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Saturday, November 30, 2013

God's Blessing of Grace is a Free Gift


Verses: Romans 11 : 1 - 10

My thoughts about the verses:

There is nothing that we can do to earn the gift of grace.  If we could do things to earn grace then it is not a free gift.  Therefor everyone would try their best to do things to earn grace.  Instead of accepting that grace is given to us freely by God.

Jesus died so that we could receive grace.  God is strong enough to take away our sins.  There is nothing that we can ever do to remove the sins that we have committed.  In fact, thinking that we can do it without God is in itself a sin.  Just think of the first commandment do not put anything before God.  So if you put yourself in the same level as God are you not committing this sin?

God's chosen people are blessed.  We are given a choice to accept God into our hearts.  Yet, the omnipotent Creator knows who will accept.  If you truly believe in God's gift of salvation your sins are covered by the healing blood of Jesus.

In today's world there are so many different groups that believe that they are the chosen people. That God has picked their group over another to receive the gift of grace.  Yet, if you look at the scripture God said that there would be those in the chosen group that would be blind and not see the grace right before them.  If you think you can choose who can go to Heaven are your eyes truly open?  God doesn't want anyone to perish.  Yet, people forget this as they go out to tell others about God.

Just like the Israelites there are individuals in each denomination that have their eyes open and receive the grace.  While there are others that have their eyes closed and do not receive grace. They refuse to accept the blessing that is freely given.  Those that have their eyes open will truly accept and spread the good news.

Prayer:

Dear God thank you for the gift of Grace.  Thank you for coming into our lives so that we can have our eyes opened.  Help us share the good news with others.  Help us keep focused on serving you and not judging others.  Thank you for overlooking our shortcomings.  In your name we pray. Amen

Questions:

Have you accepted Jesus in your life?  Have you chosen to follow God?  Have you accepted the gift of grace?  Are you sharing the good news with others?  Do you judge others?  What do you need to do to get to Heaven?

Friday, November 29, 2013

Blessed are those that Spread the Good News


Verses: Romans 10 : 14 - 21

My thoughts about the verses:

God blesses all those that go out and spread the good news.  People have to be told about the story of Christ.  When you are a Christian you should be inspired to go out into the world and tell others about God.  The more people hear the good news the bigger the realm of God grows.

There will be those that you tell the story of Christ that will not accept.  They will reject the good news because they do not feel it in their heart.  Does this mean that those that were spreading the good news were not doing it incorrectly?  No it means that there will be people that hear but will reject yet, God will still bless those that go out into the world.  God know that there will be people that will hear the story of Christ who will not accept it.  Yet, God still desires us to go out to all people so that they may receive the word.

In this part of the scripture the fact that the people of Israel are refusing to accept the Messiah is being pointed out.  They had been looking for the Messiah since the Creation of the nation.  It is shocking that those that were looking for the Messiah did not see Jesus as the one that had come for their salvation.  They had a perception of what they thought Jesus would be like.  Yet, Jesus was not the victorious King that they expected.  Their idea of the Messiah blocked them from accepting the Messiah.

So Jesus looked outside of the people of Israel to fulfill the promise of the Messiah.  Jesus sent the disciples out to reach the entire world.  To spread the good news to anyone that would listen.  To teach them the stories of salvation and to fulfill the promise that God had made to the chosen people.

Amazingly there were Jews who saw this as a betrayal by God.  That God was meant only for them and that if there were others being saved then God had betrayed his chosen people.  Yet, look what was happening the chosen people were not listening to the Messiah so to bring them closer to God the disciples went out to the groups that would accept the good news.  This was a way of convincing the chosen people to accept the Messiah that had come for them.

Now let us look at today's world.  There are tons of different groups that believe that they are the chosen people.  They go out teaching their doctrines to this group or to another.  We are under the assumption that the new group had never accepted the Messiah.  Their job is to spread the news to those that differ in their views.

