Sorry again for being so lame =/
and i think i've only done my devo's twice in the more than a week long hiatus...
FAIL
So i decided to do Philippians next and it was such a short book that i finished it the second time i did devotions... (it was like 4 chapters long :P)
I'm mad busy so i'm just going to go through the verses that stood out to me =/
(again, sorry for being so lame)
18-3-09
"And this is my prayer; that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ"
Philippians 1:9-10
"For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him,"
Philippians 1:29
Monday-
"Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose."
Philippians 2:2
"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God w/o fault in a crooked and deprived generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe"
Philippians 2:14=15
"Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Ad the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philip. 4:6-7
"I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
Philip. 4:13
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
A bucket O' Hebrews :P
So i was bad again this weekend and i did not do my devo's friday, or saturday, and today i'm prolly not gonna actually get down and read a chapter.
If it counts, Friday i had to wrap up some stuff (which i'm glad i did btw!!!)/ pack?/ leave that night to go to the airport
Saturday i was tired and fighting on whether i should sleep, pack or neither (i think i ended up doing more of the latter...)
And today i don't really have an excuse...
I'll just say right now that there's been a lot of issues that have been going on in my mind:
Predestination
Battle Cry Controversy
the "Customized Jesus" thing (yea, again)
and a few more smaller issues. I know that i don't really have time to go over it right now (HOMEWOOOOOORRRRRRRKKKKKK!!!!!! T_T). and like Tomorrow's monday, and will be a busy day for me, physically and spiritually, i highly doubt i would have time to write any kind of devotional anyway (with all the hw due tuesday... :( ....)
Plus i am having a hard time deciding what book in the bible i should do next- i want to do something short and in the new testament (like i jut finished one in the Old testament) but i'm not exactly sure what. Maybe 1 and 2 Peter? idk, i know i went through a John phase (John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John...). But idk... I might have already gone through the Peters...
I guess i'll just leave you with some of my fav (rather highlighted) verses from Hebrews:
"The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. after he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven."
Hebrews 1:3
"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness"
Hebrews 3:13
"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow"
Hebrews 4:12
"Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves in distinguish good from evil."
Hebrews 5:13
"And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised."
Hebrews 6:15
"But because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them"
Hebrews 7:24
"By calling this covenant 'new,' he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear."
Hebrews 8:13
~yea, that's definitely a topic that's waaaaay to complex and intricate to go into right now...
"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another- and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
Hebrews 10:25
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see"
Hebrews 11:1
~yes, i am aware that i am posting this scripture again- (i just really like it ;D)
"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
Hebrews 12:11
"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord"
Hebrews 12:14
"Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering"
Hebrews 13:3
~Compassion! Empathyyyyy!!!!
"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise- the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."
Hebrews 13:15
If it counts, Friday i had to wrap up some stuff (which i'm glad i did btw!!!)/ pack?/ leave that night to go to the airport
Saturday i was tired and fighting on whether i should sleep, pack or neither (i think i ended up doing more of the latter...)
And today i don't really have an excuse...
I'll just say right now that there's been a lot of issues that have been going on in my mind:
Predestination
Battle Cry Controversy
the "Customized Jesus" thing (yea, again)
and a few more smaller issues. I know that i don't really have time to go over it right now (HOMEWOOOOOORRRRRRRKKKKKK!!!!!! T_T). and like Tomorrow's monday, and will be a busy day for me, physically and spiritually, i highly doubt i would have time to write any kind of devotional anyway (with all the hw due tuesday... :( ....)
Plus i am having a hard time deciding what book in the bible i should do next- i want to do something short and in the new testament (like i jut finished one in the Old testament) but i'm not exactly sure what. Maybe 1 and 2 Peter? idk, i know i went through a John phase (John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John...). But idk... I might have already gone through the Peters...
I guess i'll just leave you with some of my fav (rather highlighted) verses from Hebrews:
"The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. after he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven."
Hebrews 1:3
"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness"
Hebrews 3:13
"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow"
Hebrews 4:12
"Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves in distinguish good from evil."
Hebrews 5:13
"And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised."
Hebrews 6:15
"But because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them"
Hebrews 7:24
"By calling this covenant 'new,' he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear."
Hebrews 8:13
~yea, that's definitely a topic that's waaaaay to complex and intricate to go into right now...
"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another- and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
Hebrews 10:25
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see"
Hebrews 11:1
~yes, i am aware that i am posting this scripture again- (i just really like it ;D)
"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
Hebrews 12:11
"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord"
Hebrews 12:14
"Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering"
Hebrews 13:3
~Compassion! Empathyyyyy!!!!
"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise- the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."
Hebrews 13:15
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Everything and the End of a Book
So i've been having this kind of spiritual block these last two days and it's getting hard to interpret my bible and stuff like that, idk- there's something i need to take care of and i don't think this block is going to go away until i take care of it.
Everything- by Lifehouse
Most ppl know this song from the Everything Human Video
but the song by itself is so powerful too- i just never noticed until i was singing it in Church
On another note: i reached the end of Isaiah!!! :D
"I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations- to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations."
Isaiah 66:19
No interpretations today, i'm just not getting anything :(
Peace be with You.
Everything- by Lifehouse
Most ppl know this song from the Everything Human Video
but the song by itself is so powerful too- i just never noticed until i was singing it in Church
On another note: i reached the end of Isaiah!!! :D
"I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations- to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations."
