Weakness Is Made Strong With The Holy Spirit's Power

1 Corinthians 2: 3-5 -  I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling.  And my preaching was very plain, not with a lot of oratory and human wisdom, but the Holy Spirit’s power was in my words, proving to those who heard them that the message was from God.  I did this because I wanted your faith to stand firmly upon God, not on man’s great ideas.

 

Paul speaks of the importance of using simple language when we try to explain Christ to others. He did not worry about any weakness he might have in public speaking...or understanding of the scriptures because he knew that the Holy Spirit was right there with him feeding him every word he needed to use when he spoke.

 

I understand this concept all too well…it is what gives me the courage to put words to a blog every morning. I know that I am not compiling this blog on my own…if I was it would serve no purpose but to puff me up and render me prideful.  Because I am obedient…and listen each day to God give me insight to his word…I am able to not just understand it…but write it down in simple words for others to understand as well.

 

There is nothing complicated about the gospel.  God is the most complicated thing that exists…we haven’t seen the half of what He is capable of doing on this earth….but His love is the simplest…easiest thing to possess. And when He gives us the Holy Spirit….we begin to understand ….everything we need too…when we need to understand it.  God uses this awesome power to comfort…guide….inspire….and give us the courage to be bold evangelists like Paul…so that others can be told of this awesome ….simple love that will transform the most complicated sinner’s life.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that even though you are the most complicated thing that exists…you have given those that believe in you the power to internalize all the pieces we need to process everything you have asked us to do.  Forgive me for thinking that I am too weak for you to use.  Help me to remember to ask you for all the power that I need…and rely on the power you havealready given me in the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

What The World Considers Foolish...God Considers Wealth.

! Corinthians 1:26-29  -  Notice among yourselves, dear brothers, that few of you who follow Christ have big names or power or wealth.  Instead, God has deliberately chosen to use ideas the world considers foolish and of little worth in order to shame those people considered by the world as wise and great.  He has chosen a plan despised by the world, counted as nothing at all, and used it to bring down to nothing those the world considers great,  so that no one anywhere can ever brag in the presence of God.

 

Paul was writing to the Christians at Corinth…but he clearly states that the words God has given him to share with them are for all Christians. He tucks this truth of God’s power into a letter calling for unity …for many of the Christians there were beginning to divide themselves according to the most popular preachers. Paul was worried that the gospel would get diluted and people would attach themselves to man instead of the God that sacrificed His life for them.

 

It’s one of the hardest things for man in general to understand about Christianity….because becoming a follower of God does not guarantee us a rich life…as the world defines it.  Some of the strongest Christians I know live below the US’s standard poverty line. They don’t define their life by money…fame…or even what house they live in.   They little they have is considered great wealth to them…and they never question why God asked them to live that way.

 

True power…contentment in who God made us…and where God asked us to serve him is based on the amount of faith we have in God. It has nothing to do with how many shoes are in our closet…what outfit we buy for Easter Sunday…whether we have friends in high places…or how much we have in our bank account at any given time. It is solely dependent on how strong our relationship is with God…and our obedience to what He asks us to do.

 

God chooses to bless some with power and fame….and money.  Some of those use it to His glory…and some waste it in selfish journeys to become even greater.  Some use the power of God to stay humble like Paul…and some let pride take over and puff them up into people that usually fall apart after a time.  Makes me glad to be somewhere in the middle on the world’s scale of wealth.  I sure don’t stand a chance of becoming a millionaire….and I am far from famous. God gives me everything I need…plus just a tad over.  I needed the reminder to use that extra to help him more so I don’t get tempted to reward myself for things that might build too much pride in my heart.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that to be truly great in Your eyes I must be last. Forgive me for the times that I let the world tempt me to use its scale of greatness to measure myself. Help me to always measure myself by Your standards…always considering myself less than those around me. Thank you for the way you care for me …allowing me to live with all that I need and more. Help me to be more loving to those that have so much less than I ...but yet love you so much more than I have learned to love.  Bless them today with just a little more than they are used too…so they can feel your great power work miracles in their lives.   Amen.

Commit Your Friends And Family To God's Care

Romans 16: 25-27 -  I commit you to God, who is able to make you strong and steady in the Lord, just as the Gospel says, and just as I have told you. This is God’s plan of salvation for you Gentiles, kept secret from the beginning of time. But now as the prophets foretold and as God commands, this message is being preached everywhere, so that people all around the world will have faith in Christ and obey him. To God, who alone is wise, be the glory forever through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Paul spends some time in his last chapter listing all the important people that the Romans can go to if they have a spiritual need. He considered all the people on his list as strong brothers and sisters in Christ….people who would consider God’s will in any advice they would give others. It was a long list….and held many personal names….and many group names.

 

Paul knew in his heart that many of these people he would never see again.  God’s will for his life had taken him on a traveling path…so he could preach to as many people as possible….and tell them the  wonderful news about Jesus Christ.  He loved them dearly…so he did what would show his love for them in the greatest way…and committed them all to God for safekeeping.

 

My list of friends that are far distances away increased when God allowed me to move home.  God has blessed me to be a part of many churches….and many programs where the people I met have become great parts of my life. I also think of my children…they all live at least a couple of hours away…one lives all the way over on the west coast. I can’t possibly be with them every day ….but try to squeeze in visits whenever I can. 

