Go build a boat...

When God says go you go.

Sometimes I find myself asking this questions. You want me to do what? Sometimes Gods instructions don’t make since. Look what he said to Noah.

Genesis 6: 14-18

14 So make yourself an ark of cypress ^[c] wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. ^[d] 16 Make a roof for it and finish ^[e] the ark to within 18 inches ^[f] of the top. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks.

Now you have to understand, Noah lived in the middle of no where, miles from water, and God wanted him to build a boat in his back yard. Now this was not a weekend handy man project. He was not going to the local hardware store and find a kit. The scale of the Ark for that time was staggering, and there not being a lot of world travelers back then, boats/ships of this size were not common on the waters.

Genesis 6: 22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

However, Noah obeys God as he always did. (I often wonder what kind of tools Noah had to invent to make God’s ark? He didn’t have 40 position table saws, jig saws, electric screwdrivers, or a Home Depot close.) So here is Noah in his back yard building something that not may people had seen, much less understood why he was building this boat for miles.

It took Noah 120 years to build the ark. God had to provide a lot for Noah here, but the main thing was trees…. I picture a forest clear cut for miles. Stumps upon stumps upon stumps. What a scene it must have been, when his friends walked by and wondered what he was doing. Those were his friends, but what about the people who did not know God. They must have thought Noah was just plain crazy. However, when God say’s build a boat, Noah took God for his word and built a boat, and for a very good reason.

Genesis 7: 11-12

11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month—on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. 12 And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.

What kind of boat is God asking me to build? Well, first it is to lead and raise a Godly family, centered on the Love of Christ, something that is becoming rarer in these days. Often people look at Godly family’s and try to figure out what they are doing, and wonder why they act or do what they do. When was the last time a TV show depicted a Godly family?

Also, God is calling me more and more to lead. Where he wants me to lead, and who is very much up in his hands; But, I know that me being a God made man is rare, and I hope that my relationship with Christ can shine and lead other men to the Jesus that I know.

1 Thes 4: 11-12 Make it your ambition to lead a quite life, mind your own business, and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders, and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Dig...

Mark 2: 4-5
4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." (Emphasis added)

We have to dig through the grime and dirt of our life to see Christ. Faith should drive you to do what ever you can to be close to Jesus. So much faith that you will dig through what ever barrier stands in your way to get to him.

MV for the week:
1 Thes 4:11-12
Make it your ambition to lead a quite life, minding your own business, and working with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders, and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

This is just to neat... Enjoy....

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/470445/jesus_painting/

The Fall and Sin of Man ruined God's perfect plan...

I look at the effects of all SIN this way...

In the Garden of Eden before the fall there was no Rot or Rust, and God walked daily in the Garden with Adam and Eve. The Garden was God's perfect dwelling place on earth. After the sin we were separated from God, and the rot of sin, and the rot of nature entered the world, once it became about "ME" and "US" and not God.

God by his Grace gives us a way to escape the Rot of sin... but we have to leave ALL things that God calls sin behind…We need to seek that personal relationship with God, it is by God's grace alone that we leave sin behind.

Also it is not up to us as Christians to judge a person’s actions, God’s is the judge of our faith and sin. All we can do is point out in love what sin is, pray that God opens the eyes for the sinner to see their error, do our best to live as an example using Christ as our model, and let God sort us all out in the end.

II Tim 4:21 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Romans 12: 1-2 Therefore I urge you brothers in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God...This is your spritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform anylonger to the paterns of this world, but be trasformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to approve and test what God's will is. His good pleasing and perfect will.

Evolving God?...No..Loving God?... Yes

The not so new fight to remove God from our lives continues, with the evolutionists. This article in the NYTimes tries to lay out an argument that our need to believe in God evolved from a need to believe in the supernatural or something greater than ourselves.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/04/magazine/04evolution.t.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin

The fundamental question in the article is this:

Which is the better biological explanation for a belief in God — evolutionary adaptation or neurological accident? Is there something about the cognitive functioning of humans that makes us receptive to belief in a supernatural deity?

My answer: God created us to love him, and gave us the ability to have faith in him because of the love he shows us. I do not believe it to be an accident, nor did we adapt to need it.

Yes it is a simple answerer... But Faith as simple as a child is what Christ taught.

