23 Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. 24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. (Deuteronomy 4:23-24)
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
Thoughts: Heaven is a perfect place and we are not perfect and do not deserve to go there. For the minute we go to heaven without being changed, then heaven is no longer perfect. God is a consuming fire- burning up all impurities and sin. On our own merit, we cannot come near to God. But the good news is that God has come to us- gently, accommodating Himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ. Christ came to us while we were still sinners to enable us to get beyond our sin into His presence. God comes to make a way.
God has no need of anyone or anything beyond Himself. Yet in grace this Triune God is the one Creator of all things. The ongoing act of creation is further manifested in God’s gracious sovereignty and providence, maintaining the existence of the world and all living creatures for the sake of His own glory. He is the Holy One, the ground of all being, whose glory is so great that for us to see Him is to die. Yet He has made the creation to reflect His glory, and He has made human beings in His own image, with a unique desire to know Him and a capacity for relationship with Him. Since our God is a consuming fire whom we in our sin cannot safely approach, He has approached us by entering into our humanity in Jesus Christ.
Showing posts with label God makes a way. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God makes a way. Show all posts
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Thursday, July 26, 2012
7/26/12- Specific Prayers
Ad don't forget to pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ for which I am in chains.
Thoughts: Paul's request for prayer is not just for listening and for vague generalities. Christian prayer is not simply meditation or for comfort. We have a God who acts and is King of the universe. So the Lord is the one who opens doors of opportunity for us. We do not simply ask God for strength that we may open the door, or cope when the door is closed. Our secular culture has seeped into our churches, because we seem to have lost faith that God can do anything. Some falsely try to protect God by thinking they cannot ask God to do anything. God had blessed us so much, but we seemed to have lost faith in His ability to bless (much less curse or withhold blessing) or open doors that are shut. God is not so far removed, so deaf, with an arm that is so short that He cannot act in His creation. We do not serve a God who simply created the universe like a clock maker winds a clock and then leaves- maybe until it is broken. But we serve the God who opens doors when they are shut- who does impossibly more than all we ask or imagine- who raises Christ when He is dead. So live like that today, and pray like that too!
Prayer: God, there are doors shut in your way- that are blocking your glory. Open those doors- and use me to go through them, and take the opportunity to honor you today- for Christ's sake- for your honor- in Jesus' name- Amen.
Thoughts: Paul's request for prayer is not just for listening and for vague generalities. Christian prayer is not simply meditation or for comfort. We have a God who acts and is King of the universe. So the Lord is the one who opens doors of opportunity for us. We do not simply ask God for strength that we may open the door, or cope when the door is closed. Our secular culture has seeped into our churches, because we seem to have lost faith that God can do anything. Some falsely try to protect God by thinking they cannot ask God to do anything. God had blessed us so much, but we seemed to have lost faith in His ability to bless (much less curse or withhold blessing) or open doors that are shut. God is not so far removed, so deaf, with an arm that is so short that He cannot act in His creation. We do not serve a God who simply created the universe like a clock maker winds a clock and then leaves- maybe until it is broken. But we serve the God who opens doors when they are shut- who does impossibly more than all we ask or imagine- who raises Christ when He is dead. So live like that today, and pray like that too!
Prayer: God, there are doors shut in your way- that are blocking your glory. Open those doors- and use me to go through them, and take the opportunity to honor you today- for Christ's sake- for your honor- in Jesus' name- Amen.
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