 

I committed all of my kids to Gods care years ago….it is the only reason I don’t bombard them hour by hour with texts …phone calls or twitter feeds. I testify that Paul’s wisdom here is spot on…I don’t worry about them…because I know that God has a plan for them just like he does me. Perhaps that is why I didn’t worry too much about the friends I left in London KY.  I pray for them and know that God is taking care of them too.

 

One last thought….or perhaps an observation. Some people don’t understand my lack of worry…. perhaps because they have never taken this radical step in pure trust and faith in God’ plan for those that cause them worry.  My peace comes from trusting that what I committed to God is in better care than I could ever give them. It’s that peace that passes understanding that is explained in Philippians 4:7.

 

Paul says that God is able to make all these friends he had to leave behind strong…steadily building them up in the same faith that He had given Paul. Paul believed that God would come through on His promise …and I share Paul’s trust and faith. I refuse to let the world change this great promise in my mind…for it gives me more peace than any other promise I know when it comes to my friends and family I don’t get to talk to every day.

 

 

Father…thank you for reminding me of your great promise to build all believers up in faith and strength.  Forgive me for the times that I have forgotten this great promise and worried about something that is not in my control. Help me to be the long distance friend and mom that prays for my friends and family…and constantly turn any worries they share with me over to you to fix.  Amen.

Love Others More Than Yourself

Romans 15:1-3 -  We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”

 

Paul spends a great deal of his letter to remind us how important it is to understand the power God can give us to love others more than we love ourselves. As we grow in faith with God we become strong enough to let go of the need to always have our own way. Right and wrong are not a part of the picture anymore….building others up becomes our priority.

 

Paul wanted us to see that being in control was not the objective of love…letting go and loving others was more important. …even if it meant we gave up things we love.  The mature Christian has spent enough time with God that 1 Corinthians 13 doesn’t need to be read anymore…it becomes the way our heart wants to live…because our hearts have been transformed by the love Christ has shown us. It says in verses 4-7… “ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

 

I admit that I still need to read it often…to remind myself that the world was not created for me…but to please God.  I still have to work every day to rid my heart of selfish thoughts…God clearly still teaching me how to put others before myself. I am still learning patience….kindness….humility …. peace… trust… hope….perseverance and sacrificial love. I know that God will never give up on me…and make a way for me to get back on track when I stray too far from His plan.  He will help me to someday grow so much in His love that I will be as strong as Paul….humility ruling my heart…God always in first place.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to be more about helping others than I am about loving myself.  Forgive me for he times that I have let selfishness and hypocrisy rule my actions.  Help me to internalize enough of your love to let it take over my whole being…so loving others first will be a priority…just like Jesus.  Amen.

Agree To Disagree...Then Respect Others Feelings

Romans 14:14-16 - But if someone believes it is wrong, then he shouldn’t do it because for him it is wrong. And if your brother is bothered by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you go ahead and eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died.  Don’t do anything that will cause criticism against yourself even though you know that what you do is right.

 

Paul discusses unity in a way that steps on everyone toes…and feet. Instead of speaking to the pride that pushes us to prove to others that we are right…he speaks to the humility that we should have to let things go the way of least resistance. Paul isn’t talking the big stuff here…stuff like adultery and murder…and burglary….those things are against the 10 commandments.  Paul is talking about the way we interpret things…like smoking….drinking….what clothes are proper….or what music is appropriate.

 

Paul spends a great deal of time discussing how we are individuals…God will judge each of us separate. He to worry about ourselves…and stop screaming and shouting and arguing about it.  Then he adds the humble piece of the pie and says don’t do anything if it would cause another Christian to lose faith….even if we know in our heart…and can find evidence in the Bible that we are right.

 

I am pretty sure I have confessed this before…but I had a problem with drinking a while back. Alcohol for me was a comfort...a way to socialize with people that didn’t argue with me about a family budget…or how much in debt my first husband and I were in. I drank for the wrong reasons…and God told me to stop…so I did.  I could never pick up another drink…and it is very hard for me to be around it. I have to pray for strength to stay away from it.

 

BUT…I can’t tell others what to do with alcohol…God gets to do that.  I can share my testimony…how it is wrong for me…even find Bible verses that support my decision not to drink. Others can find verses that show that even Jesus drank wine….and a glass with dinner or friends is absolutely allowed. All we accomplish by arguing is discord…bitterness….even hate if we take the argument far enough. I would drive people away from God if I argued and demanded that all drinking was wrong.

 

Bottom line is that Paul says that the mature Christian knows when to fold.  If we believe that drinking is okay…then we have to not drink around those that believe it is wrong…so they can’t criticize.  If we believe that smoking is okay….be respectful of those that believe it is wrong.  If what I am wearing is offensive to someone around me…than I shouldn’t wear it around them anymore.  I need to be strong in the faith…and show my love for them by being sensitive to their needs.

 

Father...thank you for the reminder that humility is a big part of getting along with others that don’t agree with all that I believe.  Forgive me for judging others that have not been convicted by you of the same things you have convicted me of.  Help me to let Paul’s words of love and unity sink deep into my soul…so that I can be more loving to others that need your love.  Amen.

The Highest Form Of Love

Romans 13:1-2 - Obey the government, for God is the one who has put it there. There is no government anywhere that God has not placed in power. So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow.

 

Paul did not mince words here….it says clearly that we are supposed to obey the government. God allowed whomever is in power and disobeying them would be disobeying God. It does not say obey the rules you want too…or obey only if it matches with God’s law…it just says…obey the government.

