Saturday, January 22, 2011

Week 4

Sunday, January 23 on:)

25 comments:

  1. Ahhh Romans - - it used to intimidate me; I'd avoid it -- my eyes would glaze over as I got lost in Paul's theology.

    Now, bit by bit, it's coming together for me -- Chapter 7 got me to thinking -- heavy in thoughts about is the law valuable - is it even in use today? Jesus talked about how all of the law is based on Love -- Love to God/Love to man - - Mark 12:28-34. OK - so the law is an expression of Love -- what kills it for me, is my selfishness. I can't have it both; selfishness and love. And it's HIS Spirit that infuses in me really truly unselfish love.

    It's this Love of HIS that makes it possible for me to keep his rules of abundant life - that's the only possibility for me as I see it.

    That's why Jesus coming here was so important - He was a picture of God's unselfish LOVE - - we had no clue what that looked like, before Christ gave us that example.

    I feel like in my life - - I've done a pretty good job of shutting down the Holy Spirit, and that's the GIFT! This is a journey I am on.

    I LOVE Romans 8 when it says in verse 19 that "ALL creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who His children really are". also (vs 21) "the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay" Creation (whoever all that includes) is waiting in anticipation -- like I can hardly wait for my kids to come home - - Creation must shake it's head in despair when I get so caught up in my own agenda that I don't seem to even care.

    Ahhhh - Romans -- so points out the Journey of life!

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  2. I couldn't agree more Linda, I finally understood that today as well, that my selfishness ruins the law. What can I get away with, how far can I go? It's my selfishness. And His Love sets me free to enjoy life, like the Newsboys song, I AM FREE to run, free dance, free to live for YOU. Thank you for setting us free from ourselves & being the only solution that delivers us! Thank you always for putting into words what we don't know how to communicate as far as our needs. Thank you Jesus for reading our hearts as well as our minds!

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  3. OK I am loving Romans even more the second time around! I have come to the conclusion that Chapters 7 and 8 are my favorite in the bible so far. I just love in 7:6 "But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit." And in 8:6 "So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace" Wow check it out a choice!

    And and --- look what we get if we choose correctly? LIFE!!! Amen Father!

    I also really liked this: 8:17-18 "And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later." For me it was almost comforting to realize that there are reasons for our earthly sufferings. I know that in Ch 12 it will tell us about growing... but who wants to be lectured. But to linked in with Christ, to understand we are siblings and because he suffered, we must also suffer. That was amazing to me.

    I also agree with both of you!

    Oh and finally.. I just love this: 8:27 " And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers[a] in harmony with God’s own will. " WOWOWOWOW! Does this sound to anyone else like prayer and petition??? The Spirit prays for me? Really? Linda you said that in study one day and it is mind-blowing to consider it!

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  4. Hee hee! Juli, I can just hear the excitement in your words! I know - - I'm so glad I'm going through Romans again -- it's like walking through a specialty shop -- each time you walk through, you notice more details!

    Have to agree, Romans 7 & 8 are just brimming with hope and good news!

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  5. Gen 13:1 Abram went back to where he had first started his walk with God, had his own experience with Him, (Bethel) after his misstep in Egypt. It's good for us to go back to our first love experience with God when we screw up too. Go back to where you made your last good choice & start again!
    Also Lot's choice of land that was almost perfect, with just a small bad spot (Sodom/Gomorrah) reminds me of the story of kids that were trying to talk their dad into letting them see a movie that only had a "few" bad parts in it. He asked them if he gave them some brownies that had only a tsp of dog poop in them if they'd eat them? I wish I could remember that story more when I start rationalizing my decisions on things. It'd save me so much back tracking! Sigh & SIGH!

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  6. oo oo, I was just reading 15 again & v.12 that a "sense of dread, dark & heavy" came on Abram BUT yet then God spoke to him. So when it's the darkest, the worst, & we feel totally abandoned, God is the closest. Just like Jesus on the cross. Man! Wish I could remember this too! :D

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  7. Chris, I was so glad I read your double post before reading Genesis -- it riched it up for me! I LOVED the dark/close thought & going back to your "first love" experience.