Mark 10:15
15I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."


And also in the article is this…

And one prominent member of the byproduct camp, Justin Barrett, is an observant Christian who believes in “an all-knowing, all-powerful, perfectly good God who brought the universe into being,” as he wrote in an e-mail message. “I believe that the purpose for people is to love God and love each other.”

At first blush, Barrett’s faith might seem confusing. How does his view of God as a byproduct of our mental architecture coexist with his Christianity? Why doesn’t the byproduct theory turn him into a skeptic?

“Christian theology teaches that people were crafted by God to be in a loving relationship with him and other people,” Barrett wrote in his e-mail message. “Why wouldn’t God, then, design us in such a way as to find belief in divinity quite natural?” Having a scientific explanation for mental phenomena does not mean we should stop believing in them, he wrote. “Suppose science produces a convincing account for why I think my wife loves me — should I then stop believing that she does?”

Whether proven by science or not, God made this earth based on his own design and plan. We are made to seek him, and build a relationship with him; Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

The more I listen to what is going on in the world the more I realize it is not God’s plan. Evolution is a product of the world view that does not want to give God the credit for this beautiful world we live in, and wants to remove God and therefore morality from our lives. It is the ways of the world that are leading us further and further from the will of God. Paul when writing to the believers of Rome said:

Romans 12: 1-2 1 Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God...This is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the plans of this world, instead be transformed through the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve God's will, his good, pleasing, and perfect will.

God wants us to live our lives through him, and what better way to live in this world than through the God who made it and us.....

Cleave

Ge 2:24
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

A followup based on a comment posted. In the KJV the word used is cleave, NIV United, NAS Joined, all 3 are translated as follows...

Hebrew word: qbd translated word: Dabaq
Phonetic daw-bak' Verb

Definition
to cling, stick, stay close, cleave, keep close, stick to, stick with, follow closely, join to, overtake, catch
(Qal)
to cling, cleave to
to stay with
(Pual) to be joined together
(Hiphil)
to cause to cleave to
to pursue closely
to overtake
(Hophal) to be made to cleave

Used 54 Times in the KJV: cleave 32, follow hard 5, overtake 3, stick 3, keep fast 2, ...together 2, abide 1, close 1, joined 1, pursued 1, take 1

Tipically hebrew writing has one word for each meaning. And there is no reference I can find were they used Dabaq to mean dividing...

Dividing or Divide was a separate word: Baqa` Pronounced: baw-kah' Which intersting enough has cleave in its definition, but is only used once to

to split, cleave, break open, divide, break through, rip up, break up, tear
(Qal)
to cleave, cleave open
to break through, break into
(Niphal)
to be cleft, be rent open, be split open
to be broken into
(Piel)
to cleave, cut to pieces, rend open
to break through, break down
(Pual)
to be ripped open, be torn open
to be rent
to be broken into
(Hiphil)
to break into
to break through
(Hophal) to be broken into (Hithpael) to burst (themselves) open, cleave asunder

Used 52 times ... breached 3, break 4, break forth 1, break through 1, breaks forth 1, breaks open 1, broke open 1, broke through 2, broken 3, burst 2, burst open 1, cleaved 1, dashed to pieces 1, divide 1, divided 4, forth 1, hatch 2, hews 1, invaded 1, make for ourselves a breach 1, rip 1, ripped 1, ripped open 2, shook 1, split 7, split open 1, splits 1, tear 1, tore 2, torn 2

What do I get from this. When God talks about something being joined or put together he uses, Daw-Bak. The writes of King James used the word cleave which yes has two meanings in our languages. I believe based on the Hebrew looking at NIV and NAS, united or joined seems to be a better fit.

But I appreciate cleave (KJV) being used in this since though. It is a more dramatic word, and brings to mind a picture of one person holding fast to the other so as not to fall or be devided.

www.biblegateway.net was used for the word study.....

Leading a Marriage, Serving a wife.

OK. I know I know I haven’t blogged in awhile, busy is not an excuse it is the truth. Well now that I have broadband at home I can keep up better.

Well the past 8 weeks in DC we have covered Fellowship, The Tongue, Unity, Conflict and Marriage.

The Marriage topic is one that holds my attention. 1) I am married 2) Marriage for a man is the true definition and practice of leadership. So here are my thoughts….

