Tag: Romans

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Don’t Resist

Unfortunately, I am pressed for time for morning, and I had a great idea that I wanted to share.  Oh well, if the Lord allows, I will post that later.  But these few simple words below are probably more powerful anyway.

 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2 New International Version (NI

That reminds me of this quote I read on the Twitters last night:

“People don’t resist change. They resist being changed!” – Peter Senge

 

Don’t resist!

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Friday the 13th

Hey all you Paraskevidekatriaphobics out there.  I suppose most of you will be staying home today, locked inside for security.  Yep, Friday the 13th is upon is! But really, whats the deal with Friday the 13th and why are we taught from a young age that this is a day to fear?

Well it seems that this is the convergence of two traditional unlucky things!

UNLUCKY FRIDAY + UNLUCKY 13 = UNLUCKIER FRIDAY

I guess we have always heard that 13 is an unlucky number for some reason.  But I didn’t realize Friday was given that same name.  But check out this story I discovered while doing a little bit of research

Legend has it: Never change your bed on Friday; it will bring bad dreams. If you cut your nails on Friday, you cut them for sorrow. Don’t start a trip on Friday or you will encounter misfortune. Ships that set sail on a Friday will have bad luck, as in the tale of H.M.S. Friday. One hundred years ago, the British government sought to quell the longstanding superstition among seamen that setting sail on Fridays was unlucky. A special ship was commissioned and given the name “H.M.S. Friday.” They laid her keel on a Friday, launched her on a Friday, selected her crew on a Friday, and hired a man named Jim Friday to be her captain. To top it off, H.M.S. Friday embarked on her maiden voyage on a Friday — and was never seen or heard from again From : http://urbanlegends.about.com/cs/historical/a/friday_the_13th_3.htm

So fun! ( well I guess not for those on the Friday!)

As I was reading some history, it seemed that a lot of this talk about Friday and 13 have a long history in humanity, and that when Christianity spread it change them even more.  It seems to me however, that the presence of the Christ would not have demonized these things, but set people free from the fear of them!

The LORD is my light and my salvation–whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life–of whom shall I be afraid?  Ps 27:1

or what about this bit of truth

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8

Seriously, if God if for us, can a day of the week and a number conspire against us?

Enjoy the great day! ( and leave the salt at home!)

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Wretched

I wrote this post a few weeks ago, but didn’t post it.  But for various and sundry reasons, I keep coming back to it.  I am sure you can relate.

It’s starting to be one of those days when I can relate to Paul.  I am sure that lots of you feel this way as well

For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

Drives me NUTS.

And it drove Paul nuts

 21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am!

I hate feeling like the wretched man.

Luckily, as like Paul, we all have one form of deliverance and hope.

Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7

Stay the course, and keep fighting the battle inside your mind today.  The victory is worth it.

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Good, Better, Best

It’s Good Friday,

What an incredible day.  So far this morning I have already read tons of reflections from people on Twitter and Facebook.  They range from my college buddy Willie posting

On this Good Friday, please pause for a moment and realize that seersucker suits may be worn in just three days!

to Max Lucado tweeting this gem

On this Good Friday, envision the Savior on the cross, bloodied and cast in shadows. Listen as heaven whispers: For you, my child. For you.

It’s a pretty awesome day historically, I mean, really, the son of God dying on a cross, with intent.  What better, is that he was buried and guarded by the Romans, and what is best is that he rose back to life, again with intent on the third day.  Of course, the intent being that he did he not for his own glory , but instead to restore us back in a relationship with the Creator of the Universe!

Enjoy the weekend!  And do spend some time on your own reflecting on this Good Friday and this best weekend!

 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5 NIV

 

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Are you a Slacktivist

Last night I was flipping though Flipboard on my phone and discovered this Forbes article predicting the person of the year for 2012.  The author suggested it will be the Slacktivist!

Even though the term has been around since the mid 90’s, I really don’t recall hearing it very much – or I really am out of touch with what is going on.  Anyway, for those of you in the same boat as me, a slacktivist is someone who does something in support of a cause that requires minimal personal effort.  For instance, give $5 dollars online, or post the topic to Facebook, but yet never take any other action.  As the article suggests, those people have been pretty powerful with messages such as SOPA, and even some of the Occupy stuff.

But, here is why I was so attuned to this.  This is how lots of us follow Christ.  We say yes, we post verses to Facebook, and we even give a few dollars – minimal personal effort.  Although, I like the concept ( a lot), I don’t think we are called to be that way when we follow the Way.

13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. Romans 6:13 New International Version (NIV)

and

27He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Luke 10:27 New International Version (NIV)

 

God loved you so much that he gave his son. Do you think that slacktivism and following the Christ can go together?