1Am I saying that God has turned his back on his people? Certainly not! I am one of the people of Israel, and I myself am a descendant of Abraham from the tribe of Benjamin. 2God did not turn his back on his chosen people. Don't you remember reading in the Scriptures how Elijah complained to God about the people of Israel? 3He said, "Lord, they killed your prophets and destroyed your altars. I am the only one left, and now they want to kill me."
4But the Lord told Elijah, "I still have seven thousand followers who have not worshiped Baal." 5It is the same way now. God was kind to the people of Israel, and so a few of them are still his followers. 6This happened because of God's undeserved kindness and not because of anything they have done. It could not have happened except for God's kindness.
7This means that only a chosen few of the people of Israel found what all of them were searching for. And the rest of them were stubborn, 8just as the Scriptures say,
"God made them so stupid
that their eyes are blind,
and their ears
are still deaf."
9Then David said,
"Turn their meals
into bait for a trap,
so that they will stumble
and be given
what they deserve.
10Blindfold their eyes!
Don't let them see.
Bend their backs
beneath a burden
that will never be lifted."
Imagine my surprise when I discoverd my dear friend Fr. Joseph was a "no fooling born again Christian". I didn't feel guilty with my surprise, based on my understanding of catholic church doctrine. I was disappointed with myself for the bigotry that was revealed in my spirit.
What I failed to recognize is what I saw as barriers to faith (catholic doctrine) Joseph saw as welcome signs.
Profiling...
Paul makes it clear today that God's adoption of the Gentiles did not mean God was through with Israel. God maintained a solid core of faithful believers within the Jewish nation...even though we all understand collectively the Jewish nation has denied Christ. You see... with God it's never "either, or". As much as possible it's "both, and". Fortunately, with God this isn't so difficult. You see, God comes to us as individuals, not as groups. He will come to any individual who calls upon Him, regardless of what group they belong to.
We do the Gospel a great disservice when we make the asumption that the Church is "us" (and I'm not certain about you). We deprive great portions of the Body of Christ fellowhip, prayer and encouragement that is so vital to powerful sanctified living. I believe God is honored when we imagine how great and diverse the Body of Christ is...rather than how exclusive it might be.
Which reminds me of the story of the famous Southern Baptist preacher. He died. When he arrived at the Pearly Gates and met St Peter he spoke wth the confidence borne of countless spirit-filled sermons.
"Good morning Peter" He said. "If you would be so kind as to point me toward my Baptist friends I will be grateful."
To which Peter responded..."who?"
Live boldly out there today...
July 23, 2011
July 22, 2011
Romans 10:5-21, Anyone Can Be Saved
5Moses said that a person could become acceptable to God by obeying the Law. He did this when he wrote, "If you want to live, you must do all that the Law commands."
6But people whose faith makes them acceptable to God will never ask, "Who will go up to heaven to bring Christ down?" 7Neither will they ask, "Who will go down into the world of the dead to raise him to life?"
8All who are acceptable because of their faith simply say, "The message is as near as your mouth or your heart." And this is the same message we preach about faith. 9So you will be saved, if you honestly say, "Jesus is Lord," and if you believe with all your heart that God raised him from death. 10God will accept you and save you, if you truly believe this and tell it to others.
11The Scriptures say that no one who has faith will be disappointed, 12no matter if that person is a Jew or a Gentile. There is only one Lord, and he is generous to everyone who asks for his help. 13All who call out to the Lord will be saved.
14How can people have faith in the Lord and ask him to save them, if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear, unless someone tells them? 15And how can anyone tell them without being sent by the Lord? The Scriptures say it is a beautiful sight to see even the feet of someone coming to preach the good news. 16Yet not everyone has believed the message. For example, the prophet Isaiah asked, "Lord, has anyone believed what we said?"
17No one can have faith without hearing the message about Christ. 18But am I saying that the people of Israel did not hear? No, I am not! The Scriptures say,
"The message was told
everywhere on earth.
It was announced
all over the world."
19Did the people of Israel understand or not? Moses answered this question when he told that the Lord had said,
"I will make Israel jealous
of people
who are a nation
of nobodies.
I will make them angry
at people
who don't understand
a thing."
