Pastor Terry Roaming in Rome

Update on Israel trip

2011-04-10T20:21:00.000-07:00

We have experienced some computor problems and internet challenges, but we are on track now. In Nazareth I gave the devotional for our group. It was here that Jesus grew up and worked with his father Joseph. To be honest you with you it hasn't sunk in yet that Jan and I were hanging out where our Savior hung out. Jesus came to the Synagogue in Nazareth and read from Isaiah 61 about him being the Messiah. If you recall they were enraged at his inference and tried to kill him by pushing him off the cliff. The cliff is still there. One of our next stops was where Peter was asked by Christ do you love me. This event occurred after the resurrection of Christ and it was Christ's way of helping Peter for his future leadership. Yes you really are walking where Jesus walked.
One of the things that is really sinking in for me is how much the Jewish nation was under the bondage of Rome. Everywhere we go there are Roman ruins. Herod the great built three amazing palaces all with Jewish slaves. We were at Masada yesterday and this was where in 73 A.D. 1000 Jews committed suicide so they would not allow the women and children to be abused. Hollywood made a movie about this event called Masada. We stood on Masada which is a tall flat top mountain where Herod had built one of his great palaces in 22 B.C.. The Jews who had fought the Romans now lived there from 66 A.D. until their destruction in 73 A.D.. The Synagogue still stood, the cisterns were still intact, along with rooms and huge storage rooms. We were challenged there to have the same resolve to fight for God's righteousness. Today we stay in Jerusalem. Look forward to reporting our experiences. God bless you.

Romans 16:20-27 (NIV)

2010-08-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

Romans 16:20-27 (NIV)
20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
21 Timothy, my fellow worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my relatives.
22 I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.
23 Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings. Erastus, who is the city's director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings.
24
25 Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past,
26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him--
27 to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

You hardly ever think of a peaceful being that is able to crush its opponent, and yet that is the God we serve. Satan is the enemy and it is God that does the crushing and not us. Paul then sends out his closing by asking that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. A man by the name of Tertius is the one who was copying the letter down for Paul. Paul sends out more greetings from fellow workers. Notice one is the city's public works director. Now for the benediction. The benediction goes back to the purpose of the book of Romans and that is to explain what the Gospel of God is in Jesus Christ. Pray this prayer over you and over our church. It is about being established by the God who wants to reach all the nations. A few hundred years later Rome became the center for Christianity. God can establish His Word and you in it.

I hope you were able to reread chapters 1, 5, 6 and 8 of Romans. I did and it was quite the treat. I hope none of us will get over the power of the Gospel of our God in Christ Jesus.

Romans 16:17-19 (NIV)

2010-08-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

Romans 16:17-19 (NIV)
17 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. 19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.

Matters of faith matter. People have been killed over matters of faith. People are being killed over matters of faith. People risk their lives over matters of faith. We have a saying that you are not to turn a mole hill into a mountain. I have another one. We are not to turn a mountain into a mole hill. We must know what the important matters of faith are for the believer in Christ. We must know what the mountains are for our faith. Paul is telling this church in Rome to stay clear of those who are teaching what is contrary to what they have been taught. You may ask what are the crucial matters of faith? First and foremost it has to do with who Jesus Christ is and what His work is on the cross. It has to do with our view of Scripture as the authoritative Word of God. It has to do with salvation and how one gains a place in heaven or goes to hell. It has to do with a believer's walk in Christ as one that is suppose to be transformed by His Spirit. These are mountains worth dying on. I am not saying there are not more crucial doctrines. However, I do believe that once you figure out Jesus is the second person of the Trinity and has come to us as God-man to purchase for us salvation everything else will come together. Paul does not have kind words for those who teach what is false. Paul sees them as self-serving and not serving Christ. Paul ends on a positive note as to where he thinks they are in their walk with Christ. He sees the church in Rome as an obedient people and Paul is full of joy over them. What does Paul want for this Church that ministers in Rome? He wants it to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil. May we take that on as a goal in our own lives. We need to be really good at being good and really bad at being bad.

You may ask what are we going to do for the next five weeks since we are finishing up with the book of Romans? We are going to review. For this week please read chapters one, five and six and of course, the chapter on the Spirit, chapter eight.

Romans 15:30-33 (NIV)

2010-08-20T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 15:30-33 (NIV)
30 I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.
31 Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there,
32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.
33 The God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Paul is nearing the end of his letter to the believers in Rome. He is need of help. It is as if Paul had a bounty on his head for most of his life after coming to faith in Christ. He is asking for prayers that he would escape the unbelievers in Judea. Sometimes Paul wanted prayer to reach the unbelievers and sometimes he wanted prayer to escape the unbelievers. Paul used God-given discernment for those types of situations. Paul is not cavalier at all about this prayer for him. He urges them to join in his struggle by praying for him. He also wanted to be effective in his service to the saints in Jerusalem. He wanted protection and he wanted effectiveness in ministry. The result of this answer to prayer is that he would be able to come to Rome with joy and be refreshed together. Would you pray for me that I may come each weekend with joy and that we as a church be refreshed together. Please pray for each other the same prayer. Try to do this right now. Thank you. May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

If man is man and God is God, to live without prayer is not merely an awful thing; it is an infinitely foolish thing.

Phillips Brooks (1835–1893)

Romans 15:23-29 (NIV)

2010-08-18T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 15:23-29 (NIV)
23 But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to see you,
24 I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while.
25 Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there.
26 For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.
27 They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.
28 So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way.
29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ.

Paul is letting them know of his upcoming visit. Before he visits with the church in Rome he must first drop off the offering taken by the churches in Macedonia and Achaia to the saints in Jerusalem. This is the same offering that Paul is talking about in II Corinthians 8:1-8. Paul talked about this offering by these churches to the Corinthians and is talking about it to the church in Rome. Notice his unique slant that they owed it to the saints in Jerusalem. The Jews, through whom God brought blessing, are owed some material blessing from the Gentiles that are now being blessed spiritually. First Paul lets the church in Rome know that these churches that took up the offering were pleased to do so, but in any case they owed it to them anyway. This is why we must read the Bible. This principle is in the Scriptures more than once. If you have been blessed spiritually by someone then you owe them some material blessing. I do not know the extent of the material blessing that is to be given, but I do know that something is owed. I would of never thought that of that concept in a million years, yet there it is right in the Word of God. This principle also helps up see the connection between the material world and the unseen world. There will always be a material world and there will always be a connection between the two worlds. Paul ends this chapter by letting the Roman believers know that when he comes he will come in the full measure of the blessings of Christ. Wow! That is how I want to come to each service at Crosspoint. Paul said that he wanted to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:8). Perhaps, today, you could pray and ask your Father in heaven to help you to come in the full measure of Christ's blessings. If you get a chance to share with someone then share the unsearchable riches of Christ Jesus.

The greatest blessing we ever get from God is to know that we are destitute spiritually.

Oswald Chambers (1874–1917)

Romans 15:14-16 (NIV)

2010-08-16T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 15:14-16 (NIV)
14 I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.
15 I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me
16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Paul is beginning to bring his letter to a close. Paul acknowledges that he has written a strong letter. He even says, "I have written you quite boldly on some points..." which, in my opinion, is an understatement (read chapter one again). Paul is wanting them to know that he believes in them, but like anyone else they need to be reminded of God's truth. Paul believes in them so much he says, "...that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another." I think that it would be a good prayer for us that we be full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another. Even with that as our prayer we will still need to be reminded of God's truth. Paul sees his whole ministry as a gift from God. Paul was a teacher of the law to the Jews, but God made him a missionary to the Gentiles. Listen to how Paul describes himself, "...a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles...". I believe first and foremost we must see ourselves as ministers of Christ Jesus. You cannot imagine how important it is to have the right mindset about who you are. You are a minister of Christ Jesus the Lord. When everything else goes wrong you are to always come back to this identity. A high priority for our church is to help people to see themselves as God sees them. We do not represent ourselves, our church, or our country--we represent Jesus Christ! Paul's goal as Christ's minister was to present Gentiles to God as an acceptable offering. In a way we are a product of Paul's ministry. Pray for yourself and for Crosspoint that those who attend would see themselves as ministers of Christ.

Our greatest need today is not more Christianity but more true Christians. The world can argue against Christianity as an institution, but there is no convincing argument against a person who, through the Spirit of God, has been made Christlike.

Billy Graham (1918– )

Romans 15:8-13 (NIV)

2010-08-13T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 15:8-13 (NIV)
8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs
9 so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name."
10 Again, it says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people."
11 And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples."
12 And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him."
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

God reached this world by sending His Son to serve the Jews with His eye on the truth. God cannot be a liar. God has to stand by His promises. All the promises that the Lord made to Israel were fulfilled in the person of Christ. However part of those promises were also to the Gentiles and that included the promise that Christ came unto His own and His own did not receive Him. The Gentiles were cut off from the promises of God and yet sprinkled throughout the O.T. were these signs that God was not finished with the Gentiles. Paul quotes three verses from the O.T. to let us see the whole truth. At the end of verse 12 we find these words, "...the Gentiles will hope in him." Paul now turns this phrase to pray that the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace. Who better to fill us with joy and peace than the God of hope. My prayer for you is that you will be filled with His joy and peace. His joy that abounds even in the midst of hard times and His peace that does pass all understanding. What else comes with this delicious prayer? With this peace and joy, we may also overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. The key is to understanding hope, joy and peace is that these are powered by the Holy Spirit. We cannot muster up hope, peace and joy on our own, all the time, whatever the circumstances may be. Pray for yourself that you would live out your life in the power of His Holy Spirit. Pray that you would experience real peace, joy and hope.

In the kingdom of hope there is no winter.

Russian Proverb

Romans 15:4-12 (NIV)

2010-08-11T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 15:4-12 (NIV)
4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus,
6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs
9 so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name."
10 Again, it says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people."
11 And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples."
12 And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him."

For a moment focus on just verse four. Paul is talking about a controversy over religious holidays and more so what a believer can eat. It is as if Paul knew the people reading these words would need a little encouragement and he sticks these words in about the Word of God. Sometimes, I have wondered, why do we have the Old Testament? It is written here that everything in the O.T. is there to teach us. The result of that teaching is through the endurance and the encouragement of God's Word we can have hope. I believe that the great cloud of witnesses in Hebrews 12:1 are those who have gone before us. The O.T. is full of stories of people who endured many trials for the sake of their faith in Yahweh. We are part of that story of faith in God. The Lord wants us to be encouraged as you see this in Paul's prayer in verse five. Paul prayed for the Roman believers, "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus...". Paul prays for the these believers that this same God who gives endurance and encouragement may now give a spirit of unity in the church at Rome. Our hope is in the Lord to live a life of love, faith and peace. The result of this unity that Paul prays for is that with one heart and mouth they may glorify the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not unity for unity's sake. It is a witness to those around us that we know and can glorify the Lord together. In verse seven we have one of the references to "one another" in God's Word. There are at least 32 different "one another" references found in Scripture. Here we are told to accept one another just as Christ has accepted us. You can tell there are Jewish believers in this church because now Paul goes into how the Gentiles have been brought in on the promise. There are many reasons not to accept people, but there is a grand reason to accept people and that is on the basis of people's faith in Christ. At the center of our unity stands not a truth but a person who is called Jesus Christ. It is Christ who can bring unity to the church. Of course the big question then is, "Who is Jesus?"

Romans 15:1-6 (NIV)

2010-08-09T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 15:1-6 (NIV)
1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
2 Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me."
4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus,
6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul classifies himself as one of the strong in faith. The people who are weak could be those who are new to their faith in Christ. People who are new to their faith usually have zeal, but lack knowledge. Those who are strong are not to endure the new believer, but encourage them. Can a person who has known the Lord for a good period of time still be weak? Some of the people I have talked with in the past are people who were well schooled in their faith and did not want others around them to have different values than them. These people would not, however, be destroyed if you did something different in front of them that they saw as sin. They may judge you and talk about you, but never would they be destroyed. The discernment that is needed in these circumstances is, who is the weaker brother and who is the stronger? Love must control the circumstances and therefore truth must be spoken in love. At the heart of Paul's concern is the unity of the church. A team that is rowing in the same direction is a powerful force of nature. Paul knew if the church would fight amongst themselves then there would be no hope of giving the Gospel to the world. We must seek unity, but not at all costs. I have seen churches become weak because they never help develop the faith of believers. There are times for awkward conversations. There are times for everyone to examine their hearts as to why they do this or that. Are we motivated by love or by selfishness? I find verse three so convicting as Christ did not please himself! Over the next few days think of ways to please those around you.

Romans 14:19-23 (NIV)

2010-08-06T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 14:19-23 (NIV)
19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.
21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
22 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves.
23 But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

What have you done lately to keep the peace? In verse 19 Paul calls us to a life of peace and mutual edification. It sounds so easy and yet is so hard. It is hard sometimes to keep the peace in the home, let alone with hundreds of people. I like how Paul says, "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to...". We can only make the effort and leave the results with God. I must do what I can and then leave it. I think we will read too much into these verses if we do not keep our eyes on Christ. We are not called to be door mats. Truth in love must be spoken and lived out. Verse 21 is, again, on the theme of causing your brother to fall. What does this mean to cause a brother to fall? I would say that it means for you to cause someone to go against their conscience. What you do in front of them causes them to do that thing and it is not what they believe to be good for them. Verses 22 and 23 get into the whole issue of conscience. When you read chapter one of Romans you see that there are people who have no conscience and now we are talking about people who seem to have a very sensitive conscience. The point is that we all have a conscience and we are to listen to it and we are to listen to God. A fun question to raise is one of conscience changing. Can a person change their conscience? If you discover that God approves a certain behavior that you once thought was wrong, then can you at least not be offended if someone does that in front of you? Can you eventually enjoy meat? Have a great day and do what you can to create peace.

First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others.

Thomas à Kempis (c. 1380–1471)

Romans 14:13-21 (NIV)

2010-08-04T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 14:13-21 (NIV)
13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.
14 As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.
15 If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died.
16 Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil.
17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,
18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.
21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.

The words, "If your brother is distressed because of what you eat..." has caused some distress in believer's communities. I went to a school that I believe built it's rule book around those who might get distressed over this or that. These are strong words, "Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died." Distressed and destroy are two words that would make anyone hesitate in doing something that would cause such upheaval. If you for instance felt it was okay to go to church on Saturday night so you could sleep in on Sunday, but a close friend of yours felt it was wrong, should you stop going to church on Saturday nights? Should the church stop having Saturday night services? If the music of the church is causing some believers to have distress and could destroy other believer's faith, should the church stop that music? The list goes on and on. Notice the meat thing keeps coming up. Paul has stopped using the holy days and stuck with the meat-and-eating theme. I believe there is a reason for this and that is the meat that Paul is talking about has been sacrificed to demons. It couldn't have been pork or Paul would of just said the word pork instead of making it so vague ( simply meat). Paul had to take on the same issue in Corinth. It will take a little more time, but let's look into 1 Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 10:23-33 (NIV)
23 "Everything is permissible"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"--but not everything is constructive.
24 Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.
25 Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience,
26 for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it."
27 If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience.
28 But if anyone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake--
29 the other man's conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience?
30 If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God--
33 even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

Make sure you read Paul carefully as he goes over a very delicate issue. I believe some of the same things were happening in Rome. This is why Paul keeps up with the theme of meat. If my assumptions are correct, then that of eating what has been sacrificed to idols could cause distress and destroy someone's faith. Yet think of all the other items that can be put on the list. In Romans 15:1 Paul uses the term the weaker brother. It is my conviction, based upon Scripture and watching the life of Christ, that we cannot let the weaker brother rule in every area of life for fear of causing distress. We would never reach anyone for Christ. We have to be very careful as to how we understand and apply what Paul is saying in Romans and Corinthians. The best part is when Paul says, "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."

Let us enjoy what God has purchased for us.

Romans 14:9-14 (NIV)

2010-08-02T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 14:9-14 (NIV)
9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
10 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.
11 It is written: "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'"
12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.
14 As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.

I have been told that wearing a beard is wrong.
I have been told that wearing short pants is wrong.
I have been told, at one time, that my hair was too long (it was over my ears).
I have been told that music with a beat is wrong.
I have been told that using any other version of the Bible other than the KJV is wrong.
I have been told that eating out on Sunday was wrong.

