Archive for the ‘ Die daily ’ Category
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13, ESV
Love is sacrificing for others. Your time, your energy, your possessions, your dignity, even your life.
For God. For others. Even for those who hate you.
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14, ESV
We make mistakes. We have sinned against God and others.
But He has redeemed and forgiven us. We are no longer bound to what and who we were. We serve Him to glorify Him. Our past can help, not hinder.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,
1 Peter 5:6, ESV
As the saying goes, He is God, and you are not.
But, amazingly, God lowered Himself to our level to become a man, to bring about our forgiveness and reconciliation, that we may be made like Him.
Submit to His will and His way, and He will lift us up.
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:5, ESV
We can try doing all sorts of things for God, but if we are not first found in Christ it will all be useless.
For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Romans 8:6-8, ESV
How easily we get caught up in our worries, wants, and walking. (Being indifferent. Alliteration is fun.)
These times are active rebellion against God. We should pay for the Father to give us the strength and wisdom to overcome in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.
“For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
John 3:20-21, ESV
Many avoid accountability with others, because, honestly, they love doing their sinful acts, even while hating that it is true.
To grow in Christ requires allowing His light to shine on all parts of our lives, revealing the embarrassing, sinful things we do, say, and think.
And we need each other in this, as well.
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12:11 ESV
“Discipline” has gained a negative reputation in recent decades, intoning punishment. However, when we think of it in terms of sports or finances we tend to realize its important good qualities.
May we see the need for discipline in every aspect of our lives, realizing that circumstances are not God punishing us but teaching us godliness and self-control.
Hello and Shalom!
At the time of recording, it was the day before Yom Kippur, the Hebrew term translated as the Day of Atonement! By the time you read/watch this, it is either the actual day or after that day. (See Leviticus 16 and 23:26-32)
Either way, by our Gregorian calendar, Yom Kippur happens to be from sunset Friday, September 29, to sunset Saturday, September 30, 2017. This means it actually falls on a Sabbath, this year!
Here are the basics:
Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement – was the only day of the year that the High Priest of Israel could enter the Holy of Holies – the inner-sanctum of the Temple, or Tent of Meeting during the Exodus – and offer the sacrifice for the forgiveness of the sins of the whole nation of Israel.
It was possible to have personal sins forgiven throughout the rest of the year by going and offering sacrifices, but they were continuously needed.
When the high priest entered the Holy of Holies, he would sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice on the Ark of the Covenant. (See Exodus 25:10-22; 37:1-9; and Deuteronomy 10)
The Ark was first built with wood and then overlaid with gold. It is interesting to think about something that can waste away being covered with something more permanent and made to look beautiful.
Moving on, in Hebrews 9:3-4 we learn what is inside of the Ark of the Covenant (AotC).
WELL! Hebrews 9-10 explain the relevance to us!
Firstly, we have one final High Priest, Jesus. Through His sacrifice on the cross, we have complete and total atonement! No other high priest nor sacrifice is ever needed for the washing of sins. He finished it!
Just as the High Priests of old would sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice onto the AotC, Jesus’ blood is sprinkled over our hearts, cleansing us of our sins.
Now for the fascinating bit, when things get quite allusionary and allegorical!
The Temple symbolizes our bodies. Therefore the Holy of Holies is the chest cavity, and the Ark is the heart. The lid of the AotC is called the Mercy Seat.
Do you see the connection so far? His blood sprinkled over the heart to purify us?
Cool.
Thinking of the AotC being made of wood covered in gold, it is like our hearts – also something perishable – are covered and even replaced with the beautiful and imperishable! Our Atonement is attained … if we believe! … because God has chosen us through His Chosen One!
Now for the deep stuff:
That is how the Day of Atonement is still applicable. However, instead of looking forward to a day when our sins can be atoned for, we live daily in atonement thanks to Jesus the Christ!
May your Day of Atonement be blessed as you reflect on what God has done for you.
Daniel
Long for the wisdom of God, and begin feeding that longing at Proverbial Thought!
Continuing on with prayers from the Saints in history, I turn us now to Ignatius of Antioch.
It seems clear that Ignatius based this prayer on the words of Jesus from John 12:23-26 (ESV):
And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
May we become those who do not consider our lives of any worth apart from the Lord, indeed, that our lives are entirely in the hands of our God and Savior!
I am the wheat of God,
and am ground by the teeth of the wild beasts,
that I may be found the pure bread of God.
I long after the Lord,
the Son of the true God and Father, Jesus Christ.
Him I seek, who died for us and rose again.
I am eager to die for the sake of Christ.
My love has been crucified,
and there is no fire in me that loves anything.
But there is living water springing up in me,
and it says to me inwardly:
“Come to the Father.”Ignatius of Antioch, ~35-110
Find the peace of wisdom and avoid the torment of foolishness, and get started with Proverbial Thought!
You might also think of this passage after reading the poem today:
What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
Romans 7:7-25, ESV
It can be tormenting to live with such a dichotomy inside!
Yet, we know there is help!
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4: 4-7
Suddenly we find ourselves in this … peaceful torment … which leads to our hope:
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.
Romans 8:22-24a
Praise His name!
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a peaceful torment
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my flesh and soul are at war within me
i cannot deal with it
although the Blood of Jesus set me free
this my flesh would omit
and though He has restored me completely
my flesh will not commit
yet that pushes me towards the Deity
to trust in the Spirit
and the anguish my spirit feels daily
is a peaceful torment
for with His Spirit working within me
His Peace helps deal with it
a simple man of God 