Genesis 2: 21-24 is an inspiring account of the history of humanity. Throughout the ages, man has clashed with woman, woman has clashed with man, resulting in a continual miscommunication between the sexes.
When we bring it back to basics though, Genesis exposes the essence of feminity and masculinity.
'This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; SHE SHALL BE CALLED WOMAN, for she was taken out of man'...
What baffles me greatly is how much we grapple to be heard by each other, yet we were essentially born from one another.
Last week I went to a men's night, 'The Bloke', then flew to Sydney to be at a women's event 'Colour your world'. Ever since I have been deeply contemplately what it truly means to be a woman and what it means for the other half to be man! Yet why we need to have separate events to learn more about ourselves, to go back and try and communicate what happened in our asexual huddles.
In the realm of church, I think we may have it a little screwed up...
The gentleness and feminine touch of a woman is needed. So is the strength, courage and confidence of a man. Without each other we are out of balance, with each other though we struggle to maintain focus. The two becoming one is an important formula from an almightly God who knows the course of history and every chapter enclosed within.
'The Lord God said 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.'
and 'She shall be called WOMAN'
Not really sure what I'm trying to say here, but the discourse with heaven has begun on this one...What really was the point in designing male and female? And why do we find it so hard to meet on common ground?
A
Friday, March 23, 2007
She shall be called woman
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Lent Readings: Friday 23 March
If you've got no idea what this is all about, go here. If you're up for the ride, let's read... 1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; 2 Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story— 3 those he gathered from the lands, 4 Some wandered in desert wastelands, 5 They were hungry and thirsty, 6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, 7 He led them by a straight way 8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love 9 for he satisfies the thirsty 10 Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness, 11 because they rebelled against God's commands 12 So he subjected them to bitter labor; 13 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, 14 He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, 15 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love 16 for he breaks down gates of bronze 17 Some became fools through their rebellious ways 18 They loathed all food 19 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, 20 He sent out his word and healed them; 21 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love 22 Let them sacrifice thank offerings 23 Some went out on the sea in ships; 24 They saw the works of the LORD, 25 For he spoke and stirred up a tempest 26 They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; 27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards; 28 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, 29 He stilled the storm to a whisper; 30 They were glad when it grew calm, 31 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love 32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people 1 "Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!" declares the LORD. 2 Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: "Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done," declares the LORD. 3 "I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. 4 I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing," declares the LORD. 5 "The days are coming," declares the LORD, 6 In his days Judah will be saved 7 "So then, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when people will no longer say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,' 8 but they will say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the descendants of Israel up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.' Then they will live in their own land." 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who [a] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then can condemn? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, [c] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" 53 Jesus said to them, "Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever." 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
LEAVING ADDICTION FOR HEALING...Psalm 107:1-32 TNIV
his love endures forever.
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
from east and west, from north and south. [a]
finding no way to a city where they could settle.
and their lives ebbed away.
and he delivered them from their distress.
to a city where they could settle.
and his wonderful deeds for humankind,
and fills the hungry with good things.
prisoners suffering in iron chains,
and despised the plans of the Most High.
they stumbled, and there was no one to help.
and he saved them from their distress.
and broke away their chains.
and his wonderful deeds for humankind,
and cuts through bars of iron.
and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.
and drew near the gates of death.
and he saved them from their distress.
he rescued them from the grave.
and his wonderful deeds for humankind.
and tell of his works with songs of joy.
they were merchants on the mighty waters.
his wonderful deeds in the deep.
that lifted high the waves.
in their peril their courage melted away.
they were at their wits' end.
and he brought them out of their distress.
the waves of the sea [b] were hushed.
and he guided them to their desired haven.
and his wonderful deeds for humankind.
and praise him in the council of the elders.Jeremiah 23:1-8 TNIV
The Righteous Branch
"when I will raise up for David [a] a righteous Branch,
a King who will reign wisely
and do what is just and right in the land.
and Israel will live in safety.