20Isaiah was fearless enough to tell that the Lord had said,
"I was found by people
who were not looking
for me.
I appeared to the ones
who were not asking
about me."
21And Isaiah said about the people of Israel,
"All day long the Lord
has reached out
to people who are stubborn
and refuse to obey."
Wow! I'd like to meditate on this for awhile..."you will be saved, if you honestly say, "Jesus is Lord," and if you believe with all your heart that God raised him from death". It can't be any more clear.
I like Paul's analogy. If we want to find God, we don't need to make the unimaginable journey to to wherever He dwells. All we need to do is cover that small distance between the heart and the mind...maybe 18 inches. When the heart believes it and the mind is willing to let the tongue proclaim it...the journey is complete, we are at home with the Lord.
There are many, however, who see that 18 inches and say "we can't get there from here!" Getting both the head and the heart to agree on anything is difficult. Even at that, we're told "All who call out to the Lord will be saved". I have to believe the Holy Spirit is the exclusive and perfect guide to get all of us from point A to point B.
What concerns me most is..."How can people have faith in the Lord and ask him to save them, if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear, unless someone tells them? And how can anyone tell them without being sent by the Lord?"
These are not rhetorical questions...
Live boldly out there today...
6But people whose faith makes them acceptable to God will never ask, "Who will go up to heaven to bring Christ down?" 7Neither will they ask, "Who will go down into the world of the dead to raise him to life?"
8All who are acceptable because of their faith simply say, "The message is as near as your mouth or your heart." And this is the same message we preach about faith. 9So you will be saved, if you honestly say, "Jesus is Lord," and if you believe with all your heart that God raised him from death. 10God will accept you and save you, if you truly believe this and tell it to others.
11The Scriptures say that no one who has faith will be disappointed, 12no matter if that person is a Jew or a Gentile. There is only one Lord, and he is generous to everyone who asks for his help. 13All who call out to the Lord will be saved.
14How can people have faith in the Lord and ask him to save them, if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear, unless someone tells them? 15And how can anyone tell them without being sent by the Lord? The Scriptures say it is a beautiful sight to see even the feet of someone coming to preach the good news. 16Yet not everyone has believed the message. For example, the prophet Isaiah asked, "Lord, has anyone believed what we said?"
17No one can have faith without hearing the message about Christ. 18But am I saying that the people of Israel did not hear? No, I am not! The Scriptures say,
"The message was told
everywhere on earth.
It was announced
all over the world."
19Did the people of Israel understand or not? Moses answered this question when he told that the Lord had said,
"I will make Israel jealous
of people
who are a nation
of nobodies.
I will make them angry
at people
who don't understand
a thing."
20Isaiah was fearless enough to tell that the Lord had said,
"I was found by people
who were not looking
for me.
I appeared to the ones
who were not asking
about me."
21And Isaiah said about the people of Israel,
"All day long the Lord
has reached out
to people who are stubborn
and refuse to obey."
Wow! I'd like to meditate on this for awhile..."you will be saved, if you honestly say, "Jesus is Lord," and if you believe with all your heart that God raised him from death". It can't be any more clear.
I like Paul's analogy. If we want to find God, we don't need to make the unimaginable journey to to wherever He dwells. All we need to do is cover that small distance between the heart and the mind...maybe 18 inches. When the heart believes it and the mind is willing to let the tongue proclaim it...the journey is complete, we are at home with the Lord.
There are many, however, who see that 18 inches and say "we can't get there from here!" Getting both the head and the heart to agree on anything is difficult. Even at that, we're told "All who call out to the Lord will be saved". I have to believe the Holy Spirit is the exclusive and perfect guide to get all of us from point A to point B.
What concerns me most is..."How can people have faith in the Lord and ask him to save them, if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear, unless someone tells them? And how can anyone tell them without being sent by the Lord?"
These are not rhetorical questions...
Live boldly out there today...
July 21, 2011
Romans 10:1-4, The Law is No Longer Necessary
1Dear friends, my greatest wish and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. 2I know they love God, but they don't understand 3what makes people acceptable to him. So they refuse to trust God, and they try to be acceptable by obeying the Law. 4But Christ makes the Law no longer necessary for those who become acceptable to God by faith.
