Melissa’s Cozy Teacup

How very rare it is for me to read a book where each chapter I read amazes more than the one I read before. Perhaps the books I normally read, just are not old enough to entertain.

Before I get too far into this week’s review, I wanted to encourage you to listen to Pastor Mike’s podcast on Sunday’s sermon. We are on a journey through Leviticus. I enjoyed the sermon, not just because of the frog story, but because of it’s relevancy , not only in our lives in general, but because of the heart the Lord has given me for hospitality and bringing women together. One thing in particular he talked about was that heaven is community, hell is isolation. Are you living a hell on earth or a heaven? PODCAST

There is so much in this chapter, chapter four, that reached out and grabbed a hold of me, bringing to light, in my mind, recent headlines where good is called evil and evil is called good. This is scriptural but it doesn’t make it easier to see.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

I believe this quote from chapter four:

-the power of pretending, even when backed by a huge majority, that he has his back to the wall. For all mobs are so far chivalrous that their heroes must make some show of misfortune-

can be so easily applied to many who are fighting on the side of darkness, for the right to live in darkness. ‘Oh, woe to us who want to sin, it is those who would keep us from sinning and keep us from tearing down a nation and breaking covenants with our actions that are the villains, not we.’

Another quote form chapter four-

Until we realize that things might not be we cannot realize that things are. Until we see the background of darkness we cannot admire the light as a single and created thing. As soon as we have seen that darkness, all light is lightening, sudden, blinding, and divine. Until we picture nonentity we underrate the victory of God, and can realize none of the trophies of His ancient war. It is one of the million wild jests of truth that we know nothing until we know nothing,

And last, but not least.-

When Christ at a symbolic moment was establishing His great society, He chose for its comer-stone neither the brilliant Paul nor the mystic John, but a shuffler, a snob a coward–in a word, a man. And upon this rock He has built His Church, and the gates of Hell have not prevailed against it. All the empires and the kingdoms have failed, because of this inherent and continual weakness, that they were founded by strong men and upon strong men. But this one thing, the historic Christian Church, was founded on a weak man, and for that reason it is indestructible. For no chain is stronger than its weakest link.

I know this week’s post is quote heavy, but why gild the lily? I’d like to leave you with this video

and encourage you today, if you have never accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and savior, here is what is means to do so.

• We acknowledge that Jesus Christ is God; that He came to earth as a man in order to live the sinless life that we cannot live; that He died in our place, so that we would not have to pay the penalty we deserve.
• We confess our past life of sin — living for ourselves and not obeying God.
• We admit we are ready to trust Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.
• We ask Jesus to come into our heart, take up residence there, and begin living through us.

And this is a prayer you can pray that will change your life.

“Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

Thsi prayer of salvation and the explanations above it provided by All About God.