Tag Archives: Epistle to the Romans

Reading Myself

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Reading myself on August 6, 2013 written on January 5, 2010 and this phrase from Scripture stood for attention: 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, [source].

The flesh lusts against the Spirit. 

Flesh. That would be my old unregenerate nature with which I was born.

Spirit. That would be the new nature infused into my being at the moment of rebirth.

Lust. a passionate or overwhelming desire or craving [source].
An even more appropriate definition, I think, is that lust is desiring to or actually fulfilling any legitimate passion, desire, or craving in an illegitimate or ungodly, unholy way.

And so with this background thinking, this is the message I heard: my flesh is constantly trying to overthrow (in acts of war) my Spirit in order to satisfy my legitimate needs, passions, desires, and cravings in an unholy way; unholy being any way other than the way GOD has prescribed in His Word by HIS SPIRIT for my needs, passions, desires, and cravings to be fulfilled.

Romans 7:15 I don’t understand my own behavior — I don’t do what I want to do; instead, I do the very thing I hate! 16 Now if I am doing what I don’t want to do, I am agreeing that the Torah is good. 17 But now it is no longer “the real me” doing it, but the sin housed inside me. 18 For I know that there is nothing good housed inside me — that is, inside my old nature. I can want what is good, but I can’t do it! 19 For I don’t do the good I want; instead, the evil that I don’t want is what I do! 20 But if I am doing what “the real me” doesn’t want, it is no longer “the real me” doing it but the sin housed inside me. 21 So I find it to be the rule, a kind of perverse “torah,” that although I want to do what is good, evil is right there with me! 22 For in my inner self I completely agree with God’s Torah; 23 but in my various parts, I see a different “torah,” one that battles with the Torah in my mind and makes me a prisoner of sin’s “torah,” which is operating in my various parts. 24 What a miserable creature I am! Who will rescue me from this body bound for death? 25 Thanks be to God [, he will]! — through Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord!

To sum up: with my mind, I am a slave of God’s Torah; but with my old nature, I am a slave of sin’s “Torah.”

via Romans 7 NKJV;CJB – Freed from the Law – Or do you not – Bible Gateway.

And one more to sum up.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through him who gives me power.

via Phil 4:13 NKJV;CJB – I can do all things through Christ who – Bible Gateway.

Kathie

P.S. Summer has been full and ABBA continues to be AWESOME in ALL He is and does. Autumn is approaching and plans are forming for ministry and fun. Blessings to you my Friends!

Goodbyes

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My soul is sad as I sit to write. It was 15 years ago that we tackled legal issues together for our mutual lawyer/boss. She was spunky, only a little more than a year older than me and yet somehow I always felt much her junior. She knew her way around the office and she was good to me. Yet the day came when I moved on to greener pastures and tonight I learned my friend moved to the Golden Shore quite peacefully on April 27. Ramona fought a good fight and she kept the faith. Her family celebrated her life on Thursday (National Day of Prayer). I wish I had known. I miss her – just knowing she no longer shares this terrestrial sod with me makes me sad; but I will see her again. And I will see her again for only one reason – she said YES to JESUS and so have I. Have you?

10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

via John 4 NASB;CJB – Jesus Goes to Galilee – Therefore when – Bible Gateway.

9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.”

via Romans 10:9-11 NASB;CJB – that if you confess with your mouth – Bible Gateway.  Romans 10:9-11 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Ramona is not disappointed.  If you were to slip from this earth today — do you know where you would spend eternity?  You can know. This very day you can know.  I John 5:13 Questions? Click HERE for email address. 

Be Hidden in CHRIST,

Thank You, ABBA, for the sweet assurance of Ramona’s testimony. Thank You that she lives on and I pray her testimony continues to bring others to repentance and salvation in You LORD JESUS alone.

Grace and Mercy

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Day 22 — Grace and Mercy

So grateful for grace and mercy as I am continually in need of both!

Grace.
It has been said Grace is God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.
How true I know that is! Grace is God giving to me what I so do not deserve. Forgiveness and Fellowship with Him.

And Mercy? Well, mercy is me not getting what I do deserve.
Hell forever and ever for sure. But even since Salvation and being rescued for eternal death; to that He adds mercy every day, multiple times a day. Even when I deserve to be taken to the woodshed and have the ‘flesh’ wailed out of me, He still gives mercy. In fact the woodshed IS mercy. How horrible it would be to be left alone. To be allowed to do as my flesh would please with no correction, no wooing by the HOLY SPIRIT to turn and do right again. That can never be. To be left to my own to act any way I please without correction — I know what that would mean. So thankful I don’t have that on my head.  Read this and see what I mean:

Hebrews 12:7-9  21st Century King James Version (KJ21)
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then ye are bastards and not sons. 9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh who corrected us, and we gave them reverence. Shall we not far rather be in subjection unto the Father of Spirits, and live? via Hebrews 12:7-9 KJ21 – If ye endure chastening God dealeth – Bible Gateway.

And this:

Romans 8:  21st Century King James Version (KJ21)
8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so it be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.
via Romans 8:8-10 KJ21 – So then those who are in the flesh – Bible Gateway.

Philippians 1: 6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. via Philippians 1:5-7 NASB – in view of your participation in the – Bible Gateway.

Is this your experience too? Then we both can give thanks today for God’s Grace and Mercy.

For days 1 – 21, Click HERE. And to pray for those needing your faithful and fervent prayers, click HERE.

Brave the Dark with The LIGHT,
Kathie

A Dream

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Day 20 – A Dream

I had a dream. A dream with such a message that I can hardly wait to write it and click the publish button. At this point, I’m not sure of the title though.

A Dream
A No Bill
Zero Balance
Etc.

Here’s the dream. The mail came. There was an envelope. I saw the return address. A big sigh. What will the balance be? Dread. Fear. How will I pay it?

I opened it. The paper was triple folded, you know the kind.  But wait! It’s blank! There is no balance due!!

Then I woke up.

To me it means HE paid my bill.
I owe nothing.
My SIN DEBT is paid in full!
Perhaps it is time to wake up – wake up and tell the GOOD NEWS to every man, woman, boy and girl.

It’s Sunday. A day for worshipping together – don’t miss it!

Be ye thankful!!

Oh, ABBA, thank You. Thank You. Thank You JESUS for paying my sin debt. Thank You, HOLY SPIRIT, for delivering to me faith to believe.  Thank You, ABBA, for a zero balance as to my sin debt and thank You for the debt of love I now owe. It is a pleasure to pay; remind me least I forget.

Romans 13:
8 Owe no man anything, but to love one another, for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
via Romans 13 KJ21 – Let every soul be subject unto the – Bible Gateway.

12The night is far gone and the day is almost here. . . .   .
via Romans 13 AMP – LET EVERY person be loyally subject to – Bible Gateway.

For days 1 – 19 click HERE and to pray for those who need you, click HERE.

Brave the Dark with The LIGHT,
Kathie