The nature of sin.

Audio Blog
Jeremiah 14:20-22 NLT

Lord, we confess our wickedness and that of our ancestors, too. We all have sinned against you.

For the sake of your reputation, Lord, do not abandon us.

Do not disgrace your own glorious throne. Please remember us, and do not break your covenant with us. Can any of the worthless foreign gods send us rain? Does it fall from the sky by itself? No, you are the one, O Lord our God! Only you can do such things. So we will wait for you to help us.
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Sin by definition is an offence against God.

God is the source of good. So evil is the absence from a situation of God's character, rule or word. Evil is man's suppression of God from thier lives.

If you or I continue down our path of sin and wickedness we are trying to get as far away from God as possible. But as we abandon God, we leave behind light, forgiveness, mercy, grace, hope, love, life, and righteousness.

Every selfish act, every unthankful act of independence and unbelief is an abominable act deserving death. In fact if the offender is left to himself and it was possible his head long run away from God is a run away from life itself.

Every act of greed, envy, or lust plunges us further into darkness. Each lie, harsh word, or worst of all, every act of ignoring God makes us a condemned sinner.

Truly, we have all sinned.

But God has made promises. God intends to save the world from sin. And it is for the sake of his reputation not our worthiness that we should ask for his help.

God deserves to be worshiped. God is worthy of praise. God should be on everyone's lips. God should be seen for who he is, good, holy, full of power, compassionate, loving, and graciously able to forgive.

It is our concern for the record to be set straight concerning God that will motivate our repentance.

He tells the truth. So he should be believed.
He created everything so we are answerable to him for our purpose.
He is gracious and good, so he should be praised.

Our only hope is God. We must follow Jeremiah's example and pray a prayer of repentance and praise. God is the only one that can help us.

https://soundcloud.com/wkbode/consider-the-following-sins

Experience much sharing, joy and generosity?

Acts 2:44-47 NLT

And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity — all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
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Do you long for God to do this in your church?
Would your family and community benefit from this kind of environment?

God has kept his promise and his kingdom is coming. And Luke is writing a description of what that kingdom looks like.
It looks the way Jesus said it would.

There is unity, generosity, hospitality, sacrificial giving, inclusiveness, sensitivity and a party all the time. Whether in small groups or homes it seems being together was the order of the day. There were still needy people. But needs were met.

They remembered Jesus death and resurrection as a regular celebration.

This "ritual practice" bonded them and reminded these early church family members they needed Jesus. They were sinners who had repented and were being generously forgiven. No wonder there was so much joy and happiness. It is obvious that such freedom would make you a little bit happy and able to be generous.

God was taking care of them.

Are you excited to be part of God's family?  Have you celebrated the forgiveness for sins and the provision of new life with others as needy as you recently?  Are you happy to have your church in your home?  Are you experiencing joy as you regularly get together with the church?

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I'm starting last night on two chapters of Acts at night and two in the morning and in doing so I'll finish Acts in seven days. How about joining me? This morning (Friday) I'll be reading Acts 3&4 and tonight 5&6.

Will you praise?

Psalms 150:1-6 NLT

Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven! Praise him for his mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness! Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn; praise him with the lyre and harp! Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes! Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals. Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord!
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Will you praise God today?

What will it take for you to be full of praise? Will your praise be exuberant? Is your heart overflowing with admiration for your God so much so that it screams and blasts out with the power of a rock anthem. Is there a drum solo welling up in your soul for your Saviour?

Will the challenge of your work-a-day world be met with your loud, "I serve am awesome God!"?

Is musical praise part of your everyday life?

Do you have a song of praise in your heart?

What is more worthy of your attention? What do you have to do that's more important to do?
Why is your praise timid?

Praise is what you were made for!
You have no higher calling than praise.
Praise is the ultimate reason for your existence.

He is greater.
He is kinder.
He is wiser.
He is more powerful.
He is more worthy.
He is forgiving.
He is more clever.
He is more praiseworthy, than your technology, than your action film, than your holiday destination, than your accomplishments. He is more noteworthy than your breaking news, he is more captivating than your cheap novel or epic trilogy!!! Our God is worthy of a song, a shout, a dance..... 
a mention?

Will you mention him?
Will you consider him today?
Will your thoughts keep drifting towards him?

Will your praise seem inadequate? Will you need to beat the drum louder? Will you feel compelled to crash the cymbals harder?

Will you praise God today?  Will you praise him loudly?
Will you praise him at all?

" Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord!"

Where is God in the darkness?

Monday, February 18, 2013
Where is God in the darkness?
Psalms 88:18 NLT

You have taken away my companions and loved ones. Darkness is my closest friend.
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Jesus is the main character of all history. It was Jesus himself that revealed he was the key to understanding all the bible.
I've heard it suggested that we ought to consider that the Psalms may be more appropriately messianic prophecies rooted in King David's experience but more fully expressed in the life of Jesus. There are a few Psalms where it is easy to see that it describes the circumstances of the cross better than any thing David is recorded to have gone through. But it is easy to forget the link to Jesus when we read some of the Psalms and then we wonder what place it has in our daily life.