 

I admit how very hard it is to let those words really govern our hearts.  Some governments are less than Godly…clearly not letting God rule the decisions of how to treat people with the love Paul talks about next. Even in the US…decisions have been made by my own government that are clearly not God inspired.

 

I think about Moses…who broke the law of his land and murdered.  God used the time that he ran to hide to teach him how to be a leader….but when God sent him back to Pharaoh…he waited for God to put the words of freedom in Pharaoh’s mouth before he left Egypt.

 

I also think of Daniel…who was thrown in a lion’s den….and his 3 friends that were thrown in a fiery furnace for not obeying the rules of prayer to their God or bowing down to the king. A decision to follow the government would have denounced their belief in Yahweh.  God used them as examples that He has complete control over all circumstances…that obeying the government has its limits if it breaks a law of God.

 

It is an example to me to never take the Bible out of context…or base a belief on one scripture alone.  God gave us a huge manuscript…full of everything we need to make the decision that follows God’s will for all mankind. Respect for the government that God is using….even if we struggle to see how it is God’s plan…is different from denouncing our faith. Paying our taxes….and following all the laws that govern the US…or the country you were born in….are our God given privilege.  The only time it is okay to break one would be if it requires us to go against what we know God has taught us with His word.

 

Paul calls it the highest form of love.He says pray for your enemies…and love them to death….even if it requires our death in the process. That is one of the things God meant with that second commandment … love others as yourself.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I am bound by your love to respect and honor the laws of the government where you have placed me to serve you. Forgive me for the times that my thoughts have been so faithless to think that you are not in control of America anymore. Renew my heart with enough faith to believe that all the evil and immoral government decisions I see in my country today are within your plan….and that you are going to use everything that happens to your glory and the good of all mankind.  Amen.

Wait For God...Don't Let Time Or The World's Influences Hurry Your Decisions

Romans 12:3-5 -  As God’s messenger I give each of you God’s warning: Be honest in your estimate of yourselves, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you.  Just as there are many parts to our bodies, so it is with Christ’s body. We are all parts of it, and it takes every one of us to make it complete, for we each have different work to do. So we belong to each other, and each needs all the others.

 

Paul used some of his words to stress how important it is to be very honest in how we measure the worth we have here on earth.  He said we should measure our value honestly….using the faith God gives us as our measuring stick….and constantly keeping ourselves aware that God created us with a specific job to do for Him.

 

Each of us are a part of a larger body…each person has value according to God’s master plan. If we use the faith God gave us when He saved us to search for our job …then we become a part of bringing that master plan into existence. Paul’s contentment in part was because he knew that He had found his job to do for Christ.

 

I am guilty of thinking that the job God gave me to do should be something that makes me happy…but that happiness…a true contentment with what I do every day is only found when it is connected to God’s will for my life.  If I try to justify my job against the standards of the world I create an imbalance in God’s plan…for the world’ standards try to increase the evil in the world. They will never be the same as God’s standards until He comes again to earth and banish evil for good.

 

Even though Paul suffered much in his lifetime...he knew that his suffering had a purpose in spreading the gospel.  It produced a happiness that no amount of worldly influence could sway because it was based on his faith in God…rather than the world’s measures at that time. Paul said to be very careful that we search for our value only by Christ’s standards…so we will have a true picture of what God gave us specifically to do for Him.

 

I will also admit that I struggle with what God gave me to do.  He blessed me with many mediocre talents…all useable in different areas of ministry for Him. Right now…it seems that He is only using the newest talent He gave me of writing…and that only to a small degree. My heart keeps telling me that there is something else He sent me here to do…but He hasn’t revealed it yet. I sure needed the reminder not to jump too soon into a job…just because I think I need to work.  I just need to chill…till God has all the pieces in the master puzzle put together that I need to do my job as well.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you have a job for me to do…and you will reveal it when your timing is complete and perfect. Forgive me for being so bad at chilling…thinking that my inactivity is wasting time.  Help me to accept the gift of time you are giving me as a way to reflect more on you…and allow you to prepare me for whatever you have planned for me.  Because of Jeremiah 29:11….I know that it will be good for me…and give me all I need to be successful and prosperous in this world till you call me home to live with you. Amen.

God Is Good...God Is Severe

Romans 11:22 - Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is very hard on those who disobey, but very good to you if you continue to love and trust him. But if you don’t, you too will be cut off.

 

It is a short passage…..and Paul gives it with no explanation.  God holds the power to be kind as well as the power to be severe. Paul’s only commentary on this fact is that God blesses us when we obey and walk in His will….God punishes us when we step outside His will and begin to let our flesh call the shots.

 

Paul was trying to explain to the Gentiles why God had allowed them to be part of His great chosen family…as well as explain to the Jews that they could change their mind about Jesus.  But this passage holds a great truth that many struggle with…God is generous and unyielding. He will do what it takes to save the ones He knows will turn to Him.  God has the ability to see ahead of the pain He allows...to see if it will break us…or make us stronger.

 

I admit that I wish Paul had explained this truth of God a little more…for I am sure that I am not the only one who struggles with the decisions God makes that bring calamity on the human race. There was Jonah…who found himself inside the belly of a great fish when he tried to disobey God. There was Lots wife…who turned into a pillar of salt when she disobeyed. Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed completely for their sin…but Lot and a few of His family were saved.

