What's with Regret?

Regret is one of the biggest weapons Satan has against a Christian, but at the same time it's something we choose to do. There is a time for everything, including regret, but after you have been forgiven regret is doubting God really did forgive you. I think it's safe to say most of the times you have felt regret, it was is was in a sinful manner

God feels regret (Genesis 6:7; 1 Samuel 15:11), which means that there must be times when it's okay to feel regret, but these are in very emotional times such as before the great flood.

I'm not God and so I can't give a list of all the times its okay to feel regret, but through what the bible does say, we can understand why regret is such an issue and why we shouldn't do it. First of all, I guess would be examples of people who have felt regret in the bible

1. Adam and Eve (Genesis 3)
2. David (1 Chronicles 21:8)
3. Ahab (1 Kings 21:27)
4. Peter (Mathew 26:75)
5. Judas (Mathew 27:3-4)

Whenever any character in the bible is described as feeling regret, they have done something terrible. These are good times to regret, but lingering on regret is when it becomes a sin.

There is the initial regret, shame, guilt, whatever you want to call it after you sin, but asking for forgiveness should follow. There can be a state mourning, but it can't last forever. Just look at this verse from 2 Corinthians:

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
2 Corinthians 7:10

There is a time of sorrow, but after the mourning is up, regret needs to be gone.

I don't know how many times I've laid in bed thinking of things done and just thinking about how stupid that was. That's a sin. It's not godly.

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.
Philippians 3:13-15

I have used this Philippians passage in many posts, but in the light of regret, it takes a whole new meaning.

Forgetting what is behind

Regret hinders us in our walk with God! In order to get to the goal, to get the prize we must forget what is behind us! Just like we ought to forgive and forget, we must also be forgiven and forget.

If you can forget the past, you'll miss out on a lot of life. God has wonderful things in store for you, but you have to look for them or you'll miss out.

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 42:18-19

Sources:
http://www.openbible.info/topics/regret
http://www.gotquestions.org/shame-regret.html
http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Regret

Photo Credit:
http://alexrister1.wordpress.com/2011/12/07/

Micah: Who is Like God? (Part 7)

In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and peoples will stream to it.
Micah 4:1

This refers to a temple in Jerusalem, the 3rd temple. "The last days" refers to before the events in revelation. Since the third temple has yet to be built, Micah is making a prediction that's waiting to be fulfilled. Ezekiel 40 describes the physical appearance of the temple, but Micah describes something different.

Many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken. All the nations may walk in the name of their gods, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.
Micah 4:2-5

Micah means "Who is Like God?" and this helps when your look for what Micah means.
In the old testament, the temple was how God communicated with his people. You need to sacrifice at the temple to have your sins forgiven.
Once Jesus died on the cross, there was no need for the temple and it was destroyed in a later invasion of Israel.
But what we see is the temple coming back and we see what happens when the temple is rebuilt.
Who is like God?
God has chosen to reveal himself to his people by a third temple.

for the LORD Almighty has spoken.

"In that day," declares the LORD, "I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief. I will make the lame my remnant, those driven away a strong nation. The LORD will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever. As for you, watchtower of the flock, stronghold of Daughter Zion, the former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to Daughter Jerusalem." Why do you now cry aloud— have you no king? Has your ruler perished, that pain seizes you like that of a woman in labor? Writhe in agony, Daughter Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you must leave the city to camp in the open field. You will go to Babylon; there you will be rescued. There the LORD will redeem you out of the hand of your enemies.
Micah 4:6-10

Who is like God?
Only God can keep a perfect balance between justice and mercy.
God punishes his people, but he also promises to gather them back together.

But now many nations are gathered against you. They say, "Let her be defiled, let our eyes gloat over Zion!" But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD; they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
Micah 4:11-12

This prophecy is already starting to be fulfilled. Nations have always been rising up against Israel. More modern examples would be Hilter and conflicts with Egypt, Jordan,Syria, and Iraq.