If you challenged these so-called wrongs you felt judged. In my circumstance I felt it because I was told that I was not pleasing the Lord. There is entirely too much judging going on in the church at large these days. We must remember who the Lord is and that we all report to Him. It is one of the most sobering thoughts that I have and that is I have to give an accounting of my life to the Lord Jesus Christ. What we must do is act out of love and not be a stumbling block to others. This is a very tricky statement. I think in the end we are not to force our views on others when it comes to disputable matters. Then the question comes, "What are the disputable matters?" Once the disputable matters are agreed upon it is still incumbent upon me to show love.

Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person’s ultimate good as far as it can be obtained.

C. S. Lewis (1898–1963)

Romans 14:5-11 (NIV)

2010-07-30T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 14:5-11 (NIV)
5 One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
6 He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.
7 For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone.
8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
10 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.
11 It is written: "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'"

Evidently there were those in Rome who saw one day as more sacred than another and Paul allows that as long as there is freedom. Freedom of conscience is what Paul is basing his argument on in this passage. It is a great line when the apostle says, "Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind." Once you search the Scriptures and are convinced either way about eating meat or that some days are special or are not special, then you can hold to that conviction. However, you cannot hold others to that same conviction. I have noticed that once a person makes up their mind they usually want others to follow suit. I would guess that is the herd mentality. It is hard for many to believe that we as followers of Christ can have differences and still worship and work together. The ones that have a hard time with this unity in diversity are usually the followers of Christ. The genius of the church is that it is an organism that is organized around the person of Jesus Christ. The church is not organized around a philosophy, a set of beliefs, or even truth. The church is totally and absolutely wrapped around Jesus Christ. We can still be interested in philosophy, beliefs, and truth, but our primary objective is to walk with the Savior. This is why Paul now interjects Jesus into the argument when he says, "If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord." We are all going to have to answer to the Lord so stop the judging and get on with living for the Lord! I sometimes think we are more of a busybody than we care to admit. All of us need to mind our own business because that is what we are going to have to answer for in the end. I cannot answer for your life nor you about my life. I think that is a good thing, don't you? Here is what Chuck Swindoll has to say about this subject.

Remind the religious phony that the splinter within your eye is between you and your Lord, and to pay attention to the tree trunk in his own eye.

Charles R. Swindoll (1934– )

Romans 14:1-14 (NIV)

2010-07-28T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 14:1-4 (NIV)
1 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.
2 One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.
3 The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.
4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

It is sure easier to have unity when everyone knows the rules to play by. In the Scriptures we have God clearly condemning some behavior and commanding us to do other things. We can have unity around those items, but it is when Scripture isn't clear that problems can really develop. The gray areas of life can really test our love for one another. People will say I have a strong conviction about this or that, but a strong conviction does not equal a verse of Scripture. Paul lays down some principles that are useful in those type of disputes. Paul tells us to accept those whose faith is weak. We are to accept them without passing judgment on them about those disputable matters. In this case Paul uses the issue of food. You have one person who can eat anything and another who can only eat vegetables. The person who can eat anything must not look down on those who are restricted in their diet. The person who cannot eat everything is accepted by God. Paul takes us back to the bigger issue as to how to use freedom. Do we use freedom to get our way or do we use freedom to serve others? There are many disputable matters and both sides need to learn not to judge the other side. This is easier said than done. At my church in Charlotte, some people thought it was wrong to eat food or even have coffee in the church on Sunday. We had to have meetings with these people and walk them through Scripture on this issue. They who thought it was wrong to eat in the church also thought they had a Bible verse to back up their claim. They were taking the Bible verse way out of context. They finally agreed that they didn't have to eat on Sunday at the church or even have coffee if that bothered them. We also agreed that there were those people who felt free to eat on Sunday and have coffee and they wouldn't judge them for doing so. These were not easy meetings. People get really attached to their convictions and their ways of doing things. We must be careful with disputable matters and when dealing with each other on those matters.

Romans 13:11-14 (NIV)

2010-07-26T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 13:11-14 (NIV)
11 And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

When Paul says, "And do this..." we have to ask is he referring to the "...Love your neighbor as yourself." (verse 9) or is it from the top of the chapter? In this instance I believe it goes back to verses 8-10, because of Paul's insistence to lay aside the deeds of darkness which have to do with the commandments of do not covet and so forth, which is about loving others. Do you feel a chill in the room when Paul says, "The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber..."? Evidently Paul had heard that the church in Rome had become a little careless. Paul explains that the hour of our salvation is nearer now than when they had first believed. This is a reference to the second coming of Christ. One of the themes in the New Testament is that the disciples believed Jesus was coming back real soon. It was Ben Johnson who said, "There is nothing like a hanging to focus the mind." These disciples where extremely focused and some of that had to do with meeting Jesus either by death or by His coming back. Paul is pleading with them as he continues to argue his case that the night in nearly over and the day is almost here, which is another reference to Christ's return. If this be the case then put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. If the darkness is going to lose and it is wrong, then go with the light which is the right way and is the winner. In context the armor of light, in part, is doing the deeds of light i.e. "behave decently." The deeds of darkness is the opposite of the deeds of light. Look what he names in those deeds. When we look at the list that includes orgies, drunkenness, sexual immorality and debauchery as things of darkness. We get those as sins. However, what about dissension and jealousy? Do we really get that these are sins as well? Dissension and jealousy can almost parade itself as righteous acts. I am speaking the truth that no one seems willing to speak or their ministry is really not of God or that wouldn't have happened, etc. Doesn't that sound holy? Notice how Paul places dissension and jealousy in a list that includes orgies! Real transformation has to do with everyday choices. It has to do with clothing ourselves with Christ so we do not allow our sinful selves to rise up and make bad choices. This is about obedience. Listen to what author Jerry Bridges has to say about this: "It is time for us Christians, to face up to our responsibility for holiness." Too often we say we are “defeated” by this or that sin. No, we are not defeated; we are simply disobedient. It might be well if we stopped using the terms victory and defeat to describe our progress in holiness. Rather we should use the terms obedience and disobedience.

Romans 13:6-10 (NIV)

2010-07-23T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 13:6-10 (NIV)
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing.
7 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.
9 The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Ouch! Does the Scriptures really have to say we have to pay our taxes? Yes. Rome collected from their own people and those nations they conquered. I am sure there was corruption back in those days as we have today. Yet, Paul knowing all of this, said that they were to pay their taxes. If you owe someone then pay them. Look at the way we can owe people. The currency of owing someone is not always the currency of money. We are to show respect or honor if it is due. The only debt we are to owe all the time is the debt to love one another. This love thing is a big thing. We as followers of Christ are to really show forth the love of God in and through our lives. Paul goes back to the law to prove his point as to love really is important. We fulfill the law if we love our fellowman. Paul names some of the commandments that we fulfill in loving others. The one rule sums up the many rules. If we love, we will for instance, not covet our neighbor's wife. At the very least if we understand love, love does not bring any harm to those around us.

If your love be pure, simple, and well ordered, you shall be free from bondage.

Thomas à Kempis (c. 1380–1471)

Romans 13:1-5 (NIV)

2010-07-21T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 13:1-5 (NIV)
1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.
4 For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.

How is your submission mode working nowadays? This command to submit to the governing authorities goes for everyone and that includes the disciples of Christ. According to these verses there is no authority that has been established unless it is established by God. You can have some fun with these verses by asking some questions of this verse? In light of these verses was the United States established as an illegal nation? What about Hitler and his regime? Is it okay for a more powerful nation to be a regime remover? What about the Civil War? These verses tell us that if there is rebellion against the established authority that they bring judgment upon themselves. It would be good to remember that this is written to the Romans who were living in Rome. We can be free from fear of these authorities by being obedient. Here is where it gets even more interesting as to the one who carries the sword. Does a nation or state have the right to take a life? Many point to these verses to say yes. There are still others who say the state has the right to punish, but not to take a life. Try to remember where these verses are located for it is good to remind those around us at different times to understand that God establishes authority and we must trust Him who has placed it here.

Romans 12:12-16 (NIV)

2010-07-19T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 12:12-16 (NIV)
12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
13 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Who are you to become? What are you to become? We are to be a cheerful people. One of the characteristics of a follower of Christ is that of joy. Notice the new twist. We are to be joyful in hope. When tough times come we are to be patient. We want patience, but we are like the person who prayed, "Lord give me patience and give it to me now." We are to be faithful in prayer. It would be good right now if you stopped reading and prayed to your heavenly Father. Try to do that throughout the day. We are no longer to conform to the ways of the world, but we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. If you haven't noticed these are all commands. We become what we think and do! We are to be a generous people. We are to share with God's people who are in need. It is so easy to become consumed with our stuff. Two words--practice hospitality. Is your heart and home open to others. Now the tough stuff. We are not only to walk away when being persecuted we are to bless them. This is why you need to read Romans 5-8 before you read these words. We are dead to sin and alive to God. We have the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of us. Here is another real kicker. We are to rejoice when others are rejoicing and mourn with those who mourn. Paul makes no allowances for our feelings at this juncture. We are commanded to do it. Paul breaks down the social class system with these words in verse 16. Are you proud? Are you conceited? What do you do to live in harmony with other people? I plead with you not to read these verses too fast. Let them sink into your soul.

Christianity does not teach a doctrine of weakness. But the strength it gives a man is quite different from his natural strength. It is a God-directed strength, doing what God wills. It wins great victories, but they are only over evil and self, not the destructive victories that are won over others.

Paul Tournier (1898–1986)

Romans 12:6-13 (NIV)

2010-07-16T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 12:6-13 (NIV)
6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;
8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
13 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

We are all different. We all see the world through a different set of lenses. We have different gifts. Our differences have been given to us by the grace of God. It is not only that God's grace has given us different gifts, He has given us the gift of being different. Yet, this "greatest gift" can almost drive us crazy at times. We must always come back to the grace of God. It is in God's grace that we are different. We must all be on the same page and it seems at the same time we must draw our own drawing on that same page. Those that are called to serve, should serve and those that are called to teach, should teach, etc. The point is that we do it for God's glory and under His command of His great commission. Paul is instructing us on all these different gifts and then what does he come back to after that teaching? Paul comes back to love. Paul does the same thing here that he did in his letter to the Corinthians. He talks about the different gifts and then inserts 1 Corinthians 13 in the middle of his teaching on gifts. Here he says love must be sincere. Love should not be faked. In verse 10 we are told to be devoted to one another in brotherly love. We are family! Then he strikes a chord that we all should learn how to do more. We are commanded to honor one another above ourselves. I really like verse 11. We are to keep up our spiritual fervor. Perhaps one of the keys to keeping the church unified and going forward in the battle is this item of our zeal. What gets you fired up for the Lord? What helps you to become stronger in Him? What keeps you lit up for God's kingdom? Let's go back to that thing of honoring one another. How can we really do that apart from God's zeal being in us? How can we sincerely make someone look better than us apart from God's grace working in us? Have you noticed that we are in the details of what it looks like to be transformed by the renewing of our minds? We cannot skim over these verses for in the end they are the heart and soul of how the church of Jesus Christ is to function. This is how God builds a new community.

Biblically the church is an organism not an organization—a movement, not a monument. It is not a part of the community; it is a whole new community. It is not an orderly gathering; it is a new order with new values, often in sharp conflict with the values of the surrounding society.

Charles Colson (1931– )

Romans 12:3-8 (NIV)

2010-07-14T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 12:3-8 (NIV)
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,
5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;
8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

We learned that to be transformed we must be renewed in our minds. Part of that renewal has to do with how we think about ourselves. Paul uses what I find to be an unusual statement to start out his thoughts on this subject. Paul says "For by the grace given me I say to every one..." and you have to ask why at this juncture does he use this phrase? I believe everything that Paul has been saying is by the grace of God. For me it is as if Paul is going to become like a coach to these people. Paul is wanting God's team in Rome to really come together to serve the one and true God. Paul is letting them know that he is on this team and it is by the grace of God that he is on this team. One of the first things you have to address on the team is getting people to think rightly about themselves. If you have people going around thinking they are cut out to preach but they really belong in the sound booth then you have a problem. These words of Paul are pure wisdom from above when he says, "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment...". When we hear the words, "It is not about you" that does not mean that you are not addressed in the God's Word, you just need a right opinion about yourself. You have to think of yourself with sober judgment. In a world gone wild about themselves the Word tell us to get sober on the subject of self. In Galatians, Paul is even more blunt when he says, "If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself." (Gal. 6:3). This new thinking has to be done by faith, the faith that only God has given us. Now Paul starts talking about the team, but not until he had dealt with the "self." Paul uses the analogy of the human body that is one, and yet each member of a human body (the eye, mouth etc.) has different functions. The vision of the church is for everyone to find their place and then serve in that place with their whole heart. What could be getting done in the name of the Lord if that vision was ever realized? Would you please dream with me to see more of this vision realized here at Crosspoint?

Weak things united become strong.

Proverb

Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)

2010-07-12T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

We must ask what the word "Therefore" is there for at the beginning of chapter 12. Some say it only goes back to chapter 11 where Paul says we are all bound up to His mercy. There are others that say it goes back to the whole discourse on the Gentiles being let in and the Israelites being laid off to the side, which is found in Romans 9-11. I am one who says the "Therefore" goes all the way back to Romans chapter 1 and the whole theme of the book of Romans which is Romans 1:16-17. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to any who believe. God's mercy, in its fullest way, has been revealed in this Good News about Jesus Christ. Paul has been teaching about all the ramifications of this Gospel since he stated those verses. Now he is bringing it home. In light of all of what God has done for us in His mercy we have only one response and that is to become a living sacrifice. This is our spiritual act of worship. It is worship seven days a week. We are to have a moment-to-moment relationship with our God. If we place ourselves upon Jesus Christ in this way we must no longer conform to the ways of the world. The transformation that takes place is what happens in our minds. Our minds, the way we think, must change by the grace of God. It is then that we are able to taste the sweetness of the will of God. Could you, would you, place yourself upon the altar once again and let God be God in your life? What do you need to get a grip on and of what do you need to let go? Let us look at Romans 12:1-2 in The Message.

Romans 12:1-2 (MSG)
1 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.
2 Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Romans 12:17-21 (NIV)

2010-07-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Romans 12:17-21 (NIV)
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.
18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.
20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

These people lived in Rome. These people saw a government that was pretty good compared to other barbarians, and yet Rome had armies that would bring countries into submission. In other words, Rome wasn't as bad as we are sometimes led to believe. However, it was a heathen nation. Evil for evil would have been something of a common practice for that day even in a more sophisticated society as Rome. Do not conform to the ways of your culture, but rather be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody is one of the hardest lines that I know of in the Scriptures. We are all on call all the time. People are watching and we are to behave in a way that is right. This is hard stuff! It is hard because - wonder if you are doing something that you know is not wrong, but the people watching think it is wrong. What do we do with our freedom in Christ? Do we teach at that moment or do we submit? Here is a real read on people, If it is possible- as far as it depends on you -live at peace with everyone. We may go to great lengths to live at peace with people and yet there still be no harmony. This is a reality that has to be accepted. Do you realize revenge is not wrong it is just wrong for us? If we step in, we may mess up either God's mercy or His wrath. Here is hard obedience for us followers of Christ: love your enemies. Is it possible for good to overcome evil? The answer is yes! Please meditate on these words and let them go to the deepest recesses of your soul.

Christianity is neither contemplation nor action. It is participation. Contemplation is looking at God as if he were an object. But if you participate in God in the sense that you let yourself be penetrated by him, you will go to the cross like him, you will go to work like him, you will clean shoes, do the washing up and the cooking, all like him. You cannot do otherwise because you will have become part of him. You will do what he loves to do.

Louis Evely (1910– )

Romans 11:33-36 (NIV)

2010-07-09T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 11:33-36 (NIV)
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?"
35 "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?"
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

What did the Lord say to Job when he was complaining? "Where were you when I hung the moon?" That is one of the things that God said to Job. God had to point out the obvious to Job in his situation. In Isaiah, the prophet states the obvious in this way: God's ways are not our ways. Paul has tried to lay out in three chapters how God has been working here on this planet in order to save it. At one time God used Israel as His main way of reaching out and now it is this thing called the church which has included the Gentiles. Paul gives a doxology at the end of this chapter to try to explain God's plans in human terms. I believe Paul knew he could only explain God's plans up to a point and then faith has to take over. We have to believe that God is good and that He is good all of the time. What we find in verses 33-36 is an acknowledgment that God is wise and knowledgeable beyond anything we can fathom and we cannot in good conscience question His plans. We can take these verses to heart in our own personal lives. There have been times that I have questioned what God is doing - or at least allowing - and then I have to come to the realization that I am not God. I can barely see the next step, let alone look around the corner. There is only one acceptable position when in God's presence and that is on our face in complete humility and repentance. Have you been questioning God's plans of late? Have you been taking on more of a role as God's life planner instead of letting God be God and you be a follower? Believe. Faith. Hope. Trust. Love.

