"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
I hate how Satan always ruins my humility....ok yes, i know. All you theologians, I know I let him....because Satan can't make me do anything....yada yada. But I did everything I was supposed to, I said everything I was supposed to....Why am I still in anguish? Why am I being crucified? Christ has already done that for me....I've already been raised with Christ!
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Friday, June 24, 2005
Topical Study
Many either take the sovereignty of God for granted or fail to understand it more thoroughly beyond the facts that God exists and is working to some degree in our lives. But we need to see how intimately and actively He is involved. He is more than casually involved in the operations of His creation, and this includes each of us personally and individually.
Humans can literally lose themselves in their work by devoting to it all their time and energy to the exclusion of everything else. We call these people "focused" or "single-minded," and this often leads to relationship problems. There is no telling how many marriages or friendships have been ruined by this intensity of purpose. God is deeply involved in operating His creation. Unlike a man, however, God will never "lose" Himself in what He is doing at any given moment because the capacity of His powers and the perfection of His nature prohibit such a thing. Is our concept of God "big" enough to include such a thought? Our understanding of God must be growing, otherwise our faith will be severely limited.
God expresses Himself with great diversity in both the animate and inanimate elements of creation. Nonetheless, the laws of nature operate and keep everything under control. Because we are so attuned to law, we are naturally and subtly persuaded to think that God made things and then stepped aside to let laws regulate them. Does God really need to manage or govern His creation actively?
Psalm 22:28 supplies the answer: "For the kingdom is the LORD'S, and He rules over the nations." Notice, "rules" is an active verb, and "nations" is plural! He manages, keeps under control, or directs everything according to His own purpose. God did not create then step away from what He made; He does not allow His creation to operate on its own. We are not subject to uniform, impersonal law but a sovereign God actively controlling the operations of His creation!
Humans can literally lose themselves in their work by devoting to it all their time and energy to the exclusion of everything else. We call these people "focused" or "single-minded," and this often leads to relationship problems. There is no telling how many marriages or friendships have been ruined by this intensity of purpose. God is deeply involved in operating His creation. Unlike a man, however, God will never "lose" Himself in what He is doing at any given moment because the capacity of His powers and the perfection of His nature prohibit such a thing. Is our concept of God "big" enough to include such a thought? Our understanding of God must be growing, otherwise our faith will be severely limited.
God expresses Himself with great diversity in both the animate and inanimate elements of creation. Nonetheless, the laws of nature operate and keep everything under control. Because we are so attuned to law, we are naturally and subtly persuaded to think that God made things and then stepped aside to let laws regulate them. Does God really need to manage or govern His creation actively?
Psalm 22:28 supplies the answer: "For the kingdom is the LORD'S, and He rules over the nations." Notice, "rules" is an active verb, and "nations" is plural! He manages, keeps under control, or directs everything according to His own purpose. God did not create then step away from what He made; He does not allow His creation to operate on its own. We are not subject to uniform, impersonal law but a sovereign God actively controlling the operations of His creation!
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
feeling defeated
All too often I lose sight of the meaning of the Cross. I keep putting that "veil" over my eyes and fall back into that dilluted vision that my life is my own...I feel so much like Apostle Paul --"I do the things I do not want to do, and don't do the things I do want to." And then I realize I've fallen into a spiritual coma and deceive myself by thinking I'm slave to my sin and that "nobody's perfect"....CH!
Romans 6
Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ
1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?....17But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
I'm here for Him-Holy God. I get so caught up in living the life He gave me, I forget why He gave it to me....to glorify Him. All of these pleasures we find here on earth can't amount to the pleasure I can find glorifying Him...so why do I choose them over Him? God, help me to never lose sight of the "bigger picture".
Lord, I have said the eternal Yes.
Let me never, having put my hand to the plough, look back.
Make straight the way of the cross before me.
Give me love, that there may be no room for a wayward thought or step.
Romans 6
Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ
1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?....17But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
I'm here for Him-Holy God. I get so caught up in living the life He gave me, I forget why He gave it to me....to glorify Him. All of these pleasures we find here on earth can't amount to the pleasure I can find glorifying Him...so why do I choose them over Him? God, help me to never lose sight of the "bigger picture".
Lord, I have said the eternal Yes.
Let me never, having put my hand to the plough, look back.
Make straight the way of the cross before me.