"Rise and thresh, Daughter Zion, for I will give you horns of iron; I will give you hooves of bronze, and you will break to pieces many nations." You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the LORD, their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.
Micah 4:13

Who is like God?
God still helps his people, despite the many times they've turned their backs on him. God will bring them victory, allowing them to destroy many nations. Who is like God?

Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven and said: "LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.
1 Kings 8:22-23

-Ruth

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Photo Credit:
http://eschatologytoday.blogspot.com/2009/11/school-to-prepare-for-rebuilt-temple.html

God Provides

Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Hebrews 13:20-21

These are some pretty powerful words. God equips us to do whatever we need to do. Equip means to provide whatever is needed for use or for any undertaking. 

This is the authors conclusion, and that's because he wants to leave the Hebrews with an outstanding promise from God. He wants them to know that God will provide, that even when you feel like giving up, God will provide.

We should also desire to be equipped

So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"

1 Kings 3:9

This is were Solomon asks God for wisdom. God was so pleased with his request that he gave more than just wisdom, he gave him glory and wealth. If we desire to have wisdom and desire to be equipped, God will equip you and he will give you wisdom (James 1:5)

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble."

James 4:6

If you are humble enough to tell God you need his help, he will show you favor.

God is willing to equip us, but the question is will you let him?

You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!

Acts 7:51

Do not quench the Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 5:19

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Ephesians 4:30

These three verses tell us the we can resist, quench, and grieve the Holy Spirit. So while we are equipped to do anything God wants us to do, the choice is ours. Knowing that God has taken the time to prepare you for life, how could you resist him?

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
Ephesians 4:11-14

Sources:

http://www.blueletterbible.org/devotionals/dbdbg/view.cfm
http://preceptaustin.org/hebrews_1320-21.htm
http://www.celebrationchurchlive.com/2012/06/08/god-equips-the-called/

Photo Credit:
http://sacredsharingsforthesoul.blogspot.com/2013/02/all-things-through-christ-by-cc.html

Are Children Born with Sin?

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
Psalm 51:1-6

If sin is passed down from mother to child (I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me), then how could Jesus be sinless if his mother Mary was not sinless? Well, Jesus is not just human. The bible teaches that he is 100% human and 100% God. (Hebrew 2:14, Mathew 4:7, 1 Timothy 2:5)
I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me

Sinful- Adjective characterized by, guilty of, or full of sin; wicked:

Sin-  transgression of God's known will or any principle or law regarded as embodying this

Adjective- any member of a class of words that modify nouns and pronouns, primarily by describing a particular quality of the word they are modifying

David is describing a quality, sin, not that he committed sin even before he was born, but that he was able to sin. That he was NOT innocent (free from moral wrong; without sin; pure) and pure (free from anything of a different, inferior, or contaminating kind)

Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies. Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears, that will not heed the tune of the charmer, however skillful the enchanter may be. Break the teeth in their mouths, O God; tear out, O LORD, the fangs of the lions! Let them vanish like water that flows away; when they draw the bow, let their arrows be blunted. Like a slug melting away as it moves along, like a stillborn child, may they not see the sun.
Psalm 58:3-8

This one is saying that there are bad people and even from birth, they are bad.

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned--for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:12-21

Death and sin came as a result of one man. This Romans passage is is one of my favorite proofs that children are born with sin.

Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.
Genesis 8:21

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Roman 3:22-24

When they sin against you--for there is no one who does not sin--and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to his own land, far away or near;
1 Kings 8:46

Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him.
Proverbs 22:15

Sources
Dictionary.com
http://www.openbible.info/topics/being_born_in_sin

Photo Credit:
http://www.whattoexpect.com/first-year/baby-growth-and-behavior.aspx

