Isaiah 57:15 - For this is what the high and lofty One says - he who lives forever, whose name is holy: "I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite."
Do you have a contrite heart? Do you even know what it means to have a contrite heart?
Contrite - feeling or showing sorrow and remorse for a sin or shortcoming. The origins of the word come from Latin contritus, lit. "worn out, ground to pieces,"
Psalms 51:17 - The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart. O God you will not despise.
Isaiah 66:2 - "Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came in to being?" declares the Lord, "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word."
These words provide so much hope...that He lives in a high and holy place, but also with those of us who are contrite and lowly in spirit. He esteems the humble and contrite in spirit.
Do you have a contrite heart? You should, we all should.
God bless!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
What has mastered you?
1 Corinthians 6:12 - "Everything is permissible for me" - but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me" - but I will not be mastered by anything.
In context these words come just before a lecture on sexual immorality; but they apply to so much in our lives. In a culture where we have so many things we can do; the questions we should really be asking ourselves continually are:
Is this beneficial?
Is this mastering me?
How often have you asked these questions about the things you are doing in your life? If you're like me it's not very often and probably while your feeling guilty about something. Usually we only think about things like this when we are outside of our normal routine or have experienced something in our life to make us consider where we are at in life.
But we should be considering this all the time in our lives. When we are watching TV, when we are shopping, when we are doing what ever we are doing...is this beneficial? Is this mastering me?
Is what I'm doing truly beneficial in my life? Does it bring me closer to the Lord? Is it the right thing for me to be doing? How does it affect my family? How does it affect others around me who know I'm a Christian? What else could I be doing?
Am I addicted to it? Does this dictate my schedule, how I spend my money, etc...? Does doing this create a hardship in other areas of my life?
Let's make sure we are spending our time on things beneficial and focus on breaking the chains of bondage where they exist in our lives.
John 8:36 - So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Let's live like we believe...that we are free. God bless!
In context these words come just before a lecture on sexual immorality; but they apply to so much in our lives. In a culture where we have so many things we can do; the questions we should really be asking ourselves continually are:
Is this beneficial?
Is this mastering me?
How often have you asked these questions about the things you are doing in your life? If you're like me it's not very often and probably while your feeling guilty about something. Usually we only think about things like this when we are outside of our normal routine or have experienced something in our life to make us consider where we are at in life.
But we should be considering this all the time in our lives. When we are watching TV, when we are shopping, when we are doing what ever we are doing...is this beneficial? Is this mastering me?
Is what I'm doing truly beneficial in my life? Does it bring me closer to the Lord? Is it the right thing for me to be doing? How does it affect my family? How does it affect others around me who know I'm a Christian? What else could I be doing?
Am I addicted to it? Does this dictate my schedule, how I spend my money, etc...? Does doing this create a hardship in other areas of my life?
Let's make sure we are spending our time on things beneficial and focus on breaking the chains of bondage where they exist in our lives.
John 8:36 - So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Let's live like we believe...that we are free. God bless!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Are you shining like a star?
Philippians 2:12-15 - Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed - not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence - continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe...
Do you shine like a star in this crooked and depraved generation? Not many of us do. Most of us are busy just trying to survive in this crooked and depraved world. But we are called to do much more then survive. We are called to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, to let God work in us, to act according to His will and good purpose, to do everything without complaining or arguing...so that we can shine amid all of the depravity of this world.
Why should we shine?
Daniel 12:3 - Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.
We are called to shine so that we are different. So that others will see us as shining examples, so that others will be lead to righteousness because they want to have what we have found.
Do you shine like a star in this crooked and depraved generation? Or are you sitting back and riding the fence between this world and His world? Do you blend in so well that those caught up in this world don't know you are different?
He is calling you and leading you to more...will you follow Him?
God Bless!
Do you shine like a star in this crooked and depraved generation? Not many of us do. Most of us are busy just trying to survive in this crooked and depraved world. But we are called to do much more then survive. We are called to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, to let God work in us, to act according to His will and good purpose, to do everything without complaining or arguing...so that we can shine amid all of the depravity of this world.
Why should we shine?
Daniel 12:3 - Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.
We are called to shine so that we are different. So that others will see us as shining examples, so that others will be lead to righteousness because they want to have what we have found.
Do you shine like a star in this crooked and depraved generation? Or are you sitting back and riding the fence between this world and His world? Do you blend in so well that those caught up in this world don't know you are different?
He is calling you and leading you to more...will you follow Him?
God Bless!
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