One of the most important and beautiful messages in scripture is given by Jesus, and it is very important to get to know it well.
Matthew 6:32-34 (NKJV) For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Now read Matthew 5 Ask yourself these questions: God, what do you want me to know through this passage? God, how do you want me to feel? God, what do you want me to do?
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Romans 6:1-4 (NKJV)
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. If we give our lives to Christ, if we except what He did for us, we should be changed. Psalm 51:10 (NKJV) Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. This verse was written by David after he had lusted after Bathsheba, committed adultery, and murdered her husband so that he could have her. David was in a bad state. He had messed up. But because He had come to know God, a just, forgiving and loving God, he knew that he could be forgiven. When David came to God he did not keep on with his evil ways, as if to say, "I am forgiven now I can do whatever I want. No, he turned back to God. The word repentance, in the original language in the Bible actually means, to change direction. In other words when David repented he was changing his ways. It holds the same meaning for us. If we are repentant to God, we don't have an excuse to sin. We need to make a u-turn. I love how when David is repentant he please with God to be changed. Today ask in prayer that God will help you to change your direction. To help you be made new. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is 2 Corinthians 5:17 go and read it. Today read Philippians 4:1-13 What is Paul trying to tell us? Are you busy? Stressed? Tired? Are you anxious? What can we do to find peace? Ask yourself today, God what are you trying to teach me from this passage of scripture? Now read it again. Philippians 4:1-13 What is the peace that surpasses understanding? Have you ever felt this? Prayer: Lord I know that you can give us a new heart, and a new life. Today I ask you that you will make us new. Help us to focus our attention on you so that we can experience something that does not come from this world, your peace, your unexplainable peace. Give us what we are missing, take away our distractions from you. Read the Word, the Word speaks.
Romans 3:23 For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 4:1-4 What then shall we say that Abraham our father 1has found according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Although we have sinned, although we make bad choices, and too often do the wrong thing, there is hope. There is hope in the fact that Jesus is died for us. Romans 5:18-19 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Jesus is our hope! Three weeks into this challenge, I hope that you have been enriched by a deeper walk with God.
Yesterday we read the first 5 chapters of Romans. You will notice that in the first few chapters Paul, addresses our sinful nature, and how we have a bent to turn from the way God naturally created things to be and to follow our own selfish desires. One of the keys that we must realize is that we have sinned, all of us have. Romans 1-3 is pretty clear on this. We have a broken propensity to choose that which is wrong. The interesting thing is that what is wrong, is always that which is selfish. The two cannot be separated. Isaiah 14:12-14 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 13 For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Notice how Lucifer, (Satan) is all about selfishness. He has a bad case of the I's. For him it's selfish. Is this our problem. Is selfishness what is keeping us from being better people, from connecting with God? Spend some extra time today praying that God will help you to remove the selfishness from your life. Back to basics today.
Read Romans 1-5 Yes it sounds like a lot but it will help build perspective. Pay attention to what God says is natural. What is our problem? How does selfishness play a roll? How do we get away from being selfish? What at is God telling you to do? Pray: God help me to surrender to you, to live for you, Today I am inviting you into my life. Take control Lord as I am a sinner and I need you. What is the Sanctuary?
Dictionary.com Define Sanctuary? 1. A sacred or holy place. 2. Judaism. The Biblical tabernacle or the Temple in Jerusalem. The holy of holies of these places of worship. 3. An especially holy place in a temple or church. 4. The part of a church around the altar; the chancel. 5. A church or other sacred place where fugitives were formerly entitled to immunity from arrest. 6. Immunity afforded by refuge in such a place. 7. Any place of refuge; asylum. The Sanctuary in the wilderness was the place where God lived. It was the tabernacle. Exodus 25:8 And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. God wants to be with His people. Spend 5 minutes thinking and praying about this, God wants to be with you to dwell with you. The word for the tabernacle in Hebrew means dwelling place, the word in the Exodus literally says to live with. The God of the universe wants to live with His people. He wants to be so close to you that he wants to live with you. Read Psalm 91 Do you want to be strong? As a man, all my life I have wanted to be strong. As a child I loved the stories, of Biblical strongmen, David defeats Goliath. Samson defeats the Philistines. I loved the champions of Scripture. As I got older I loved to go to the gym and work out. I have had this burning inside of me, to be strong.
In my adult maturity, I have realized something, I may have a muscle or two, but my strength does not make me strong. Samson, with all his muscles, was as weak as a baby. When he was tempted he had no strength. When He turned from God he had nothing. But when He turned back to God he had enough strength to give God the victory. David, not a big guy but a strong guy, who had great faith, but when he was tempted by the woman on the roof he was weak. Only did his strength come from God. Our strength is only, weakness without a relationship with Jesus. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Isaiah 40:29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Psalm 119:28 My soul melts from heaviness; Strengthen me according to Your word. Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. 1 Corinthians 12:9-10 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Prayer: Lord God in heaven, all to often I want to rely on my own strength, but really I am weak. Lord, I want to think that I can do it on my own, but I cannot. Wash me, Lord, I need to be who you want me to be. In my weakness you are strong. It's that time of year, every time our girls go outside and play, we have to keep our eyes open for any signs of ticks. The other day we found one in our daughter's hair. I had to pull it out before it got under her skin.
One summer when I was working at a camp in Saskatchewan, Canada, I was given the task of clearing and cleaning the trails through the woods. Every day I would check for ticks. I would usually find several. Fortunately, none had dug there head under my skin to suck my blood. One particular day I removed 50 ticks. It was somewhat scary to know that any one of them could have poisoned me and gotten me very sick. This is like sin. All too often we allow sins and bad habits to live in our lives. Just like a parasite, they drain us. If we don't continue to make sure that we are not holding onto things that will keep us from connecting with God, our sins or our bad habits will slowly poison us, and keep us from the life-saving blood of Jesus. Isaiah 1:18 Phil 4:8-13 These texts remind us that we should keep our minds on God things and get our strength from Jesus.
Read Psalm 23
God promises as our shepherd to lead us. But what does that mean, does He lead us in a place in which we grow, or stay the way we are? God calls us to follow Him, to be His disciples. Watch this video: What does this say about how God leads us? How does it change your perspective? Read: Matthew 6:25-34 |
AuthorRyan Hodgins, pastor, coach. Married to a gorgeous wife. Father to three girls. I need this epic walk. Archives
February 2023
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How often do we wonder, "Where am I going? or What is my purpose?" In our day to day life, in our inner walk, many of us are looking for a purpose. You may be here because you want answers. You may be here because you truly want an Epic Walk. For whatever your reason, I am glad you are here. Read on. Enjoy our daily homework and hopefully, you can find more purpose, and begin an Epic Walk.
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