Category Archives: death

James: Sin’s Birth

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(Today we read James 1)

“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Sin is a choice. It doesn’t just happen. We know the good we should do, but we don’t do it. (James 4:17) There is a progression towards sin and death.

  1. Evil desire — i.e. lust. Longing for what we know is wrong.
  2. Enticement — temptation. Baited. Satan schemes against us. He looks for ways to get us to fall into his sinful traps. He places these lures before us with the desire for us to go after them.
  3. Sin — a voluntary turning from what is right.
  4. Death — Sin separates us from God. God is life. Sin keeps us from His life.

The truth is what we decide to listen to matters. Our evil desires/ lusts are fed by our selfish choices. Our selfish choices are fed by our thoughts.

In Jesus we can live victoriously over sin. He gives us a new heart that desires to follow Him and obey. He has given us His Word that renews our mind to think His thoughts. 

“How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God has created us to desire. He wants to be our one desire!

Don’t be “dragged away” by choosing to listen to the old lustful desires of your self life. Focus on Jesus and His Word. Let Him be the One Thing you long for!

Show Us The Father — Life

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Today is Mark 15 and 16.

Every time I read the account of the crucifixion, I feel a sense of sadness. To think of the accusations, the false trial, the mocking, the beatings, the carrying of the cross up the hill of Golgotha, the nails being driven into Jesus, and Him being lifted up on the cross… such sadness.

But Praise God the story does not end in death.

Jesus came to show us life! Not only show us, but to make the way for us to experience His life. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life…” We experience Life when we experience Him! He and the Father are one. Our Heavenly Father is life!

From the moment of creation, when Our Heavenly Father breathed life into every living being, until now. He is the ultimate source of life. The very breath of life we experience in our lungs comes straight from Him. However there will be a day when that breathing will cease in each one of us… What then?

Jesus showed us on resurrection Sunday what God’s good plan for us is — resurrection life! Eternal life!

We do not have to fear death. Our Heavenly Father desires for us to experience His eternal life. Sin brought death into our world, but we do not have to experience an eternity of the separation of death. 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?””
‭‭John‬ ‭11‬:‭25‬-‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We Stand Between Two Offers

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Make no mistake about it, we were made to receive. We will accept what is offered to us by one of two choices what God gives freely to us or what the world gives with a price we cannot afford to pay. To not choose God will by default be a choice to receive from the world. We will either know God in intimate relationship, or we will know the world and its ways in a destructive relationship with it, being shaped by its influence and receiving only what it gives.

Jesus spoke of the choice that we all must make and the fruits of that choice:

”“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”“ John 16:33 NIV
”The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.“ John 10:10 ESV

Jesus offers us a life filled with peace and life. The world offers us a life of trouble far from the relationship with our Creator, God, for which we are designed. What the world offers us will steal from us and destroy us. Ultimately it will kill us. Anything short of a living in a vibrant relationship with God is a life filled with death, darkness, and destruction.

It is important to take a look at what you are experiencing in your life. We can see that God created us for experience. He gave us our senses to hear, see, touch, taste and smell. He also has given us our spiritual senses to understand and know the things we cannot with our five outward senses. What are you experiencing within yourself? What you are experiencing reflects who you are receiving from.

If your life is a life of turmoil within— anger, anxiety, bitterness, fear, etc. You are being robbed from. You are being destroyed. Your connection with God is at the very least clogged, if not non existent making it impossible to receive from your loving Creator, God.

If your life is a life of peace, joy, and love. You are connected and receiving from God. You are experiencing a close relationship with the giver of all good things.

We have been given a choice of whom we will receive from. May our hearts long for a pure and free flowing connection to the one who generously gives life to those who will receive it, Jesus!

Trapped — Reflections on Proverbs 29

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”An evil man is ensnared in his transgression, but a righteous man sings and rejoices.” Proverbs 29:6 ESV

EVIL- corruption of heart, or disposition to commit wickedness; malignity. (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary)

”for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,“ Romans 3:23 NIV

Everyone has sinned. We’ve all went our own ways. We have all had evil in our hearts- corruption, or a disposition to commit wickedness… sin.