This is the name by which he will be called:
The LORD Our Righteous Savior. Romans 8:28-39 TNIV
More Than Conquerors
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." [b] John 6:52-59 TNIV
Lent Readings: Thursday 22 March
If you've got no idea what this is all about, go here. If you're up for the ride, let's read... 1 Surely God is good to Israel, 2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; 3 For I envied the arrogant 4 They have no struggles; 5 They are free from common human burdens; 6 Therefore pride is their necklace; 7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity [b]; 8 They scoff, and speak with malice; 9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven, 10 Therefore their people turn to them 11 They say, "How would God know? 12 This is what the wicked are like— 13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure 14 All day long I have been afflicted, 15 If I had spoken out like that, 16 When I tried to understand all this, 17 till I entered the sanctuary of God; 18 Surely you place them on slippery ground; 19 How suddenly are they destroyed, 20 They are like a dream when one awakes; 21 When my heart was grieved 22 I was senseless and ignorant; 23 Yet I am always with you; 24 You guide me with your counsel, 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, 27 Those who are far from you will perish; 28 But as for me, it is good to be near God. 13 "Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, 14 He says, 'I will build myself a great palace 15 "Does it make you a king 16 He defended the cause of the poor and needy, 17 "But your eyes and your heart 18 Therefore this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: 19 He will have the burial of a donkey— 20 "Go up to Lebanon and cry out, 21 I warned you when you felt secure, 22 The wind will drive all your shepherds away, 23 You who live in 'Lebanon, [a]' 12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. 14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. [a] And by him we cry, "Abba, [b] Father." 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. 18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that [c] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God. 41 At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." 42 They said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, 'I came down from heaven'?" 43 "Stop grumbling among yourselves," Jesus answered. 44 "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' [a] Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which people may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
LEAVING ADDICTION FOR HEALING...Psalm 73 TNIV
A psalm of Asaph.
to those who are pure in heart.
I had nearly lost my foothold.
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
their bodies are healthy and strong. [a]
they are not plagued by human ills.
they clothe themselves with violence.
the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.
with arrogance they threaten oppression.
and their tongues take possession of the earth.
and drink up waters in abundance. [c]
Does the Most High know anything?"
always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.
and have washed my hands in innocence.
and every morning brings new punishments.
I would have betrayed your children.
it troubled me deeply
then I understood their final destiny.
you cast them down to ruin.
completely swept away by terrors!
when you arise, Lord,
you will despise them as fantasies.
and my spirit embittered,
I was a brute beast before you.
you hold me by my right hand.
and afterward you will take me into glory.
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.Jeremiah 22:13-23 TNIV
his upper rooms by injustice,
making his subjects work for nothing,
not paying them for their labor.
with spacious upper rooms.'
So he makes large windows in it,
panels it with cedar
and decorates it in red.
to have more and more cedar?
Did not your father have food and drink?
He did what was right and just,
so all went well with him.
and so all went well.
Is that not what it means to know me?"
declares the LORD.
are set only on dishonest gain,
on shedding innocent blood
and on oppression and extortion."
"They will not mourn for him:
'Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!'
They will not mourn for him:
'Alas, my master! Alas, his splendor!'
dragged away and thrown
outside the gates of Jerusalem."
let your voice be heard in Bashan,
cry out from Abarim,
for all your allies are crushed.
but you said, 'I will not listen!'
This has been your way from your youth;
you have not obeyed me.
and your allies will go into exile.
Then you will be ashamed and disgraced
because of all your wickedness.
who are nestled in cedar buildings,
how you will groan when pangs come upon you,
pain like that of a woman in labor!Romans 8:12-27 TNIV
Present Suffering and Future Glory
John 6:41-51 TNIV
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Lent Readings: Wednesday 21 March
If you've got no idea what this is all about, go here. If you're up for the ride, let's read... 1 I will sing of your love and justice; 2 I will be careful to lead a blameless life— 3 I will not look with approval 4 The perverse of heart shall be far from me; 5 Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret, 6 My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, 7 No one who practices deceit 8 Every morning I will put to silence 1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." 3 So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. 4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. 5 Then the word of the LORD came to me. 6 He said, "Can I not do with you, house of Israel, as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, house of Israel. 7 If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, 8 and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. 9 And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, 10 and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it. 11 "Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, 'This is what the LORD says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.' 1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you [a] free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the sinful nature, [b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful humanity to be a sin offering. [c] And so he condemned sin in human flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. 5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind controlled by the sinful nature [d] is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The sinful mind [e] is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not controlled by the sinful nature but are in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life [f] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of [g] his Spirit who lives in you. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." 28 Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" 29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." 30 So they asked him, "What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' [a]" 32 Jesus said to them, "Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 34 "Sir," they said, "always give us this bread." 35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All whom the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day."
