God’s Hand In Repentance

I always thought we had to look at allllllll our sins and repent for each and everyone of them BEFORE God could change our hearts and put His Spirit within us and give us the strength to obey Him. Like we gotta clear our house before allowing Jesus in. I read Ezekiel today and v31 really blew my mind.

Ezekiel 36:25-32

Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. ²⁶ I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷ I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.²⁸ Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God. ²⁹ I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you. ³⁰ And I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so that you need never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations. ³¹ Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations. ³² Not for your sake do I do this,” says the Lord God, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel!”

Here Ezekiel is splitting up the relationship between God’s action and our action very clearly. v25-30, He will cleanse, He will change our hearts, He will help us walk in obedience, He will give us the inheritance and prosperity, He will make us successful in what we do, He will make us forget our shame. THEN and only then, will WE, v31, will realise our sins and hate our past sinful self.

It actually does kinda make sense.

Firstly, we are sinful and sin filled creatures. We only want the best for ourselves and to satisfy ourselves. We will never willingly repent until the Holy Spirit does some kind of work on our hearts and some kind of rewiring in our minds. The first step of repentance and humility requires a soft heart. v26 says God will put a spirit in us which would soften the heart of stone into the heart of flesh. God was labouring in us even before we said yes to Him.

Secondly, we can’t possibly know ALL God’s laws and repent of all the sins. I don’t think we could even know our heart attitudes or problems that well until after we’re dead. If we had to be super holy before Jesus could come into our hearts, no one would ever be Christian. God’s work in perfecting our lives is a step by step process. We realise and overcome one sin, then another. We learn one Godly attitude, then another. And this whole process can only be done with God’s strength and grace.

We need Him for us to be rid of sin. We even Him even for us to just repent for the first time.

Righteousness Begins With Faith

​Genesis 15:1-6 (NKJV)

1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”

2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”

3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!”

4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.”

5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”

6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

Who Shall Separate Us From The Love Of Christ?

​Romans 8:1-2, 5-6, 28-39 (NKJV)

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,

39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Roma 8:1-2, 5-6, 28-39 (AVB)

1 Dengan demikian, sekarang tidak ada hukuman bagi orang yang ada dalam Kristus Yesus.

2 Kerana melalui Kristus Yesus hukum Roh kehidupan telah membebaskanku daripada hukum dosa dan kematian.

5 Bagi orang yang hidup menurut sifat tabii yang berdosa, fikirannya tertumpu kepada apa yang diingini oleh sifat tabii itu; tetapi bagi orang yang hidup menurut Roh, jiwanya tertumpu kepada apa yang diingini oleh Roh.

6 Fikiran yang dikuasai oleh sifat tabii yang berdosa, adalah kematian. Tetapi fikiran yang dikuasai oleh Roh, adalah kehidupan dan kesejahteraan.

28 Dan kita tahu bahawa dalam semua hal Allah bekerja untuk kebaikan orang yang mengasihi-Nya, yang telah dipanggil menurut rancangan-Nya.

29 Kerana dari mulanya dahulu Allah telah menentukan mereka yang dipilih-Nya supaya menjadi selaras dengan rupa Anak-Nya, maka Anak itu merupakan yang sulung di antara saudara yang ramai.

30 Dan orang yang ditentukan Allah dari mulanya dahulu dipanggil-Nya; orang yang dipanggil-Nya itu diperbenar-Nya; orang yang diperbenar-Nya itu dipermulia-Nya pula.

31 Jadi, apakah yang akan kita katakan sebagai sambutan kepada hal ini? Jika Allah memihak kepada kita, siapa dapat melawan kita?

32 Dia tidak mengecualikan Anak-Nya sendiri, tetapi menyerahkan-Nya untuk kita semua. Oleh itu, tidakkah Dia, bersama Anak-Nya itu, juga akan memberikan segala-galanya kepada kita dengan rela?

33 Siapa yang akan mendakwa orang pilihan Allah? Allah yang memperbenar.

34 Siapakah yang dapat mempersalah kita? Kristus Yesus, yang telah mati, bahkan lebih daripada itu, yang telah dibangkitkan, berada di sebelah kanan Allah dan juga berdoa syafaat bagi pihak kita.

35 Siapa yang akan memisahkan kita daripada kasih Kristus? Kekacauan atau kesusahan atau penganiayaan atau kebuluran atau ketelanjangan atau bahaya atau pedang?