Jesus used the prophet Jonah's big fish saga to explain what his death would be like and maybe here we have a little hint of that too.

This Psalm is written before Jonah and before Jesus. But it foreshadows the judgement of sin that is bore by Jesus while on the cross and in death.

But don't stop there Jesus' has gone before and so we don't have to be judged but we will suffer in many ways as he did.

We will face rejection. We will be misunderstood. We may be oppressed and persecuted and some who follow Jesus will come against opposition so strong their own lives will be taken (only momentarily, for no evil can touch the soul.)

This is a dark Psalm and still we see the light within it :

It begins,  "God of my salvation..."  and then goes on to say that this individual so deep in despair is praying, crying out to God. No matter how low you feel, you can cry out to God, knowing he can save.

Yes it is true God judges sin but it is also true as this psalmist knew God is full of mercy, able to preform wonderful deeds, worthy of praise for His unfailing love, and he is entirely faithful.

See the lovely, uplifting, hope giving character of God can be found even at the darkest times. Praise is possible even in excruciatingly painful depression. Praise is what the psalmist sees as the reason for holding on to life. Will God's righteousness be your life line in your darkest hour?

Praise him and see the difference.

Repeat often the truth, he is good.

Our God is merciful, righteous, wonderful, just, faithful, and loving.

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Psalms 88:1-18 NLT

O Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out to you by day. I come to you at night. Now hear my prayer; listen to my cry. For my life is full of troubles, and death draws near. I am as good as dead, like a strong man with no strength left. They have left me among the dead, and I lie like a corpse in a grave. I am forgotten, cut off from your care. You have thrown me into the lowest pit, into the darkest depths. Your anger weighs me down; with wave after wave you have engulfed me. Interlude You have driven my friends away by making me repulsive to them. I am in a trap with no way of escape. My eyes are blinded by my tears. Each day I beg for your help, O Lord; I lift my hands to you for mercy. Are your wonderful deeds of any use to the dead? Do the dead rise up and praise you? Interlude Can those in the grave declare your unfailing love? Can they proclaim your faithfulness in the place of destruction? Can the darkness speak of your wonderful deeds? Can anyone in the land of forgetfulness talk about your righteousness? O Lord, I cry out to you. I will keep on pleading day by day. O Lord, why do you reject me? Why do you turn your face from me? I have been sick and close to death since my youth. I stand helpless and desperate before your terrors. Your fierce anger has overwhelmed me. Your terrors have paralyzed me. They swirl around me like floodwaters all day long. They have engulfed me completely. You have taken away my companions and loved ones. Darkness is my closest friend.

Williambode.blogspot.co.uk

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What more needs to be said?

Psalms 117:1-2 NLT

Praise the Lord , all you nations. Praise him, all you people of the earth. For he loves us with unfailing love; the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever. Praise the Lord!

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Psalm 117 only has two verses. You might think that was a bit short to be considered a complete Psalm, especially when compared to say Psalm 119 with its 176 verses.
And yet Psalm 117 is a complete thought and makes a profound impact.

Have you ever considered that God's praise is the primary reason for your existence?

So the Psalm gets right to the point and invites you to do what you were made for. And yet the invitation is for everyone in every nation. It is the widest possible, most inclusive invitation to participate in the most important responsibly ever. And if some how you missed it the first time or felt possibly the stateless individuals got left out, our Psalm sweeps up all of humanity and repeats the invocation to fulfil your single most important role.

There is nothing more important you can do than praise the Lord!

And you might ask why is praising God our most important job? And although it is really self-evident why you should praise your creator, and the maker of all there is, Psalm 117 declares the love of God as a motive for praise.

Consider, your maker, against whom you've rebelled, says he loves you. And the character of his love is unfailing. His love is undeterred. Oh, you've tried to undo his love, rebuff his love, repel God's love, and maybe worst, ignore God's love. But his love is unfailing.

We may love ourselves,  we may love the creation more than the creator, we may love our rebellion, we may even love lies and the Father of lies, but the Lord's love is faithful.

How can we not see we are free to do the most important thing in the whole universe, the thing for which were made.

We can praise the Lord.

Nothing is more important!

You can pack a lot into two verses.

Still besotted the day after Valentine's Day.

Psalms 145:3 NLT

Great is the Lord ! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness.
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Besotted the day after Valentine's?

I wonder how many are still making the effort to express their love so deeply the day after Valentine's Day?

Psalm 145 is the love letter of someone who just can't get enough of his beloved. Are you so in love with God? Do you just go on and on and on about how great your God is?

No one can measure your greatness.

Read the Psalm pasted in full below and see if you too will fall in such deep love and admiration for your God.

Go on.

Love like this is not easily embarrassed. This God lover is convinced everyone should be as deeply moved as he is. He thinks everyone else should be talking about God.
God's greatness is all he can think about. He end up daydreaming about it all the time.
God is worthy of a song.
God is inspiration for a top ten list! Why stop there? Can you make a top one hundred great things about God list?

