Tag: lost

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God Used Science

Scripture: “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided…” Exodus 14:21 NIV

Observation: The exodus of Israel from Egypt is recounted.

Application: As I read today I had to laugh. This passage gave me a very simple truth. Let me explain. When I was a young man I used to watch a program entitled “In Search Of.” Modern cable TV being what it is today there are numerous programs similar to “In Search Of.” All of these science programs try to explain life to the viewer. “In Search Of” was always trying to explain away biblical facts and these modern versions of that program do it with a vengeance. I remember seeing a program one time recently where the host went to meteorologists, geographers, historians, and “biblical scholars,” to try to explain how in the wide world of science the exodus through the sea could have possibly occurred. They had stars aligning, earthquakes occurring, and global warming (before it was cool) evaporating oceans, all as theories as to how it could have possibly happened but they over-looked the obvious. I just saw it today and it is a scientific answer to their question. “…the lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land.” Exodus 14:21b NIV There you have it, plain and simple but they couldn’t see the truth. They were so busy looking for their version of truth that they didn’t trust what was right in front of them. God by his word created science to push the water back with air pressure.  The ground dried out and Israel was able to pass through!

Prayer: Father, you are amazingly simple sometimes. You are so simple that we brilliant humans can’t believe it. Thank you Lord! Amen

Doug

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Unforgivable Sin

Scripture: And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. Luke 12:10 NIV

Observation: I’ve often wondered how a person can blaspheme the Holy Spirit and not be forgiven. I went searching in the “Notes” of my YouVersion bible and I found the following. I hope that it helps you understand too.

Application: “Unforgivable Sin” by karensigman

“I have never totally understood the unforgivable sin. When I read verse 10 I got out my life application bible and looked to see what it said. “Jesus said that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is unforgivable. This has worried many sincere Christians, but it does not need to. The unforgivable sin means attributing to Satan the work that the Holy Spirit accomplishes. Thus it is deliberate and ongoing rejection of the Holy Spirit’s work and even of God himself. A person who has committed this sin has shut himself or herself off from God so thoroughly that he or she is unaware of any sin at all. A person who fears having committed it shows, by his or her very concern, that he or she has not sinned in this way.” This helped me a lot. I hope it helps someone who is reading this.”

Prayer: Father, I pray that I never sin against any part of your character. Amen

Doug

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Guide My Steps

Scripture: Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall. 1Corinthians 8:13NIV

Observation: We have an obligation to those around us to not do anything that may cause them to sin. If our behavior causes another to fall we need to reconsider our behavior.

Application: We must defy our flesh and allow the Spirit to guide our behavior.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, guide my steps. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen

Doug

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Valentine’s Day

Scripture: My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.
Look! There he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows,  peering through the lattice.
My beloved spoke and said to me,  “Arise, my darling,  my beautiful one, come with me.
See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.
The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
“Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me.”   Song of Solomon 2:9-13

Observation: The Song of Solomon is a guide to marriage.  Throughout it’s chapters and verses it tells not only of the proper courtship between two people but it’s gives a daily account of their marriage, “until death do us part.”  In the above scripture the Lord tells us how when we marry  the proper man.  He is our protector and as he loves the Lord and loves the woman that the Lord has blessed him with he builds a confidence in her that allows her to let the past go and look forward in Christ.  She then becomes fruit bearing in her relationship with the Lord.

Application: Doug is the young stag my heart searched for most of my life.  In our father’s mercy and grace he gave me a Christ-driven man.  He’s full of  integrity, passion for truth and love according to Christ’s values.  Through Doug’s love for me, my winter is passing.  The woman who was lost to sin has found the freedom to face her sin and ask forgiveness.  The barren soil has seedlings growing which will burst forth with beautiful flowers and a sweet loving fragrance.
Prayer: Thank you Lord!  You are the God of Mercy and Grace.  Even a sinner like me can receive the love and forgiveness I never thought possible.  Thank you for giving Doug the ability to see me through your eyes.  Bless him Lord.  Let me honor him with my love and friendship each and everyday!  Amen

Have a great day!  Thank you,

Laurie

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God’s Chosen

Scripture: If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. Romans 11:17&18 NIV

Observation: Paul is teaching the Gentiles that they, through the Jews, are part of God’s kingdom. Paul reminds the Gentiles and us that without God’s Chosen, Christianity wouldn’t be possible. The Jews are the root onto which we are grafted. We aren’t Christians without them. We aren’t better than them, we are just saved through Christ. We need to love the Jewish people. We need to protect them and we need to share Christ with them.

