All Entries Tagged With: "sin"

Jeremiah 2:13

Welcome to Online Bible Studies

Today’s Bible verse is
Jeremiah 2:13 (NIV)
13 “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

Let’s read the verse in context:
Jeremiah 2:1-13 (NIV)
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem: “‘I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert, through a land not sown. 3 Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of his harvest; all who devoured her were held guilty, and disaster overtook them,’” declares the LORD. 4 Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, all you clans of the house of Israel. 5 This is what the LORD says: “What fault did your fathers find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves. 6 They did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD, who brought us up out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness, through a land of deserts and rifts, a land of drought and darkness, a land where no one travels and no one lives?’ 7 I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable. 8 The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD?’ Those who deal with the law did not know me; the leaders rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal, following worthless idols. 9 “Therefore I bring charges against you again,” declares the LORD. “And I will bring charges against your children’s children. 10 Cross over to the coasts of Kittim and look, send to Kedar and observe closely; see if there has ever been anything like this: 11 Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their Glory for worthless idols. 12 Be appalled at this, O heavens, and shudder with great horror,” declares the LORD. 13 “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

Today’s Quiet Time with God

Today’s verse is a great description of the way we often sin. We have the opportunity to receive living water from the Lord and yet we often choose the stagnant water of our own making. A cistern does not have a natural flow of waster. It is a hole that is dug and then water from somewhere else is brought and poured in to the hole. This water quickly becomes stagnant and full of disease. This is the picture of what it is like when we decide to follow our way instead of the Lord’s. I think it is a good verse to remember when we are thinking about moving in the wrong direction. Why would we drink nasty stagnant water when refreshing living water is available? Take some time today to just be with Jesus and drink the “living water” that He so willingly gives. You will be blessed as you do!

Check out Fifteen Minutes With God

Check out our latest feature on God’s Daytimer, Fifteen Minutes With God. This is an opportunity for you to spend fifteen minutes with God by following the Lord’s Prayer as a model. Click here to go to the Fifteen Minutes With God page. This will help you to develop a consistent daily prayer time.

Check out Christian World News

As you end your quiet time don’t forget to check out what’s happening in the world. Click here to go to the Christian World News stories page. This will help you to direct your prayers more effectively.

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Come back tomorrow for another edition of Online Bible Studies. You should also sign up for either the Free RSS subscription or if you aren’t familiar with RSS, sign up for the free email subscription. That way whenever a new Bible Study is posted you will be notified. You can sign up at the top right of the page.

Check out the Christian Book Club

The Christian Book Club is a great site where you can get involved in an online Christian Book Club. A new book and discussion are started the 1st of every month. Come and join us for this month’s book. Click here to go to the Christian Book Club site.

Check out Internet Pastor Online

Internet Pastor Online is an interesting site where you can find answers to questions about the Bible and some advice for Christian living.

Check out Church Growth Consulting

Church Growth Consulting is a site for Pastors and Ministry Leaders about ways to advance the Kingdom of God and help to grow the Church.

Check out My Newbie Blog

If you would like to learn how to create a blog of your own then this would be a good site for you.

Genesis 4:7

Welcome to Online Bible Studies

Today’s Bible verse is
Genesis 4:7 (NIV)
7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”

Let’s read the verse in context:
Genesis 4:1-9 (NIV)
1 Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” 8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Today’s Quiet Time with God

Today’s verse is a good reminder for my theme saying of the year, “Life isn’t fair, do the next right thing”. We are reminded that sin is crouching at our door, desiring to have us, but we must master it. How do we master it? We start by choosing who we open the door to. Consider this verse:

Revelation 3:20 (NIV)
20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

How we live is always our choice. We can choose to do the next right thing, even in a difficult situation, or we can choose not do. It is a choice we are constantly faced with. The process of making better choices is what sanctification is all about. None of us always make the right choice, but over time, with the help of the Spirit of God, we open the door more to Jesus and less to sin. Take some time to listen for His voice today, you will be blessed as you do!