    OK -- again - - Abraham, really? your sister? What kind of compromising situation did you put your beautiful wife in?? Glad God hangs in there with us - - even when we put ourselves before others. And in 15:6 - - a beautiful Romans version of belief/righteousnes - - but notice the next 2 verses -- the Lord told him . . . BUT Abraham replied . . . how can I be sure?

    Apparently I'm not the only one that struggles with belief and faith - - having strong moments/followed by weak moments.

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  8. Oh yeah Linda, right there with ya on the weak/strong stuff. Today being a prim example. phbttt!

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  9. hmmm, guess I meant prime example in my comment last night. Kinda par for the course though.

    Joshua 17:14-18 This is a very good picture of me whining to God, wanting it handed to me on a silver platter with no effort on my part. Cracked me up! "I can't get control over my temper Lord, can You work on something else for a while or just take it away? It's too hard to beat." And Joshua just repeats the same thing he had just told them but with a little more instruction & encouragement, just like God does with me. "You need to surrender it to me, don't just be aware that you're failing when you feel yourself getting angry, be aware of ME & ask Me to help you. Don't add to the problem by getting mad at yourself for getting mad. ASK FOR HELP!"
    The iron chariots (chains) of bad habits are no match for God. Just need to remember to ask Him for help & then let Him help me.
    And just like Israel, they didn't totally conquer the Canaanites, so they were always a pain or drug Israel down. Same with our defects of character. We must totally conquer them or they will ultimately deprive us of total peace & heaven. Nice to know God will help...now if only I can remember those last 3 words! :D

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  10. And then I open up "Dear Jesus" by Sarah Young & it says "I am everywhere at every time, ceaselessly working on your behalf. That is why your best coping strategies are trusting Me and living close to Me".
    A smack upside the head & a hug all rolled into one! :)

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  11. OK -- lots of real estate terms and boundaries in this section - - got to admit, I did a bit of skimming to find something relevant for me . . . so I'll be interested to see what the rest of you found!

    I'm very proud of Zelphehad's daughters, hard to believe they were the only women in that situation - - maybe they weren't - - maybe they started a "we don't have any brother's" trend. Glad that God recognized them, and Moses too. I wonder if they struck up this conversation with Moses before he died?

    Some of the tribes didn't drive out the Caananites - some waited until they were stronger to drive them out - - I was thinking they were supposed to drive them all out; not let them hang around and make them slaves, but maybe I'm wrong there.

    Must have been pretty moving when they all came together in chapter 18 to set up the tabernacle -

    The Levites didn't get any land (18:7) - - I guess I wouldn't have wanted to be a Levite - - since I enjoy owning a spot of land. I'm wondering if I'm missing something here -- an illustration God has in mind.

    Really thoughtful of God (guess he knows our hearts) to set up those Cities of Refuge. Sometimes we kill people with words, gossip, judgments - - don't you think our churches should be cities of refuge? that sounds too good to be true - - a place someone can go - safe; but yet, even the city of refuge back in the day had to have a trial and judge the accused - - so I'm not sure how that fits in with the idea!

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  12. Yes Linda they did in Numbers 27:1 because they reminded Joshua (17:4) of what Moses had commanded. See, even back then women were reminding men of what they had said! Hee hee!

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  13. Joshua has the unfortunate reminder for me of pathfinders. Only in the fact that the first year I led the Bible Achievement team they had to memorize this book. All that real estate got to all to us :)! I also liked the daughters and feel it was important that they are even mentioned. After all, they were women. But not only mentioned but listened to and honored. Just think of their bridal dowries! What an honor for them, and God knew that, I hope they respected it!

    Ch 18 v 7... The levites not getting land, I think that being the keepers of the Ark was such a huge honor and allotment and responsibility, that if they had "lands" to uphold that it couldn't be done. Also the Levites weren't supposed to be shedding blood were they? I mean up till now they have been guarded, getting land required the ability to fight for it and keep it safe? Just a thought. Also the first v of 21 (glanced at it) talks about their homes...

