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Thursday, October 16, 2014

IFEquip - October 16 (genesis 17:1-14, 22-27)

What does this mean about:
God?
Me?
The World?

Specifically IFequip's highlighted text: Gen. 17-4

(God) As I reviewed this text, I was confronted with God's faithfulness. Because of Christ, we are ONE. It's very difficult to not see God as I read scripture. As God instructed Abraham to circumcise all in his household, I immediately thought of sanctification in my own household - I am to pray for those who do not know God/Christ/Holy Spirit. (ME) The O.T. promise, was fulfilled through Christ's finished work as we trust and believe in Him. Obedience is the word that is highlighted here - implied, not said. (The World) Obedient to Christ-like through the strength of the Holy Spirit is a steady thread in my readings lately, this just added more for this personal conviction to obey Christ to share Christ through my life. For God's people, we are to be one, to abide and live Christ-like, so the world will see Christ.

Shawn 7:21am, October 16

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Day 962 of Giving Thanks


"Be Strong and Courageous"
"Be strong and courageous".... the key word is "Be", not "wait to be",  not "want to be", not "aspire to be".... sounds like a command to me... God says "Be....." it is action, not submission. Deuteronomy. 31:6, 31:7, 31:23, Joshua 1:6, 1:7, 1:9, 1:18, 10:25, 1 Chronicles 22:13, 28:20, 32:7....

Do you ever "feel" like you cannot get from point A to point B because you are fearful, anxious, worried, unsure or just plain tired? We have all been there; myself included. For me, it's been many more times than I care to remember, and just recently in fact. We can stay in this state or we can walk in faith; we can't be in both. I call this a state of confusion because we are His, and everything with God is certain, if it's certain, how can we not trust our status as a child of God?

Every time I feel this way, I dive into the "Be Strong and Courageous" verses...

Deuteronomy 31:6
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
Deuteronomy 31:7
"Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, "Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their forefathers to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance."
Deuteronomy 31:23
"The LORD gave this command to Joshua son of Nun: "Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you."
Joshua 1:6
"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them."
Joshua 1:7
"Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go."
Joshua 1:9
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:18
"Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey your words, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!"
Joshua 10:25
"Joshua said to them, "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.""
1 Chronicles 22:13
"Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the LORD gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged."
1 Chronicles 28:20
"David also said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished."
2 Chronicles 32:7
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him."

© 2012 Giving Thanks Daily, Shawn Boreta
Web: http://shawnsgivingthanksdaily.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150327530757809

*****************
We are Wonderfully Made (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wonderfully-Made/130178720330362), living to encourage and Equip His People (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Equip-His-People-Ephesians-411-13/170487976325407) and completely committed to believing greatly Psalm 139 with purpose (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Psalm-139-with-purpose/183264461708034).
Originally shared on Equip His People, Ephesians 4:11-13 on Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 1:35pmhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Equip-His-People-Ephesians-411-13/170487976325407

Monday, August 13, 2012

Encourage One Another - Matthew 18

Equip His People, Ephesians 4:11-13
Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Encourage One Another
Equip His People, Ephesians 4:11-13 
by Shawn Boreta

We are to love each other. Build relationships... and help one another by encouraging. In my opinion, that means getting to know one another. Not shaking their hand one minute then correcting them the next. Can we agree to "reserve the right to be smart and compassionate"? I am not here for debates or disputes, I am here to share the beautiful power that God has so graciously given to me.

Think about it, if we are constantly arguing and bickering and condemning, how does that attract someone who is not a believer? Before I grabbed onto God, I was holding on for dear life with the world. Hanging on to ever lie... and the enemy will use everything to feed that unbelief - know this, and envelope the wonderful gifts of each other, lift each other up, share and encourage. When there is question, Matthew 18...

So, in summary: Go to that person who you believe to be wrong, in sin, etc... IN PRIVATE.
Facebook is so weird, it's like we loose all sense of common decency... and I mean everyone. I know for me, if I post something that is off, or errored, I hope someone tells me. But not in a flogging sense through their words on my page.

