Tag: sin

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, He Sees He Knows He Cares, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Living Faithful in a Faithless Land, Quiet Time

The Hope of His Compassion

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based on the Love God Greatly Study, Living Faithful in a Faithless Land/w5d3

Scripture: God’s Road Map for Our Journey / Daniel 9:1-19 (9); Jeremiah 25:3-12

Yet the Lord our God is compassionate and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him. Daniel 9:9 NET

Wow! I know I’ve said it before but it is worth saying again – I am loving this study of Daniel and the various Scriptures from others like Jeremiah and Peter where we get to see the interwoven tapestry of God’s fingerprints and hear His voice in both the Old and New Testaments.

I also love that Daniel is seen chasing ‘Scripture squirrels” as I do. We see it today in verse two of chapter nine, where Daniel describes how he came to understand from “the sacred books” that the number of years for the fulfilling of the desolation of Jerusalem, would be 70 years. Please excuse me for overusing the word “love” in this post but I simply love his response to the realization that the “end time” wasn’t far off. Oddly enough, his first response wasn’t shouting praises but rather what seems to have been somber, rather gut-wrenching prayer. It was a serious, sackcloth and ashes and fasting prayer. It was a fervent from the-heart prayer of praise, petition, and confession- not just for himself but for the Nation of Israel.

Daniel acknowledged God’s greatness and faithfulness. He confessed the rebellion of the people, who were unfaithful, wicked sinners who had sinned against the Lord God—the great and awesome God. Then, he cites what I call a “But GOD” moment, writing, “YET the Lord our God is compassionate and forgiving—even though we have rebelled against Him.“

Over and over, Daniel cries out to God on behalf of His people, Israel. – As I read it, I could hear the depth of his sorrow over the depth of their guilt. Listen to Daniel’s confession: “We have sinned against You! … We have rebelled against You by turning away from Your commandments and standards … We have done what is wrong and wicked … We have behaved unfaithfully toward You … we have not obeyed, we have ignored the messages of the prophets, we have not turned away from our sins … We have not obeyed the LORD our God by living according to His laws that He set before us through His servants the prophets … All Israel has broken Your law and turned away by not obeying You.” Three more times he says “we have not obeyed … we have sinned and behaved wickedly.”

If you have ever heard or asked the question, “So what is sin anyway?” Daniel makes it clear in his prayer that sin is disobedience to, or breaking, the law of God. Ignoring and rebelling against the teaching of God is sin. All of this, Daniel confesses, is worthy of the calamity and humiliation that came upon Israel by God’s own doing. – Jeremiah’s words in Jeremiah 25:3-12 verify the reality that while God allowed the captivity of His people, it was because they had not listened to what God had said through the prophet, which angered the Lord their God. “Thus,” the LORD said to them, “you have brought harm on yourselves.”

Disobeying God is to “break His law,” and this is sin. Sin is deserving of God’s wrath and worthy of exile, but our hope is in this truth that Daniel proclaimed in his prayer: “The Lord our God is compassionate and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him.” 🦋

Encouragement from the LGG Journal entry, quotes from p163 –

We all struggle with certain sins we wish we could be done with once and for all. We feel bad asking God for forgiveness for the same thing yet again. God is patient, compassionate, and merciful. There can be a sin that you struggle to forgive yourself, and you think, “There is no way God can forgive me for this!” That is a lie. Don’t allow a lie to keep you from turning to Him to ask for forgiveness and receive it. – When you are praying over a sin, keep remembering that ‘the Lord is full of compassion and mercy” (James 5;11B).

Daniel’s desire was for God’s people to worship Him in the temple and throughout the land. His desire was for God to be honored, praised, and glorified. God’s purpose for sending His people into exile was to discipline, cleanse, and restore them in order for them to renew their relationship with Him. So they’d no longer be adulterous seeking after other gods.

God’s intention for both Old Testament and New Testament believers is that they would be a faithful light to the nations, drawing others to Him.

