The Abiding Life: Part 9 Romans 8:1

ROMANS 8:1

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

13 words that's all today's verse entails. 13 words that release us from the troubles of this world. It's rather amazing, isn't it?

Romans 8:1 tells us that we are not condemned to live with the "I" factor. We are FREE if we understand the spiritual life.

There is so much that can be said about this verse, so many ways to rejoice but I am going to focus on the fact that we are FREE from bondage. We are no longer slaves to Sin. For if we put our lives in Jesus' hands. If we allow the spirit to flow through us. If we choose Christ then we are FREE. It's that simple!

Shauni

*remember these are my thoughts on this verse and what I took away from my Bible study.. feel free to add yours to the discussion.

The Abiding Life: Part 8 Romans 7: 15, 17, 19 & 20

Romans 7: 15 - 20

 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.
 16 But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. 
 17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.
 19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.
 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

I am going g to break this down just a bit... first let's look at verses 15 & 19

 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.
 19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.

 These two verses are full of what I call the "I" factor (otherwise known as me, Me, ME). We as Christians want to serve God but continually fail. Why? The "I" factor. I want to do righteous deeds but because I am born of the flesh I fail. And sometimes find myself falling back on my SIN nature.


Let's take this a bit further by adding verse 17 after verse 15

15 For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.

 17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

And verse 20 after verse 19

19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.

 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

I read this and realized how easily this can be misread.  Paul did not write this as an excuse for his sin nature but rather as an explanation for his sins. 

Basically the way I see it, we want to walk a righteous path but Sin (pride, temptation, etc...) dwells (lives) within us and is constantly tempting us to stray. When we flounder we need to allow God's Spirit to flow through us. And when we stumble, when we falter, when we sin, we need to recognize where it is coming from. Then once again yield to the spirit.

Romans 8:13

13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

A veritable fork in the road. Yes sin dwells within us but we need to consciously choose to live by the Spirit.

Galatians 5:25

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

So we make that conscious choice to live by the Spirit. We choose the path we walk on. And once we choose to walk in the Spirit the "I" factor will fade as God's Spirit will shine through.

Shauni

*remember these are my thoughts on this verse and what I took away from my Bible study.. feel free to add yours to the discussion.

The Faithful Have Vanished Psalms 12

PSALMS 12

1Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases to be, For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.
 2 They speak falsehood to one another; With flattering lips and with a double heart they speak.
 3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, The tongue that speaks great things; 
 4 Who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?”
 5 “Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, Now I will arise,” says the Lord; “I will set him in the safety for which he longs.” 
 6 The words of the Lord are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.
 7 You, O Lord, will keep them; You will preserve him from this generation forever.
 8 The wicked strut about on every side When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

Is it just me? Or are you amazed at these words? I find it astonishing that David speaks so well for us. We are living in a time where the faithful seem to have vanished. In a time where are very leaders seem to be the ones who are leading us astray. In a world where it is more important to appease the ungodly than it is to serve God.

Where promises are made to those in need, those who are suffering and yet with each promise, strings are attached. Promises are broken, individuals are sacrificed to the masses. Lies rule the world. (Are we sure this didn't come from our morning paper?)

But God promises to arise and protect those of His people. He promises to place them in safety. Ok, all you scoffers, being held in God's embrace is a truly safe place to be. Is the world still going insane around us, yes. Are we suddenly physically safe from the world's problems, no. But when God embraces us, protects us and lights the way for us, our burdens are lighter and our fears are gone. If that's not safe, what is?

We still live in a world run by man so our strength must come from God's promises.

Shauni


*remember these are my thoughts on this verse and what I took away from my Bible study.. feel free to add yours to the discussion.

The non Prodigal Son

We all know the story of the prodigal son. It's probably the most well know parable in the Bible. It's how we are taught to embrace those who have turned away from sin. As a culture we have brought it into the secular world. It is truly a wonderful story. But today, I want to talk about the other brother.


Luke 15:11-32
 11 And He said, “A man had two sons.
 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his [a]wealth between them.
 13 And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.
 14 Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished.
 15 So he went and [b]hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
 16 And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the [c]pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.
 17 But when he came to [d]his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!
 18 I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and [e]in your sight;
 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”’
 20 So he got up and came to [f]his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and [g]embraced him and kissed him.
 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
 22 But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;
 23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;
 24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.