The attributes of God, though intelligible to us on their surface yet, for the very reason that they are infinite, transcend our comprehension, when they are dwelt upon, when they are followed out, and can only be received by faith.

Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801–1890)

Romans 11:25-33 (NIV)

2010-07-07T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 11:25-33 (NIV)
25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.
26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins."
28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs,
29 for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable.
30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience,
31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you.
32 For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!

I really like a good mystery and in the Bible we have more than one. Paul reveals to us a mystery and reveals the answer for the mystery. The mystery is that Israel is only hardened in part until the full number of Gentiles has come in. The exact number has not been revealed to us. Then Paul comes back with this staggering news, "...all Israel will be saved." Paul then quotes some O.T. verses to show that this was part of the plan all along. Does all of Israel, mean all of Israel? I do not know the answer to that question. Here is what I have come to believe about Paul's statement. In the book of Revelation John says that there will be people in heaven from every tribe and nation. As you know, John also talks about the 144,000 that will be sealed and therefore saved in the end times. Most agree that the 144,000 are Jews. A little math shows us that would be 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes. I will go that far and that is at least 144,000 Jews will come to faith when Jesus comes back. This means all the tribes that received the promise are represented. I do not have the time to go into how "all" is used in the Word of God. It has come to my attention in different readings that sometimes depending upon the context "all" does not always means "all." This has to do with the way Eastern people think. Now here is something we kind of understand and that is God's mercy. Paul is letting us in on the way God has worked and that is on the basis of mercy. God has made sure that we all need it. No one can say that they somehow have proved themselves and therefore are exempt from needing God's mercy. We have all sinned and therefore we all need mercy. The more you are in touch with your sin the more you will be be glad for God's mercy. It is also in God's mercy that the Lord has kept us from becoming what we could have become. We have every reason to thank God for His mercy that He has poured upon us.

Whoever falls from God’s right hand

Is caught in his left.

Edwin Markham (1852–1940)

Romans 11:17-24 (NIV)

2010-07-05T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 11:17-24 (NIV)
17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root,
18 do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.
19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in."
20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid.
21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.
23 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
24 After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

It is my interpretation that when Paul is talking about the branches being grafted in that he is talking about the church. The branches that were broken off were the nation of Israel as a channel of redemption to the world. The new way of reaching people for Christ and bringing God's glory to this earth is through the church. In verses 20-22 it looks as if Paul is teaching that we as individuals can lose our salvation. That would be true if he were talking about individuals and not God's overall plan for reaching His mission. God's plan certainly includes individuals, but the part about not becoming arrogant has to do with the church. If God corrected the original plan because His people would not obey do not think for a moment God will not correct His plans with the church, if we as the church do not do His work. In verse 23 Paul again addresses the issue of Israel as a nation and not just individuals. Israel will be coming back at the right time. Individual Jews can come to faith in Christ right now, as Paul came to faith. Even in the O.T. individual Gentiles came to faith in the Lord and were baptized to show their new life. It is the nation of Israel that has been set off to the side not individual Jews. It is the same with the church. God will set aside the church as a whole if we do not do what God asks us to do. This also applies to individuals because we must obey God and never become arrogant. Verse 22 is a great verse to help us grasp who God is to some degree. God is not some pushover as we see His sternness with Israel. We also see His kindness in reaching out to the "wild by nature" people and giving them a place in the cultivated olive tree. We serve a kind God who is also all powerful and holy through and through. It is only by His grace and mercy that we walk with Him.

Romans 11:11-16 (NIV)

2010-07-02T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 11:11-16 (NIV)
11 Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.
12 But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!
13 I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry
14 in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.
15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
16 If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

Where is Israel in God's plan? This is the question Paul is asking and answering. For your information there are two dominant theological paradigms in the American church. One is called "Covenant Theology" which says that the church is Israel. In other words, the one and only plan/church and Israel are really interchangeable terms. The other paradigm is called "Dispensationalism" which says the church and Israel are two separate entities. The Dispensationalists like to ask, "Did you sacrifice your lamb today?" and if you say 'no' then you are a Dispensationalist. Trust me there are extreme elements in each of these theological systems. I land in the Dispensationalist camp with what I call a modified version of their system. I believe when you read Romans 9-11 you cannot help but to see two ways that God was relating to His people and hence to the world. God has literally put Israel on the 'injured reserve'. The Gentiles were not even on the bench but now they are the starters! God is using this plan of reaching the Gentiles to arouse Israel to faith in Yahweh.

God has not forgotten His people, the Jews. In the book of Revelation, we see that God has a remnant of 144,000 Jews protected and ready to receive the Messiah. God wanted to use Israel to fill this earth with His glory and they went after other gods. God has now brought in the Gentiles by using the church in order to reveal His glory to the earth. Some theologians call this "the age of the church" while others call it "the age of grace." It is probably both in that God is revealing His grace through the church in Jesus Christ. We live in extraordinary times and for that we all should be grateful. We may be the generation to see Jesus come back and take His people home. These extraordinary times call for ordinary people to rise up above their circumstances and live out the purposes and plans of God in the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8). Before I go, be sure to check out Paul's reasoning on the rejection of Israel as a blessing to the Gentiles. He comes back and lets us know that when Israel is reinstated what a blessing that will be for all of life. God is not finished with His people! AMEN!

Romans 11:7-10 (NIV)

2010-06-30T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 11:7-10 (NIV)
7 What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened,
8 as it is written: "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day."
9 And David says: "May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
10 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever."

Why did God seemingly just give up on some and others got in no matter what? I believe that Paul is back arguing about the whole package of Israel being hardened and not individuals. In the next verses Paul picks up the argument about the Gentiles being grafted into the vine which is Israel. You will see that Paul lets us know that if the church does not do its job, then that branch will be pulled out. The whole nation of Israel sought God's blessing, but on the whole they were disobedient. Israel sought God's presence in wrong way and paid a heavy price for it. There were those that God had set aside so that all Israel would not be lost. There are two lines of reasoning that Paul has to deal with in this letter of Romans. He has to deal with the individual as in Romans 10:10 "...that everyone who calls upon the Lord will be saved." Then Paul has to deal with the Israel and church issue. Israel thought that the kingdom was going to come and Jesus announces at Peter's confession that he will build his church. What is a church? It wasn't long afterwards that Israel found out and they, for the most part, did not like it. They were going to lose their identity and yet, in Christ, they would find their true identity. Jesus was Israel's messiah. We got in on this by the grace of God!! Thank God He did not darken our eyes and allowed us in as who were, so far from His promises, to participate in His grand and glorious promises.

Romans 11:1-6 (NIV)

2010-06-28T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 11:1-6 (NIV)
1 I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah--how he appealed to God against Israel:
3 "Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me"?
4 And what was God's answer to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal."
5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.
6 And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

This is a huge concern for people who call themselves followers of Christ. Here is why it should concern you. Does God reject His people? Does He choose people to follow Him and then arbitrarily turn His back on them? Why follow a God that is going to dump you? The answer of course is no, God has not rejected His people. Paul being a Jew of the Jews could say this with a lot of authority. God always protects a group that truly believe in Him. In the Scripture the term "a remnant" is used to describe that group of people. The question that is going to arise is how did they get in on this and the answer is God. God chose these people to make sure there was always going to be a witness. If it was left up to us it would not happen. They were chosen by the grace of God. I do believe they responded to God's grace out of obedience. It was not something that those particular people had done in order to get in on God's grace. If it was, as Paul argues, it would be of works and not of grace. Have you ever pondered why you are His child? Have you thought back to all the events that led up to you saying yes to Christ Jesus? Have you thought through as to why you are still a follower of Christ? Are you just lucky? You and I are a grace child. We have been adopted by our heavenly Father. Grace, grace, grace how stupendous is His grace! It is truly amazing grace.

As the earth can produce nothing unless it is fertilized by the sun, so we can do nothing without the grace of God.

Saint Jean Baptiste Marie Vianney (1786–1859)

Romans 10:16-21 (NIV)

2010-06-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

Let's roam.

Romans 10:16-21 (NIV)
16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"
17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
18 But 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."
19 Again 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."
20 And Isaiah boldly says, "I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me."
21 But concerning Israel he says, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people."

The message has to go out and that is job number one. After we do our part of getting out the message then our responsibility is almost done. We are not done if someone responds and they need more help to grow in their new found faith. However, if people do not respond we can do nothing for them except pray that God would open their hearts to His message. We have all felt the urge do something more, but in truth there is nothing we can do. Paul asks the question, "Did they (Israel) not hear?" and Paul answers with, "Of course they did." I think it is very important to read these verses carefully and see how they apply in your life and mission. I have seen people in Key West, Fla., Columbia, S.C., Sumter, S.C., Charlotte, N.C., Northbrook, Ill., Dallas, Texas, and in the Lake Country area who are so ready to hear the message and receive it that it blows my mind. The opposite has also been so true in all these places that people really don't want to have anything to do with Christ's message. In Isaiah we see where the Lord lets His people know that there will be a people that will believe and they don't have near the understanding of the Israelites. You can see why the Jews were so upset about this Gentile thing. The Gentiles didn't have a clue and now they are heading up the mission. Perhaps the saddest words in this passage are in verse 21 where we see God holding out His hand to the Jewish people who are disobedient and obstinate. Just because someone hears and has some degree of understanding does not mean they will respond to God and His message. There have been times in my life that I felt I let people down when they brought their friends to hear the Gospel to be presented by me and then nothing happened. I feel I have let down my own family, friends, etc., in my attempts to share my faith with them and then see no response. I think, to some degree, we have all felt that way at one time or another in our life. Yet, the Word of God is clear that we must present the Gospel in the clearest way possible and then leave the results with the Lord. For me that is easier said than done. Before I close did you get the irony of verse 20? God was found by those who did not seek Him. Go figure.

People say that it is so hard to bring Jesus Christ and present him before the lives of men today. Of course it is, it is so hard that it is impossible except by the power of the indwelling Holy Ghost.

Oswald Chambers (1874–1917)

Romans 10:14-18 (NIV)

2010-06-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

It is a great day to roam in Rome!

Romans 10:14-18 (NIV)
14 How, 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?
15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"
17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
18 But 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."

This passage is used at mission conferences around the world. It should be used at mission conferences and it should be used in the local church. In Romans 1:16 we learned that the Gospel is the power of salvation unto all who believe. The theme of the book of Romans in this message is lived out by faith. Paul is bringing this passage right back to the theme of the book and asking some very pertinent questions. You can't call on one you have not believed. You can't even believe in something if you have not heard of it. People can't hear about it unless someone is sent to tell them. I believe in the missionary gift. I also believe that everyone is responsible to reach their friends, relatives, acquaintances, and neighbors. All of us have different gifts but we all have one mission and that is to tell the world about the Gospel of God! Now Paul comes back to the Israelites to say they have heard and they have rejected. This is very hard for all of us. We have friends, relatives etc., who have heard and as far as we can tell they have rejected or at least shown no interest. I believe in the fertile ground principle. When Jesus was teaching about the seed being sown by the farmer he talked about the soil being ready. The seed is good, but for a seed to grow it must have good soil. The good soil is the hearts of those where the seed of the Gospel is sown. I believe we must pray and find out where the good soil is for sowing the Gospel and then pour our resources there in those people. We can't afford to keep sowing good seed into the bad soil. Where does faith come from in order to believe? Faith comes from hearing the message. Even for the believer we must hear the message again and again in order for our faith to grow and be sustained. We must tell people the message of Christ if they are ever to believe. When is the last time you shared your testimony with an unbeliever? When is the last time you really shared the message of Christ with an unchurched person? I have to constantly be on my toes about this action step in my life. It is easy for me to get up and share from the so-called pulpit compared to my sitting down face to face with someone and sharing Christ's message. Let us help one another in this arena.

The church is under orders. Evangelistic inactivity is disobedience.

John R. W. Stott (1921– )

Romans 10:5-13 (NIV)

2010-06-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

The Lord is good and He is good all the time.

Romans 10:5-13 (NIV)
5 Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does these things will live by them."
6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down)
7 "or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
8 But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:
9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,
13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

If you live by the law you will live or die by the law. The righteousness that is by faith can do nothing to affect Christ. Righteousness that is by faith simply receives what the Lord has done. We are now coming to the heart of the Gospel. Perhaps you have used the Romans road presentation where you start out with Romans 3:23 to show we are all sinners. Then you move to Romans 6:23 where it is revealed that the wages of sin is death, but through Christ we live. How do I then connect with God. Now we are at Romans 10:9. It is summed with confession and belief in Christ. Some have asked me, "Do you have to first say Jesus is Lord and then believe." The answer is no. The point Paul is making in context is that we do nothing for this gift of salvation. Anyone who truly believes will eventually confess with their mouth. They will tell others of their faith in Christ. If they don't do that, then there is a chance they have not believed in Christ. In verse 10 Paul goes into the mechanics that happen inside of us. We believe in our hearts and with our mouths we make that belief known to others. Let it be said here and now there are no secret believers. In verse 13 we move to the next part of the Romans road plan of salvation. Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved! Do you believe that the Gospel is truly for everyone? The Lord blesses, no richly blesses, all who call upon Him. We have a great message and I believe the only message of salvation for the world.

Please pray with me and for me and our team that we become even more effective in helping people understand Christ's message.

Our task is to live our personal communion with Christ with such intensity as to make it contagious.

Paul Tournier (1898–1986)

Romans 10:1-4 (NIV)

2010-06-18T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 10:1-4 (NIV)
1 Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.
2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.
3 Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.
4 Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

Paul was a Jew among the Jews. Paul does not want anyone to accuse him that he is against the Jews. So again he reiterates his love for his people. He wants the Israelites to come to faith in Christ. Paul sees a problem within the Jewish community and that is they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Paul was helping to kill Christians and was doing it in the name of God. Paul knows about zeal without the proper knowledge. Knowledge is power. Jesus said you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free. People can think they know, but they don't know. Paul many times prays for eyes to be open, for understanding of God, because he knows the importance of truth. The Israelites were totally wrong on how we gain righteousness from God. There is no such thing as self-serve righteousness. Only God can bring us His righteousness and no one else. How do you like verse 4? Christ is the end of the law. If you ever doubted, then this verse ought to help you to have clarity. In the new covenant everyone can have this righteousness because it comes by faith in Christ. We live in great times. We must do whatever is necessary to get this message out to people in the most effective way possible. Notice how Paul says that this message is for everyone who believes! We must not forget this truth. Let God use you today in telling others about Christ.

Romans 9:27-33 (NIV)

2010-06-16T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 9:27-33 (NIV)
27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved.
28 For the Lord will carry out his sentence on earth with speed and finality."
29 It is just as Isaiah said previously: "Unless the Lord Almighty had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah."
30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;
31 but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it.
32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone."
33 As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

I want to reiterate that I find chapters 9-11 of Romans some of the hardest passages to grasp. You will find good Christian people who disagree with each other on these passages. I am more settled about their meaning than I was some years ago, however I still struggle at times with what is being said by Paul. With all that being said, lets dig into these rich verses.

We have already heard Paul say that not all of Israel is Israel. In other words, just because you were born a Jew does not mean you are automatically in the kingdom of God. The remnant are those who exercised faith in God by obeying Him. The other Jews exercised their works in hoping to please God to let them into His kingdom. The non-remnant exercised no faith whatsoever. To be born a Jew and to have all the advantages of being a Jew becomes a disadvantage when they miss the point of faith. Again the Jews are upset because the Gentiles are getting in on all the promises and they are not Jewish; they were not born a Jew! If you are not born a Jew then how can one get in on the riches of God's grace? Paul says it is receiving righteousness that is by faith and not by works. We know that this is true because even Abraham believed and it was credited to his account as righteousness. Then Christ shows up and teaches this righteousness by faith and what do many of the Jews do? They reject Him! The one that could complete them and bring it all together for them, they throw upon a cross. This truth is dripping with irony and pain. How do you escape the pain and shame? You take this Jesus Christ as as your Savior and Lord. It is still true today that Christ is either a stumbling block or He is the stepping stone of blessing.

