16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Lighthas come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
I have strongly seen as a Christian two sides of a very sad battle that has seemed to go on for some time now: people who believe Christians are judgmental and feel judged by Christians, and Christians who do just that. Jesus was not sent to condemn the world! It says right here plain in the Bible. I feel like this is the core of what Christ followers believe happens to those who do not follow Jesus. But the most common of these verses is verse 16, because it is the simplest and most foundational way to explain what we are believing in as we follow Christ and what God's purpose was behind the death of Christ.
Lord, we thank You so much for your truth and for Your son who died for us! We thank You for passages and verses like these that show us basic theology that is key to believe in and follow You! We love You and thank You for Your truth and son. Amen!
♥ Chrissy
Friday, January 31, 2014
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Psalm 38:1-4, 17-22
“1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Your arrows have pierced me,
and your hand has come down on me.
3 Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;
there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.
4 My guilt has overwhelmed me
like a burden too heavy to bear. …
17 For I am about to fall,
and my pain is ever with me.
18 I confess my iniquity;
I am troubled by my sin.
19 Many have become my enemies without cause;
those who hate me without reason are numerous.
20 Those who repay my good with evil
lodge accusations against me,
though I seek only to do what is good.
21 Lord, do not forsake me;
do not be far from me, my God.
22 Come quickly to help me,
my Lord and my Savior.”
God,
or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Your arrows have pierced me,
and your hand has come down on me.
3 Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;
there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.
4 My guilt has overwhelmed me
like a burden too heavy to bear. …
17 For I am about to fall,
and my pain is ever with me.
18 I confess my iniquity;
I am troubled by my sin.
19 Many have become my enemies without cause;
those who hate me without reason are numerous.
20 Those who repay my good with evil
lodge accusations against me,
though I seek only to do what is good.
21 Lord, do not forsake me;
do not be far from me, my God.
22 Come quickly to help me,
my Lord and my Savior.”
I
really wanted to include the whole entire passage, but I think it was a bit
long and I was afraid some might just skim through it. But don’t hesitate to
look it up in your Bibles, it is such a great passage! The reason I love this
passage, is because you get to see a different characteristic of God that many
forget to recognize. Wrath.
Dictionary.com
defines it as “punishment
as the consequence of anger.”
Although
this does seem like a harsh definition for God, He does get angry with us, and
we got to go through the consequences. But this does not mean He doesn’t love
us. Oh no He loves us so much, it’s beyond our comprehension! How could someone
love us that much?
Apparently
this writer has done something wrong in the eyes of the Lord, because he’s
asking for forgiveness. Do you think he’ll get God’s forgiveness with the wrath
and anger He’s in? I think so! The passage doesn’t specify what he did wrong,
but with his descriptive repentance, he persuades me to believe that he is
truly sorry and remorseful.
God
promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us. So then, why is He being wrathful?
And this isn’t the only passage you see His wrath in. God isn’t just love…He’s much more than that. Patient, kind, all
knowing, just, faithful, Holy, righteous, the inability to sin or contradict
Himself… just to name a few.
Here
He is like a father disciplining a child. Proverbs 22:6 says “Train a child in
the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
God
knows everything, He knows what’s going to happen before it even does, but He
wants to hear us say it; He wants our true repentance. You can’t keep going
about sinning and think “Oh well, God will forgive me anyways.” And keep on
doing it. It doesn’t work that way, if you do that you will surely go through
the consequences. I think maybe that’s why Christianity seems scary to a lot of
people…It’s a lifestyle that commands willingness and your all. Other beliefs
make it seem so easy, is that what people like? Easy?
Thank
you so much for showing us that you have a disciplining attribute. Thank you
for this example, please use this passage to speak to our hearts and show us
how to live in fear of you with awe, respect, and reverence. Thank you for
tolerating with us and showing us forgiveness, when we really don’t deserve it.
Thank you for loving us way too much! :)
Amen.