Then, if no resolution, bring 2 others into the conversation.
Then, to the church officials/elders.

Facebook is the platform, the tool, not the blame. Re: public rebuking - I believe it is as bad as public flogging, calling an offense when a person has already been accused; and the damage has already been done, the public square is much larger, more eyes to the accused; and the sad part is, believer (new and old), as well as unbelievers get to watch as "Christians" throw stones at each other. We play the enemy's game, just like he likes it; disagreements and accusal and discourse.

In life, not on Facebook, we engage (interact, bind, absorb, engross, interest, involve) differently. We meet someone, build a relationship and permissions and formalities (known or not) are followed. I h
ave had people "friend" me here, and in the next contact (post), they have already told me what is wrong with what I am sharing. My first church, when I was a baby Christian spent more time telling me all the things that were wrong with me, and the rules to follow, that I didn't get the true Jesus until a couple years ago.... they did this publicly - so early on, I knew what didn't work for me.

The "world" is watching us... we are to attract people. Just a thought.

Rules of Engagement... easy.

We must never be the lone ranger out here - we should all have a group of friends who watch out for you, and vice versa. But we know this, don't we? Some believe that because the forum is Facebook, different than the "real" world, they can make up their own new rules and bypass manners or etiquette and especially common sense and common courtesy...

Since we are a wild kind of church here, all community, loving the Lord, serving the Lord, seeking and sharing truth, we can follow that example. We are God's community of His children. Wow, I am long winded today.

Did you know that you can totally blow a new Christian out of the water, by blurting corrections out?
Did you know that you can affect someone's walk by saying discouraging words when they are just learning how to read the Word and starting their walk?
Did you know that you can encourage someone and change their view of God with your words?
Did you know that God wants us to become more like Him and be full of forgiveness, grace and mercy?

Matthew 18 (NIV)
The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

Causing to Stumble
6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

The Parable of the Wandering Sheep
10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
12 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

Dealing With Sin in the Church
15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him.25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”


Monday, August 6, 2012

Salvation is Secure, The LORD Promises

I had to share this wonderful article by Darci Escandon. In response to some scripture being used to support "loss of salvation".


The LORD told me early on, "I will NEVER LEAVE you Shawn, you can trust me...."

Response to the idea of loosing salvation
By Darci Escandon in Ps139 for our Ps139 group of edifiers
https://www.facebook.com/2Tim17Life

Hebrews 10:26-31  “26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[a] and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”[b] 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”  The author is talking about people who deliberately refuse God’s invitation. He is talking about people who refuse to get to know God. He is talking about everyone who refuses the gift of the Holy Spirit and Salvation.

Rev 3:5 “5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.” This has nothing to do with apostasy. All this verse is talking about is that people whose names are written in the book of life will get into Heaven. The names of all believers are registered in this book.

17:8  “8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.” This verse says that people who didn’t know God, will not have their name in the book of life. It has nothing to do with apostasy. If you do not know God and He does not know you, you won’t get into Heaven.

Proverbs 26:11  “11 As a dog returns to its vomit,  so fools repeat their folly.” The first line of this saying is quoted in 2 Peter 2:22. Like a dog that returns to his vomit: It is known everywhere that after vomiting a dog will lap up its vomit. So returns to his vomit means “eats its vomit again.” Is a fool that repeats his folly: The fool does not learn from his foolish errors but rather repeats the same foolishness over and over. The comparison is between the dog repeating the eating of its vomit and the fool repeating his mistakes. In translation it may be necessary to say, for example, “Fools always repeat their mistakes like dogs always eat their vomit.” [1]


To lose your salvation is called Apostasy. the Greek root of the word ‘apostasy’ is used for Paul’s alleged rejection of Moses and, in 2 Thess. 2:3, for an expected rebellion before the end.


