Read Leviticus 26:3-13 and then Leviticus 26:14-39.
Praise God
In reading and studying the first part of Romans 15 verse 4 brought me to Psalm 69. So much stuck out in this Psalm that I can't possibly right about everything, however, what I will mention is the last part of the Psalm.
In verse 29 David says "I am in pain and distress; may your salvation, O God, protect me." After David mentions him being in "pain and distress", what is so profound is what he mentions he will do next:
Verse 30: "I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving."
This is not exactly what I typically think to do when I feel such pain and distress in my life.
The word is encouraging and enlightning, ask God for an eternal perspective and you to, will praise Him for all He has allowed to your life. For seeing as God sees, although not easy, yields peace and joy in and through ALL things.
Hate...
"I will never let another man ruin my life by making me hate him" - George Washington Carver
Sin Cont'd...
Romans 6...
6:2 “…we died to sin”
6:4 “…we too may live a new life”
6:6 “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so
that the body of sin might be done away with, what we should no longer be
slaves to sin”
6:7 “because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.”
6:10 Christ our model “The death he died, he died to sin
once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 In the same way, count
yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
6:17 “But thanks be to God that, though you used be slaves
to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were
entrusted. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to
righteousness.”
And the question of the day from 6:21:
"What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of?"
Sin is temporary gratification...very temporary.
John 4:13 & 14 "'Everyone who drinks this water will be thristy again, but whoever drink that water I give him will never thrist. Indeed, the water I give him will bedome in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.' "
Sin
Reading Romans1:21-32 I came across the following commentary:
"...They soon invent 'gods' that are convenient projections of their own selfish plans and decrees. These gods may be wooden figures, but they may also be goals or things we pursue such as money, power, or comfort..."
"...God gives them over or permits them to experience the naturalconsequences of their sin. Once caught in the downward spiral, no one can pull himself or herself out. Sinners must trust Christ alone to put them on the path of escape..."
"...in time we will become slaves to our own rebellious choices - we will lose our freedom not to sin. Does life without God look like freedom to you? Look more closely. There is no worse slavery than slavery to sin."
This opened my eyes! I feel as if I am in control - even of my sin. But am I? In Romans 7 Paul speaks about struggling with sin.
"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to , it is no longer I who do it, but is sin living in me that does it.
"So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, wagin war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my mebers. What a wretched mand I am Who will rescue me from this body of death: Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!
"So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin."
So is there any hope? Go on reading Romans 8...
"...They soon invent 'gods' that are convenient projections of their own selfish plans and decrees. These gods may be wooden figures, but they may also be goals or things we pursue such as money, power, or comfort..."
"...God gives them over or permits them to experience the naturalconsequences of their sin. Once caught in the downward spiral, no one can pull himself or herself out. Sinners must trust Christ alone to put them on the path of escape..."
"...in time we will become slaves to our own rebellious choices - we will lose our freedom not to sin. Does life without God look like freedom to you? Look more closely. There is no worse slavery than slavery to sin."
This opened my eyes! I feel as if I am in control - even of my sin. But am I? In Romans 7 Paul speaks about struggling with sin.
"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to , it is no longer I who do it, but is sin living in me that does it.
"So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, wagin war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my mebers. What a wretched mand I am Who will rescue me from this body of death: Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!
"So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin."
So is there any hope? Go on reading Romans 8...
Excerpts About Prayer
Some excerpts sent to me by a friend from an article speaking about prayer:
"It stands to reason, therefore, that prayer should consist of personal communion - talking to God with inquisitiveness as to His nature and His desires, and eagerness to learn about the things that please and displease Him."
"Authentic prayer, God-centered prayer, realizes that the promise of prayer is God Himself. Being the the presence of God is the greatest reward of prayer."
"Self-centered praying fails to appreciate that our purpose here on earth is to praise our Creator and Redeemer."
"It stands to reason, therefore, that prayer should consist of personal communion - talking to God with inquisitiveness as to His nature and His desires, and eagerness to learn about the things that please and displease Him."
"Authentic prayer, God-centered prayer, realizes that the promise of prayer is God Himself. Being the the presence of God is the greatest reward of prayer."
"Self-centered praying fails to appreciate that our purpose here on earth is to praise our Creator and Redeemer."
Be Purposeful
A word was given last night from a friend of a friend. He stated to be purposeful with your time - this stemming from a bible discussion on James 4. James 4:14 "...What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." He stated to be purposeful with your relationships or they will not happen. This is a quote taken from a friends wife who's husband has been diagnosed with brain cancer: "We have tried to live each day as if it was Travis' last. Family time has taken a different quailty and tone and is much more intentional instead of happenstance. It is hard living there. Harder than I ever thought would be possible. It makes every moment full of emotion that seems at times to tip the scales to overwhelming."
James 4:13-14 says "Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." I think God expects us to try and walk, to align our hearts with His and do our best with our time - being purposeful with it. Our time will be well spent if we live out of love for others - our time will be purposeful for we are trying to do what God put us here to do... to LOVE. We need not worry about anything else as it will all be provided - is that not what the bible says? I say this for me, to reitterate what the Holy Spirit keeps teaching. So I ask myself if I am living out of love so others may see God?
When we boil it all down and gain a true perspective is there anything more important than what Jesus did for us on the cross? Our life is but a mist that will quickly vanish - what are you doing while here? Is salvation not most important? I tell myself "live out of love knowing God will provide EVERYTHING".
James 4:13-14 says "Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." I think God expects us to try and walk, to align our hearts with His and do our best with our time - being purposeful with it. Our time will be well spent if we live out of love for others - our time will be purposeful for we are trying to do what God put us here to do... to LOVE. We need not worry about anything else as it will all be provided - is that not what the bible says? I say this for me, to reitterate what the Holy Spirit keeps teaching. So I ask myself if I am living out of love so others may see God?
When we boil it all down and gain a true perspective is there anything more important than what Jesus did for us on the cross? Our life is but a mist that will quickly vanish - what are you doing while here? Is salvation not most important? I tell myself "live out of love knowing God will provide EVERYTHING".
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