Monday Meditations – James 1:5-8

November 7, 2011

Today’s Meditation Verse:

 

James 1:5-8

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

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Bowling with God

November 4, 2011  

There are many people who want to challenge the concept of grace in its entirety.  A little grace is fine.  You get just enough grace to get saved and then we are to ‘crucify your flesh’ and live a godly life, following the ‘right and wrong’ rules.  That is how we become holy, by seeking holiness and living a godly life.

 

Sounds good.  Anyway it sounded good to me for years.  For years I pushed towards holiness and tried to be godly.  And on the outside everyone could see that I was ‘good’.  My heart was right.  I loved the Lord will all my heart, soul and body so seeking to do right was an extension of my love for Him.  Or, was it?

 

In my recent post The Rules That Break Fellowship I talked about my never ending quest to follow the rules so that I would be right with God.

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Wednesday Word Study – Law

November 2, 2011
 Law 

 

Transliteration: nomos
Phonetic Spelling:
(nom’-os)
Short Definition:
a law, the Mosaic Law
Definition: usage, custom, law; in NT: of law in general, plur: of divine laws; of a force or influence impelling to action; of the Mosaic law; meton: of the books which contain the law, the Pentateuch, the Old Testament scriptures in general.

 

3551 nómoslaw. 3551 (nómos) is used of: a) the Law (Scripture), with emphasis on the first five books of Scripture; or b) any system of religious thinking (theology), especially when nomos occurs without the Greek definite article.

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Monday Meditations – Hebrews 8:10

October 31, 2011

Today’s Meditation Verse:

 

Hebrews 8:10

10) FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL

AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD:

I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS,

AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS.

AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD,

AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.

 

I love this verse.  Here the author is talking to the Hebrews.  He is talking to the people who have made a life of living by the law.  Thousands and thousands of laws.  Their entire life from the time they were tiny children to old age was continual law indoctrination.  Because that was what God had told them to do.

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Your Unique Zoe Life

October 28, 2011

This week we have been learning about this verse:

 

Matthew 7:14

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

 

On Wednesday we discussed the word narrow – to press or afflict.  Narrow defines the path or road to life, but as I began to study even more I found something else very revealing.

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Wednesday Word Study – Narrow

October 26, 2011 
Narrow 

 

Transliteration: thlibó
Phonetic Spelling:
(thlee’-bo)
Short Definition:
I make narrow, persecute, press hard
Definition: (a) I make narrow (strictly: by pressure); I press upon, (b) I persecute, press hard.

 

Matthew 7:14

14 But the gate is narrow (contracted by pressure) and the way is straitened and compressed that leads away to life, and few are those who find it.

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Monday Meditations – Matthew 7:14

October 24, 2011

Today’s Meditation Verse:

 

Matthew 7:14

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

 

I’ve been a Christian for almost my entire life.  Most of the people that I’ve been around in my life have professed to be Christians.  So when I would read this scripture above it would make me wonder.  Who are the few?

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The Punishment of the Imposters

October 21, 2011 

Christians have gotten a bad rap in many circles.  The term ‘one bad apple spoils the whole bunch’ is not true in this case, but it can certainly spoil the reputation.  I’ve met many people who said that the Christians they knew were critical and judgmental.  And that the churches they had been too just expected you to live a certain way, which they could not, therefore they were rejected and ostracized. 

 

So those people wanted nothing to do with Christianity and its narrow-mindedness towards others.  Convincing them that Christ meant for it to be differently was a difficult task.  They wanted nothing to do with people like that.

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Wednesday Word Study – Tares

 October 19, 2011

 Tares 

 

Transliteration: zizanion
Phonetic Spelling:
(dziz-an’-ee-on)
Definition: spurious wheat, darnel; a plant that grows in Palestine which resembles wheat in many ways but is worthless.  2215 zizánion (plural, tares/zizania) – a tare (darnel); (figuratively) a pseudo-believer (false Christian); a fruitless person living without faith from God and therefore is “all show and no go!”

On our Monday Meditation this week we read the scripture Matthew 13:30:

 

Matthew 13:30

Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.

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Monday Meditations – Matthew 13:30

October 17, 2011

Today’s Meditation Verse

 

Matthew 13:30

Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.

 

Justice is something we all want and seek.  But many times we are left wondering why doesn’t God do something sooner?  Why does He wait to deal with those who are in the enemy’s camp?  Why does He allow them to kill, steal and destroy?  Because there is a divine appointed time to administer justice.

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