Cycle, Cycle

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Continuing in Judges. 
As Christians, likely we all say we believe GOD has not, does not change. He is the same GOD yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8. 

I think the nature of man has not changed either. The early chapters I have been reading in Judges bore that out to me as I watched Israel’s pattern: Sin. Calamity. Repentance. Deliverance. Sin Calamity, Repentance. Deliverance.  Cycle. Cycle Cycle. 
Is the average Christian any different here in the 21st Century?  I did say Average. And I think not.

It should not have been that way for Israel. And it should not be that way for us. 

JESUS came to break that cycle. 
And step by step as we yield to the promptings, leading(s), and teaching(s) of HOLY SPIRIT, our cycles between deliverance and sin get further apart.  We walk longer in obedience with fewer and fewer bouts of repenting of our repentance.  Do you know what I mean? 

I hope you are encouraged to read Judges and as you read I hope you will see that GOD is patient, loving, kind, gracious, faithful, holy, and that He pours out wrath when it’s called for.  Think of it this way: does real love allow sin to run wild with no intervention to curb the destruction? 

GOD is not afraid of our sins. He is not wringing His hands wondering what He is going to do with all the brats in the world, committing atrocities night and day. 
GOD is complete within Himself.
He does not NEED us to cease our sins. He does not NEED us to be good little boys and girls, playing nicely in the sandbox.  As I said GOD is complete within Himself. He does not NEED us.
However, He has chosen to INTERVENE and offer us (all the brats in the world) deliverance from our wretched lives speeding to destruction.

He made that offer to Israel. Some took Him up on it. Some didn’t.

Again, the nature of man has not changed, not since Judges, not since The Fall in The Garden. 
BUT GOD can give any man, woman, boy, or girl, a new nature, a new heart, one that will seek Him, obey Him, and love Him more and more.  
Interested? 

 

Ezekiel 36: 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put My Spirit within you and bring it about that you walk in My statutes, and are careful and follow My ordinances.   source 

Until Next time, Holy hugs, Kathie 

Do We Know?

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My notes at the close of Joshua: death comes to all.
Second, choose, make up your mind, is it GOD or not. And in that, I was reminded of James 1:8.  You know what it says, right? 

8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. 

Then we moved to Judges. 

Joshua died. Caleb remains — we shall see for how much longer. 

Judges 2: 10-13. Let me copy and paste it for you here. 

10 After that whole generation had also been gathered to their fathers, another generation rose up who did not know the LORD or the works that He had done for Israel. 11And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals.

12 Thus they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed after various gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and provoked the LORD to anger, 13 for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.  source 

How does a generation that knows GOD produce a generation that does not know GOD?
And what happens when a generation does not know GOD? 
They do evil in the sight of the LORD. They serve baals. 

Why? Why, baals? 
Because people worship.  We are born to worship. We are going to worship. Even Atheists worship. Yep. We ALL worship something or Someone. 

What/who do you worship? Do you know? How do you know? 

Until Next Time, Holy hugs, Kathie