Psalm 18:30-32
30 As for God, his way is perfect:
The LORD’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.
31 For who is God besides the LORD?
And who is the Rock except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength
and keeps my way secure.
No pressure right? I mean it can't be that hard to be perfect. Right... It's not even possible for us to be perfect. If I could make a list on Microsoft Word right now of all the times I fall short, then I'd have to change the font size to 1, make the letter spacing 0.5 points, and set the margins to .01. Quite frankly, that still wouldn't provide me with sufficient space to cover all my mistakes not to mention, all the red lines that would come up underneath some of the mispelled words. I would be making mistakes as I tell you my mistakes.
That's okay though. Don't waste your breath, or in this case, your time typing, to illustrate your imperfections. Sometimes we forget that God doesn't forget we're not perfect (read that again if you have to). He doesn't expect us to be perfect. He created us, so he must know! That doesn't mean we can't try. "Consider right and wrong choices," he tells us. Above all, learn from your mistakes and grow from them so you don't have any repeats!
God just wants the best for YOU. He wants us to be close to perfect. God is the only perfect one I've ever come to know, so get to know him even more. Don't forget about your daily reading from the Bible, you prayers, and your praise. I like to say practice makes almost perfect. Practice reading and such now, so that you can get to know the Lord and apply (almost perfectly) everything you learn from your Bible studies.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Letters to Sin.
Romans 6:13-14
13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace
Do you ever think of enjoying sin as if it were a nice little package full of your favorite candy (chocolate covered feces as the great Christian speaker Mike Guzzardo calls it?) How about giving up your body to participate in the wicked ways of sin?
I just don't think the latter statement is necessarily true, but it serves as a hypothetical situation We don't offer ourselves to sin. It's just a matter of doing it. We are sinful. We sin without thinking about it. Either way, the consequences are the same even if we send sin a love letter with a nice little gift of our sinful body parts. In other words, a sin is a sin no matter the process or what it is. It's all equal.
Think about it though. It's time to watch our choices. Instead of writing a love letter to sin, send one to God because he freed us from a sinful death. Offer yourself to him so that he can use you to serve and bless others.
Our body is an instrument that can either serve sin (Satan) or serve God. Who have you been serving? Ask God to help you avoid wasting your life on sinful desires.
13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace
Do you ever think of enjoying sin as if it were a nice little package full of your favorite candy (chocolate covered feces as the great Christian speaker Mike Guzzardo calls it?) How about giving up your body to participate in the wicked ways of sin?
I just don't think the latter statement is necessarily true, but it serves as a hypothetical situation We don't offer ourselves to sin. It's just a matter of doing it. We are sinful. We sin without thinking about it. Either way, the consequences are the same even if we send sin a love letter with a nice little gift of our sinful body parts. In other words, a sin is a sin no matter the process or what it is. It's all equal.
Think about it though. It's time to watch our choices. Instead of writing a love letter to sin, send one to God because he freed us from a sinful death. Offer yourself to him so that he can use you to serve and bless others.
Our body is an instrument that can either serve sin (Satan) or serve God. Who have you been serving? Ask God to help you avoid wasting your life on sinful desires.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Want to Sin.
Romans 6:11-12
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
So you must be wondering by now, after all the talk this week, why do we sin? Why do we struggle with it everyday and trying not to sin at the same time? You have to realize that we've been freed from the power of sin. It's not in charge of us. However, we're not free from the "want" to sin. Even though we know sin leads to death. Even though we know it's so wrong. Even though we know that Jesus died for that reason. We still want it because we like how some sin feels.
It's time to do something with our evil tendencies. The want to sin is the want for something evil, even the "littlest" of sins that don't seem to be much of anything. You're free, so don't feel obligated to be a volunteer sinner. Don't let sin be stronger than you because it's not!
"With God in your life, Satan is toothless. He is a monster that is trying to bite you. If you ask God to remind you that you never have to give in to temptation, then it won't be much of a bite."
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
So you must be wondering by now, after all the talk this week, why do we sin? Why do we struggle with it everyday and trying not to sin at the same time? You have to realize that we've been freed from the power of sin. It's not in charge of us. However, we're not free from the "want" to sin. Even though we know sin leads to death. Even though we know it's so wrong. Even though we know that Jesus died for that reason. We still want it because we like how some sin feels.