Isaiah 66:19
No interpretations today, i'm just not getting anything :(
Peace be with You.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Revelations
Sometimes, i feel like us Christians get too caught up with all these different roles that we need to play. We want to one up another with 'who raised their hands first' at worship, who sang loudest, who spoke in tongues, who said a divine word- basically who was more 'spiritual' than everyone else. That kind of pressure, i think hinders a person's worship. I know that sometimes i find it hard to distinguish if i am praying and worshiping for others or for God.
But tonight i felt something that i haven't felt in a long time- long meaning maybe a year or so. I was totally overcome by God: to the point i was just shaking uncontrollably. It was just weird but good to feel. I mean, it happens every once and a while- and it used to happen a lot when i started really focusing when i worshiped, but at some point it was like God just said 'enough of that,' and i really didn't know why. I still don't know why actually! Maybe because he wanted my close period with him to be when i was intellectually, not emotionally, dumbfounded by him? hmm... that could be it... (if you haven't noticed, i tend to be pondering while i'm typing :P). But it was good to feel- I can't even begin telling you how many times i have prayed to God to let me feel him again. JUST ONCE! That was one of my struggles all through Italy- God never truly took over my senses over there. I cried about it, i prayed about it, i read about it, but it just never came. Instead tho- i filled gaps in my knowledge of God that you wouldn't believe. New revelations came to me every single day.
So i guess that must have been it then. Maybe God pulled away the feeling part for a while so that i could focus all my attention on becoming close to him through my mind and my knowledge of him. Interesting. I guess the next question would be will it happen again? is this just a one time thing or did I break though a barrier that God temporarily put up for me? Time will tell...
"Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him"
Isaiah 64:4
~like i said before, What makes our God so unique is that all he asks of us is to make him our Lord. He wants us to love him and put faith in Him and he will answer us when we do so. Other religions you have to work hard- cause that way, if nothing happens then you can just blame urself. With our God, there is not alot of room to blame ourselves. We have to risk it all by just having faith that he will answer you.
"Do not be angry beyond measure, Oh Lord, do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look upon us, we pray, for we are all your people"
Isaiah 64:9
~This is a crazy powerful scripture. It just highlights the problem with the old covenant in the nutshell: THIS IS WHY WE NEED JESUS!!! If you read Isaiah through, God is fairly strict with his people. He punishes them for their sins if they did it for a while- and it was a harsh punishment. There is frustration between God and his people. God cannot come close to his people as long as there is sin between him and them. That sin wasn't going to go away as long as the people continued to sin and not take the measures to cover it. When the Israelites sinned too much, God just got very frustrated. There is his people- the one that he has put aside as his own- and they are dishonoring him over and over and over and over and over.
Thanks to Jesus, that isn't us anymore. Jesus took away the sin we did in the past and the sin we are going to do in the future. God doesn't have to see us as too filthy to even touch anymore, he can be close to us now with no kind of separation. Thank you Jesus!!! O.O
"Behold,, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind"
Isaiah 65:17
~i wanna go over this now, but now is not the time...
"The wolf and the Lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent's food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain."
Isaiah 65:25
Peace be with you.
But tonight i felt something that i haven't felt in a long time- long meaning maybe a year or so. I was totally overcome by God: to the point i was just shaking uncontrollably. It was just weird but good to feel. I mean, it happens every once and a while- and it used to happen a lot when i started really focusing when i worshiped, but at some point it was like God just said 'enough of that,' and i really didn't know why. I still don't know why actually! Maybe because he wanted my close period with him to be when i was intellectually, not emotionally, dumbfounded by him? hmm... that could be it... (if you haven't noticed, i tend to be pondering while i'm typing :P). But it was good to feel- I can't even begin telling you how many times i have prayed to God to let me feel him again. JUST ONCE! That was one of my struggles all through Italy- God never truly took over my senses over there. I cried about it, i prayed about it, i read about it, but it just never came. Instead tho- i filled gaps in my knowledge of God that you wouldn't believe. New revelations came to me every single day.
So i guess that must have been it then. Maybe God pulled away the feeling part for a while so that i could focus all my attention on becoming close to him through my mind and my knowledge of him. Interesting. I guess the next question would be will it happen again? is this just a one time thing or did I break though a barrier that God temporarily put up for me? Time will tell...
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him"
Isaiah 64:4
~like i said before, What makes our God so unique is that all he asks of us is to make him our Lord. He wants us to love him and put faith in Him and he will answer us when we do so. Other religions you have to work hard- cause that way, if nothing happens then you can just blame urself. With our God, there is not alot of room to blame ourselves. We have to risk it all by just having faith that he will answer you.
"Do not be angry beyond measure, Oh Lord, do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look upon us, we pray, for we are all your people"
Isaiah 64:9
~This is a crazy powerful scripture. It just highlights the problem with the old covenant in the nutshell: THIS IS WHY WE NEED JESUS!!! If you read Isaiah through, God is fairly strict with his people. He punishes them for their sins if they did it for a while- and it was a harsh punishment. There is frustration between God and his people. God cannot come close to his people as long as there is sin between him and them. That sin wasn't going to go away as long as the people continued to sin and not take the measures to cover it. When the Israelites sinned too much, God just got very frustrated. There is his people- the one that he has put aside as his own- and they are dishonoring him over and over and over and over and over.
