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Sin & Prayer

“Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”-Isaiah 59:1-2

Iniquities are defined as “grossly immoral or unfair behavior”. Sometimes these sins are ones we commit; sometimes they are sins of omission. Sometimes we don’t even recognize that we have sinned, but that doesn’t mean we have not.

This is truly a difficult subject to understand. And sometimes a subject we don’t want to understand. But “God is not a God of confusion”.

The above verse is pretty self-explanatory on its face. Our sin does separate us from God. There’s no getting around that. When we choose to lead a sinful life; we choose to separate ourselves from God. After all, it’s not like we don’t have access to Bibles in this country ?. So knowing what behavior is sinful and what behavior is not – is a pretty easy task, if we choose to read the Bible. And that’s the thing-God gives us that choice, for God gave us that freedom!

But there are a few things this verse does not refer to. It does not refer to the person who has previously sinned and is calling out to our Lord both for forgiveness and help in Jesus’ Name. He is so happy to hear from you and He loves you! To learn more read the Prodigal Son in Luke 15.

And it does not refer to the person who commits a sin and asks for forgiveness in Jesus’ Name. That sin is already forgiven! God hears you and God loves you!

In the coming days, regardless as to who wins the election, we will face much evil. In fact, we already do; we are surrounded by it. “War may be at the door, but Jesus already won!”

Which is exactly why we need to walk closely with God-every day! For Our Hope & Our Help Comes From The Lord. Pray. Be The Light. ?

Why do the Days Of Noah in Matthew 24 Matter So Much?

One reason is because there are a lot of similarity between those days and the current ones. Another is that they are a warning to us!

In Timothy, we are warned of what the times and many people will be like:

“ But know this, that in the last days ^[a]perilous times will come: ²For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³unloving, ^[b]unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, ⁴traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵having a form of godliness but denying its power. “-2 Timothy 3: 1-5

That is how the Days of Noah were. Most people turned to evil rather than to God!

Jesus told His apostles in Matthew 24:32, “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. ^“

No one but the Father knows the Day and Hour that Jesus will return, but Jesus warned us of the signs to look for and they are here. Will the End come, only the Father knows.

But irregardless, prayer and repentence might be a good idea. Lay your sins down at the foot of cross. Ask Jesus to forgive them and be your Savior. Start fresh 🙂

Because Jesus is Real and He is Coming Back. And our only hope is in Jesus 🙂

Ezekiel 18New International Version (NIV): The One Who Sins Will Die

I think this is one of the passages that one really needs to read the whole passage to get the point. Yes, the title is frightening, but don’t forget that Jesus came 🙂

But I also think the point of the passage is that we are responsible for only our own selves. There are no grandchildren in Heaven (as the saying goes).

We must, each one of us, find our way to the Lord.

For each of us will either receive Christ’s Mercy or God’s Justice. It’s up to us, but we each have to choose 🙂

Ezekiel 18

18 The word of the Lord came to me: ²“What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel:

“‘The parents eat sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?

³“As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. ⁴For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die.

⁵“Suppose there is a righteous man
    who does what is just and right.
⁶He does not eat at the mountain shrines
    or look to the idols of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor’s wife
    or have sexual relations with a woman during her period.
⁷He does not oppress anyone,
    but returns what he took in pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery
    but gives his food to the hungry
    and provides clothing for the naked.
⁸He does not lend to them at interest
    or take a profit from them.
He withholds his hand from doing wrong
    and judges fairly between two parties.
⁹He follows my decrees
    and faithfully keeps my laws.
That man is righteous;
    he will surely live,
declares the Sovereign Lord.

¹⁰“Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things^[a] ¹¹(though the father has done none of them):

“He eats at the mountain shrines.
He defiles his neighbor’s wife.
¹²He oppresses the poor and needy.
He commits robbery.
He does not return what he took in pledge.
He looks to the idols.
He does detestable things.
¹³He lends at interest and takes a profit.

Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he is to be put to death; his blood will be on his own head.

¹⁴“But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things:

¹⁵“He does not eat at the mountain shrines
    or look to the idols of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor’s wife.
¹⁶He does not oppress anyone
    or require a pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery
    but gives his food to the hungry
    and provides clothing for the naked.
¹⁷He withholds his hand from mistreating the poor
    and takes no interest or profit from them.
He keeps my laws and follows my decrees.

He will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live. ¹⁸But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people.

¹⁹“Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. ²⁰The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.

²¹“But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. ²²None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live. ²³Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?

²⁴“But if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die.

²⁵“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? ²⁶If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die. ²⁷But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life. ²⁸Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die. ²⁹Yet the Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?

³⁰“Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. ³¹Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? ³²For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!