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"Mostly Dead" by Hollie Ruthberg
Galatians 6:11 Look at the large letters I use as I close in my own handwriting.
12 It is those who want to look good outwardly who are trying to get you to be circumcised. The only reason they are doing it is to escape persecution for preaching about the Messiah’s execution-stake. 13 For even those who are getting circumcised don’t observe the Torah. On the contrary, they want you to get circumcised so that they can boast of having gained your adherence. 14 But as for me, Heaven forbid that I should boast about anything except the execution-stake of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah! Through him, as far as I am concerned, the world has been put to death on the stake; and through him, as far as the world is concerned, I have been put to death on the stake.
15 For neither being circumcised nor being uncircumcised matters; what matters is being a new creation. 16 And as many as order their lives by this rule, shalom upon them and mercy, and upon the Isra’el of God!
17 From now on, I don’t want anyone to give me any more tsuris, because I have scars on my body to prove that I belong to Yeshua!
18 The grace of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.
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Historic Roman Catholic doctrine lists seven deadly sins: greed, envy, gluttony, sloth, wrath, lust, and pride. Each is viewed as a form of selfishness. They are certainly a form of worldliness. Nailing them to the cross is a good plan (see Colossians 2:13-15). In Galatians 2:20, the apostle Paul speaks of being dead to sin, of himself being crucified with Christ. Here he also states that the lure of the world is dead to him. It is not mostly dead, just waiting for the moment to rear its ugly head again, but completely dead.
The temptations of the world are nothing to be played with. We need to pray the prayer of David when he asked God to search his heart and see if there was any wicked way in him (Psalm 139:29-30).
Any of those seven deadly sins, sins of the spirit, can lead easily to breaking the Ten Commandments, and all break the first commandment by placing personal desires before God. Nothing can be first in our hearts but God alone. In the battle with sin and the powers of darkness, our desire must be for final and complete victory. "Mostly dead" is not dead enough.
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Hymn for Today: "It is Well With My Soul" by Horatio G. Spafford
1. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
when sorrows like sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well with my soul,
it is well, it is well with my soul.
2. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
let this blest assurance control,
that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
and hath shed his own blood for my soul.
Refrain:
It is well with my soul,
it is well, it is well with my soul.
3. My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
Refrain:
It is well with my soul,
it is well, it is well with my soul.
4. And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
the trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
even so, it is well with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well with my soul,
it is well, it is well with my soul.
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Thought for Today: Romans 6:11 In the same way, consider yourselves to be dead to sin but alive for God, by your union with the Messiah Yeshua.-------
Please Pray: For the development of Christian leaders in Nepal.
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