Every time I read this passage I'm encouraged to praise, to go overboard, to be OTT, about the wonderful things God has done.

When was the last time you could say enough good about God?

Do you have any insatiable appetites? Can you image if it was praise that you just can't get enough of. Could you be a glutton for glory, or an addict of adoration?

Oh Lord please convice is so deeply of your goodness that we too become besotted with your praise.

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Psalms 145:1-21 NLT

I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever. I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever. Great is the Lord ! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness. Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles. Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness. Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness. The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation. All of your works will thank you, Lord , and your faithful followers will praise you. They will speak of the glory of your kingdom; they will give examples of your power. They will tell about your mighty deeds and about the majesty and glory of your reign. For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does. The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads. The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it. When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness. The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them. The Lord protects all those who love him, but he destroys the wicked. I will praise the Lord , and may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever.

The Lord keeps me alive!

Psalms 54:1-7 NLT

Come with great power, O God, and rescue me! Defend me with your might. Listen to my prayer, O God. Pay attention to my plea. For strangers are attacking me; violent people are trying to kill me. They care nothing for God. Interlude But God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive! May the evil plans of my enemies be turned against them. Do as you promised and put an end to them. I will sacrifice a voluntary offering to you; I will praise your name, O Lord , for it is good. For you have rescued me from my troubles and helped me to triumph over my enemies.

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You can call out to God. You can ask him to rescue you. God will listen. God will answer. God will pay attention.

Have you found that there are people who ignore God? Are they the same people picking on you?

Although the writer of this Psalm is being attacked by evil people who act as if there is no God, he knows God is his helper.

Do you feel oppressed? Are you confident that God can give you victory?  Do you have faith in God?

See the situation was bad. The Psalmist is being oppressed, attacked for his faith, plotted against, troubled, and they are attempting to murder him.

Notice faith in God and trust in His rescue doesn't mean you won't have troubles!

It does mean you know you are not alone. It does mean you know there is justice from God. It does mean you can cry out in confidence that you are being heard.

Look at the difference between the psalmist and his enemies.

They care nothing for God.
He looks to God as a great defender.

They plan to take life.
He knows God keeps him alive.

They have evil plans.
He had plans to trust and voluntarily sacrifice.

Are you trusting the Lord with your life?

Who cares about the downtrodden?

Psalms 74:21 NLT

Don’t let the downtrodden be humiliated again. Instead, let the poor and needy praise your name.

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God cares about the the poor and needy. The writer of Psalm 74 knows the heart of God. The writer knows that being downtrodden can be humiliating. To be under the foot of some one uncaring doesn't lift you up. But God does lift you up.

And we can ask God to be the rescuer of the poor and needy. We can expect God to be concerned. If we are asking for him to intervene it isn't a long shot. God is concerned about the underdog and he wants us to be too.

Are you downtrodden, poor and needy?  You can praise God!

Do you know downtrodden, poor, and needy folk? You can pray to God trusting, God to fill them with reason for praise.

Are you singing?

Psalm 98:1-9 NLT

Sing a new song to the LORD,
for he has done wonderful deeds.
His right hand has won a mighty victory;
his holy arm has shown his saving power! The LORD has announced his victory
and has revealed his righteousness to every nation! He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel.
The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. Shout to the LORD, all the earth;
break out in praise and sing for joy! Sing your praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song, with trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn.
Make a joyful symphony before the LORD, the King! Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
Let the earth and all living things join in. Let the rivers clap their hands in glee!
Let the hills sing out their songs of joy before the LORD.
For the LORD is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice,
and the nations with fairness.

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Struggling? Getting on just fine, but coasting? Finding your faith a bit dull?

Sing! Shout! Vocalise your faith. Say it. Say it aloud! Break the sound barrier with your praise.

Tell your head and heart the truth. Instruct your soul through the ear-gate.
Is it possible, the radio, the TV, your family, your friends, your neighbours, your ipod and your colleagues are daily filling your ears with negative thoughts. Could it be you are being brainwashed into a defeatist attitude because of what you are hearing?

So sing! Reprogram your heart with a song. Shout a blue streak of praise. Break into a torrent of exaltation.

I often tell others and myself that the lows frequently come because we're stuck believing a lie.

So in song rehearse the truth.

It works. Song lifts the heart and sooths the soul.

Teach your inner person the hope and joy you long for by singing a song.

Sing while you walk, sing in the car. Sing in the shower. Song while you cook. Sing while you work. Sing songs of praise.

You may sing with the church but take it further, sing through your day.

Prepare your heart to sing.  Pick a couple of songs that praise God. Pick one your know most of the words to. Pick a song you know the tune to.

Ok, now practice a bit, right now.

Don't worry if it sounds bad. Listen to the words. Let the attempt at a tune give you a bit of a lift.

Don't know a sing of praise?  Well then get with the program. Learn a song.  You can not obey God of you don't start to sing your faith. The Bible repeatedly exhorts you to sing.

Are you singing? Are you obeying? Are you reaping the benefits of singing praise?

Why not tell me the song that you've chosen to sing today?

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