It's time to do something with our evil tendencies. The want to sin is the want for something evil, even the "littlest" of sins that don't seem to be much of anything. You're free, so don't feel obligated to be a volunteer sinner. Don't let sin be stronger than you because it's not!
"With God in your life, Satan is toothless. He is a monster that is trying to bite you. If you ask God to remind you that you never have to give in to temptation, then it won't be much of a bite."
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Death on the Cross - One Time.
Romans 6:8-9
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.
As soon as I read this part of Romans I was reminded of what I heard someone say the other day in passing: "Every time you (knowingly) sin, you put Jesus on the cross all over again." I thought about it and wish I could have had a conversation with this person. It's a wonderful way to make someone feel guilty, that's for sure. It's as of our sin makes Jesus suffer even more on the cross...
Well, here's what I have to say about the statement: I absolutely disagree. It may be a good guilt trip, but it's also deceiving - a lie. Jesus Christ DIED. That happened once, in the past. Yes, he did experience excruciating pain during this time. However, instead of guilt washing over us, we should be overwhelmed by appreciation considering the amount of pain he faced for our selfishness and sinful decisions.
The fact of the matter is that the cross is empty just like the tomb. The suffering is long gone. Jesus doesn't feel the intense pain even though I still think he winces at some of our decisions; still, it's nothing like before. Paul tells us here that "He cannot die again." Jesus was victorious over death. Period. He's alive in spirit and is able to carry on with God's work. As Christians, our sin is also dead, and we are given the freedom to continually serve God.
I know it may be hard to believe that he died for us so long ago, but thank God. Thank God for Jesus' death on the cross and that his pain is over so that our sinful lives can be painless.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.
As soon as I read this part of Romans I was reminded of what I heard someone say the other day in passing: "Every time you (knowingly) sin, you put Jesus on the cross all over again." I thought about it and wish I could have had a conversation with this person. It's a wonderful way to make someone feel guilty, that's for sure. It's as of our sin makes Jesus suffer even more on the cross...
Well, here's what I have to say about the statement: I absolutely disagree. It may be a good guilt trip, but it's also deceiving - a lie. Jesus Christ DIED. That happened once, in the past. Yes, he did experience excruciating pain during this time. However, instead of guilt washing over us, we should be overwhelmed by appreciation considering the amount of pain he faced for our selfishness and sinful decisions.
The fact of the matter is that the cross is empty just like the tomb. The suffering is long gone. Jesus doesn't feel the intense pain even though I still think he winces at some of our decisions; still, it's nothing like before. Paul tells us here that "He cannot die again." Jesus was victorious over death. Period. He's alive in spirit and is able to carry on with God's work. As Christians, our sin is also dead, and we are given the freedom to continually serve God.
I know it may be hard to believe that he died for us so long ago, but thank God. Thank God for Jesus' death on the cross and that his pain is over so that our sinful lives can be painless.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
The Power of Sin.
Romans 6:6-7
6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.
Happy December! Man, that means the Holidays are getting that much closer!
I don't know about you, but this passage from Romans definitely has some meaning. It has some important concepts that you don't want to miss, so don't jump on the bandwagon and ignore them!
What is this "old self" that was "crucified with Christ" as Paul describes? Well, it's not your sinful nature or desire to sin, because quite frankly, that will always exist. Your former self is the B.C. version of you...before Christ. You may consider that to be several years ago or just a few months ago. At any rate, this was when sin controlled your life. Sin was your master and you were its slave. You had to listen to sin. Therefore, you had little or no power to conquer sin.
In order to avoid sin's slavery, your old self had to die with Jesus Christ when you accepted him as your Lord and Savior; the one who delivers you from and forgives your sins. With death, sin becomes the powerless one. It doesn't have you to unleash its power any longer. Can you say freedom?!?! The only thing is, we still sin. I'll talk about that later in the week.
Did you ever consider yourself to be enslaved to sin? Thank you God for ridding my old self and allowing me to be free from sin.
6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.
Happy December! Man, that means the Holidays are getting that much closer!
I don't know about you, but this passage from Romans definitely has some meaning. It has some important concepts that you don't want to miss, so don't jump on the bandwagon and ignore them!
