romans 9:6-29

⁶It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.⁷Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”^[a]8In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. ⁹For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”^[b]

¹⁰Not only that, but Rebekah’s children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. ¹¹Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: ¹²not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”^[c]13Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”^[d]

¹⁴What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! ¹⁵For he says to Moses, 
“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, 
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”^[e]16It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. ¹⁷For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”^[f]18Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.

¹⁹One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?” ²⁰But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ “^[g]21Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?

²²What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? ²³What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— ²⁴even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? ²⁵As he says in Hosea: 
“I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people; 
and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one,”^[h]26and, 
“It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, 
‘You are not my people,’ 
they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’ “^[i]

²⁷Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: 
“Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, 
only the remnant will be saved. 
²⁸For the Lord will carry out 
his sentence on earth with speed and finality.”^[j]

²⁹It is just as Isaiah said previously: 
“Unless the Lord Almighty 
had left us descendants, 
we would have become like Sodom, 
we would have been like Gomorrah.”^[k]

Predestination is something that scares the poop out of me. When he says “Not all who are descended from Israel, are Israel,” I think this. God has created every human and every living thing, correct? But not every living he has created will spend eternity in heaven. So does this mean God makes people just to die? He makes them to live and not know Him ever? This is what confuses me. If every person is truly put here by God, then why would God allow them not to spend eternity in heaven after they die? Then I read the verse that says who are you to talk back to God. I have no say in how God works. I don’t know what he does with the people who have been given NO OPPORTUNITY to hear the gospel. I just can’t help but wonder what God’s will in their life is, and what the real purpose of them being here is. I am more confused now then when I first read this passage.

stop buying crap go read your bible and learn about the jesus that hates this kind of thing

happy black friday

Job 28

¹ “There is a mine for silver 
and a place where gold is refined.

² Iron is taken from the earth, 
and copper is smelted from ore.

³ Man puts an end to the darkness; 
he searches the farthest recesses 
for ore in the blackest darkness.

⁴ Far from where people dwell he cuts a shaft, 
in places forgotten by the foot of man; 
far from men he dangles and sways.

⁵ The earth, from which food comes, 
is transformed below as by fire;

⁶ sapphires ^[a] come from its rocks, 
and its dust contains nuggets of gold.

⁷ No bird of prey knows that hidden path, 
no falcon’s eye has seen it.

⁸ Proud beasts do not set foot on it, 
and no lion prowls there.

⁹ Man’s hand assaults the flinty rock 
and lays bare the roots of the mountains.

¹⁰ He tunnels through the rock; 
his eyes see all its treasures.

¹¹ He searches ^[b] the sources of the rivers 
and brings hidden things to light.

¹² “But where can wisdom be found? 
Where does understanding dwell?

¹³ Man does not comprehend its worth; 
it cannot be found in the land of the living.

¹⁴ The deep says, ‘It is not in me’; 
the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’

¹⁵ It cannot be bought with the finest gold, 
nor can its price be weighed in silver.

¹⁶ It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir, 
with precious onyx or sapphires.

¹⁷ Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, 
nor can it be had for jewels of gold.

¹⁸ Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention; 
the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.

¹⁹ The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it; 
it cannot be bought with pure gold.

²⁰ “Where then does wisdom come from? 
Where does understanding dwell?

²¹ It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing, 
concealed even from the birds of the air.

²² Destruction ^[c] and Death say, 
‘Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.’

²³ God understands the way to it 
and he alone knows where it dwells,

²⁴ for he views the ends of the earth 
and sees everything under the heavens.

²⁵ When he established the force of the wind 
and measured out the waters,

²⁶ when he made a decree for the rain 
and a path for the thunderstorm,

²⁷ then he looked at wisdom and appraised it; 
he confirmed it and tested it.

²⁸ And he said to man, 
‘The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, 
and to shun evil is understanding.’ “

I really liked this passage a lot. Wisdom and understanding are things that a human cannot create. In my mind, this proves that there truly is a God. We cannot just begin to be wise. Someone had to be wise enough first, before we got here. We can never find those 2 things, nor buy them on black friday clearance sales. They are things that we cannot see. God sees all. He has everything in his sight, “everything under the heavens”. Even things that are not possible for us to comprehend, wisdom and understanding being two of those things. Wisdom and understanding is given to us if we fear the Lord and stray from all evil.  It is my hope that I can continue to fear the lord and abstain from evil, in order to become more wise and understanding, for I know that this is pleasing to God.

2 timothy 2:1-13

the appeal renewed

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ²And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. ³Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. ⁵Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules. ⁶The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.⁷Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

⁸Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, ⁹for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. ¹⁰Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

¹¹Here is a trustworthy saying: 
If we died with him, 
we will also live with him; 
¹²if we endure, 
we will also reign with him. 
If we disown him, 
he will also disown us; 
¹³if we are faithless, 
he will remain faithful, 
for he cannot disown himself.

I had to read this passage multiple times in order to try and wrap my head around it, but I feel like it makes sense now. When paul says “join with me in the suffering” (v.3) I really understand the fact that if we live the way we are called EXACTLY as Jesus said, then it won’t be an easy road at all. In the verses following this he talks about anyone doing something doesn’t get the reward unless it is done the right way. That kind of scares me, cause I feel like it says that not living the right way means you do not get the reward in Heaven, which makes sense, but that mentality has always frightened me, because i am not nor will i ever be perfect. The last part of this passage it the part that I cling to in my current situations. Though I am suffering, God’s word is NEVER suffering. My suffering may bring the word of God to others, which is what I hope to do every day. The end of the passage just reinstates the fact that we live in the backwards kingdom of God. If we die, we live. We are faithless, he is faithful. God is constant and true.

(Thanks to Craig, I think I am going to start doing this everyday, everybody hold me to it.)

Colossians 3:10

arianaflorence:

fishforpeople:

Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.

i have never heard this verse with the word nature in it, i’ve only seen it with new man or new self. very cool.

via arianaflorence

hmm

should it matter?