Caesar was more talked about in his time than Jesus, and Plato taught more science than Christ. People still discuss the Roman ruler and the Greek philosopher, but who nowadays is hotly for Caesar or against him; and who now are the Platonists and the anti-Platonists? There are still people who love him and who hate him. . . . The fury of so many against him is a proof that he is not dead.

Giovanni Papini (1923– )

Romans 9:19-26 (NIV)

2010-06-14T00:00:00.002-07:00

Are you ready for a little more of Rome? Here we go!

Romans 9:19-26 (NIV)
19 One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?"
20 But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?'"
21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?
22 What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath--prepared for destruction?
23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory--
24 even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?
25 As he says in Hosea: "I will call them 'my people' who are not my people; and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one,"
26 and, "It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.'"

Let us review the context of chapter nine. I believe verse 25 helps us to see that Paul is addressing the issue of Israel being set aside in God's grander scheme of things. He is showing that even in the prophets it was predicted that a people would come along that had not been part of God's plan. If God wants the Gentiles to now have a prominent place in His plan then God can do that if He so wishes. In verses 20-21 Paul goes back to Jeremiah to help him frame his argument in the attribute of God's sovereignty. It is ironic that the Jews or anyone would question the plans of God, since it was His to begin with. In our lives we must always understand who we serve and why it is we serve Him. The Jews were really struggling with this thing called the church. They were really struggling that Gentiles could really know God and be used by God. Christ had come and turned the Jewish world upside down. In turning their world upside down, God had in turn, turned the Gentiles world upside right?!?! Amen! Rejoice in God's plan and purposes and remember to let God be God in your life today.

Romans 9:10-18 (NIV)

2010-06-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

Good morning to you who follow Christ in the good times and the bad times.

Romans 9:10-18 (NIV)
10 Not only that, but Rebekah's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac.
11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad--in order that God's purpose in election might stand:
12 not by works but by him who calls--she was told, "The older will serve the younger."
13 Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all!
15 For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."
16 It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.
17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."
18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.

You have to really keep these verses in context. Here is what this Scripture is not saying: 1) God sends some to heaven and some to hell. 2) God knows who is going to heaven and we do not have to witness. 3) God in some arbitrary way just goes about His business and what we do or how we respond makes no difference.

The context of these verses has to do with God no longer using Israel as His primary way of reaching the world with His message. God had raised Israel up to be the nation to show forth His mercy and grace, but that has been taken from them because of their disobedience. You will see upon further reading that God has now replaced Israel with this thing called the church. There are, what we call, the primary purposes that are revealed in Scripture. We all have a purpose and yes God has a plan for our lives. What we have to face as we read Scripture is that there are some that are chosen for a higher purpose. One example of that higher purpose is what God chose John the Baptist to do. Upon further examination you will see that in Peter's life as well as Paul's. In these chapters Paul is dealing with what we call down south the "Big Dog!" Israel has been put on the sidelines and the Jews are not getting with the new program. Paul goes to the O.T. to show how God, in the process of raising up Israel, chose Jacob over Esau to make it happen. Many people apply the Jacob and Esau passage to prove what some call the doctrine of unconditional election. This doctrine teaches that God chooses whom He will and the basis of that has nothing to do with our response. I contend that God does choose people, but we are not privy to how He does this thing of election. Remember here Paul is talking about Israel being put on the shelf for a while.

Read these verses very carefully for they are used in showing some end-of-the-times teachings in some circles. Just a thought as you read chapters 9-11; God is going to reach this world with or without us so why not join in?

Romans 9:4-9 (NIV)

2010-06-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

Romans 9:4-9 (NIV)
4 the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises.
5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.
6 It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.
7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned."
8 In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring.
9 For this was how the promise was stated: "At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son."

In verses 1-3 Paul told of his anguish that Israel did not know the Messiah. He is now addressing a couple of issues regarding the Jewish nation. The first issue that Paul addresses is that it was not a waste to be a Jew. There were a lot of advantages in being a Jew and Paul lists them in verses 4-5. Paul would say that the Jews did not take advantage of being in their unique position to see that Jesus was the Messiah. Jews were coming to faith, but the nation as a whole had not turned to Jesus. Many Gentiles around the world were believing in Christ and they did not have the built-in advantages that Israelites had as a people. Perhaps a bigger issue is that of people thinking that God somehow had failed His people. In verses 6-9 Paul begins to answer that question. Not all Israel are Israel. What a great phrase that sums up what is really going on in God's bigger plan. Just because you have some Jewish blood does not mean you are automatically in God's family. Paul then turns to the children of the promise which is different than a blood line. That is why Paul says later that God has mercy on whom He has mercy. What is happening in these verses is like a glimpse behind the curtains of an epic drama. The deeper you go into this drama it becomes apparent that God wrote the epic play and He is directing it as well. As I read chapter nine I grieve for Israel with all their opportunities to know and obey the truth, but did not act. Pray for Israel as they are still in God's plan and then make sure you act upon the opportunities that have been and are given to you.

Romans 9:1-5 (NIV)

2010-06-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Are you ready to dive in?

Romans 9:1-5 (NIV)
1 I speak the truth in Christ--I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit--
2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race,
4 the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises.
5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.

Paul never forgot where he came from. In the south they will say, "they got above their rais'en" when they think somebody has forgotten their roots. Paul was a Jew among Jews. Paul had a holy heart burn for the Israelites to come to faith. It deeply troubled him that they did not know the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ. "Great sorrow and unceasing anguish" are the words Paul uses to describe how he feels about the chosen people of God not knowing salvation in Christ. Today we have extreme sports and in my opinion they are extremely amazing but sometimes crazy. Some of the things I see these younger people do on bikes, snowboards, skateboards, etc., are truly amazing and very risky. The risk they take is for the adrenalin rush and glory they receive. You could call Paul's statements about how he wants to reach the Jews as extreme evangelism. I do not believe it is for the rush or the glory that Paul says, "For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race." Paul is saying that he would go to hell for them if they would come to faith. Paul has an authentic heartache for his people that do not know the Messiah. Of all the issues that are in the public debate forum none are more important than where does a person go once they die. Paul made it personal in these verses when talking about reaching people for Christ. Paul felt it and did not just know it. Who does your heart ache for in order for them to come to Christ? Pray for them and ask God to open the eyes of their heart.

Are we as willing to go into debt for the work of God as we are for a vacation to Hawaii?
Erwin W. Lutzer (1941– )

Romans 8:37-39 (NIV)

2010-06-04T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 8:37-39 (NIV)
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul, who spent quite a bit of time in prison, did not see himself as a loser, but as a conqueror. In sports they talk about the swagger of a team or an individual that has done well in their field. The conversation usually turns to the fine line between pride and confidence. They would say if Tiger Woods or Michael Jordon, in his day, would say something about winning it was not pride, but confidence because they have won championships. Is Paul bragging or does he just have some swagger because he has seen what the Lord can do through a life that is yielded to Him? Paul's confidence came because of his experience and his knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul knew from experience that the Lord was with him in the bad times and the good times. As you read verses 38 and 39 you can tell that this was not a contrived confidence, but a real belief that God and Jesus are real and are present. God was present with Paul and is now with us as well, through the power of the Holy Spirit. The connection for Paul was the love of God. In verse 37 and 39 Paul brings it down to God's love for us and nothing will separate us from that love. Does God love you? If God loves you would He abandon you? Is that not one of the reasons that this chapter is on the Holy Spirit? To help us understand that the Spirit has been given to help us experience His presence and His power? Who are you? No really, take a little time today to reflect on this question and let God speak to you.

Our confidence in Christ does not make us lazy, negligent, or careless, but, on the contrary, it awakens us, urges us on, and makes us active in living righteous lives and doing good. There is no self-confidence to compare with this.
Ulrich Zwingli (1484–1531)

Romans 8:29-30 (MSG), Romans 8:31-36 (NIV)

2010-06-02T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 8:29-30 (MSG)
29 God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him.
30 After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.

These verses were covered earlier, but I thought it would be good to read them in The Message. I like how verse 29 reads when he says, "to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son." For the follower of Christ the issue is that of becoming like Christ. God is using everything to help us to become like His Son. We are being shaped into the likeness of Jesus Christ. This process goes better when we are on board with that goal of what God wants to do in our life. We must be careful not to tell God how He could do a better job if He did it this way or that way--you know the backseat driver syndrome. We must trust Him in this process of becoming like Christ.

Romans 8:31-36 (NIV)
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

When I read verses like these my response is, "What a great God we serve!" The Lord gave us His Son. Will He not graciously give us all things? Yes! God will give us all things, because the greatest gift has already been given. We are set for eternity, not just in this life. This would be a good day to lift up the name of Christ, to praise Him in all things. Amen.

Romans 8:28-34 (NIV)

2010-05-31T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 8:28-34 (NIV)
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

You can read all the verses above, but pay special attention to verse 30. People ask me if I believe in once saved always saved and I say yes if the person is really saved then they will stay saved. The key is if they are saved and in the end only God knows and that person, but surely not us. A principle that is used in interpreting the Bible is that a person should always take the clearer passages over the more obscure ones. I am aware of the other passages that seem to lend themselves to losing your salvation, however upon a closer look at those passages you will see that most of them are written to the Jews who had converted to Christ. The Jews had special issues in coming to Christ. They wanted to bring Old Testament practices with them while following Christ. When you read chapter 8 of Romans, especially from verse 28 till the end, it is so clear that when God has you in the Body of Christ that He does not remove you. Look at verse 30 again and you will see that all of this salvation work is His work and it is completed. God already sees us as glorified--period. I do not find a clearer passage on this subject of eternal security. My joke is that God does not write our name in the Lamb's book of life in pencil. Look at the implications in the following verses of 31-34. Our response to this truth is one of security, because if God is for us who can be against us?! No one or nothing can be against us. We are free to move about the cabin--amen.

It is not your hold of Christ that saves you, but his hold of you!
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–1892)

2010-05-28T00:00:00.003-07:00

Romans 8:28-30 (NIV)
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Please read these verses very carefully. These verses are misunderstood more than about any that I know of in the Scriptures. Perhaps, if you have time, write down what you think these verses are saying to us as believers. When you write something down it forces you to really come to grips with words and remember words matter.

I believe the biggest problem is the word 'good.' Many want to snatch this word out of the context of these verses and make it say something that is not there. I would say about half of the people that do this 'good' thing are people who have sinned and are trying to justify what they have done. They will say, "Well, pastor, you know God works these things out for the good." The question is for the good of what? The what comes down to the purpose. This 'good' is tied to those who have been called according to His purpose. In verse 29 the purpose is revealed as His followers becoming like Jesus Christ. We will sin, but it is not so we can become more like Jesus Christ. When we sin we must repent and ask God for forgiveness. When God forgives He wipes the sin away forever. I am not saying that God can't take our sins and use them for His glory. What I am saying is God does not take our sin and help us become like Jesus Christ.

I believe in predestination, but not as the many of the philosophers speak about this subject. Most who believe in predestination wind up becoming fatalist. They will say, "Well it is God's will." When they say that it means we are to just sit back in whatever circumstance and just take it. The atheist who is a fatalist sees the world in that the fix is in the DNA. We have no control over our circumstances, therefore we just hang on for the ride. No where in the Scriptures does it teach fatalism. Look at the context of the word predestined and you will find that it is in context of Christ followers being conformed to Christ's image. We as followers of Christ are destined to be like Jesus. If any fix is in, it is that God is going to deliver on His promise!

Are you aiming to become like Jesus Christ in your character and in your mission? What action steps are you taking on a daily basis to create an environment for this growth to happen?

A Christian is:
a mind through which Christ thinks;
a heart through which Christ loves;
a voice through which Christ speaks;
a hand through which Christ helps.

2010-05-26T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

All of us need help at one time or another. The truth be told we need more help than we care to admit. It is not in most peoples nature to say that they are weak. We have all been told, "put your best foot forward or there is no second chance for a first impression." People have learned that others can exploit your weakness. However, that is not the way of the church and for certain is not the way of the Lord. I am not saying it doesn't happen in the church; it is not the way of love.

The Lord knows how weak we are and especially in the area of prayer. One leader says we are a ten in some area but we also are a one in some other area. The Spirit of the Lord has come to set us free, to give us victory over sin, and to help us in our prayer life. I do not know the inner workings of the Spirit, but we can trust Him that when we pray God is there to help and not to exploit our weakness. The Spirit of God does not work independently of God's will. This is a comforting thought when we are trying to intercede for ourselves, friends, and family. There is a mystery in the prayer life. Join in the mystery and ask God to use you.

As artists give themselves to their models, and poets to their classical pursuits, so must we addict ourselves to prayer.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–1892)

2010-05-24T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 8:22-25 (NIV)
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?
25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

Listen to Paul's words as he describes what creation is experiencing while awaiting it's redemption. He is saying it is "groaning" as if it is in labor. We, with the Spirit in us, also groan as we await our adoption. This is the tension that we have to live in. It is the tightrope that we must walk in this life. The temptation is to go off and isolate ourselves in order to moan and groan in private until our Savior arrives. The other option is to join the world in full force and drown out the moaning by all the stuff here. We must not choose either of these options, but rather choose to live here with His light shining through us even though we groan. When I sit down with my unchurched friends or my lost churched friends and get real about the pain of this life and the difficulties I have faced, that does not send them packing, it draws them. Life is not pain free. Life is not without loss. What we need is hope. This hope of which Paul refers to is not hope in hope. The hope we need is rooted and grounded in the truth that we are children of God. God is coming back for us and in this we can have our hope. We have hope right here and now that the life we live for Christ is not going to be tossed out at the end of the game. We have hope of transformation and even the transformation of the society we live in. The two great awakenings brought with them tremendous societal transformation. Perhaps, and this is the kicker, we must wait patiently!! Wow, anything but that word. Waiting is bad enough, but to wait patiently is to say we cannot wait with an "attitude."

Here is a little exercise you can try today. Every hour, on the hour, purposely connect or reconnect with God.

2010-05-21T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 8:18-21 (NIV)
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.
20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope
21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

When we as humans receive our ultimate liberation, then all will be set free. When we sin it never just affects us, there are always others involved. Adam and Eve sinned and the whole creation was rocked!! Paul uses some unusual language to help us understand how intertwined our lives are with creation. Did you notice? "The creation itself waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed." Paul gives life to this called creation. I do not advocate a new age type "energy" however, Paul is using human attributes to describe what is going on in this place called earth. God made this place and the Lord loves it all, and is redeeming all of it. Yes, God loves us more and gave His Son to reconcile us to Himself. The benefit though is to all creation. When we sin it affects others, on the positive side when we do deeds of righteousness that also affects others. We must wait along with creation in eager anticipation for Christ's coming to gather us unto Himself and rescue the whole place.

2010-05-19T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 8:15-17 (NIV)
15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."
16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.
17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

We have exchanged the spirit of fear and bondage for the Spirit of freedom and sonship!! Paul wrote Timothy and said, " For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 2nd Timothy 1:7 Our true freedom comes from our being reconciled to our Maker and Savior, God Almighty. We call this God, Father! It is unbelievable that we are encouraged to dive deep into our Lord and to be on such familiar terms with this God that we are to cry out "Papa!" We are called God's children. We were once children of darkness and served that kingdom, but because of the grace of God we are now children of light. Know this, that it is God who brings us the inheritance thing and not ourselves or each other. God gives us all things just as He gives all things freely to His Son Jesus Christ. Yes, God treats us just like His Son Jesus Christ. This is phenomenal stuff and we should stop and give thanks to God. Amen? AMEN!

God carries your picture in his wallet.

Tony Campolo

2010-05-17T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 8:5-8 (NIV)
5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;
7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.
8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

I would encourage you to read the book by John Stott on Romans. Romans chapter 8 is a filled with tremendous truths about our walk with the God. It is one of the premiere chapters on our walk in the Spirit.