No the first thing you are going to ask when you read Ephesians below is; WHERE IS THE SUBMIT? And yes Wives submit to your husbands is important, but did you know that God gave the husband more instructions in Ephesians, than he did the wife.

EPH 5:25-31
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…

How did Christ love the church? He served it and sacrificed for it ultimately giving his life.

26 to make her holy, cleansing[b] her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless

If I lead as I should she will follow me to Christ, ensuring her salvation to God. Husbands are to lead their wives to Christ by example.

28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body.

Pretty self explanatory; Husbands are to care and provide for their wives just as they would care for themselves. No only in the physical sense, but also spiritually. Husbands are responsible to make sure their wife’s faith is growing, and her relationship with God becomes stronger.

31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh.” Paul is drawing from Genesis, which in the The King James translation says:

Genesis
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

First leave, old ways behind, and make new your relationship with your wife, and unite (CLEAVE), to her. When I think of the word cleave I think of holding on to something as tight as I can, so tight that the hold can’t be broken.

To unite in one flesh has finality to it. One can not be divided, if you do divide one you have fractions or pieces. As C.S. Lewis described it, a lock and a key are one mechanism, a bow and a violin one instrument. Only, those pieces together can make one. Niva is the Hebrew word for one. Meaning: Only one. or Echad in Greek: for Only once, or a certain. To become only one certain flesh.

So now back to Submit…. Instead of thinking about it as the dirty word the world has made it, think of it this way. See, to lead is to serve, to be humble, thinking of others better than you. Phil 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than your selves.

And so if husbands lead their wives in that fashion, they are not submitting to a tyrannical leader, no they are submitting to being served by there husbands. Eph 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

God places so much value on Marriage that he gave Christ’s relationship with the church, as a model for the relationship of the husband and wife.

Here is what I wrote for my wife on Valentines day….

Dawn,

I just wanted to take a second to tell you how in love I am with you.

I know I tell you everyday that I love you, but I hope you know that it is so much more than words that I express.

I can not think of where my life would be today with out you there every step of the way. I truly believe we are united by God and that covenant can not be broken.
Genesis 24: For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
God has truly blessed me, he knew it was not good for me to be alone, and I pray daily for him to continue to strengthen our marriage.
Genesis 2:18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
You are a wonderful wife and mother, and I am excited to be able to raise our children with you.
You’re Loving Husband

Ikanoo

It was good to get back to class today. The group is blessed by two good leaders, and the men in the group are picking up where we left off. God truly is amazing, and is doing amazing things with our group of men.

So I started reading through Colossians today, and God put me in a box. The verse that got me is: Col 1:12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[a] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

I started to wonder what he Paul meant by qualified. So I decided to do a word study on it.

Qualified comes from the Greek, ikanoo, meaning:
1. to make sufficient, render fit
a. to equip one with adequate power to perform duties of one

Also used in 2 Co 3:6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Digging deeper ikanoo comes from ikanoß meaning :
1. sufficient
a. many enough, enough
b. sufficient in ability, i.e. meet, fit

Because God qualified us through his Son, he gave us the Sprit so that we can be competent in the teaching of his word. He wants to equip us with is word, that is more the adequate, to be men of God.

MV Week 2: Eph 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

A Baby sent to this world... Why?

So have you ever wondered what God was thinking when he sent his Son into this world? Why in his world would God send his Son into the world full of sin? From the first sin of Man to the sin of Israel that lead to it’s destruction at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, even the sin in the world today. What was God’s plan with a Baby Boy that came into this world in the most unassuming way?

You see God is a jealous God, and his jealously makes him want to rise up in anger against that which separates us from him. That is sin. Our sinful nature is what provokes this jealous anger.

If you read through the Old Testament God’s jealously rises up against the sins of Israel to the point that he wants to beat the sin out of the world. Now think about that. He was so jealous of the sin in the world he destroyed it by flood, Sodom and Gomorra destroyed, Israel conquered by Babylon, all because they refused to listen to the prophets, and heed God’s warning.

What was a Jealous God to do to restore the relationship with the Man he created? Well he sent a little Baby, His Son to save us. II Cor 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. To be sin… That is a powerful statement. What was God thinking? He wanted to rise up and destroy sin, to beat it out of this world. So why would he make his Son be that sin for us?

