Category: Romans
Living by God’s Word
Scripture reading for August 19: Job 23:10-12 “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tried me, I shall come out as gold. My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and have not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my portion of food.”
Matthew 4:4 “But He answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Job’s trial of extreme loss and then sickness approaching death was allowed by God to prove that Job served God for Who He was, not just for the benefits God gives those who trust Him. God knows everything about us, including the genuineness of our faith. We don’t have all the inside information of why God allows these tests, but they bring out of us amazing faith and confessions. Job confessed that God knew all about his walk of faith. Job was confident that when the test was over, he would come out like gold from the fire–free from impurities.
He had sought to walk closely with God and to keep His commandments. He stated that he treasured God’s Word more than his portion of food. This reminds us of Jesus’ confession when Satan tempted Him to turn stones into bread after a forty day fast. Jesus stated that “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) (Deuteronomy 8:3) Faith also comes by hearing God’s Word. (Romans 10:17) Job was revealing where his faith came from and how he knew his faith was genuine.
As we go through various trials, Peter tells us to rejoice in the testing of our faith. Faith is more precious than gold that is perishing as it is part of creation. Faith in God leads to eternal life and eternal joy–kept in heaven for us and soon revealed in Jesus’ return. “Come, Lord Jesus!” is the last prayer of the church recorded in Scripture! (Revelation 22:17, 20) Amen!
Cries up to Heaven!
Scripture reading for August 5: 1 Samuel 5:11-12 “They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people.” For there was a deathly panic throughout the whole city. The hand of God was very heavy there. The men who did not die were struck with tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.”
In today’s story from Scripture, the Philistines, enemies of Israel, had captured the ark of God and they were having great troubles everywhere that they took it. First they took it to the temple of Dagon and set it before their idol god. The next day, Dagon was lying on his face before the ark of God. They set the idol up again and the next morning, Dagon lay dismembered before the ark with the head and hands on the threshold of the temple. The people also noticed tumors growing on their bodies for God’s hand was heavy on them. There was great fear and panic in the whole city and countryside that caused them to cry out to heaven themselves. Their leaders devised a plan to move the ark of God out of their city. Offerings would be made of gold tumors and gold mice, five of them, for each of the lords of the Philistines. They put the ark on a new cart with two milk cows pulling it.
Have you ever had the ‘hand of the Lord’ heavy on you? These Philistines were Gentile idolaters but God had shown them mercy by coming near to them. They instead put God’s ark in their temple and continued their idolatry. Judgment from God fell and resulted in tumors and deathly fear and panic. They began to cry out and the cry went up to heaven. God showed them mercy in removing His presence and allowing them to continue in the darkness of idolatry.
As believers in Jesus, we are no longer under the curse of the law of sin and death. Jesus has bought and paid for our deliverance and for our healing. When attacked by cancer or disease, we go to our Father and He hears because He lives in us through His Holy Spirit. We trust His promises by faith. His hand is not heavy on us, but reaches out to lift us up and take us through! (Romans 8:37-38) Amen!
Messiah Suffered Silently
Scripture reading for July 15: Isaiah 53:7-8 “He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of My people?”
Romans 5:8-9 “. . but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God.”
Isaiah goes on describing prophetically the Messiah Who would come to save Israel, His people. This Messiah would come as an ordinary man, having no form or majesty that people would recognize. He would suffer oppression and be afflicted with suffering. Isaiah described Him to the people as a “Lamb that is led to slaughter” or “a sheep silent before the shearers.” The implication is innocence and willingness to be slaughtered or sheared! Jesus did not protest His innocence or promote the cause He was willing to die for. He humbly obeyed His Father’s plan.
It was justice that would take His life from the human point of view. The religious folks were plotting His death and setting up false accusations. They demanded a guilty verdict from Pilate and a criminal be set free. But it was to satisfy the justice of God that motivated the Messiah to suffer silently. God’s heart of mercy was demonstrated through the willing sacrifice of His only Son for sinners and rebels who pridefully oppressed Jesus and demanded that He be crucified. Isaiah again posed a question: “as for His generation, who considered that He was cut out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of My people?” The answer was most did not because they failed to believe God’s prophetic Word and receive revelation of the saving mercy planned through His Messiah.
Prayer: Father God, I am amazed that You would love us so much as to willingly and silently take the penalty for our sins in Your own Son’s body. Forgive me for remaining silent about this Good News. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and heart of mercy for the lost that I might proclaim Jesus as Lord. Amen.
Jesus our Sin Bearer
Scripture reading for July 14: Isaiah 53:4-6 “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned –everyone–to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
Isaiah, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit about seven hundred years before Jesus Christ, pours out the prophetic account of God’s plan to send His Messiah to earth on a mission. That mission was to save lost people from the consequence and penalty of their sins through substitutionary sacrifice. He has asked God’s people if they believed the report from God that he was delivering. This understanding would come by revelation from believing God’s Word.
