Yes, God’s creation can easily become our own ‘golden calf’ because we like to have something tangible to hang on to, to touch, to manipulate (?).

Although I’d have to agree with your hubby – each of our cars have their own personality. It’s just that I don’t like their character traits! Unreliable, tardy, etc LOL

How these things happened isn’t really as important as our response though is it? Wanting to know the future is purely and simply original sin Ï want to be like God, I want the knowledge he has.” We need to trust God even when the future is so uncertain. Yes, it is scary, but his perfect love casts out fear. Fear, I am learning is really lack of trust in God and his provision.

Such good points Jenny! Even though I wasn’t raised as a Christian, I still felt, at times, like my conversion wasn’t as dramatic or as big a deal as others such as murderers, etc. Pish tosh! Sin is sin. Is sin is sin. Yes, we need a revelation from God.
Bless you 🙂

This is exactly what I needed to read this week. We are a new creation in Christ, but sometimes the old self pops out and we forget the wonderful gift we have been given. The verse which stood out for me this week was
Ezekiel 36:26
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
I see this heart of stone as all the selfish, nasty, self centered bits of our sin nature and the heart of flesh as the new loving, caring, unselfish worshiper of God, enjoying wholeheartedly our relationship with him 🙂 We see glimpses of this in this life, I have seen someone who was consumed with anger and bitterness literally become a new person overnight. Their situation hadn’t changed, God’s Holy Spirit had entered their heart and changed it 🙂 Sometimes I wish I didn’t still have to struggle against my sin nature and my body which is not in a great state, but I know I will be completely renewed one day. What an amazing promise 🙂

When I think of creation, I marvel at what an amazing artist God is and what a masterpiece his creation is. No wonder people get confused and start worshiping the wonders they see around them. I think we need to gently remind them that it is the artist who should get the glory for his incredible artwork we can all enjoy.

When I was younger I used to be a bit confused as to if I really was saved. I had read and heard a lot of conversion testimonies and I felt I had nothing like the Damascus experience those people were talking about. I was bought up in a Christian family, went to Sunday School and to a Christian high school. I was always involved with youth groups and other church activities, yet I felt there was something missing. I ended up falling away for a while, dissatisfied with God. It took quite a few years before I really began to understand God deals with us as individuals and growing up as a Christian who prayed and trusted God was just as valid as having been a drug addict or murderer or whatever who was converted. I think I really began to understand my sin nature then as well. I was in worldly terms quite a good person, but I was still a sinner in total need of salvation through Christ. I had heard that all my life, but God opened my eyes so I could begin to understand his promises.

Yes, I know what you mean Julie. I picked some things up which led me to know and trust that I’ll learn much more as this study progresses.

Pre-Incarnate… she uses this word a few times and I wondered if new believers would have any idea of what she meant. So for greater understanding I had to look up:
incarnate – embodied in flesh
‘pre’ is a prefix meaning ‘before’.
pre-incarnate = before Jesus was embodied in the flesh (before He came to earth as a baby/human)… in other words, in the beginning He was with God, He was God (see John 1:1-3)

**I was also struck again in truly seeing that it is God who does ALL the work.
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. ~Ezekiel 36:26

**How would I summarise the gospel is a good question for all of us, because we need to know it for ourselves so that we can share it with others. My summary of the gospel can be found here: http://susanpriolo.com/about/faq/ but I really, really like Nancy’s summation too!

**Wow! I had totally missed the point that God is making all things new. Rather than He is making new things, He is making all things new! Rev 21:5

**I’m pondering how our bodies will be remade without loss of our personal identity, as will creation. We won’t be simply returning to Eden- it will be so much more!