 25 “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.
 26 And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be.  27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’
 28 But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him.
 29 But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never [h]neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends;
 30 but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your [i]wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’
 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you [j]have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours.  32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’”

Initially we could say this is about a selfish and jealous child and I am sure that's how some people see the other brother. But he's not, he's hurt and confused. It's not that he doesn't live his brother or isn't happy he's home, it's that he suddenly feels unappreciated. That his hard work was for nothing. Fortunately Dad puts a stop to that. 

We, as part of the Christian community and the world all tend to forget the unProdigal Son. We forget, being a Christian is hard. Finding Christ and accepting Him into your life is the easy part. The hard part is staying on the path of righteousness. Offtimes, the faithful are forgotten. Not by God, no He welcomes them into His embrace. Offers them comfort and solice. It's the rest of us who fail.

When we see someone who has fallen from grace, we rush to embrace him, the farther they fall, the bigger our pig (to roast) is. We oooooo and we ahhhhh impressed with their strength. While ignoring those who have stood fast in their faith. Shoot, the world openly mocks them. Even (or rather especially) our "Christian" Nation.  In fact it seems we Americans are the hardest on our Christians. We are supposed to support those of other faiths, respect those who choose to disbelieve entirely (no matter how loud they clamour). We have to quietly stand by as our Christian nation falls into the hands of unbelievers. At least that is what our society says. After all everyone knows all the earth's problems were brought on by white European Christian men. Obviously the world would be a eutopia if only..

So while they bend over backwards to welcome just about anyone who believes in anything other than Christ, they mock us. But be faithful because no matter the ways of the world, God will provide for us and we will abide with Him forever. 

I, myself have stumbled and left the path only to return years later but I wanted to show my appreciation to the faithful. The path may be hard but your travels have been noticed.

Shauni

*remember these are my thoughts on this verse and what I took away from my Bible study.. feel free to add yours to the discussion.

Facing the Arrows of Life Psalms 11

Psalms 11
1 I've already run for dear life straight to the arms of God. So why would I run away now when you say, 2 the evil bows are bent, the wicked arrows Aimed to shoot under cover of darkness at every heart open to God. 3 The bottom's dropped out of the country; good people don't have a chance"?

 At first glance Psalm 11 was a quick read lacking that profound and immediate message but after re reading it and slapping myself upside the head.. I saw so much more than a quick easy read.

 We as Christians face so many struggles and yet so often don't understand why. There are those who literally attack us "straight through the heart" so to speak. They bend their bows and let loose their arrows. Arrows of spite, jealousy, gossip, etc. with each hit from those poisonous arrows, we can crumble just a little bit more. As beings of flesh our foundation is already shaky. Fortunately for us God provides a firmer ground.

 4But God hasn't moved to the mountains; his holy address hasn't changed. He's in charge, as always, his eyes taking everything in, his eyelids Unblinking, examining Adam's unruly brood inside and out, not missing a thing.
 5 He tests the good and the bad alike; if anyone cheats, God's outraged.
 6 Fail the test and you're out, out in a hail of firestones, Drinking from a canteen filled with hot desert wind.
 7 God's business is putting things right; he loves getting the lines straight, Setting us straight. Once we're standing tall, we can look him straight in the eye.

 God's eyes are upon us, he supports our very foundation. When the aroorws fly we can rest in God's shadow. His sight will protect us from the incoming, He will be our shield. He will be our protector and He will retaliate against the wicked. And we can just sit and bask in His faithfulness..

 Shauni

*remember these are my thoughts on this verse and what I took away from my Bible study.. feel free to add yours to the discussion.

Why do You Hide Yourself? Psalms 10

A Prayer for the Overthrow of the Wicked.

1 Why do You stand afar off, O LORD?

          Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?

2 In pride the wicked hotly pursue the afflicted;

          Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.

3 For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire,

          And the greedy man curses and spurns the LORD.

4 The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him.

          All his thoughts are, “There is no God.”

5 His ways prosper at all times;

          Your judgments are on high, out of his sight;

          As for all his adversaries, he snorts at them.

6 He says to himself, “I will not be moved;

          Throughout all generations I will not be in adversity.”

7 His mouth is full of curses and deceit and oppression;

          Under his tongue is mischief and wickedness.

