I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn't work. So I quit being a "law man" so that I could become God's man. Christ's life showed me how and enabled me to do it. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave His life for me. I am not going back on that!!
Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God's grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.
-from Galations 2 in The Message Bible
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
Oh How He Loves Us!!
Did you ever have a crush on somebody in school and purposely put yourself in places you knew that person would be, hoping & praying they would notice you...say Hi...wave...nod their head in your direction? That's God! He is SO head over heels in love with us! When we are opening our eyes to a new day, He is there...waiting...wanting you to notice...to say Hi. But we stumble right past on our way to the bathroom or that first cup of coffee. Throughout the day He is there...waiting...wanting us to notice. But we just hurry on by with our busy lives. And as we lay our weary heads down at night...He's there..."please, just tell Me goodnight"...but off to sleep we go without so much as a wave. But He doesn't give up...He watches through the night..."She's SO beautiful! I can't wait til she wakes up! I'm SURE she'll notice Me tomorrow!" Have you noticed Him today?? It's what He's been waiting for!!
Judgment
Matthew 7:1-2:
Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.
New King James Bible
Do not judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves. For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you deal out to others it will be dealt to you.
Amplified Bible
Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults - unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging.
The Message Bible
Any time you look at what another person is doing (or not doing) and evaluate it - good or bad - you are judging.
God and God alone can change a person's heart, attitude and/or actions. IF God chooses to use you to assist in the change in a person, it is an indication that He can trust you, NOT that you are better then them or even that you have mastered that area that is being changed! NEVER allow yourself to be deceived into thinking otherwise!!
Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.
New King James Bible
Do not judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves. For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you deal out to others it will be dealt to you.
Amplified Bible
Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults - unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging.
The Message Bible
Any time you look at what another person is doing (or not doing) and evaluate it - good or bad - you are judging.
God and God alone can change a person's heart, attitude and/or actions. IF God chooses to use you to assist in the change in a person, it is an indication that He can trust you, NOT that you are better then them or even that you have mastered that area that is being changed! NEVER allow yourself to be deceived into thinking otherwise!!
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