36 Sebagaimana tersurat dalam Kitab Suci: “Kerana-Mu kami menghadapi maut sepanjang hari; Kami dianggap sebagai domba untuk disembelih.”

37 Tidak! Dalam semua hal ini kita lebih daripada para penakluk melalui Dia yang mengasihi kita.

38 Kerana aku yakin bahawa kematian mahupun kehidupan, para malaikat mahupun para pemerintah, masa kini mahupun masa depan, baik kuasa apa pun,

39 ketinggian mahupun kedalaman, baik apa pun yang lain dalam seluruh ciptaan, tidak akan dapat memisahkan kita daripada kasih Allah yang di dalam Kristus Yesus, Tuhan kita.

David Crowder Band – O Praise Him

From Such People Turn Away!

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NKJV)
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

2 Timotius 3:1-5 (AVB)
1 Ketahuilah, bahawa pada akhir zaman, akan datang suatu masa yang sukar.
2 Manusia akan menjadi pencinta diri, pencinta wang, bercakap besar, berlagak bongkak, mencaci-maki, ingkar terhadap ibu bapa, tidak bersyukur, tidak suci,
3 tidak mengasihi, tidak mengampuni, suka memfitnah, tidak menguasai diri, buas dan pembenci kebaikan,
4 khianat, gopoh, angkuh, serta lebih mencintai keseronokan daripada mengasihi Allah.
5 Mereka menjalankan kewajipan agama tetapi menyangkal kuasanya. Jauhilah orang demikian.

Romans 12 Part 1

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Romans 1:1

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Romans 12 has always been a special chapter for me. Mostly because it houses a few of my all time favourite verses. Here’s what I think of the first verse.

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Beseech

Beseech is like a pleading. Imploring. An urgent and deep request.

Mercies of God

‘By the mercies of God’. For me this is like saying ‘according to how much God has allowed you to be blessed to’ or ‘to endure’ or ‘to give’.

Living Sacrifice

Here’s a typical war movie scene. A small team of good guys are being chased by an army of baddies with big guns. One of the good guys get injured and says ‘don’t bring me along, I’ll only be a burden. Leave me here. I’ll slow them down’. After the emotional scene, the good guys leave and turn the corner just in time as the bad guys turn up. They have a shoot out with this hero. But the hero gets killed. And as the baddies rush past the hero’s dead body to catch up with the good guys, the hero unclenches his fist with a grenade in his hand. It explodes and kills off even more of the baddies.

This hero is the sacrifice. He sacrificed himself. But he had to die. A death sacrifice.

A living sacrifice actually sounds like an oxymoron. Yet, I think it makes sense. Because God deserves more than just a death sacrifice. A death sacrifice is easy. You just feel for the people you leave behind – for a short moment – then it’s all gone.

A living sacrifice demands more out of us. Our life involves a lot more than our death. In life there is growth. There is learning. There are responsibilities. There are people. There’s time. There are wants and desires. There’s love. There’s abilities and skills. There’s health. There’s emotion. There are worries and fears. There are beliefs and ideas. There’s personality. There’s wealth and material things. There’s hope. Well, that’s a lot to constantly let go of.

How do we then become a living sacrifice? For me, it’s to be constantly aware of what we do. And to constantly decide to obey God. Now that is what I call difficult.

Imagine your time, your relationships, your priorities, your energy, your skills, your personality, your actions, your thoughts, all spent on someone else. It’s almost like when you have a girlfriend or a baby. Your whole life will be devoted to this person that you love. Except, for God, it’s more complete. Our whole life is required. Everything? Everything. Now that’s tough.

Then, if devoted properly, if what we decide and do is what God desires, we will be holy. Holy just means right before God’s eyes. Clean. Sin is the opposite which means wrong before God’s eyes. When we are holy, it will be acceptable to God.

Reasonable Service

In Greek, the word ‘reasonable’ is ‘logikos’. As in Rational or Logical. Being a living sacrifice is the logical thing to do. After what Jesus has done, after knowing who God is, knowing what an amazing life and path He has set us on right now, and knowing that His love for us is the reason for everything, it will be irrational and illogical to not give your whole life and being as a sacrifice to God! It will be irrational and illogical not to love God!

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If you’re asking ‘So who is God?’ and ‘What kind of path did He set us on now?’, you’re asking the right question. The bible is filled to the brim with God’s character and God’s promises and God’s plan for us. And also very importantly, who we are to God. So start reading the bible now! If you need help, drop me a message or just comment below.