Prayer, Our Response to the Journey

Heavenly Father, You are full of compassion, Your mercies are new every morning, and Your faithfulness is great. Thank You that through Jesus, we can know Your forgiveness for our sins. Thank You for setting us free from captivity to sin and from the law of sin and death. May we learn from the wayward ways of Your people before us and the prayer of Daniel – that we are meant to obey You – we are not to ignore You or stay in our sin. Instead, we are to love You with all of our being – and Your Word says if we love You, we will obey You. Remove any love of sinning that we might have and replace it with an unfaltering love for You, which seeks to bring You honor and glory. – Amen

The More We Know

Be sure and visit today’s LGG Blog- for more insight.

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Living Faithful in a Faithless Land, Quiet Time

Conformed or Transformed?

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based on the LGG Study, Living Faithful in a Faithless World / w1d4

Scripture: A Roadmap for our Journey – Daniel 1:3-7; Isaiah 39:6-7; Romans 12:1-2

Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—alive, holy, and pleasing to God—which is your reasonable service. 2 Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.

Romans 12:1-2. NET

If we belong to God, He is our Father, and He wants us to live according to His plan and His ways—which are righteous and holy. This will not and cannot happen if we copy the behaviors and customs of the world around us. God’s plan and desire is to transform us into new people, and this starts with changing the way we think. He wants to mold us and make us into His image, specifically, the righteous and holy image of His only begotten Son, Jesus.

Paul exhorts the believers in Rome to present their bodies to God as living, holy, and pleasing sacrifices. This means we will have to forego all the pleasures of the world and our hearts’ desires that do not align with God’s will and pleasure. Please read that again, making sure to understand that we do not have to forego all pleasures or give up all of our heart’s desires – only those that do not align with the will of God. How, in the world we live in, with all of its demands and tempting pleasures, can we faithfully do this? I believe the answer is found in Paul’s instructions: we should not conform to the ways of the world but instead be transformed by the renewing of our minds. One question we can ask ourselves every morning is, will we conform to the ways of the world, or will we be transformed by the renewing of our minds by allowing God to change the way we think?

As God’s people, we are not to adapt to or adopt the ways of the world around us. 🦋

The picture we see played out on the pages of Daniel Chapter 1 is one of a king attempting to transform Daniel and the other Jews, who were God’s chosen people, into the image of a ‘true’ Babylonian by reshaping the way they thought and spoke. At the end of a three-year training program, they would enter the king’s service. Even their names were changed from names that pointed them to the true and living God of Israel to Babylonian names that pointed them to the gods of the Babylonians.

“Everything was going to challenge what they had been taught in Judah.” The question was, “How would they choose to live? Could they make a home in Babylon and remain faithful to their God?”

Love God Greatly / Living Faithful in a Faithless Land / p53 – emphasis added

“What about you, MaryEllen?” Those were the words that popped into my mind as I was rereading the first part of this post that I had written earlier in the day. More questions followed that question … Do my ‘name’, my character and the things about me – ie. my words and the things I do and say point me and others toward the true and living God – or toward the gods and things of this world? – It’s a hard but important question, one I believe is good to ask ourselves from time to time – along with, “How have I chosen to live? Am I remaining faithful to God as I live in this sin-saturated world?”

Paul strongly urged the believers in Rome to give themselves over to the pleasures of God instead of self – to no longer live as though they were still dead in their sins but as ones made alive in Christ, holy and pleasing to God. What he wrote to the believers then is still vital for us as believers today — who “live in a culture that seeks to challenge what the Bible teaches.”1Remember the King in Daniel’s story, how he worked to change the way the young men from Judah thought and spoke and even ate by filling their minds with the literature and language of the Babylonians and their bodies with royal delicacies? The Lord’s Word, His literature, and language have the power to transform us, to reshape the way we think and speak and live, and – as I have found – to change us from the ‘inside out’ as we learn to live by the good, pleasing, and perfect will of our God.

“We need to renew our minds over and over with the Word of God. The better we know God, the more likely we are to trust Him and know that His ways are best even when we can’t understand what is going on.”