If I am counting correctly, Paul uses the word 'mind' in these 4 verses, no less than 5 times. Paul is wanting us to mind our P's and Q's. Our mindset is so important in anything we do. When we go to work our mindset can be one of disdain or we can take our work as a challenge and ask God to help us make it a ministry. If a believer still has the mindset that their life is their own then the results for that believers life will be radically different than those of a believer who has the mindset of surrender to the Lord and His Spirit. This mindset principle works in sports, family, marriage, and and yes the church's life. Our mind as a believer is to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. What does a person look like that has their mind controlled by the living Spirit of God? How does a person whose mind is controlled by the Holy Spirit behave in life? There is only one way to please God and that is to be controlled by God's Holy Spirit.

The Spirit’s control will replace sin’s control. His power is greater than the power of all your sin.

Erwin W. Lutzer (1941– )

2010-05-14T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 8:1-4 (NIV)
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man,
4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

Where do you go if you want to understand the work of God's Spirit in a believers life? Many would say John chapters 14 and 16. Still others would say it has to be Ephesians 5: 18-20. Many would point to Galatians chapter 5:16 -26 as the definitive statement on the work of God's Spirit. All these are, in many ways, the correct answer, however the chapter on the work of God's Spirit in a believers life is in Romans 8, and so often it is left out of the equation. The word 'spirit' appears 21 times and 19 of those has to do with the Holy Spirit. Romans chapter 8 is one of the foremost chapters on God's Spirit in the entire Scriptures. Please read this chapter very carefully. We live in the age of God's grace shown to us in Christ Jesus, through the power of His Spirit. For review it would be good to remember that chapters did not appear in the original manuscripts. We have been talking about the struggle of sin in a believers life in Romans chapter 7. Paul asked the question, "who can deliver us from this body of sin?" and the answer was Jesus Christ. Now Paul begins to explain the reason why Jesus can deliver us. It is the power of His Spirit that sets us free from the law of sin and death. It is in the here and now that we all have hope that life can be different and by that I mean we can really become like Jesus Christ. Our resources do not work. We have to depend on God's work in us through his Spirit. The condition, as you can see in verse 4, is that we live according to the Spirit. Are you living a Spirit filled life? Well? In many cases that is the only question that matters for a believer. Ponder this question and maybe go over some of the other great chapters and verses on the Holy Spirit's work in the believers life. Have a great week in the Lord Jesus through the power of His Spirit.

Every time we say, “I believe in the Holy Spirit,” we mean that we believe that there is a living God able and willing to enter human personality and change it.

J. B. Phillips (1906–1982)

2010-05-12T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 7:21-25 (NIV)
21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law;
23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.
24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
25 Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

These verses are very revealing for those interested in the context of the subject Paul is addressing. In verse 22 Paul says, " For in my inner being I delight in God's law." It is a verse like this that I believe that lets us know that Paul is writing these verses in the context of his being a Christian. The word "law" is important in these verses for it is not being used as in the 10 commandments, but in that as a principle is at work in Paul's spirit. Paul also acknowledges that another principle is at work in his body and that law is pulling him toward sin and slavery. The question of all questions is when he asks, "...Who will rescue me from this body of death?" The question is not what can, but who can save me from this body of death. He answers the question in verse 25 where gushes forth with, "Thanks be to Go--through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Paul goes on to explain the victory that is ours right now. The hope we have in Jesus Christ is not only for our future, but also for the here and now. In chapter 8 Paul begins his conclusion on the matter of life in the Spirit.

Romans 8:1-4 (NIV)
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man,
4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

Read these verses carefully and very prayerfully. Ask God to show you all the richness of the truth that is laid out before us.

Romans 7:14-20

2010-05-10T00:00:00.001-07:00

I hope this finds you and your family well. I hope you are looking forward to a great weekend in Christ and working in His fields.

Romans 7:14-20 (NIV)
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.
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 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, 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.

Paul has said a mouthful here in just seven verses! This is the Paul that wrote chapter six and told us we are free from sin by the grace of God. Now he comes back and talks about the wrestling match that he has experienced with sin. When you read this, yes read it again, is this the picture of what a Christian faces all their life or is a picture of a Christian who has not discovered the life in the Spirit? Well, what is it? Go to Romans 7 and look at the first four verses and then answer the question. It is my interpretation that Romans 7 is about a person who is trying to live the life of Christ on their own resources. I do not believe that this is a picture of a person without Christ trying to live up to the law because even Paul says 'none is righteous no not one, that none even seek after God'. Either way, it is not about the Christians life until we get to heaven. I do believe some people think when reading chapter 7, "Well, their you go, even Paul tried to do good and still got it wrong so what am I to do?" They forget about chapters 6 and 8. We talk about taking verses out of context and forget that we can take whole chapters out of context. We are free in Christ!!

Christianity promises to make men free; it never promises to make them independent.

William Ralph Inge (1860–1954)

2010-05-07T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 7:7-13 (NIV)
7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet."
8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead.
9 Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.
10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.
11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.
12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

Paul starts taking on those who would want to go the anti-law route. There is this delicate balance of stating the truth on both sides and helping people keep the whole picture in mind. The law did its job and without it we may not know the depth of our sin before God. For the Jew this is real important to remember why the law was given because for many it became an end in itself. The law could save you and all you had to do was obey it. However, the law was not given to bring that kind of life. The Spirit life came only from God, never from the written code. What the law does is help us to understand we are the problem, with or without the law, we are the problem. Personally, I do not like this message. I want someone or something to be the problem, but not me. Yet, I am the problem and the law does not solve that problem. There is someone who does solve my problem and His name is Jesus Christ. He will solve your problem as well. Christ can put to death the sinfulness that is in all our hearts. Praise His name, amen!

2010-05-05T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 7:1-6 (NIV)
1 Do you not know, brothers--for I am speaking to men who know the law--that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives?
2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage.
3 So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man.
4 So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.
5 For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death.
6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

In Romans chapter 7 we have Paul using the analogy of marriage to help illustrate our relationship to the law. One of the questions that usually arises from this chapter is that of Paul's conversion. Was Paul a follower of Christ when he struggled with sin?

Others take the position that this is a picture of Paul when he was not a believer and what a struggle he had with sin as a non-believer. Still another way some take this passage is that Paul was a believer, but he was a carnal follower of Christ. I had one professor who helped translate the NIV Bible that his position on this passage of Scripture depended upon the latest commentary that he had read. In other words it is not easy!

In verses 1-6 Paul simply lays out that a married woman is free to remarry when her husband has passed away. We as believers have passed away in Christ and therefore, are free to follow in the new way of the Spirit. We are free to follow. We have been released from the written code of the law. People can get so bound up with rules, regulations, and the like that they totally get out of touch with the relationship. For us it is not just the relationship, it is the power of that relationship. We are followers in the new way of the Spirit. We have Holy Spirit power and this becomes very clear in Romans 8. Are you serving in the new way of the Spirit? This does not mean your Christian life is effortless, but it does mean that there is a new focal point of resource for your life and your efforts. When your well goes dry you will find more water waiting right at your faith tips(this is instead of finger tips).

2010-05-03T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 6:19-23 (NIV)
19 I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.
20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.
21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!
22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Many times to convince his readers of the truth of God Paul simply employed the question of, "How is that working for you?" Well he didn't quite put it that way he said things like, "What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of?" One of things that a former psychologist turned philosopher by the name of William James said in his philosophy of Pragmatism is that, 'in the end what ever you believe it must work'. I believe that William James is absolutely correct in his estimate of a philosophy of life. I believe that following Jesus Christ works and it works in whatever circumstance you find yourself. I believe that following Jesus is a benefit and not a negative. By us becoming slaves of God we reap the benefit of holiness and that results in eternal life. Holiness is one of the most wonderful truths taught in the Word of God and yet if a book came out and its title was, "How to Be Holy" my guess is it would not sale many copies. If the title was let's say, "How to Be Happy" then the interest would really be piqued.

Yet, what I know to be true in the Bible is that the more holier we become, that is we are becoming like Jesus Christ, then as a result we become a happier people. If the wages of sin is death then it behooves us to turn over our body, mind, and soul to righteousness. Maybe right now you could pray a prayer something like, "Lord here I am, all of me, please take my mind, my lips, my hands, my feet, and most of all, my heart and make them yours, in Jesus name, amen!"

Although we just heard this quote a few days back it is worth revisiting after today's reading:

It is the great moment of our lives when we decide that sin must die right out, not be curbed or suppressed or counteracted, but crucified.

Oswald Chambers (1874–1917)

2010-04-30T00:00:00.002-07:00

Romans 6:15-18 (NIV)
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!
16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?
17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted.
18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

In verse 14 Paul reminds them that they are under grace and not under the law. Paul knows that this truth can then be used to justify sin and so he takes this head on. We are out from underneath the burden of having to fulfill the law in order to gain access to God and heaven. For this truth of freedom in Christ we should rejoice, but we must understand that Christ has standards for us to live by. If we fail to live up to these standards this does not mean we are tossed aside. God's grace will bring us back and show us forgiveness in Christ. The language that Paul uses is very strong in order to help followers of Christ to be enlightened on this subject of sin. If we obey sin then we are slaves to sin. Paul then says, "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." Are you a slave to righteousness? We are free when we are a slave to God and his righteousness. One time I was sharing with a friend who did not go to church and he said to me, "I want God and Satan to leave me alone and let me live my life as I see fit."

It seems to me this friend of mine sums up the spirit of the age which is: "I only want to serve me and everyone else leave me alone". It is counter intuitive thinking to propose that true freedom comes by way of being a slave to righteousness.

Freedom does not mean I am able to do whatever I want to do. That’s the worst kind of bondage. Freedom means I have been set free to become all that God wants me to be, to achieve all that God wants me to achieve, to enjoy all that God wants me to enjoy.

Warren W. Wiersbe

Romans 6:11-14

2010-04-28T00:00:00.003-07:00

My prayer today is that you pay attention to God's Word. Please do not forget to do the Martin Luther method of praying where he used these four words: instruction, thanksgiving, confession, and prayer for going through the ten commandments or the Lord's prayer.

Romans 6:11-14 (NIV)
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

Right now before you make another move, count yourself dead to sin. You may not have experienced this truth to the degree that you should have, but you can experience more of it than you have already. Paul is telling us that we must reckon this truth as a fact of our life and live by faith in that truth. The nitty gritty of this truth is laid out when Paul lets us know we have an active part in this truth. If we are dead to sin then sin must not rule in our life. Righteousness must rule in our life. Our part in this act of faith is to not offer our body as a vehicle to accomplish sin. Our sin does not originate from another person and it does not act out through another person--it is us. We must instead offer our bodies as a vehicle to accomplish His righteousness. This is best done through prayer. You can offer your hands, your feet, your tongue, your whole self in prayer to God to be an instrument for righteousness. Paul, I believe, does this in Romans 12:1-2, when we are encouraged to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. Perhaps, now would be a good time to pray and offer yourself to God as an instrument for righteousness. Before you do that ask God to show you any sin that may be in your life and confess that to Him, then offer yourself to God.

Christ died to save us, not from suffering, but from ourselves; not from injustice, far less than justice, but from being unjust. He died that we might live—but live as he lives, by dying as he died who died to himself.

George Macdonald (1824–1905)

Romans 6:11-14

2010-04-26T00:00:00.001-07:00

I hope you are reading your Bible and asking God to help you understand it and apply it to your life. God's Word is one of His most magnificent gifts to us.

Romans 6:11-14 (NIV)
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

There is what God has done and there is what I must believe and obey. I believe that a follower of Christ is both passive and active. Notice take another look at verse 12,
"Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires." We are commanded to make sure that sin no longer holds sway over us. Christ did not die on the cross just to release us from the penalty of sin. If it was only the penalty of sin then we would still have to live in misery. However, Christ came to release us from the power of sin. This is some of the best good news you will here or share. We can really have a better life right here in enemy territory. We have to remember that we belong to Christ. We no longer belong to this world and it's ways. We no longer belong to ourselves. We belong to Christ and His kingdom! Let's look at this passage in the Message.

Romans 6:12-14 (MSG)
12 That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don't give it the time of day.
13 Don't even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time—remember, you've been raised from the dead!—into God's way of doing things.
14 Sin can't tell you how to live. After all, you're not living under that old tyranny any longer. You're living in the freedom of God.

The only lasting treasure is spiritual; the only perfect freedom is serving God.

Malcolm Muggeridge (1903–1990)

Romans 6:5-14

2010-04-23T00:00:00.003-07:00

I thought I would give you a verse that has meant a lot to me. It has to do as to the why we should let the Word of God into our life.

Colossians 3:16 (NIV)
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

The word dwell means to take up residence. The Word of God should feel at home in your life. The Word of God or as it says here the Word of Christ should take up residence in a rich way. The Word of Christ should not be cheapened in your life by placing it in the basement of your life. The Word should be given top billing. The result is that we are equipped to help serve other people. It also helps in our worship of our Savior. Here is how it stated in the Message,

Colossians 3:16 (MSG)
16 Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God!

Now on to the book of Romans.

Romans 6:5-14 (NIV)
5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.
6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--
7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.
10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

We will camp out here for a bit. In verse six the body of sin is what we are apart from Christ. It is us in our Adamic state. Paul goes back and forth as to what Christ has done and what we are in Him. Paul is teaching us that in Christ we have experienced death, burial, and resurrection. We will see this clearly in Romans chapter 8. In verse 11 of chapter 6 Paul exhorts us to count ourselves as dead to sin and alive to God. We are to reckon it as so in our lives. In other words we are to have faith in Christ and appropriate this truth everyday of our lives. We are to have the audacity to believe that Christ has set us free from sin and act as if it were so. This is where Chapter 8 comes into play again because Paul talks about the Spirit life. We cannot appropriate this truth of dead to sin and alive to God in our own strength.

Let these powerful verses sink in through the weekend and we will pick back up next week.

Romans 6:4-10 (NIV)

2010-04-21T00:00:00.003-07:00

I hope you have a great day in the Lord. May God be attentive to your prayers.

Romans 6:4-10 (NIV)
4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.
6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--
7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.
10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

Do you have the victory? I was trained in a school of thought that by God's help and especially by His Spirit's aid a follower of Christ can live above the circumstances of life. This is why Irwin Lutzer writes, " The Spirit’s control will replace sin’s control. His power is greater than the power of all your sin." Hence a question that use to be asked of us is "Do you have the victory." Of course the more you study this question you realize how loaded this question is for the believer. Yet it is a good question to put to ourselves. Here is another way of putting the question, "Am I living free of sin and a life fully committed to God?" Once you understand to some degree the Spirit filled life you have to come to Romans 6:4-10. Paul is saying we can be free of sin. This is not to say we don't sin, but we will be discerning enough to know when we have crossed the line and we will confess that sin. That part of us that wants our way, our wants, desires and die and let the God life live in and through us. We are no longer slaves to sin. Amen.

True triumphs are God’s triumphs over us. His defeats of us are our real victories.

Henry Alford (1810–1871)

Romans 6:1-4

2010-04-19T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 6:1-4 (NIV)
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

What we are doing is going over the core of the book of Romans. If we are to have victory over sin and live a life fully devoted to Spirit living, then we must understand the truths that are in Romans 5,6, and 8. We have a nagging problem and it is this propensity to go wayward from God. We want to go it alone or find our own way. The Lord is our Shepherd and we must let Him shepherd us. A profound truth is that if you come to know Christ as your savior and Lord then you have died to sin. This means sin no longer has advantage over you. You no longer have to listen to what it says. The language that sin speaks is a foreign language and a follower of Christ no longer knows that language. We are dead to sin. A follower of Christ has been raised to a new life. God wants us to live that new life in Him. The new life is full of possibilities and of transformation. Their is no secret to this new way of living, but there are truths that we must apply to our lives. Here is one of them.

Romans 6:11-14 (NIV)
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.
13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

We must yield ourselves to the Lord. We must let God have absolute control over our lives in every area at all times. This really comes down to one word and that is obedience to God. Either we our obeying the Lord or we are not obeying the Lord. Are you fully surrender to Lord in every area of your life? Please mediate on this with me for weekend. It is a question I try to ask myself all the time.

Romans 6:1-4

2010-04-16T00:00:00.002-07:00

Here we are in chapter six of Romans. Just about all you need to know on how to live out the life of Christ is packed into Romans chapters 5-8.

