1
00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:03,480
Speaker 1: Life Audio.

2
00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:14,440
Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We are so glad to

3
00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:17,720
Speaker 2: have you listening with us here today. Today's topic is

4
00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:19,800
Speaker 2: understanding the Character of God.

5
00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:22,400
Speaker 1: We will return after a brief.

6
00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:41,120
Speaker 2: Message from our sponsor. Understanding God's Character written by Vivian Bricker,

7
00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:47,239
Speaker 2: read by Rochelle Alberti Bible reading. This is love, not

8
00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:50,360
Speaker 2: that we loved God, but that He loved us and

9
00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:53,640
Speaker 2: sent his son in an atoning sacrifice for our sins

10
00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:59,240
Speaker 2: verse John four ten. In my opinion, the scariest thing

11
00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:02,320
Speaker 2: in the world is the unknown. Whether that be an

12
00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:06,640
Speaker 2: undiagnosed illness, starting over in a new city, or thinking

13
00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:10,720
Speaker 2: about the future, the unknown can be terrifying. None of

14
00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:13,560
Speaker 2: us can truly know what is ahead, because we are

15
00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:17,320
Speaker 2: not the ones in control. For some of us there

16
00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:20,280
Speaker 2: will be good times ahead, and for others there will

17
00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:23,720
Speaker 2: be hard times. One cannot be dogmatic as say that

18
00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:25,520
Speaker 2: those who have good times are in the will of

19
00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:28,160
Speaker 2: God and those who are going through tough times or not.

20
00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:31,360
Speaker 2: It is never within God's will for us to be

21
00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:34,800
Speaker 2: in pain, to be depressed, or to be sick. He

22
00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:37,679
Speaker 2: never intended for us to go through any of these things,

23
00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:40,319
Speaker 2: and it is not right for people to believe in

24
00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:43,720
Speaker 2: the ideology that if you do good, good returns to

25
00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:46,880
Speaker 2: you from God, and if you do bad, bad returns

26
00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:50,640
Speaker 2: to you from God. This is not biblical, as this

27
00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:53,880
Speaker 2: is actually a belief in barma. Karma is part of

28
00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:58,560
Speaker 2: the religious beliefs contained within Hinduism and Buddhism. Although karma

29
00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:03,320
Speaker 2: has become popularized within mainstream media, christ followers do not

30
00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:06,840
Speaker 2: need to endorse it. Karma is refuted in the Bible,

31
00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:10,880
Speaker 2: as Psalm one hundred three ten through eleven says, He

32
00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:14,200
Speaker 2: does not treat us as our sins deserve, or repay

33
00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:18,200
Speaker 2: us according to our iniquities. Therefore, we don't need to

34
00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:23,240
Speaker 2: say that God blesses certain people while cursing others. The

35
00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:26,760
Speaker 2: aspects of blessing and curses based on your actions were

36
00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:30,040
Speaker 2: true within the Mosaic Covenant, but it is not true

37
00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:33,000
Speaker 2: for us today. We are under the New Covenant by

38
00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:36,920
Speaker 2: the Blood of Jesus Luke twenty two twenty. Within the

39
00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:41,280
Speaker 2: Mosaic Covenant, Israel was petitioned to obey God and blessings

40
00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:44,800
Speaker 2: would come to them. However, if they did not obey

41
00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:47,800
Speaker 2: God and did evil, curses would come into their midst.

42
00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:51,680
Speaker 2: Since we are not under the Mosaic Covenant. We don't

43
00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:54,440
Speaker 2: need to hold ourselves or others to this type of thinking.

44
00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:58,120
Speaker 2: If we are having dreadful things happening in our lives,

45
00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:01,520
Speaker 2: they are not caused by God. And if we are

46
00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:04,560
Speaker 2: having good things happening in our lives, we cannot always

47
00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:07,120
Speaker 2: be dogmatic to say it is caused by God. Either

48
00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:10,720
Speaker 2: to say that God has blessed me because I'm doing well,

49
00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:13,160
Speaker 2: but he has cursed you because you are not doing

50
00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:17,399
Speaker 2: well is not rooted in biblical truth. This is why

51
00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:20,600
Speaker 2: Christians need to be more aware and not the flaunt

52
00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:24,239
Speaker 2: things they believe are blessings. This only gives the idea

53
00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:27,160
Speaker 2: that if you are struggling, you have done something terrible

54
00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:29,640
Speaker 2: in the eyes of God and you must be cursed.

