Abundant Grace-Abraham (God’s plan begins)

Romans 15:4  “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” why do we read scripture? to learn, to know more about HIM, and so that we will have the hope that HE wants us to have. Honestly, there is no place like HOPE.

(Who does not want hope? raise your hand..and I hope you will be okay with me thinking you are my Special person in this study! 😆 )

“God doesn‟t look at outward appearance, God looks at the heart.  He looks beyond what man looks at (1 Samuel 16:7).”  I had to stop here..and breathe..God Looks At The Heart! Yours, mine, and Abraham’s heart…

Abram (later to be renamed Abraham), 75 years old, and his life was just to begin…

The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household

and go to the land I will show you.  “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I

will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and

whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth

will be blessed through you.” So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him.

Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. He took his wife Sarai, his

nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in

Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.

~Genesis 12:1-5

God picked Abram to father HIS country, HIS people, and made him promises that were incredible.  Abram’s faith in God was huge. He believed that GOD could do what HE said.

There are times I struggle with this, I know God can do anything, but taking a step in faith can be terrifying.

What are your thoughts on Abram? Can you imagine hearing God speak, and picking up your family and just going, without knowing where you are going? Don’t we usually want our ducks all in a row? thoughts?

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Journey~knowing HIM more..Hiding HIS Word

Trying to memorize this chapter. So much in this that applies one day or another. Another part of my Journey -to knowing HIM more…

PSALM 27 (NLT)

A psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation– so why should I be afraid? The LORD protects me from danger– so why should I tremble?

When evil people come to destroy me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.

Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will know no fear. Even if they attack me, I remain confident.

The one thing I ask of the LORD– the thing I seek most– is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.

For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock.

Then I will hold my head high, above my enemies who surround me. At his Tabernacle I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the LORD with music.

Listen to my pleading, O LORD. Be merciful and answer me!

My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “LORD, I am coming.”

Do not hide yourself from me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me, O God of my salvation!

Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close.

Teach me how to live, O LORD. Lead me along the path of honesty, for my enemies are waiting for me to fall.

Do not let me fall into their hands. For they accuse me of things I’ve never done and breathe out violence against me.

Yet I am confident that I will see the LORD’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living.

Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.

The Journey~to know HIM more

Somehow in this crazy messed up world we live in, its so easy to be consumed by everything and around us.  Then the Ultimate question surfaces “God where are you? you seem far away”.  God does not move, we move. Revisiting the Cross, and the love of God is vital to my journey to know HIM more.  I don’t claim to know all there is to know, but I what i do know is…life doesn’t work for me without a focus on God’s love for me even while i was still his enemy.

So today , while keeping the cross in the front of my mind, looking at scriptures that remind me of my sin, and how much i don’t believe (and i really want to), here is just a few..

Luke 9:25 What gain is it for someone to have won the world, and to have lost or ruined his/her very self. (paraphrased)

Romans 5:6-11  (my thoughts) looking at this with the eyes of how much sin is the refusal of God’s love.

Matthew 9:18-22  (my thoughts)  the woman with a bleeding condition, was healed because she believed…how much of our sin is metaphorically causing us to bleed, and not reach for the healer?

John 4:1-42 the woman at the well-(my thoughts) i don’t know what happened in her life that caused her to spiral from one man to another, but regardless of what someone else may have done to her, i am seeing today that her deception is not knowing who she truly is to her creator, and not know her true identitiy in Christ.  This is my own issue as well somedays, and so many times have teached it, and so many times have fallen here.

Part of this journey is to know with out a doubt , not just words memorized, but rooted in the heart…my true identity in Christ, to know HIS love like never before, and to accept that love, because I am worth it to HIM…so are you…want to join me on this journey?

But I want! Psalm 23:1

Psalm 23:1  The LORD is my shepherd; I have everything I need. (NLT)

Psalm 23:1  The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. (NIV)

Psalm 23:1  The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want. (KJV)(NASB)(ESV)

(Strongs H2637 “i shall not want”  to lack, be without, decrease, be lacking, have a need)

As a child, I was taught everything from the KJV.   Being a child, I was at the mercy of my teachers to grasp application.  “I shall not want” came across to me as a command, instead a statement of faith to the goodness of God our provider, our Creator.