First of all, the idea of apostasy or the loss of salvation stems from the Arminian view. They cite that many of their examples such as Judas, Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11), Hymenaeus and Philetus (2 Timothy 2:16-18), Demas (2 Tim. 4:-10); the False teachers and those who follow them (2 Peter 2:1-2) as examples of people who had faith at one time and then lost it. As Armenian’s and those that belive that you can loose your salvation see it, only a most contrive line of reasoning can explain away the obvious impression that these individuals were actual believers who departed from their faith.  Note that the Arminans used two basic methods to formulate their view. First, they focus on didactic passages that apparently teach that it is possible to apostasize. Second, the point to historical phenomena, biblical narratives that tell of specific people who appartnly did fall away. When the author directly interprets what occurred (e.g. when Paul asserts that Hymenaeus and Alexander have made shipwreck of their faith), however, these particular passages are actually functioning as didactic material.

In addition to biblical examples, Arminians also point to various extrabibilical cases of persons from history or from their current experience who at one timegave every appearance of being regenerate yet subsequently abandoned any semblance of the Christian faith. In these caes, of course. The line of arbument is based on experiential phenomena rather than biblical teaching. [2]

Let’s explore the true biblical teaching. John 10:27-30  constitutes a powerful decloration of sercuritu. Verse 28 is especially emphatic: “I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” In the clause “and they shall perish” John uses the double negative (ou me greek) with the aorist subjunctive, which is a very emphatic way of declaring that something will not happen in the future. Jesus is categorically excluding the slightest chance of an apostasy by His sheep. A literal translation of this from Greek would be “They shall not, repreat, shall not every perish in the slightest”.

Now, as for Hebrews 6:4-6 , this passage warns the Christian Jews that if they returned to Jewish customs and beliefs, they would not go to Heaven and were cutting themselves off from God’s forgiveness. Verse 6 points to the Hewbrew Christians returning to Judiasim and thus, committing apostasy. The writer is warning against the hardness of heart that would make repentance inconvievable for the sinner and would cause the person to renounce Christ. Those who fall away cannot be restored so long as they persist in their flagrant and public rejection of Christ. The subject of ἀνακαινίζω (anakainizō, in this context, “to cause to change to a previous, preferable state”45) is not identified and could be either God (the convicting ministry of his Spirit), other Christians seeking to “restore”(RSV) their fallen brother or sister, or both. Regardless of the agent and in spite of persistency in the effort (the writer shifts from past oriented aorist tense forms to the present, continual, tense here), the word impossible (v. 4) makes it clear that in their present condition they will not respond. It is important that we consider the nature of that condition and precisely what is described as impossible.

What is their condition? The last part of v. 6 describes the degree to which their lives have actually turned in the opposite direction—they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. Just how they do so is not specified. Perhaps upon their rejection of the Christ they once embraced they have come to engage in active and public opposition to his gospel, perhaps their return to an open lifestyle of sin and immorality cause the gospel to be disgraced or both. Regardless, the outcome is the same. It is clear, in a public sense for all to see and know, that they no longer regard Jesus as the Savior crucified for their sins. Their rejection is so extreme that it is as if they were nailing him to the cross all over again. There is nothing in these verses to suggest that the atonement which Jesus accomplished at the cross does not apply to the future sins of those who remain within their covenant relationship with God, repentant and grateful for the sacrifice made by their Savior. Those described here refuse to repent and have decided to reject him. This resembles closely the description of a clear and final rejection of Christ described by Peter (2 Pet 2:20–22).[3]


These verses are also suggestive as to how we see ourselves and others. Many want to know, “have I committed apostasy and am I therefore beyond the grasp of God’s grace?” The answer suggested here is that the only people beyond the grasp of God’s grace are those who wish to be. Anyone who is willing to repent—probably anyone who cares enough to ask the question—can be restored to his or her relationship to God on that condition. As to whether others around us are in such an “apostate” condition is a decision that should be left to God since any decision to repent places a person outside of the class described here and we can never be sure whether or not a person will someday make that decision. Our most appropriate response is to never give up in our efforts to restore them and allow God to make, “in the end,” the decision about their eternal fate.[4]

God is the only one that can give and take away salvation. Salvation is granted when we believe with our whole hearts that we need God, that Jesus is who He says He is, That He will come again. In fact, I just wrote a piece in EHP regarding salvation. Salvation is not granted based upon our sins or our good deeds.

