*.* Asking is important. *.*
Journey Deeper Into God's Word
Psalm 40:7-8 : Then I said, “Here I am, I have come — it is written about me in the scroll. I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”
I spent years not reading the Bible. I am not sure how it happened but I just somehow managed to lose touch. My prayer life went as well and I had a growing sense of discontent about church (why is it soooo boring??). For way too long I walked away from the disciplines that are essential to growing my faith: reading the Bible, prayer, fellowship and dealing with sin. And the funny thing is that I really didn’t see it as an issue, didn’t bother me most of the time. And I look back and realise that there was no one in my life asking me the simple yet totally key questions: how is your Bible reading? How’s the prayer life? How you finding church? What sin are you struggling with right now? I don’t know, maybe because I was a leader in the church they assumed I was sorted. Well I wasn’t, far from it.
I think we need to ask each other those questions regularly:
How is your Bible reading? How’s the prayer life? How you finding church? What sin are you struggling with right now?
It opens up discussions that should happen and need to happen if we are to be real with each other as Christian brothers and sisters. It is not about being judgemental, but encouraging each other deeper into the presence of God. The questions need to be asked in love.
The reading above is clear when it says: ‘Here I am, I have come’: that I need to be ready and available to do God’s will. God’s will should be absolutely central in my life, everything should be secondary to the pursuit of God’s will. How do I discover God’s will? O my God; your law is within my heart. By absorbing and understanding the Bible, through prayer and fellowship. And I cannot get close to God without first facing and confessing my sin. So I need to be doing the basics often.
So let me start, how am I going with the basics?
My Bible reading needs to be every day, it has slipped a bit to every second day.
I want to pray more, I am falling in love with prayer, and could pray way more if time permitted!
I have started attending Church Online by Lifechurch.tv, which is very cool.
I am struggling with sin but I know that Jesus forgives me when I come to Him humbly and seek to make changes.
So what about you? Let me ask you: How is your Bible reading? How’s the prayer life? How you finding church? What sin are you struggling with right now?
Please leave your answers below in the comments section, and if you are reading this on email, you can head to the blog by clicking here: BLOG and leave your answers.
I look forward to reading your answers and praying for you.
Bless ya,
Mark
Me blogged @ | 4:34 AM
*.* toxic religion *.*
TOXIC—5
TOXIC RELIGION
Toxic—anything containing poisonous material capable of causing serious sickness or even death.
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. Galatians 1:6-7
pervert: metastrepho (met-as-tref'-o); to pervert, to corrupt, to distort or to poison.
TOXIC RELIGION
FOCUSES ON THE EXTERNAL RATHER THAN ON THE INTERNAL.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Matthew 23:25
its so easy for the purity of the gospel to be reduced to a list of dos and don'ts.
PROMOTES SPIRITUAL PRIDE.
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men — robbers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get’.” Luke 18:9-12
THE GOOD NEWS
Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known…22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe… Romans 3:20-22
its about the message not the package!!!
1) YOU CANNOT EARN GOD’S ACCEPTANCE BY OBSERVING THE LAW.
we cannot earn God's acceptance by obeying the law!
Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law… Romans 3:20
2) THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW IS TO SHOW YOU YOUR NEED FOR A SAVIOR.
…no one will be declared righteous…by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. Romans. 3:20
3) RIGHTEOUSNESS WITH GOD COMES BY FAITH IN CHRIST ALONE.
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe… Romans 3:22
“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' 14 I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God…” Luke 18:13-14
TALK IT OVER
What are some things you’ve done to try to earn God’s free gift of grace?
Pride is difficult to see in the mirror. What can you this week to help uncover it in your own life?
Reread Romans 3:20-22 together. Discuss what this scripture means to you.
What steps will you take to eliminate the poison of toxic religion? Talk It Over on Facebook. Get more resources from www.lifechurch.tv/talkitover.
Me blogged @ | 1:37 AM
*.* word of god. speak. *.*
I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay
The last thing I need is to be heard
But to hear what You would say
[CHORUS]
Word of God speak
Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty
To be still and know
That You're in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness
Word of God speak
I'm finding myself in the midst of You
Beyond the music, beyond the noise
All that I need is to be with You
And in the quiet hear Your voice
[REPEAT CHORUS 2x]
I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay
SPEAK TO ME NOW OH LORD!
pour down your rain!
Me blogged @ | 4:39 AM
*.* aye. *.*
I can count a million times
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that I've gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You
Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It's never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on you, oh Lord
My only shelter from the storm
But instead I draw closer through these times
So I pray
Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain
I am Yours regardless of
The dark clouds that may loom above
Because You are much greater than my pain
You who made a way for me
By suffering Your destiny
So tell me what's a little rain
So I pray
Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
For I am convinced that neither death nor life,neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future,nor any powers,neither height nor depth,nor anything else in all creation,will be able to separate us from the LOVE of God that is in Christ JESUS our LORD
Romans 8:38-3
and nothing can ever change that love.
amen.
Me blogged @ | 4:35 AM
*.* attempt number two *.*
Me blogged @ | 4:16 AM
*.* attempt number one *.*
Life isn't just about being.
To be a believer isn't just about BEING a Christian. it isn't just about the verb to be. It is also very much about the verb to do. Being a Christian involves more of doing, going about DOING God's will, then being a Christian. A Christian is not passive being. It is about active obedience, not passive stoning.
we as Christian's need to learn to take initiatives, to try to become a catalyst, to do the things that will bring about a change.
That is my view on what a Christian should be.
Me blogged @ | 5:22 AM
