We Can’t Fix Ourselves....

Without God, we can’t fix ourselves. It’s not possible. It’s only through Jesus’ work on the cross and by His perfect life that we are made right in God’s sight. Religious practices, or even the total abandonment of God, are ways people try to cope with this very unpopular truth. The bottom line is without God’s help, we are unfixable. Praise be to God for all that He has done.

21 I have discovered this principle of life–that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. Romans 7:21-25

Why is Sin so Terrible?

Why is sin so terrible? Because it uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes. Let that sink in for awhile.

13 But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes. Romans 7:13

Being There....

The best thing Job’s three friends did was at the beginning; they sat in silence with him. This showed solidarity, regardless of the reason for his suffering. We need to learn this type of consolation. When we have someone close to us suffering, the best thing we can do is be there for them. This can be done in many ways, but the best, most effective way is just be there. This may be physically, or spiritually, but the fact that you made yourself available to them, not even having to say a word, plays a huge role in the coping process. Just knowing you are there, sometimes unknowingly by the griever, brings a comfort that helps them cope. Don’t preach, or quote Bible verses, just sit there, next to them and share in their sorrow. A Swedish proverb says, “Joy shared is double joy... and Sorrow shared is half sorrow”. Be there for your loved one, you don’t even need to utter any words. Solidarity has a way of helping those in need, just by showing them you care and putting an arm around the one in desperate need.

11 When three of Job’s friends heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him. Their names were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. 12 When they saw Job from a distance, they scarcely recognized him. Wailing loudly, they tore their robes and threw dust into the air over their heads to show their grief. 13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words. Job 2:11-13

Job Knew God....

Every time I read the book of Job I can’t help but look at his faith. He knew God. He knew Him intimately. When he lost all of his possessions and children, did he curse God? No. When he became covered in boils from head to toe, did he curse God? No. Why? Because he knew God. He knew that God is supreme. He knew that God can do whatever He wants. He knew that God is loving and just. Job accepted the fact that God is the One in control, not himself. Job stated that God gave him good things, and God took them away. It’s not our job to curse God, but to enjoy Him while we live here on earth. We are to enjoy the gifts of God, while we possess them. The problem is that we have mistakenly worshipped the gifts and not the Giver of those gifts. When they are gone, we still praise Him for the time we had to enjoy them. I think the problem with modern day theology is we lack this intimacy that Job had with God. Aside from Adam, in the beginning, Job was the closest example of what it means to know God from a human perspective. He had the right mindset because he knew God personally. He knew God was trustworthy and in control. We (myself included) lack this intimacy. Sure, we can know God from reading His Word (our Bibles), but do we really know Him as being real? A real, living, active Being, Who is involved in every aspect of our lives on a minute by minute basis. The reason people argue topics in the Bible is because they don’t know the Author of the Bible. If they did, I think they’d change their approach when reaching out to hurting people. Know God, know peace. No God, no peace. If you were to suffer through what Job did, would you be able to react the way Job did? Honestly, I don’t think I would. Would you?

20 Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. 21 He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb,and I will be naked when I leave.The Lord gave me what I had,and the Lord has taken it away.Praise the name of the Lord!” 22 In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God. Job 1:20-22

9 His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.”10 But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong. Job 2:9-10

Sin’s Power....

I’m not free from sin, I’m free from the power of sin. I have the knowledge of what sin is, the consequences, and Who to ask for help to flee from it.

12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. 14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.15 Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! 16 Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. 17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. 18 Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.19 Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. 21 And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. 22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:12-23

The One Who Trusts Is Invincible....

The one who trusts in God is invincible until His work is done. There is safety in the Lord. Never forget this, especially when hard times come.