8 He sits in the lurking places of the villages;

          In the hiding places he kills the innocent;

          His eyes stealthily watch for the unfortunate.

9 He lurks in a hiding place as a lion in his lair;

          He lurks to catch the afflicted;

          He catches the afflicted when he draws him into his net.

10 He crouches, he bows down,

          And the unfortunate fall by his mighty ones.

11 He says to himself, “God has forgotten;

          He has hidden His face; He will never see it.”

12 Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up Your hand.

          Do not forget the afflicted.

13 Why has the wicked spurned God?

          He has said to himself, “You will not require it.”

14 You have seen it, for You have beheld mischief and vexation to take it into Your hand.

          The unfortunate commits himself to You;

          You have been the helper of the orphan.

15 Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer,

          Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

16 The LORD is King forever and ever;

          Nations have perished from His land.

17 O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble;

          You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear

18 To vindicate the orphan and the oppressed,

          So that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror.

With all the things going on in the world today, this Psalm really hit home. It reminds me of the age old question"Why does a Loving God allow bad things to happen?" Why do those who have evil design constantly and consistently rise to power? 

These are good questions and obviously have been around for a lot longer than I was aware of. And I of course have no real answers, just some thoughts. 

How can a loving God allow this?? I think that can be answered by a question that was posed to Me in my youth. "If God is all powerful, can He make a rock so big He can't move it?" Ahhh a riddle. I want you to think about this for a moment. I do have an answer. It's yes...What? God can't do something???? Here's my reasoning Free Will (replace the word rock with free will). God promises us free will. He promised us that He would not force us to choose Him. He wants us to serve Him with open and living hearts but He. Will. Not. Force. US. Because He gave His word because His word is His bond, He Can Not break it. Why? Because He said He wouldn't. 

So there's your answer. How can God allow all the evil things to happen? Because He promised us He would allow us free will. Yeah, but what about the Christians who serve Him? Don't they deserve better? Of course they do. And God offers His comfort and support, God carries their burdens for them. For all of us if we let Him. The struggles and troubled and persecutions don't go away, the just become easier to bear because God carries them for us. Why? Because we asked Him to!

Consider all the nation's that have risen to power based on evil and consider how many have stumbled, failed and are now crumbled to dust. In a way we are a "last man standing" kind of world. And God will be that "man". So the evildoers will fail, the nation's Will fall and we, His children will be there to praise Him in victory.

Shauni

*remember these are my thoughts on this verse and what I took away from my Bible study.. feel free to add yours to the discussion.

The Abiding Life: Part 7 Romans 6:12-13

Romans 6:12-13

 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 

13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of

unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

Therefore? Way back in Mrs. Elkhart's 7th grade language arts class, I was taught... if it says therefore, find out what it's there for. So what's your therefore, there for? Remember yesterday's verse,   Romans 6:11

11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

There's our therefore... if we are dead to sin and alive in Christ, we must not let sin reign in our lives. Wait...that's confusing isn't sin a constant in our lives??? Well it's there. But in this case we are not speaking of the sins of the flesh, rather of sin. There's a difference???

SIN - the original pride, self centeredness, power or entity that tempts us. Going all the way back to push temptation and doubt into our lives... aka Lucifer, Satan, The Devil, Bealzabub, etc...

Sins - those actions we take when we give in to Sin.

There is plenty of terminology in these two verses that can lead to some confusion. What exactly is Paul referring to when he says mortal body? Just that. The flesh, bones, muscle of our physical selves...as opposed to when he says flesh, that usually implies our sinful nature, ie. Sins of the Flesh. What are the members he speaks of?? This can be compared to our senses... and instruments? What do we all need to play the tuba? No an instrument is a tool of sorts. A tuba is in fact a musical tool.

So, what does that mean to us?

We are dead to Sin sooo do not let it control our body's actions. Do not let it back inside. What we need to do is take our physical body to God allowing Him to use all of us (head, shoulders, knees and toes) not just our bodies but our senses, our heart, all of us. And use them as tools (or be realistic allow God to use them as tools) of righteousness to God.

Any clearer?

Bottom line, use our tools to serve God not sin.

Shauni

*remember these are my thoughts on this verse and what I took away from my Bible study.. feel free to add yours to the discussion.