What is this "old self" that was "crucified with Christ" as Paul describes? Well, it's not your sinful nature or desire to sin, because quite frankly, that will always exist. Your former self is the B.C. version of you...before Christ. You may consider that to be several years ago or just a few months ago. At any rate, this was when sin controlled your life. Sin was your master and you were its slave. You had to listen to sin. Therefore, you had little or no power to conquer sin.
In order to avoid sin's slavery, your old self had to die with Jesus Christ when you accepted him as your Lord and Savior; the one who delivers you from and forgives your sins. With death, sin becomes the powerless one. It doesn't have you to unleash its power any longer. Can you say freedom?!?! The only thing is, we still sin. I'll talk about that later in the week.
Did you ever consider yourself to be enslaved to sin? Thank you God for ridding my old self and allowing me to be free from sin.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
United with Christ.
Romans 6:5
5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was.
Jesus is the remedy for a brand new life. We touched on that yesterday, like when I said that we should put all of our trust in Jesus' death for salvation and accepting that our entire life is in his hands. God's grace covers us. We're spiritually taped to his grace.
This glue that bonds us with Christ carries us and sustains us from now until the time we die, including the death and the burial to the resurrection. What does that mean? Well, because we're Christians, our spirit doesn't die with our bodies. You are alive similarly to when Jesus was alive when he escaped from his tomb.
I realize that this sounds a bit morbid, but when we die, our body will be resurrected and transformed into a brand new, eternally perfect and ideal body like that of Jesus. That's because of Jesus. Because of your faith in Jesus. You are united with him until the end. As a result, you are free from the weight of sin and death.
Today, reflect on the resurrection and what value it has on your life.
5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was.
Jesus is the remedy for a brand new life. We touched on that yesterday, like when I said that we should put all of our trust in Jesus' death for salvation and accepting that our entire life is in his hands. God's grace covers us. We're spiritually taped to his grace.
This glue that bonds us with Christ carries us and sustains us from now until the time we die, including the death and the burial to the resurrection. What does that mean? Well, because we're Christians, our spirit doesn't die with our bodies. You are alive similarly to when Jesus was alive when he escaped from his tomb.
I realize that this sounds a bit morbid, but when we die, our body will be resurrected and transformed into a brand new, eternally perfect and ideal body like that of Jesus. That's because of Jesus. Because of your faith in Jesus. You are united with him until the end. As a result, you are free from the weight of sin and death.
Today, reflect on the resurrection and what value it has on your life.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Grace Toward Sin.
Romans 6:1-2
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
I read these first two verses of the sixth chapter of Romans a couple times to let the strength of the message sink into my mind. When Paul says, "Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase..." it strikes me as a remarkable statement. I immediately thought of God's grace being comparable to something you blow up or stretch. We've all blown up balloons to our fullest capability. Think about blowing it up infinitely. That's the equivalent of God's grace over our sin; it surrounds the uncomfortable bubble that sin causes us to live with. The more we sin, the greater God's grace is to cover our sin because of faith in Jesus' victory on the cross.
Day in and day out we sin. The good news is that no one can ever sin so much that God's grace isn't big enough to surround their bubble, so to speak. The more we sin, the greater his forgiveness and grace appears to be. Should we collect sins as if they're gold? "By no means!" We shouldn't do this because God's grace goes beyond eliminating sin. I'll talk more about this in the days to come.
What do you think? Is it strange that God's grace doesn't have limits? Or do we just take it for granted?
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
I read these first two verses of the sixth chapter of Romans a couple times to let the strength of the message sink into my mind. When Paul says, "Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase..." it strikes me as a remarkable statement. I immediately thought of God's grace being comparable to something you blow up or stretch. We've all blown up balloons to our fullest capability. Think about blowing it up infinitely. That's the equivalent of God's grace over our sin; it surrounds the uncomfortable bubble that sin causes us to live with. The more we sin, the greater God's grace is to cover our sin because of faith in Jesus' victory on the cross.
Day in and day out we sin. The good news is that no one can ever sin so much that God's grace isn't big enough to surround their bubble, so to speak. The more we sin, the greater his forgiveness and grace appears to be. Should we collect sins as if they're gold? "By no means!" We shouldn't do this because God's grace goes beyond eliminating sin. I'll talk more about this in the days to come.
What do you think? Is it strange that God's grace doesn't have limits? Or do we just take it for granted?
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Worthy of Gratitude.