-Mer †
Psalm 119:9-11
“9 How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
By living according to your word.
10 I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.”
When
we read the Bible we aren’t’ reading suggestions; God literally tells us how we
should be living our lives- In this passage “By living according to your [God’s]
word.” What does that look like and how can reading help us
keep our ways pure?
The Bible is filled with promises, wise
proverbs, and history, true and real stories. From these we get to learn from
the mistakes made in the past; we get to read the diaries of passed historians
chosen by God to write what He wanted them to- all scripture is God breathed.
The way I like to look at it is that the Bible is like a love letter from God.
When you seek the Lord with all of your heart, your ways start following
along the path of purity, that’s just part of it though. Actions are more than words, applying what
you read to your day can really be something awesome and uplifting and maybe
another pair of eyes will see that!
When this passage tells us to
hide God’s word in our hearts that doesn’t mean to keep it to yourself or for
yourself, God wants us to share His word with everyone. Keeping it hidden, in
this context means to remember it and look back on what you read, and apply it.
Have you ever heard the phrase “I know it
by heart!” well that’s basically it, to commit it to memory. This is a helpful reminder that keeps our
focus set on the path of purity.
Dear Lord,
Thank you so much for
everyone heart that put the Bible together. Thank you for their strong words of
encouragement, wisdom, and promises! I pray and seek for your fatherly guidance
to teach us how to live accordingly inside this blemished world. Please helps
us to take what we read and use it in our days and apply it to what we are
going through. Thank you so much for such a promising way to purity. Please let
us not stray from your command! We love you and praise you In Jesus’ name…
-Amen.
Mer †
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Genesis 2:20-25
(second half of verse 20) But for Adam[f] no suitable helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs[g] and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib[h] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
23 The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”
24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
25 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
I have been thinking a lot about my future husband lately. Now that I'm a freshman in college, I am feeling this desire and want to date, fall in love... you know. But these verses remind me that God created a much more beautiful purpose in love than to satisfy my temporary girly emotions and desires...
As a woman God has called me to a purpose to be a companion to my future husband, we were literally made from man's bones. And one day, we will become one flesh, glorifying God more so together then we would have by ourselves! That's why we need each other.
The beauty in God's creation of Adam and Eve, of man and woman, reminds me of God's purpose in this kind of love. Someday, maybe, I'll get to experience this "one flesh"ness with someone too.
Lord, I pray for my future husband right now. I pray that I could be the best companion to him I could be, and that together we would glorify you in the highest. I also pray that You would bless Him immensely right now, wherever he is at in life Lord. I thank You so much for him and who he is, in You. We love you and praise You Lord. I pray for anyone reading this as well Lord, that You would scoop up there heart and protect it until the right one comes Lord. Please do the same with mine. Please help us to know for certain when we have found the one You have prepared for us. I pray for ultimate health and protection over our future spouses too Lord. We love You so much. In Jesus name, Amen.
♥Chrissy
As a woman God has called me to a purpose to be a companion to my future husband, we were literally made from man's bones. And one day, we will become one flesh, glorifying God more so together then we would have by ourselves! That's why we need each other.
The beauty in God's creation of Adam and Eve, of man and woman, reminds me of God's purpose in this kind of love. Someday, maybe, I'll get to experience this "one flesh"ness with someone too.
Lord, I pray for my future husband right now. I pray that I could be the best companion to him I could be, and that together we would glorify you in the highest. I also pray that You would bless Him immensely right now, wherever he is at in life Lord. I thank You so much for him and who he is, in You. We love you and praise You Lord. I pray for anyone reading this as well Lord, that You would scoop up there heart and protect it until the right one comes Lord. Please do the same with mine. Please help us to know for certain when we have found the one You have prepared for us. I pray for ultimate health and protection over our future spouses too Lord. We love You so much. In Jesus name, Amen.
♥Chrissy
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
2 Timothy 1:6-12
6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher.12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.