Love God Greatly / Living Faithful in a. Faithless Land / p53

Father, how easy it is to let my thoughts be filled and influenced by the world/culture around me. Guard me against this, Father, and let Your ways, Your Words, Your love, and desires saturate – not just my mind but my heart – so that I can know Your good, pleasing, and perfect will and live accordingly. Change me from the inside out – I pray this in the name of Your Son, my Savior – Amen❤️

Posted in Bible study, Come, Lord Jesus, Come, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

Be About the Master’s Business

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Scripture for the Journey: Mark 13:32-37 / SOAP: 37

What I say to you I say to everyone: Stay alert!” Mark 13:37 NET

Observation and Application for the journey

Have you found yourself longing more and more for the return of Christ? Do local or social media about world events escalate anxious thoughts and heighten your desire for His return to be sooner rather than later? I know it has mine. Come, Lord Jesus, Come is certainly on my lips more frequently these days than ever before. Surprisingly, for me, the prayer isn’t provoked by fear of mounting dangers and disasters but by sorrow and weariness of what is the acceptable, if not expected and even demanded, ways of this world. But, to borrow a few words from the prophet Jeremiah: “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope” – this world is not my home, I’m only passing through. I’m a stranger and alien here with a message of hope to share with others who do not know The Way, so they may go where I am going; and so those who know The Way may be equipped and encouraged to keep going in the right direction.

This isn’t a task given only to me; it is the assignment Jesus has given to each of His disciples. Yes, everyone who has trusted Him as their Savior has been commissioned to “go and make disciples,” introducing the Messiah to the lost and dying world around us. However, we must also remember that we are to encourage one another, a.k.a. other believers, daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of us may be hardened by sin and turn away from God.

The New Testament is filled with letters written by Paul and others to the various churches/believers who were struggling with various aspects of the Christian faith, some of whom were starting to walk contrary to the faith. Their messages were meant to help the believers understand the faith and to walk faithfully with God. Friends, I can testify to the importance of both the one who shares the WAY of hope and the one who encourages a wayward or struggling believer with the TRUTH, which is able to guide us back to God. Without the first, I would still be lost and dying in my sins; and without the second, I would still be out of fellowship with God, struggling in the pit of sin and despair – naming His Name but living like the world.

You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God

Hebrews 3:13 NLT

We do not know the day or hour, but we do know the WAY and the TRUTH – so let’s let our lights shine out in this dark world as we wait, staying alert and eagerly anticipating the day of His return.

“Get busy with the work God has given us by reaching the world and our neighbors with the gospel. At the same time, we do not store up our treasures here on earth because we know that this world will not last. Our days are precious and time is short, so we keep our eyes heavenward as our hands stay busy. We share Christ and the reason for our hope with those in our lives. We stand firm in God’s Word even in the midst of persecutions. We remember that no matter how dark our world gets, Jesus promised that He will be with us to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). – the LGG Journal entry for Come, Lord Jesus, Come p148

Prayer of Response to the Journey

Father, how good You have been to save us by Your grace1 and free us from the law of sin and death2; and to promise us an eternity with You in Heaven3. We are most blessed. So, help us to be about our Master’s business as we wait on His return, help us to stay alert – alert to those4 around us who have not placed their faith in You and will be condemned,5 and may we be ready with an answer for the hope that is within us. Help us also have eyes to see those believers who are struggling and lift them up both in prayer and through words of encouragement that lead them back to You. Remind them, Father, that they do not have to settle for just a place in Your heaven, but they have been given the gift of a relationship with You now. Mold us, make us, use us, Lord – as we wait. In Jesus’ name – Amen!