Colossians 3:16
16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
Do you ever find yourself singing? Usually we sing when we're happy. Sometimes we sing a song to cheer us up when we're sad. Don't forget to sing out of gratitude though. All this week, we've talked about why you should appreciate God. There are so many reasons. The primary reason is that he sent his only son, Jesus, to die for us, which is a true, living sacrifice. Not only is God worthy of our praise, but he deserves our appreciation too.
Notice how the songs we sing are centered around Jesus, the good news that he has to offer, and the abundance of life he provides to us. With that said, we are to keep Christ and God's word close to our hearts as we make it a habit to share it with others.
Don't just tell non-believers what God puts on your heart. Talk to fellow Christians as well. Share your thoughts with one another so that together you can have infinite wisdom through Jesus Christ!
Remember, to thank the Lord for everything he gives you each day for free including: love, mercy, and forgiveness. We have life today and eternal life tomorrow.
16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
Do you ever find yourself singing? Usually we sing when we're happy. Sometimes we sing a song to cheer us up when we're sad. Don't forget to sing out of gratitude though. All this week, we've talked about why you should appreciate God. There are so many reasons. The primary reason is that he sent his only son, Jesus, to die for us, which is a true, living sacrifice. Not only is God worthy of our praise, but he deserves our appreciation too.
Notice how the songs we sing are centered around Jesus, the good news that he has to offer, and the abundance of life he provides to us. With that said, we are to keep Christ and God's word close to our hearts as we make it a habit to share it with others.
Don't just tell non-believers what God puts on your heart. Talk to fellow Christians as well. Share your thoughts with one another so that together you can have infinite wisdom through Jesus Christ!
Remember, to thank the Lord for everything he gives you each day for free including: love, mercy, and forgiveness. We have life today and eternal life tomorrow.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Thanks for the Victory.
Hebrews 12:28
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,
The greatest victory that we receive is God and his Kingdom. No matter what, no gift can surpass God's grace. Remember that as you stand in lines today.
We can experience the never ending joy by joining in with the angels and saints and live with God forever. It's not necessary to wait for the return of the King Jesus Christ. God's kingdom begins with you and your role in the Kingdom and church. Together, it is possible for believers to coexist and obey God's word. Thus, it is only appropriate that our worship to God is filled with reverence and awe. There's no other way.
Lord, we know that all things are yours. We appreciate your blessings, promises, grace, and triumphant victory: Jesus Christ. Continue to remind us of reasons to be thankful for Christ so that we may shed light toward the unbelievers.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,
The greatest victory that we receive is God and his Kingdom. No matter what, no gift can surpass God's grace. Remember that as you stand in lines today.
We can experience the never ending joy by joining in with the angels and saints and live with God forever. It's not necessary to wait for the return of the King Jesus Christ. God's kingdom begins with you and your role in the Kingdom and church. Together, it is possible for believers to coexist and obey God's word. Thus, it is only appropriate that our worship to God is filled with reverence and awe. There's no other way.
Lord, we know that all things are yours. We appreciate your blessings, promises, grace, and triumphant victory: Jesus Christ. Continue to remind us of reasons to be thankful for Christ so that we may shed light toward the unbelievers.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving.
Colossians 3:17
17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
The key phrase is "whatever you do...do it all in the name of the Lord." That means everything! Everything we do, no matter what we say, who we are, or what we do, it needs to be offered as a gift of thanksgiving to God. Simultaneously, we should acknowledge Jesus Christ's power too.
In other words, our entire life is devoted to God! That's a good thing, too, because he deserves our greatest offerings. It's all an act of worship and thanksgiving to God. We don't just go to Sunday church service to worship. As living, talking human beings, it is all about worship, give thanks, and glorifying our Lord and Savior.
Prayer of Thanksgiving: May all of our life be devoted to you, God. It's the least we can do given your freedom in Jesus. It's not always easy in this world to give my life to you, but I ask that through my words and deeds, your will be done. Please, Holy Spirit, guide me. Thank You, Lord. Amen.
Happy Thanksgiving and be safe!
17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
The key phrase is "whatever you do...do it all in the name of the Lord." That means everything! Everything we do, no matter what we say, who we are, or what we do, it needs to be offered as a gift of thanksgiving to God. Simultaneously, we should acknowledge Jesus Christ's power too.