Thanks to Jesus, that isn't us anymore. Jesus took away the sin we did in the past and the sin we are going to do in the future. God doesn't have to see us as too filthy to even touch anymore, he can be close to us now with no kind of separation. Thank you Jesus!!! O.O
"Behold,, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind"
Isaiah 65:17
~i wanna go over this now, but now is not the time...
"The wolf and the Lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent's food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain."
Isaiah 65:25
Peace be with you.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
My Purpose In Christ
So Recently- since i started this whole blog- i've been thinking a lot about what my role is in the now. I know what God's plan is for me in my life- it involves me awakening the Church from it's elitist apathetic state. Of course you understand that that really points towards the Churches in the US and also to pull out the Churches in Europe. My heart is really in the building of churches and making sure God's people stay focused on what truly maters: God's Word. I also know that's why i have this gift of being able to interpret the Word and to teach.
I took this survey thing (which didn't help with anything really) but it was about my style of worshiping God, basically at what point do i feel closest to God. The tallies show that i am the Intellectual and Activist type. That means that I feel closer to God through my mind and by bringing about social change- which is totally true. Actually it lets me see why i put such a heavy emphasis on the bible, I feel closer to God when i get a new revelation about him through his word. I LOVE learning about him. I also have a heart to bring about a great social change in the Church- i know i would feel closer to him when i finally start my role in helping him bring about his Kingdom in that way. I mean, ever since i was young i have been about starting a revolution and leading a social fight- how i LONG to have been part of the Civil Rights movement or something like that!!! GAAAAAH- i need to be alive during the 60's!!! O.O
(good music yea? ;P)
*Coming back from Rant* After i came back from Italy, I was so on fire!!! (known as the Mission Trip Jesus high) and i was doin my devos and and telling myself 'no! i'm SO on fire of God! i will not step down for anything! i will NOT get distracted by this world! The need is too urgent!!! The harvest is Many! TIME IS RUNNING OUT!!! JESUS IS COMIN' BACK!'
But i knew the whole time what God wanted me to do with my life and I knew the first step in doing that was to really get down and do my devotions; not every once and a while but daily (and yes as you can see, i'm still working on that...). But now that i've gotten kind of over that first step, i dunno what the next step should be...I want God to tell me what my next step is suppose to be. =/
I feel like it's the activist part of me that needs to develope more...
lol- but Jesus! i wanna save the world NOOOOOOOOW!!!! >.< =3
Monday-
"Instead of bronze i will bring you gold, and silver in place of iron. Instead of wood I will bring you bronze, and Iron in place of stones. I will make peace your governor and righteousness your ruler"
Isaiah 60:17
"The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the Lord; In its time I will do this swiftly."
Isaiah 60:22
"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom to the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn."
Isaiah 61: 1-2
Today-
"Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in greatness of his strength? 'It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save'"
Isaiah 63:1
"I looked, but there was no one to help. I was appalled that no one gave support; so my own arm worked salvation for me, and my own wrath sustained me."
Isaiah 63:5
~I really like this scripture just because it just shows that no matter what, God's will is gonna happen. However, God get's upset when he has to do everything. He wants to be glorified through us, not by him doing glory for himself.
**As a side note** This song has been playing in my head and i absolutely love it <3
Arise!!!
Peace be With You :D
*btw- i'm not an old conservative kind of person. i kno i'm not doing a good job showing that. But i just so happen to like old ppl worship music :P*
I took this survey thing (which didn't help with anything really) but it was about my style of worshiping God, basically at what point do i feel closest to God. The tallies show that i am the Intellectual and Activist type. That means that I feel closer to God through my mind and by bringing about social change- which is totally true. Actually it lets me see why i put such a heavy emphasis on the bible, I feel closer to God when i get a new revelation about him through his word. I LOVE learning about him. I also have a heart to bring about a great social change in the Church- i know i would feel closer to him when i finally start my role in helping him bring about his Kingdom in that way. I mean, ever since i was young i have been about starting a revolution and leading a social fight- how i LONG to have been part of the Civil Rights movement or something like that!!! GAAAAAH- i need to be alive during the 60's!!! O.O
(good music yea? ;P)
"For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
for Jerusalem's sake i will not remain
quiet,
till her righteousness shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch"
for Jerusalem's sake i will not remain
quiet,
till her righteousness shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch"
Isaiah 62:1
......buuuuuuuuuut......
Like what happens when everyone comes back from a missions trip- i did loose the some of that fire, and once i got to college- it all went down hill from there. Never turned back, but i definitely hit the cruze mode for a long time (with the occational step on the gas but it never lasted long). And i'll tell you right now- the reason why Christians find it hard to keep the fire the had on a missions trip is because when u are on a missions trip- it's just you and God. God is dwelling in that place and he is so there that satan has to work EXTRA hard to pierce through the bubble. However, going home you fall back to a normal life- a life where you don't have the option of just spending time with God, you have to deal with other things too like work and money and worries and distractions 24/7. Now, you have to make time to spend with God- it's not just given to you.But i knew the whole time what God wanted me to do with my life and I knew the first step in doing that was to really get down and do my devotions; not every once and a while but daily (and yes as you can see, i'm still working on that...). But now that i've gotten kind of over that first step, i dunno what the next step should be...I want God to tell me what my next step is suppose to be. =/
I feel like it's the activist part of me that needs to develope more...
lol- but Jesus! i wanna save the world NOOOOOOOOW!!!! >.< =3
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Monday-
"Instead of bronze i will bring you gold, and silver in place of iron. Instead of wood I will bring you bronze, and Iron in place of stones. I will make peace your governor and righteousness your ruler"
Isaiah 60:17
"The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the Lord; In its time I will do this swiftly."
