What will my life be like ten years from now? I realize that we can only live day to day and in fact we are instructed not to worry ourselves about the things of tomorrow, but here is the same question in other words… How are the choices I’m making today shaping my temperament, personality, and morality? Am I living in such a way that ten years from now (if myself or world last that long) I will be more like Christ?
“Do not be deceived bad company corrupts good morals 1 Cor.15:33” Am I daily choosing a life that is surrounded by good or bad influences? Because whether you want to believe it or not… it does matter!
Monday, January 30, 2006
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
In Christ Alone
I think that the older I get the more aware of my sinful nature I become, and yet (when I remember to focus on His love and not my guilt) it is that awareness that draws me closer to Him and allows me to praise Him all the more. Yet, even that is only because of God’s presence in me and His promises to me.
I was listening to this song the other day as it is one of my favorites, probably because of it’s gospel message and the wonderful hope and truth that can be found in it. I love this song because it helps me to not focus on myself and all of my short comings but to fix my eyes on Jesus, on him alone. He is our Comforter our All in All... well I’ll let you read it for yourself.
In Christ Alone
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand
In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live
There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand
Amen to that!
I was listening to this song the other day as it is one of my favorites, probably because of it’s gospel message and the wonderful hope and truth that can be found in it. I love this song because it helps me to not focus on myself and all of my short comings but to fix my eyes on Jesus, on him alone. He is our Comforter our All in All... well I’ll let you read it for yourself.
In Christ Alone
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand
In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live
There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand
Amen to that!
Monday, January 16, 2006
High Places
Now Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David, except he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
But the high places were not taken away; nevertheless the heart of Asa was wholly devoted to the LORD all his days.
Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. He walked in all the way of Asa his father; he did not turn aside from it, doing right in the sight of the LORD However, the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places.
Jehoash did right in the sight of the LORD all his days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him. Only the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah became king. He did right in the sight of the LORD, yet not like David his father; he did according to all that Joash his father had done. Only the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah became king. He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. Only the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
(Excerpts from 1 & 2 Kings)
Do you notice a trend in these passages?
Why were these high places not removed from the land of the kings who served the Lord God?
Is there a right and a wrong way to worship the Lord nowadays?
How can this be applicable to us today, are we leaving “high places” untouched in our Christian lives?
Are we doing right in the sight of the Lord according to those around us and their standards(like those kings) or according to His life in us?
We have an advantage that these Kings never did. We are Christ Jesus’ inheritance because of what He did and we have an inheritance found in Him (His Spirit to guide us and overcome the world around us.) You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 So let us shed these “high places” (anything that hinders us from fully surrendering our lives to Christ Jesus) for we are not our own but we have been bought with a price more precious than gold or anything else for that matter. We are His inheritance. Yep, even when we were at our most sinful and wretched He wanted us soooo much that He died for us!
But the high places were not taken away; nevertheless the heart of Asa was wholly devoted to the LORD all his days.
Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. He walked in all the way of Asa his father; he did not turn aside from it, doing right in the sight of the LORD However, the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places.
Jehoash did right in the sight of the LORD all his days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him. Only the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah became king. He did right in the sight of the LORD, yet not like David his father; he did according to all that Joash his father had done. Only the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah became king. He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. Only the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
(Excerpts from 1 & 2 Kings)
Do you notice a trend in these passages?
Why were these high places not removed from the land of the kings who served the Lord God?
Is there a right and a wrong way to worship the Lord nowadays?
How can this be applicable to us today, are we leaving “high places” untouched in our Christian lives?
Are we doing right in the sight of the Lord according to those around us and their standards(like those kings) or according to His life in us?
We have an advantage that these Kings never did. We are Christ Jesus’ inheritance because of what He did and we have an inheritance found in Him (His Spirit to guide us and overcome the world around us.) You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 So let us shed these “high places” (anything that hinders us from fully surrendering our lives to Christ Jesus) for we are not our own but we have been bought with a price more precious than gold or anything else for that matter. We are His inheritance. Yep, even when we were at our most sinful and wretched He wanted us soooo much that He died for us!
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Scribes and Pharisees
Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. Matt. 22:29”
John, I find this to be an interesting verse because of who Jesus was speaking to. He was responding to the scribes and pharisees. These are men who would have been meticulously studying the scriptures since their youth. They would have been known by their peers to be men of renown, great intellects and masters in the law. They are the ancient equivalent of having a doctor of divinity and being professors, M.D.s, lawyers and judges, and yet they were in error because despite their study they did not really know the Scriptures or the power of God. They were in fact trying to use their knowledge to confound Jesus (the creator of the universe) and publically discredit Him. This error is something to be careful of today as pride often blinds a person to it. Even the most brilliant and best can have it all wrong if their eyes aren’t focused on Jesus Christ. You may see this problem in some churches today. Some have no trouble understanding and being witness to the power of God, but they do not know the Scriptures and so they can easily be deceived concerning God’s word and led astray. Others know the Scriptures backwards and forwards, yet they deny His power to be evident today and so all of their learning is powerless (blind and useless). You must remember that the gospel is both the wisdom and the power of God for those who believe. However, to the “wise” who are perishing it is seen as foolishness and weakness.