55
00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:34,480
Speaker 2: As christ followers, this type of thinking needs to end.

56
00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:37,760
Speaker 2: We all have free will, and with it we have

57
00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:40,280
Speaker 2: chosen to do terrible things ROMs.

58
00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:41,119
Speaker 1: Three twenty three.

59
00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:45,240
Speaker 2: Additionally, we live in a fallen world that is covered

60
00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:48,080
Speaker 2: in sin. That is why we shouldn't be quick to

61
00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:50,520
Speaker 2: say it is God's will for you to suffer fill

62
00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:54,680
Speaker 2: in the blank. God never intended for evil, sin, or

63
00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:57,320
Speaker 2: death to be in the world. He wanted us to

64
00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:00,480
Speaker 2: live in perfect harmony with him in the Garden of Eden.

65
00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:06,880
Speaker 2: Intersecting faith in life, the Bible tells us this is love,

66
00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:09,960
Speaker 2: not that we loved God, but that He loved us

67
00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:12,880
Speaker 2: and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our

68
00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:17,880
Speaker 2: sins Verse John four ten. God's character is found in love.

69
00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:21,200
Speaker 2: Since God is love, why are we believing the lie

70
00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:23,839
Speaker 2: that He brings curses into our life or into the

71
00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:29,080
Speaker 2: lives of others. This goes against his very nature. God

72
00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:31,160
Speaker 2: is love and he is not going to bring harm

73
00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:34,359
Speaker 2: into our lives. As Christ followers, we need to be

74
00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:38,200
Speaker 2: aware of who God is and his characteristics, as this

75
00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:40,839
Speaker 2: can help us weed out lies that pull us away

76
00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:45,400
Speaker 2: from Him. Even well meaning Christ Followers can say unhelpful

77
00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:48,880
Speaker 2: and unbiblical things, which is why we must be level

78
00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:53,760
Speaker 2: headed and fully understand the Bible ourselves. Regardless of what

79
00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:56,839
Speaker 2: you are going through, remember the truth that God is

80
00:04:56,920 --> 00:05:00,599
Speaker 2: love and you are loved by Him, and neither of

81
00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:05,800
Speaker 2: those things will ever change. Have you ever thought a

82
00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:08,240
Speaker 2: terrible thing happening in your life was due to God

83
00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:12,760
Speaker 2: punishing you? What made you think like this? How can

84
00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:16,120
Speaker 2: having a proper view of God's character help you understand

85
00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:24,800
Speaker 2: him better further reading Romans five eight, First John three one,

86
00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:26,960
Speaker 2: First John four nineteen.

87
00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:34,400
Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you liked what

88
00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:36,400
Speaker 1: you heard today, we want to make sure you know

89
00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:40,480
Speaker 1: about our sister podcast, your Daily Prayer. When you follow

90
00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:43,880
Speaker 1: your daily prayer in your favorite podcast app, you'll get

91
00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:47,000
Speaker 1: a brand new prayer and devotional each day, so your

92
00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:50,680
Speaker 1: days begin in conversation with God. If you're looking to

93
00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:53,480
Speaker 1: grow in prayer or start your day with your heart

94
00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:57,640
Speaker 1: focused on the right things, search for your daily prayer

95
00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:00,839
Speaker 1: in your favorite podcast app and be sure to follow

96
00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:03,800
Speaker 1: the show so you get a new prayer delivered straight

97
00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:05,279
Speaker 1: to you each morning.

98
00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:15,880
Speaker 3: Hey friends, it's Kelly from Life Audio. We just launched

99
00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:19,599
Speaker 3: something new. It's called The Good Word, our free weekly

100
00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:22,560
Speaker 3: newsletter built for people who want to go a little

101
00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:28,480
Speaker 3: deeper in their faith. Thank devotionals, guided prayers, curated podcasts, recommendations,

102
00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:31,719
Speaker 3: and a little community all in one place. No ads,

103
00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:34,599
Speaker 3: just good content. This one means a lot to us.

104
00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:37,640
Speaker 3: We built The Good Word based on the audience survey

105
00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:40,239
Speaker 3: so many of you filled out a few months back.

106
00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:42,880
Speaker 3: You told us what you wanted and we listened. So

107
00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:45,960
Speaker 3: thank you truly for helping us shape this. Head to

108
00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:48,600
Speaker 3: the link in the show notes and join our community today.

109
00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:50,120
Speaker 3: We'd love to have you