Isaiah described the Messiah as One Who bore our grief and carried our sorrows. He would experience the life of fallen humans in a sin-cursed world full of sickness, disease, and sorrows of death. But those observing Him would think that God was punishing Him for His own sins. But the very opposite was what this Messiah would do. He would willingly be pierced for sinners’ transgressions, He would suffer crushing punishment for our own sinning. The beating that He would endure was for our own peace and the wounds He suffered would bring lost people healing.
Isaiah then noted that all of mankind were like sheep who had gone astray. Each person had turned away from God’s way to his own way of sin and self-will. Truly, all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. (Romans 3:23-24) But God’s plan through His Son, Jesus Christ was that our iniquity would be laid on Him. He would suffer the penalty of sin–death–on our behalf. Through Him we would be justified by faith in God’s Good News.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your amazing plan of redemption for all of us who have turned to our own way! Thank You for bringing healing and forgiveness and restoration of eternal life through the willing obedience of Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. By His wounds, I am healed! Amen!
Day 2–Though Many We Are One
Scripture reading for March 24: Romans 12:3-6 “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given us, let us use them: . . .”
The body of Christ is composed of many members with various giftings and talents and abilities. Paul, writing to the Roman believers, encouraged them to hold their own giftings with great humility. It is God Who has blessed us with our abilities and gifts, we can claim little credit. We use our giftings by faith as acts of grace to bless and serve others. In fact, we belong to God and to each other in Christ’s body.
There are no big “I’s” or little “you’s” in Christ’s family. We are all on level ground at the foot of Jesus’ cross. He gifted us as He determined for His purposes and glory. One gift is not superior to the other so there is no reason for boasting or strife coming from pride and self-exaltation. We are to value each member and consider others of more importance than ourselves. (Philippians 2:3-4) We are to use our gifts to serve one another and those to whom God sends us. Our attitude of humility and loving and cheerful service reflects our Lord Jesus.
Unity and teamwork are valuable among those working together to help others. Pride and holding grudges cause attitudes that divide and and create tension. These attitudes are easily detected by those being helped and interfere with rendering needed aide. Each person should check their own heart and make necessary adjustments.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for bringing many and varied members into Your family. Help me to value each person you place on the team of responders I serve with. Give me grace to use my gifts to serve others and not as a means of gaining attention or controlling others. Amen.
Day 3–Jesus’ Gift of Peace
Scripture reading for March 11: John 14:25-27 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.””
First responders must be prepared to enter into the trouble and chaos of others involved in accidents, crime, sickness or disease. On top of that, each person has troubles of their own to deal with. In these Scriptures we uncover a Source of peace that helps us overcome each incident. God has made several key provisions for those who trust in Him and His Son, Jesus Christ. He desires that all men and women enter into the perfect peace He offers. That peace comes when we receive and believe His Word. Faith comes into our hearts through this process. Jesus Christ came as the ‘Word made flesh’ (John 1:14) and He spoke His Word to those willingly following Him. “So faith comes by hearing and hearing through the Word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)
But after Jesus gave His body and blood to cover and cleanse us from guilt and sin, Jesus rose again and told His disciples to wait for the Promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would live in each believer and personally teach each person the Word of God and help them to apply it through faith. The Holy Spirit would bring the fruit of peace. (Galatians 5:22) He would actually bring Christ Jesus’ own peace that gives comfort to us in the midst of the world’s troubles. It enables us to overcome those troubles and fears and walk in confidence. It is a gift from our Father and Lord to be received daily as we walk with Him.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your amazing provision of peace given through the Words of Your Son Jesus Christ. Even more amazing is the Gift of Your Holy Spirit living in me to teach me God’s Word and manifest the fruit of peace through me to a world in trouble. Amen.
Week 8–Day 1–The Authority to Serve
Scripture reading for February 16: Luke 24:45-49 “Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His Name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the Promise of My Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
As first responders, we need power at several levels to enable us to do our job. First, we are given authority to respond by becoming members of a fire department, sheriff’s department, EMT unit, or Highway Patrol. We are given official identification as members of the department and assigned under a command structure where we are accountable to a senior leader. We must have physical strength to do the job of handling heavy equipment, power tools, and driving trucks and vehicles. We learn the knowledge of what to do in various emergency situations and how to work as part of a team and maintain good relationships.
