Chapter 30: verse 2... that's the whole goal of all that God does, isn't it...that we will return to Him and love Him with all we are verse 3-4... we are never too far from God to be unable to be brought back to Him... if we turn back to Him, He will accept us back with open arms... nothing we have done will stand as a barrier between us and God if we confess, repent, and turn back to Him as our Savior and God verse 6... the circumcision thing was always about the heart, not the flesh or act (see also Romans 2:28-29) verse 11... God does not ask us to do anything that is impossible... especially since with God all things are possible (Mark 10:27) verse 12-14... John 1:14 comes to mind when I read these verses... the Word (Jesus) became flesh and made His dwelling among us... also, God, in Spirit form, dwells in us (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)... and that God has even revealed Himself to us in all that is around us (Romans 1:18-20)... for those of us who intimately know Jesus as Savior, we have God's very Spirit living inside of us to help us know right from wrong (Isaiah 30:21), and to help us worship God... for those who have not yet heard the Good News of Jesus, they still have no excuse not to worship God, as everything around them is testimony to God's greatness, and all that is 'man' is designed for the purpose of worship, and, so, who better to worship than our Creator, the One who designed us and everything around us verse 15, 19-20... isn't this the choice we make everytime we have to choose anything? do we follow God and live, or do we follow the world/satan, and die?...we must be careful to not just hear God's words, instead, we must intently listen to them and then act upon them... we must take them to heart and hold fast... we must make them an unseperable part of who we are.... for only the Lord is our LIFE... see John 10:10, John 14:6
Chapter 31: verse 2... 'you shall not cross the Jordan'... we must have joyful obedience, even when we don't understand or agree. verse 3... we do not go alone, and God does not send us in ahead of Himself as 'bait' or something... God goes ahead of us, with us, and behind us, so we are never alone or foresaken (Psalm 139:5-12) verse 6... do not be afraid! God is with you! He goes before us, and will help us! Praise be to God! Amen!... if God is with me, who can be against me? why should I be afraid?! (Romans 8:31, Psalm 27:1) verse 7-8...be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or discouraged... why?... because 'the Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you!'... so often, we fear... not only in the big things, but in the small things too... fear and worry are so close to each other... when we fear, when we worry, we replace our trust in God with our mistrust in ourselves... we are not relying on ourselves to accomplish this life, we are relying on God, and He is faithful and trustworthy... the only thing He is incapable of doing is failing (whatever is contradictory to His character)... we are in good hands, so no worries, and do not be afraid... with God, we can do all He has asked us and set before us to accomplish... from the large to the small, from the amazing to the seemingly insignificant... nothing is too big or too small for God to be involved with in our lives... I once heard someone say that they admired their mother becuase she would ask God to help her with everything, including finding a spice in the pantry, and her choice of clothes in the morning... how can I make God that real in my life and that much apart of who I am? because, the reality is, He wants to be that integrally related to each of us... the question is, will be let Him? verse 12-13...we MUST teach our children God's word..."Teach" is an action word on our part... it does not mean for us to just idly stand by or passively wait for others to just learn about God and His Word on their own.... we are sent to teach others about Him, and teach those people to then go and do the same (see Matthew 28:18-20)
verse 14... I try to imagine what I would say or do or think if I knew that the day of my death was near... would I regret NOT doing something? would I regret things I had done? if so, why should I wait to act on those things until I am going to die? why not seek forgiveness and reconcilliation or my past mistakes, now? why not do what God has laid on my heart to do now, instead of waiting until I have no more time in which to do it?... I like the country song by Tim McGraw called, 'Live Like You Were Dying': He said "I was finally the husband,"That most the time I wasn’t."An' I became a friend a friend would like to have."And all of a sudden goin' fishin’,"Wasn’t such an imposition,"And I went three times that year I lost my Dad."Well, I finally read the Good Book,"And I took a good long hard look,"At what I'd do if I could do it all again,"And then: "I went sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu."And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,"And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying."An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,"To live like you were dyin'." Like tomorrow was a gift,And you got eternity,To think about what you’d do with it.An' what did you do with it? An' what can I do with it? An' what would I do with it?"... Nickleback has a good song, too, called "If Today Was Your Last Day":My best friend gave me the best advice He said each day's a gift and not a given right Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind And try to take the path less traveled by That first step you take is the longest stride If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late Could you say goodbye to yesterday? Would you live each moment like your last? Leave old pictures in the past Donate every dime you have? If today was your last day What's worth the prize is always worth the fight Every second counts 'cause there's no second try So live like you'll never live it twice Would you call old friends you never see? Reminisce of memories Would you forgive your enemies? Would you find that one you're dreamin' of? Swear up and down to God above That you finally fall in love If today was your last day If today was your last day Would you make your mark by mending a broken heart? You know it's never too late to shoot for the stars Regardless of who you are So do whatever it takes 'Cause you can't rewind a moment in this life Let nothin' stand in your way Cause the hands of time are never on your side'... Yes, these are both secular songs, but the idea behind them is very much inline with what God wants us to remember, too... that we only have one life, and we should live it to the fullest... for HIM and His glory... and it is never to late to change how we are living our life if we discover that we are not living for God... we can repent, confess, and turn back to God, and He will be waiting with His arms open wide, ready to welcome us back home to His family on the spot.