Application: We must pray for the Jewish people and we must share Christ with them.

Prayer: Father, please help me to be a good steward of your blessings. The Jews are special to you and they are responsible for my Christianity. Don’t ever let me take them for granted. When given the opportunity allow me to witness of Christ’s sacrifice. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen

Doug

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The Sinner’s Prayer

Scripture: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.  Romans 10:9&10 NIV

Observation: Paul states the truth about salvation.

Application: Believe in your heart, profess with your voice and be saved. It’s really that simple.

The Sinner’s Prayer: Father, I believe that Jesus died for my sins and I accept his sacrifice.  I thank you for giving him to me. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Doug

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Not Just the Surface

Scripture: They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ Mark 7:7 NIV

Observation: Jesus tells the Pharisees that their concern about his disciples eating without ceremonially washing first is hollow.

Application: Do I worship the Lord or do I try to follow the rules? My desire is to love the Lord with all of my heart but I fear that sometimes I settle for doing “A, B, C and D” instead. My Lord would prefer my deep love which leads to my following the rules as opposed to my following the rules to show the world that I’m a “Christian.” God deserves all of me not–just the surface.

Prayer: Father, help me to be completely yours. Your deserve that! I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen

Doug

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…the Egyptians too!

The following blog entry is compliments of Pastor Leon Hiebert, Community Care Pastor of Generations Church, Andover, KS

Scripture:  Exodus 14:4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.”  (also verse 18)

Observation:   2 Peter 3:9 tells us that God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.  In the verse above, we see that God had the same desire in the Old Testament.

Instead of wanting to help the Israelites accomplish God’s will, the Egyptians were set on keeping them in slavery.  They were working against God.  Yet God wanted them to know Him.  We know God loved the Israelites, but the truth is—God loved the Egyptians too!

Application:    When people stand against me and what I believe God wants to do in my life, it is easy to write them off my list of friends.  That may be my way, but it is not God’s way.  He loves them too!  He wants me to love them too.

Prayer:   Lord, You love my enemies and You tell me to love them too, to bless them that curse me and to do good to them that hate me and pray for them who spitefully use and persecute me. (Mt 5:44) To do this, Lord, I need your help.  Amen.

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Trust God

Scripture: Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) Genesis 13:10 NIV

Observation: Abrahm and Lot part company.

Application: As I read today I was initially struck by the fact that Lot knew what “the garden of the Lord,” Eden, looked like. I wasn’t really sure what lesson that fact would teach me so I decided to read on and ponder. As I continued to think about this passage I realized the obvious, Lot jumped at the chance to seize the “best” and let his uncle have the left-overs. How often do we do the same thing? Instead of asking for guidance from God, we latch onto what is the most pleasing at the moment only to find disaster in the end. Lot lost his family and his possessions because the “best” ended up being the worst and God destroyed it all in the end. Abrahm trusted God, took the left-overs and ended up being the father of God’s chosen people. We shouldn’t trust in our fleshly desires; just like Abrahm, we should trust in the Lord.

Prayer: Father, help me to rely on you and not on my earthly urges. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen

Doug

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For You Laurie

Scripture: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 NIV

Observation: Words from Jesus.

Application: Laurie, this passage spoke to me for you this morning. I know that you’re tired and worn out, Jesus wants you to find the rest that you need in him. Don’t look to me, the kids, church or work, look to the Lord. I love you have a great day.

Prayer: Father, give Laurie rest, peace of mind and a calmness in her spirit as she rests in you. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen

Doug