 911 Those who live in the shelter of the Most Highwill find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.2 This I declare about the Lord:He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;He is my God, and I trust Him.3 For He will rescue you from every trapand protect you from deadly disease.4 He will cover you with His feathers.He will shelter you with His wings.His faithful promises are your armor and protection.5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,nor the arrow that flies in the day.6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,nor the disaster that strikes at midday.7 Though a thousand fall at your side,though ten thousand are dying around you,these evils will not touch you.8 Just open your eyes,and see how the wicked are punished. 9 If you make the Lord your refuge,if you make the Most High your shelter,10 no evil will conquer you;no plague will come near your home.11 For He will order His angelsto protect you wherever you go.12 They will hold you up with their handsso you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.13 You will trample upon lions and cobras;you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet! 14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love Me.I will protect those who trust in My name.15 When they call on Me, I will answer;I will be with them in trouble.I will rescue and honor them.16 I will reward them with a long life and give them My salvation.” Psalms 91

Reason to Celebrate....

Traditions, how many do we have? How do we celebrate them? Traditions can be a good or bad thing. Good being -remembrance of an event, keeping us from forgetting something important. Bad being - celebrating something but forgetting the real reason behind it. And these celebrations can be both good and bad at the same time. An example of this would be Easter. We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. It could also be seen as bad because there are many people who don’t even know the “why” behind it. They think it’s about the Easter bunny, searching for hidden eggs, and food. Another example of forgetting what a tradition celebrates is Mardi Gras. It was supposed to celebrate the beginning of the Lent season, but unfortunately it’s gotten so distorted that it’s blasphemous. In New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro it can be seen as the perfect example of sinful behavior on display. And the world flocks to join in. The purpose of tradition of the Israelites was always to remember what God did for them. Whether it be rescuing them out of Egypt (Passover), or for Messianic Jews, the taking of bread at the Last Supper in communion, or to the tradition in today’s passage in Esther, Purim, the entire point is to remember what God did for His people. Our job is to celebrate by not forgetting God, which usually means putting Him first in our lives. When we celebrate and forget why we celebrate, or substitute in any other reason other than the real one, the tradition becomes a “religious” activity, that will separate us from God, not bringing us closer to Him. Today, examine the traditions you celebrate. See if you’ve forgotten the real purpose for the celebration. If you have forgotten, ask God to forgive you for forgetting Him, and to help you see all that He has done and continues to do in your life. Traditions are great, fun, and a time to fellowship with family and friends, but make sure you know the real reason why you celebrate. It will mean so much more to you and to others.

20 Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to the Jews near and far, throughout all the provinces of King Xerxes, 21 calling on them to celebrate an annual festival on these two days. 22 He told them to celebrate these days with feasting and gladness and by giving gifts of food to each other and presents to the poor. This would commemorate a time when the Jews gained relief from their enemies, when their sorrow was turned into gladness and their mourning into joy.23 So the Jews accepted Mordecai’s proposal and adopted this annual custom. 24 Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews, had plotted to crush and destroy them on the date determined by casting lots (the lots were called purim). 25 But when Esther came before the king, he issued a decree causing Haman’s evil plot to backfire, and Haman and his sons were impaled on a sharpened pole. 26 That is why this celebration is called Purim, because it is the ancient word for casting lots.So because of Mordecai’s letter and because of what they had experienced, 27 the Jews throughout the realm agreed to inaugurate this tradition and to pass it on to their descendants and to all who became Jews. They declared they would never fail to celebrate these two prescribed days at the appointed time each year. 28 These days would be remembered and kept from generation to generation and celebrated by every family throughout the provinces and cities of the empire. This Festival of Purim would never cease to be celebrated among the Jews, nor would the memory of what happened ever die out among their descendants.29 Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote another letter putting the queen’s full authority behind Mordecai’s letter to establish the Festival of Purim. 30 Letters wishing peace and security were sent to the Jews throughout the 127  provinces of the empire of Xerxes. 31 These letters established the Festival of Purim–an annual celebration of these days at the appointed time, decreed by both Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther. (The people decided to observe this festival, just as they had decided for themselves and their descendants to establish the times of fasting and mourning.) 32 So the command of Esther confirmed the practices of Purim, and it was all written down in the records. Esther 9:20-32