 

Perhaps Lot was holding His wife’s hand when she turned to salt…and it burned a constant reminder in his heart to love God more than anything else. Perhaps the death of David’s first child with Bathsheba….served as a constant reminder that as great as God had made him…he could still fall to sin. Perhaps 911 was a wakeup call to America…as great as God has blessed us…he can take it all away in a moment.

 

I am comforted with the knowledge that anyone caught up in the severe decisions of God are also caught up in His arms when death results. They are like that thief on the cross…who are with Jesus in paradise as soon as breath leaves their body.  I am also comforted knowing that those who remain behind to live with the pain have one more chance to believe. God can use their stories of strength and courage to go on to help others come to know him.  I don’t have to understand why…even though my heart still wants to ask that question…  just accept that God is in control and has a master plan to use it to further His kingdom.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you are both kind and severe. Forgive me for the times that I have disobeyed and given you an opportunity to punish me with your severity. Forgive me for the times that I fail to see your hand in the things that happen around me and trust that they are to bring about good and not cause harm without reason. Help me to stand courageous and strong…so I may remain faithful through any storm that you allow as a punishment or discipline to myself or others. Amen.

Is Your Zeal Misdirected?

Romans 10:1-4 - Dear brothers, the longing of my heart and my prayer is that the Jewish people might be saved.  I know what enthusiasm they have for the honor of God, but it is misdirected zeal.  For they don’t understand that Christ has died to make them right with God. Instead they are trying to make themselves good enough to gain God’s favor by keeping the Jewish laws and customs, but that is not God’s way of salvation. They don’t understand that Christ gives to those who trust in him everything they are trying to get by keeping his laws. He ends all of that.

 

Paul‘s deep longing is to help the Jews understand that the Messiah came and they missed Him. They were so busy refining the 10 laws that Moses was given….so busy being religious…that they failed to see the fulfillment of many scriptures in Jesus Christ. They even twisted the law so much that they thought the only way to God was to earn His love through the obeying the law.  He called their love of the law “misdirected zeal.”

 

Paul sure makes me think about the difference in a relationship with God…and organized religion. I spent many a year of my life thinking that one faith worshiped God more correctly that another. Then God put situations in my life where I was exposed to the worship of other faiths. I don’t think that one ‘religion’ is more ‘Christian’ than another now….I see the many different ‘religions’ express they love for God in different ways.

 

I am learning that the most important thing is that we love God with all our heart and soul and mind….and that the second most important thing is to love others as myself. Jesus told us that in Mark 12 and Matthew 23. I am letting go of the notion that corporate worship has to be one specific way to please God. The more important thing is your relationship with him does not become misdirected zeal…thinking that one way is the only way to worship.  There is only one way to God…and that is through Jesus Christ.  But there are as many ways to worship Christ as there are people…for every relationship to God is as individual as a fingerprint.

 

I think it is time for me to let go of the notion that one needs to be a part of one certain religion….and think more about how my relationship with Christ draws others to His truth of salvation.  I hope I won’t ever lose the feeling that I need to be a part of an organized body of Christ….I thrive on the fellowship…the Bible study…the worship of God in music. I just don’t want my love of corporate worship to replace my need to spend time with God alone….for it is this time that He truly reveals His plan to me.

 

Father…thank you for reminding me that your love is as personal as there are people to love you. Forgive me for all my misdirected zeal….and letting it blur the reality of how your love can change my heart and soul and mind.  Help me to use the Bible to teach me how to love you the deepest that I can….to worry about my relationship with you more than I do how and where I worship. Amen.

How Much Do You Love Others?

Romans 9:1-3 - O Israel, my people! O my Jewish brothers! How I long for you to come to Christ. My heart is heavy within me, and I grieve bitterly day and night because of you. Christ knows and the Holy Spirit knows that it is no mere pretense when I say that I would be willing to be forever damned if that would save you.

 

Paul does not hide his deep emotions for his Jewish brothers and sisters.  He wanted so badly for all of them to accept Jesus as the Messiah and let go of the past that bound them to unbelief and eternal death. He was willing to trade his own salvation for the salvation of those God called first to be His.  He was willing to trade his life for the lives of others…many he did  not even know personally.

 

Paul had read all the prophecies in Hosea1 and 2…and Isaiah 10 and knew that some would ultimately reject the one thing that could save them forever.  But his heart still burned with a passion to convince as many as he could that Jesus was real …that Jesus was their only hope. That the very God the Jews clung to had indeed sent them a Messiah and made a way for all to be saved without any more blood sacrifices.

 

I am reminded that I have not reached Paul’s level of compassion for those that are not a part of God’s family yet. His passion was the sacrificial love that John 15:3 talks about…..it says… “ Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” I may have a touch of that kind of love for my family….and maybe a few close friends…but not for strangers or people I have never met.

 

I needed the reminder to care more for the lost in this world…to use what God has given me to help Him save as many people as can be saved. Even though I know the Bible says some will never believe….it is worth the one that will believe…. to go full throttle with who God places in my pathway. I need to speak the words Paul used in chapter one…and not be ashamed of the gospel…passionately sharing it with others everywhere I go…praying for the salvation of the lost…until I have no more life in me.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to have more compassion for the lost in this world.  Forgive me for the times that I have let selfish ambition make me more of an ultimate hypocrite than a person who spreads the gospel to many that will die because of their choice to reject you. Give me a heart that cares as much as Paul did for the lost…and then give me the courage and boldness and wisdom of your word that will help me spread your love to all that I meet.  Amen.

