I was talking to a friend about astrology and he had a good response. Its a counterfeit. Its seeking wisdom for life in a place outside God's word. In 2023 I want to strive that the only place I seek guidance for anything besides the mundane chores of life would be God's Revelation in His word
halleluJAH! 💙 right now, according to my little prayer, I think the Holy Spirit is talking to me through this message. God bless you in Jesus' name, Desiring God!
I can get mixed up about grace and effort. Isn’t God gracious to me? Do I have to, legalistically read my bible and pray at set times creating “rules” set by mere men? To help me out of these thoughts, I like the dated phrase “the means of grace”. The idea that there are ordinary ‘channels’ through which God pours his grace… the bible, prayer… something like the way my kids might use the tap to get water. It’s all paid for and it’s free to them but they’re sensible… they know that this is the ordinary channel through which the goodness and benefits of water comes. God’s goodness comes to us like that. Generally, through known means. A second analogy has helped me dispel this confusion about grace and effort. When I see someone begging they often have a cup but they never have a small flat plate. There would be no place for the generosity of others to accumulate. It might just slide off. There has to be some space-somewhere to catch the goodness. They have a willingness to receive that literally ‘makes room’ for what is incoming’. Devotional time can be like that. It’s God’s grace and goodness coming to us undeserved but the time we give God is like the space in the beggars cup. This reminds me of the verse, “Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.” Lastly, I’m helped by people like Daniel and Job. Both had customs and routines for themselves that are not mandated by God-they made them up. Daniel prayed 3 times a day and Job had a ritual of prayer for his children after feasts. It might seem artificial and contrived and ‘made up’ to get up and read and pray at and for a set time but that doesn’t make it anti-grace or legalistic. It may be the means of receiving grace and of putting a practical premium on a principal. Some of the people who please God most, can, and did make up routines that have no scriptural mandate in order to fulfill general principals that do-to be with and prioritize God. We all have to balance our lives but Jesus said that the people of this world are more shrewd than are the people of the light. Warren Buffet’s wisdom was that when it’s raining gold you should put out a bucket not a thimble… and we also need to make space to catch as much as we can of what is free.
Wow!! This really helps me. I struggle with consistent time in the word, when I fail I feel so guilty and see how I take his undeserved love for granted. I prayed tonight and was led to proverbs 2. I’m going to mediate and apply it by Gods grace and also based off your comment, structure out a routine. I think everything you have written is so apt. God bless you. With love from Nigeria.
I think Rashi should be renamed "rush shit" or diarrhea cause every time he rushes to disprove His own Messiah in His own Tanakh, he makes "rush shit" or diarrhea of the whole Tanakh, disregarding/opposing/ manipulating/ editing/ taking out if context the sacred scriptures inspired by God Himself. In doing so, "rush shit" also had to go against his predecessors the other rabbis who disagree with his diarrhea. People ignorant enough to accept "rush shit" end up like Calvin who admitted he is too ignorant to understand revelation. Hence, calvinism is spiritual diarrhea. When Calvin is blind about book of revelation, how can his successors not be blind too. As it is written, no disciple is greater than his master. One example of rush shit diarrhea is saying everything in genesis 3 is natural when natural snake doesn't make speeches, however Tanakh specifically in genesis 3 stated snake is an orator. Example of rabbis diarrhea is saying snake and satan had sex with eve, making eve pregnant with Cain, in contrast with Tanakh stating specifically both Cain and Abel were result of Adam knowing his wife Eve. Moral of the story, to relieve oneself of diarrhea, leave rush shit and rabbinic interpretation of the Tanakh in the toilet where it belongs.
