Aug 25
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flowerofthenile added a text contribution no prosperity doctrine hereI had gotten the feeling growing up that the answer to all the world's problems was to become Christian. American Christianity puts forth the image that all of our wealth and success is due to our obedience to God. And yes, God does bless us. But he says that he sends the rain on the just and the unjust. Our faith in him secures us salvation, our obedience to him brings us joy as we work with him. But it does not mean that the bill collectors will stop calling, the obnoxious guy at wor… Read more »
Aug 23
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flowerofthenile added a text contribution The new idolsIn a world of multi-tasking, high-speed, high-octane, high stress... we've learned to value dividing our attention. For example, we aren't just moms, we are wife-mom-friend-employee/employer-cook-housekeeper-blogger-twit-and whatever else we need to be in the course of the day. We have learned to focus on everything, and by doing so, now we can't really focus on anything. Our false gods these days usually aren't made of stone or wood carvings. Today's idols are the t… Read more »
Aug 20
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flowerofthenile added a text contribution Gotta love PeterI love Peter. He makes being a Christ follower seem like something that is possible to do. He opens his mouth at the wrong times. He makes mistakes. He boasts and is proud at times, and is humbled by God for what he does. He makes me realize that I don't have to be perfect but I do have to keep trying. This is a journey in becoming the person God is making me to be. As Ruth Graham put on her tombstone "Construction complete, thank you for your patience." Read more »
Apr 30
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flowerofthenile added a text contribution UncontainableMy God is not a god the will fit in a box. He can not fit into the scope of my limitted view. As soon as I think that I understand some aspect of Him, He overwhelms me with some new aspect of His nature. There is no building I can make that will hold Him, no idea I can formulate that will explain Him in total. He is truly indescribable, uncontainable...God. Read more »
Apr 19
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flowerofthenile added a text contribution difference in translationsI've been reading in CEV which says that slaves that you treat kindly from their childhood will cause you sorrow. I could not figure out why this is so. So I looked at other translations here and some of them says that if you treat a slave kindly from his youth you will end up with a son. Which to me sounds like a positive thing. I guess unless your sons are all bratty lol. Anyone have any take on the correct translation of this verse? Read more »
Mar 8
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flowerofthenile added a text contribution Blood and fatThe blood of the animal covered the sins of the people when given in sacrifice. The fat was part of every sacrifice offered. God does not allow the sacred things to be treated as common, or the blood of atonement to be treated like it has no meaning. He reflects this in Hebrews 10:29 "How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has in… Read more »
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flowerofthenile added a text contribution Yeast, honey, and saltI love when God uses the physical properties of things to illustrate what He desires from us. Even a small amount of yeast changes the bread significantly (like sin does in our lives)... It puffs it up (like pride will do to us). Honey was commonly offered to pagan gods. God wants us to give Him our worship. He doesn't want the left overs from our past. He wants us to come to Him fresh and pure. Yeast makes things artificially sour, and honey makes things artificially sweet. God w… Read more »
Feb 26
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flowerofthenile added a text contribution how to liveIf we, If I, could only learn to live this way.... If I could really put this into practice.... There would be no more talk among worldly people of "christian hypocrisy" b/c it would not exist. Lord help me to live this as my prayer so that I can truly represent you day to day. Read more »
Feb 23
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flowerofthenile added a text contribution SabbathGod takes this rest thing seriously. I have had it in the back of my mind to start actually resting and having a day truly dedicated to God. Reading his word, praising Him... To think that it was so important that He said whoever works on the Sabbath will be put to death... I know we are free from the Old Law. But freedom in Christ comes with a more serious level of committment and service. Keeping the law was never enough. We have to be all in, totally sold out to God. Sabbath sounds l… Read more »
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flowerofthenile added a text contribution I would go with my people, but....I wonder if God ever thinks this about me... if he ever says, "I would go with her but she is so rebellious that I would kill her before we got there." I get so in tuned with what I want that I forget that He is my priority. Lord help me to be obedient, calm my rebellious nature. Read more »
Feb 19
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flowerofthenile added a text contribution Psalm 86 / prayingI've never set out to read the Book of Psalms. What I'm really getting the most out of it is that I think it is teaching me more fully how to pray. Setting aside a quiet time and just reading these aloud is more calming and comforting than I would have guessed Read more »
Feb 17
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flowerofthenile added a text contribution language unknown to me?Is there any indication anywhere else if this is angelic language? Read more »