The Holy Spirit Is Our Personal Prayer Warrior

Romans 8:26-28 - 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 through wordless groans.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[i] have been called according to his purpose.

 

Paul takes a lot of time in Romans to help explain the nature of sin and the power it could have if we let it have control of our lives. Then he takes a few moments to remind us that once we accept Jesus as our savior…..once we trust in his promises….he sends to us the Holy Spirit as a comforter…a guide…a prayer warrior.

 

It is one of my favorite promises of God.  God knew that there would be times when our physical bodies would be so over whelmed that He let one of the job descriptions of the Holy Spirit be interceder. Even when we have no clue what to do or how to pray for help…the Holy Spirit is lifting up exactly what we need to God….taking up where our weaknesses begin to cut us off from God’s help.

 

I am reminded that we have to remember that the Holy Spirit already knows God’s perfect will for our lives. His prayers on our behalf are always in accordance with that perfect will. They are to bring about God’s purpose here on earth...not always to bring us immediate happiness. They are for the good of all that Love God…not just the good of my individual relationship with Him.

 

I admit that I wish I could hear those prayers out loud….instead of the wordless groans Paul describes here. Perhaps if I could hear the prayers the Holy Spirit lifts on my behalf…I might understand God’s will for me…I might understand more easily how my life and task for God fits into the big picture that involves all Christians. It seems the older I get…the more I learn about my God…the more of a Thomas I become. I think I need way more tangible evidence than God sometimes gives me.

 

I needed the reminder that God gave me the Holy Spirit to help me through the hard times when we can’t see what’s coming around the corner.  I have an unseen helper that takes over for me when I think I am too weak to continue. I have a surrogate…that does for me what I can’t sometimes do for myself.  Perhaps that is why God doesn’t give up on us…but chases after us when we get off track.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you gave me the Holy Spirit when I put my life in your hands. Forgive me for the times that I forget that the Holy Spirit is building me up through constant intercession with you…and even though I am not allowed to hear the words He lifts on my behalf… I can always be encouraged that they are for the good of all Christians…and fully within your will.  Help me to call on this powerful prayer warrior more often…so I can feel His power wash over me in the times that I feel lost or clueless about what you would have me to do.  Amen.

God Is Our Only Defense Against Sin

Romans 7:4-6 -  When your old nature was still active, sinful desires were at work within you, making you want to do whatever God said not to and producing sinful deeds, the rotting fruit of death.  But now you need no longer worry about the Jewish laws and customs because you “died” while in their captivity, and now you can really serve God; not in the old way, mechanically obeying a set of rules, but in the new way, with all of your hearts and minds.

 

Paul saw the Jewish laws as a hindrance to some Jews that clung to their belief that the Messiah had not come yet.  He tried to explain that when someone died…using marriage vows as an example…that the vows were dissolved. He wanted them to understand that keeping a set of rules did not save them…Christ had come…given His life for them…and paid the debt for all sin. When He arose victorious over every penalty for death that needed to be paid to His father…the need for following a set of rules was dissolved. 

 

The rules were not abolished…they are still useful to help us identify sin in our lives. It is the relationship we build with God that shows us how to serve Him…as Paul says…with our whole heart and mind.  The laws never had the power to save us…Christ gave us that when He willingly gave His perfect life on the cross to pay the penalty for all sin…the  last blood sacrifice that would ever be needed to atone for sin.

 

He goes on to talk about the power of sin to control us. One of my greatest comforts is knowing that as powerful and faithful as Paul was…he still struggled daily with the power of sin to trick and fool his heart into sin. Following a set of rules gives us absolutely no power…it weakens us if we think that we are capable of earning our salvation.  The real power comes when we turn all our thoughts and actions over to God….allowing Him to do all the fighting we need done against sin.

 

I struggle with sin every day. He identifies a new sin every morning that I need to remove from my heart and life.  I know what Paul is saying is true…because when I try to fight against sin on my own I fail quickly and completely against it. But…. when I invite God to do the fighting…sin runs quickly away from me…and God overcomes the many roadblocks of sin that are presented to me… to help me build a deeper relationship with Him.  The deeper the relationship we build together…the quicker I call on Him for help. 

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you have power over sin that I do not.  Forgive me for the times that I have allowed sin to overpower me and fool me into situations that caused me to sin…even justify it as something good.  Help me to stay so connected to you that I can notice the tricks of sin even before you help me see it with daily study of your word and prayer.  Thank you in advance for all the sin you have helped me to identify…and for the power you have to remove it from my life.  Amen.

Die To Sin....Rise To new Life In Christ

Romans 6:9-11 - Christ rose from the dead and will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him.  He died once for all to end sin’s power, but now he lives forever in unbroken fellowship with God.  So look upon your old sin nature as dead and unresponsive to sin, and instead be alive to God, alert to him, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Paul begins to explain the power we have as Christians to resist the natural tendency of our flesh to sin. When we accept Christ into our heart…His power to control sin is placed there.  It should replace the old sin nature…letting it die…just as Christ died on the cross. And we don’t even have to wait 3 days to rise again to new life in God….we can live in Christ’s power immediately after believing in Him.