Tonight God blessed me with another great conversation with some great friends at one of my favorite Coffee places. One of my friends talked about her struggle with fear and anxiety. And as she poured out about this, I noticed my other friend starting to look at her phone and swipe through it. I really couldn't believe my friend was looking at her phone while my friend was literally putting her heart on her sleeve here, but then after my friend was finished talking about her struggle, my other friend read this verse from her phone: "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." (She was looking up the verse on her phone! ♥) The conclusion we came to was, fear is not of God. The opposite of love isn't hatred, it's fear; because perfect love casts out all fear (as the friend who was opening up wisely stated). God calls us to amazing things, through Him. He calls us to live our lives way beyond and past our fears. Fear exists because of the fall of man. God calls us to the opposite of fear- love.
"He has saved us and called us to holy life-- NOT BECAUSE OF ANYTHING WE HAVE DONE BUT BECAUSE OF HIS OWN PURPOSE AND GRACE." This passage highlights some of God's main convictions for us-to live with His power, love, and self-discipline; and to live a holy life in light of His love, purpose, and grace. We could never do anything to gain our way to heaven. Today in my Rock and Roll History class, we studied the famous song "Stairway to Heaven." The first and last lyric of the song is "She bought a stairway to heaven..." and our teacher even went out to explain how this was symbolic of the inability to gain spirituality through materialism. This is the same with good works. You can't get into heaven through our own works, but only through God's grace and love. You can't buy a stairway to heaven.
"This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." If I am being completely honest, the idea of death scares me. Funny how that works, because God didn't give us a spirit of fear. And Christ has already conquered death. Everything is adding up... :) It's amazing to think Christ's purpose has existed before beginning... existed.
Paul also addresses a lot about suffering for the Gospel and because of it... which we also don't need to fear, because God has called us to love, power, and self- discipline... NOT to fear! :) We rejoice in our suffering in His name.
Dear Lord, we thank You so much for this passage and the author behind this passage. We pray that these words would reach the heart of everyone on earth. I thank You for saving us from fear and death. Thank You everyday, forever. Please cleanse us of our fears Lord, please make them cease to exist. Please always remind us of our higher calling to love, self-discipline, and power. Thank You for saving us out of Your own love and willingness, not by anything we did. If it was because of anything we did we would be in a heap of trouble. I pray for those who truly suffer because of Your gospel, martyrs and those imprisoned and persecuted, people like Pastor Saeed Lord. We lift those people up to You Lord, and ask that You would bless them immensely and constantly show Yourself and Your purpose to them. Please take away the pain, and please bring them safely home once Your word has reached across the world. We pray for those who receive their word as well. We love You and praise You with our whole hearts, Lord. Thank You again for this passage! In Jesus name, Amen
♥ Chrissy
"He has saved us and called us to holy life-- NOT BECAUSE OF ANYTHING WE HAVE DONE BUT BECAUSE OF HIS OWN PURPOSE AND GRACE." This passage highlights some of God's main convictions for us-to live with His power, love, and self-discipline; and to live a holy life in light of His love, purpose, and grace. We could never do anything to gain our way to heaven. Today in my Rock and Roll History class, we studied the famous song "Stairway to Heaven." The first and last lyric of the song is "She bought a stairway to heaven..." and our teacher even went out to explain how this was symbolic of the inability to gain spirituality through materialism. This is the same with good works. You can't get into heaven through our own works, but only through God's grace and love. You can't buy a stairway to heaven.
"This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." If I am being completely honest, the idea of death scares me. Funny how that works, because God didn't give us a spirit of fear. And Christ has already conquered death. Everything is adding up... :) It's amazing to think Christ's purpose has existed before beginning... existed.
Paul also addresses a lot about suffering for the Gospel and because of it... which we also don't need to fear, because God has called us to love, power, and self- discipline... NOT to fear! :) We rejoice in our suffering in His name.