Romans 6:1-4 (NIV)
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

In these verses Paul is alerting us to a fact of our Christian life and that is we who know the savior are dead to sin. The words dead to sin means sin no longer has advantage over us. This is a truth whether we feel it or not. In theological circles it is known as positional truth. You may not have experienced the truth as of yet, but that does not diminish the fact that it is true. We are no longer in bondage to sin. We can live a life free of sin. Now when I say that I am not, nor does mean perfection. It means that I do not have to practice sin. I can break off from habits that are harmful to myself and to others. The hope we have is that we are free in Christ to become like Christ beginning now and forever more. We are to live a new life. This new life in Christ changes everything for us--I mean everything!! I remember a cartoon where people are studying the Bible and the leader asks the group, "Have you died to sin?" One person said no, but I have felt a little faint at one time. In verse 2 Paul is putting this in the past tense. We died to sin! It is in the past tense. We are to believe and to practice it.

It is the great moment of our lives when we decide that sin must die right out, not be curbed or suppressed or counteracted, but crucified.

Oswald Chambers (1874–1917)

2010-04-14T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 5:18-21 (NIV)
18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.
19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
20 The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,
21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Disobedience has brought death to all, but Christ's obedience has made many righteous. The law comes into the equation in order to help people understand that they truly have fallen. Where there is law sin will increase, but again God's grace wins. Wherever sin abounds God's grace abounds even more. This is the age of grace. Grace has always been part of God's plan, but it is in the Christ covenant where grace and truth have been revealed. In the Old Testament we had glimpses into God's grace and mercy. There were times in the O.T. it was if God pulled the curtain back completely to reveal His grace and mercy. The difference is that God has now knocked down the curtain once and for all.We even see it in Christ's teaching before he died on the cross. Think of Christ's teaching on forgiving others in Matthew 18 and Jesus says we are to forgive 7 times 70 not just 7 times. Peter could hardly believe his ears. It was later that Peter was glad it was 7 times 70. Here comes the rub in the next chapter when Paul answers what the believers are thinking in their heads.

Romans 6:1-4 (NIV)
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Are there people who try and take advantage of God's grace? Yes! Maybe the question should be are there who have taken advantage of God's grace? Yes! Have you taken advantage of God's grace?

We are not to go on sinning. God's grace has brought us to the cross and we have died to sin. Sin no longer has advantage over you or me. God has total access to us and we have total access to God. We are to take advantage of all of God's resources in order to live above sin. Here is quote by A.W. Tozer who was a pastor in Chicago.

Grace is the good pleasure of God that inclines him to bestow benefits upon the undeserving. It is a self-existent principle inherent in the divine nature and appears to us as a self-caused propensity to pity the wretched, spare the guilty, welcome the outcast, and bring into favor those who were before under just disapprobation. Its use to us sinful men is to save us and make us sit together in heavenly places to demonstrate to the ages the exceeding riches of God’s kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

A. W. Tozer (1897–1963)

Romans 5:16-21

2010-04-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

My hope and prayer for you is that you grow closer to God in every way, every day. Stay with me in the book of Romans!!!

Romans 5:16-21 (NIV)
16 Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.
17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.
19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
20 The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,
21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

How does a person get to heaven? Sunday after the 11:00 o'clock service I had an appointment with a man that had said to me in our previous meeting, "I guess the best way to describe my life is I am lost." This man has no religious background and yet said those words. In my meeting with him I asked him to let me explain how to get to heaven according to the Word of God. I used John 3:16 as the sole basis of our conversation as I have done for years. The gospel is contained in that one verse. He had not had a drink for at least four days because it was his turn to take the children and his body literally shook the whole hour that we met. His mind, however, was not shaking and he got the message that Jesus saves and that he needs Christ. Pray that he will soon surrender his life. One thing that I shared with him that seemed to help is that faith has three components and they are knowledge, understanding and the will. A person needs some knowledge of what they are to believe in, it is not perfect knowledge. The next step they have to have some grasp of what the knowledge implies for their life. The next step then is to submit to the new truth that is surrender their will. He looked at me when I got to the will part and said "that's it isn't it?" His problem, as with most, is he did not want to submit to God. Do you have a 'will' problem?

Romans 5:15-21

2010-04-09T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 5:15-21 (NIV)
15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!
16 Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.
17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.
19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
20 The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,
21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Grace wins! You cannot beat grace. Sin, hell, and the devil cannot beat grace. Your sin cannot beat grace. In the world of winners grace is king. Sin came into the world and wrecked it. However, grace came into the world after it had been wrecked by sin and it still wins. Grace sets the world right. Here is how verse 20 appears in the Message, " All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers. But sin didn't, and doesn't, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. When it's sin versus grace, grace wins hands down." Grace reigns over death, unrighteousness, sin, condemnation, and anything else hell can throw at us. Celebrate the God of grace today. Christmas is really about grace-mas. God has revealed His love, mercy, and grace to us in Christ Jesus. Let the God of grace capture your heart again in Christ Jesus.

Grace is an energy; not a mere sentiment; not a mere thought of the Almighty; not even a word of the Almighty. It is as real an energy as the energy of electricity. It is a divine energy; it is the energy of the divine affection rolling in plenteousness toward the shores of human need.

Benjamin Jowett (1817–1893)

2010-04-07T00:00:00.002-07:00

Romans 5:12-17 (NIV)
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned--
13 for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law.
14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.
15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!
16 Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.
17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

It was through Adam that all creation fell. The consequences were dire. One sin brought sin to all the world. The great thing about Jesus Christ's gift is after all the sin in the world and what computer could track that massive amount, Christ one act brought life to many. Christ one act has overflowed to the masses and has not only given forgiveness, but life as well. The way I look at Paul's statement is the mess caused by sin was greater than the one act of Adam and this mess of humanity going all the way back to Adam God took care of through Christ. In reality we have no idea of the miracle of the cross. It was Christ being crucified and him becoming sin for us that we have received life. Adam, Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David and the true Israel were all depending on this one sacrifice to take their sins away. Rejoice in your miracle this day. Rejoice that you have life in Christ. Give thanks that Christ followed through on His mission.

Now read it in the Message and have a better day.

Romans 5:12-17 (MSG)
12 You know the story of how Adam landed us in the dilemma we're in—first sin, then death, and no one exempt from either sin or death.
13 That sin disturbed relations with God in everything and everyone, but the extent of the disturbance was not clear until God spelled it out in detail to Moses. So death, this huge abyss separating us from God, dominated the landscape from Adam to Moses.
14 Even those who didn't sin precisely as Adam did by disobeying a specific command of God still had to experience this termination of life, this separation from God. But Adam, who got us into this, also points ahead to the One who will get us out of it.
15 Yet the rescuing gift is not exactly parallel to the death-dealing sin. If one man's sin put crowds of people at the dead-end abyss of separation from God, just think what God's gift poured through one man, Jesus Christ, will do!
16 There's no comparison between that death-dealing sin and this generous, life-giving gift. The verdict on that one sin was the death sentence; the verdict on the many sins that followed was this wonderful life sentence.
17 If death got the upper hand through one man's wrongdoing, can you imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes, sovereign life, in those who grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life-gift, this grand setting-everything-right, that the one man Jesus Christ provides?

Romans 5:6-11

2010-04-05T00:00:00.003-07:00

Are you ready to Rome?

Romans 5:6-11 (NIV)
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!
10 For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
11 Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

When I used to do more counseling as a pastor there was a question that I use to put to people who were struggling with life. The question that I would I ask was "Do you know that your parents loved you?" Ninety-nine per cent of the time people would say yes I know that my parents loved me. Then I would ask this question, "How did you feel your parents love?"

Invariably the people would sit there with a blank stare. Only ten to fifteen per cent ever gave me some concrete answers to this last question. If the question was changed just a bit and it was worded this way, "Do you know that God loves you?" Most believers would say yes. I have had them say yes to this question. However when the question of how do feel God's love is placed before them it is a different story. If you were to answer these questions how would you answer them? Romans 5:1-11 is overflowing with the message that God loves us. God has sent the godly to die for the ungodly. God manifested His love in that when we were helpless sinners Christ died for us. We were enemies, but God has reconciled us and given us life. Christ's death and resurrection has changed everything we are to believe about God and ourselves and yes how we feel! I believe that feelings are to follow what we believe!

God carries your picture in his wallet.

Tony Campolo

2010-04-02T00:00:00.002-07:00

Romans 5:2-8 (NIV)
2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.
5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

We have peace with God and that changes everything---I mean everything. We have access by faith into his grace and there is where we are to live. The natural thing to do then is to rejoice in this new found hope as well as we should. Here comes the curve ball, the unexpected--but we also rejoice in our sufferings!! What? We have grace, peace, and we have been justified forever. Now why does Paul go this direction? First reason that is not mentioned here is that followers of Christ are expected to suffer. Our Lord and Savior suffered and we are not above our Savior. Paul at this point does not go into this reason instead Paul takes us into the practical side of suffering. Paul shows us that if we rejoice in our sufferings then growth happens in our lives. These are powerful words that he chooses that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. If we do not rejoice in our sufferings then we become complainers and that produces excuses and excuses turn into character flaws and that gives us a narrow view on life and no hope. The hope that God gives does not disappoint because the Holy Spirit is involved in this process. The Holy Spirit pours out the love of God into our hearts. How do we know God loves us? The Godly died for the ungodly. We are loved as we are so why would God let us down now or in the future? God would not do that to us. Have a great day.

Romans 5:1-8

2010-03-31T00:00:00.003-07:00

Romans 5:1-2 (NIV)
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

We were born into death, unrighteousness, and condemnation. Apart from Christ this is who we are in Adam, our first prototype. This is why Paul writes that for all have sinned. Paul can say that because we were born sinners. In Christ we have life, righteousness, and we are no longer condemned, we are justified. Christ came to counter everyone of the problems that we had with God the Father. We now have peace with God, because we have been justified. We have a brand new beginning in Christ. How did such a radical transformation take place? It is by faith that we gained access into this grace. Anyone can believe. It is not our works and that truth is found in the next verses.

Romans 5:6-8 (NIV)
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

When I am having a bad day these are some of the verses I turn to remind how fortunate I am. That God loves me right now in His Son--period! It does not get any better than knowing and experiencing this magnificent truth. Hold your head high dear fellow believer. You are held in high regard by your Father in heaven. Have you memorized any Scripture lately? Maybe one of these verses strike you as one you should memorize. Go for it.

Romans 5:1-5

2010-03-29T00:00:00.002-07:00

I hope you all are doing well. God is good and all the time God is good.

Romans 5:1-5 (NIV)
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.
5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Romans 5:1-2 (MSG)
1 By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus.
2 And that's not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.

In chapter four Paul argues vigorously for faith in Christ plus nothing. In chapter five Paul begins to lay out more of the implications of a life lived by faith. Our justification through faith brings us peace with God. The same doctrine is taught by Paul in the book of Ephesians. We have been brought near by Christ's death on the cross. We who were far away are now bought near. Listen to Paul in the letter to Ephesus:

Ephesians 2:12-13 (NIV)
12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

The good news of God is that He has sent His Son to us to fuel reconciliation and peace. None of this makes any sense unless you are acquainted with the history of humanities treatment of God. If you need to read Romans chapter one again, perhaps you can read it in the Message. There is this part of us that just does not want God over us. We run from this relationship and of course the boundaries that go with that relationship. God reached down to us to make peace with us. This is what we can not fathom. God took the first steps and finished the steps. God first loved us and this is how we know love. God revealed Himself to us and this is how we know Him. We have peace with God. You are on speaking terms with our righteous God. This is all brought to us by His grace and we gained access through faith. Are you taking advantage of this new and profound relationship with your maker and savior?

2010-03-26T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 4:18-25 (NIV)
18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be."
19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb was also dead.
20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,
21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
22 This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness."
23 The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone,
24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness--for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

In Galatians Paul asked them do you receive His Spirit and see God work miracles because of the law or believing what you heard? The correct answer is because of the faith they had in what they heard. Abraham stands in that tradition of believing God's word. This passage says that Abraham did not waver concerning the promise but was even strengthened in his faith. Abraham had to have children in order to become the father of many nations. He had no children and his wife was beyond child bearing age. Abraham believed and God credited that to him as righteousness. How is your faith in the Lord Jesus coming along? Christ was crucified and rose from the dead for our justification. Do you believe you are completely forgiven by this Holy God? God has delivered us from the penalty of sin, from the power of sin, and one day from the presence of sin!! As Paul says in Galatians, "For this freedom you have been set free." You all have a great free day today!

2010-03-24T00:00:00.003-07:00

Romans 4:16-17 (NIV)
16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring--not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.
17 As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.

For your information there is a whole theological system that is called promise theology. I do not want to get to technical, however I do think it is important you have some understanding of this system. Basically those that believe in this system see the Bible as one story and that story is connected to the promise that was given to Abram in Genesis 12.

1Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”£

Notice the last phrase is, "...and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." God gave a promise to Abram and God has and is carrying out that promise to it's completion.

The problem with this system and there are problems with all the theological systems is how does the church fit in since this promise was given to Abram a Jew. I believe Paul is answering all those questions in Romans and in Galatians. Because the promise was given and Abram believed, then it is by faith. That is why Paul says, "He is the father of us all." Another problem is how is the promised carried out since the law came along and we have the church. In Ephesians we have this verse. Ephesians 2:12 (NIV)
12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. The key phrase is, "...to the covenants of the promise." The covenants is what distinguishes how God worked in and through Abraham, Moses, and now through the Christ. The covenant is a special agreement between God and His people. In other words how do I know how to connect to Yahweh? The covenant gives the parameters of that relationship. Now what you have is the promise that is carried out by God and to his people through the covenants. There are three covenants and they are the Abrahamic, Mosaic, and the Christ covenant. Trust me this go on and on and on but that is it in a nut shell. I hope you all are have a great week and may God keep your family safe and in His will.

2010-03-22T00:00:00.001-07:00

Romans 4:9-15 (NIV)
9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness.
10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before!
11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.
12 And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
13 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless,
15 because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

You has been blessed? Is it those that have obeyed the law or who believe? When the law came is a very important time period to know. The law came through Moses. Moses came after Abraham and therefore the law was after Abraham. When did Abraham believe? Did he believe after his circumcision or before? He believed before he was circumcised and he believed before the law was given. We are never referred to as children of Moses, but we are referred to as children of Abraham. Abraham is the paradigm under which we practice our faith. We believe and it is credited to our account. We believe and then we are baptized, not vice versa. Paul is still arguing from chapter one that the just will live by faith! If it is through faith, then it has to be of grace. The two go hand in hand.

Faith is a reasoning trust, a trust which reckons thoughtfully and confidently upon the trustworthiness of God.

John R. W. Stott (1921– )

2010-03-19T00:00:00.003-07:00

Romans 4:1-8 (NIV)
1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter?
2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about--but not before God.
3 What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation.
5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."

Perhaps you remember me saying from time to time that the issue for the Lake Country area is the matter of law versus grace or works versus faith(both of these encompass the same problem.) I do believe it is the issue for our area, but as you can see it is an issue for a lot of people. What drives us to want to help God out on this salvation thing? What makes us finite human beings think that we have something that God needs?

Paul goes to the O.T. in order to prove his point that it has never been of works or of the law. He takes the example of Abraham and then quotes the Scriptures that when Abraham believed it was there that he received his righteousness. It was later on that Abraham was circumcised and not before. Paul then turns to wage earning as another example of why God's salvation has to be a gift. When a person works he or she collects a wage and not a gift.

Paul again quotes the O.T. to argue more on behalf of grace and this time he turns to David. The blessed life is when one knows the forgiveness of God apart from works. The reason the person is blessed is they know they are forgiven upon the basis of God's goodness. When a person tries to work off their sins they will never know if they have worked enough. There is no rest for those who try to earn forgiveness. Remember God's grace is against earning not against effort. Are you blessed?

2010-03-17T00:00:00.002-07:00

Romans 3:22-25 (NIV)
22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--

Romans 1:17 (NIV)
17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

How can a sinner become righteous? How can a sinner really have life? How can a sinner come to know in a personal way the righteous God? If you have read Stott's discourse on Romans chapter one verse seventeen you will recall that this statement, "For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed..." is not as easy to understand as it first appears. Basically he asks is it a quality of God, or is it an activity of God, or is it a gift from God? This discussion begins in his commentary on page 61. His conclusion is that this verse covers all three. The righteousness from God has to first be something that God is or it could not be from God. When God acts He has to stay true to who He is and therefore acts in a righteous way. Finally, for us it is a gift because we on our own could never achieve righteousness on our own or through the law, therefore it has to be given to us by a righteous God in Christ. In verse 22 of chapter three the argument is picked up again as Paul is driving the point home that we have to believe in order to become righteous and therefore that will give us life. In Paul's mind to become righteous in God's eyes is life. As he quotes, "The righteous will live by faith." We have been given a choice to continue to live in our sins and die for we are already dead. The other choice is to believe in Christ and enjoy life here and forever for those who believe have now come alive. Remember life begets life and if you have it you get it.