In other words, our entire life is devoted to God! That's a good thing, too, because he deserves our greatest offerings. It's all an act of worship and thanksgiving to God. We don't just go to Sunday church service to worship. As living, talking human beings, it is all about worship, give thanks, and glorifying our Lord and Savior.
Prayer of Thanksgiving: May all of our life be devoted to you, God. It's the least we can do given your freedom in Jesus. It's not always easy in this world to give my life to you, but I ask that through my words and deeds, your will be done. Please, Holy Spirit, guide me. Thank You, Lord. Amen.
Happy Thanksgiving and be safe!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Completeness in Christ.
Colossians 2:6-7
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
There's certain things in life that just don't change. The problem is a lot of what we surround ourselves with, does change, which alters an otherwise logical perspective of this matter. Think about it: fashion is constantly evolving and technology is revolutionary. Even our day to day life brings about unexpected events, of which may be facebook status worthy. Software companies always release updated versions every 3-5 years. The next best phone and computer is something new just about every month. Now, we're a day away from Thanksgiving, and two days away from Black Friday. Surely, there's something appealing in those ads whether it's for you or for someone else! We're always ready for the new and improved version of everything.
Do you know what doesn't change though? Jesus Christ and the fact that he's the one, true way. No Facebook update is needed. However, it's always good to remind others about his everlasting nature, perhaps through Facebook. Jesus doesn't get any better than the way we know him today. Even though, he doesn't change, we can't become complacent and stagnant in our faith.
It is our job to dig ourselves further into the Word of God and grasp the basic truth of Jesus Christ. If this is a reality then our future is in Christ's hands. Be thankful that this truth exists!
Thank you so much Lord for the simple, yet vast truth of Jesus Christ. May we feed off it day and in day out!
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
There's certain things in life that just don't change. The problem is a lot of what we surround ourselves with, does change, which alters an otherwise logical perspective of this matter. Think about it: fashion is constantly evolving and technology is revolutionary. Even our day to day life brings about unexpected events, of which may be facebook status worthy. Software companies always release updated versions every 3-5 years. The next best phone and computer is something new just about every month. Now, we're a day away from Thanksgiving, and two days away from Black Friday. Surely, there's something appealing in those ads whether it's for you or for someone else! We're always ready for the new and improved version of everything.
Do you know what doesn't change though? Jesus Christ and the fact that he's the one, true way. No Facebook update is needed. However, it's always good to remind others about his everlasting nature, perhaps through Facebook. Jesus doesn't get any better than the way we know him today. Even though, he doesn't change, we can't become complacent and stagnant in our faith.
It is our job to dig ourselves further into the Word of God and grasp the basic truth of Jesus Christ. If this is a reality then our future is in Christ's hands. Be thankful that this truth exists!
Thank you so much Lord for the simple, yet vast truth of Jesus Christ. May we feed off it day and in day out!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Value Those Who Fear God.
Proverbs 31:30
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
In our world, fear is usually given a negative connotation. It's usually thought of as a distressing emotion that is initiated by impending doom or danger. In the Bible, we are repeatedly commanded to "fear God." In this proverb, it says, "...but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Does that make sense according to our definition? No, we aren't to be scared of God, per say. Instead we are to be consumed in reverential awe toward God. If you look up the word "fear" in the dictionary, this context likely won't be in the top three definitions given.
With that said, a really well-natured and faithful woman is one who honors the Lord with all her might and strength. We all (men and women) tend to go for the good looks, but we know our appearance, and even our personality can change. However, a woman whose heart is smothered in the presence of God will bring blessing upon blessing to others.
Once again, may we all take the time to value faithful and Godly women in a kind manner and in a way that honors and glorifies you.
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
In our world, fear is usually given a negative connotation. It's usually thought of as a distressing emotion that is initiated by impending doom or danger. In the Bible, we are repeatedly commanded to "fear God." In this proverb, it says, "...but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Does that make sense according to our definition? No, we aren't to be scared of God, per say. Instead we are to be consumed in reverential awe toward God. If you look up the word "fear" in the dictionary, this context likely won't be in the top three definitions given.
With that said, a really well-natured and faithful woman is one who honors the Lord with all her might and strength. We all (men and women) tend to go for the good looks, but we know our appearance, and even our personality can change. However, a woman whose heart is smothered in the presence of God will bring blessing upon blessing to others.
Once again, may we all take the time to value faithful and Godly women in a kind manner and in a way that honors and glorifies you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