Dear Lord, we thank You so much for this passage and the author behind this passage. We pray that these words would reach the heart of everyone on earth. I thank You for saving us from fear and death. Thank You everyday, forever. Please cleanse us of our fears Lord, please make them cease to exist. Please always remind us of our higher calling to love, self-discipline, and power. Thank You for saving us out of Your own love and willingness, not by anything we did. If it was because of anything we did we would be in a heap of trouble. I pray for those who truly suffer because of Your gospel, martyrs and those imprisoned and persecuted, people like Pastor Saeed Lord. We lift those people up to You Lord, and ask that You would bless them immensely and constantly show Yourself and Your purpose to them. Please take away the pain, and please bring them safely home once Your word has reached across the world. We pray for those who receive their word as well. We love You and praise You with our whole hearts, Lord. Thank You again for this passage! In Jesus name, Amen
♥ Chrissy
Psalm 46:1-3, 7, 10-11
Psalm
46:1-3, 7, 10-11
“1
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging…
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging…
7 The
Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress…
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
the God of Jacob is our fortress…
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The
Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
In this passage, the writer starts off by stating what God
is. Refuge, strength, an ever-present help.
With God being all of these, and so much more, what is it
that we have to fear? Even though we live in an imperfect world, on an unstable
earth, there should be no doubt of confidence in God. God is with us, He sees
the earthquakes, He sees the hurricanes, and He sees our hearts when we are
afraid. He is with us. The Bible doesn’t just call Him “The Lord Almighty” for
nothing.
When was the last time you were actually still? No, no, I
don’t mean absence of physical movement, I’m talking about the last time you were
quiet enough to hear nature speaking, still enough to observe nature showing
off God’s glory, not too busy to stop and reflect on where you were at? When you
do this God is there, you can see Him. Joshua Harris, author of I kissed Dating Goodbye, wrote in his
book Boy Meets Girl,
“Why did He do it? For
the same reason that He made sunsets and mountain ranges and fireflies! Because
He’s good. Because He wants to give us a million different opportunities to see
just how wonderful He is. God just wanted to say, ‘I love you’.”
“The Lord Almighty is with us”, why…? “Because He’s good.”
Dear Lord,
Thank you for loving us
so much, that even when we fail you, you never forsake us. Thank you for being
great and enormous in power that you present yourself as a refuge and omnipresent
support. With you nothing is impossible, so what do we have to fear when we
have you on our side? Please teach us to be still and quiet, please use those
opportunities to show us your majesty, glory, power, and love. You are worthy
of our praise. Thank you for being good and showing us what love is without
condition. We love you and praise you, in your Son’s Holy name...
Amen.
♥ Mer
Monday, January 27, 2014
Colossians 3:18-25
Instructions for Christian Households
18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
21 Fathers,[c] do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.
I was going to just talk about 22-25 at first, but after looking at the whole passage I thought it was important to include verses 18-21. I wanted to focus on verses 22-25 because I have decided to make it my verses for my job. God has placed great management above me at work, and God has surrounded me with amazing coworkers who I want to learn from everyday. And most importantly, God has embodied a wonderful customer community at Chick-fil-A (where I work). When I work, I want to work with everything I have; because I am doing it for the Lord. I am called to work as if I am serving the Lord directly. With this verse in mind, I will watch, obey, and learn at work; but I am truly doing it for the Lord. Maybe this can encourage you too, whether it be in work, school, or anything else.
It is important to not leave out verses 18-21 because they are some of the core foundations of a Christian household. The sequence of the verses is almost a family cycle.
Wives: submit to husbands ---> Husbands: love your wives/don't be harsh ---> children: obey your parents ---> Fathers: don't embitter your children
The love of a Christ centered family can partially be defined by these things.