LEAVING ADDICTION FOR HEALING...Psalm 101 TNIV
Of David. A psalm.
to you, LORD, I will sing praise.
when will you come to me?
I will conduct the affairs of my house
with a blameless heart.
on anything that is vile.
I hate what faithless people do;
I will have no part in it.
I will have nothing to do with what is evil.
I will put to silence;
whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart,
I will not endure.
that they may dwell with me;
those whose walk is blameless
will minister to me.
will dwell in my house;
no one who speaks falsely
will stand in my presence.
all the wicked in the land;
I will cut off every evildoer
from the city of the LORD.Jeremiah 18:1-11 TNIV
At the Potter's House
Romans 8:1-11 TNIV
Life Through the Spirit
John 6:27-40 TNIV
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
The 40-hour drought: One for the stinkers
A whole host of Australians are finding out over the next couple of days what it feels like to conserve a bunch of water. The 40-hour drought challenge is this: 40 hours, 40 litres of water per person.
The 40 hours is from 7am Wednesday 21 March to 11pm Thursday 22 March. For those who are keen, here's 91 water saving tips.
If you're name is: Simon Elliott, Fiona Elliott, Chris Marks, Kyla Marks, Bronwyn Rogers, Johari Lanng, Grainne O'Donovan, Irish, Clare O'Neil, Claire Dunjey, Joshua Dunjey, Justine Bettison or Sarah Green...it's you're lucky day or two. You signed up as a cacophonist for 40 litres of water over 40 hours.
If your name isn't any of those names yet you have a hankering to know what it's about, the 40-hour drought website will tell you more. You can also download this pdf to see what those on the drought are having a crack at.
All the best. Let us know how you go: what you discover, how you feel and what you learn. Perhaps how you smell as well. And, whatever you do, don't take a bath - they consume 150 litres of water at a time and that's nearly four times what you've got up your sleeve. Gidiup!
Monday, March 19, 2007
Lent Readings: Tuesday 20 March
If you've got no idea what this is all about, go here. If you're up for the ride, let's read... 1 The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; 2 Clouds and thick darkness surround him; 3 Fire goes before him 4 His lightning lights up the world; 5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, 6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness, 7 All who worship images are put to shame, 8 Zion hears and rejoices 9 For you, LORD, are the Most High over all the earth; 10 Let those who love the LORD hate evil, 11 Light shines [a] on the righteous 12 Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, 19 This is what the LORD said to me: "Go and stand at the gate of the people, through which the kings of Judah go in and out; stand also at all the other gates of Jerusalem. 20 Say to them, 'Hear the word of the LORD, you kings of Judah and all people of Judah and everyone living in Jerusalem who come through these gates. 21 This is what the LORD says: Be careful not to carry a load on the Sabbath day or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem. 22 Do not bring a load out of your houses or do any work on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your ancestors. 23 Yet they did not listen or pay attention; they were stiff-necked and would not listen or respond to discipline. 24 But if you are careful to obey me, declares the LORD, and bring no load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy by not doing any work on it, 25 then kings who sit on David's throne will come through the gates of this city with their officials. They and their officials will come riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by the men of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever. 26 People will come from the towns of Judah and the villages around Jerusalem, from the territory of Benjamin and the western foothills, from the hill country and the Negev, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of the LORD. 27 But if you do not obey me to keep the Sabbath day holy by not carrying any load as you come through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle an unquenchable fire in the gates of Jerusalem that will consume her fortresses.' " 13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. 14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. [a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! 16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 19 When they had rowed about three or three and a half miles, [a] they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, "It is I; don't be afraid." 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading. 22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. 23 Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus. 25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" 26 Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."
LEAVING ADDICTION FOR HEALING...Psalm 97 TNIV
let the distant shores rejoice.