Isaiah 60:22
"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom to the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn."
Isaiah 61: 1-2
Today-
"Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in greatness of his strength? 'It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save'"
Isaiah 63:1
"I looked, but there was no one to help. I was appalled that no one gave support; so my own arm worked salvation for me, and my own wrath sustained me."
Isaiah 63:5
~I really like this scripture just because it just shows that no matter what, God's will is gonna happen. However, God get's upset when he has to do everything. He wants to be glorified through us, not by him doing glory for himself.
**As a side note** This song has been playing in my head and i absolutely love it <3
Arise!!!
Peace be With You :D
*btw- i'm not an old conservative kind of person. i kno i'm not doing a good job showing that. But i just so happen to like old ppl worship music :P*
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Power of Your Love
I miss this song... what ever happened to the great worship hits of the nineties and eighties?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus"
Philippians 1:6
"The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire"
Matthew 3:10
"for in Scripture it says: 'See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame' (Isaiah 28:16). Now in you who believe, this is precious. But to those who do not believe, 'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone' (Psalm 118:22), and 'a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall' (Isaiah 8:14). They stumble because they disobey the message- which is also what they were destined for."
1 Peter 2:6
Friday, March 6, 2009
I've been bad...
So i know it shouldn't have happened but i've been bad...boooo
i missed doing my devotions yesterday...and Wednesday...and it's very possible that i may miss it tonight as well
but, but i do have a reason...well it's not a good reason but a really bad excuse?
well Wednesday all i was doing was trying to get hw done and pack to leave Thursday.
Thursday i left to stay over at a friend's house cause she was giving me a ride to the airport today
and today i'm so awfully tired...BUT i knoooooow
that's no excuse to miss my time with God- i could have at least prayed... =/
*caught*
well i'm gonna go, hopefully, do my devos for tonight at least so i have something to write about tomorrow.
it's suppose to be SUCH a busy day thoooo
oh well, i guess i'm gonna have to just get up extra early right ;)
Peace Be With You : )
i missed doing my devotions yesterday...and Wednesday...and it's very possible that i may miss it tonight as well
but, but i do have a reason...well it's not a good reason but a really bad excuse?
well Wednesday all i was doing was trying to get hw done and pack to leave Thursday.
Thursday i left to stay over at a friend's house cause she was giving me a ride to the airport today
and today i'm so awfully tired...BUT i knoooooow
that's no excuse to miss my time with God- i could have at least prayed... =/
*caught*
well i'm gonna go, hopefully, do my devos for tonight at least so i have something to write about tomorrow.
it's suppose to be SUCH a busy day thoooo
oh well, i guess i'm gonna have to just get up extra early right ;)
Peace Be With You : )
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Complete
When doing my devotions yesterday, i decided it would be a good idea to go to last.fm and just listen to the Hillsong United radio thingy (apparently last.fm is kind of like Pandora??? O.o- but i think it's better :P). Well i was just baffled by how many of my preferred genre of Christian music was out there!
Me personally, i made the decision a little while ago that i was not satisfied with "Christian music" as in Christian Rock or Christian Pop or Christian 'xyz' just because when you actually looked at the lyrics, they aren't saying anything of much concern. Usually it's just a bunch of vague lines that deal with simple concepts ("Jesus wuvvv yuuuuu")
Because of this, i find many "Christian" artists nothing more than Christians playing secular music. I am not a supporter of the cross over band and I feel like bands who do cross over are sellouts. Your music is either inspired by God or it's not, there's no gray middle when it comes to the things of the Kingdom and things of this world.
That being said, i've found that the type of Christian music that i lean towards is Worship music. That's because a worship band has no other job but to worship God- there's no 'quota' of non-Christians to meet.
Artists who i have liked were:
Hillsong United(ESPECIALLY)
Hillsong (yes it's different)
Desperation Band
Chris Tomlin
David Crowder Band
Now don't get me wrong, i do sometimes find good worship songs in cross over bands. So it's possible that some may be playing a role in the Kingdom- i just don't like it.
That's one of the things about being a Christian. There are some things that you do not approve of but you have to make the distinction of what you think is wrong and what God thinks is wrong. That's because sometimes what you feel isn't the best way to Honor God or something that you think does honor God more, may not be the same to the brother or sister in Christ next to you. And that's perfectly fine! (well unless the bible blatantly says it's not obviously) Take Paul's idea of drinking (i think it's in Romans? or maybe one of the Corinthians?). Now for him, he has no problem with drinking (not to the point of drunk of course) but he realizes that some other Christians do have a problem with that. Not only that, he is willing to put the bottle down for the sake of his brother.
It should be the same attitude for us. With things that aren't of much importance, we should be willing to drop it if it's going to interfere with the fellowship that we find with other Christians- if it's really that important to the other party that you don't drink, then don't do it around them, it's not that big of a deal. Don't break up the Church for trivial things.
anyway! away from the ranting.