Dear Lord, I thank You for these verses and for Paul. We thank You that You give us guidelines on how to live our lives for You. Lord, I pray that at work I may work and strive as though I am doing it all for You directly. I pray that I could be a light to all around me for you. And anyone who reads this and yearns to do the same, I pray this for them as well. Lord, we love You and thank You so much for everything. Please bless our current and future homes to thrive on YOU being the center and living by these guidelines as well. We love you and praise You forever. Amen
<3 Chrissy
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Psalm 84:1-12
Message Version Below
84 1-2 What a beautiful home, God-of-the-Angel-Armies!
I’ve always longed to live in a place like this, Always dreamed of a room in your house, where I could sing for joy to God-alive!
3-4 Birds find nooks and crannies in your house,
sparrows and swallows make nests there. They lay their eggs and raise their young, singing their songs in the place where we worship. God-of-the-Angel-Armies! King! God! How blessed they are to live and sing there!
5-7 And how blessed all those in whom you live,
whose lives become roads you travel; They wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks, discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain! God-traveled, these roads curve up the mountain, and at the last turn—Zion! God in full view!
8-9 God-of-the-Angel-Armies, listen:
O God of Jacob, open your ears—I’m praying! Look at our shields, glistening in the sun, our faces, shining with your gracious anointing.
10-12 One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship,
beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches. I’d rather scrub floors in the house of my God than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin. All sunshine and sovereign is God, generous in gifts and glory. He doesn’t scrimp with his traveling companions. It’s smooth sailing all the way with God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson
|  Psalm 84
New International Version (NIV)
Psalm 84[a]For the director of music. According to gittith.[b] Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
Lord Almighty! 2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. 3 Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young— a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God. 4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.[c]
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. 6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.[d] 7 They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.
8 Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty;
listen to me, God of Jacob. 9 Look on our shield,[e] O God; look with favor on your anointed one.
10 Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. 11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
12 Lord Almighty,
blessed is the one who trusts in you.
Above we have Psalm 84:1-12 listed in two versions: the Message version and the New International Version. This is because, although I have grown to believe that NIV is the more accurately written than the Message, the Message version often presents a wonderful perception of the Bible- same exact stories, just different words. Sometimes all we need to understand something better, and even more visually, is word change. I am going to break down certain verses in the NIV version, and certain verses in the Message version.
"How lovely is your dwelling place O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh cry out for the living God." (NIV) So much passion, so much intimacy and radical love. So much love and passion that we might so even faint. There is so much beautiful imagery in this Psalm, so much passion and emotion. And this just sets the tone right away. "And how blessed all those in whom you live, whose lives become roads you travel; they wind through lonesome valleys,come upon brooks, discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain! God-traveled, these roads curve up the mountain, and the last turn- Zion! God in full view!" (verses 5-7 the Message version) To think my life is a road that God travels, blows my mind and totally changes gears and perspective. So often we imagine us walking through our own life, God guiding us, maybe. In reality, isn't it God the one who is walking on the road? I just absolutely love this perspective and thinking of a relationship with God in this way. I am a road He travels and loves. I also love that the author describes dark places God travels through in our lives, but at the end of the road He is there, waiting for us, in full view. This part of the passage is so hard to write about and explain because it is too rich and to delicate to touch! It is something we just simply understand and live. "O God of Jacob, open your ears- I'm praying! Look at our shields, glistening in the sun, our faces, shining with your gracious anointing." (verses 8-9, the Message version) more vividly beautiful imagery! The first time I read these verses in the Message version I automatically pictured someone holding up a shield, the sunlight glistening on the metal... the shimmering being God's glory and blessing. *M<3M This whole passage is ultimately what worship is all about, living in everything with relation to God. And I love the conclusion: Blessed is the one who trusts in You (NIV). This passage is what worship is. What desperation for God's love is. What looking forward to heaven is. Lord, I thank You so much for the author of this Psalm and the God-breathed words it rings. They are so beautiful and enlightening, and truly bring who reads it back to hearts of worship. Thank You, Lord. We look forward to the day we are in Your courts. Until then we live our lives for You and to glorify You! In Jesus name, Amen. <3Chrissy |
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