"What and If!" -Too

 "What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?" (John 6:62 KJV)

  "Then Job replied to the LORD: "I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. You asked, 'Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?' It is I-and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. You said, 'Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.' I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance."" (Job 42:1-6 NLT)

 Maybe I don't really know as much as I should; have been walking with the Lord for 40 years now, you would think by now I would have this thing in the bag and have better control of my actions, my temper, and my response to the frustrations of life. It is really quite strange, but it's the little things that push my buttons and make me frustrated; the big things hardly bother me at all. As a matter of fact, the big things are what draw me closer to God! 

 When I started this, twelve years ago, I figured it would only be a few years or so, and then I would have the excuse I needed to quit. Not every morning is filled with blessings and inspiration, but there is hardly any morning that I regret that I keep on going. 

 Regarding that comment yesterday about the condition of one's heart to be taken or not: I truly believe that it depends on the filling of your trust in Jesus for your salvation; not that we have anything to offer, because we absolutely do! We are totally and completely dependent upon the blood of Jesus to wash away all of our sin; but we are given the love of Christ, which must be used, as best as we can! 

 That is what we lack in, most, if not all of those that are truly His! We know that we do not have what it takes to love as we should. Loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength; and loving others as we should: these two commands are both, unconditional, and impossible to do. They are the Mark we fail to hit, time and time again...

"So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don' really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 

 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can't. I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

 I have discovered this principle of life - that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature, I am a slave to sin.

 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the lifegiving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death." (Romans 7:14 - 8:2 NLT)