Now, that does not mean that He will not hold us accountable on judgment day for our choices. There is a great division in the church about Salvation...who can be saved, how people can be saved, how people stayed saved.We have to exercise extreme caution when we want to use a verse to illustrate a point. It is with great understanding that we must understand who and what the audience was that the writer was addressing. In this case, Paul was addressing the church in Corinth. The church was headed in the wrong direction. Paul was not addressing salvation or the loss of it, rather, he was addressing the fact that the church seemed to not care about their choices. In other words, people in this world even today, are only sorry for getting caught when sinning, or the effects of their sins, but not at all for committing them.

The notes in the NIV Study bible say this “Compare Peter’s remores and repentance with Judas’s bitterness and act of suicide. Both disowned Christ. One repented and was restored to faith and service, the other took his own life. The message of 2 Corinthians 7:10 needs to be looked at in the context it was written. It is apart of verses 5-19. This section was Paul feeling Joy over Titus’s report. Paul had waited anxiously for Titus to bring information about the response of the Corinthians to his strongly worded letter (1 Cornthians). Would they reject the letter and their apostle? Would God use Paul S words to change the Corinthians? Paul rejoiced when Titus told him that God had used his strong words to bring about repentance in the Corinthians. He affirmed his unchanged devotion for the Corinthians and expressed confidence in them (7:12-16) . It is apparent, in verses 9 through 16 that God's hand was evident in the church's response. They had become sorrowful as God intended (v. 9). The phrase is literally "grieved according to God" (elyphthete kata theon). But what does this mean? Renderings include "sadness . . . used by God" (TEV), "suffering that God approves" (JB), "made sorry after a godly manner" (KJV, NKJV) and "as God would have had you sorry" (Phillips). The NASB's "made sorrowful according to the will of God" or the NIV's became sorrowful as God intended is probably the sense here.

The kind of sorrow that God intends results in a change of heart: Your sorrow led you to repentance (v. 9). This is the third reason Paul can be happy. The Corinthians did not merely regret what they had done but repented of it (v. 9). Metanoia (repentance)denotes not just a change of mind about something but a reorientation of the whole person (Goetzmann 1975:357-58). Judas felt remorse for what he had done in betraying Jesus to the authorities (metameletheis, Mt 27:3), but his remorse did not issue in repentance. Repentance, to be sure, involves a recognition that a wrong has been committed. The Corinthians, when confronted with their failure to defend Paul in the face of his detractors, felt sorry for the pain they had caused him. This is remorse. But repentance goes further. It not only recognizes the wrong committed but also seeks to rectify it. This the Corinthians did by admitting their blame and by punishing the offender (2:6; 7:11).

So, please, when you use a verse to support your thought, make sure you understand the context in which it was written and audience to which it is written to. As for using Hebrews 6:4 to back up the idea that believers will loose their faith is preposterous. A true believer will not abandon Christianity. True believers will endure their commitment to Christ because God will preserve them by His power (1 Peter 1:5). Remember, the moment a professing believer abandons Christianity, they reveal that their faith was not real. The distinctive evidence in true Christianity is endurance (Hebrews 3:14)


References
[1] William David Reyburn and Euan McG. Fry, A Handbook on Proverbs, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 2000), 562-63.

[2] Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology. Pp. 1001-1002

45 So Louw and Nida (p. 157) who point out that in other contexts forms of the word can mean “to cause something to become new and different, with the implication of becoming superior” (cf. 2 Cor 4:16 and Col 3:10 where ἀνακαινόω appears and Rom 12:2 and Titus 3:5 where ἀνακαινωσις is used). ̣Ανακαινίζω appears only here in the NT.

