Here is a friends take on "being good enough" and "the law".
What people tend to lose site of, is that God does not want us to follow a set of rules for the sake of following the law.
A Christian is meant to trust in Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to guide them and guide their desicions. If your focus is on Christ and you are open to his leading, you don't try to keep the rules and laws to be "good" or "christian". People who are trying to be good to make Jesus happy are completely missing the point.
We all have purposes on this Earth and it takes the guidance of Christ to follow the path that was set in place for each of us. That does not include being a good person for the sake of being a good person, that naturally follows the sincere following of Christ.
All of the laws in the Bible were put there for a specific reason. It was so that sin would Increase rather than decrease, and therefore God's grace would also increase. The law was put there so that people would realize that it is not humanly possible to never sin. It is only by the grace of God that we are saved. You can try so hard to be good all the time, but it is just not possible.
The law was put there to show us just how much we need Jesus. When Jesus died, people were no longer under obligation to follow the law as a means to get to God. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice to wipe out our sins completely. In the New Testament it goes so far as to say that following the law for the laws sake is like having a yoke around your neck. It weighs you down and is not important to God.
What is important is having the open relationship with Him and trusting Him completely. We are not to judge people and no one is perfect. We just have to realize that our focus should not be on following the rules to be good. Our focus should be on Jesus Christ and allowing him to lead us in the way we should go. Being good is not good enough to save one single person. Only Jesus can do that.
Monday, April 03, 2006
The Story of Ruth
God doesn't consult your past to determine your future!!!
Moab was considered a "cursed" of Lot, and his two daughters They hid out in the mountains after Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed they were the only people left alive; the daughters got their father drunk on two successive nights and each had sex with him, they became pregnant by him. One of the children born out of this incest was named Moab. His descendants were the Moabites.
Ruth,was a Moabite. Moabites worshipped a god named Chemosh. Part of this very lewd form of worship involved the sacrifice of young children. The mentality of all the Moabite people was distorted by idolatry. A society that sacrifices young children is a society that had very little value for life and family. The atmosphere of her childhood and teenage years that Ruth was exposed to was highly perverse culture and the worst forms of human behaviour.
Ruth, who had lived under the shadow of death all her life, had encountered even more death. She who has known bitterness and dissappointment now found herself living with her Mother In Law who was bitter and dissappointed.
All of these things (idol worship, child sacrifices, death of her family, her husband, her father in law). Experiences such as the ones she had, and the atmosphere of the environment in which she lived, must have had an impact on her psyche. Although, in light of her past and the events of her present, there was something great about Ruth - she rose above her past. She had an ability* to look at her past and present and say "I want no more of this. I want something better. I want something more."
*And you do too! Greater is He who is in You than he that is in the world!!
After the death of the men in this family, Naomi (her mother in law) heard that the famine was over (was no more) in Bethlehem, and she decided to return home. She began her journey with both her Daughters in law by her side, but along the way, she stopped and told them to turn around and go back to Moab - to return to their people and their gods. One daughter in law agreed. But Ruth loved Naomi and "clung to her" (Ruth 1:14) Naomi told them "I am going to a place that is unfamiliar to you, go back to your traditions and customs."
Here is the good part!! Here is where you are in your life. 1) Go back to how you always do things. Go back to your customs and traditions and past. OR.... 2) Go to a place you have never been to create something you've never had....
Ruth said "INTREAT ME not to leave you...." Ruth recognized that she had already experienced her past, and she didn't like it. There was nothing left that had any value to her. She made a choice. Her tomorrow didn't have to look like her yesterday. Too many people today are predicting their endings based on their beginnings. In life the MOST important thing is not where you start, but where you finish! God can interrupt your life and change your life.
God does not use your past to determine your future....SO WHY SHOULD YOU?? It is a tragedy to plan your future by comparing it to your past! Ruth made a decision to leave her past, and it was the most important decision of her life. It's one of the most important decision you can make too.
Leave and Cleave**. Its a biblical principle that applies to every part of your life. You must leave your past and cleave to what God has for you today.
