For the 31st day of October 2013

10/31/13

Gal 4:29  But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.

Gal 4:30  But what does the Scripture say? "Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman."

Gal 4:31  So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.

A quote from; Dudley Hall

“God makes it very clear that the two covenants are not to be mixed: “Cast out the bondwoman and her son” (Gal 4:30)… The old covenant operated by principles, the new covenant by promise… The distinction between principles and promise also explains why the Apostle Paul chose not to preach anything to the Corinthians other than “Christ, and him crucified” (1 Cor 2:2). That puzzled me somewhat as I thought of all the wonderful Old Testament truths that were readily available to Paul. He could easily have preached Proverbs with all its wisdom. He could have preached Psalms with its varied and creative expressions of intimacy. Or he could have explored the many lessons learned from the history of Israel. Yet he focused completely on his message on Christ crucified. Why? Because Christ’s death and resurrection represent the highest and most climactic revelation of God’s entire design. It is God’s bringing life out of death and something out of nothing according to his purpose. That really is gospel!”

“We are not children of the slave but of the free woman!”

We are under grace. Oh that wonderful grace!

For the 30th day of October 2013

10/30/13

Lam 3:19  Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall!

Lam 3:20  My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me.

Lam 3:21  But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:

Lam 3:22  The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;

Lam 3:23  they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Lam 3:24  "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."

“His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

I hope that we can live in the grace of God and not in anything that we have done or did not do.

For the 29th day of October 2013

10/29/13

Rom 6:1  What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?

Rom 6:2  By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Rom 6:3  Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

God’s grace will abound with or without your sin.

If we have died to sin how can we still live in it?

I hope you know that I have not been saying that you may sin any way you want.

You are responsible! And God is sovereignly in control!

You are a child of THE KING! So go out and live like it.

For the 28th day of October 2013

10/28/13

Exo 16:15  When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.

Exo 16:16  This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.'"

Exo 16:17  And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less.

Exo 16:18  But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat.

Exo 16:19  And Moses said to them, "Let no one leave any of it over till the morning."

Exo 16:20  But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank.

God blessed the children of Israel every day with enough for that day. The parable of the workers and the generous land owner is teaching about the blessing for the day because of the land owners grace not because of the amount of hours worked or merit for works, but because of grace.

For the 27th day of October 2013

10/27/13

Rom 8:28  And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Rom 8:29  For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son

“All that God has to do to harden Pharaoh's heart, or to harden your heart, is to withhold His own grace.” —R.C. Sproul

But by the grace of God He works for your good so that by that grace He can conform you into the image of His Son! By His grace, not by your merit.

Oh God! Conform us today.

For the 26th day of October 2013

10/26/13

1Ch 29:14  "Yet my people and I cannot really give you anything, because everything is a gift from you, and we have only given back what is yours already.

1Ch 29:15  You know, O LORD, that we pass through life like exiles and strangers, as our ancestors did. Our days are like a passing shadow, and we cannot escape death.

1Ch 29:16  O LORD, our God, we have brought together all this wealth to build a temple to honor your holy name, but it all came from you and all belongs to you.

David knew that as he prepared to build the Temple that nothing that they had given for the project was from their own but was from God. All of your “everything” is a blessing from God, and God gives it to you without you earning it.