See, the baby that came into this world in an unassuming way, was beaten and crucified so that the sin that was laid upon him would be destroyed. God used the life and death of this baby to restore the relationship with his people by rising up with out stretched arms on a cross.

This Christmas as we celebrate the Joy that is Christ’s birth, let us not for get the ultimate sacrifice he made for us to restore our relationship with his Father.

Ex 34:14 14 Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

Jealous: Qanna' - jealous (only of God)
jealous: Qana - to envy, be jealous, be envious, be zealous
a (Piel)
to be jealous of
to be envious of
to be zealous for
to excite to jealous anger
b (Hiphil) to provoke to jealous anger, cause jealousy

Angel on a tree... and a new MV

I have said it before, but it is worth repeating. Children are the heart of God, and can convict you sometimes quicker than any Bible verse. If you raise your Children to know their God, their faith will root them to a solid foundation of faith. I again found this out last night.

Well for the past week my daughter has seen on TV the Angel Tree, and keeps asking when we are going to Kroger so we can get her Angel. Well last night she got her chance.

As we walked into Kroger she saw the tree. "Mommy, Daddy, can we get an Angel?” At that point what were we going to say. She proudly carried her Angel "Corissa" (That being the name of the person we were buying Christmas dinner for.) around the store. Such a simple act of unselfishness on her part.... How was I to refuse with my cart full of groceries.

So a memory verse hit me this morning as I read Jeremiah:

Jer 17:10
I the Lord search the heart, and examine the mind, to reward a man, according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.

I notice again that God puts the change of heart first and deeds second. If our heart changes our actions change with it.

First for my Wife... Second just a ramble...

First to my wife:

I LOVE YOU !!!!!!!!!!!

To My wife again:

I LOVE YOU !!!!!!!!!!!

I guess at this point it is ok to tell the world that we are expecting our second child. As we have since we started trying to get pregnant we are putting it all in God's hands. We pray for a healthy boy or girl, and know that with God's help we will deal with what ever comes our way.

Now the Ramble…..

I was walking through the house this morning barefoot (I go barefoot a lot) in the dark and I noticed that every footstep felt familiar. Like my feet knew exactly where to land and landed in the same place as I walked the same path's through my house. Now I know what you are thinking, I am going to talk about being in a rut and getting out of the rut in my life. Well if you are thinking that you would be wrong.

You see as I read through a couple chapters of Jeremiah this morning, I felt each word was familiar. Like my eyes had read them before, and knew exactly what was said and knew exactly what God was placing on my heart.

I walk the house in the dark in bare feet, but the knowledge of the house guided me so I did not stub my toe. I walk through this world of darkness and God's word guides me so I do not fall to the darkness.

Oh how privileged we are to walk in the Light of the Word confident in the salvation of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Said: I am the Way the Truth and the Light; no one comes to the Father except through me.

Has it been a week...

Time has been flying recently. I am traveling allot (I am typing this sitting in the Ft Lauderdale airport on my way home), and every time I turn around, another week is gone.

I am tired that is for sure, but having God guide me through and to lean on has been a huge blessing. This past 10 weeks in DC I have learned allot about who I am and learned some things that I didn't like, and if I don't like them I know God doesn't like them. I have also gotten answers to prayers that I have not expected. The biggest thing for me is to be patient. God seems to be telling me not to rush any decisions. There is alot that he and I need to work on together in my life. So I wait, and pray, and the weeks pass. But I am more in love with my God today than I ever have been in my life. My heart is wide open to learning more about my relationship with God, and I pray that the spirit continues to put the fire in my heart.

MV Week 10:

Hebrews 4:12

For Gods word is alive and active. Sharper than any double edge sword, penetrating even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Active he is in my life.

I think I need a good game of Clue JR. with my wife and daughter.

Dweller in the Valley

The word Amalek/Amalekites , means: dweller in the valley.

The Amalekites were the long time enemies of Israel. Exodus 17, Joshua has a war with them, 1 Sam 15 Saul was told to destroy them.

Amalek was the constant hurdle in the way of Israel, sin is our constant hurdle to a true relationship with God. Sins of the flesh can stand in the way of our relationship with God, Only God can deliver us from sin, through our faith. If we do not trust God to deliver us, our sin will prevail. Just like when Moses would lower his arms during the battle with the Amalekites, the Amalekites would prevail.