When I was a small child, memorizing the 23rd Psalm, was applauded. In my head, I could not get past “I shall not want”.  I wanted! There was no way to verbalize that at the time, and at any effort, the feeling of condemnation, guilt for wanting/needing paralyzed me.  It took me on a path of “not measuring up”, “not being what I was told to be by God”. This was truly my beginning of believing that God had not chosen me…you see…I needed, and I wanted…and it said.. “I shall not want”.

While looking over this with fresh thinking and seeing it all today in the Light of what I know to be true…its meaning is the faith that God will provide all that I need and give me the desires of my heart, as it falls together with HIS plan for me.  God wants us to give HIM our needs, and our wants, and HE loves us, all the while knowing how HE has planned to provide.  I was not a bad unwanted child in HIS eyes for needing, I was already chosen before the foundations of the earth were spoken into existence.

Wondering how many children, recite this, and are not taught to see the relationship? My God, My Shepherd…who keeps HIS eyes on me, doesn’t let me ever fall so far that HE can not reach me…knows when i need…then provides, sooo that “I shall not want”.

addiction-an uphill battle…

wondering if you know…

battling with self injury or any type of addiction is…

an uphill battle

in the dark

w/rough terrain

stumbling, falling

getting back up

requires incredible determination

a little encouragement daily

God is capable and willing to deliver us…HE is also…at times…interested in seeing us fight the thing out, and believe that it will be worth it when we reach the top…if you know somesome struggling with this, and you know they are a new believer…

Showing them their failures and scripture to back that up is not helping…encourage them to keep trying, admit that the climb is tough, remind them that God has not given up on them, and HE is not sick of them and their falling…HE loves them, and is teaching them more of who HE is and who they are to HIM…

Look what HE taught Joshua and the Isrealites in Joshua 9-10….amazing they found their selves in a place, due to someone elses sin…and stumbling and mumbling they did…and the Glory of God they saw!

Blogged Bible Study-Galatians 4-Grasp the Grace

Galatians 4:1-7 (NIV)

What I am saying is that is as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from the slave, although he owns the whole estate.  He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. But when the time had fully come, GOD sent his Son, born of a woman, under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive the full rights of sons, God sent the Spirit of HIS son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father”. So you are no longer a slave, but a son, God has made you an heir.

This is the beauty of Grace.  Once asking a Pastor what exactly is Grace, we sing about it, we throw it around like a 5 dollar word in Christian circles, and at that time I had no concept of what it actually was.  I was answered with “God’s riches at Christs expense”. Sums it up..still left me empty to the meaning, or application for me.  These verses opened it up for me.  Grace we are swimming in it!! Not only is HIS Grace sufficient for me, and you, there is nothing that will remove you from it as a believer in Christ.  As a son we are inheritors to the Kingdom, we are IN, and all because of the gift of Christ to die for us.

The mind of Christ. Always asked this one too..How can one have the mind of Christ? No one could actually answer that for me, or even admit that we do. But it says..the Spirit of Christ has moved into residency in our hearts! (Swimming in it! grasp this)  His Spirit intercedes for us, HE cries out “Abba , Father”  (Daddy , Father) Where we fall is here.  NO matter what you struggle with, NO matter what I struggle with..right here.  At times we are thinking as the slave, under the Law, forgetting the marvelous gift of Grace that was given to us. Please don’t tell me that you do not ever do this. If we truly grasped this, nothing could stop us in ministry, in our families, in our devotional time, in spreading the fragrance of Knowing HIM, our boldness for the kingdom with just scream from us!! It is not a light thing that HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR US! It means whatever is brought your way, God has already seen HIS Glory fulfilled in it, and you will also see HIS Glory if you don’t turn from HIM.  SWIMMING IN IT! THIS IS SOMETHING TO w00t!!! Holla!!! all about!!!

(in the middle column you will find a list of names and days that they will posting as we study together through Galatians. Under the header of “Carls Blogging Bible Study, check them out, and leave some comment luv)