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So these are thoughts I have when I read this verse. That’s all for now.

Ciao~

Avoiding Sin vs Walking By The Spirit

For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only do not use your freedom for gain to the flesh, but through love be servants to one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you do not consume one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, that you may not do the things that you desire. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious, which are: sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, envyings, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Messiah have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Galatians 5:13-25

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In the ESV version it says; The desires of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit is against the flesh. That speaks pretty hard to me.

The flesh is me. Me in my weakness. Me in my mortal, carnal, human form. But I believe I’m filled with the Spirit. So according to this verse I should HATE sin! The Spirit of God will be against the desires of the flesh. Not just annoyed with. Not just looked down on. Not just disagreeable with. But the spirit if God is AGAINST it. It will do whatever it takes to not only stand against it, but to fight. To ATTACK. But I’m not fighting back as hard as I should be.

Walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. To be honest, I sin a lot. Every day. Without fail. I usually don’t even notice it. But God does convict me, and He opens my eyes to myself and my pride and my selfishness and my lusts. I’m working through a lot of weaknesses. Like, a lot. Anyway. What I’m troubled about is the word ‘WILL NOT’. These are strong words. So, if I am carrying out the desires of my flesh, which I am, then I’m not walking by the Spirit? I have to agree. I’m sorry God. I am weak.

I’ve been trying to avoid sin. I’ve been reading up books. Trying to memorize verses. But in here it doesn’t say Avoid sin and you WILL NOT carry out the desires of the flesh. Nope, it says WALK BY THE SPIRIT. This reminds me of one illustration by someone teaching about sin. It’s like a cup full of air. No matter how you try to get the air out. The air will still be there. But fill it to the brim with water, and the air has to come out. Scientifically, that’s not too accurate, I think. But let’s not get too critical. It’s just an illustration.

I just have to remember that I’m weak. I need God. I can’t avoid sin because sin is in me and in the world around me. But I can choose to walk with God and walk by the Spirit.

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God, I’ve tried to be holy, but failed over and over again. I need more grace and power to walk by your Spirit and your ways. Please forgive me of my dumb actions and thoughts and words. Thank You for helping me change, even though it is a painful and uncomfortable and long process.

You are amazing. You are holy. You are great and powerful. You are kind. You are merciful. You are loving. You are protective. Thank You for lifting me up when You should be looking down on me. Thank You for dreaming and hoping I can be who You have created me to be. Thank You for providing for me even though I only deserve death.

Integrity

Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord?

Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?

Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right,

speaking the truth from sincere hearts.

Pslam 15:1-2

I Really REALLY Want To Kiss You Right Now

Exerpted from How to Date with No Regrets by Debra K. Fileta, from True Love Dates

 

“I really want to kiss you right now.”

There is probably no other phrase that can get a heart to flutter more. To some, a kiss is just a kiss, but in reality it’s so much more. Being so closely connected to someone through the touching of lips — it’s a moment of vulnerability, of intimacy, of trust. It’s the moment when two hearts connect through the avenue of the physical.

“But I don’t think it’s a good idea,” he went on to say.

It was late November. The beauty of fall had dissolved into the cold dark evenings of winter. John and I were hanging out at his apartment on a Sunday afternoon, watching a football game. It was about five months after we had met, and our friendship was budding into a dating relationship.

I can’t tell you what game was on or who won, because the entire two hours, I was trying to figure out what to do with the strong feelings that I had for him. I was falling for him hard, and everything within me was hoping he would just lean over and give me a kiss. Some sort of sign that we were on the same page.

The funny thing is that I thought I was acting pretty nonchalant. It’s not like I was staring into his eyes with my lips puckered. But somehow he saw right through me. The other day, while we were reminiscing about that moment, he told me that my eyes had said it all; it had been obvious that I wanted him to kiss me.

His response? Not yet.

I was floored. In my experience, it was rare to meet a young man who would turn down a kiss. Don’t get me wrong, I know of some people who saved their first kiss for marriage. I respect and admire their self-control. But it wasn’t something I was accustomed to.

So what does a kiss have to do with dating with no regrets? Everything.

One of the hardest things about dating is learning to live beyond the moment.

Caught up in the whirlwind of passion, it’s so easy to choose what feels good without considering how that choice will affect the future. It’s easy to live for the moment, isn’t it?

