March 31, 2013

Mark 2:5

When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."

Personal Challenge...

Do I live my life in such a way that those around me see my faith in Jesus? Do I have people in my life whose faith like this is visible as well? Isn't this the value of living in a Christ-centered community, surrounding ourselves with people living by faith? Life is not a journey that is to be lived alone. This journey is filled with family, friends, and neighbors who provide many opportunities for me to exercise my faith on. Glory be to God.

March 30. 2013

John 5:30

I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.

Encouraging Words...

Once again Jesus shows us by example that we can choose to submit our will to the will of the Father and not sin. He also shows the value of living and acting in community.

March 29, 2013

Psalm 97:10 (96:10 LXX)
You who love the Lord, hate evil;
The Lord keeps the souls of His saints;
He shall deliver them from the hand of sinners.

Personal Challenge...

Loving the Lord and loving evil cannot be done at the same time. If I am truly growing in my relationship with Him then the harder it should become to fit into the world. I am still called to love my neighbor, but it is okay to not love the neighborhood. Besides, am I not als commanded to point my neighbor to Christ so that he too can be freed from death? That is a difficult thing to do at times, but the Lord promises to deliver me through it.

March 28, 2013

Genesis 5:2-3

He made them male and female, and blessed them; and the day He made them He called his name Adam. Now Adam lived two hundred and thirty years, and begot a son according to his form and image, and named him Seth.

Encouraging Words...

What a great passage to see into the minds of our early church fathers and how they read and interpreted the Old Testament Scriptures that they had to work with. Their interpretation of this passage was that it was an illustration of the Holy Trininy. Adam was not begotten, but Seth, His son, was begotten of him. Adam was unbegotten as the Father is. Eve was neither begotten nor unbegotten, but proceeded from Adam. This is an image, to a certain extent, of the relationship of the members of the Holy Trinity. There are three distinct and unique properties -- distinguishing each of the individual persons, yet all three still possessing the same nature (taken from the notes of the Orthodox Study Bible). What an awesome way to read the scriptures.

March 27, 2013

Genesis 4:25

Again Adam knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore a son, and he named him Seth, saying, "God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed."

Encouraging Words...

Once again we see the redemptive and restorative work of our God. Through Seth we see the restoration of the lineage of mankind so that some day the Christ, the Messiah, would be born. Abel's loss is redeemed through the birth of Seth. Is this not the image of the coming Christ.

March 26, 2013

Proverbs 5:1-2

My son, hold fast to wisdom
And incline your ear to my words,
That you may guard good thinking;
And I command you with the perception of my lips.

Command with a Promise...

Here I am commanded to hold fast to Wisdom (a typification of Christ) and listen to His words. By doing this my thinking will be guarded and good. As I continued to read today of Cain this passage helps me to understand how to be able to avoid sin. Cain was admonished by God that he had a wrong heart. He could have repented and held fast to Wisdom. But he chose to dwell on his own thoughts and feelings which lead to more separation from God, more sin, and ultimately the murder of his brother. It is a slippery slope, but one we can avoid.

March 25, 2013

Genesis 4:7

"Did you not sin, even though you brought it rightly, but did not divide it rightly? Be still; his recourse shall be to you; and you shall rule over him."

Personal Challenge...

I have always thought, deep down in my heart, that Cain got a raw deal in this part of Genesis. He gave of the first fruit of his labor just like Abel did. So why wasn't his offering accepted? A little deeper digging shows that God loved Cain just as much as He did Abel. He praised Cain for bringing his gift rightly. But He did question the motive of Cain's heart (did not divide it rightly). It was not that his offering was bad, but his heart was. God told him to be still, to control his emotions, and to repent and then he would be right with God. God even told him that his younger brother would be subject to him. But that was not good enough and through his choice he chose to sin even more. How often does God point out to me my sinful heart and yet I refuse to listen to Him? Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.