The More We Know

If you would like to know more about Heaven and how you can share in the hope of eternity please read Know These Truths.

https://atomic-temporary-62140760.wpcomstaging.com/2023/03/14/know-these-truths/

Be sure and check out today’s LGG Blog Post at https://lovegodgreatly.com/lgg-blog/

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, Triumphs over Trials, Wisdom

Enslaved by What Controls You

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based on the Love God Greatly Study, Triumph over Trials / w6d3

THE JOURNEY (SCRIPTURE AND OBSERVATION)

Scripture: 2 Peter 2:17-22 and SOAP: verse 19

 These people are as useless as dried-up springs or as mist blown away by the wind. They are doomed to blackest darkness. 18 They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception. 19 They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. 20 And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. 21 It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. 22 They prove the truth of this proverb: “A dog returns to its vomit.” And another says, “A washed pig returns to the mud.”

2 Peter 2:17-22 NLT

Clearly, we must be careful who we choose to hang with and/or follow and what habits we choose to take up.

Peter has been warning the people about false teachers that would arise among the body of Christ. Here, he is still talking about the men mentioned in verses 11-16, whom he had compared to “irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed,” and as those who would “suffer harm as the wages for their harmful ways.” He described them as those who were carousers in broad daylight, saying they were stains and blemishes, indulging their deceitful pleasures. Not only did they “have adultery in their eyes,” he said that “they never stopped sinning and enticed others who were unstable.” They had forsaken the righteous path of God and chosen to follow the unrighteous ways of Balaam.

Peter’s words are a warning that we would be wise to take note of. They are almost haunting yet – full of wisdom for sure. His words are a reminder that it becomes more and more difficult to walk away from sin the longer we are in it – for once we have “trained” ourselves in the unrighteous ways. by making a habit of chasing fleshly pleasures and giving in to the temptations – they become a way of “life” to us, and we wake to find ourselves living the life of a slave. We are captivated and then captured by the desires, and we are trapped (or enslaved) by the fleshly pleasures and the desire for more – until it is all but impossible to escape.

LIVING THE JOURNEY (APPLICATION)

We must be careful with what we watch, see, hear, and get involved in—and who we get involved with—so that we are not enticed by the words of the unrighteous, “false teachers.” We must remember that the promise of earthly pleasures will never outweigh God’s presence and promises of heavenly treasures.

This kind of Christ-centered life requires us to:

stay on the alert –

not succumb to the unrighteous pleasures of this world

stay true to God and not turn back from the holy command, which bibleref.com explains as “the gospel, the command to trust in Christ.” —

Question FOR THE JOURNEY

Has there been a time in your life when the temptation of sin promised satisfaction but only left you feeling empty and unfulfilled? What did you learn about God during this season?

PRAYER FOR THE JOURNEY

“Dear Lord Jesus, guide us away from the empty promises of this world. Fill our hearts with Your truth, that we may find true freedom in You. Strengthen us to recognize and resist those who would lead us astray.” – Amen

THE MORE WE KNOW

Explore verses 19-21

19. https://www.bibleref.com/2-Peter/2/2-Peter-2-19.html

20: https://www.bibleref.com/2-Peter/2/2-Peter-2-20.html

21: https://www.bibleref.com/2-Peter/2/2-Peter-2-21.html

Be sure and check out today’s LGG blog for even more insight

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

Live Like This

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based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God, w3d5

Scripture: Colossians 3:12-17/ SOAP: verse 15

Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart (for you were in fact called as one body to this peace), and be thankful. 

Colossians 3:15
Be Intentional? (true confessions)

The word peace typically denotes a serene, laid back, no worries kind of word; however, Paul says “let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart.” If I’m being truly honest, letting anyone or anything be in control of me is not as easy as it sounds. So this one has taken me years to to learn and I’m still working on putting it into practice faithfully. For you see, I’ve learned that peace in this context isn’t a laid back, no worries kind of word – but rather a word that requires me to be an active participant in a difficult task. It is referring to living at peace with others, which is why I must let Him be in control of me. I’m telling you this was daunting to me – until I learned how much I can trust Him, how much He loves me, how faithful, compassionate, patient and kind he is. And then, when I remembered what He did for me, His enemy, so that I could be at peace with God – well, it was a game-changer! I have found that there is truly no greater peace than letting Him be in control of my heart and every other part of me. I find pleasure and strength in giving Him every part of my life and running to and depending on Him for help when I struggle to love as He loved, or to make allowances for other’s faults and forgive those who have offended me. To quote Jesus’ words to His disciples – [living at peace with others] is impossible with man but with God all things are possible, Matthew 19:26.