    Cities of Refuge... Note that it was from murder. Interesting. God was far sighted in this too, Blood-fueds could and do take out entire clans and tries to this day, and all for revenge. By giving the accused some place to go while awaiting trial I think kept the Isrealites from too much "in-fighting". God wants them driving out those Canaanites. Btw, Linda you are right. They were supposed to get rid of them. I don't remember where it is, (deuteronomy I think) but I think God's plan was to get rid of the idol worshipers so the Israelites would not be tempted to do what they ended up doing in the long run. Turning from God and his ways. Again just a thought :)

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  14. Great thoughts Juli -- I loved your take on the Levites; I can relate sooo well to that as Duane fixes stuff here -- than takes off to the church to fix stuff there. So, it makes great sense for them to pour all their energies on the ark and their services.

    Well - on to Psalms! Loved the opening 2 verses - so full of worship for my Wednesday morning! Then a lot about David's enemies and the wicked - - but here's what I did to put a neat twist on it; every time it talked about my enemies or the wicked -- I substituted "the devil" in, since he is my very worst enemy and the most wicked creature I know - - for me, it made these verses a worshipful tribute to the power and wisdom of God:)

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  15. Linda, I liked your take on Psalms. The whole time I was reading it, all I could think about was him and Bathsheba. I read that again as part of another book recently and realized how bad David fell.

    First thing I thought of was he had forgotten his own words about plans, traps and secrets. But then I realized the hope not only in Ps but in that part of David's life. God forgives the truly penitent heart. But we can't hide from him.

    That's what I truly got from Psalms, we can't hide from him. He knows our thoughts, our plans and desires. He sees us, the real ones, not the ones we show the world. Absolutely terrifying and oh so comforting and freeing, all at once. What an amazing God we serve!

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  16. I am early for tomorrow, but felt like reading tonite and to combat the urge for romance novels, picked this up. Ok all I can say is ugh! I know it shouldn't but Job is annoying me! This is what I hear "whine, whine, kill me now, whine whine" I know it gets better, but I had his problem the last time too. Ack!!! And his friends? If that's what they are, argh! Now that I whined lol. I have always been the buck up, deal with it. And I feel in a way that job is not doing well in the deal with it part... Maybe you ladies have a better idea :). I did like v8:5-7 though and can apply them to my life now.

    I can't wait till we are a little further into this story...

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  17. Job is always a little hard for me to understand.

    Job's cry in 7:16 reminds me of what kids often say: I HATE my life and don't want to go on living - - LEAVE ME ALONE! (and we often think it - - we just don't scream it out loud). But if I went through what Job went through -- I'd scream it out loud; loosing all my kids, my job, my wealth, my health - - not a good day. Doesn't it sound here like Job is turning his back on God when he asks God to leave him alone?

    And the thoughts of Bildad are not so different from what Christians believe -- God will honor the righteous (I guess his fault was judging; he indicated that Job was wicked - - maybe God doesn't want us to do the judging; ya think?)

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  18. Sometimes I can buck up & sometimes I whine too. I like that Job is honest with God. 7:11 "I'm laying it all out on the table;
    my complaining to high heaven is bitter, but honest."
    I have benefited from being honest with God & not whining, just laying it all out, how I feel & what I think exactly of the situation. Then I stop & listen. It's then & only at that point that I've been able to get past certain areas in my life. So I can relate to how Job is putting it out there. He's a little more wordy on it but that's him I guess.
    And then Bildad saying in 8:4 "It's plain that your children sinned against him—
    otherwise, why would God have punished them?" & v. 20 "There's no way that God will reject a good person,
    and there is no way he'll help a bad one."
    Doesn't the Bible say God lets it rain & the sun shine on both the godly & ungodly? If God destroyed so quickly the bad & blessed the good why is satan still around? Like Paul says, it's God's patience with us that leads us or some of us to repent & He doesn't want any to miss out so He waits & sometimes the innocent suffer. Only in the end does the full story come out.
    Job doesn't really get to see that centuries later, we're helped so much from reading his story. There are times when God does allow you to see that but it goes back just realizing that my "best coping strategies are trusting [God] & living close to [Him]." as I quoted in an early comment.

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  19. Wow -- it sounds like you can run, but you can't hide -- no place is safe in Isaiah 19-22!

    First of all, in light of the news today - - I thought Isaiah 19:2 was amazingly accurate - - lot of scary stuff going on in Egypt right now.