RSV Revised Standard Version

[3] James Girdwood and Peter Verkruyse, Hebrews, The College Press NIV Commentary (Joplin, MO: College Press, 1997), Heb 6:3.

[4] James Girdwood and Peter Verkruyse, Hebrews, The College Press NIV Commentary (Joplin, MO: College Press, 1997), Heb 6:3.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Tight Rope or Solid Ground?

"Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.

Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset--rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world." 1 Peter 5:8-9 (The Amplified Bible)

It is not my life that needs balance, it is my thoughts - for it is His thoughts that should filter through my heart at every changed circumstance, good or bad, right? And, these last weeks, I have felt His presence almost at every thought, every moment through the good and the bad. Praising Him through it all.  Psalm 42, comes to mind, specifically verse 8—“By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me—a prayer to the God of my life.”

If we go through our lives “believing” that we are walking a tight rope, then the fall will be painful. If we go through life understanding that it is a journey, one where the ground is solid, because our guide is solid, then we will move up the mountain gracefully, as well as impactfully.

Although our journeys are very different, they are much the same. We live day to day, and experience our circumstances, make choice, reap the benefits of good choices and hold on to Him more during the bad. So, as you take the next step it’s time to realize what you are stepping on to, or in to.

I have come to realize that “balance” only comes when I allow God to be the focal point of my life:

My thoughts toward His – “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” ~2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)

My eyes to see like His“The Lord’s eyes scan the whole world to find those whose hearts are committed to him and to strengthen them. You acted foolishly in this matter. So from now on, you will have to fight wars.” ~2 Chronicles 16:9 (GOD’S WORD Translation)

My heart, pure and sincere“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me.” ~Psalm 51:10 (Amplified Bible)

My days filled with Him“Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” ~2 Peter 1:4 (NIV)

Always remembering who I call on“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3

As I head into today, I remember all these things. And finally as I know that where I head is filled with unknowns, and things not of God – I must be prepared, protected and ready for the enemy’s hunt, so please join me in putting on the full armor of God and know that what He tells us is true, what He is, is truth and you are a child of God… a child of the King, loved, protected and cherished.

The Armor of God“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” ~Ephesians 6:10-17 (NIV)

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Day 328 of Giving Thanks

The enemy will lull you to sleep with his words. Some things sound really great from the pulpit or even better when we are justifying actions or the world around us.

Since writing Giving Thanks Daily and creating the Wonderfully Made page, I have been even more cautious about my writing. I am grateful that God has given me access to great counsel, that He has raised my awareness levels high – that my heart is grieved when something doesn’t “sound” or “feel” right, and I am prompted to question it. It does not always mean I am right, it does keep me going to the word to make sure I am; or seek counsel and guidance if I need to. 

There is a constant hum of “Be careful, Shawn, you are responsible to stand before GOD - watch what you share and teach others” plays on in my head.  

I hear people say all the time “that is the enemy". Not all bad circumstances in my life are attacks of the enemy - illness, storms, job losses, financial hardship or death. It is very comforting to know that God wants me to come to Him through it all. During all these times He is the constant; no matter why things happen, God is the why I will get through them.

God will use me greatly when I come to Him greatly. And I come to Him greatly when I need Him greatly.

Father, help me to see through, and exemplify You through all I do. I pray for discernment and truth.  

1.      Psalm 119:125 I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.
2.    Proverbs 3:21 My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight;
3.     Proverbs 17:10 A rebuke impresses a man of discernment more than a hundred lashes a fool.
4.    Proverbs 28:11 A rich man may be wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has discernment sees through him.