Looking at the Bigger Picture

Our passage today in Colossians three, is one of the ways I learned to “let Christ be in control of my heart”. I put it to memory, along with the first eleven verses, close to a decade ago. I noticed, as with all of Paul’s letters, he is always teaching the disciples of Christ to take responsibility for their faith. Notice here in these verses all of the responsibilities Paul gives to help them take owner ship of their faith.

  • clothe yourselves … bear with one another … forgive … love … let peace control your heart … let the Word dwell in you (richly) … use the Word to teach, exhort, and encourage … Be a representative of Christ … Give thanks to God through Christ

Sound a bit daunting? It definitely can be – until we remember that God has given us His Spirit who empowers us to live like this, and according to James 4:17, to do anything less is sin. Again, the good news is while it’s impossible for us to live like this – Nothing is impossible with God. The Spirit empowering us is a promise found in 2 peter 1:3-4, where we read:  By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share in his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then NOT do it.

James 4:17
Remembering This Helps

The peace Christ came to bring – is a peace that set us free from sins hold – a peace between us and God, and yes, even others – it’s a peace that is able to control our heart’s attitude toward others – because He wants us not just to know His peace but to live in peace with God and others – (I realize I just made that point but it bears repeating – because it is difficult to do) but – as Paul told the Philippians in verse 17, God has called us to “be a representative of Christ” – who exemplified the very definition of peace.

Prayer of Response to the Word

Peace peace wonderful peace flowing down from You Father. Peace that You graciously and lovingly gave by sending Your only begotten Son to be our peace so that we could have a relationship with You and others. You have called us to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts for as members of one body – the body of Christ, we are called to live in peace. We can only do this when we live like Jesus. Guard us from hating others or being unkind or refusing to forgive those who have offended us. Help us, instead, to clothe ourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness humility gentleness, and patience. Strengthen us to make allowances for other’s faults and to forgive those who offend us, and when all of this just seems too hard or we just don’t want to live like this– then help us to remember how you have forgiven us. – I pray these things in the name of Jesus – Who is our peace. AMEN!

Reflection on the Journey
  • What does the Bible teach about the importance of letting the peace of Christ rule in our hearts?
  • How can we cultivate and maintain peace in our hearts and relationships?
Going Further:

Don’t forget to check out today’s LGG Blog

What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in your heart?

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Quiet Time, The Armor of God

The Grace of Righteousness

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based on the LGG Study, The Armor of God /w2d3

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; SOAP verse 21

God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:21

I have many passages of Scripture that I refer to as “one of my favorites”, however, this one is among the top 10. It is one of the passages that allowed me to believe and understand the true meaning of God’s grace – a grace that not only saved me from my sins and took them all away, but a grace that neither remembered my sins nor held them against me any more. It freed me from sin’s condemnation, and forever made me new! It is this passage that made me realize and claim the phrase, “From the Inside-out”, for my blog page and other postings. It is this passage that made me love butterflies (ok so – let me explain that one – lol …). You see, as I continually reread the passage, enamored with its truth, the picture that I kept seeing over and over again was a beautiful butterfly emerging from its cocoon – struggling and then breaking free to fly free and growing stronger with each second of flight. Because I love the passage so much it is hard for me to zero in on just the one verse so I have included a snapshot of today’s “soap” from my journal.

The Righteousness of God

There is beauty and truth in all of the verses but in light of understanding “the breastplate of righteousness” let’s zero in on verse 21. As you will notice in the illustrated journal page, I paraphrased this verse to read, “God made Jesus, His sinless son, take my sins on Himself so that God no longer sees me covered in sin but instead covered by the righteousness of Christ!” This is love and grace at its finest and a great illustration of the Gospel of Christ.

