Temptations Of Sin

17-20But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.

21-23It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.

24I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question?

25The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different. Romans 7:17-25

This is the nature of sin. Sin is always there right when you feel strong enough to fight against it. Sin is that temptation that gets you down. I feel it all the time. I know sin can take over my life if I don't fight against it. The thing that I can fight sin with is Jesus Christ.

I need Jesus' strength to help me fight the temptation of sin. I need the Holy Spirit's power to overcome its temptation and to focus on God. I know that sin can be tricky and find its way into my life, so I need to be always attentive of sin and to grow stronger in the Lord.

Lord, thank you for your son Jesus Christ for dying on the cross for MY sins. I pray that you give me strength to keep from the temptations of sin and to focus and draw closer to you. Lord I thank you for your blessings and I thank you for that testimony from Kat of your healing. I know that you are the healer of miricles. I thank you and pray that this next week go smoothly.
Amen.

Grace Over Sin

All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers. But sin didn't, and doesn't, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. When it's sin versus grace, grace wins hands down. All sin can do is threaten us with death, and that's the end of it. Grace, because God is putting everything together again through the Messiah, invites us into life—a life that goes on and on and on, world without end. Romans 5:20,21

The Grace of God is everlasting. With the death of His son Jesus Christ, we are saved and invited to eternal life with Him. This verse glorifies God through Jesus Christ.

Life needs to always glorify God. Because Jesus died for our sins, we lift him high above everything on Earth. God gave His son, Jesus, to die for our sins and because of His Grace, we are changed.

Lord, I thank you for your grace you have given to us. Your grace of Jesus Christ saved our lived from a life of sin and changed me to be a better person in you. I thank you for your blessings and the biggest blessing of all, Jesus, for coming into my life. I pray that you watch over me and my friends and family and protect us this week. I pray you guide us in our decicions that we make and let it glorify your name.
Amen.

Trust In God

If you're a hard worker and do a good job, you deserve your pay; we don't call your wages a gift. But if you see that the job is too big for you, that it's something only God can do, and you trust him to do it—you could never do it for yourself no matter how hard and long you worked—well, that trusting-him-to-do-it is what gets you set right with God, by God. Sheer gift. Romans 4:4-5

Here is something that sounds just like me and sounds like something that I need work in. Usually, in practical matters, I just think things through. Sometimes, I need to trust God to help me through my problems.

I need to ask God and trust in Him when I have a problem that only He can help me with. This will strengthen my faith as I see that He is doing something in my life. I need to trust that God will provide me with a way through my problems or situations.

Father God, thank you for being with me as I read your words. I thank you for this message that reminds me to always trust in you. I pray that I give you my problems and trust that you will help me come up with a solution to it. I thank you in advance for you will do for me. I thank you for all your blessings and pray that the weather will be good for the next couple of days. I pray this in Jesus name.
Amen.

His Words Are Forever

First, there's the matter of being put in charge of writing down and caring for God's revelation, these Holy Scriptures. So, what if, in the course of doing that, some of those Jews abandoned their post? God didn't abandon them. Do you think their faithlessness cancels out his faithfulness? Not on your life! Depend on it: God keeps his word even when the whole world is lying through its teeth. Scripture says the same:

Your words stand fast and true;
Rejection doesn't faze you.

But if our wrongdoing only underlines and confirms God's rightdoing, shouldn't we be commended for helping out? Since our bad words don't even make a dent in his good words, isn't it wrong of God to back us to the wall and hold us to our word? These questions come up. The answer to such questions is no, a most emphatic No! How else would things ever get straightened out if God didn't do the straightening? Romans 3:2-6

God's words will always last forever. His words is the life of all that we hold on to. It is the law that we abide by. Even when we are not perfect, his words will still be the same, Holy and Everlasting.

I need to keep His words close to me. As I read his words, I let it change my heart to be closer to God. I need to continue to read His words and let me grow in knowledge and faith.

Lord, I thank you for your word. If it wasn't for you, then I would not be living in you. I pray that I keep seeking you and always keep your words close to me. I pray that you move in my heart as I get rhema from your words and let it change me to be a man of God. Thank you for your blessings.
Amen.

Needing A Leader

If you're brought up Jewish, don't assume that you can lean back in the arms of your religion and take it easy, feeling smug because you're an insider to God's revelation, a connoisseur of the best things of God, informed on the latest doctrines! I have a special word of caution for you who are sure that you have it all together yourselves and, because you know God's revealed Word inside and out, feel qualified to guide others through their blind alleys and dark nights and confused emotions to God. While you are guiding others, who is going to guide you? I'm quite serious. While preaching "Don't steal!" are you going to rob people blind? Who would suspect you? The same with adultery. The same with idolatry. You can get by with almost anything if you front it with eloquent talk about God and his law. The line from Scripture, "It's because of you Jews that the outsiders are down on God," shows it's an old problem that isn't going to go away. Romans 2:17-24

Having someone, a leader, someone to be accountable to, is what the Bible is telling me here. If you are in a leadership position, it is even more critical that you have someone to guide you. It would be very hypocritical if you teach such things but don't abide by it. That is why it is important to have someone to watch over you.

As I grow in the Lord, I need someone to always be accountable to me so that I don't do things and sin against God. I always need to walk straight in God's path.

Lord, let me always follow your words. I pray that the Holy Spirit guide me and teach me to walk you in way Lord. I thank you for all the leaders that have helped me grow in you and I continue to always seek you. Thank you for everything and all your blessings.
Amen.