Yet, what God desires is a place that is open to those that are unchurched.  For those that spread the news to this group they are greatly blessed.  We should strive every day to tell someone that doesn't know about the saving power of God the good news.  Yet, we are often afraid because of the way people react when we tell them.  What I have learned is that you live the good news people are more willing to accept it.  You must surround yourself with others that love God yet, do not push people away that do not know the story.

Eventually those that have been hurt by the church or never have been in church will want to know what  makes you strong.  As they see you go through life's struggles they will witness the healing power of Jesus.  There is nothing like spreading the good news by living a life filled with Christ.  We need to reach out to all people yet, know that there will be those that reject our beliefs. When this happens pray for them yet, do not give up.  Continue living the life the Messiah has given to you so that when you get to Heaven God will call you a good and faithful servant.

Prayer:

Dear God we thank you for sending Jesus so that we may become free of all our sins.  We thank you for being with us as we struggle.  Help us live by example.  Let us show Jesus in all that we do. May we become the witnesses that you desire from us.  Help us dear Jesus becomes the people that believe in you though we struggle.  Help us reach out to those that are unchurched or have been hurt by the church.  In the name of the Risen Savior we pray.  Amen

Questions:

Do you show God through the way you live?  Are you willing to be a beacon of light for the world?  Are you talking to those that have never heard the good news?  Are you being a stumbling block or a strong witness?  Are you allowing God to use your feet and mouth to spread the good news?



Thursday, November 28, 2013

All who Trust in Jesus will be Saved


Verses: Romans 10 : 1 - 13

My thoughts about the verses:

God makes no difference between the different groups that get to Heaven.  All you need to do is believe that Jesus died for you and can save you.  See God does not think this group or that group is better than each other.  God only looks for the cleansing blood to cover the sins you have committed.  Once you accept the Holy Spirit into your life God sees you as a child.

Think back to what was happening at this moment in history.  There were two groups that were battling over if they were true Christians.  The Jews believed that you had to be a Jew to accept Christ.  They also believed that you needed to live within the law and be circumcised. Whereas the Gentiles believed that anyone could accept God.  They believed that they did not have to have a circumcision to be saved.  They also felt that the new covenant replaced the law that had been given to Moses.

There were no denominations there were only Christians.  Then overtime we as humans started making our own rules and decided to break apart into our own groups.  We chose to create individual denominations that varied in philosophy and beliefs as time went by.  Yet, if you concentrate hard on what is being said in Romans you will see that there is only one thing needed to get into Heaven.

All the rules that we have created are rules that we have made.  We have split ourselves into groups and have decided overtime to alienate this group or that group from our individual services.  We have taken it upon our self to judge who and who cannot be forgiven by God.  When we disagreed on a teaching we just started a new denomination.  Then those denominations split again because someone would disagree with their teachings.

This is also true of our churches of the same denomination.  Many churches have been created over the silliest of disagreements.  I have heard churches split because of the color of the carpet. The fact that certain songs were not sung.  I wonder what God thinks about all of this?

The body of Christ if united could change the world.  Yet, we have chosen to alienate ourselves from each other and therefore we are much weaker than we could be.  We can be stronger if we go back to the very basics and concentrate on spreading the good news.  We should not worry about what others are doing but rather or not they have heard the good news.  As we choose to say that this group or that group doesn't belong in our church we are missing the great things that we can do.

The issue is do we teach people the principle of Faith. People need to be told that they need God in their life.  It is sad that we have pushed people out of churches because of our differences.  Yet, we need to unite so that people can hear the truth about the saving power of Jesus.  Even if you disagree with the way they are living their life you need to open the door so that they can find Christ. I honestly believe that it is our job to go out and tell all people about the power of Christ.  Like the scriptures say who are we in deciding who can get to Heaven.  That is something that only God can do.  People that accept the Risen one have the blessing of eternal life that we all need.