As Paul points out Christ was not only sinless but He was the way for us to become righteous before God. This is why we no longer face the condemnation that our sins deserve. This is why God is faithful and just to forgive us of sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This is why we can enter into a relationship with God – because God made a way where there was no way.

borrowed from the LGG Devotional Book, The Armor of God, p 68

Reflection on the Journey
  • How does the concept of righteousness relate to the work of Jesus Christ on the cross?
  • How does it affect our relationship with God and our daily life on Christians?

Going Further

Don’t forget to check out today’s LGG Blog Post

Posted in Bible study, From Broken to Restored, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

The Power of God’s Word

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based on Love God Greatly, From Broken to Restored / w3d3

Scripture: Nehemiah 6:10-14; Psalm 119:9-16 / SOAP Psalm 119:10-11

With all my heart I seek you.
Do not allow me to stray from your commands.
In my heart I store up your words,
so I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119:10-11

In the continuing story of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the wall, the enemy is proving to be relentless – using a variety of tactics. This required Nehemiah and those working on the wall to be continually on guard, and not just physically but mentally. Because of this guardedness – Nehemiah was able to “recognize” the attempted trick to get him away from the wall in our passage today. Verse twelve says that he recognized that the man he was talking to and the invitation/suggestion the man made was not from God. Nehemiah knew the man was trying to scare him and have him sin by entering the temple – because Nehemiah knew God’s law and teaching. He understood that there were rules about who could enter and how that was to happen.

In our SOAP verse today we see how this knowledge and guardedness plays out in the lives of believers still today. Note how the Psalmist both poses and answers a crucial question for those who belong to God and want to “maintain a pure life” as we have been called to do. The question: “How can a young person maintain a pure life?” The answer: “By guarding it according to God’s instructions, or commands as many translations say. The Psalmist then seems to clarify that these instructions/commands come from God’s Word, and that he hides these words in his heart in order that he might not sin against God. Don’t miss verse fifteen though, for here he gives the rest of the formula for being able to recognize whether something or someone is from God or not. He doesn’t just guard his heart, he doesn’t just remember God’s commands – he meditates on God’s Word and he focuses on God’s behavior. In other words the Psalmist was intentional – and we must be too.

He hides God’s words in his heart in order that he might not sin against God.

Psalm 119:11

We may not be able to commit to memory every word in the Bible but we can read it and listen to it taught – again and again and again … until we know His voice from the world’s (Jn. 10:27) and recognize godly behavior or requests from the ungodly ones. Keep in mind this is a lifelong growth of faith and pursuit of holiness but as these begin to happen life changes, decisions are different, love and grace and mercy are richer and fuller – both when received and given away. God’

Reflection on Today’s Journey

When you receive counsel or instruction, how can you make sure it aligns with God’s Word?

Going Further

Remember you can find more insight at LoveGodGreatly.com

How to memorize the Word of God https://www.savortheword.org/

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, He Sees He Knows He Cares, He Sees He Knows He Cares, He Sees He Knows He Cares, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

They Glorified God

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Today’s Scripture: Luke 7:1-17; SOAP / Luke 7:16

 Fear seized them all, and they began to glorify God, saying, “A great prophet has appeared among us!” and “God has come to help his people!”

Luke 7:16

There were two miracles in today’s passage. The first emphasizes the faith of a Centurion, the second the compassion of Jesus for a widow whose only son had died. While our focus verse is on the second miracle I can’t help but pause a minute to shine light on the first one as well. It excites and amazes me every time I read it. First of all that Jesus said of the Centurion, who was not a Jew (from the people of God) but a gentile, “… not even in Israel have I found such faith!” Second of all, that without even going to the home of the Centurion or being near his servant, Jesus healed him, not because of what a good man the people told Jesus the servant was – but because of the Centurion’s great faith.

“I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith!”