I sincerely thought I mailed my bills one month. I was irate when I received late charges. I called people and complained at their lack of thoroughness. Imagine my surprise when I found the stamped envelopes lying on my desk. When the truth was revealed I was completely embarrassed...mostly because I was so sure I had been right. I still wanted those companies to forgive me though...because I sincerely 'intended" to pay those bills. I'm not a bad person. Believe me when I say...sincerity does not pay the bills or avoid the late charges.
We all know sincerity is nice...but it's not the most important of qualities. It's possible to be sincerely wrong. Yet...if we arent' careful...we frequently let sincerity cloud our judgment of what right or wrong.
It's important to remember this when it comes to unbelievers...particularly our loved ones. It's tempting to excuse their lack of faith because they are "such nice people". And really...how many unbelievers do we know who really "deserve" what's waiting for them?
There are those who say we Christians are far to sure of ourselves when it comes to our faith. They say our absolute certainty...no matter how sincere...is still only faith. We could be just as wrong as the sincere Jews who reject Christ.
And, of course they are right. There is a risk inherent in any sincerely held belief. What if Paul is wrong about the law? If he is, I'm too far behind to catch up. As for me...I'm content with the risk I've taken...thanks to the Holy Spirit. I suspect unbelievers are just as comfortable with their risk as well. Impasse? I don't believe so. Paul says this was his "greatest prayer", that Israel would be saved.
A.B. Simpson's wife would occasionally get up in the morning and find him spread out on the floor weeping and praying for the lost. I honestly pray for unbelievers. I sincerely pray for unbelieving friends. Is it my "greatest" prayer? Honestly?
Well...?
Shame on me...
Live boldly out there today...
I sincerely thought I mailed my bills one month. I was irate when I received late charges. I called people and complained at their lack of thoroughness. Imagine my surprise when I found the stamped envelopes lying on my desk. When the truth was revealed I was completely embarrassed...mostly because I was so sure I had been right. I still wanted those companies to forgive me though...because I sincerely 'intended" to pay those bills. I'm not a bad person. Believe me when I say...sincerity does not pay the bills or avoid the late charges.
We all know sincerity is nice...but it's not the most important of qualities. It's possible to be sincerely wrong. Yet...if we arent' careful...we frequently let sincerity cloud our judgment of what right or wrong.
It's important to remember this when it comes to unbelievers...particularly our loved ones. It's tempting to excuse their lack of faith because they are "such nice people". And really...how many unbelievers do we know who really "deserve" what's waiting for them?
There are those who say we Christians are far to sure of ourselves when it comes to our faith. They say our absolute certainty...no matter how sincere...is still only faith. We could be just as wrong as the sincere Jews who reject Christ.
And, of course they are right. There is a risk inherent in any sincerely held belief. What if Paul is wrong about the law? If he is, I'm too far behind to catch up. As for me...I'm content with the risk I've taken...thanks to the Holy Spirit. I suspect unbelievers are just as comfortable with their risk as well. Impasse? I don't believe so. Paul says this was his "greatest prayer", that Israel would be saved.
A.B. Simpson's wife would occasionally get up in the morning and find him spread out on the floor weeping and praying for the lost. I honestly pray for unbelievers. I sincerely pray for unbelieving friends. Is it my "greatest" prayer? Honestly?
Well...?
Shame on me...
Live boldly out there today...
July 20, 2011
Romans 9:19-33, God's Anger and Mercy
19Someone may ask, "How can God blame us, if he makes us behave in the way he wants us to?" 20But, my friend, I ask, "Who do you think you are to question God? Does the clay have the right to ask the potter why he shaped it the way he did? 21Doesn't a potter have the right to make a fancy bowl and a plain bowl out of the same lump of clay?"
22God wanted to show his anger and reveal his power against everyone who deserved to be destroyed. But instead, he patiently put up with them. 23He did this by showing how glorious he is when he has pity on the people he has chosen to share in his glory. 24Whether Jews or Gentiles, we are those chosen ones, 25just as the Lord says in the book of Hosea,
"Although they are not my people, I will make them my people.
I will treat with love those nations that have never been loved.
26"Once they were told, "You are not my people.'
But in that very place they will be called children of the living God."