When we are down in the valley (a low point) of life, our sin will poke us in the side. The valley is where that constant sin will poke the hardest. We must rely on God to help us resist the sin, and bring us out of the valley renewed. To obey God and not sin is better than anything else we can do. So we must “Live by the Spirit” and we can turn away the “Sinful Nature” (Our Amalek) that is constant in our lives.

Memory Verse. Week 9

Jeremiah 29: 11 “For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.”

The cry of my daughter hit my ears Monday evening just 5 minutes after laying her down for bed. “Daddy can you come up here?”. As I pulled myself out of my chair I figured she wanted more water or to get a new book. When I got to her room I was informed that she had broken her Bible cover. Upon inspection ad through tear filled eyes of my daughter I noticed the pink heart that hangs from the zipper of the case was broken off. Her heart was broken. She loves her bible and pink bible case, and I have to say I love that she loves it so much. I assured my daughter that I would do my best to fix the heart on her zipper. (Knowing on the inside I would be fixing her heart.) Ask my wife how determined I was to get the pink heart back on the bible cover zipper. I even went so far as to use pliers on a simple zipper…..

God works to fix our heart. It is broken and hardened by sin and selfishness. And he is determined to fix it. He peruses us at every turn, and uses every tool he can to mend and fix our broken hearts.

My daughter woke up to a mended heart on her Bible cover. It was not as it was before it was most certainly a new creation; it was not like it was when it was brand new. I smiled and was pleased to see her delight and ask, “How did you do that?”. Aren’t we all new creations in Christ Jesus? Our hearts are made new, but bare the healed scars of sin. But oh how God is pleased when we turn to him and he sees our new heart that defeats sin.

Right hand of Power…

I did a word study this week based on a discussion at DC on Monday. The verse in question:

Mathew 26: 64
64 "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

The words in question are “right hand” and “Mighty” (some translations use the word Power, instead of Mighty One)

The word Right hand is from Greek: dexioß , translated: Dexios Meaning:
1. the right, the right hand
2. metaph.
a. place of honour or authority

The word Dexios is derived from: Dechomai Meaning:
1. to take with the hand
a. to take hold of, take up
3. to take up, receive
a. used of a place receiving one
b. to receive or grant access to, a visitor, not to refuse intercourse or friendship
1. to receive hospitality
2. to receive into one's family to bring up or educate
c. of the thing offered in speaking, teaching, instructing
1. to receive favourably, give ear to, embrace, make one's own, approve, not to reject
d. to receive. i.e. to take upon one's self, sustain, bear, endure
3. to receive, get
a. to learn

The word Power or Mighty is from the greek: Dunamis Meaning:
1. strength power, ability
a. inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth
b. power for performing miracles
c. moral power and excellence of soul
d. the power and influence which belong to riches and wealth
e. power and resources arising from numbers
f. power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, hosts

I read the versed this way, after doing the word study. God the Mighty Power of the universe received Jesus to the place of honor, and authority in the kingdom, and will send him back with the authority of heaven.

MV Week 8

II Timothy 2: 15

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, and who correctly handles the word of truth.

...

I have been with out a computer for the past 3 days because my laptop from work crashed. I will be back in full blogging force soon. I have some ideas swimming around in my head. I will take this weekend to get them into digital form.

I just continue to pray that God will open my heart more and more.

On a tree on a hill, blood was spilled for you an me….

The retreat was awesome. I can honestly say that I am now committed to finishing the DC program. My first spiritual discipline I will work on is solitude…

Be still and know I am God…

Be still and know I am…

Be still and know…

Be Still…

During the time of solitude Saturday morning I started thinking about all the trees, and how all the trees start from little acorns or seeds. One tree, can lead to the growth of thousands of other trees. As a tree grows and sprouts branches that reach out over the ground, it grows leaves, and develops seeds. The seeds at the end of the far reaching branches fall off onto the ground; some seeds are covered by the falling leaves while others are left on bare ground. More trees sprout from the coverd seeds and the process continues until a whole forest of trees is present.