Luke 7:9

The focus verse is equally exciting and amazing, as we see Jesus raise a dead man to life. not because of any words of faith but from what appears to be Jesus’ compassion for a widowed mother whose only son had died. Unlike the other miracles we have seen, this isn’t about a someone seeking out Jesus and asking Him to heal or help. Instead , this one paints a picture of God’s sovereignty and perfect timing, as Jesus enters a town right when people are carrying the dead man out of town for the burial. Jesus stops the procession, tells the mother’s son to “get up! So the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.” A man raised to life out of compassion, a miracle witnessed both by the crowd with Jesus and by the crowd accompanying the mother in the funeral procession. That’s pretty exciting stuff, right? Yet, it is what happens next that must not be missed. I mean it isn’t uncommon for fear to be aroused by this miracle – considering no one had ever seen someone raised from death to life – but this “fear” seems to provoke an awe at what Jesus had done, which led to the people “glorifying God,” as they realized Jesus must be “a” (inferring one of many) “great prophet,” not The Messiah, God had promised – but admittedly, “one” whom, “God had come to help.”

A Response to God’s Word

Father, may we let the acts You do – big or small, significant or seemingly insignificant – move us to glorify You. May we stop and stand in awe of You. May we also, like Jesus, stop and show compassion for those who are hurting or struggling around us – and this that – You, like in the story we read today, might be glorified for who You are!

Want More?

Check out Love God Greatly’s Blog

Posted in Advent, Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The God Who Restores

The Coming Glory

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A Love God Greatly Advent Study, The God Who Restores – W2D5
Today’s Reading: Romans 8:18-25
Today’s SOAP: Romans 8:24-25

For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with endurance.

Romans 8:24-25
Observations: The Present Suffering

Sin brought a curse upon the world and man that is still present today. So that we (believers) eagerly await God’s “coming glory”, when all will be restored and completely made right. Somehow, creation itself understands the effects of the curse and, like us, is eagerly awaiting for our redemption to be complete.

Hope and The Life of Anticipation

While our focus verses show us the importance of hope in the believer’s life, don’t miss that God Himself, acted in hope of—or “looking forward to”—the reversal of His curses He [God] had subjected creation to. A good explanation of this is found at Bibleref.com, which says:

God subjected creation to frustration in response to Adam’s sin in the garden of Eden. God did not design creation to suffer. That hardship came after all was meaningful and “very good.” This warped, struggling existence came about when God cursed all of creation in response to human sin (Genesis 3:14, 17–19).He never intended for His creation to experience this futility and death and corruption forever.

Bibleref.com goes on to say, “The day is coming when God will reveal His children in the glory He has for us, and then creation will be set free from its bondage. Paul says that creation itself will obtain the same freedom that those in Christ will receive when they are glorified. All suffering will end. All will be made right (Revelation 21:1–4).”

I read somewhere that – “The life of a Christian is the life of anticipation“. From the time we place our faith in Jesus Christ to save us from our sins, we “hope in what we cannot see”… the promise of eternity, the guarantee of new bodies, of righteousness, forgiveness, and the God to whom we pray. This hope causes us to wait like expectant children at Christmas time with and eagerness to receive what we have asked for and believed in!

Application: How Does This Apply to Me?

A time stretches out and it becomes easier to lose hope -instead we should:

  • take heart that God’s promises are yes and amen in Christ
  • stay in the WORD, who is Christ and from which our HOPE comes
  • Wait with eager expectation

For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.

2 Corinthians 1:20 NLT
Prayer: Response to God’s Word

Father, thank You for Your promises that are yes and amen in Jesus Christ! Thank You for the HOPE in which I have been saved, and in which I now eagerly wait for Christ’s return! Thank You for leading me to put my faith in Jesus – And – Thank You that Your perfect timing in all things – perhaps, especially so in Your “coming glory”, when all will be restored and completely made right. – In and through the name of Jesus! – Amen

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Sin and the Need for Jesus

Day 4 of Jesus, I Need You – Part 2, a study of Thistlebend Ministries

Scripture Reading: Malachi 1:6-8, 3:1, 4:5-6; Matthew 11:14, Luke 1:17; and Isaiah 57:14-19