Keeping yourself Interested

When I read the bible, I don't always feel like it. Satan doesn't want Christians to read the bible, he wants us all to fail miserably in every way, and Satan is great at fooling us. I can easily think of things I could be doing or "need" to do when I sit down and read God's word. I'm always glad I afterwards when I read my bible, but there's an internal conflict when I try to read my bible. I think it's best to find I way to keep myself interested while I read my bible so that I can feel the benefits afterwards. For a while I would always find one verse that stuck out to me while I was reading the bible, but that's hard to do when your reading 1st and 2nd Samuel (which I recently finished) and 1st Kings (which I just started). Yesterday, I had the wonderful idea of making a modern bible, where I take I read and write down as if it where being said in modern times. It's really fun!
Here's the first 4 verses of 1 kings 2 (my version). What you are about to read is NOT God-breathed scripture.

1. David’s death was coming around, so he gave his position to Solomon
2. "I am going to follow through with the ways of the world," he said. "Make sure you are strong and show everyone that you're a man.
3. Look at what God tell us to do: follow his ways, and listen to his laws and guideline, his  rules and requirements, like it’s been written in Moses' decrees, so y'all will be prosperous in every way possible.
4. So that God will carry out what he said he'd do a bit back: 'If your kids are careful about how they act, and they’re faithful with everything they've got in them, you’ll always have a dude on the throne.'

And the same verse in the NIV bible

1. When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son.
2. "I am about to go the way of all the earth," he said. "So be strong, show yourself a man,
3. and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go,
4. and that the LORD may keep his promise to me: 'If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.'

There's this one little kids songs that describes life. "read your bible and pray every day and you'll grow, grow, grow...don't read your bible, forget to pray and you'll shrink, shrink, shrink..."
You know yourself...maybe you find it easy to read your bible, or maybe your need a little thing that will help you read your bible. Whatever you do, make sure your reading your bible, so you can grow...and take a stand for Jesus.

Trees: The Palm

As a Christian, you should strive to be like a palm tree by being be very useful. Here are some things that palm tree are used for:

• Shade in the desert
• Food
• The Fronds can be used to make baskets
• The seeds are food for camels

The palm tree's roots go deep into the ground in search for water so that it can survive even when it's really dry. Here are some bible verses about the palm tree.

Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.

Exodus 15:27

On the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer rooms, he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers.

1 Kings 6:29

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;

Psalm 92:12

The vine is dried up and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, the palm and the apple tree--all the trees of the field--are dried up. Surely the joy of mankind is withered away.

Joel 1:12

They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!"

John 12:13

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.

Revelation 7:9

Like a palm tree, we should try to be useful and strong. And we should go as deep as we need to to find Jesus, our water.


The Acacia
The Cedar
The Palm
The Fig
The Olive

Trees: The Cedar

He is then to take the live bird and dip it, together with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, into the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water.
Leviticus 14:6

he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent."
2 Samuel 7:2

In this way Hiram kept Solomon supplied with all the cedar and pine logs he wanted, and Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand cors of wheat as food for his household, in addition to twenty thousand baths, of pressed olive oil. Solomon continued to do this for Hiram year after year.
1 Kings 5:10

The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; no stone was to be seen.
1 Kings 6:18

Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs, stonemasons and carpenters to build a palace for him.
1 Chronicles 14:1

Look at the behemoth, which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox. His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are close-knit.
Job 40:15 and 17

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
Psalms 92:12

What shall we do for our sister for the day she is spoken for? If she is a wall, we will build towers of silver on her. If she is a door, we will enclose her with panels of cedar. 
Songs of Songs 8:8b and 9

You who live in 'Lebanon,' who are nestled in cedar buildings,
Jeremiah 22:23a

They made all your timbers of pine trees from Senir; they took a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you.
Ezekiel 27:5

Wail, O pine tree, for the cedar has fallen; the stately trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan; the dense forest has been cut down!
Zechariah 11:2



Cedars can live to be 2,000 years old! I think it's easy to see that God uses these trees to represent strength and might. And God is even strong than his cedars


The Acacia
The Cedar
The Palm
The Fig
The Olive