Give me love, that there may be no room for a wayward thought or step.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
nonsensical ventilation
My friendship was apparently easily disposed of. Why couldn't I have just given everything to Him, instead of fulfilling my own wants and leaning on myself? So now my disobediance has come back to bite me in the ars........
And can you forgive just like that? I know God does...but we are sinful beings....so is it possible to forgive in the blink of an eye? Is it wrong to think of it as a process?????? As long as you plan to eventually accomplish forgiveness??? although, we're not promised tomorrow....we're not promised today....so you should do it as soon as possible, eh? And how do you know if you've forgiven someone....? we obviously can't forget it. and we are told "above all else guard your hearts" so we also can prepare to not let it happen again....and it can still hurt after you've forgiven someone right? or does the hurt go away too?
I'm so hurt...God- i need You...
And can you forgive just like that? I know God does...but we are sinful beings....so is it possible to forgive in the blink of an eye? Is it wrong to think of it as a process?????? As long as you plan to eventually accomplish forgiveness??? although, we're not promised tomorrow....we're not promised today....so you should do it as soon as possible, eh? And how do you know if you've forgiven someone....? we obviously can't forget it. and we are told "above all else guard your hearts" so we also can prepare to not let it happen again....and it can still hurt after you've forgiven someone right? or does the hurt go away too?
I'm so hurt...God- i need You...
Friday, May 20, 2005
Trust...and keep a quiet heart
Lord, give to me a quiet heart
That does not ask to understand,
But confidently steps forward in
The darkness guided by Thy hand. -Elisabeth Elliot
Thou art the Lord who slept upon the pillow,
Thou art the Lord who soothed the furious sea,
What matter beating wind and tossing billow
If only we are in the boat with Thee?
Hold us in quiet through the age-long minute
While Thou art silent, and the wind is shrill:
Can the boat sink while Thou, dear Lord, art in it?
Can the heart faint that waiteth on Thy will?
Amy Carmichael
Toward Jerusalem
That does not ask to understand,
But confidently steps forward in
The darkness guided by Thy hand. -Elisabeth Elliot
Thou art the Lord who slept upon the pillow,
Thou art the Lord who soothed the furious sea,
What matter beating wind and tossing billow
If only we are in the boat with Thee?
Hold us in quiet through the age-long minute
While Thou art silent, and the wind is shrill:
Can the boat sink while Thou, dear Lord, art in it?
Can the heart faint that waiteth on Thy will?
Amy Carmichael
Toward Jerusalem
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Haggai 2:11-14
(11) Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying,(12) If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No. (13) Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean. (14) Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the LORD; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.
To both questions the priests give a correct answer. Using the laws of clean and unclean, God points out a principle that applies to Christians today. Very simply, God says that it is impossible for God's holiness, in us because of our relationship with Him and the indwelling of His Spirit, to pass from us to the world. In other words, if a holy thing touches a profane thing, the profane item does not become holy.
On the other hand, the attitude of the world, if it comes in contact with His people, can pass from the world into us. Using the above wording, if a profane thing touches a holy thing, the holy item is contaminated. The spiritual principle for today's Christian is obvious: The world will contaminate your holiness, if you are not on guard against it.
To both questions the priests give a correct answer. Using the laws of clean and unclean, God points out a principle that applies to Christians today. Very simply, God says that it is impossible for God's holiness, in us because of our relationship with Him and the indwelling of His Spirit, to pass from us to the world. In other words, if a holy thing touches a profane thing, the profane item does not become holy.
On the other hand, the attitude of the world, if it comes in contact with His people, can pass from the world into us. Using the above wording, if a profane thing touches a holy thing, the holy item is contaminated. The spiritual principle for today's Christian is obvious: The world will contaminate your holiness, if you are not on guard against it.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
What right would you give up?
I was in Government yesterday when my teacher asked the class:
What right would you give up?
Religion: 3 would give their right to religion up.
Speech: 4 would give up their freedom of speech.
Press: 3 would give up their freedom of the press.
Assembly: 1 would give up his right to assemble.
Petition: 13 would give up their right to petition.
What right would you give up?
Religion: 3 would give their right to religion up.
Speech: 4 would give up their freedom of speech.
Press: 3 would give up their freedom of the press.
Assembly: 1 would give up his right to assemble.
Petition: 13 would give up their right to petition.
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