“Are we living up to our Vow?”

 

BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 24-27


                Police officers, secret-service agents, and soldiers make oaths that they will put their lives on the line, if necessary. Losing one’s life in the course of such duty is honorable, but it’s painful for those who remain behind.  In today’s passage, Moses teaches Israel to put its life on the line. Once they are in the promise land, they will pronounce the blessings and curses of the covenant-blessings for faithful living, curses for disloyalty. The Levites will pronounce the curses, and the people will say, “Amen!” Pronouncing these blessings and curses amounts to making a vow, a promise to be loyal to God and enjoy his benefits, or to pay the penalty for disloyalty. We must admit that the curse on sin is valid for us all. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). God’s judgment is what we have coming, but in his mercy, God offers his blessings as a gift. Christians put their lives on the line not because it’s their job but because it’s their calling. They’ve placed their lives in the hands of Jesus, who took the curse up­on himself. In worship services all over the world today, Chris­tians confess that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23), but do we actually live it?                                                                                                -Selected

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday - October 4, 2016

Woodlawn Family Bible Study TUESDAY BIBLE READING:    Genesis 32:22-32 Do you want to be blessed? That sounds like a rhetorical question, doesn’t it? Who doesn’t want to be blessed? I guess it really depends on your definition of “blessed.” Many people desire blessings that will make them wealthy or, perhaps, material goods. However, being blessed is not limited to those physical things. In fact, sometimes we can be blessed in the most unusual ways. For instance, in Genesis 32:26, we find Jacob wrestling with what we often call an angel. Within the story, Jacob is overtaking the angel and holding him down; refusing to let go until the angel gives him a blessing. The angel obliges Jacob, but not in the way he might have imagined. The angel changed his name from “Jacob” to “Israel,” but he also did something else. He put Jacob’s hip joint out of socket, causing him much pain and difficulty walking. In part, his blessing had to do with him walking with a limp. How is tha...
Read more

Resolutions: Draw closer to God through study of His word

BIBLE READING: John 14.7 Spend time alone with God’s Word.  Besides the spiritual growth we will gain from study, we will also come to know Him better.  Reading His word brings us in touch with Him.  Jesus tells us in John 14:7 – “If you had known Me, you would have known my Father also.”   Just studying the life of Jesus will help us to know God better.   In seeking God’s help, we can draw closer to Him through prayer, meditation, nature, and study.   “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law doth he meditate day and night.” Psalm 1:2  I Tim.4:13,15 - “Give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine… meditate on these things; give yourself wholly to them.”   Regardless of our circumstances we can rely on God’s unchanging character.  God is good. God loves me. God is with me. God knows my problems. God cares. Romans 8:31(b) tells us, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Make a resolution to slo...
Read more

“Examples”

BIBLE READING: Mark 13- Luke 1 DISCUSSION                                                                                   This past week we have read of some great examples in the bible.   We read in Mark 13 about us being ready and being prepared for when Jesus returns.   We need to all stay awake!   In Mark 14 we read of one action having such an impact.   How this woman gave her very best to Jesus because of her love for Him.   In Mark 15 we read of Pontius Pilate and his desire to keep his power.   He loved his power and did not want to give it up even if that meant sending an inno...
Read more