    Also -- I guess I'm pretty glad I'm not Isaiah - - I'd prefer to keep my burlap tightly in place (chapter 20) and hope God had another illustration for the Egyptian and Ethiopian prisoners!

    It was nice to end on the high note of Eliakim. Why did God choose him? Because he had a servan's heart - - I think that's all God is looking for; someone who will listen and obey - it's not really that difficult; so why do I have so much trouble taking on the world with my own plans?

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  20. (sigh) did you notice in the 3rd paragraph of my last post that I was "taking on the world with my own plans?"

    as Chris would say - - slap on the side of the head!

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  21. Linda, I do that too. Like I said yesterday, I keep trying to lead God, rather than letting him lead me. Ch. 3 of Captivating, really helped me with nailing that down... They why's. I am working hard to surrender everything, every time, every day. I am getting better. Because we do have those "sinful natures" Paul talks about in Romans I don't think there will ever come a day when I don't have to make a conscious decision to surrender. But I am learning its full value.

    The reading today was interesting, I found myself wondering how much has already happened and what was still to come, specifically about Egypt and Ethiopia. I like where God appointed his servant also, but in v25 it says that God will pull this nail too. I found that interesting as well.

    I did figure out why I was annoyed at Job. I had spent the day with a "dooms-day" 10 year old and sick 14 and 8 year olds. I think I was at my threshold of complaining. And you are right Chris, I would rather be able to go to God freely when I am upset.

    Not related to Isaiah, but wanted to share these two stories with you ladies. We have been struggling some (financially) but yesterday I turned it over to the Lord. We had some issues I didn't know what to do about. I prayed and both prayers were answered definitively. It was amazing and such an affirmation of surrender. 2nd. I have been doing the 30 day K-Love challenge. To listen to Christian music only, when listening to music. Well the little boys listen to the radio at night and it's k-love. Aaron was telling me a story he heard on the radio ( he is my least compassionate child). He was excited and he was excited about what God had done for this guy. He is showing a passion and caring that brings tears to my eyes! It truly is an answer to prayer. Another affirmation of surrender, because I gave my kids to God and continue to do so everyday. :). Just had to share, sorry so long!

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  22. Great stories Juli -- it's stories of faith like that - - where the rubber meets the road!

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  23. wow good stuff guys. Thanks for sharing...it all. Nothing's too long when it's God's blessings! :) Needed to hear it. Thanks!

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  24. Matt 8:4 "Your cleansed and grateful life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done"
    I want what I live to glorify God more than what I say...unfortunately it doesn't always happen. :(
    10:1 "He gave them power to kick out the evil spirits and to tenderly care for the bruised and hurt lives". Sometimes we have the same attitude with the hurt/bruised lives as we do with the demons. We need more patience with each other as we grow & heal.
    10:21 "When people realize it is the living God you are presenting and not some idol that makes them feel good, they are going to turn on you, even people in your own family".
    It's not instantaneous feel good stuff sometimes we share. It's the Truth & it's a process. People don't always like processes. They like the insta-fix.
    But in the earlier verses God promises He'll give us the words to say & it's true, I've experienced it. Now I need to remember that when I'm in a situation & not panic & stress but remember I'm God's child & worth more than a 1,000 sparrows! :D

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  25. Matthew 8 & 9 seems like a compact view of "faith moments" From the leper (one of societies' outcasts), to the Roman Officer (another outsider); Jesus is just THRILLED with the total confidence these 2 men placed in him.

    The disciples must have had a lot to chew on, that Jesus was SO pleased with the faith of a leper and a Gentile - - then, for a dose of humility - - he takes them on a boat ride; the results? (You have so little faith - vs 26) OK disciples, I relate - - I am constantly marveling at the faith of other people, only to find mine extremely shallow -- glad we serve a patient God who Never Lets Go.

    We move on to more stories of faith -- a man who never walks jumps to his feet; a rich man leaves his job and follows without question, a Jewish bigwig casts aside all the temple talks and humbly comes to Jesus and blind men see.

    Then on the tale end of these lessons in faith - the next step comes; Jesus says - - I need help, I can't do this all alone. First prayer, then the call - then out they go.

    Thank you Lord, for the promise of being with us for the adventure ahead.

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