God Forgives the Repentant14 God says, “Rebuild the road Clear away the rocks and stones so my people can return from captivity.” 15 The high and lofty one who lives in eternity the Holy One, says this: “I  live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble  and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts. 16 For I will not fight against you forever; I will not always be angry. If I were, all people would pass away—all the souls I have made. 17 I was angry,
so I punished these greedy people. I withdrew from them, but they kept going on their own stubborn way. 18 I have seen what they do, but I will heal them anyway! I will lead them.
I will comfort those who mourn, 19 bringing words of praise to their lips. May they have abundant peace, both near and far,” says the Lord, who heals them.  Isaiah 57:14-19  NLT
 Observation: What’s the Message?

Every day, throughout this study, I have read the verses and looked for ways that they point us to our need for Jesus. Some passages have been more obvious than others but today’s proved to be challenging for me. Here’s where I landed …. Malachi 1:6-8 was a reminder that our sins require a sacrifice acceptable to God, but then it also prompted to praise God that Jesus is forever a perfect sacrifice. This reminded me that The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. God will not despise a broken and humbled heart. The other two passages from Malachi as well as the ones from Matthew and Luke seem to point us yet again to John the Baptist and his role as the one who would prepare the way for our Lord.

The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart.

Psalm 51:17

It is the passage from Isaiah however, that captured my attention. I confess it grabbed my attention mostly because I couldn’t figure it out and that always bugs me – so I chased down some information on its meaning and was glad I did. From all that I read, my synopsis is – it’s all about Christ making a way for us to have a relationship with God! However, I want to share with you a few bullet points from an article I read that I hope will help you reach the same ‘hallelujah’ I did.

  • Christ is the one who opens the way for a great returning to God (14)
  • Christ is the one in whom the “lofty one” – whose name is Holy comes to dwell with the oppressed and lowly (15)
  • Christ’s death is why God can acquit a guilty people without dropping the charges (16)
  • It is by Christ’s stripes that we are healed (18)
  • Everything hoped for in this passage comes to us – even to us Gentiles – in Jesus Christ.

Piper, from whose article I borrowed these points, went on to say, “We can read it as a personal offer of hope to any of us who will accept the healing of humbling and the cure of a crushed spirit.”

Application: How Then Should We Live?

From the inferior sacrifices of Malachi’s day to yet more reminders of John coming to prepare the way we are once again reminded of our need for Jesus. If we do not acknowledge this need daily, in both our hearts and minds, I am convinced that we will live as though we do not need Him.

We must not allow ourselves to live as though we can save ourselves or make ourselves better – we need a savior and that savior cannot be a pastor, a church, a child or spouse or friend, it can not be a job or good works. The only savior able to meet the demands of our Holy God is His Righteous Son, Jesus Christ.

Sin is the key because it is often the stumbling block that keeps us from dealing with the daily reality of our need for Jesus. We convince ourselves the questionable things we think, do, say, or watch really aren’t that bad. We play the grace card sometimes before we’ve even committed the sin – content that He will forgive us – we proceed with the sin. We should not make light of sin or treat it as a mistake – we need to humble ourselves before Him, confess our sin for what it is and deal with the sorrow that contrition brings. Remember, a humble and contrite heart He will not despise and according to this passage in Isaiah it is with the contrite and humble that He lives.

Prayer: Response to God’s Word

Father, how blessed we are that You sent Jesus to open a way to You, to acquit us of our quilt, to come and dwell among us, to heal us by His stripes, and to offer us hope and an eternal future with You. May we daily consider what You have done for us and live accordingly. Guard us from living in ignorance or rebellion – knowing what You’ve done for us but choosing our own way over Yours. Help us to be aware of our sin and may it make us contrite and humble, for it is with a humble and contrite heart You will dwell. To You be the glory, honor, and praise now and forever – Amen!

Your Turn:
  • What’s your take away from today?
  • How can you plan to walk humbly with your God?
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