Verses to ponder on pride and humility:
In his pride the wicked does not seek Him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God. Psalms 10:4
But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. 2 Chron. 26:16
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Proverbs 11:2
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Luke 14:11
John, I find this to be an interesting verse because of who Jesus was speaking to. He was responding to the scribes and pharisees. These are men who would have been meticulously studying the scriptures since their youth. They would have been known by their peers to be men of renown, great intellects and masters in the law. They are the ancient equivalent of having a doctor of divinity and being professors, M.D.s, lawyers and judges, and yet they were in error because despite their study they did not really know the Scriptures or the power of God. They were in fact trying to use their knowledge to confound Jesus (the creator of the universe) and publically discredit Him. This error is something to be careful of today as pride often blinds a person to it. Even the most brilliant and best can have it all wrong if their eyes aren’t focused on Jesus Christ. You may see this problem in some churches today. Some have no trouble understanding and being witness to the power of God, but they do not know the Scriptures and so they can easily be deceived concerning God’s word and led astray. Others know the Scriptures backwards and forwards, yet they deny His power to be evident today and so all of their learning is powerless (blind and useless). You must remember that the gospel is both the wisdom and the power of God for those who believe. However, to the “wise” who are perishing it is seen as foolishness and weakness.
Verses to ponder on pride and humility:
In his pride the wicked does not seek Him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God. Psalms 10:4
But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. 2 Chron. 26:16
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Proverbs 11:2
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Luke 14:11
Monday, January 09, 2006
Hmmm....
John here are some points to ponder:
1. The spiritual can influence the physical, but the physical can’t directly affect the spiritual(Physical= mass, energy etc. Spiritual=???)
2. If physical can physically affect spiritual, then man could alter or affect the unshakable, constant, steadfast, eternal.
3.Spiritual is made unshakable, constant, steadfast, eternal. Physical is made destructible, chaotic, temporal.
4. God created all eternal and spiritual things as well as the physical. He made everything that is visible and invisible and all eternal beings i.e. Angels, mans spirit, unclean spirits, demons, and everything else I don’t fully understand. He is therefore not just greater, but infinitely greater... surpassing all angels or demons(the devil included) in power and in every other way.
5. God is eternal yet even eternity in its’ fullness is subject to only Him. And so it can be said that only God is God. The All-powerful, All-knowing, All-present God of everything and anything.
6. If God knows the beginning and the end is eternity itself a created thing? Time is created but is eternity part of time or something else?
7.God is Spirit(is that a created aspect of God for our explanation or part of an uncreated eternal?)
8. God is so much greater than anything anyone could invent with the imagination of a created mind. He is greater than any man made god and greater than mans atheism.
9. I do not understand eternity or God and even these thoughts of God are subject to error because they come from theories and guesses I have made. How can man understand God. How foolish we can be to try to explain God as we are His creation not His creator. All we can know of Him is what He chooses to reveal to us and gives us understanding about.
10. There is not a part of me that wasn’t created by God right down to every part of every atom in my body was masterfully created by Him. Even the abilities of my brain, whether the ability to breathe, smell, taste, see, hear, even my personalty, my thought processes and everything that makes me...me. We were truly wonderfully and marvelously made. Can anyone or anything say the same about Him. No!
These points to ponder are just interesting to me. They let me unmask some of my unfounded preconceived ideas about God and the spiritual realm. And they let me realize just how amazing it is that He loves us. I can know that His promises are not subject to some physical or spiritual force but they come from Him who is able. It is not just a coincidence that His name means “I AM”. He is!
I ‘ll end with a children’s song that we are never too old to use in singing His praises.
“My God IS so big so strong and so mighty there is nothing my God can not do. The mountains are His... the rivers are His... the stars are His handy work too... My God IS so big so strong and so mighty there is nothing my God can not do. For you!”
1. The spiritual can influence the physical, but the physical can’t directly affect the spiritual(Physical= mass, energy etc. Spiritual=???)
2. If physical can physically affect spiritual, then man could alter or affect the unshakable, constant, steadfast, eternal.
3.Spiritual is made unshakable, constant, steadfast, eternal. Physical is made destructible, chaotic, temporal.
4. God created all eternal and spiritual things as well as the physical. He made everything that is visible and invisible and all eternal beings i.e. Angels, mans spirit, unclean spirits, demons, and everything else I don’t fully understand. He is therefore not just greater, but infinitely greater... surpassing all angels or demons(the devil included) in power and in every other way.
5. God is eternal yet even eternity in its’ fullness is subject to only Him. And so it can be said that only God is God. The All-powerful, All-knowing, All-present God of everything and anything.
6. If God knows the beginning and the end is eternity itself a created thing? Time is created but is eternity part of time or something else?
7.God is Spirit(is that a created aspect of God for our explanation or part of an uncreated eternal?)
8. God is so much greater than anything anyone could invent with the imagination of a created mind. He is greater than any man made god and greater than mans atheism.
9. I do not understand eternity or God and even these thoughts of God are subject to error because they come from theories and guesses I have made. How can man understand God. How foolish we can be to try to explain God as we are His creation not His creator. All we can know of Him is what He chooses to reveal to us and gives us understanding about.
10. There is not a part of me that wasn’t created by God right down to every part of every atom in my body was masterfully created by Him. Even the abilities of my brain, whether the ability to breathe, smell, taste, see, hear, even my personalty, my thought processes and everything that makes me...me. We were truly wonderfully and marvelously made. Can anyone or anything say the same about Him. No!
These points to ponder are just interesting to me. They let me unmask some of my unfounded preconceived ideas about God and the spiritual realm. And they let me realize just how amazing it is that He loves us. I can know that His promises are not subject to some physical or spiritual force but they come from Him who is able. It is not just a coincidence that His name means “I AM”. He is!
I ‘ll end with a children’s song that we are never too old to use in singing His praises.
“My God IS so big so strong and so mighty there is nothing my God can not do. The mountains are His... the rivers are His... the stars are His handy work too... My God IS so big so strong and so mighty there is nothing my God can not do. For you!”
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