The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on his foes and vents his wrath against his enemies. The LORD is slow to anger but great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebukes the sea and dries it up; he makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither and the blossoms of Lebanon fade. The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it. Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him. Nahum 1:2-6
These verses are pretty straightforward. God punishes the guilty. But how many times do we forget that? I've certainly been at point in my life were I wish I could be as well off as some of the successful, wicked people. Or I've wonder why that one person "got away with" a sin. Or why my sibling got away with something I didn't.
God controls storms and even clouds. They all do his bidding. He controls the sea, it dries up at his command. The mountains are afraid of God. The hills melt before him! So were does that leave us? Nature is afraid of God's wrath, so we definitely need to be.
I feel like we don't understand how scary God is when he is angry. His wrath shatters rocks! I feel horrible for everyone who goes to hell, were God's wrath will constantly be poured out on them.
I guess the take away is that God let's us sin...for now. Where will you be when God comes back?
This reminds me of Casting Crowns song "While we were sleeping"
Where will you be when Jesus comes back? Will you spend eternity with God, experiencing his love? Or will you spend eternity with Satan, where God's wrath is poured out on you? It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. Mark 13:34-36
I like to give each year a theme song, and this year, I'm going to share 2012's theme song.
The Older I Get (Acoustic)
by Skillet
The
walls between you and I always pushing us apart never left but scars fight
after fight. The space between our calm and rage started growing short, and
disappearing slowly day after day.
I
was sitting there waiting in my room for you. You were waiting for me to. And
it makes me wonder...
The
older I get, will I get over it? It’s been way to long for the times we missed.
It didn’t know it would hurt like this, but I think the older I get maybe I’ll
get over it. It’s been way to long for the times we missed. I can’t believe it
still hurts like this.
The
time between those cutting words built up our defenses it never made no
sense, it just made me hurt. Do you believe time heals all wounds? It started
getting better, but it’s easy not to fight when I’m not with you.
I
was sitting there waiting in my room for you. You were waiting for me to. And
it makes me wonder...
The
older I get, will I get over it? It’s been way to long for the times we missed.
It didn’t know it would hurt like this, but I think the older I get maybe I’ll
get over it. It’s been way to long for the times we missed. I can’t believe it
still hurts like this.
What
was I waiting for? I should have taken less and given you more. I should have
weathered the storm. I need to say so bad, what where you waiting for? This
could have been the best we’ve ever had.
The
older I get, will I get over it? It’s been way to long for the times we missed.
It didn’t know it would hurt like this, but I think the older I get maybe I’ll
get over it. It’s been way to long for the times we missed. I can’t believe it
still hurts like this.
Hurt
like this. I’m just getting older. I’m not getting over you, I’m trying to. I
wish it didn’t hurt like this. I spent way to long for the times we missed. I
can’t believe it still hurts like this.
For a while I was sure it would be "Get back up" by Toby Mac, but it changed to "The older I get" by Skillet. This song describes 2012. And here is another song that's on the "soundtrack" of 2012
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.
David’s death
was coming around, so he gave his position to Solomon
"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.
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.
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
When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son.
"I am about to go the way of all the earth," he said. "So be strong, show yourself a man,
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,
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.
Sin is something that makes everyone have something in common. I grew up hearing sin is bad, but the truth is we are sin. You must murder yourself if you want to live. Sin is a big deal, it's something that you will notice one day when your flesh is burning hell if you don't notice now.
And now on a lighter note, I like music, but what teen doesn't? Music is written by a band, but interpreted by the listener. What you have been through in life effects how you hear music. With that being said, I'm going to interpret two songs based on my life.
I'd recommend listening to this youtube video unless you've already heard "It's not me, it's you" by skillet.
First of all, there's defining this song. It could be taken for a song to someone whose hurt you, or to Satan, but I think it's a song to yourself...your sinful nature. A songs meaning can change based on what's happening to you at the moment. This song has for me.
For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death.
Romans 7:5
Sin is a poison, once we drink it, it wears our body down and it finally drives us to insanity.
Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Romans 8:12-14
WeAsHuman's message is more clear than Skillets in song. It's clearly says that when we stop sinning is when we feel the most alive. It says to let go of sin, so that you can be free. "Sitting here by my graveside, I've never been so alive" Because Jesus took me out of the picture.
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
John 8:34-16
God pulls the dead man out of us.
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Romans 6:6-11
This is a concept that is hard to understand, and that I don't fully get, but when we die to ourselves, that's when we feel most alive. "Sitting here by my graveside, I've never been so alive. You pulled the dead man out of me." But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. Romans 7:8-11 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. Romans 8:10
