"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling."
~ Philippians 2:12
You need to work not to earn your salvation, but to work out your salvation. When God saved you, He didn't make you a perfect Christian, but He gave you the tools to follow Him and the promise that He would always be with you.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
Hard Questions
"In the dark, men break into houses,
but by day they shut themselves in;
they want nothing to do with the light.
For all of them, deep darkness is their morning;
they make friends with the terrors of darkness."
~ Job 24:16-17
Bringing wickedness and sin to light is not comfortable. Asking yourself and other people hard questions about where you are spiritually is not easy. Fear, shame, and guilt may cause you to shut the sin away, but it will come out in the dark times. Ask yourself and your friends where your heart is, and have them ask you, too. If you are uncomfortable talking about your heart and your spiritual state with the people close to you, you need to do it all the more! It is just like shining a light into the darkness: the light reveals the hidden things
but by day they shut themselves in;
they want nothing to do with the light.
For all of them, deep darkness is their morning;
they make friends with the terrors of darkness."
~ Job 24:16-17
Bringing wickedness and sin to light is not comfortable. Asking yourself and other people hard questions about where you are spiritually is not easy. Fear, shame, and guilt may cause you to shut the sin away, but it will come out in the dark times. Ask yourself and your friends where your heart is, and have them ask you, too. If you are uncomfortable talking about your heart and your spiritual state with the people close to you, you need to do it all the more! It is just like shining a light into the darkness: the light reveals the hidden things
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Supernatural
"Then He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures."
~ Luke 24:25
You can't naturally understand the Bible because it is supernatural wisdom. Pray that God will open your mind so you can understand His wisdom.
~ Luke 24:25
You can't naturally understand the Bible because it is supernatural wisdom. Pray that God will open your mind so you can understand His wisdom.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Supreme
"To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are His.
What He tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released.
If He holds back the waters, there is drought; if He lets them loose, they devastate the land.
To Him belong strength and victory; both deceived and deceiver are His."
~ Job 12:13-16
God is Supreme. He is bigger than any of your problems. When trouble comes, run to God even when you don't know why everything is happening. You have no hope of success outside of God. If He wants you to fail, you will fail; if He wants you to succeed, you will succeed. God is more powerful than anything, and He always has the victory.
What He tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released.
If He holds back the waters, there is drought; if He lets them loose, they devastate the land.
To Him belong strength and victory; both deceived and deceiver are His."
~ Job 12:13-16
God is Supreme. He is bigger than any of your problems. When trouble comes, run to God even when you don't know why everything is happening. You have no hope of success outside of God. If He wants you to fail, you will fail; if He wants you to succeed, you will succeed. God is more powerful than anything, and He always has the victory.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Assumptions
"Surely God does not reject a blameless man
or strengthen the hands of evildoers."
~ Job 8:20
Sometimes your assumptions about God are wrong. Bildad's assumption was wrong. God did reject a blameless man. Job was blameless, but God let Satan try to make him fall. God rejected His own perfect Son. A common assumption is that God never lets harm befall His children. But He does. He has a plan in all of this, though.
And we know that in all things God
works for the good of those who love
Him and are called according to His
purpose. ~ Romans 8:28
I don't always know what is best for me, but I frequently think I do. I am often goal focused; I think that God wants a certain thing for me and that He will take the most direct route possible to get there. But the journey is every bit as important as the prize. The direct path may not be what is best for me.
If you feel like God has let you down, question your assumptions and be aware that God's plan may not be what you think it is.
or strengthen the hands of evildoers."
~ Job 8:20
Sometimes your assumptions about God are wrong. Bildad's assumption was wrong. God did reject a blameless man. Job was blameless, but God let Satan try to make him fall. God rejected His own perfect Son. A common assumption is that God never lets harm befall His children. But He does. He has a plan in all of this, though.
And we know that in all things God
works for the good of those who love
Him and are called according to His
purpose. ~ Romans 8:28
I don't always know what is best for me, but I frequently think I do. I am often goal focused; I think that God wants a certain thing for me and that He will take the most direct route possible to get there. But the journey is every bit as important as the prize. The direct path may not be what is best for me.
If you feel like God has let you down, question your assumptions and be aware that God's plan may not be what you think it is.
Monday, May 2, 2011
You are more
"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
may the name of the Lord be praised."
Job 1:21
You're more than what you have done. You're more than what's been done to You. You are a child of God.
You are more than the choices that you make
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes
You are more than the problems you create
You've been remade
(From "You Are More" by Tenth Avenue North)
and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
may the name of the Lord be praised."
Job 1:21
You're more than what you have done. You're more than what's been done to You. You are a child of God.
You are more than the choices that you make
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes
You are more than the problems you create
You've been remade
(From "You Are More" by Tenth Avenue North)
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Will you not follow Him?
When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"
"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."
Luke 19:37-40
Your sole purpose is to glorify God and to follow Him. If you don't, all creation will.
"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"
"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."
Luke 19:37-40
Your sole purpose is to glorify God and to follow Him. If you don't, all creation will.
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