Yesterday i heard this amazing song by Parachute Band.
They are a New Zealand Worship group and, even though this song sounds a bit outdated, the message is still good.
The song i came across was Complete
Lyrics:
Here I am, Oh God
I bring this sacrifice
My open heart, I offer up my life
I look to You, Lord
Your love that never ends
Restores me again
So I lift my eyes to you Lord
In your strength will I break through Lord
Touch me now, let your love fall down on me
I know your love dispels all my fears
Through the storm I will hold on Lord
And by faith I will walk on Lord
Then I'll see beyond my cavalry one day
And I will be complete in You
Here I am, Oh God
I bring this sacrifice
My open heart, I offer up my life
I look to You, Lord
Your love that never ends
Restores me again
So I lift my eyes to you Lord
In your strength will I break through Lord
Touch me now, let your love fall down on me
I know your love dispels all my fears
Through the storm I will hold on Lord
And by faith I will walk on Lord
Then I'll see beyond my cavalry one day
And I will be complete in You
I look to You, Lord
Your love that never ends
Restores me again
So I lift my eyes to you Lord
In your strength will I break through Lord
Touch me now, let your love fall down on me
I know your love dispels all my fears
Through the storm I will hold on Lord
And by faith I will walk on Lord
Then I'll see beyond my cavalry one day
And I will be complete in
I will be complete in
I will be complete in You
"Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear"
Isaiah 59:1
"We all growl like bears; we moan mournfully like doves. We look for justice but find none; for deliverance, but it is far away. For offenses are many in your sight, and our sins testify against us. Our offenses are ever with us, and we acknowledge our iniquities"
Isaiah 59:11-12
Me personally, i made the decision a little while ago that i was not satisfied with "Christian music" as in Christian Rock or Christian Pop or Christian 'xyz' just because when you actually looked at the lyrics, they aren't saying anything of much concern. Usually it's just a bunch of vague lines that deal with simple concepts ("Jesus wuvvv yuuuuu")
Because of this, i find many "Christian" artists nothing more than Christians playing secular music. I am not a supporter of the cross over band and I feel like bands who do cross over are sellouts. Your music is either inspired by God or it's not, there's no gray middle when it comes to the things of the Kingdom and things of this world.
That being said, i've found that the type of Christian music that i lean towards is Worship music. That's because a worship band has no other job but to worship God- there's no 'quota' of non-Christians to meet.
Artists who i have liked were:
Hillsong United(ESPECIALLY)
Hillsong (yes it's different)
Desperation Band
Chris Tomlin
David Crowder Band
Now don't get me wrong, i do sometimes find good worship songs in cross over bands. So it's possible that some may be playing a role in the Kingdom- i just don't like it.
That's one of the things about being a Christian. There are some things that you do not approve of but you have to make the distinction of what you think is wrong and what God thinks is wrong. That's because sometimes what you feel isn't the best way to Honor God or something that you think does honor God more, may not be the same to the brother or sister in Christ next to you. And that's perfectly fine! (well unless the bible blatantly says it's not obviously) Take Paul's idea of drinking (i think it's in Romans? or maybe one of the Corinthians?). Now for him, he has no problem with drinking (not to the point of drunk of course) but he realizes that some other Christians do have a problem with that. Not only that, he is willing to put the bottle down for the sake of his brother.
It should be the same attitude for us. With things that aren't of much importance, we should be willing to drop it if it's going to interfere with the fellowship that we find with other Christians- if it's really that important to the other party that you don't drink, then don't do it around them, it's not that big of a deal. Don't break up the Church for trivial things.
anyway! away from the ranting.
Yesterday i heard this amazing song by Parachute Band.
They are a New Zealand Worship group and, even though this song sounds a bit outdated, the message is still good.
The song i came across was Complete
Lyrics:
Here I am, Oh God
I bring this sacrifice
My open heart, I offer up my life
I look to You, Lord
Your love that never ends
Restores me again
So I lift my eyes to you Lord
In your strength will I break through Lord
Touch me now, let your love fall down on me
I know your love dispels all my fears
Through the storm I will hold on Lord
And by faith I will walk on Lord
Then I'll see beyond my cavalry one day
And I will be complete in You
Here I am, Oh God
I bring this sacrifice
My open heart, I offer up my life
I look to You, Lord
Your love that never ends
Restores me again
So I lift my eyes to you Lord
In your strength will I break through Lord
Touch me now, let your love fall down on me
I know your love dispels all my fears
Through the storm I will hold on Lord
And by faith I will walk on Lord
Then I'll see beyond my cavalry one day
And I will be complete in You
I look to You, Lord
Your love that never ends
Restores me again
So I lift my eyes to you Lord
In your strength will I break through Lord
Touch me now, let your love fall down on me
I know your love dispels all my fears
Through the storm I will hold on Lord
And by faith I will walk on Lord
Then I'll see beyond my cavalry one day
And I will be complete in
I will be complete in
I will be complete in You
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear"
Isaiah 59:1
"We all growl like bears; we moan mournfully like doves. We look for justice but find none; for deliverance, but it is far away. For offenses are many in your sight, and our sins testify against us. Our offenses are ever with us, and we acknowledge our iniquities"
Isaiah 59:11-12
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
True Fasting
Alright, so i've come to the realization that mondays may almost always be skipped, just because it's my most busy day- i didn't even do my devo's yesterday... T_T
But i did Sunday so i'll go off of that (at some point, hopefully, i'll get back to talking about what i read on the day i decided to post...)
