Ezekiel 36: 24-26 - "For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."
So we learned last night to pray intercessorily for compassion/desire for the poor. In Ezekiel, God promises to take away our heart of stone and give us a fleshly, feeling heart. We need to believe the Lord for this. Also, God promises to cleanse our diseased thinking and impurities. He gives us continually/daily a new heart and a new spirit. Do you believe that today you are really a NEW PERSON spiritually in Christ? We need to. . .what holds us back? Disbelief, shame, fear? Lord, my prayer is that today you remove all impurities and idols from me literally, and give me a heart of flesh. May your love invade my heart in a new way today. In Jesus name, Amen.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Language Lesson
This Sunday, April 20th, Todd was talking about Isaiah 53. As he was teaching I noticed a peculiarity. Every time Jesus suffering and death was discussed it was in the past tense. These prophecies were talking about a man who was to appear 300 years in the future, but his death and payment for sins were being discussed as though they already happened.
In addition, any positive connotation had a present tense. Verse 10: he will see his offspring and prolong his days. Verse 11: ..he will see the light of life...my righteous servant will justify.
I wonder why that is? Is it because God isn't bound by time? Did they write in that manner because an event that was to happen in the future, to their eyes, had already taken place in God's eyes? If that is so, then they too were offered the gift of salvation through grace. As hard as it is for us to grasp the concept of someone dying in our past to save us from sins we are now committing, how much harder would it be to say, 'There is someone coming in the future who has already paid for my current sins.'
In addition, any positive connotation had a present tense. Verse 10: he will see his offspring and prolong his days. Verse 11: ..he will see the light of life...my righteous servant will justify.
I wonder why that is? Is it because God isn't bound by time? Did they write in that manner because an event that was to happen in the future, to their eyes, had already taken place in God's eyes? If that is so, then they too were offered the gift of salvation through grace. As hard as it is for us to grasp the concept of someone dying in our past to save us from sins we are now committing, how much harder would it be to say, 'There is someone coming in the future who has already paid for my current sins.'
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Putting Flesh on Christ (aka- My circumstance is not unique)
Hebrews 10-18: 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 of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them (us) brothers. He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises."And again, "I will put my trust in him."And again he says, "Here am I, and the children God has given me."
Since the children have flesh and blood, he 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. 18Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."
First off, vs18 is one of my memory verses and really encapsulates the truth that Jesus really understands what I go through! It's faulty thinking to believe that culture and time have changed so much that Jesus can't relate. Clearly Jesus knows our nature and specifically helps us! Not only did God love us so much to give us eternal life, but he made his son suffer temptations (vs18) and be completely human in every way (16) so that Jesus would be able to minister to us perfectly as our High Priest! No longer can we think God can't SPECIFICALLY minister to us, because he was made human in everyway, he's been there, and more importantly he will provide the way out.
Since the children have flesh and blood, he 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. 18Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."
First off, vs18 is one of my memory verses and really encapsulates the truth that Jesus really understands what I go through! It's faulty thinking to believe that culture and time have changed so much that Jesus can't relate. Clearly Jesus knows our nature and specifically helps us! Not only did God love us so much to give us eternal life, but he made his son suffer temptations (vs18) and be completely human in every way (16) so that Jesus would be able to minister to us perfectly as our High Priest! No longer can we think God can't SPECIFICALLY minister to us, because he was made human in everyway, he's been there, and more importantly he will provide the way out.
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