Question on our Sinful Nature

Psalm 51:5 and our sinful nature

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I'm after expert opinion from people who understand Biblical Hebrew.

Psalm 51:5 used to trouble me when I used the NIV as it stated "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." And that troubled me - thinking that babies who had not yet been born were in fact guilty of sin.

However, the ESV states it differently: "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." And that seems more acceptable as it seems to be talking about the mother's sin, not the baby's.

But which is closer to the original text? Do people know other verses talking about the same topic or our sinful nature? They way I think about it is we are born innocent but because of our nature it is absolutely inevitable that we will sin. But is this biblically accurate?

Signed ___________________

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Dear _______________


The scripture intentionally uses the words 'Sin' and of course 'sins'.

Sin is personified where as sins are action words.

The first time 'Sin' is used in scripture is Cain bringing a religious (man made) offering before the LORD and of course GOD only accepts the blood and fat. Cain doesn't agree and it ends in murder.

The LORD says to Cain

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." Genesis 4:6-7

this sin is crouching it has desires
it wants to master you, but you must master it!

This is the very first time we see 'Sin'.

Later we have scriptures like "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me." Psalm 51:5

Now, when JESUS enters the scene in the Gospels the first things said about HIM
are:

John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! john 1:29

Paul in Romans keeps up with the theme especially in Romans 7.

Once we realize that 'Sin' is a person and its not you - its sin living in you. If we don't realize this, then we are constantly fighting ourselves.

We are guilty, because we agree with 'sin' inside us tempting us, talking to us and we agree and do it - sins!

Sins are just manifistations of another person working through us - satan.

This sin nature or sin is the devil, we do what he wants producing 'sins'.
Paul said at different times things like this:

For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me.
(we know who the deceiver is).

As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.

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.

Romans 6:12 Therefore don't let sin reign

This person (the devil) always wanted to be worshiped, wanted to be GOD.
He wants to reign in our lives to.

Paul also writes in Romans and Galatians this:
- so you don't do what you want.

The LORD JESUS, not only washed away our sins and cleansed us by HIS blood.
HE also put an axe to the root - the sin nature (Sin itself) so that we (us represented in HIM) were crucified - severing the control and union between us and sin.

So that it opens the way for us to start to live in the reality of
the command: 'don't let sin reign or rule over you'.

If I try to stop myself from sinning (thinking its just me alone) then
we know the results - there are a million religious acts done in Christianity
and other religions, of man trying to stop himself from acts of sin.

Its impossible!

Without HIM and knowing who the enemy is.

-Eric

Am I a Hypocrite?

Question that we answered...

Am I a hypocrite?

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Hi, I'm a new member and I'm having difficulty. I am a recent born-again Christian and am having difficulties in loving my enemies. I have one person in mind who is trying to do everything to destroy everything that I have worked for (deliberately). I'm dealing with a classic bully in the workplace. I have prayed for him and asked God to change his heart. But deep down inside I have nothing nice to say about him and don't like him. Am I a hypocrite?


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Dear ___________________

Yes, JESUS did say love your enemies and Love your neighbour as your self.
but you need HIM to do it, because your love isn't good enough, can't go far enough.

Note: HE is LOVE, and did and still loves HIS enemies. (see the cross, and how HE prayed for HIS enemies).

Pray honestly to the LORD, "I am willing but unable to forgive or love this co-worker, but can YOU -LORD make me able". And leave it at that, and watch the change come!

Christianity is CHRIST in you, and its all about JESUS living through you and you living with HIM (every day for every thing, every task).

But forgiving him doesn't mean that you have to be friends or hang around. You are free in JESUS.

How can 2 walk lest they walk in agreement. Amos 3:3

JESUS didn't call everyone HIS friends either. John 15:15

-eric

A Hitler Dream

This question came our way and our response to it (as the LORD gives it to us).

A Dream about Hitler

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Last night had a dream about hitler. It went like this:
Firstly I was in a house and I looked at ths painting of Hitler. He had his typical grey nazi uniform with the belt across his chest with al the nazi paraphanalia, badges etc. It was a strange painting becuse it showed him with bigger than usual eyes that made him look young, about 19. It has a glow around him and he had what looked lime a sword made from a purple tenticle, which also glowed slightly. I looked and he suddenly moved and was standing like he was standing behind a counter. the tenticle sword started flopping and he was straightening it out.

Next thing I saw myself walking out side the back of the house, which looked a lot bigger and seemed to morph into a hotel. I walked up to this old wall and to my right I saw hitler again chanting and making noises like he was amassing troops to fight. He was shouting a speech and gearing up the hordes. I looked aheads and saw thousands of black suited soldiers with red bits on their uniforms, shouting in agreement. They were a long way off, about the distance of a football field or longer and were in rows as far back as I could see. behind them was darkness and some other forms I could not make out. Suddenly i was spotted and I saw Hitler motion to the hordes to get me. They all started running towards me shouting. i turned to run and climb over the wall, but for some reason my legs wouldnt move so i tried to haul myself up over the wall but I still couldnt get my legs over.

Then I woke up.

I was then a bit peeved with myself for not calling on the name of Jesus to scatter and destroy these hordes.
Anyway thats how it went.
Comments Please signed __________

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This is what we wrote:


Dear ________________

The dream is a warning (GOD always gives the way out)

Here is the scripture the LORD gave me with your dream.

Revelation 2:6
But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate

Nico = means to 'rule over' or 'dominate'
Laitans = we get the term 'laity' or people, the people.

Meaning to 'rule over the people'.
That is exactly what Hitler did!

Have you been thinking, or wondering about church (as you know it) and the rule of pastor or board or 'religious control'?