God does not justify us because we are worthy, but by justifying us makes us worthy.

Thomas Watson (c. 1557–1592)

2010-03-15T00:00:00.002-07:00

Romans 3:21-26 (NIV)
21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--
26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

I cannot put into words what a tremendous privilege it is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with strangers, or friends and family of the church. From the different people that I talked to over the weekend it would seem that many lives were touched in our different services. It is my understanding that we had 2267 for our services. It is also my understanding that over 200 follow up bags were taken--praise the Lord. When I gather the exact numbers I will let you know what they were.

The passage today covers what we attempted to do over the weekend and that is teach and preach that a righteousness from God has been revealed apart from the law. We are now freely justified by His grace--Hallelujah. One man handed me a card and he wrote, "I am on who does not believe." He closed with these words, "Maybe you could help me." I would appreciate your prayers as I attempt to meet with him in the coming days. You know as well as I do I am only a vessel and at times a weak one at that.

Let freedom ring in the name of Jesus Christ. Please pray for the many that prayed with me this weekend that they would listen to God's voice. May they continue looking at the cross and have faith in Jesus who was our atonement for our sins. God bless you all! God bless our Church--amen!

2010-03-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

Romans 3:19-20 (NIV)
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

Romans 3:27-31 (NIV)
28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.
29 Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,
30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.
31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

Paul is having to explain the relationship between law and grace. It would seem an easy subject at first glance, however it goes at the heart of the gospel and why the Messiah came to this earth. It is not as easy as it would seem. At least half of the subject in the book of Galatians has to do with law and grace. Notice the question in verse 31, "Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith?" If it is of faith then it is of grace and law has no place where there is grace. Therefore the law which was held up by Moses, David, and the prophets is nullified. This argument would be put forth by any good Jew. Jesus said this about His relationship about the law, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Matthew 5:17. The key to understanding law and grace is to understand why Jesus came to this planet. Jesus is the fulfillment of the O.T. prophecies. The O.T. is all about Jesus first and seconding coming. We need righteousness and we cannot do this ourselves even with the knowledge of the law. The law in truth aggravates our situation; it does not heal us. The law sheds light that we need help but it does not do the saving. Later Paul will show how this was true even for Abraham. Abraham believed and it was counted to him as righteousness. One of the things that the Jews had forgotten is the relationship between the law and their own faith in Yahweh. It is my contention that the Jews placed the law ahead of God and that relationship which was to be supreme. The Jewish teachers simply were the keeper of rules instead of helping them seek God with all their hearts. In a way the Jews were committing idolatry with the law. They were placing it ahead of God. Today you can thank God that there is more understanding about grace on this side of the cross. However, the battle rages on as there are those who try to bring the law back to a position that is not Scriptural. Let Jesus reign in your life and all will be fine.

2010-03-10T00:00:00.002-08:00

2010-03-08T00:00:00.001-08:00

Romans 3:9-20 (NIV)
9 What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.
10 As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one;
11 there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."
13 "Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." "The poison of vipers is on their lips."
14 "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."
15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know."
18 "There is no fear of God before their eyes."
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

Paul is in an argument with those who arguing in their heads about what he has been writing. Paul's conclusion is that we are all undone. The charge is that all are guilty before the Lord almighty. A form of preaching that was used in the day of Paul was called charuwz. This term literally means "stringing pearls." Paul was not quoting from one passage in the O.T. when he says, "As it is written:" Paul was quoting from many passages such as Ps. 14:1-3, Ps. 5:9, and Is. 53:6-9, to name a few. So whether it be the law of God or the law of conscience the function of both is to help us become aware of our real guilt. Guilt is a gift from God. To acknowledge our guilt before God and to repent is a miracle of God's grace working in us. If we know ourselves to be guilty of disobedience towards God and do nothing about it then the guilt we feel is no longer a gift, but a burden of judgment upon our own souls.

What Paul is doing in his arguments is locking the world up to the store house of God's grace. NO one is able to come to God on his or her own terms and therefore we must depend on His grace and mercy. It is a sweeping indictment of humanity, however God's grace is more than enough to bring us the abundance of forgiveness and reconciliation. We who were once dead are now raised to new life in Christ Jesus. We who were once enemies of God are now at peace with God. This passage has everything to do with Easter weekend because without Good Friday and the resurrection we would not be able to experience His grace and mercy. Go with God and enjoy the riches of His grace.

2010-03-05T00:00:00.001-08:00

Romans 3:1-4 (NIV)
1 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision?
2 Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God.
3 What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness?
4 Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written: "So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge."

Paul has started his 'diatribe' as John Stott reminds us in his book on Romans. Paul has two major audiences he has to address and they are the gentiles and then the Jews. Paul is a Jew so this question and then answer approach he uses is more than likely the objections he raised in his own mine as a Jewish teacher. If he did not raise them then in all likely hood he heard these objections when he would be in a synagogue evangelizing the Jews. The first objection to all he has been saying is what advantage is it to be a Jew? If the Jews and the gentiles are both going to be judged then what about all the promises given to the Jews by God almighty. Perhaps someone today may say, "what advantage is it to be raised in the church and be baptized?" The bottom line no one has any real advantage is they do not take advantage of what has been given to them. The gentiles and the Jews have all of creation to witness and to see and understand to some degree the power of God. It is to no ones advantage if the witnesses of His power do not not seek Him out. The Jews had been given a leg up. They not only could see His creation but they had His words given to them by their prophets. The problem with most people and not just the Jews is we do not take advantage of the advantages, but rather squander the assets that has been given to us.

Paul then raises the issue of faith as if our neglect could somehow hurt the faithfulness of God. In other words the very people that God chose to inherit His promises and in particular the promises concerning the Messiah, could in fact turn their backs on God then what about God and His faithfulness. God did not do a very good job of keeping His own people in line so He must of been asleep at the wheel. Of course the argument is put out there in order to justify their behavior towards God. I haven't been that good in obeying God, but if I as a Jew will be cut off then that diminishes God's faithfulness, therefore even as a bad Jew I still uphold the faithfulness of God. Paul answers that with verse four, "Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written: "So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge." The problem with the argument they are putting forward is that it totally man centered and not God centered. Paul calls us out and says we are the liars and not God.

Are you taking advantage of the grace of God and all that God has given to you?

2010-03-03T00:00:00.001-08:00

Romans 2:14-15 (NIV)
14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law,
15 since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)

A perceived problem in our Theology is God has no right to judge anyone who does not have the law of God. How can a person in some jungle be called a liar by God or us, if they do not have the law of God to tell them that is wrong? This was a perceived problem in Paul's day and he handles it by appealing to the law written on human beings hearts. All research reveals that in all cultures there is civil structure set up by any given people that is to govern them in their behavior. The structure that is in place will be used to judge those people. In Romans one you may recall that God will use the order of the universe to judge people for not seeking Him out. People know there is a God, they do not want to come clean.

Romans 2:17-29 (NIV)
17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God;
18 if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law;
19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark,
20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth--
21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?
22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
23 You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?
24 As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."
25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.
26 If those who are not circumcised keep the law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?
27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.
28 A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.
29 No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.

There is no doubt that Paul is addressing the Jews in these verses. Paul brings his case against the Jews down to very practical terms. If you know that it is wrong to lie then do you still lie? The Jews do have an advantage in knowing God, however if they do not exercise their faith by living as they should then it will become a disadvantage. The Jews did not want an inspection of their lifestyle but an inspection of their genitals. The outward adornment is always easier than that of the heart. If your heart is right with God then the lifestyle will follow. The danger of having the Scriptures and knowing them is the demands of God go up for those with that kind of information. Here is what one writer has said, "God's grace is against earning, but not against effort." It is God's grace that has placed us in a country with so many resources to help us to know Him and obey Him. We must lean into God's Spirit and His grace to help us live out our faith.

2010-03-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

The righteous will live by faith, it does not say the righteous shall live by works or works plus faith. The righteous will live by faith and that is the beginning and the end. A person may ask, "Why do we have to live by faith?" Paul precedes to answer that question for most of the book. Paul starts immediately in verse eighteen with these very telling words, "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all godliness and wickedness..." Paul lets us know that God is not passive about the wicked things being done. It is His wrath that is being revealed and that is at the present, not at the end times. We as humans have a problem and it is with God. How do we solve that problem? By the way as you have read the problem is worse than you think. I am jumping ahead because there are those who will say we are not ungodly and certainly not wicked so we are okay and God will say no you are not. Let the games begin. Man will play games with God. God has never ever lost. Even the wicked will try to say they didn't know any better or that they were not aware of the standard. Let the games begin. Paul's arguments goes to the heart of every issue that keeps man from having faith in Christ. People you are trying to share with have these arguments in their hearts. Make sure you read chapter one very carefully and the commentary by Stott.

Every sordid detail in this book comes back to the power of the Gospel. It is the Gospel that can blow up the chains of sin that hold people back and give them faith to live a righteous life.
When we sing Jesus is the answer we need to understand Christ is the answer and the only answer. There is no other hope,but the hope we have in Him. He is your answer right now. Believe!!!!!!

2010-02-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

Romans 2:5-8 (NIV)
5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.
6 God "will give to each person according to what he has done."
7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.
8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.

Well is there anything in these verses that is troubling to you? What about, "To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life."

What in the world is Paul saying in this verse? There are some who say "deeds not creeds." What they are saying is that for years people have honored a set of beliefs by saying them but those creeds had nothing to do with how those people lived. So a younger generation comes along and exclaims, "deeds not creeds." The problem is what informs the deeds that they would go off to do. It is not either or but both and. This verse is certainly emphasizing the truth that judgment is based on works for everyone. The disciple of Christ and the non-believer will all have to give an account of their lives. However salvation is based on faith not on works. The disciple of Christ will be at the bema seat of Christ where Jesus will examine our lives. Remember these verses.Revelation 22:15 (NIV)
15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

Galatians 5:19-21 (NIV)
19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions
21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Notice in the verses above that the word practice is used and then the words ,"...that those who live like this..." will not be getting judged for how they behaved as a disciple but they will be outside all together. Here is a thought the word Christian is only used in God's word 3 times. The word discple is used around 278 times. I will get the exact number, but the point is that the weight of Scripture is on the word disciple not Christian. Can you be a Christian and not a disciple? You all have a great weekend.

2010-02-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

Romans 2:1-4 (NIV)
1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.
2 Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.
3 So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?
4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?

Who is Paul addressing here in this section? There is legitimate disagreement as to whom Paul was addressing in Romans 2:1-16. It would seem fair to see verse 17 of chapter 2 as the real point of this section. In verse 17 Paul does start addressing the Jews. The section reads better with the Jews in mind throughout the whole section. Let's say it is not the Jews that Paul is writing too, at least it is those who hold themselves up as moral people. They are moral enough in their own eyes to pass judgment. The point of these verses is to help anyone realize that truth is the basis for God's judgment. In verse 3 Paul says, "So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things..." this is something that God would never do for God is truth not just a direction to truth. People, we, have this proclivity to not see ourselves as we really are in God's sight. No one escapes the judgment of God, that is why the just will live by faith.

While we pass judgment and do the things we condemn, God is being kind to not cut us off at the knees. It does not matter if it is a person in the bush in New Guinea, a judge in New York, a minister in Montana, or whoever it is, God is always showing us mercy and that is to draw us to Him. For many it is a stamp of approval of their lifestyle. People rationalize that nothing bad has happened to them as yet, therefore they must be okay. Everyday that God does not strike this planet with His overwhelming wrath, we all should be on our knees thanking Him for His kindness, tolerance, and patience. It is a message that Paul will relate again to us when he reminds us not to keep on sinning because we have been saved by grace. We should be eternally grateful that God sent His Son instead of His judgment. Don't worry, be happy--yes if you know Jesus.

2010-02-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

Romans 1:29-32 (NIV)
29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,
30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;
31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
32 Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

You should be a little taken back by the list of sins that Paul puts together. Paul places greed in between evil and depravity and then list gossip with slanderer and God-haters. One time I was preaching and I put my own list together as I was talking about dealing with sin in our lives. A man let me know that his sin should not be listed with the ones had I listed, since his wasn't really a sin like those sins. Never before then or after this incident has anyone been so honest to confront me about their being offended with such sin lists. All sin is sin, some sin brings more of a dire consequence, but all sin separates us form the fellowship of God.

In verse 32 we discover just how knowledgeable they really are with God's decree. They know it and then flaunt it. It is bad enough that they know it and disobey it, but they go around giving approval of those who practice such things. In the Message is said, "they hand out prizes for those who do such things." What can stop these things? It is the Gospel of God. It is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. Do you believe it? Do you believe that the answer to the ills of mankind is the Gospel or is it the Gospel and something else? We need to really wrestle with this question? Your answer may surprise you. Your practice may surprise you more.

2010-02-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

More thoughts on chapter one. In the NIV, we find verses 24 and 26 start with, "and God gave them over." Their resistance of God was so strong and resolute that God let them have their own way. Many times God is not punishing us in the since that the Lord picks up a stick and hits us over the head with it. Notice in verse 27 Paul says, "...they receive in themselves their due penalty for their perversion." Acts of disobedience will in and of themselves cause a person to reap of the flesh. What we sew is what we reap. The most dangerous position to be in for any human being is for God to give them over to their own desires.

We were made to glorify God. We were created for the Lord. The real order of things is for everything to be in it's proper relationship to God. We have ruined that order, hence the ministry of reconciliation. In Romans chapter one we see how far we have fallen. We see the need for the ministry of reconciliation. Thank God that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe. It is only the power of the Gospel that can bring a person back to the original order of things with God as the center and not man. Man really wants to play God. Man wants to be the center of his universe and anyone else that will join in to worship him.

When people see a follower of Christ, what they should witness is a person returning to the original design of the universe. The world should observe a person who has God in the center of their lives and is serving with joy and love. Think about the opportunity we have with our unchurched friends to introduce them to sanity--the right order of things. When we here things like, "it's as if the world has gone crazy," we need to say it is crazy and it went crazy a long time ago. Many strive to make the crazy things seem as normal and to take the normal things like serving God through Christ as a crazy notion and worse yet, a poisonous one at that. Ladies and gentlemen we live in a crazy world and God wants us to introduce people to sanity. Let's go for it.

2010-02-17T00:00:00.000-08:00

I was in an airport recently and of course I was in the book store. Two books are out right now that are anti-God and anti-Christian. One wants to blame Christianity for about every human ill out there and the other says that God has a problem because He does not explain suffering to us. So here we go again. These are old and warn out arguments against Christianity and yet they persist. Why? Read Romans chapter one and you will see. These arguments and others will be resurrected every generation and each generation has to look to God for the answer. The Scriptures tell us over and over again that God is not obliged to give us answers. We are obliged to give an answer to the Lord. We reverse the order of things because we think the world revolves around us. Surprise, surprise, surprise it does not revolve around us! I have friends and family who suffer and it is heart wrenching but there is a better place and God sent His Son into this world to suffer for us.

We fell and we fell hard--we chose the wrong path. Romans chapter one really puts it all on us. The Word of God gives us many answers to many of our questions and we, if we are honest don't like the answers. I have been there where I try to figure it out for myself and I find the answer in the Scriptures, but I don't like that answer. I want sight. I want touch. I want evidence on my own terms not on God's terms. I do not say any of this lightly, because I do have friends and family who suffer.

The point that will be driven home by Paul over and over again is that we are locked up to God's grace and to faith. No one has an edge above these two words. We all need God's grace and the faith to say yes to the Lord. What do you need to believe God for today? What is not there by sight that God is saying, "Believe Me."

2010-02-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

How can a loving and merciful God get so mad? I like Stott's insight into God's wrath that it is not like us humans who tend to fly off the handle. God has not lost His temper. God is revealing His wrath against people who know better. They suppress the truth in wickedness. One thing I have really come to terms with is that God is not going to judge anyone that does not deserve it. Everyone is made in the image of God and they can see all that is around them. They are connecting the dots, but do not want to admit the "crisis of belief" that would incur if they went with what their heart was telling them. We know better and still go our own pitiful way--anyways. They knew God and would not give God the credit. We must be careful of the same thing except in a different vein. When we know God has spoken to us and is redirecting our lives we must not hold back from the Lord. We must give Him the glory and have faith that leads to proper action.