Prayer:

Dear Jesus we thank you for going to the cross to die for us.  We thank you for forgetting our short comings and allowing us all the healing powers that come from Jesus.  We ask that you be with us.  Help us put our differences aside so that we can serve you truly. Help us walk closer to you.  In your name we pray.  Amen

Questions:

Have you accepted God in your life?  Are you willing to accept people for who they are not what you expect them to be?  Are you proud enough to show people that you are a Christian?  Are you willing to witness to others?

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

You Cannot Make yourself Right with God


Verses: Romans 9 : 30 - 33

My thoughts about the verses:

I believe that the stone that was placed as a stumbling block with God is a reference of the stone tablets the Laws were written on.  See the Jewish community felt if they could live fully in the law that they could make their way to Heaven without the sacrifice of Jesus.  They believed that obeying the laws were what led to their salvation.  Yet, if only one part of the law was broken then they did not live up to the expectation that God had for them.  That one stumble meant that they had failed to live within the law and needed Christ.

Yet, the gentiles did not have this same stumbling block.  They were not connected to the law so they did not think they could get to Heaven by obeying the law given to Moses.  They had to rely on their faith to get them to Heaven.  They had to believe what they were being taught that the Messiah had come to free them from the bad that they had committed in their life.  Their heart was convicted because of their inadequacy to live up to the expectations of God.

Think back to Moses if Moses could not enter into the promise land.  He was able to view it but he was not able to enter because he had even fallen short of the law.  You would think if there was anyone that could live up to the law it would be the person that had been on the mount when the law was written.  Yet, even Moses had fallen short.

Now what does that mean for us today.  We have to understand that we are not able to make our way to Heaven on our own deeds.  We must rely solely on God to get to Heaven.  There is no way that you can do well enough to get yourself to Heaven.  You must rely solely on the saving grace of God.  You have to truly believe by faith that Jesus died for you.  There is nothing that you can do to make it to Heaven by yourself.  That the faith in God is what you need to do to truly have all of you sins forgiven.  We have to trust in the writing of those that came before us.  Faith believes in things not seen.  Yet, I want to let you know that if you have faith in Jesus you will feel that gift deep down inside.

Prayer:

Dear God we thank you for the laws that you gave us.  We thank you for giving us a way to get to Heaven and to have a closer relationship with you.  We know that there is nothing that we can do to make our own way to Heaven.  We understand that the only place to make

Questions:

Have you accepted Jesus in your heart?  Are you willing to turn over your sins to God?  Do you accept that you cannot do anything by yourself to make yourself right with God?  What can you do today to help someone accept Christ in their heart?  Are you a stumbling stone in someone’s path?

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Predestination and how it connects with choosing God


Verses: Romans 9 : 14 - 29

My thoughts about the verses:

Growing up this was one of the hardest things for me to grasp.  Predestination was especially hard for me to understand when I was a new Christian.  How can it be that God has predestined that some will accept God while others will not?
How can it truly be a chose if there are those that God knows will never accept the salvation?  Isn't it possible that you would go to Heaven if you were predestined even if you did not accept God here on this Earth in your heart?

What I have come to realize through studying the bible and other texts is that predestined is God's knowledge of what choices we will make in our life.  God is an omnipotent God.  Simply meaning that God know all things.  Yet, I think of it this way God views things day by day.  Simply meaning that even though God knows the actual outcome of what our choices will be the book is viewed page by page.  God allows us to make the final decision on whether or not we will accept Christ in our hearts.  In the end God knows who will become adopted children yet, God desires all to be in the Kingdom so everyone is given a chance to choose God.

I love the idea of the pot that was used in this scripture.  The potter decides what the pot will become.  Yet, it is up to the pot to accept the task it is assigned to do.  Sounds crazy you may say but haven't you ever bought something and thought this will be perfect to use for this.  Yet, because the way the item is made it doesn't work the way you thought it would work.  You may own two of the same items yet they will each act differently.