Sin is a trap. I have felt the weight of being trapped by my sin. In that sin I felt like there was no escape. BUT Jesus has offered to us the way to be freedom! The one He sets free is free indeed. His freedom is reason for great rejoicing.

This morning I was reflecting on what Jesus has set me free from, and the freedom that I now stand in! It brought rejoicing to my heart. Because I am free!

We are warned in Proverbs about running from evil and its snares. We are told to pursue righteous living. We must choose between the two. It is a stubborn, stiff necked heart, that pursues its selfish sinful ways. That person will suddenly be destroyed. (Verse 1) We do not have to experience the destruction and entrapment of sin. We can live free!

The only way to freedom and joy is to live a righteous life surrendered to Jesus.

Do Not Hide Sin! — Reflections on Proverbs 28

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”People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy. Blessed are those who fear to do wrong, but the stubborn are headed for serious trouble.“

Proverbs 28:13-14 NLT

Do not hide what is killing you on the inside! Sin destroys. There is no way around that truth. Verse after verse in the book of Proverbs warns of the consequences of sin. It warns of having a heart that is hardened, “stubborn.” That person is “headed for serious trouble.”

We are also warned of acting like you love God but ignoring His Word.

”If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable.“ Proverbs 28:9 NIV

There is a remedy for sin, repentance. If we confess and turn from them, we will receive mercy. We are “blessed (happy) are those who fear to do wrong” or have reverential apprehension when the choice to do wrong is before us. In other words, the way to a blessed life it to love God and hate sin!

Love God — pursue Him with all that you are. Hate sin — shun sin, run from it, stay as far away from even the appearance of evil. Repent of it when it rears its ugly head within your heart. Don’t hide sin! Confess and repent! It is for your good!

Life or Death— Reflections on Proverbs 19

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We were created out of divine love, by divine love, and for divine love. God loves us and the way we show love for God is to obey.

Adam and Eve are an example for all to see of this truth. As long as they were totally obedient and totally satisfied in that obedience to God, they dwelt in perfect life in the beautiful garden God made for them. But the moment they disobeyed and chose their own way, death entered the world along with it’s darkness and destruction.

Obeying what God commands is the way to life. In fact, Jesus said He came to give abundant life. (John 10:10) He desires for us to choose His life. (Deuteronomy 30:19-20) The way we choose His life is to obey!

When we choose our own way. We are careless. We show contempt for the things God has told us to do. This only leads to spiritual death.

We are told in this chapter of Proverbs that if we get wisdom, we “love life.” (Verse 8) If we “fear the Lord”, or have reverence for God that gives us a desire to obey Him fully, we will be led “to life … (and) rest content.” We will be “untouched by trouble.” (Verse 23)

Obedience to God is love for God and the way to dwell in love. God’s love is where life is found! 

”Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life, but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.“ Proverbs 19:16 NIV

 

 

 

 

 

Who is the Lord? — Reflections on Proverbs 14 and the Fear of the Lord

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“Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD…” Exodus 5:2

“Who is the Lord that I should obey Him?” This is the disposition of heart that many have. It springs from the truth Pharaoh spoke about himself, “I do not know the Lord.” Simply put… Pharaoh did not fear the Lord. Many in our time do not fear the Lord as well.

There is much said in Proverbs about the fear of the Lord. Today’s Proverb talks about why it is so important.

”Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.“ Proverbs‬ ‭14‬:‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The fear of the Lord is a “secure fortress… a refuge…a fountain of life.”

When we fear the Lord, we have a reverential awe of Him. This comes from a just view of Him. We see Him rightly. If we truly see Him for who He is, we will love Him. Then we will hate sin and aim for perfect obedience. We will not want anything to separate us from such a great and awesome God. (Websters 1828 Dictionary)

When we see God rightly, we know that we are secure in Him. He is our fortress. We know that our God is the place we can hide away and can experience His protection and provision because He is the greatest love. He is always working for our good!