Feb 15
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flowerofthenile added a text contribution not idolatryI spent time in a church that did not allow any depictions of angels, no nativities, etc b/c they did not want to even hint at idolatry. It took a long time after I left there before I was ok with having those things, though now I do own a few. It's interesting to read here that God specified that the tapestries would be embroidered with images and then the carvings on the ark of the covenant... Guess it's not so bad after all as long as I know I'm not worshipping those things Read more »
Feb 13
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flowerofthenile added a text contribution We are no better...We get this haughtiness as Christians sometimes. We need to remember that our little pet sins: lying, not tithing, or whatever secret sin you think no one else knows about...they are still sin. God says that he doesn't see the difference between one sin and another. If you lie you are just as guilty as the person who murders, or sleeps around. We need to stop advertising ourselves as perfect and having it all together. We need to be transparent and show people what we really are: for… Read more »
Feb 12
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flowerofthenile added a text contribution Truth hurtsCEV verse 28 reads "just because you live like a Jew and are circumcised doesn't make you a real Jew." My modern day translation: Just because I live in a country where I can go to church and be a Christian, and I can own and read the Bible in any translation I want, and I can worship with other Christians in a brick and morter church or online with Christians across the world, and I can put a Jesus fish or a Life Church bumper sticker on my car, doesn't make me a real Ch… Read more »
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flowerofthenile added a text contribution Romans 2:13 CEVIn the CEV it says that God accepts those who obey his Law, but not those who simply hear it. The people who don't know about God's law are punished for the things that they do wrong regardless of their lack of knowledge of the law, b/c their conscience "is like a law written in the human heart "(v. 15) so they should have known what was right and wrong. The law judges those who know what it says, but knowing what it says is not enough. Obediences is. But this is differen… Read more »
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flowerofthenile added a text contribution 30 pieces of silverThe price of a slaves life is 30 pieces of silver. It is also the payment that Judas received for betraying Christ. Symbolic link? Read more »
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flowerofthenile added a text contribution We need some authority these days...This probably isn't politically correct so read at your own risk lol. We wonder these days why kids are so rude and disrespectful, even to their own parents. The problem is authority. How can you have respect for authority when you think there is no ultimate authority in the universe. If you think your parents are the ultimate authority when you are a child, it breeds the rebellious thought of "when I'm 18 I'm outta here, I'll do whatever I want." If you think… Read more »
Feb 11
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flowerofthenile added a text contribution straying off the pathIt is so easy to let our eyes wander...to the things that the world has to offer, and to think that it is not fair that we can't do this or that. Or that we don't have this or that. Or God doesn't punish this or that. We can easily become bitter and discouraged. But even when we wander off the path, God is always there holding our hand, coaxing us back. Read more »
Feb 10
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flowerofthenile added a text contribution significance of 30 pieces of silver?Any ideas if there is a significance to the 30 pieces of silver that was paid to Judas? (references to anything in the OT or historical)? Read more »
Feb 8
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flowerofthenile added a text contribution longing for captivityWhy is it that when Christ has released us from the bonds of slavery to sin, we still yearn for the things of bondage? Lord open our eyes. Help us to revel in the freedom that YOU have given us and not to want to cling to the things of the past. Read more »
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flowerofthenile added a text contribution I AMNo other name could encompass so much of who God is. I AM...the Almighty...the All-Knowing...the All-Powerful...the Merciful....Your Provider....the Sustainer...the Creator of the World... Who is GOD to you? Read more »
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flowerofthenile added a text contribution I AMNo other name could encompass so much of who God is. I AM...the Almighty...the All-Knowing...the All-Powerful...the Merciful....Your Provider....the Sustainer...the Creator of the World... Who is GOD to you? Read more »
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flowerofthenile added a text contribution Objects in the rearview mirror...We always see God's plans the clearest once He has accomplished them. There is no way Joseph would have ever envisioned this when he was sitting in the bottom of the pit, or running naked from Potipher's wife, or trapped in prison. But God knew the man He was shaping him to be all along. And now he sees clearly. Read more »
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flowerofthenile added a text contribution So what are we? Chopped liver?We have to be so careful in the things we say as parents. Our words can cut so deeply and wound. Jacob's sons have already suffered b/c of the favoritism that he showed to Joseph. It set them up for the hatred they felt against Joseph. But Jacob still hasn't learned and repeats the same favoritism on Benjamin. Read more »