How many have ever seen a suspense movie.  You start trying to figure out how the ending will be. If you recognize a main character is a highly paid actor or actress you come to realize that they will more than likely survive.  Yet, even though you know that you allow yourself to be engulfed in the movie.  What will happen will they really survive this time.  Will this be the moment that they will finally fall prey to deaths door.  Your mind goes back and forward and you’re drawn into the movie at each twist and turn.  In the end they pull it off they survive and you are left with a sense of relief.

This is how it is for God.  God knows who will accept yet God rides through our waves of doubt and faith.  Jesus knows those that will call him into their heart and accept the sacrifice of death.  Yet, what happens is Jesus is there for us every moment waiting for us to say yes.  Those that never accept are cried for by the Holy one because it is a child that is lost.  Yet, God celebrates as we accept Jesus into our hearts.  Yes God knows when it would happen and how.  Yet, God lets us make the final choice.  Predestination doesn't mean that you are not given a choice all it means is that the God that can save you from your sin has the power to know who will choose.  Yet, the choice is truly ours to make.

Prayer:

Dear God we thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross.  We thank you for loving us so much that you desire to have a relationship with us.  We pray that you help us live a life that brings you glory.  We pray that you come into our hearts and free us from the sin we have committed.  Help us be the Children that you desire us to be,  In the name of the Risen Savior we pray.  Amen

Questions:

Have you ever wondered about the role of predestination?  How do you deal with the idea that God knows who will accept the saving grace?  Are you willing to accept God into your heart?  Will you testify to others about what God has done for you?

Monday, November 25, 2013

The Chosen Children of God


Verses: Romans 9 : 1 - 13

My thoughts about the verses:

It’s difficult for many of us to understand this part of the scripture.  We need to look deeper at the verses and see what is being said is that God has chosen who shall be the true Jewish community.
Not everyone that claims to be Jewish is truly of the Jewish community.  There was a lineage that led down one path for the true Jewish group.

Yet, there is even a deeper meaning that this.  There are those that claim to be Christian that is truly not Children of God.  Just because you profess to be a Christian does not make you a true Christian.  If you have not accepted Jesus in your life as your Risen Savior then you are not a true Christian.  Anyone that has accepted Jesus in their life can profess the lineage of forgiveness through Christ.

You have to understand that at the time this was written there was a major debate about how can Gentiles truly is children of God.  The thought that a lot of the Jewish community had was that the Messiah had come to help his chosen people.  Those people were to be the Jews.  Now the apostles are going out and teaching that the Messiah had come to save the entire world both Jew and Non-Jew.  They felt that this was a mistake because surely the true Messiah would have come to liberate them.

Take a moment and think about this in today's culture.   I know many groups that think that they are the only people going to Heaven.  That God chose them and the way they worship is the only way.  They make a judgment call on who truly is a child of God.  They forget that God chooses all to be part of the family.  Yet, although all have been chosen only a few will fully accept Jesus in their life.

The choice in having God in your heart is you’re to make.  You can profess with your mouth all that you want that you are a child of God.  Yet, if you do not fully take on a Christ centered life you are not one of God's children.

People are like a rose.  Those that accept Jesus in their life will open and blossom into beautiful flowers.  Those that do not are trapped in the state of a small bud.  They are on the cusp of being a brilliant creation yet, because they have not committed to Christ they have not blossomed.  The rose and bud both have thorns, sins, on them.  Yet, the rose that has blossomed has a fragrance and a sense of beauty like none other.  The thorns that surround the bud while it is growing are now seen as part of the stem.  Touching the stem will prick the finger but touching a blossoming flower only brings peace and calmness.  Those that are like the bud have a shield of thorns that are around the blossom preventing it from opening and show its radiance.  Unlike the rose those that have the thorns, sins around them will only become part of the chosen when they decide to allow God in their heart.  The rose bud is actually protected by the thorns so that it can grow into the beautiful flower.