Jesus Christ equipped those willing to follow Him in each area with the authority and strength and understanding to do their job. He also taught them the importance of working together in teamwork and accountability. A major part of this empowerment was the promised Gift of God the Father, the Holy Spirit. The original disciples were told by the resurrected Christ that they must wait in Jerusalem for this ‘Promise’ and that they would be clothed with power from God’s throne itself. The purpose of this authority was to empower them to become witnesses who could effectively proclaim the Gospel message of forgiveness of sin through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
To be an effective member of a team of responders, we must understand authority. All of us are under God’s authority and those He has placed in authority over us. We voluntarily act in obedience to those over us and the framework of directives defining our mission. We are thankful for our leadership and support them fully.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for empowering those responding to You with the Gift of the Holy Spirit. Thank You for those in authority that You have placed where You want. Teach us all to respect authority and work together to accomplish the mission. Amen.
Day 2–The Greatest Lover
Scripture reading for February 3: John 10:11 “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” John 15:12-13 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
Scripture reveals through the words of Jesus that He is the greatest Lover of all mankind. Our faith works by love. (Galatians 5:6) Jesus did not just tell us about love and then command us to love one another, He demonstrated that love;“. . but God shows His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) He acted for the highest good of all people by providing for them a full payment for their own sins. He willingly took our sins, personally and corporately, in His own body on the cross and gave His life blood as a payment sufficient for all. Our response is to willingly accept His payment and Him as Lord through confession and forsaking of our sins. This is how we are born again.
When we choose to believe in Christ, God saves us from the penalty and eternal punishment for our sins. We can only say ‘thank You’ to the Lord Jesus. Jesus had the power to willingly lay down His life for all sinners and because He was Himself, sinless, He had the power to take up His life again, defeating death, hell and the grave. (John 10:17-18) He demonstrated God’s love by His faithful sacrifice.
The very nature of our emergency response network and those who work in it is our willingness to lay our lives down for the sake of those in danger or trouble. Behind this response is human compassion–love coming from God towards the hurting and wounded. This love takes on a new dimension when we receive Jesus Christ’s love and allow Him to dwell in us.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for sending Your Love to us in Your Beloved Son, Jesus Christ! That You would lay down Your life for me, a sinner, is amazing and humbling. Thank You for cleansing me through Your shed blood and for praying for me now and always. Teach me today how to love You and allow Your love to flow in me. Amen.
Week 2–Day 1–Jesus Loves the Hurting
Scripture reading for January 5: “Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn and live.” Ezekiel 18:31-32
Man’s biggest need is forgiveness for sins and transgressions. We have all broken God’s laws or crossed over His boundary lines. When we fall into sin, we are separated from God and damage our relationship with those around us. Our own soul becomes clouded in darkness. Scripture declares that all have sinned or transgressed and all have fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
But God the Father sees everything and knows every heart, thought, and transgression. He loves each person and desires that none die for their transgressions. In today’s passage, God sent Ezekiel to His people with a call to repent. Repentance is a change of mind that precedes a change of direction. If we continue in sin, it will lead to our ruin. If we will confess and acknowledge our sins and turn from them in biblical repentance, God is faithful and will forgive us. Turning to God saves us from ruin and death.
As first responders to the calls of hurting people for help, we must always keep God’s love for hurting people as a foundation for our response. We enter each incident responding to people God loves and desires to help. We would do well to start each day with humble repentance and invite God to lead us in His ways to provide the help called for. We represent Him and are sent as an act of God’s love. He wants no individual to die or come to ruin.
Father God, thank You for Your love for each person, desiring their highest good and meeting their deepest needs. Search my heart today and reveal anything that displeases You. Fill me with Your love to respond to others who are in need. Amen.
Guard your heart!
Scripture reading for July 4: Romans 16
“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” Romans 16:17-20
As Paul closes his letter to the believers in Rome naming many of them personally. He appeals to them as a brother in Christ, assuring them God knows their names. Watchfulness is encouraged because of those in the church that work against the Lord Jesus to cause divisions and create obstacles. Paul’s teaching of sound doctrine and the whole counsel of God would help them identify such threats to their unity and avoid them. They must recognize that there is a spiritual war going on and Satan, their enemy, wants to steal their unity and peace. Those opposing them disguise themselves with ‘smooth talk’ and ‘flattery’ to gain control. Believers keep their focus on the Lord and obey the Word of God taught to them.
Paul encourages them that the “God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” This statement helps us understand that deliverance from the spiritual battle requires a long obedience and daily walk of faith. This means that they become wise to what is good and stay innocent of evil. God is with them and for them, but they must do the walking out of His Word, trusting Him to defend them and give them victory. It is by faith through grace that we will stand after the battle is over. Paul rejoiced over them even now for their obedient faith. God rejoices with them and us!
Does your current world view help you understand the spiritual war that is happening each day? Are you gathering with other believers to encourage each other in the need for perseverance? Have you experienced or noticed those in the Body of Christ that cause divisions or deception through flattery?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for spiritual leaders like Paul who love the Church and appeal to believers to encourage them. Give me discernment each day concerning Satan’s attacks and those used by him to cause division and distort Truth. Use me to encourage other believers to press on to victory. Amen.