Wednesday... There is a three letter word that brings about death or possibly life.

The writer of Proverbs 21:3 & 4 says, "The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer sacrifices. Haughty eyes, a proud heart, and evil actions are all sins."

And then over in Paul's letter to the Romans in chapter 6 and verse 23 he says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." The three letter word is sin and it's wages is death. That's what it says. But then it also says that the free gift of God, another three letter word, is eternal life through Jesus Christ. It seems there is a choice.

So what is sin? Well it is a willful transgression against a known law of God. It is not doing what God says we are to do. Sin is disobedience.

Verses 12-13 says, "Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires, Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead," And that is a great word. "Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God."

And this is so important. Verse 16 says, "Don't you realize that you become slaves of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living."

And then verse 22, "But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and results in eternal life." It is our choice. Well, I'm in favor of the slave of God and holiness and eternal life. "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

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Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do

Psalm 8:3-4 (NLT), "When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers - the moon and the stars you set in place - what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?" Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do. No, not the fact that I can go out my front door and look out at night at the marvels of the sky. I can do that and it is amazing and it takes my breath away each time I see it. Yes, that is a fact but the reality of who did that and the wisdom and the faith that I have to believe that and to marvel that the one who did that cares about me makes such a difference in how I live my life. Yes, God really does. That is so wonderful for us to believe. And that is why faith and wisdom are so important. Now whatever belief you have at how that marvel happened must also be believed through faith. And the sad thing to me is that more and more people have been taught that there is no God and therefore he did not have a h...

Monday... Three ifs and two thens. They go together!

Monday... Three ifs and two thens. They go together! They really do. And this is what caught my attention this morning as I was reading Proverbs 2. Verse 1 (NRSVUE) says, "My child, if you accept my words and treasure my commands within you." Verse 3 (NIV), "Indeed i f you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, Verse 4, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, Verse 5, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." And verses 9-11, " Then you will understand what is right and just and fair - every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you." There will always be some effort we must do, some ifs for the thens to be realized in our lives. So many of us want to understand without the ifs. But the thens are so worth, so very worth the effort. Verses 5-6 in the Ampli...

Wednesday... Our unless can turn into useless.

Wednesday... Our unless can turn into useless. It really can. I have found that unless I give the correct email of my wife then I can't get what I wanted. I put an extra i in her email and I have been working for 5 days to get it changed. Unless has been useless. The writer of Psalm 94 uses this word and shows how important it is. Verses 17-19 (NLT) says, "Unless the Lord had helped me, I would have soon settled in the silence of the grave. I cried out, 'I'm slipping!' but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer." "Unless the Lord had helped me." So many people go on and on and on striving to live their life on their own but they keep slipping and doubting and living without hope and cheer. Yes the Lord has such unfailing love for us, he really does but unless we have a relationship with him and we turn to him and ask him for help then the unless turns in to useless because h...

Todays Beginning

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