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
and consumes his foes on every side.
the earth sees and trembles.
before the Lord of all the earth.
and all peoples see his glory.
those who boast in idols—
worship him, all you gods!
and the villages of Judah are glad
because of your judgments, LORD.
you are exalted far above all gods.
for he guards the lives of his faithful ones
and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
and joy on the upright in heart.
and praise his holy name.Jeremiah 17:19-27 TNIV
Keeping the Sabbath Holy
Romans 7:13-25 TNIV
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in my sinful nature [b] a slave to the law of sin.John 6:16-27 TNIV
Jesus Walks on the Water
Jesus the Bread of Life
Lent Readings: Monday 19 March
If you've got no idea what this is all about, go here. If you're up for the ride, let's read... [b] 1 I will sing of the LORD's great love forever; 2 I will declare that your love stands firm forever, 3 You said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, 4 'I will establish your line forever 5 The heavens praise your wonders, LORD, 6 For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD? 7 In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; 8 Who is like you, LORD God Almighty? 9 You rule over the surging sea; 10 You crushed Rahab like one of the slain; 11 The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; 12 You created the north and the south; 13 Your arm is endued with power; 14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; 15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, 16 They rejoice in your name all day long; 17 For you are their glory and strength, 18 Indeed, our shield [e] belongs to the LORD, 10 "When you tell these people all this and they ask you, 'Why has the LORD decreed such a great disaster against us? What wrong have we done? What sin have we committed against the LORD our God?' 11 then say to them, 'It is because your ancestors forsook me,' declares the LORD, 'and followed other gods and served and worshiped them. They forsook me and did not keep my law. 12 But you have behaved more wickedly than your ancestors. See how all of you are following the stubbornness of your evil hearts instead of obeying me. 13 So I will throw you out of this land into a land neither you nor your ancestors have known, and there you will serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.' 14 "However, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when people will no longer say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,' 15 but they will say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.' For I will restore them to the land I gave their ancestors. 16 "But now I will send for many fishermen," declares the LORD, "and they will catch them. After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down on every mountain and hill and from the crevices of the rocks. 17 My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from me, nor is their sin concealed from my eyes. 18 I will repay them double for their wickedness and their sin, because they have defiled my land with the lifeless forms of their vile images and have filled my inheritance with their detestable idols." 19 LORD, my strength and my fortress, 20 Do people make their own gods? 21 "Therefore I will teach them— 1 Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? 2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. 3 So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man. 4 So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5 For when we were controlled by our sinful nature, [a] the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. 6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. 7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "You shall not covet." [b] 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. 1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near. 5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, "It would take almost a year's wages [a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!" 8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 9 "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" 10 Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. 12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. 14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
LEAVING ADDICTION FOR HEALING...Psalm 89:1-18 TNIV
A maskil [a] of Ethan the Ezrahite.
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known
through all generations.
that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.
I have sworn to David my servant,
and make your throne firm through all generations.'" [c]
your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.
Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings?
he is more awesome than all who surround him.
You, LORD, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.
when its waves mount up, you still them.
with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.
you founded the world and all that is in it.
Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name.
your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.
love and faithfulness go before you.
who walk in the light of your presence, LORD.
they exult in your righteousness.
and by your favor you exalt our horn. [d]
our king to the Holy One of Israel.Jeremiah 16:10-21 TNIV
my refuge in time of distress,
to you the nations will come
from the ends of the earth and say,
"Our ancestors possessed nothing but false gods,
worthless idols that did them no good.
Yes, but they are not gods!"
this time I will teach them
my power and might.
Then they will know
that my name is the LORD.Romans 7:1-12 TNIV
Released From the Law, Bound to Christ
The Law and Sin
John 6:1-15 TNIV
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Count the cost
More often than not, I write because I have something to say. Sometimes though, I just want to write. In those times, my muddling prose doesn't see the light of day (other than on the pages of a journal). Today, it's being dragged into the annals of cacophony.
Last Thursday, I was talking to a mate of mine, Mal, about speaking and preaching... We talked about an exercise that's fairly typical in a presentation skills course or a Toastmasters meeting. In the exercise, you stand up, introduce yourself and tell the audience that 'you will be speaking on the subject of...'. At this point, you pause momentarily while some pre-ordained member of the audience yells out the topic and away you go. A little like theatre sports, yet most likely of no comedic value.
I just asked my wife, Fi, what it might be good to write on and she filled the blank space with... the spiritual lessons to be learned in building a house.