The lesson that we can take away is that God desires each one of us to blossom into the true Christian that we all have deep rooted in our soul.  Some of us will accept God's calling and will open and produce great good.  While others will profess to be Christians but their hearts are not truly committed to God so their beauty never shows.  They could easily blossom into the Children God wants them to be.  Yet, they never blossom because they do not ask God in their heart so that the spirit can come in and bring the saving grace that allows them to become children of God.  Instead they cling to their sin and stand among it instead of walking out of their sin and allowing it to be a thing of the past.

Prayer:

Dear God we thank you for choosing us to be the true heirs of salvation.  We thank you for sending Jesus to release us from our sins and ultimate death.  We praise you for coming into our hearts so that we may have a peace and stillness to our Spirit.  We honor you with our lives as we blossom day after day into the children that you want us to become.  Help us forget the past so that we may move forward into your new life.  Help us become the people that you desire us to become.  Help us understand that there are many different people chosen by you to be children of the Risen Savior.  Let us always be reminded that we are not the only reason that you came to Earth.  You truly came so that all could blossom and have everlasting life.  In you name we pray.  Amen

Questions:

Have you accepted Christ in your life?  Are you showing the radiant beauty that comes from being a chosen child of God?  Do you understand that people from many traditions will inherit the salvation that comes through true love of Christ?  Are you helping those around you to move away from their sinful selves and find their inner beauty by witnessing about God?  Are you limiting the power of God to your own ways of worshiping?  What can you do today to help others?

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Nothing in Life or Death can Separate us from God if we allow God to live within us


Verses: Romans 8 : 28 - 39

My thoughts about the verses:

I find great comfort from these verses.  It affirms that if we have faith and trust in God nothing can separate us from that relationship.  It does not matter what we face, what others say about us, what things that we do, we are always in God's loving arms.  God knew that we would be tempted in this world yet, the death and resurrection of Jesus protects us from even our own self destruction.

We should not fear death or those things that come up against us in our life.  With accepting the Holy Spirit in your life you are protected from all things.  Nothing can remove you from the love of God.  We are all chosen by God to be children.  Some will chose this role while others will push it away.  Those that accept to be God's children will live in light every day of their life.

God's angels will protect you and give you strength when the road gets difficult.  You have the healing power of grace bestowed on your life.  Even though we all face death every day as long as Christ is in the center of your life you have nothing to fear.  You will find that God will be with you in those dark moments when you have struggles.

Jesus protects us when we are faced with hard times.  We are conquerors of life and death through the cleansing power of God.  When things seem impossible nothing can break the relationship you have with Christ.  Though you may struggle with life's trials you are guaranteed that glory will come through it.  See God only wants us to trust in the blessings that are ours through the one that has died to remove all our sins and worries.  We are now children of the most high through the cleansing blood of the lamb.

I struggle daily with chronic illnesses.  There are days that just getting out of bed is a struggle. There are many days that I live with pounding headaches and vertigo that spins me to the ground.  Yet, through it all  I know I am not walking this path alone.  When I am at my weakest, I quickly feel the presence of God in my life.  Even though I struggle I know that God is carrying me through the tough parts.  When I am at my weakest God is at his strongest in my soul.

You never have to worry about things separating you from God.  When you are at your lowest point in life you need to rely on God.  You need to trust that nothing can take you away from God that loves you.  We face death each and every day of our life.  Yet, even at our death we are victorious because we then are able to join our Savior in Heaven.

Prayer:

Dear God we thank you for being with us through all our struggles in life.  We thank you for never leaving our side no matter what happens.  We praise you for sending Jesus to be the sacrificial lamb that cleansed  our sins.  We ask right now God for your peace.  Help us live with a spirit of confidence.  Knowing that you are always there and nothing can separate us from you and the gift that has freely been given to us.  In you Holy Name we pray.  Amen

Questions:

Have you ever been afraid that you are alone in the World?  Have you accepted God into your heart?  Have you felt like God has abandoned you in your times of struggle?  Are you willing to accept the promise that God will never leave you?  Are you willing to share that promise with others?