus is the key foundation stone or “cornerstone.” God placed enormous value on Jesus and chose Him to be the cornerstone. Those who believe in Christ, then, won’t ever be put to shame.
    • We have a living hope in Christ as our living stone. We are also living stones that can be built into a spiritual house with Christ as our cornerstone.
    • This references Ephesians 2: 19-22: So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole building, being put together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you are also being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.
    • As living stones being used to build the spiritual house we are all holy priests based on the new covenant – need to better understand this!!!!
  • 1 Peter 2:9: we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
    • Anyone who comes to Christ will never be cast out. This is what makes us different – we are our own nation because of the kingdom of God.
  • 1 Peter 2: Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
    • Through faith in Christ, we have received mercy. Our status has been permanently changed. We are not seeking and hoping to become God’s people and receive mercy. In Christ, we are God’s people and have received mercy. The transaction is complete.