This is relevant to us right now. Given the small size of our home and the family expansion program we have undertaken (a little girl while be showing up in around eighteen-and-a-half weeks!) we're planning to build. We've had sporadic conversations about it over the last twelve months, but they've started to ramp up in colour and intensity over the last couple of months. The plan is to begin to build (or pitch a larger tent) by the end of the year. And that's where the fun begins. Having built once before I can testify: there's not much fun involved.
The process of building can reveal a lot about us. It can say a few things about our vision for the future as well. Not to mention the future of our bank accounts.
The first hurdle for me has been: do we really need to build? Fiona tells me the answer to that question is very definitely 'yes' so perhaps I should simply move on to the next hurdle. But let's camp here for a few lines. Our natural, societal-informed inclination is that my answer must be 'yes'. In fact, I not only need a bigger house, I need a bigger car, a bigger investment portfolio, a bigger boat and a bigger business. Somewhere along the way, any glimmer of simplicity is extinguished. I'm not advocating martyrdom or pauperdom, but I am keen for simplicity to burn brightly. My thought is that we should think. We should think about the necessity of stuff and things and the trade-off for that stuff and those things. This clearly has implications beyond me.
Simplicity isn't poverty, it's economics: making decisions about the allocation of scarce resources. And that definitely goes beyond me. If we all decide to leave our lights on, we'll either have a power shortage or a need for bigger power stations. Yet, if we decide to only use electricity when we really need it and not be wasteful, we'll find there's enough. This obviously comes back to stewardship. I think it was John Wesley who said: 'Gain all you can, save all you can, give all you can'. What I can give is determined by what I have left after I've done what I'm going to do with what I've gained. My consuming/spending decisions have a profound effect on my ability to give.
Yes, this is all coming back to building a house.
Jesus said, in Luke 14:28, "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'
In many ways, Jesus was throwing out a no-brainer. But he knows us better than we can know ourselves. Depending on our wiring, we can be more about chasing a one-dimensional dream than counting the cost.
The second hurdle for me has been a spiritual one as much as a financial one. If a decision I make in one area of life could remove the ability for me to say 'yes' to God in another, then I need to ponder that decision prayerfully and intentionally. If I feel called to serve God in a particular way (that perhaps requires a more frugal existence) and yet I plough ahead and build something that determines that I need to earn even more over the next 25 years, then I'm intentionally or unintentionally telling God the parts of my life that are available and those that can't be touched. I'm not for a moment discounting the ability for God to supernaturally provide. He does: I've seen it and experienced it. And yet, I think he blesses our obedience and our desire to give ourselves to him. Sometimes He blesses us despite ourselves (just to remind us who's in control) but, most times, it's about partnership; us putting our hands in His and going for a long walk. On that walk we learn the unforced rhythms of grace that issue from a life that operates on his economy not ours.
Proverbs 11:24 tells us that while 'The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller'. My thought is this: we can be generous with little and we can be generous with much. And our decisions regarding the stewardship of 'all we have gained' financially determines the resources available for generosity. I'm not saying this to compare one person's generosity with another; the widow gave a coin and gave all she had. What I'm saying is that our world becomes larger through the stewardship of what we have - this is intrinsically linked to the decisions we've made. And the extent to which we've 'counted the cost'.
Each of us has particular needs. While people in Vietnam often have families of five on a small scooter, that would incur a fine where I live. And so a family of five is probably getting around in a larger car...or an SUV...or a station-wagon. That's practical for our context. I'm not arguing for us to sell up and move to a commune in the hills. What I am proposing is a reflection of what informs that stuff. What itch do our acquisitions scratch? And should they being scratch by someone other than stuff? Jesus said to seek his Kingdom before anything else. When our perspective is re-oriented we find that everything we need is added to us. We may also find along the way that the things that we thought needed to be added no longer need to be.
In some ways, the entire point of this post lies here: the stuff that we decide we need ends up making decisions for us. The houses we build, the credit we burn, the cars we drive, the energy we expend...all of these have a butterfly effect over the rest of our lives. Not always immediately apparent, but it's there. Sometimes filling in cracks where air could once be inhaled and exhaled, sometimes opening cracks where there was once relationship and the freedom to enjoy moments.