Leave your yesterday and cleave to today.
Leave your failures and cleave to Gods Promises.
Leave your old sin and cleave to the forgiveness God gives you.
You can't look backwards and forwards at the same time. God had a plan and a purpose for Ruth....Ruth married Boaz and Ruth gave birth to Obed, Obed was the father of Jesse, Jesse is the father of David, David is the direct bloodline of Jesus! Which means Ruth is the direct bloodline of Jesus. Ruth - the heathen born woman from a place that murdered babies - became the ancestor of Jesus, who died to give "born again" life to the heathen! Ruth - who was marred, scarred, stained, tainted, distorted and warped by her environment - lived out her life in greatness!!
God will do in your life too what he did with Ruth! You must allow God to do His work, His changing in you. You must be willing to disconnect from your past adn move toward the presence of greatness in your future.
You are not a product of your past.
You are not a product of your environment.
You are not who other people say that you are.
You are NOT what people says about you.
You ARE who God says YOU ARE!
You ARE who God is calling you to be!!
God says you can succeed. God says you have a future that is a blessing and fulfilling and eternally rewarding. God loves you completely. God knows you completely, everything you have done, haven't done, will do, will say, think....and he loves you completely, wholey, created you and chooses to be in relationship with you anyway.
** CLEAVE: to cling, stick, stay close, cleave, keep close, stick to, stick with, follow closely, join to, overtake, catch
(Qal)
to cling, cleave to
to stay with
(Pual) to be joined together
(Hiphil)
to cause to cleave to
to pursue closely
to overtake
(Hophal) to be made to cleave
Moab was considered a "cursed" of Lot, and his two daughters They hid out in the mountains after Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed they were the only people left alive; the daughters got their father drunk on two successive nights and each had sex with him, they became pregnant by him. One of the children born out of this incest was named Moab. His descendants were the Moabites.
Ruth,was a Moabite. Moabites worshipped a god named Chemosh. Part of this very lewd form of worship involved the sacrifice of young children. The mentality of all the Moabite people was distorted by idolatry. A society that sacrifices young children is a society that had very little value for life and family. The atmosphere of her childhood and teenage years that Ruth was exposed to was highly perverse culture and the worst forms of human behaviour.
Ruth, who had lived under the shadow of death all her life, had encountered even more death. She who has known bitterness and dissappointment now found herself living with her Mother In Law who was bitter and dissappointed.
All of these things (idol worship, child sacrifices, death of her family, her husband, her father in law). Experiences such as the ones she had, and the atmosphere of the environment in which she lived, must have had an impact on her psyche. Although, in light of her past and the events of her present, there was something great about Ruth - she rose above her past. She had an ability* to look at her past and present and say "I want no more of this. I want something better. I want something more."
*And you do too! Greater is He who is in You than he that is in the world!!
After the death of the men in this family, Naomi (her mother in law) heard that the famine was over (was no more) in Bethlehem, and she decided to return home. She began her journey with both her Daughters in law by her side, but along the way, she stopped and told them to turn around and go back to Moab - to return to their people and their gods. One daughter in law agreed. But Ruth loved Naomi and "clung to her" (Ruth 1:14) Naomi told them "I am going to a place that is unfamiliar to you, go back to your traditions and customs."
Here is the good part!! Here is where you are in your life. 1) Go back to how you always do things. Go back to your customs and traditions and past. OR.... 2) Go to a place you have never been to create something you've never had....
Ruth said "INTREAT ME not to leave you...." Ruth recognized that she had already experienced her past, and she didn't like it. There was nothing left that had any value to her. She made a choice. Her tomorrow didn't have to look like her yesterday. Too many people today are predicting their endings based on their beginnings. In life the MOST important thing is not where you start, but where you finish! God can interrupt your life and change your life.
God does not use your past to determine your future....SO WHY SHOULD YOU?? It is a tragedy to plan your future by comparing it to your past! Ruth made a decision to leave her past, and it was the most important decision of her life. It's one of the most important decision you can make too.
Leave and Cleave**. Its a biblical principle that applies to every part of your life. You must leave your past and cleave to what God has for you today.