Remember reading the book of Romans over and over again is one of the goals. Make sure you are picking out some verses to memorize. God bless you all.

2010-02-12T19:09:00.001-08:00

Paul was ready to preach the Gospel or as it can be translated eager to preach the Gospel to those who were in Rome(1:14). Why would he be eager to preach to those in the church? This letter is going to the church who are already believers. I have never heard a Gospel presentation that I have not been blessed by. The Gospel blesses those who already know it. Paul was going to use this church as an outpost to bless the unreached as well. Who were the unreached? Paul says that he is, "...under obligation to the Greeks and to the Barbarians, to the wise and the unwise." Many say that Rome was settled by Greeks. If you disagree with that historical note then when Alexander the Great took over much of the known world Rome was certainly part of that takeover. The Greek language was spread almost to the whole world as well as its culture. Paul is obligated to what many would say of the Greeks and that is the polished and refined as opposed to the Barbarians. The Barbarians literally meant someone who said, bar bar. Their language was ugly and inharmonious, unlike that of the Greek language that was fluid and beautiful. Paul said he was obligated to the wise and unwise. Paul was going to preach the cross to those who are educated and to the uneducated.

In verse sixteen everything comes together for this letter. All that has been said up to this point and afterwords has to do with verse 16. I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation of everyone who believes, to the Jew first and to the Greek. What can wash away my sin nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can bring you and me into a right relationship with the God of the universe--the Gospel. What is the answer that everyone is looking for it is Jesus. People are looking at so many things to bring them the happiness they long for but people are looking to the wrong things. The point is that people are looking!!!! People are searching and they do not know where to look. We must along with Paul be eager and ready to preach the Gospel of Christ. Why? We are obligated like Paul because of the grace that has been extended to us and because the Gospel is the power unto salvation.

2010-02-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

"If ever a monk got to heaven by his monkery, it was I." stated Martin Luther. What kept him awake at night was Romans 1:17, which says, "... the righteousness of God was revealed in the Gospel." Is it the righteousness that judges us for our sin or is it the righteousness we can all have by faith in Christ? Finally, Luther understood it was the righteousness revealed in Christ that we can have by faith. When Luther understood this truth he was born again!!! Listen to his own words, "'Thereupon I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through open doors into paradise." That moment changed the whole course of history. We are having this study because of Dr. Luther. Martin Luther died a Catholic. He never saw himself as starting something new, he was a reformer. He wanted to see the church renewed by the truth in God's word. He wanted everyone to hear this message and because of that burning desire he translated the Bible from Latin into German. The powers that be were not happy about him translating God's Word into the common language. Once a man asked him what would happen if common people got their hands on God's Word, to which Luther replied, "Maybe more people would get saved."

When was it that you really realized that Christ wants to impart His righteousness to you by faith? When did you begin to drink from the springs of God's grace? What changes has happened to you as a result of you placing your faith in Christ? What changes have taken place in other peoples lives because of you believing the Gospel? What would you give to see more people receive the truth of this Gospel?

2010-02-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

Good morning to all the frozen chosen,

Paul is proud of these believers in Rome. Paul says that, "... your faith is being reported all over the world." There was no Internet, let alone phones etc. but it was out that these believers were standing firm in their faith. Paul had not even been there and there was no New Testament. It is amazing that a fledgling church could survive in Rome and about three hundred years later Christianity would be announced as the official religion. Paul had them in his prayers all the time and do not believe this was some nice thing he was saying--in other words he really was praying for them.

Paul wanted to visit to impart some spiritual gift to them and then he talks about the mutual encouragement they would be to each other. How would these people be an encouragement to Paul? Their faith was in practice. To see believers in action is always an encouragement to God's people no matter their position. What you know make sure it is put to practice. You may encourage people without really knowing it but it is never wasted energy to obey the Lord!!

2010-02-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

In verse seven we see how Paul viewed his friends in Rome when he says, "To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints." What a mouth full when you stop to think about it. This city where everything in the world is worshiped including the emperors, have people who loved by Yahweh. Not are they only loved by God, but they, as we are too, are called to be saints. Sainthood has already been bestowed upon you. Our job is to live up to are calling. We are sinners who have now been loved by God and called to be saints. How do you see yourself? I believe a lot of stuff in us and most of the stuff in this world wants to pull us away from God's love and from our calling. Today celebrate that you are truly loved by God and that He sees you as a Saint!

The next verse says, "Grace and peace to you from God our Father..." It is only by His grace we are loved by God and that He blesses us with His peace. Can you claim His grace and peace for this day? Can you claim it for this weekend? Can you claim it for this week? Can you claim it for this month? Can you claim it for this year? Can you claim it for your life?

Romans 1:14-23

2010-02-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

Romans 1:14-17 (NIV)
14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.
15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome.
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."
Why? Why have outreach concerts? Why have outreach picnics? Why have a Kid's Blitz? Why do three Christmas Eve services? Why wrap presents at K-mart? Why spend money on follow-up material? Why have a big pod seating out in front of the church wrapped as if it's a Christmas box? The answer is found in verse 16 which states, "I(we) am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." The gospel is the power of God. The gospel is the dynamite that blows up the things that stand in the way of people knowing God. Sin is psychologically proofed. Sin is sociologically proofed. Sin is educationally proofed. Sin is philosophically proofed. Sin, however can be penetrated by the message of God in Christ Jesus by the power of His Spirit. Sin cannot with stand the onslaughts of God's grace! This great good news is given by God and received by faith. Do people really need to hear this message? Read the following verses just to get a taste as to how much people need to hear the gospel.

Romans 1:18-23 (NIV)
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools
23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
If you choose you can read the whole chapter for the a more vived picutre as to how much people need to hear the gospel.

The gospel is not made to dominate the world. It’s the grain of sand that upsets the world’s machinery. One can’t inhale its fragrance and be content to leave everything the way it is.

Jean Sullivan

Chapter 1 of Romans

2010-02-01T12:02:00.000-08:00

Read through the first chapter of Romans, then read the below blog

Hopefully you have read the first chapter of Romans. This is an eleven month study and we will be doing some digging in a great book and also doing some Scripture memory.

The devoted slave is the apostle Paul who had been a devoted persecutor of the church. There are those that just ignore Christ, and others who passively go after Him, but then there are those who are militant against Christ. Paul in his mind was stomping out a cult. Now he is on an assignment for this Jesus. The gospel of Jesus Christ is truly the power unto salvation for all who believe. Paul wanted to make sure that this important city truly had the scoop on who Jesus truly is--the Son of God. Jesus came from the Father and was talked of in the prophets. Jesus was the Messiah and gave many proofs of this to his followers. If you notice Paul does not separate the receiving of the message and the mission of Jesus Christ. If you have received salvation you have received the call to get this message out to others. Do you believe in Jesus Christ? Do you believe in His mission?

COMING IN FEBRUARY 2010!!!

2010-01-19T09:45:00.000-08:00

Perhaps you can't visit Rome, Italy but you can let Pastor Terry be your tour guide through the book of Romans starting in February, 2010!
On this tour you will learn from the Apostle Paul through his letter to the Christians in Rome. Some of the places you will visit on your tour are:
- The Power of the Gospel
- Freedom
- Becoming what God intended you to be
- The place of Israel in End Times
- Personal Transformation and more!
Begin by preparing your hearts through prayer and join Pastor Terry starting February 1 on this exciting journey through Romans!!

355 Monday, December 21, 2009

2009-12-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

355 2 Chronicles 17 – 18; Revelation 15

Jehoshaphat was a good king for Judah. He sought the Lord with His heart. Here is one of the accounts of him with another king:
2 Chronicles 18:5-7 (MSG)
5 The king of Israel got the prophets together—all 400 of them— and put the question to them: "Should I attack Ramoth Gilead or should I hold back?" "Go for it," they said. "God will hand it over to the king." 6 But Jehoshaphat dragged his feet, "Is there another prophet of God around here we can consult? Let's get a second opinion." 7 The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, "As a matter of fact, there is another. But I hate him. He never preaches anything good to me, only doom, doom, doom—Micaiah son of Imlah." "The king shouldn't talk about a prophet like that!" said Jehoshaphat.
Four hundred prophets told them to go ahead and attack. This did not seem to settle well with Jehoshaphat and he wanted hear another prophet. The one prophet left never had a good word for the King of Israel. Sure enough he told them in the end not to attack. Micaiah listened to the Lord. The majority many times are wrong. We have to listen to the Lord!
Seven angels that carry with them seven disasters. For some reason we do not associate angels with disasters. God will use His angels to bring punishment to those who disobey Him. In the book of Revelation the curtain is pulled back and we see the inner workings of heaven. It is obvious that there is no panic and that God is in control. This is where we have to trust Him. On the stage of life it may be utter confusion, but God is in control.

354 Sunday, December 20, 2009

2009-12-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

354 2 Chronicles 15 – 16; Revelation 14

2 Chronicles 15:5-6 (MSG)
5 At that time it was a dog-eat-dog world; life was constantly up for grabs—no one, regardless of country, knew what the next day might bring. 6 Nation battered nation, city pummeled city. God let loose every kind of trouble among them.
Perhaps this is an apt description of the world we live in today. In the midst of this chaos God wants you and me to seek Him. God will let Himself be found. The people finally turned to the Lord. Here is an account of what happened when they sought the Lord:
2 Chronicles 15:14-15 (MSG)
14 They shouted out their promise to God, a joyful sound accompanied with blasts from trumpets and rams' horns. 15 The whole country felt good about the covenant promise—they had given their promise joyfully from the heart. Anticipating the best, they had sought God—and he showed up, ready to be found. God gave them peace within and without—a most peaceable kingdom!

God's people found peace within and without. God can touch us and help us, but we have to come to Him on His terms. Will you?
It is really important to understand there is the anger of the Devil and then there is the wrath of God. This planet will see both and God's is much worse. Listen to these verses:
Revelation 14:9-11 (MSG)
9 A third Angel followed, shouting, warning, "If anyone worships the Beast and its image and takes the mark on forehead or hand, 10 that person will drink the wine of God's wrath, prepared unmixed in his chalice of anger, and suffer torment from fire and brimstone in the presence of Holy Angels, in the presence of the Lamb. 11 Smoke from their torment will rise age after age. No respite for those who worship the Beast and its image, who take the mark of its name."
It is a very good thing to always trust the Lord and follow Him no matter what the cost!

353 Saturday, December 19, 2009

2009-12-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

353 2 Chronicles 13 – 14; Revelation 13

There is a victor in this war, but they are all losers. This is God's chosen people fighting with each other. The unity has been shredded. Judah has two tribes and only had 400,000 soldiers as compared to the ten tribes to the north that had 800,000 fighters. Yet the battle was won by the smaller army. Here is why victory came to Judah:
2 Chronicles 13:18 (MSG)
18 The army of Israel fell flat on its face—a humiliating defeat. The army of Judah won hands down because they trusted God, the God of their ancestors.
Trusting God is not all pie in the sky. Trusting God not only helps you with your internal life, it also helps you in a very practical way. What are some obstacles that you are facing today? Where do you need to trust God in a practical way? Take a few minutes and write those down and then turn them over to the Lord.
As you read this chapter in the book of Revelation it is important to remember that the devil has an impostor for every real spiritual agent. The Beast and the Dragon will mesmerize people with their miracles and their display of power. They want to be worshiped and will demand to be worshiped. The mark of the Beast is for buying or selling; without it you will be unable to do those things. If you do not worship the Beast you will be killed. The mark is 666. If the church is here during this time it is a very practical thing to remember: do not get the mark of the Beast! It is a good thing to trust the true and living God.

352 Friday, December 18, 2009

2009-12-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

352 2 Chronicles 10 – 12; Revelation 12

When do you listen to your Elders and when do you not listen to them? I have been told to listen to my Elders and then even some of my wisest Elders have told me not to always listen to your Elders--sometimes you just have to lead. King Rehoboam should have listened to his Elders, but in this case he chose to listen to other counsel. The Word says he went with the advice of the younger set. King Rehoboam never recovered from that one decision. His rule was opposed from the moment they realized he had not listened to the Elders. He did gain a little footing in his rule in Jerusalem. Egypt attacked and of course won the battle. King Rehoboam then did do some repenting. Be careful who you listen to for advice. If you are your own adviser then you are really in danger.

The woman here we believe is Israel and the son is Jesus. The dragon is the devil. This is a picture of Christ being born in a battleground and not a playground. From the beginning, the evil one has opposed Israel because it was this nation that was to birth the Messiah. If you kill off Israel you kill the Messiah. If you kill all the two year olds in Bethlehem then you kill Jesus. If you kill Jesus on a cross then you finally have him! Not!!! The cross is where Jesus wanted to be caught. The book of Revelation is a behind the scenes look at the work of God on this earth. It reveals the interaction between God's decisions in heaven and how they are carried out here on earth. God truly is at work right here on earth. Rejoice in that if in nothing else.

351 Thursday, December 17, 2009

2009-12-17T00:00:00.000-08:00

351 2 Chronicles 7.11 – 9.31; Revelation 11

Everything that Solomon set out to do was done. God appeared to him and gave him this wonderful promise. It is 2 Chronicles 7:14 "...and my people, my God-defined people, respond by humbling themselves, praying, seeking my presence, and turning their backs on their wicked lives, I'll be there ready for you: I'll listen from heaven, forgive their sins, and restore their land to health." Faith and grace, there is no other way. It has always been that way and will always be that way. The promise I believe still holds true for today. God is in the restoration business. He wants all of us to be restored: the Christian, the seeker, and the non-seeker. Do you need to turn to Him? Then turn with a humble heart. Let God bless you!

This is heady stuff. The two witnesses are like God's special agents--007 and 008. Nobody can touch them. Then they do die but are resurrected. Are the two witnesses, two real people or are they organizations. I lean toward two real people, not angels or organizations. I take the time period of 1360 days as a real time period. The intensity of the last days will beyond anything we can imagine. God wins!

350 Wednesday, December 16, 2009

2009-12-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

350 Pause.

349 Tuesday, December 15, 2009

2009-12-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

349 2 Chronicles 4.1 – 7.10; Revelation 10

Solomon completes the work on the Temple. Job number one after that was to install the Ark of the Covenant. The only articles in the Ark was the stone tablets that Moses had brought down from the mountain. The Ark was placed in the Holy of Hollies. When the priest had completed this task they were all consecrated before the Lord. The musicians were there in force to help lead in prayer and worship. There were 120 trumpets alone blowing there horns--that will make some loud noise! What happened next is the miracle. The glory of God filled the Temple. God's presence was taking up a permanent residence. God, today, has taken up permanent residence in us. The latter is the bigger miracle. Blow some trumpets and celebrate that continuous miracle.

If you have noticed that there are a lot of Angels in the book of Revelation. These are real Angels of God. Some of these Angels carry out the destruction that is to come upon earth. There are other Angels like this one in today's passage that deliverers a book ie. they carry out what God would have them do. The word Angel means messenger. Angels are God's messengers.

348 Monday, December 14, 2009

2009-12-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

348 2 Chronicles 1 – 3; Revelation 9

Just because you have a great start does not mean you will finish well. Solomon had such a great foundation to be a great leader and yet faltered. His first act of leadership was a thing of beauty. He addressed the people of Israel and then they went to the worship center in order to pray and worship. It is there that Solomon asks for wisdom in order to rule God's people. The Lord blesses him with the wisdom and the wealth. Solomon got it all. It was not long before Solomon begins construction on the Temple. If you don't start well, does that mean you can't finish well?--NO! Stay focused all the way to the finish line.

Are these real locusts? I really do not know. I have been on both sides of the fence on this one. Some say they are helicopters. I don't know about that either. The way the locusts are described it would seem to be something other than locust. John says they have gold crowns, human faces women's hair etc.. Sure doesn't sound like locust. But are they helicopters? We will one day know for sure. The one thing I know for sure now is that I don't want to be here when they show up. Notice the timing for the sixth Angel to let loose the four Angels. "The Four Angels were untied and let loose, Four angels, all prepared for the exact year, month, day and even hour when they wee to kill a third of the human race." God has the last days on exact time table. Look to heavens for your help comes from there. Amen!