 

It’s one of the hardest concepts of Christianity to grasp.  How can we be as powerful as Christ….warding off satan with memorized scripture….always choosing God’s will over our own. Paul gives us just a bit more details later in Galatians 2:20…. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

 

Perhaps the problem is that we never truly die completely with Christ…we take our sins to the cross….but we don’t leave them there completely. We carry a portion of our sins to the cross…but some of it never gets nailed to the cross with us when we die to our sins.  Or perhaps death …even if it is our sins….is too scary a concept…so we go to the cross and never really let God have complete control.  I admit that I am a combination of these scenarios. I resemble the words that Paul uses in the next chapter … Romans 7:15 says…. “ I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.” 

 

What Paul is telling us here is that we need to sanctify our new life in Christ.  It is the growth in Him that helps give us the power we need over sin in our life. God sets us apart to be His…holy…complete…. strong… alive and passionate about the purpose God has for our life. I admit once again that it isn’t always easy to identify that purpose…sometimes we have to wait on His timing to see it. That’s where faith comes in…and pure obedience helps to fill the time gap while we wait on Him to reveal what He sent us here to do for Him.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you want all of me to die to sin…so you can fill me up completely with your purpose and plan for my life.  Forgive me for the times that I have held back…even subconsciously… and not allowed you to control everything in my life. Help me take all my sins to the cross this morning…and leave them there for you to deal with. And while I am at your feet….allow me to soak in so much of your presence that life doesn’t keep me from seeing the purpose you have for me.  Amen.

Experience Real Peace And Joy More Often

Romans 5: 1-2 - So now, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith in his promises, we can have real peace with him because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.  For because of our faith, he has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to actually becoming all that God has had in mind for us to be.

 

Paul speaks here of a very precious commodity. He speaks to the Christians at Rome about how a deep  inner peace comes with a relationship with Christ.  It is his power within our hearts that gives us the ability to experience real contentment and joy…as we strive to stay within His will each moment that He allows us life.

 

Problems become ways for God to develop patience …patience develops strength of character….and that builds a trust in God that brings a deep contentment and joy no matter what we are facing. We feel His love so real and tangible inside us that nothing is able to shake the feeling of complete trust and confidence He has given us.

 

I admit that I am not completely controlled by this perfect peace yet.   God is still teaching me patience and building character. My darkest times….the times when I still struggle the most are when I can’t readily see how God is using me. It is so much easier to thank Him for a particular struggle when I am allowed a glimpse of how He is using the struggle He has helped me through to help others.

 

I am getting better at waiting for these glimpses.  I am learning that sometimes it is just a matter of  paying close enough attention to God that I see more of the glimpses He sends to power that peace inside me. We all struggle with what my Life Application Bible called the two sided reality of the Christian life. We are complete in Christ…always able to slip into His presence any time we choose…but to grow in strength and faith we must go through the struggles before us…experience the pressure of sin just as Jesus was tempted in the Wilderness.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you are my source of perfect…unsurpassable peace and joy.  Forgive me for the times that I allow the darkness to overwhelm my heart…and wonder if you are using me.  Help me to pay better attention to the things that happen around me …so that I will see the numerous chances to be used of you that I might miss each day.  Amen.

Exchange Your Sin For Greater Faith

Romans 4:20 – 22 -  But Abraham never doubted. He believed God, for his faith and trust grew ever stronger, and he praised God for this blessing even before it happened.  He was completely sure that God was well able to do anything he promised.  And because of Abraham’s faith God forgave his sins and declared him “not guilty.”

 

Paul used the model of Abraham to help explain the concept of God’s gift of grace and mercy. He wanted everyone to understand that we do not earn God’s love…our sin prevents us from ever working hard enough to pay the debt of death that we all owe for the sin in our life. God’s forgiveness and salvation is a free gift that we accept when we have faith…the ability to believe in what God can and is going to do…just because He loves us.

 

It is one of the best deals in existence…we give God our sin…and he gives us His goodness and forgiveness. Once He has cleaned out all that sin from our heart…He can come move in…and bring with Him His father and the Holy Spirit. They become our best friends….and we begin to take on Their characteristics….especially the ability to love and forgive others.  The rules are there to simply expose any sin that tries to creep back in to our heart…cause its great roommates can’t live where sin lives.

 

The other great characteristic that we develop once God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit take up residence in our hearts is an ability to trust and believe in every promise that He made to us through the scripture. If we keep sin from moving back in…that faith grows stronger and stronger…helping fuel us through the tough times of life. That’s really what faith is…not hoping that something will happen….but knowing for sure that it will happen…no matter how long it takes.

 

My favorite promise is Jeremiah 29:11. He knows the plans He has for my life…they are going to prosper me…and give me hope to live with joy and contentment…whatever the future holds….. paraphrase mine.  All that is required of me is to daily expose any sin that has tried to creep into the heart I gave to God when I was 14. God…does the rest…for He is able to do anything He has promised….AND…I believe that He will.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that You can and will do all that you promised. Forgive me for the times that I allow sin to creep into my life and slow down the process of exchange. Help me to keep sin from moving in to my heart…so You can build enough faith in my heart to last through the waiting times …no matter how long you ask me to wait.  Amen.

Faith Is More Than A Word

Romans 3:30 – 31 -   God treats us all the same; all, whether Jews or Gentiles, are acquitted if they have faith.  Well then, if we are saved by faith, does this mean that we no longer need obey God’s laws? Just the opposite! In fact, only when we trust Jesus can we truly obey him.