verse 16-18, 27... how sad and frustrated Moses must have felt to know that his entire life's work would be forgotten as soon as he was gone... that all his teaching and pleading would be for nothing, as the people would turn away from God and leave all he worked so hard with them to preserve... but God feels this way all the time with us, too... think how easily we are swayed away and how often we turn our backs on God the second we don't "see" Him... it is very sad...sometimes we may think 'what is the use' in our own lives, but we must stay focused on God and what He is telling us to do, because only He can truly see the big picture... think what it would have been like if Moses never obeyed and led the people out of Egypt and to the Promised Land... think how the history would have changed and how much less God would have been glorified... sometimes when all we see it failure around us, it is time for us to look up and remember the perfection that is working through us to accomplish His plan and glory... all we do is not for nothing, so do not give into discouragement or frustration... if the Bible would not be complete without Moses and all he did for God, then equally, God's redemption story will not be complete without all we were made to do for God, too... do not be afraid or discouraged... the Lord, your God, goes with you, and all will be accomplished according to His marvelous desires. veres 21... God knows who we are and what we will do before He blesses us and includes us, yet He still blesses and includes us anyway... what love! verse 30... the suspense!... tune in next time to hear the 'Song of Moses'... :)
The IDEA: Romans 1:12-That we may be mutually strengthened, encouraged, and comforted by each others faith. Have you ever read the whole Bible before? We have never done it. We want to share God’s Word, but how can we if we do not know it.
The PLAN: Ecclesiastes 4:12-One person is easily overcome, but two can stand together and conquer. Three is even better, though, as a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. With each others help we can succeed-So, let us team up and read the Bible in a year.
The DATE: We will start Dec 26, 2009 - Dec 26, 2010.
The FYI: We will read 3-4 chapters each day, starting in Genesis, and post thoughts daily. If you do not have a Bible, you can access many translations at www.biblegateway.com. You can also download an audio for each chapter at: http://www.audiotreasure.com/webindex.htm
Read it.
ReplyDeleteSandj
Chapter 30: verse 2... that's the whole goal of all that God does, isn't it...that we will return to Him and love Him with all we are
ReplyDeleteverse 3-4... we are never too far from God to be unable to be brought back to Him... if we turn back to Him, He will accept us back with open arms... nothing we have done will stand as a barrier between us and God if we confess, repent, and turn back to Him as our Savior and God
verse 6... the circumcision thing was always about the heart, not the flesh or act (see also Romans 2:28-29)
verse 11... God does not ask us to do anything that is impossible... especially since with God all things are possible (Mark 10:27)
verse 12-14... John 1:14 comes to mind when I read these verses... the Word (Jesus) became flesh and made His dwelling among us... also, God, in Spirit form, dwells in us (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)... and that God has even revealed Himself to us in all that is around us (Romans 1:18-20)... for those of us who intimately know Jesus as Savior, we have God's very Spirit living inside of us to help us know right from wrong (Isaiah 30:21), and to help us worship God... for those who have not yet heard the Good News of Jesus, they still have no excuse not to worship God, as everything around them is testimony to God's greatness, and all that is 'man' is designed for the purpose of worship, and, so, who better to worship than our Creator, the One who designed us and everything around us
verse 15, 19-20... isn't this the choice we make everytime we have to choose anything? do we follow God and live, or do we follow the world/satan, and die?...we must be careful to not just hear God's words, instead, we must intently listen to them and then act upon them... we must take them to heart and hold fast... we must make them an unseperable part of who we are.... for only the Lord is our LIFE... see John 10:10, John 14:6
Chapter 31: verse 2... 'you shall not cross the Jordan'... we must have joyful obedience, even when we don't understand or agree.
