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

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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