To me as a Christian the most important tree is the one that held my savior at his death. This tree was planted by the sin of man. As it was raised into place, Christ’s arms were spread out wide. Blood from his hands and feet spilled onto the ground. Each drop of blood is a seed of faith. It is up to us to be covered by it, and let it sprout in our hearts. If we do, the seeds of our fruit will be spilled out for others to see. More people will accept the seed of faith from our savior.

Christ’s blood seeded and will continue to seed the souls of many.

My favorite thing shared by one of the men on the retreat:

God has filled you to the top with the Spirit, how much you let out is what matters.

Early Mornings

The past few mornings I have been getting up early and reading the bible. The thing I notice most is how different my day has gone the past 3 days. By starting out on the right note mentally, I am better able to maintain focus on Christ for the day.

Also I have stopped writing in my work book for my weekly reading. Instead I make notes in my Bible. It flows better and I seem to concentrate more on each section of verse that sticks out to me. Part of me wants to try and write a note about every verse, but I know that God is using this time to speak to me in a certain way. I may read Mathew again next year and have different verses stick out to me then that I can make notes about then.

Today for instance, I read through the 7 woes. And the part that stood out to me was, the dressing up for good appearances on the outside, all the while the filth of sin still resides on the inside. One of the biggest things I struggle with is my pride, and the do it on my own attitude. I will not conquer sin with out Christ; I need to let the spirit clothe me from the inside out.

MV Week 7: II Timothy 3: 16-17
All scripture is God breathed, and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

OK.. So we got off easy this week on the MV.

Mathew... Again.. And some Proverbs

Mathew 13:44
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

The hope of heaven is huge to me. What a wonderful thing to know that I will walk with my savior forever. I also hide his kingdom away in my heart, and the memory verses help me do that. Often on days I miss reading the bible I find myself repeating the Memory verses over and over again. Not only are they a treasure of hope in my heart, they are nuggets of truth that help me walk daily in Christ.

Mathew 16: 20
Then he warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.

The disciples did not fully understand who Christ was. Jesus is warning them not to say anything about him until they understand. Much in the same way it is better for us not to try and explain scripture to someone unless we understand. The implications of explaining it wrong is big.

Mathew 16: 28
I tell you the truth, so of you who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.

Mathew 18: 3-4
I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 There, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Proverbs 11: 2
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

Sometimes I think, I over analyze my faith, and try to reason it out too much. (This is my adult pride taking over) A child trusts his/her parents to meet their needs and lead them. But as adults we have a hard time humbling ourselves to the leadership of God. Since I have started this class I have noticed that I have just accepted my faith more openly. The days I miss reading the bible I find myself repeating my memory versus over and over.

Proverbs 11: 7
When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes; all he expected from his power comes to nothing.

I have said to unbelievers; If you die and I am right you loose everything. If I die and you are right, I loose nothing. The saving power is from Christ not ourselves.

Mathew

I am struck in Mathew about the continuing theme of choice, and asking to be saved and walk in the Faith. Jesus described this choice in many ways.

Mathew 6: 24
24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

What master do you serve earthly treasure or Jesus? You can not serve both and be Faithful to God. All things of this earth belong to him.

Mathew 7: 7-8
7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Ask for salvation and it is given, have faith in what you are given and you will have eternal life.

Mathew 7: 13-14
13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Do you choose the wide door or the one true way to eternal life? The narrow door is open to everyone who chooses.

Mathew 12: 30
30 "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.”

Are you alive for Christ or do you sit by neutral to his teachings?

Mathew 16: 24-25
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.”

How deep are you willing to go for Christ? Are you willing to loose it all, even your life to defend your faith.

All the statements by Jesus ask for a choice to be made:

You cannot serve both God and Money.
Ask and Seek
Wide or Narrow
With or Against, Gather Scatter
Risk it all… ?

After reading through the many times that Jesus asks us to make a choice, buried in the middle is one of Jesus’ absolute statements.

Mathew 10: 32-33
32 "Whoever acknowledges me before men; I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.”

Jesus is our only intercessor to God the Father. No one else can promise eternal life. No one else lived the perfect life. No one else paid for our salvation the way Christ has.

Choose Christ you choose eternal life. Choose your life you die to eternal life. After all Jesus choose to die so that we could have eternal life.

Memory Verse week 6/7....

II Timothy 3:16-17

All scripture is God breath and useful for, teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in rightousness. So that every man of God may be thoroughly equiped for every good work.