"'Why have we fasted,' they say,'and you have not seen it?' Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?' Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high."
Isaiah 58: 3-4
So i'm glad i ran into this scripture because the only other scripture i've ever read about fasting was in Matthew and Deuteronomy:
"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
Matthew 6:16-18
"He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord."
Deuteronomy 8:3
Fasting is something that one does to honor God- like it says in Deuteronomy, When we fast we are acknowledging that it is God and only God that keeps us alive, not even food or drink. Of course, that doesn't mean that everyone decides to fast cause they just wanna honor God randomly (not like there is a real problem with that. it happens every once and a while) but usually when one fasts, it's because they are faced with a really big problem- a situation that they cannot control, something bad that they know is going to happen and there doesn't seem to be a way out of it, even something like a very important decision that they need to be made. When we are in these situation, that is usually when fasting is a good thing to look to. That is because you are offering up to God your problem as well as letting him know that you know that he is the one that controls all- even your life.
So, i know that this sounds a little crazy- like some kind of form of Christian suicide- but, as long as the problem is necessary and ur heart is in the right place, you will be fine. This is where that faith kicks in- you have to trust God with everything- that means all aspects of your life as well as your life itself.
What is important to remember, as we see in Matthew and Isaiah, is that fasting is only half of the exercise, how you fast is just as important as the process itself. Matthew emphasises the importance of keeping your fast between you and God. your fasting is ideally suppose to be a direct offering to God of yourself, he is the one that is suppose to get the glory. Letting people know you are fasting is something that no longer gives God any glory but, instead, it gives you the glory. We fast to say "God, you are bigger and more amazing that i will ever be- i put my ego aside to honor you will all that is mine." Telling everyone else that we fast is basically saying to God that you are not interested in giving him glory, ur interested in giving yourself glory.
Remember in Deuteronomy, God made the Israelites hunger as a way to humble their hearts.
In the same way, when we fast it is suppose to be in a way that we humble ourselves.
In Isaiah, it also talks about how you fast. In the context of the chapter (Isaiah 58), God is more referring to his holy days that the Jews had to acknowledge like the sabbath, but we can still use this scripture today just because it talks about the fasting on these holy days. God tells his people that, in order for God to acknowledge the fasting that is done, the people need to act differently when they are fasting. Don't fast and just carry on the day like you usually do.
When we fast, it's is a time to worship God. The hunger is a constant reminder of why we are doing this and we should mediate on God through prayer and his word- give the days up for God, not yourself. There should be a difference in how you spend your time when you are fasting.
When we fast right, God answers your prayers like no other. It becomes clear to you what you have to do and the problem you are facing is gone. Not only that though, after fasting- like after missionary work or going through a dry spot- you come out changed and stronger in your faith than when you came in:
"Then your light will break forth like the dawn. and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard."
Isaiah 58:8
"The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."
Isaiah 58:11
"If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the sabbath a delight and the Lord's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.' The mouth of the Lord has spoken."
Isaiah 58:13-14
Peace be with you
*yaaay for not being crazy long!!! :D*
But i did Sunday so i'll go off of that (at some point, hopefully, i'll get back to talking about what i read on the day i decided to post...)
"'Why have we fasted,' they say,'and you have not seen it?' Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?' Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high."
Isaiah 58: 3-4
So i'm glad i ran into this scripture because the only other scripture i've ever read about fasting was in Matthew and Deuteronomy:
"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
Matthew 6:16-18
"He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord."
Deuteronomy 8:3
Fasting is something that one does to honor God- like it says in Deuteronomy, When we fast we are acknowledging that it is God and only God that keeps us alive, not even food or drink. Of course, that doesn't mean that everyone decides to fast cause they just wanna honor God randomly (not like there is a real problem with that. it happens every once and a while) but usually when one fasts, it's because they are faced with a really big problem- a situation that they cannot control, something bad that they know is going to happen and there doesn't seem to be a way out of it, even something like a very important decision that they need to be made. When we are in these situation, that is usually when fasting is a good thing to look to. That is because you are offering up to God your problem as well as letting him know that you know that he is the one that controls all- even your life.
So, i know that this sounds a little crazy- like some kind of form of Christian suicide- but, as long as the problem is necessary and ur heart is in the right place, you will be fine. This is where that faith kicks in- you have to trust God with everything- that means all aspects of your life as well as your life itself.
What is important to remember, as we see in Matthew and Isaiah, is that fasting is only half of the exercise, how you fast is just as important as the process itself. Matthew emphasises the importance of keeping your fast between you and God. your fasting is ideally suppose to be a direct offering to God of yourself, he is the one that is suppose to get the glory. Letting people know you are fasting is something that no longer gives God any glory but, instead, it gives you the glory. We fast to say "God, you are bigger and more amazing that i will ever be- i put my ego aside to honor you will all that is mine." Telling everyone else that we fast is basically saying to God that you are not interested in giving him glory, ur interested in giving yourself glory.
Remember in Deuteronomy, God made the Israelites hunger as a way to humble their hearts.
In the same way, when we fast it is suppose to be in a way that we humble ourselves.
