Comments on: Bible Study Blog for Wednesday, July 27, 2011 http://baysidewoodland.com/pastors-blog/bible-study-blog-for-tuesday-july-27-2010/ a Bayside church in Woodland, CA Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:04:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Bob http://baysidewoodland.com/pastors-blog/bible-study-blog-for-tuesday-july-27-2010/comment-page-1/#comment-411 Bob Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:19:33 +0000 http://baysidewoodland.com/?p=1492#comment-411 God forbid that there's a possibility that our temple will be named Ichabod, (c.f. 1 Sam 4:21.) We're only able to handle that as we stay close to Him in routine prayer and Bible study. I have no doubt that it is His will that we ask him for the motivation and diligence to set those times up regularly every day. We aren't born with a hunger to serve God or have a fresh and ongoing relationship with Him, but He does send the Holy Spirit to us to guide us into asking Him for that hunger and for dedication to relationship with Him. I'm convinced that He isn't slack to answer such prayers because they are clearly within His will for those He has called to be His children. There's much to be thankful for His gift of grace when we are called to know Him because seeking such a relationship is foolishness to those who haven't been blessed to hear and receive the Gospel. The recent sermons about the Atheistic Christian hit me hard when I think about the many times I've ignored the call of the Spirit to dedicate myself to study and prayer and as a consequence have found myself sinning in ways that I had previously thought impossible. Thank God that He forgives and forgets my failures and weaknesses as I repent and find myself moving closer to Him rather than sliding sideways away from Him. The refrigerator magnet that says, "I'm not a human being; I'm a human becoming," is a nice summary of what we ought to see when we look inside ourselves. God forbid that there’s a possibility that our temple will be named Ichabod, (c.f. 1 Sam 4:21.) We’re only able to handle that as we stay close to Him in routine prayer and Bible study. I have no doubt that it is His will that we ask him for the motivation and diligence to set those times up regularly every day.

We aren’t born with a hunger to serve God or have a fresh and ongoing relationship with Him, but He does send the Holy Spirit to us to guide us into asking Him for that hunger and for dedication to relationship with Him. I’m convinced that He isn’t slack to answer such prayers because they are clearly within His will for those He has called to be His children.

There’s much to be thankful for His gift of grace when we are called to know Him because seeking such a relationship is foolishness to those who haven’t been blessed to hear and receive the Gospel. The recent sermons about the Atheistic Christian hit me hard when I think about the many times I’ve ignored the call of the Spirit to dedicate myself to study and prayer and as a consequence have found myself sinning in ways that I had previously thought impossible. Thank God that He forgives and forgets my failures and weaknesses as I repent and find myself moving closer to Him rather than sliding sideways away from Him.

The refrigerator magnet that says, “I’m not a human being; I’m a human becoming,” is a nice summary of what we ought to see when we look inside ourselves.

]]>