 

Paul has the difficult job of trying to explain that even though the Jews were chosen to be God’s special people...they no longer have the only ticket to salvation.  God may have entrusted them first with His law…but when Jesus …the Messiah…was born from that culture...the specific line of David…he opened a door of faith for all to believe and become part of the family of God. 

 

God treats all people the same…He requires only that we develop a faith in Him that changes our concept of obeying His law. Faith is so important in developing a relationship with God. I love the way my Life Application Commentary explained it’s significance.  First….faith eliminates human pride.  Next…it exalts God. Faith also makes salvation possible. Exploring faith at its deepest levels helps us admit that we can’t keep the law on our own.  Our belief is based on our relationship with God…not on performance for God.

 

I admit that my faith is still in the growing stages. I could beat myself up every time I pray for wasting so much of my early Christian years acting just like the Jews that Paul was trying to help understand that they were not entitled to anything…just because they were Jews. The name…the title of Christian did me no good until I began to develop a relationship with God that showed me that my faith is what helps me conquer the bad in my world.  And….The older I get...the more I experience of the world…the more I need God’s power to give me peace and contentment like Paul.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I am in daily need of building as much faith in you as I can.  Forgive me for the times that I lean a little too much on myself…and forget that trusting you with everything will always turn out better in the end.  Help me to daily ask you for a greater portion of faith than I had the day before…so that I too can battle temptations and the struggles of this world with you always by my side. Amen.

Be More Humble Than Proud...Willing To Confess Than Argue Righteousness....Loving And KInd Than Judgmental

Romans 2:21-24 - Yes, you teach others—then why don’t you teach yourselves? You tell others not to steal—do you steal? You say it is wrong to commit adultery—do you do it? You say “Don’t pray to idols” and then make money your god instead.  You are so proud of knowing God’s laws, but you dishonor him by breaking them.  No wonder the Scriptures say that the world speaks evil of God because of you.

 

Paul was trying to help the Christians at Rome understand that sin had no levels of severity.  Anything that kept God from being number one in their lives was a sin…and all sin would be punished the same way.  God’s judgment will not be run like the courts…it will be a simple verdict…guilty…or forgiven.  All who are found guilty will be sentenced to death…all who have been forgiven and repented of the sin in their lives will be granted a home in Heaven.

 

Paul was trying to help them see the importance of humility in their hearts….that we all think too highly of ourselves. Paul wanted these early Christians to understand the difference in a spirit filled confidence….and a self-filled ego. Repenting and confessing sin….turning our lives over to God and letting him give us the power to resist sin…instead of letting sin find ways of justifying itself within our lives.

 

I am guilty…I admit a newly identified sin to God every morning…sometimes more than once a day. That’s what happens when you start to talk with Him every day.  He sweetly reminds me every time I read His word that I need to focus on ridding my heart of one more twisted thought that leads me to sin. I will be a sinner the rest of my life…but the neat thing about knowing God personally is that He can forgive me and allow me to purge my life of that sin so I can be with Him in Heaven someday.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that sin is sin…and I am a sinner. Forgive me for the times that I let sin make me too proud and self-righteous to see the sins that you need removed from my life.  Help me to always be more humble than proud …more willing to confess than argue righteousness….more loving and kind than judgmental.  Amen.

Don't Speak To Sin Before You Ask God For His Perfect Words Of Love

Romans 1:25-27 -  Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So they prayed to the things God made, but wouldn’t obey the blessed God who made these things. That is why God let go of them and let them do all these evil things, so that even their women turned against God’s natural plan for them and indulged in sex sin with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sex relationships with women, burned with lust for each other, men doing shameful things with other men and, as a result, getting paid within their own souls with the penalty they so richly deserved.

 

Paul was writing a letter to the Christians at Rome….whom he had not met yet. He knew that one of the things they faced daily was the culture that had developed in that city for all kinds of sexual sin. He needed to denounce the practice of these things and clearly let them know the penalty if they chose to continue to be a part of these things not supported by the scripture that they had at that time.

 

I love the way Paul presents the truth to these people.  His words are dripping with love…not hate and anger.  He presents the plan God created for them….tells why they started doing these things in the first place…why God allows it to continue…then states the great penalty for continuing to practice these sexual sins and justify them as normal.

 

I couldn’t help but see our world mirrored in these descriptions of what these Romans were doing.  My heart was reminded that so many people are engaged in many of the same activities…calling them normal choices they were born to live out. American government has actually reached the point that these things have been declared legal. But the Bible is very clear here.  God created a man…then he created a woman….his plan was to allow them companionship...helpers to life…  He created their two different bodies so that intimacy between them would create a child to populate and raise up people for God to have a relationship with.

 

I have some friends that feel that these alternate partner choices are their right and God condones it….even created them to live that way. I taught a lot of students that are involved in these lifestyles.   I hope I can be as loving as Paul when I am given a chance to present what the Bible says….so they will want to listen…so the truth can seep down into their hearts and they can be free of the chain that makes them believe anything else could bring them the happiness that God could give them if they let these thoughts go.

 

I have heard many arguments of why they choose the same sex relationships. They all reflect a past that was abusive with the opposite sex….or a younger dating relationship that was hurtful…or some just say they felt no sexual drive with what God created as his plan. They never see the final seed that satan plants in their heart to give them the courage to cross over to what the Bible clearly says is a sin….never feeling the wrong…never understanding how far they will drift from the truth.

