Friday... There is a great difference between love and fear.

Mark 10:27 (NLT), "Jesus looked at them intently and said, 'Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.'"

Friday... There is a great difference between love and fear.

It is true that the Old Testament of the Bible is different from the New Testament. Because of Jesus coming into the world, things are different but it still is important for us to see that in our relationship with God through Jesus we still need to love and also to fear God.

Now Deuteronomy 28 is a difficult chapter to read but it is necessary for us to see that God is a God of love but also a God we need to fear.

Verses 1-2 (AMP) says, "Now it shall be, if you diligently listen and obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all of His commandments which I will command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you pay attention to the voice of the Lord your God. And then verses 3-14 list those blessings. Yes God loves us and wants to bless us.

But then verse 15 says, "But it will come about, if you do not listen to and obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments and His statues which I am commanding you today. then all these curses will come and overtake you." And they are tough to read. Yes, God is also one to fear.

It is important to see that the Old Testament is based on God's laws and then in the NT God sent His Son to save us by dying for us.

Now over in Mark 10:27 (NLT) it says, "Jesus looked at them intently and said, 'Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.'"

There was this rich young ruler who had come and asked Jesus in verse 17b, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Good question and it is a question that we might have asked.

Jesus then in verse 19a said, "But to answer your question, you know the commandments" and he listed some of then and the man said that he had obeyed all of then "since I was young." And then verse 21 says, "Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. 'There is still one thing you haven't done,' he told him. 'Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'"

And verse 22 says, "At this the man's face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions." And then Jesus said in verse, "It is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God.' Verse 25, "In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!"

Verse 26, "The disciples were astounded. 'Then who in the world can be saved?'" And that is another good question. And there can be real fear in that question. A fear that it is impossible for us to live up to the standard and wishes of God. And yes, that fear is necessary in our relationship with him. We must not take our relationship with God with complacency. He wants our total unwavering allegiance.

But then verse 27 says, "Jesus looked at them intently and said, 'Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.'" It is through him and his love and his grace that we can be saved from our fears.

There will be things that are important to us that will need to be given to him but "Everything is possible with God." And it is so worth it. Yes, there is a great difference between love and fear but they can lead us to God. We really do need Him. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

Tuesday... I wonder what would happen if we didn't take the credit?

Nehemiah 6:16b (NLT), "They realized this work had been done with the help of our God." Tuesday... I wonder what would happen if we didn't take the credit? Over in the Old Testament in the book of Nehemiah it tells of a major task that through the leadership of Nehemiah was accomplished. The walls of Jerusalem had been torn down and God had laid it on Nehemiah to build those walls back up. It was definitely an almost impossible task but Nehemiah 6:15-16 says, "So on October 2 the wall was finished - just fifty-two days after we had begun. When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God." Now, we so many times want to take credit for doing the impossible. It would make such a difference for us. But I wonder what would happen through us if God got the credit? Psalm 96 tells us what we are to do. Verses 2-3 says, "Sing to the LORD; praise his name. ...

Tuesday... We just have trouble listening.

1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT), "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." Tuesday... We just have trouble listening. Over in Jeremiah 25:4 (NLT) it says, "Again and again the LORD has sent you his servants, the prophets, but you have not listened or even paid attention." And Jeremiah went on to tell what was going to happen. There will be consequences if we do not listen to what God says through his Word. Now the Apostle Paul over in 1 Corinthians was having a problem with some professed Christ followers who were having trouble at listening. And we too can have problems at listening. We can think that being a Christ follower means we do a lot of finger pointing and we give up on people who don't do what we say. We can even do that in our families. But Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT), "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." In verse ...

Thursday... Yet, now this is true.

Colossians 1:22a (NLT), "Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body." Thursday... Yet, now this is true. Now Paul a prisoner in Rome is writing a letter to a church in Colossae. And in Colossians 1:21 (MSG) he says, "Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds, engaging in evil deeds" The NLT says "This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated by your evil thoughts and actions." And that is where so many in this world live today. They are blowing it and they don't know what to do. Yes, they are hostile in their minds and they are engaging in evil deeds but there is Good News. Now Paul in verses 19-20 sets the stage for an answer to those who don't want to live that way. He says, "For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and earth b...

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