Monday, April 16, 2012

History Repeats Itself?

God is All Powerful

Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Psalm 51:5

No one likes to make the same mistake twice, let alone over and over again, but isn’t there something you stumble over time and time again? A behavior or way of thinking you’d like to change, but when given the opportunity, you fall back to old habits and familiar patterns…

The Bible tells us we are born into sin, incapable of always doing good without the help of God’s divine power. Because we are human, even the most admirable will fail at times, but when the Holy Spirit lives through us then, and only then, do we have the power to live in obedience and joy. If you embrace this truth and believe it in your heart, you can be transformed -- replacing evil desires with those good and pleasing to God!

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, Titus 2:11-12

Because God is all powerful, through Christ, we can live in self-control

Sunday, April 1, 2012

What Have You Done For Me Lately?

God is Gracious

The LORD said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them? Numbers 14:11

Whether it’s your boss, a business associate or a friend that makes you feel inadequate and under appreciated, no one likes it when our past achievements are so easily forgotten. Like many, you wonder “is it possible to be acknowledged and trusted -- will I ever earn lasting approval?”

Imagine how God feels when we fail to remember the miracles He has performed on our behalf – the extent to which He loves us and goes to save us? Throughout the Old Testament, the Israelites were notorious for losing faith and yet God relentlessly pursued them despite the constant rejection. After 400 years of silence, God kept His promise to send a Savior to be the final sacrifice for all of our sins. God desires us to believe Jesus is Lord and to trust and follow His commands. The choice is yours –will you dismiss the extent of God’s forgiveness and cost to redeem you or will you accept Jesus as the final payment?

Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands. They would not be like their forefathers— a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him. Psalm 78: 7-8

Because God is gracious, through Christ we are forever redeemed