In Isaiah, it also talks about how you fast. In the context of the chapter (Isaiah 58), God is more referring to his holy days that the Jews had to acknowledge like the sabbath, but we can still use this scripture today just because it talks about the fasting on these holy days. God tells his people that, in order for God to acknowledge the fasting that is done, the people need to act differently when they are fasting. Don't fast and just carry on the day like you usually do.
When we fast, it's is a time to worship God. The hunger is a constant reminder of why we are doing this and we should mediate on God through prayer and his word- give the days up for God, not yourself. There should be a difference in how you spend your time when you are fasting.
When we fast right, God answers your prayers like no other. It becomes clear to you what you have to do and the problem you are facing is gone. Not only that though, after fasting- like after missionary work or going through a dry spot- you come out changed and stronger in your faith than when you came in:
"Then your light will break forth like the dawn. and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard."
Isaiah 58:8
"The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."
Isaiah 58:11
"If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the sabbath a delight and the Lord's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.' The mouth of the Lord has spoken."
Isaiah 58:13-14
Peace be with you
*yaaay for not being crazy long!!! :D*
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Why Jesus' blood is vital
Well actually I skipped Thursday *whoops!*
but i DID do my devotions Friday, Saturday-and soon-today ^_^
So i'll just play catch up...
So in the span of these last few days i came across this amazing scripture in Isaiah that is just a prophesy of Jesus and about what his role for the world was! it was just amazing to see the obvious and blatant connection between the new and old testaments. It was Isaiah 52:13-53:12. I would love to type out that chuck of scripture and just save you the time of going through the pages but there's a good chance i'll accidentally write something down wrong. Plus, opening the bible may lead to reading of more scripture right ;).
Verses that stood out to me in that passage:
"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."
Isaiah 53:5
"Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. after the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities."
Isaiah 53:10-11
On Friday, i met with one of my friends in Starbucks and we read through Hebrews 1 and 2. Like i said before, i kind of wanted to visit Hebrews again just because it makes a lot of references to Isaiah and, now that I've read through most of Isaiah, i think it will be easier for me to understand Hebrews more as well.
Hebrews 2:14-18 stood out to me the most
"Since the children have flesh and blood, he [Jesus] too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death- that is, the devil- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants, For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."
*wow! that's a long one O.O*
~God is nothing but a father who created something to love. He also gave that something the free will to love back but it was this free will that ended up severing our relationship with God (Adam, Eve, forbidden fruit, sin, the works...). Because of the sin that we brought upon the world, it was impossible for us to have that close relationship with God. How can a room of just light dwell with darkness? How can Holiness dwell with sin? it doesn't work.
However, God found a way to dwell with his people, the Israelites, but it was through many sacrifices that covered the sin of his people. in order for the Jews to be close to God they had to also have a mediator between both of them: that was the role of the high priest. It was through the high priest that God connected with is people but like the high priest was just a man himself, this relationship was still severed because, even though God wanted to be close to his people, this sin that continued to cover them kept them apart.
It's was kind of like a person living in America understanding the life of a person in poverty in Africa or India. They may want help and do everything they can to help but as long as they have never walked in the shoes of the poverty stricken, they will not know truly the types of fears and dangers and problems they face. It's kind of the same with God, He wanted to help his people but like he does not know what it is like to live with sin- him being holy- he can't help his people (i kno, that part can get confusing because it's like a 'but God can do everything so he can...'- just stay with me though. It's more complex than that. It's more of a "Can God sin?" question. The answer is yes he can, but he just wont. He doesn't go against the rules that he has placed up because he doesn't want to. It's also like the "Can God make a rock that too heavy for him to lift?" the answer would be yes but you know the next response would be "But God can do everything" so the answer would be no, but then your saying that God can't do everything and your stuck in a circle of confusion and crazy deep God stuff. My point is, the term "God can do everything" is something that's much more complex that one would think because, as we know, our God has set up rules on how reality works. We just have to trust that we will understand later, when we get our new bodies and dwell with our Father in Eternity, how these two contradicting concepts can still live together in harmony. It obviously goes beyond our logic).
This all changed with Jesus. Jesus came into this earth as a man so that Him being God manifested in human form would be able to experience a life with temptation while still being without sin. also, like he was without sin, Jesus was the perfect sacrifice (like a lamb without blemishes) for the sin of all people. The blood of Jesus is so powerful because it didn't just cover our sins, like other offerings did, but it completely wiped them away! Not only that though, this complete removal of sin also broke free every single person's chain to fear of death, if they so choose to take the key. It is because of Jesus, i can now say that i am no longer a slave to sin. Instead i choose to be a slave to God and through that servitude, i am free. (I would love to go over what i mean by freedom but that's for another day...)
Hebrews 2:1-18 is a real eye opener to the true role of Jesus Christ.
Another verse i like from this passage:
"In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers."
Hebrews 2:10-11
~ 1 Corinthians 15: 20-28 does a great job explaining it. Christ is the first fruit, or the first born. and he was the first of us to be resurrected. Being the first and him being the son of God, He inherits everything but like it is through him that we enter God's family, Jesus calls us his brothers (and sisters of course) as well. He is sharing all that God is giving him with us like adopted brothers and sisters. Another reason why we thank him ^_^
Additional scriptures:
Friday-
"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who says to Zion 'Your God Reigns.'"