If you're waiting for the moment that I'll dismount from the soapbox, please forgive me. I've made my share of decisions that removed choices. Perhaps they make me more cautious now. Or it could be that the things I value have changed over time too. And so, the value I now place on some areas becomes more sacred than others. More worthy of protection. The preeminence of mission is gradually shaping what, why, when and how I build the things I try and build.
A legendary Australian, Daryl Kerrigan, once said that 'a man's home is his castle'. But he also said 'it's not a house, it's a home' and 'you can't build what I've got'. If there's a place to finish up, it's right there. Don't forgo the stuff of life that can't be built with money for the things that can. Legacies and relationships cannot be 'compulsorily acquired'...but our stuff can get eaten by moths and rust.
I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life. Deuteronomy 30:19
The miracle of sound
Everything is like a symphony, if you think about it. Birds are perfect, and crickets come out of the wet woods like a choir.
And this is another accident, that we have ears to hear, and that nature itself works perfectly to calm the soul, and wind from a tornado has that perfect pitch of fear, that train rumble of death, and music, music, if it is an accident, may be one of the greatest miracles of them all, as beautiful as romance or colour or the power of water.
from Through Painted Deserts - Light, God and Beauty on the Open Road, Donald Miller
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Lent Readings: Sunday 18 March
If you've got no idea what this is all about, go here. If you're up for the ride, let's read... 2 Sing the glory of his name; 3 Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! 4 All the earth bows down to you; 5 Come and see what God has done, 6 He turned the sea into dry land, 7 He rules forever by his power, 8 Praise our God, O peoples, 9 he has preserved our lives 10 For you, O God, tested us; 11 You brought us into prison 12 You let men ride over our heads; 13 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings 14 vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke 15 I will sacrifice fat animals to you 16 Come and listen, all you who fear God; 17 I cried out to him with my mouth; 18 If I had cherished sin in my heart, 19 but God has surely listened 20 Praise be to God, 2 "Judah mourns, 3 The nobles send their servants for water; 4 The ground is cracked 5 Even the doe in the field 6 Wild donkeys stand on the barren heights 7 Although our sins testify against us, 8 O Hope of Israel, 9 Why are you like a man taken by surprise, 10 This is what the LORD says about this people: 11 Then the LORD said to me, "Do not pray for the well-being of this people. 12 Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy them with the sword, famine and plague." 13 But I said, "Ah, Sovereign LORD, the prophets keep telling them, 'You will not see the sword or suffer famine. Indeed, I will give you lasting peace in this place.' " 14 Then the LORD said to me, "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries [a] and the delusions of their own minds. 15 Therefore, this is what the LORD says about the prophets who are prophesying in my name: I did not send them, yet they are saying, 'No sword or famine will touch this land.' Those same prophets will perish by sword and famine. 16 And the people they are prophesying to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and sword. There will be no one to bury them or their wives, their sons or their daughters. I will pour out on them the calamity they deserve. 17 "Speak this word to them: 18 If I go into the country, 19 Have you rejected Judah completely? 20 O LORD, we acknowledge our wickedness 21 For the sake of your name do not despise us; 22 Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? 24These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. 25Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. 26But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. 27For it is written: 28Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29At that time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. 30But what does the Scripture say? "Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son."[b] 31Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman. 11The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. 12He sighed deeply and said, "Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it." 13Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side. 16They discussed this with one another and said, "It is because we have no bread." 17Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: "Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember? 19When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" 20"And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" 21He said to them, "Do you still not understand?"
LEAVING ADDICTION FOR HEALING...Psalm 66 (New International Version)
For the director of music. A song. A psalm.
1 Shout with joy to God, all the earth!
make his praise glorious!
So great is your power
that your enemies cringe before you.
they sing praise to you,
they sing praise to your name."
Selah
how awesome his works in man's behalf!
they passed through the waters on foot—
come, let us rejoice in him.
his eyes watch the nations—
let not the rebellious rise up against him.
Selah
let the sound of his praise be heard;
and kept our feet from slipping.
you refined us like silver.
and laid burdens on our backs.
we went through fire and water,
but you brought us to a place of abundance.
and fulfill my vows to you-
when I was in trouble.
and an offering of rams;
I will offer bulls and goats.