Check out Fifteen Minutes With God

Check out our latest feature on God’s Daytimer, Fifteen Minutes With God. This is an opportunity for you to spend fifteen minutes with God by following the Lord’s Prayer as a model. Click here to go to the Fifteen Minutes With God page. This will help you to develop a consistent daily prayer time.

Check out Christian World News

As you end your quiet time don’t forget to check out what’s happening in the world. Click here to go to the Christian World News stories page. This will help you to direct your prayers more effectively.

Get a Free Subscription to God’s Daytimer

Come back tomorrow for another edition of Online Bible Studies. You should also sign up for either the Free RSS subscription or if you aren’t familiar with RSS, sign up for the free email subscription. That way whenever a new Bible Study is posted you will be notified. You can sign up at the top right of the page.

Check out the Christian Book Club

The Christian Book Club is a great site where you can get involved in an online Christian Book Club. A new book and discussion are started the 1st of every month. Come and join us for this month’s book. Click here to go to the Christian Book Club site.

Check out Internet Pastor Online

Internet Pastor Online is an interesting site where you can find answers to questions about the Bible and some advice for Christian living.

Check out Church Growth Consulting

Church Growth Consulting is a site for Pastors and Ministry Leaders about ways to advance the Kingdom of God and help to grow the Church.

Check out My Newbie Blog

If you would like to learn how to create a blog of your own then this would be a good site for you.

Romans 7:15

Welcome to Online Bible Studies

Today’s Bible verse is
Romans 7:15 (NIV)
15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

Let’s read the verse in context:
Romans 7:14-25 (NIV)
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do–this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God–through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Today’s Quiet Time with God

I think we can all relate to the Apostle Paul in today’s verse. We want to do the next right thing, but we don’t always succeed. One of the things I am always taken by is that Paul writes these verses as a mature Christian. He had easily been walking with the Lord for 25 years at the point when this letter is written. He still struggles. I am glad he was courageous enough to admit it. I am glad that the Bible doesn’t edit out the weaknesses of the people of faith. All of us have struggles, but thanks be to God, Jesus has come that I might be free and have a life free from guilt and shame. Does that mean I can just continue to sin without remorse or repentance? NO! IT means that the grace of God encourages me to keep on moving forward. It means that His Spirit empowers me to overcome one day at a time. It means that even when I fall short, I can ask for forgiveness and get my focus on Jesus, and start living again, doing the next right thing. Life isn’t fair, do the next right thing, love God with all your mind, soul, heart and strength, you will be blessed as you do!

Check out Fifteen Minutes With God

Check out our latest feature on God’s Daytimer, Fifteen Minutes With God. This is an opportunity for you to spend fifteen minutes with God by following the Lord’s Prayer as a model. Click here to go to the Fifteen Minutes With God page. This will help you to develop a consistent daily prayer time.

Check out Christian World News

As you end your quiet time don’t forget to check out what’s happening in the world. Click here to go to the Christian World News stories page. This will help you to direct your prayers more effectively.

Get a Free Subscription to God’s Daytimer

Come back tomorrow for another edition of Online Bible Studies. You should also sign up for either the Free RSS subscription or if you aren’t familiar with RSS, sign up for the free email subscription. That way whenever a new Bible Study is posted you will be notified. You can sign up at the top right of the page.

Check out the Christian Book Club

The Christian Book Club is a great site where you can get involved in an online Christian Book Club. A new book and discussion are started the 1st of every month. Come and join us for this month’s book. Click here to go to the Christian Book Club site.

Check out Internet Pastor Online

Internet Pastor Online is an interesting site where you can find answers to questions about the Bible and some advice for Christian living.

Check out Church Growth Consulting

Church Growth Consulting is a site for Pastors and Ministry Leaders about ways to advance the Kingdom of God and help to grow the Church.

Check out My Newbie Blog

If you would like to learn how to create a blog of your own then this would be a good site for you.