ReplyDeleteverse 3... we do not go alone, and God does not send us in ahead of Himself as 'bait' or something... God goes ahead of us, with us, and behind us, so we are never alone or foresaken (Psalm 139:5-12)
verse 6... do not be afraid! God is with you! He goes before us, and will help us! Praise be to God! Amen!... if God is with me, who can be against me? why should I be afraid?! (Romans 8:31, Psalm 27:1)
verse 7-8...be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or discouraged... why?... because 'the Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you!'... so often, we fear... not only in the big things, but in the small things too... fear and worry are so close to each other... when we fear, when we worry, we replace our trust in God with our mistrust in ourselves... we are not relying on ourselves to accomplish this life, we are relying on God, and He is faithful and trustworthy... the only thing He is incapable of doing is failing (whatever is contradictory to His character)... we are in good hands, so no worries, and do not be afraid... with God, we can do all He has asked us and set before us to accomplish... from the large to the small, from the amazing to the seemingly insignificant... nothing is too big or too small for God to be involved with in our lives... I once heard someone say that they admired their mother becuase she would ask God to help her with everything, including finding a spice in the pantry, and her choice of clothes in the morning... how can I make God that real in my life and that much apart of who I am? because, the reality is, He wants to be that integrally related to each of us... the question is, will be let Him?
verse 12-13...we MUST teach our children God's word..."Teach" is an action word on our part... it does not mean for us to just idly stand by or passively wait for others to just learn about God and His Word on their own.... we are sent to teach others about Him, and teach those people to then go and do the same (see Matthew 28:18-20)
verse 14... I try to imagine what I would say or do or think if I knew that the day of my death was near... would I regret NOT doing something? would I regret things I had done? if so, why should I wait to act on those things until I am going to die? why not seek forgiveness and reconcilliation or my past mistakes, now? why not do what God has laid on my heart to do now, instead of waiting until I have no more time in which to do it?... I like the country song by Tim McGraw called, 'Live Like You Were Dying': He said "I was finally the husband,"That most the time I wasn’t."An' I became a friend a friend would like to have."And all of a sudden goin' fishin’,"Wasn’t such an imposition,"And I went three times that year I lost my Dad."Well, I finally read the Good Book,"And I took a good long hard look,"At what I'd do if I could do it all again,"And then: "I went sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu."And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,"And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying."An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,"To live like you were dyin'." Like tomorrow was a gift,And you got eternity,To think about what you’d do with it.An' what did you do with it? An' what can I do with it? An' what would I do with it?"... Nickleback has a good song, too, called "If Today Was Your Last Day":My best friend gave me the best advice He said each day's a gift and not a given right Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind And try to take the path less traveled by That first step you take is the longest stride If today was your last day
ReplyDeleteand tomorrow was too late Could you say goodbye to yesterday? Would you live each moment like your last? Leave old pictures in the past
Donate every dime you have? If today was your last day What's worth the prize is always worth the fight Every second counts 'cause there's no second try So live like you'll never live it twice Would you call old friends you never see?
Reminisce of memories Would you forgive your enemies? Would you find that one you're dreamin' of? Swear up and down to God above That you finally fall in love If today was your last day
If today was your last day Would you make your mark by mending a broken heart? You know it's never too late to shoot for the stars Regardless of who you are So do whatever it takes 'Cause you can't rewind a moment in this life Let nothin' stand in your way Cause the hands of time are never on your side'...
Yes, these are both secular songs, but the idea behind them is very much inline with what God wants us to remember, too... that we only have one life, and we should live it to the fullest... for HIM and His glory... and it is never to late to change how we are living our life if we discover that we are not living for God... we can repent, confess, and turn back to God, and He will be waiting with His arms open wide, ready to welcome us back home to His family on the spot.
verse 16-18, 27... how sad and frustrated Moses must have felt to know that his entire life's work would be forgotten as soon as he was gone... that all his teaching and pleading would be for nothing, as the people would turn away from God and leave all he worked so hard with them to preserve... but God feels this way all the time with us, too... think how easily we are swayed away and how often we turn our backs on God the second we don't "see" Him... it is very sad...sometimes we may think 'what is the use' in our own lives, but we must stay focused on God and what He is telling us to do, because only He can truly see the big picture... think what it would have been like if Moses never obeyed and led the people out of Egypt and to the Promised Land... think how the history would have changed and how much less God would have been glorified... sometimes when all we see it failure around us, it is time for us to look up and remember the perfection that is working through us to accomplish His plan and glory... all we do is not for nothing, so do not give into discouragement or frustration... if the Bible would not be complete without Moses and all he did for God, then equally, God's redemption story will not be complete without all we were made to do for God, too... do not be afraid or discouraged... the Lord, your God, goes with you, and all will be accomplished according to His marvelous desires.
ReplyDeleteveres 21... God knows who we are and what we will do before He blesses us and includes us, yet He still blesses and includes us anyway... what love!
verse 30... the suspense!... tune in next time to hear the 'Song of Moses'... :)
sandJ