Leave your yesterday and cleave to today.
Leave your failures and cleave to Gods Promises.
Leave your old sin and cleave to the forgiveness God gives you.
You can't look backwards and forwards at the same time. God had a plan and a purpose for Ruth....Ruth married Boaz and Ruth gave birth to Obed, Obed was the father of Jesse, Jesse is the father of David, David is the direct bloodline of Jesus! Which means Ruth is the direct bloodline of Jesus. Ruth - the heathen born woman from a place that murdered babies - became the ancestor of Jesus, who died to give "born again" life to the heathen! Ruth - who was marred, scarred, stained, tainted, distorted and warped by her environment - lived out her life in greatness!!
God will do in your life too what he did with Ruth! You must allow God to do His work, His changing in you. You must be willing to disconnect from your past adn move toward the presence of greatness in your future.
You are not a product of your past.
You are not a product of your environment.
You are not who other people say that you are.
You are NOT what people says about you.
You ARE who God says YOU ARE!
You ARE who God is calling you to be!!
God says you can succeed. God says you have a future that is a blessing and fulfilling and eternally rewarding. God loves you completely. God knows you completely, everything you have done, haven't done, will do, will say, think....and he loves you completely, wholey, created you and chooses to be in relationship with you anyway.
** CLEAVE: to cling, stick, stay close, cleave, keep close, stick to, stick with, follow closely, join to, overtake, catch
(Qal)
to cling, cleave to
to stay with
(Pual) to be joined together
(Hiphil)
to cause to cleave to
to pursue closely
to overtake
(Hophal) to be made to cleave
April 3rd....I'm not a good blogger
I do better with a written journal....
Yesterday was a high and a low...I feel alot like Paul....why do I do the things I shouldn't do!!!!!
On my way to a shower I'm crying and singing....
You are the Son of light
I can't be left behind
No one else will do
I will take hold of You
I need You, Jesus
Come to my rescue
Where else could I go?
There’s no other name by
which I am saved
Capture me with grace
I will follow You
My heart is Yours for life
I need Your hand in mine
No one else will do Lord,
I put my trust in You
I need You Jesus
Come to my rescue
Where else could I go?
There’s no other name by
which I am saved
Oh capture me with grace
I will follow You
This world has nothing for me
This world has nothing for me
This world has nothing for me (I will follow You)
This world has nothing for me
I need You Jesus
Come to my rescue
Where else could I go?
There’s no other name
by which I am saved
Capture me with grace
I will follow You
Oh I need You Jesus
To come to my rescue
Where else could I go?
There’s no other name
by which I am saved
Capture me with grace
Won't You Capture me with grace
I will follow You
I will follow You
This world has nothing for me
This world has nothing for me
Then I get there and fall back into the same issues!!!!!!!!!!!! UGH!! Not so much the way I was before, I tried to handle myself with grace and have the mindset of "I'm not gonna let you bother me today!" And I did OK...ho-hum...
Here I go living in condemnation and I need to MOVE ON! I just want to do better....BE better....I know I can't do it alone....I need Gods help....
So, in that light, this is a fitting song....
I NEED YOU JESUS!
COME TO MY RESCUE!
WHERE ELSE COULD I GO?
THERE'S NOT OTHER NAME
BY WHICH I AM SAVED
CAPTURE ME WITH GRACE....
I WILL FOLLOW YOU.....
(this world has nothing for me)
I WILL FOLLOW YOU.....
(this world has nothing for me)
I WILL FOLLOW YOU....
THIS WORLD HAS NOTHING FOR ME....
I NEED YOU JESUS!!!!
Yesterday was a high and a low...I feel alot like Paul....why do I do the things I shouldn't do!!!!!
On my way to a shower I'm crying and singing....
You are the Son of light
I can't be left behind
No one else will do
I will take hold of You
I need You, Jesus
Come to my rescue
Where else could I go?
There’s no other name by
which I am saved
Capture me with grace
I will follow You
My heart is Yours for life
I need Your hand in mine
No one else will do Lord,
I put my trust in You
I need You Jesus
Come to my rescue
Where else could I go?
