NIPTO, Day 96

It sounds like we're going to have a morning thunderstorm. YAY! I love thunderstorms! They're gorgeous. There's some thunder. I looked at the weather and it looks like there is some rain headed this way. YES! I get to sit here and blog about Jesus during a thunderstorm! (Maybe... if I don't finish this too fast... which, judging yesterday's post... I wont. (I started at like, 7am and finished at 12am. There was a lot of time that I wasn't blogging. Of course. We did a ton of running around yesterday to find Katie luggage, and to get a couple other things that she needed before she packs.))

It's starting to RAIN! And now it stopped.

100 Days of Holiness: Day 12. Don't stress it. Good advice.

NIPTO! Woot! I hope we have NIPTO on Sunday... Just sayin' :)
This is coming from talking about the law and how we are saved and whatnot. To read my thoughts on the rest of Romans 10 go here and here. (Or if you're on my homepage, you can scroll down and read the last 2 posts.)

Romans 10:14-21
¹⁴How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

So we just finished talking about how you have to believe in your heart and confess with your mouth. And how everyone is the same and can be saved. That sums up the last 2 verses. Now: If you haven't believed someone (gotten their phone number) how can you call them? erm. You can't. If you haven't heard something, how can you from an opinion about it? You can't. Can you hear truth without someone telling it to you? Maybe. But not really. Hm... interesting... moving on.


¹⁵And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

Can you preach if you aren't sent? Eh. Not really. If you're not called to preach, it's probably not going to work out well. 
I love the second part of this verse: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. Gospel is translated to good news. 
I don't actually like feet that much... I don't really know anyone that does like feet a lot. But the feet of God's messengers are beautiful. The dirty, maimed, grotesque looking feet of God's messengers are beautiful. They bring life! How awesome is that?


 ¹⁶But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?" ¹⁷Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

Not everyone accepts the news that is brought by the people with beautiful feet. To accept it is to have faith. To have faith is to hear the message. The message is in the Bible.


¹⁸But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:
   "Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
      their words to the ends of the world."

 Didn't they hear? Well... yeah... Their voice (the collective voice of those spreading the gospel) has gone everywhere. (Except for the fact that it hasn't... People are working on that though. YAY missionaries! ...or just people that love God and other people so much that they're willing to go somewhere for any length of time to share God with people!)


¹⁹Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says,
   "I will make you envious by those who are not a nation;
      I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding."

Did they not get what these people told them? Erm. Kinda. I'm not sure I completely get this though. I think Moses was saying that "these people, who aren't really a nation, are going to make you envious. Then these same people are going to make you angry. They don't understand anything though." But the people that have no understanding could also be the Israelites? I do not know. I'm starting to think that the people with no understanding are NOT the Israelites. Because they had understanding, they just weren't using it. I think that's what Moses&Paul were getting at.    


²⁰And Isaiah boldly says,
   "I was found by those who did not seek me;
      I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me."

Basically Isaiah went where he was unwelcome. He put himself out there without anyone asking him to. He was just there. 


²¹But concerning Israel he says,
   "All day long I have held out my hands
      to a disobedient and obstinate people."

Isaiah wanted to help these people. He had his hands stretched out waiting for someone to grab on so he could help them. But they didn't because they were disobedient and obstinate. Kinda sad.
I feel like this is a good reminder though: We need to put ourselves out there with God by our side. We need to have our hands ready to grab onto people who find you and want your help. You might be out there forever with no one grabbing on, but chances are, there will be at least one person. And isn't one person worth it? 


Wow. It cleared up a lot since I started this post. It was overcast and thundering when I started this post. Now there's blue sky and a few clouds. And the birds are singing. But I can hear that now because my mom opened the door. YAY birdies!

Oh my. My sister leaves tomorrow for Germany. For 12 weeks. CRAZY. Today is the "put everything in suitcases (while watching Lion King) and run out to get anything that you forgot" day. Hopefully we didn't forget anything. We spent most of yesterday running around getting stuff that she needed... like a suitcase. And a rolling backpack for weekend trips. And a "Just Enough German" book (German phrases&whatnot). And stuff like that.
Please pray for her trip. Her plane takes of around noon tomorrow. She'll get to Germany about 3:30 am our time. I know she's going to have a ton of fun... but I'm going to miss her. ... hmm. She better take lots of pictures and post them on facebook too! =P


We have a lot to get done today..... so I'm going to eat breakfast now.
Have a wonderful day!