As we shun evil or love God/Hate sin, we will know Him as the “fountain of life.” Because sin destroys and causes nothing but death, darkness, and destruction in our lives.

Pharaoh missed so much because he refused to know God for who He is and worship Him. We will miss so much as well if we refuse Him.

To Know God
Is to
Love God
Is to
Trust God
Is to
Obey God

May we come to a greater understanding of what it is to fear the Lord and to walk in His ways!

Folly’s House of Death— Reflections on Proverbs 9

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Folly calls out. She invites the simple and the ones who lack sense to come into her house. But who is she? Folly is sinful acts, living contrary to God’s laws. Solomon warns his son that her guests are “deep in the realm of the dead.” In other words, sin is always calling out to us and enticing us. When we follow after sin, we are foolish because sin ALWAYS ends in death, darkness, and destruction.

But there is a different path that leads to a life of abundance. It is Wisdom’s path of “the fear of the Lord.”

For years I looked at the phrase of “the fear of the Lord” in a negative light. But in truth it is the most positive way to live. To fear the Lord is to see God rightly— He is Holy, Just, All Powerful, All Knowing, Everywhere. He is also perfect Love. He loved us first so that we could love Him and He desires for us to be what He intended for us all along — His image bearers. Seeing Him as such leads us to desire to hate/ shun evil and to aim to obey Him perfectly.

When we come to God with desire to totally obey, totally submit, and totally depend on Him, He empowers us to live lives free of sin, free of folly.

We do not have to go down the path to folly’s house.

We can live free in the fear of the Lord!

Danger!! Keep Away!! – Reflections on Proverbs 5

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Danger!! Warning!! Do Not Enter!! These road signs are put up for a reason. They are for the good of the individual driver, the passengers in their car, and everyone they pass by as the traverse from point A to point B.

Today’s chapter is a spiritual warning sign that Solomon posted for his son. “Keep Away From the Adulterous Woman!!” His advise makes perfect sense. Unfaithfulness in marriage wreaks all kinds of havoc in the lives of people: bitterness, death, aimless wandering, loss of honor and dignity are some of the listed consequences of today’s chapter.

However, there is a form of adultery that is not between a husband and wife. It is when we, as followers and lovers of God, choose to love something or someone more than God Himself. It is when we abandon the path of following God and His ways to follow another. It is spiritual adultery. Unfaithfulness to God is a path of destruction. The words of this Proverb declare this warning to us!

”For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all your paths. The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast. For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly.“

Proverbs 5:21-23 NIV

God sees our hearts. Our “ways are in full view of the Lord.” He wants our complete devotion to Him. This is all because He loves us and wants what is best for us.

Anything less than living a life of faithfulness to God and obedience to His Word is a life of spiritual adultery, sin. Sin wraps us in chains. Sin leads us astray from the path of life. Sin brings death into our lives.

God is declaring to us “Danger!! Keep Away!!” He wants for us to live free from the captivity of sin. He wants us to have lives of abundance in Him!

The God of the Living – Reflections on Luke 20

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Christmas is about HOPE. Hope is the confident expectation of good. Jesus came as a baby to bring hope into a world that was darkened by sin and filled with death and separation.

The baby born at Christmas, Jesus, is the victor over death, and in today’s passage He proclaimed truth about who God is.

”He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.”“

Luke 20:38 NIV

God is the God of the living. This year these words mean a lot to me. The older I get the more people I love have died. I suppose this trend will continue until I join them or Jesus comes. But for those who are in Jesus, death is not the end. Jesus proclaimed “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.” John 11:25 NIV.

Because of Jesus, I can confidently expect good even when faced with death. Because even though the ones around me die or I die, death is not the end. Jesus came so I could truly live!

Praise God who is the God of the living!