Selah
let me tell you what he has done for me.
his praise was on my tongue.
the Lord would not have listened;
and heard my voice in prayer.
who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld his love from me!Jeremiah 14:1-22 (New International Version)
Drought, Famine, Sword
1 This is the word of the LORD to Jeremiah concerning the drought:
her cities languish;
they wail for the land,
and a cry goes up from Jerusalem.
they go to the cisterns
but find no water.
They return with their jars unfilled;
dismayed and despairing,
they cover their heads.
because there is no rain in the land;
the farmers are dismayed
and cover their heads.
deserts her newborn fawn
because there is no grass.
and pant like jackals;
their eyesight fails
for lack of pasture."
O LORD, do something for the sake of your name.
For our backsliding is great;
we have sinned against you.
its Savior in times of distress,
why are you like a stranger in the land,
like a traveler who stays only a night?
like a warrior powerless to save?
You are among us, O LORD,
and we bear your name;
do not forsake us!
"They greatly love to wander;
they do not restrain their feet.
So the LORD does not accept them;
he will now remember their wickedness
and punish them for their sins."
" 'Let my eyes overflow with tears
night and day without ceasing;
for my virgin daughter—my people—
has suffered a grievous wound,
a crushing blow.
I see those slain by the sword;
if I go into the city,
I see the ravages of famine.
Both prophet and priest
have gone to a land they know not.' "
Do you despise Zion?
Why have you afflicted us
so that we cannot be healed?
We hoped for peace
but no good has come,
for a time of healing
but there is only terror.
and the guilt of our fathers;
we have indeed sinned against you.
do not dishonor your glorious throne.
Remember your covenant with us
and do not break it.
Do the skies themselves send down showers?
No, it is you, O LORD our God.
Therefore our hope is in you,
for you are the one who does all this.Galatians 4:21-5:1 (New International Version)
Hagar and Sarah
21Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? 22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. 23His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise.
"Be glad, O barren woman,
who bears no children;
break forth and cry aloud,
you who have no labor pains;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
than of her who has a husband."[a] Galatians 5
Freedom in Christ
1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.Mark 8:11-21 (New International Version)
The Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod
14The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. 15"Be careful," Jesus warned them. "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod."
"Twelve," they replied.
They answered, "Seven."
Friday, March 16, 2007
Lent Readings: Saturday 17 March
If you've got no idea what this is all about, go here. If you're up for the ride, let's read... 1 He has founded his city on the holy mountain. 2 The LORD loves the gates of Zion 3 Glorious things are said of you, 4 "I will record Rahab [b] and Babylon 5 Indeed, of Zion it will be said, 6 The LORD will write in the register of the peoples: 7 As they make music they will sing, 1 This is what the LORD said to me: "Go and buy a linen belt and put it around your waist, but do not let it touch water." 2 So I bought a belt, as the LORD directed, and put it around my waist. 3 Then the word of the LORD came to me a second time: 4 "Take the belt you bought and are wearing around your waist, and go now to Perath [a] and hide it there in a crevice in the rocks." 5 So I went and hid it at Perath, as the LORD told me. 6 Many days later the LORD said to me, "Go now to Perath and get the belt I told you to hide there." 7 So I went to Perath and dug up the belt and took it from the place where I had hidden it, but now it was ruined and completely useless. 8 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 9 "This is what the LORD says: 'In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt—completely useless! 11 For as a belt is bound around the waist, so I bound the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to me,' declares the LORD, 'to be my people for my renown and praise and honor. But they have not listened.' 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. 19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in [a] Christ Jesus our Lord. 47 Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." 48 The Jews answered him, "Aren't we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?" 49 "I am not possessed by a demon," said Jesus, "but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. 50 I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death." 52 At this they exclaimed, "Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?" 54 Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55 Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad." 57 "You are not yet fifty years old," they said to him, "and you have seen Abraham!" 58 "Very truly I tell you," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
LEAVING CONTROL FOR FAITH...Psalm 87 TNIV
Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. A song.
more than all the other dwellings of Jacob.
city of God: [a]
among those who acknowledge me—
Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush [c]—
and will say, 'This one was born in Zion.'" [d]
"This one and that one were born in her,
and the Most High himself will establish her."
"This one was born in Zion."