We are covered for our sin


orange = Shawn's responses or notes.
Other Test, scripture, Bold = highlighted scripture


Daniel's Note:
The part about Christians being liars if they sin was a verse from the Bible. 1 John 3:9 says if you are in Him you cannot continue to sin. And that was contrary to what you were saying that we will always continue to sin. That's why I posted it, I was trying to correct you. The stance that we will always sin until we die says that Jesus is not our savior from sin, but death is. Jesus came to save us FROM our sin, not IN our sin.



Galatians 5:24. Colossians 2:11

Those are neither boastful or prideful statements because I don't claim to have done the work for any of it, I'm only boasting and taking pride in what Jesus has finished. He did all of the work, so "if any man boasts, let him boast in the Lord."

Jesus did the work, I get to enjoy the benefits. I don't have to work hard for it, I just have to receive it. That's the good news of the Gospel. Hebrews 4:10, we should be resting from our work as Jesus is, not striving for things He has given us.

I don't say what I say to cause division, or to pervert scripture, I say what I say to free people because I have been freed from that way of thinking. ;).



1 John 3:9

The Bible makes the point over and over that
we are dead to sin”, (Romans 5, 6, 8. Galatians 5:24. Colossians 2:11) that our sinful nature is dead and has been removed from us, and that we cannot go on living in sin, we have been set completely free from it. I'm not adding anything or misinterpreting anything, I'm just repeating what the Bible says about the issue :). There's no special, secret way to interpret, "You're dead to sin." and "You're sinful nature is dead."



End Note from Daniel


The only way we can be in God's presence is to be without sin. We are "covered by the blood of the lamb". 

We still live in sinful bodies. Our flesh is sinful. We will never be "100% like" Christ here on earth. He was fully God in human form.... We can never be fully God in human form, that would make us God. Even as Jesus was tempted, He was still God. I could never make that claim. I am the sinner who was saved by the perfect man, being God in flesh - and with every day as I seek and desire to be closer to Him, I do get better; and I will become closer to perfection, but I will never be the "perfect man", as Jesus was/is. 

Romans 5, 6, 8.
Romans 5
Peace and Joy
 1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a]have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b]rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we[c] also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

 6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
 9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ
 12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— 13for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. 14Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.
 15But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!16Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
 18Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
 20The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6
Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ
 1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
 5If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with,[d] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
 8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
 11In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
This does not say we will not sin anymore… It tells us to not let it be the master, because we are under grace.
Slaves to Righteousness
 15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
 19I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.20When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[e] Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 7
An Illustration From Marriage
 1Do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to men who know the law—that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? 2For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. 3So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man.
 4So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. 5For when we were controlled by the sinful nature,[f] the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. 6But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
Struggling With Sin
 7What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet."[g] 8But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead.9Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.
 11For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. 13Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
 14We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[h] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
 21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! 
      So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
We still have our sinful bodies. Our “natural body” wants to sin, we cannot get away from it. WE can change toward sinlessness, but our body’s will be the same until we are transformed to eternity.
Romans 8
Life Through the Spirit
 1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,[i] 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature,[j] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.[k] And so he condemned sin in sinful man,[l] 4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

We have to “live according to the Spirit”, it doesn’t just happen. When I became a Christian, I didn’t switch off all the sinful things or living like a righteous person, such as “doubting my worth”, “not respecting my husband”, “telling white lies”, “I am afraid, concerned, worried”, “not taking care of my temple”, “not trusting that God has everything under control”, “not living to my potential”.
 5Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind of sinful man[m] is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind[n] is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
 9You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
Our bodies are dead because of sin, yet we have the spirit inside us. There is conflict.
 12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.[o] And by him we cry, "Abba,[p] Father." 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Future Glory
 18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that[q] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
 22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
We wait for our new body, which we will not get until we are raised up when we die physically of this world to be with our heavenly Father.
 26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness
What weakness, if not sin? 
We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
We pray in Jesus name to go to God, we pray for forgiveness of our sins, for healing. 
More Than Conquerors
 28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,[r] who[s] have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
 31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written: 
   "For your sake we face death all day long;
 
      we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
[t] 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[u] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither 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.