undertanding god

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Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on May 3, 2016 at 10:45am

Hello Meicymae, 

First, who you are now, what is your identity in Christ, what does God say about you?

He says you are:

1 Peter 2: 9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.…

Second - The struggle we all have, the struggle you have:

Romans 7 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.^c For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 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.

3- The Solution for you and for everyone in Christ:

Luke 4: 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4  And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” 5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time,6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”

9 And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’11 and  “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Study the word of God, fall in love with it to the point of practicing it in your daily walk. Believe it and you will live.

4- The challenge for you and for all is not to grow weary of doing what's right:

Galatians 6: 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

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Permalink Reply by Mary O on May 3, 2016 at 3:46pm

To elevate your thoughts, you must know God's thoughts, and you will need to study the Bible. I know that sounds like a huge task, but you have to start somewhere. You could start in Romans. I'm partial to Romans. You know, the Gospels that's a great place to start. You can read a lot about the time Jesus Christ spent here on earth and what He taught His disciples. You can get to know and understand Him better. He's got what we need. Know what I mean? You can think about all the wonderful things Jesus has accomplished and how He laid down His life for us. I am very thankful. You can read about how He's no longer in the grave. He rose from the dead. How awesome is that! To change your thoughts to God's thoughts, you will need to know what God thinks.

God's love,

Mary

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Permalink Reply by neicymae on May 4, 2016 at 7:48am

hello, I still don't understand how to change my thoughts to his.  i believe in his death, burial and resurrection, he is my lord and savior and he loves me unconditionally.  whenever i read a scripture and i try to interpret it, i always give the wrong answer.  so it tells me, i don't have the understanding of a Christian.  I'm in the old testament right now and I try to put myself in the place of David and his relationship with God.  He has earned his place with him.  What i am saying is I am trying to start all over with understanding and not just reading word.  I asked the Holy Spirit to guide me in my reading, but i still need help.

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Permalink Reply by Mary O on May 13, 2016 at 9:19pm

Hi God bless you,

It takes time and a conscious effort to change your thoughts to His. There are verses and chapters I understand just as they are. Then at times it takes a lots of effort on my part. This is the ESV version...

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8,9)

Do you like the ESV?

I have verses that I've put notes beside and later I'll hear a sermon about it or someone will come along and share about it. I just couldn't get the answer by myself. It gets interesting when you date the notes. Or you can use little bookmarks. Sometimes it's a buildup.

If you are using the KJV and understand it, that's awesome. It was hard for me to get it for a while, and I still have challenges. I dig out the Bible dictionary or a concordance. Okay, what is this word. Don't get me wrong, I love the KJV. The NIV or the ESV are some of my favorites versions. Sometimes checking a couple versions may help you gain understanding.

My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. (Proverbs 2:1-6 KJV)

There's a lot to think about in these verses.

God's love,

Mary

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Permalink Reply by Mary O on May 14, 2016 at 1:28am

This is from my book. I thought it could be helpful.

• Key questions you might ask yourself as you open the Bible and study a passage of Scripture:
• What is the main subject of the passage?
• Who are the people revealed in this passage?
• Who is speaking?
• About whom is that person speaking?
• What is the key verse?
• What does it teach me about Jesus?

As you read, it is also very important to ask how the text might apply to your daily living.

• Is there any sin mentioned in the passage that I need to confess or forsake?
• Is there a command given that I should obey?
• Is there a promise made that I can look to in my current circumstances?
• Is there a prayer given that I could pray?

When reading the Bible, stop and think about what the Lord may be showing you. It's good to chew your spiritual food. We are better off reading five verses slowly and understanding what they mean than reading five chapters quickly and not getting anything out of them. Learn to slow down.

Psalm 119:18 Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law.

This is from a book I'm working on. I just thought it would bless you. He gives this lovely example of prayer...

Father, I believe You are the author of this Book. I believe as You say in Scripture that all Scripture is breathed by You. Therefore, I am asking You as the author of the Book to take me on a guided tour. Help me to understand, and show me how these truths apply in my life.

God's love,

Mary

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