"All my fountains are in you."Jeremiah 13:1-11 TNIV
A Linen Belt
Romans 6:12-23 TNIV
Slaves to Righteousness
John 8:47-59 TNIV
Jesus' Claims About Himself
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Lent Readings: Friday 16 March
If you've got no idea what this is all about, go here. If you're up for the ride, let's read... [c] 1 LORD, you are the God who saves me; 2 May my prayer come before you; 3 I am overwhelmed with troubles 4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit; 5 I am set apart with the dead, 6 You have put me in the lowest pit, 7 Your wrath lies heavily on me; 8 You have taken from me my closest friends 9 my eyes are dim with grief. 10 Do you show your wonders to the dead? 11 Is your love declared in the grave, 12 Are your wonders known in the place of darkness, 13 But I cry to you for help, LORD; 14 Why, LORD, do you reject me 15 From my youth I have suffered and been close to death; 16 Your wrath has swept over me; 17 All day long they surround me like a flood; 18 You have taken from me friend and neighbor— 1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 "Listen to the terms of this covenant and tell them to the people of Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem. 3 Tell them that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Cursed is everyone who does not obey the terms of this covenant— 4 the terms I commanded your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the iron-smelting furnace.' I said, 'Obey me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God. 5 Then I will fulfill the oath I swore to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey'—the land you possess today." 6 The LORD said to me, "Proclaim all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: 'Listen to the terms of this covenant and follow them. 7 From the time I brought your ancestors up from Egypt until today, I warned them again and again, saying, "Obey me." 8 But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts. So I brought on them all the curses of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep.' " 9 Then the LORD said to me, "There is a conspiracy among the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. 10 They have returned to the sins of their ancestors, who refused to listen to my words. They have followed other gods to serve them. Both the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant I made with their ancestors. 11 Therefore this is what the LORD says: 'I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape. Although they cry out to me, I will not listen to them. 12 The towns of Judah and the people of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they burn incense, but they will not help them at all when disaster strikes. 13 You, Judah, have as many gods as you have towns; and the altars you have set up to burn incense to that shameful god Baal are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.' 14 "Do not pray for this people or offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their distress. 15 "What is my beloved doing in my temple 16 The LORD called you a thriving olive tree 17 The LORD Almighty, who planted you, has decreed disaster for you, because the house of Israel and the house of Judah have done evil and aroused my anger by burning incense to Baal. 18 Because the LORD revealed their plot to me, I knew it, for at that time he showed me what they were doing. 19 I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter; I did not realize that they had plotted against me, saying, 20 But you, LORD Almighty, who judge righteously 1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 If we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, [a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 33 They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?" 34 Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. 38 I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father. [a]" 39 "Abraham is our father," they answered. "If you were Abraham's children," said Jesus, "then you would [b] do what Abraham did. 40 As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. 41 You are doing the works of your own father." 42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? 47 Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."
LEAVING CONTROL FOR FAITH...Psalm 88 TNIV
A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. For the director of music. According to mahalath leannoth. [a] A maskil [b] of Heman the Ezrahite.
day and night I cry out to you.
turn your ear to my cry.
and my life draws near to death.
I am like one without strength.
like the slain who lie in the grave,
whom you remember no more,
who are cut off from your care.
in the darkest depths.
you have overwhelmed me with all your waves. [d]
and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confined and cannot escape;
I call to you, LORD, every day;
I spread out my hands to you.
Do their spirits rise up and praise you?
your faithfulness in Destruction [e]?
or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
and hide your face from me?
I have borne your terrors and am in despair.
your terrors have destroyed me.
they have completely engulfed me.
darkness is my closest friend.Jeremiah 11:1-20 TNIV
The Covenant Is Broken
I answered, "Amen, LORD."
as she, with many others, works out her evil schemes?
Can consecrated meat avert your punishment?
When you engage in your wickedness,
then you rejoice. [a]"
with fruit beautiful in form.
But with the roar of a mighty storm
he will set it on fire,
and its branches will be broken. Plot Against Jeremiah
"Let us destroy the tree and its fruit;
let us cut him off from the land of the living,
that his name be remembered no more."
and test the heart and mind,
let me see your vengeance on them,
for to you I have committed my cause.Romans 6:1-11 TNIV
Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ
John 8:33-47 TNIV
"We are not illegitimate children," they protested. "The only Father we have is God himself."