The house is the church building as you knew it, the vastness is (morphing into a hotel etc..) is the true size of it, with all of the devils hoards in line (all listening to this 'Hitler', which is a religious demon controlling people).

Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. Revelation 2: 15-16

The LORD is against this, and will fight with HIS Sword against it (against the devils sword) - we should too! We are told to repent over it (take GOD'S way not our own).

-eric

Hearing HIS voice Part 1

JESUS said "My sheep hear my voice and follow"

see John 10:27



Make it your goal to hear HIS voice or better said, make it
your goal to hear HIS voice better -because you have all heard HIS voice before!

Now, HIS voice can be tricky to hear because you've got many voices
calling you. In fact, there are things that try to control you that are
all calling out to you.

My kids like video games (hey, I like to play games too), but we remind
our boys that these games 'call you'. They are calling out for you to
drop everything and play them - now!

And as people in the world, we are all slaves - all bound.
But when JESUS finds us, we are also slaves - but slaves to
LOVE, slaves into Freedom (not capture).

But in this freedom, we are challenged, "don't sin". Don't
use your freedom to sin - because sin will
lead you into more bondage.

How do you know if you are bound by something?
One way, is that you can't
go a day without it (or a week without it).
2nd) The way you get angry if you don't get it -
or it gets taken away from you.

They are all calling.

But JESUS also calls and speaks but it is so foreign
to how the devil speaks and usually foreign to our own thinking.

Its loving (what is always best for you) but saying that,
we like spoiled brats at times (me included) don't know
what is even what is best for us -so we complain.

HIS voice is also bold and un-afraid, very calm almost
quiet and comes at you often but not always as
questions rather than commands.

Its wonderful to get a word from HIM or teaching. HE
will teach you, and make it your first goal to hear
HIS voice, and the rest will come after it. But,
you won't learn or hear a thing, if you
don't understand HIS AMAZING GRACE, because
all HIS words are loving and full of grace.

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).

I will expand on these thoughts more, but one last important
thing is that if you don't listen and believe what HE told
you last, you will not hear the next things HE is trying to say.

-eric

Spontaneous life of worship!

Structured?
Timed?
Planned Out?
Chorographed?

Is this how we worship?

This is how I used to...

To much of what we call 'worship' is not 'worship'.
We mix 'praising the LORD' and 'worship' like they are the same terms.

I used to say things like, "we are going to worship now", or "lets go
to a worship service". But is that worship - is that what GOD wants?

In the past, the Jews would set up places where it was appropriate to worship GOD.
These were holy places or sacred places. Meaning 'set apart' where we get the word sanctuary.

But the most perfect form of worship is with sacrifice. Worship really having the idea where, one 'gives up himself/herself' to serve Someone greater. When the humble
attitude with sacrifice was connected, true worship could happen.

The first time 'worship' is used in scripture is when Abraham was going to sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham used the term worship (first time in the Bible) by saying this:

He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you." Genesis 22:5

The worship that occured, was a servant giving up himself to serve the Greater. In this case there is of course no one greater than GOD HIMSELF. But the sacrifice that was made was not Isaac, but the ram caught in the thicket. This is symbolic that the best worship is the one with sacrifice and there is no greater sacrifice then JESUS (GOD giving HIMSELF up).

The woman at the well tells JESUS:

"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."

Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.

Its not the place - its the attitude and the sacrifice that only counts!

Worship is not a time or place, Its love and sacrifice!
The best sacrifice is JESUS and knowing what HE accomplished, the very GIFT
of GOD, for us! The only attitude is gratitude and humility (not me, only HIM).

So you have the very best in JESUS being your ram caught in the thicket for you.
When you pray, or need GOD to help you, then the best worship is JESUS sacrifice.

Lastly, worship is also bathed or covered with praise and thanksgiving. The very best way to do this is to worship the LORD with thanksgiving and praise - spontaneously. (its not all thought through, you do it on the spot as your
heart gives way to freedom and thanksgiving).

Here is the scripture: Matthew 14:33
Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

You see the disciples, although many of them were hardend sea men, were caught in a huge storm and they were terrified. You can read the entire story in Matthew 14.

When JESUS calms their storm, and protects them and gives HIS peace they respond the only right way - worship. How did they do it? They humbly loved and 'thanked HIM' for what HE just did. It was 100% spontaneous! Not a set time or place - it never is. That isn't what GOD is looking for, its not true worship which is only in the SPIRIT and in the TRUTH.

You can't worship in your own flesh or your own self centered ego. You must be in the SPIRIT - with your mind on GOD. Loving HIM. Second the TRUTH is also JESUS. TRUTH is a PERSON (I AM the WAY, I AM the TRUTH, I AM the LIFE) those are a person and not character traits. Your worship must focus on the TRUTH, HIS sacrifice - what HE has done.

John 4:23 tells us this is the type of worshiper GOD seeks!

Also Matthew 28:8-10 has the women worship JESUS spontaneously when they see HIM who has risen from the dead!

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1

Here we have gratitude and sacrifice.
Gratitude (view of GOD's mercy)
Sacrifice (offer your bodies as living sacrificies)

which is really pleasing to GOD - this is how you worship!

So, recognizing what JESUS has done and that HIS sacrifice is the one that opens the way for us to worship GOD. Then with gratitude, we give up ourselves or do not let our bodies dictate what they want, instead give up our rights/ways and say whatever you want LORD.

That overflow of love, seeing JESUS and seeing what HE has done for you, the miracles, the changes - makes us want to praise HIM and that is the worship GOD is looknig for.

Just as love flows, you worship.

-eric


Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:23-24