I Peter 2

I'm pretty slow at this, but here is the next chapter of I Peter in the Bible study exercise I am doing.

* What should I know? I should know that:

1. By drinking pure spiritual milk I will grow up and be saved.
2. The scripture says: You have found out how kind the Lord is.
3. The Lord is the living stone who was rejected by man as worthless, but chosen by God as valuable.
4. The scripture says: I chose a valuable stone which I am placing as a cornerstone in Zion; whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.
5. The stone is of great value for we who believe, but for those who don't believe, scripture says: The stone which the builders rejected as worthless turned out to be the most important of all. And also the scripture says: This is the stone that will make people stumble and the rock that makes them fall.
6. Unbelievers stumbled because they did not believe; that was God's will for them.
7. On the other hand, we are the chosen race, the King's priests, and the holy nation, God's own people chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God.
8. God called us out of darkness, into his marvelous light
9. At one time were were not God's people, but now we are. At one time we did not know God's mercy, but now we have received it.
10. Paul appeals to me, and he calls me a friend, yet a stranger and refugee in this world.
11. Bodily passions are at war with the soul.
12. God wants me to silence the talk of foolish people by my good works.
13. If I as a servant submit to my master, God will bless me.
    
14. There is no "credit" if a servant endures deserved beatings for wrongdoing.
    
15. On the other hand, God will bless the servant to endures undeserved sufferings.
16. It is God himself who called us servants to suffer unjustly, for Christ himself did that and left us an exact example to follow.
17. Christ committed no sin, not even one lie.
18. When Christ was insulted, he did not respond in kind. When he suffered, he did not threaten back.
    
19. Instead, Christ placed his hope in God the righteous judge.
20. In fact, Christ carried our own sins to the cross in his physical body in order that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.
21. It is by Christ's wounds that we find healing.
22. We were like lost sheep, but now we have been brought back to the Shepherd who is also known as the Keeper of our souls.
    

* How should I think/not think (or be/not be)?

1. I should be like a newborn baby who is always thirsty for pure spiritual milk
2. If I am a servant, I should submit to my master with complete respect, whether my master is kind and considerate or whether he his harsh.
   

* How should I feel/not feel?

1. I should respect everyone
2. I should love my fellow believers
3. I should honor God.
4. I should respect the Emperor.
   

* What should I do/not do?

1. Rid myself of all evil
2. No more lying
3. no more hypocrisy
4. no more jealousy
5. no more insulting language
6. I should come to the Lord
7. I should come to the Lord as a living stone
8. I should let myself be used in building the spiritual temple where I will serve as a holy priest in offering spiritual and acceptable sacrifices to God through Jesus
9. I should not give in to bodily passions
10. My conduct in front of the world should be so good that they will have to recognize my good deeds and thereby praise God.
11. For the sake of God, I should submit to every human authority including the Emperor, governors.
12. I should live a a free person, yet not use my freedom to cover up any evil.
    
13. I should live as God's slave.

* How should I treat/not treat people?

1. I should respect everyone
2. I should love my fellow believers
3. I should honor God.
4. I should respect the Emperor.
   

* How should I pray/not pray?

New Bird!

(Image stolen from the internet.)

Today walking home from the office there were 4-5 tiny birds buzzing around and up and down a tree at the center. They let me get pretty close and I got a good look without binoculars at a small flock of golden-crowned kinglets. They were a first for me. They are a common bird, but until now I had only seen their cousins, the ruby-crowned kinglets.