Isaiah 52:7
"But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the Lord will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard"
Isaiah 52:12
"No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,' Declares the Lord"
Isaiah 54:17
"Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, Listen to me and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest fare."
Isaiah 55:2
"Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon."
Isaiah 55:7
Saturday-
"When you cry out for help, let your collection of idols save you! The wind will carry all of them off, a mere breath will blow them away. But the man who makes me his refuge will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain."
Isaiah 57:13
"....I live on a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite."
Isaiah 57:15
(JUST SO YOU KNOW!- Contrite: rueful, remorseful, repentant)
Peace be With You.
but i DID do my devotions Friday, Saturday-and soon-today ^_^
So i'll just play catch up...
So in the span of these last few days i came across this amazing scripture in Isaiah that is just a prophesy of Jesus and about what his role for the world was! it was just amazing to see the obvious and blatant connection between the new and old testaments. It was Isaiah 52:13-53:12. I would love to type out that chuck of scripture and just save you the time of going through the pages but there's a good chance i'll accidentally write something down wrong. Plus, opening the bible may lead to reading of more scripture right ;).
Verses that stood out to me in that passage:
"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."
Isaiah 53:5
"Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. after the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities."
Isaiah 53:10-11
On Friday, i met with one of my friends in Starbucks and we read through Hebrews 1 and 2. Like i said before, i kind of wanted to visit Hebrews again just because it makes a lot of references to Isaiah and, now that I've read through most of Isaiah, i think it will be easier for me to understand Hebrews more as well.
Hebrews 2:14-18 stood out to me the most
"Since the children have flesh and blood, he [Jesus] too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death- that is, the devil- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants, For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."
*wow! that's a long one O.O*
~God is nothing but a father who created something to love. He also gave that something the free will to love back but it was this free will that ended up severing our relationship with God (Adam, Eve, forbidden fruit, sin, the works...). Because of the sin that we brought upon the world, it was impossible for us to have that close relationship with God. How can a room of just light dwell with darkness? How can Holiness dwell with sin? it doesn't work.
However, God found a way to dwell with his people, the Israelites, but it was through many sacrifices that covered the sin of his people. in order for the Jews to be close to God they had to also have a mediator between both of them: that was the role of the high priest. It was through the high priest that God connected with is people but like the high priest was just a man himself, this relationship was still severed because, even though God wanted to be close to his people, this sin that continued to cover them kept them apart.
It's was kind of like a person living in America understanding the life of a person in poverty in Africa or India. They may want help and do everything they can to help but as long as they have never walked in the shoes of the poverty stricken, they will not know truly the types of fears and dangers and problems they face. It's kind of the same with God, He wanted to help his people but like he does not know what it is like to live with sin- him being holy- he can't help his people (i kno, that part can get confusing because it's like a 'but God can do everything so he can...'- just stay with me though. It's more complex than that. It's more of a "Can God sin?" question. The answer is yes he can, but he just wont. He doesn't go against the rules that he has placed up because he doesn't want to. It's also like the "Can God make a rock that too heavy for him to lift?" the answer would be yes but you know the next response would be "But God can do everything" so the answer would be no, but then your saying that God can't do everything and your stuck in a circle of confusion and crazy deep God stuff. My point is, the term "God can do everything" is something that's much more complex that one would think because, as we know, our God has set up rules on how reality works. We just have to trust that we will understand later, when we get our new bodies and dwell with our Father in Eternity, how these two contradicting concepts can still live together in harmony. It obviously goes beyond our logic).
This all changed with Jesus. Jesus came into this earth as a man so that Him being God manifested in human form would be able to experience a life with temptation while still being without sin. also, like he was without sin, Jesus was the perfect sacrifice (like a lamb without blemishes) for the sin of all people. The blood of Jesus is so powerful because it didn't just cover our sins, like other offerings did, but it completely wiped them away! Not only that though, this complete removal of sin also broke free every single person's chain to fear of death, if they so choose to take the key. It is because of Jesus, i can now say that i am no longer a slave to sin. Instead i choose to be a slave to God and through that servitude, i am free. (I would love to go over what i mean by freedom but that's for another day...)
Hebrews 2:1-18 is a real eye opener to the true role of Jesus Christ.
Another verse i like from this passage:
"In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers."
Hebrews 2:10-11
~ 1 Corinthians 15: 20-28 does a great job explaining it. Christ is the first fruit, or the first born. and he was the first of us to be resurrected. Being the first and him being the son of God, He inherits everything but like it is through him that we enter God's family, Jesus calls us his brothers (and sisters of course) as well. He is sharing all that God is giving him with us like adopted brothers and sisters. Another reason why we thank him ^_^
Additional scriptures:
Friday-
"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who says to Zion 'Your God Reigns.'"
Isaiah 52:7
"But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the Lord will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard"
Isaiah 52:12
"No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,' Declares the Lord"
Isaiah 54:17
"Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, Listen to me and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest fare."
Isaiah 55:2
"Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon."
Isaiah 55:7
Saturday-
"When you cry out for help, let your collection of idols save you! The wind will carry all of them off, a mere breath will blow them away. But the man who makes me his refuge will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain."
Isaiah 57:13
"....I live on a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite."
Isaiah 57:15
(JUST SO YOU KNOW!- Contrite: rueful, remorseful, repentant)
Peace be With You.
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