There’s no other name by
which I am saved
Oh capture me with grace
I will follow You
This world has nothing for me
This world has nothing for me
This world has nothing for me (I will follow You)
This world has nothing for me
I need You Jesus
Come to my rescue
Where else could I go?
There’s no other name
by which I am saved
Capture me with grace
I will follow You
Oh I need You Jesus
To come to my rescue
Where else could I go?
There’s no other name
by which I am saved
Capture me with grace
Won't You Capture me with grace
I will follow You
I will follow You
This world has nothing for me
This world has nothing for me
Then I get there and fall back into the same issues!!!!!!!!!!!! UGH!! Not so much the way I was before, I tried to handle myself with grace and have the mindset of "I'm not gonna let you bother me today!" And I did OK...ho-hum...
Here I go living in condemnation and I need to MOVE ON! I just want to do better....BE better....I know I can't do it alone....I need Gods help....
So, in that light, this is a fitting song....
I NEED YOU JESUS!
COME TO MY RESCUE!
WHERE ELSE COULD I GO?
THERE'S NOT OTHER NAME
BY WHICH I AM SAVED
CAPTURE ME WITH GRACE....
I WILL FOLLOW YOU.....
(this world has nothing for me)
I WILL FOLLOW YOU.....
(this world has nothing for me)
I WILL FOLLOW YOU....
THIS WORLD HAS NOTHING FOR ME....
I NEED YOU JESUS!!!!
Thursday, January 05, 2006
The Ten Commandments The Dos as well as the Don'ts
The 1599 Geneva Study Bible
Chapter 20
20:1 And God spake all these words, saying,
(a) When Moses and Aaron were gone up, or had passed the bounds of the people, God spoke thus out of the mount Horeb, that all the people heard.
20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
(b) To whose eyes all things are open.
20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a d jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me;
(c) By this outward gesture, all forms of service and worship to idols is forbidden.
(d) And will have revenge on those who condemn my honour.
20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
(e) So ready is he rather to show mercy than to punish.
20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
(f) Either by swearing falsely or rashly by his Name, or by condemning it.
20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
(g) Which is by meditating the spiritual rest, by hearing God’s word, and resting from worldly labours.
20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
(h) By parents it is also meant all that have authority over us.
20:13 Thou shalt not kill.
(i) But love and preserve your brother’s life.
20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
(k) But be pure in heart, word and deed.
20:15 Thou shalt not steal.
(l) But study to save his goods.
20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
(m) But further his good name, and speak truth.
20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that [is] thy neighbour’s.
(n) You may not so much as wish his hinderance in anything.
20:20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
(o) Whether you will obey his precepts as you promised in (Exodus 19:8).
20:26 Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.
(p) Which might be by his stooping or flying up of his clothes.
Chapter 20
20:1 And God spake all these words, saying,
(a) When Moses and Aaron were gone up, or had passed the bounds of the people, God spoke thus out of the mount Horeb, that all the people heard.
20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
(b) To whose eyes all things are open.
20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a d jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me;
(c) By this outward gesture, all forms of service and worship to idols is forbidden.
(d) And will have revenge on those who condemn my honour.
20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
(e) So ready is he rather to show mercy than to punish.
20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
(f) Either by swearing falsely or rashly by his Name, or by condemning it.
20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
(g) Which is by meditating the spiritual rest, by hearing God’s word, and resting from worldly labours.
20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
(h) By parents it is also meant all that have authority over us.
20:13 Thou shalt not kill.
(i) But love and preserve your brother’s life.
20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
(k) But be pure in heart, word and deed.
20:15 Thou shalt not steal.
(l) But study to save his goods.
20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
(m) But further his good name, and speak truth.
20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that [is] thy neighbour’s.
(n) You may not so much as wish his hinderance in anything.
20:20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
(o) Whether you will obey his precepts as you promised in (Exodus 19:8).
20:26 Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.
(p) Which might be by his stooping or flying up of his clothes.
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