 

I am driven this morning to pray for all of us….those of us that shout hateful messages of you will die and go to hell…those that love the person…but clearly let them know that homosexual practices do not glorify or make God happy with us….and those that are too fearful to ever discuss the subject with anyone.  There is another side…the ones who have chosen homosexual partners are just as eloquent in speaking their justifications…some even find passages in the Bible to support what they have chosen.  They also have those that shout hateful comments to those that try to approach them…call us hypocrites.  They have those that love despite the hurtful words hurled at them.  And some just cower and never even let the world know what they are thinking in their hearts.

 

Father…thank you for reminding me that I am to love the person that you created...and run far away from the sin that has entangled so many people in our world today. Forgive me for the times that I have driven someone farther from choosing life with you because I have presented your truth in an unloving and hypocritical way.  Help me to be like Paul…and ask you for the perfect words of love to help each person tricked into sin to see the truth of how it will ultimately destroy what life they have. Amen.

Sync Your Eyes ....And Ears....And Heart With The BIble

Acts 28:24-27 -  Some believed and some didn’t.  But after they had argued back and forth among themselves, they left with this final word from Paul ringing in their ears: “The Holy Spirit was right when he said through Isaiah the prophet, ‘Say to the Jews, “You will hear and see but not understand,  for your hearts are too fat and your ears don’t listen and you have closed your eyes against understanding, for you don’t want to see and hear and understand and turn to me to heal you.”’

 

Paul goes through a bit more craziness on the island of Malta. He is bitten by poisonous snakes and is not hurt….heals the relative of the governor…and is allowed to preach for a bit before they finally leave for Rome. It leads the guards to trust and treat him more kind than they treated others prisoners.  Even in Rome he is not really treated like a prisoner…he is allowed to live there for two years in the house of his choosing…under the careful eye of a person guard…but no other restrictions are imposed.

 

Luke ends his story telling us how Paul was finally able to complete God’s promise of carrying the gospel to the area of Rome.  Then he finishes with Paul’s thoughts on how the prophecy of Isiah 6:9-10 rang true in his own preaching. So many people heard the gospel because he was obedient to God through so many hardships…but many of them chose not to respond to it…  ears …. heart….and eyes just not synced to God completely.

 

The world is no different now.  America in particular is experiencing this prophecy in a real way these days. A church on every corner…yet crime is at an all time high…some crime against the church itself.  New laws are being penned every day that expand the legal choices of all Americans…whether they are supported by God’s word or not. People can pretty much make their own rules these days…and many do….some even justifying God as a part of them.

 

My Sunday School lesson yesterday brought my mind back to the great words of Joshua 24…just a few words of 14-15….”choose you this day whom you will serve”…..”my house will serve the Lord.”  Paul chose God too…and let everyone know about it…no matter what the cost was to his own person.  That’s what happens when someone hears the gospel…and lets what their eyes and ears heard sync with their heart. Our eyes and ears and heart work together to be obedient to the task God sent us to do in the first place…no matter what struggles or problems we encounter along the way.

 

I admit that even though I have chosen God…I am no Paul…or Joshua.  I think sometimes that Paul wrote Romans 7:21 about me. It says….So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.” That is just our flesh struggling to rise above the sinful nature we were born with.  If Paul and Joshua …as much as they struggled….could do it…I can too if I have enough faith.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to sync my heart with my ears and eyes many times a day to stay completely in contact with you. Forgive me for the times that I go days…and let the flesh side of me stay in control too long.  Help me remember each time I talk with you to sync what I have been exposed to that day with everything the Bible has taught me about how to live a complete life in you. Amen.

Value Others More Important Than Yourself

Acts 27:23-25 -  “For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me  and said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul—for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God has granted your request and will save the lives of all those sailing with you.’  So take courage! For I believe God! It will be just as he said!  But we will be shipwrecked on an island.”

 

Paul was finally loaded on a boat to Rome...but there was trouble after trouble on the way. They made it as far as Fair Haven with decent traveling weather….Paul not feeling very positive about moving on….but the decision to go was made anyway by the ship’s crew. In the end…it proved to be disastrous….but because of Paul’s prayers…no one died. Even though the ship was grounded and pulled apart…they all made it to a nearby Island… by swimming or floating ashore on the debris of the ship.

 

What impresses me the most about this story is that Paul did not just pray for his own safety…he prayed for all the people on that boat.  God even gave the head guard Julius….a kind heart toward Paul…so that the other officers traveling with Paul and the other prisoners would not be killed to prevent them running away.

 

God ultimately wanted Paul to minister in Rome…but Paul was not the only life he protected on that ship.  God had a purpose in every moment of trouble that the whole crew suffered through.  God saved them all for a reason. He even sent an angel to Paul in the night to comfort him and encourage him not to be afraid. How cool ….how overcome with joy for a positive answer to his prayers…how awestruck Paul must have been to speak with the angel that night.

 

I admit that my prayers concentrate mostly on my own needs.  I have a few lists of other needs that I lift up in prayer….but I sure don’t have Paul’s resolve to put everyone’s else’s needs even with my own. I needed the reminder that my prayers should count all the ones I pray for just as important as myself. I needed the reminder that I may not have grown out of my selfish nature as much as I thought.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you love all people and my prayers should reflect the needs of all those around me. Forgive me for the times that I have prayed selfish prayers just for my own needs…and left to chance the needs of others. Help me to be more like Paul….counting all that are around me as important to God….and proving it by lifting them up in prayer more fervently and passionately.  Amen.