Choosing to eat that chocolate bar staring at you from the vending machine when you’re trying to kick extra calories. Choosing to watch that movie on TV that caught your attention when you should be studying for your chemistry test. Living for the here and now might not cause major damage every time, but choosing immediate gratification in your dating relationships is a recipe for regret.

I learned a lot about dating upward from John. Looking back on my dating history, I definitely have regrets, but he can honestly tell you that he doesn’t have many. You see, his goal never was simply to snag a date; it was to honor God and draw closer to him throughout all of his interactions with me. He was willing to say no to what he wanted for the sake of what was holy.

One of the biggest mistakes Christians make is to believe that holiness has anything to do with religiousness. When we think of becoming more like Jesus, our minds go immediately to “the spiritual.” I find myself getting caught in this trap too, believing that becoming more like Jesus means more prayer, more church services, and more ministry activity.

Though we do come to understand Jesus’ heart through such activities, I think we miss much of what it means to become like Jesus when we fail to honor him through ordinary, day-to-day things. Like it or not, if we compartmentalize our lives into “spiritual” and “nonspiritual” activities, a huge percentage will fall into the latter category. Our lives are made up of mundane activities like eating and drinking and sleeping.

But this is the beauty of living a life with no regrets: it is in the ordinary that we can most see God as extraordinary. The Bible puts it this way:

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” – 1 Corinthians 10:31

Becoming like Jesus has little to do with what you are doing, and everything to do with how you are doing it.

We are asked to glorify God in all we do, so what does that mean in dating?

When our hearts are fixed where true joys are found, we will experience no regrets in our season of dating, only lessons learned. When our eyes are set on Jesus, the change that takes place in our hearts has eternal significance.

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” – 2 Corinthians 4:18

In your season of dating, fix your eyes on Jesus. Don’t become so consumed by your pursuit of the opposite sex that it becomes your idol, prioritized above all else. Dating with no regrets means keeping your focus on Jesus, so that no matter what happens in your relationships with others, your relationship with God remains intact.

Your Turn

Looking back on your dating relationships, do you have regrets? If so, what are you doing to work through them and to protect yourself (and your dating teens) from future regrets and teach them how to date in a God-honoring way?

Acts 4

Verses 23-24, & 29-31

 

As soon as Peter and John were set free, they returned to their group and told them what the chief priests and the elders had said. When the believers heard it, they all joined together in prayer to God: “Master and Creator of heaven, earth, and sea, and all that is in them!

…

… And now, Lord, take notice of the threats they have made, and allow us, your servants, to speak your message with all boldness. Reach out your hand to heal, and grant that wonders and miracles may be performed through the name of your holy Servant Jesus.”

 When they finished praying, the place where they were meeting was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim God’s message with boldness.

okay, the room probably wasnt shaken like that.

 

 

as you probably have noticed,

i’m kinda doing a study about the book of Acts.

and i made it a point to notice things about how the church was formed,

and about how the Spirit fills the people.

so you can basically say, it’s an objective study.

where the objective is to learn about the traits of the early church.

 

so in my previous study of the earlier chapter,

i did notice as well something similar to this verse.

When they finished praying, the place where they were meeting was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim God’s message with boldness.

remember?

there was a mighty movement of the holy spirit.

it was even manifested physically.

a quake.

a wind.

a noise.

and there was a change in heart, situation, or something physical.

in this scenario, They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim God’s message with boldness.

the bible wouldnt have pointed it out if that wasnt a change.

they prayed for boldness, and they got it.

 

i think the main point here however,

is the same as previously.

the power of prayer.

but here, it is of petition and ummm… what’s it called…

Intercession! YES! (thanks susan, i forgot what it’s called)

we have to seek God and desire what we’re praying for.

 

hmmm wait… so what is interceding?

“Google define intercede”

in·ter·cede  

Verb Intervene on behalf of another.

Synonyms mediate – intervene – interpose

oh.

i guess they were interceding.

on behalf of each other, the body of Christ.

 

so i guess im learning that we must pray.

it may seem like its bad if we are always asking for something.

but God checks it with His purpose and our hearts.

 

 

not only that, i’m reminded that prayer is not only asking God for things.

there is also praise, adoration, and thanksgiving.

at the beginning of their prayer they said 

Master and Creator of heaven, earth, and sea, and all that is in them!

yes. with an exclamation point! haha.

now that’s a good example of people who really adore their God.

 

so, be reminded to be thankful as well.