27And this is what the prophet Isaiah said about the people of Israel,
"The people of Israel are as many as the grains of sand along the beach.
But only a few who are left will be saved.
28The Lord will be quick and sure to do on earth what he has warned he will do."
29Isaiah also said, "If the Lord All-Powerful had not spared some of our descendants,
we would have been destroyed like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah."
30What does all of this mean? It means that the Gentiles were not trying to be acceptable to God, but they found that he would accept them if they had faith. 31-32It also means that the people of Israel were not acceptable to God. And why not? It was because they were trying to be acceptable by obeying the Law instead of by having faith in God. The people of Israel fell over the stone that makes people stumble, 33just as God says in the Scriptures, "Look! I am placing in Zion
a stone to make people
stumble and fall.
But those who have faith
in that one
will never
be disappointed."
If we pay attention we will see the amazing power and glory of Christ moving westward...to Asia. What used to be centered in the American church...the amazing evidence of the resident Holy Spirit has seemed to dissipate and we are now a shadow of what the last generation of believers bequeathed to us.
The role of being "special" involves faithfully proclaiming the works and wonders of God through His son Jesus Christ...to the underprivileged. How long should we suppose God will tarry while we attempt to "get our act together"? I promise you this. If we don't become the people God desires us to be He will choose somebody else to be the vehicle for His grace and mercy.
It's what He did with Israel...when He handed the mantle to the church.
Don Fransisco authored a great tune titled "The Steeple Song".
I don't care how many buses you own or the size of your sanctuary
It doesn't matter how steep your steeple is if it's sittin' on a cemetery
I don't care if you pave your parking lot rr put pads upon your pews
What good is picture perfect stage if you're missin' all the cues?
I don't care if your pastor's super-powered and your program's always new
What you need is love and truth and men are going to come to you
It doesn't matter that you know the Bible if it's all just in your head
The thing I need to ask you is have you done the things I said?
I don't care if you pray for miracles I don't care if you speak with tongues
I don't care if you said you love Me in every song you've sung
It doesn't matter that your sacrifice of praise is loud enough to raise the dead
The thing I need to ask you is have you done the things I said?
Do you love your wife?
For her and for your children are you layin' down your life?
What about the others?
Are you living as a servant to your sisters and your brothers?
Do you make the poor man beg you for a bone?
Do the widow and the orphan cry alone?
That's what it means to be special. Let's live like we're special. It's not our fault the God chose us...it may even be unfair. An entire world out there will remind us daily that we aren't special. But, believing God today means believing God was serious when He said the life of Christ should shine through us. We probably all know well intentioned folks who have "lost their first love". They are busy building steeples and sanctuaries but can't seem to find the time to live like Christ. How "special".
It began in Europe. The believers got distracted so it moved to America. As we become distracted with our sense of privilege God will find others to carry on.
It should break our hearts...
Live boldly out there today...
22God wanted to show his anger and reveal his power against everyone who deserved to be destroyed. But instead, he patiently put up with them. 23He did this by showing how glorious he is when he has pity on the people he has chosen to share in his glory. 24Whether Jews or Gentiles, we are those chosen ones, 25just as the Lord says in the book of Hosea,
"Although they are not my people, I will make them my people.
I will treat with love those nations that have never been loved.
26"Once they were told, "You are not my people.'
But in that very place they will be called children of the living God."
27And this is what the prophet Isaiah said about the people of Israel,
"The people of Israel are as many as the grains of sand along the beach.
But only a few who are left will be saved.
28The Lord will be quick and sure to do on earth what he has warned he will do."
29Isaiah also said, "If the Lord All-Powerful had not spared some of our descendants,
we would have been destroyed like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah."
30What does all of this mean? It means that the Gentiles were not trying to be acceptable to God, but they found that he would accept them if they had faith. 31-32It also means that the people of Israel were not acceptable to God. And why not? It was because they were trying to be acceptable by obeying the Law instead of by having faith in God. The people of Israel fell over the stone that makes people stumble, 33just as God says in the Scriptures, "Look! I am placing in Zion
a stone to make people
stumble and fall.
But those who have faith
in that one
will never
be disappointed."
If we pay attention we will see the amazing power and glory of Christ moving westward...to Asia. What used to be centered in the American church...the amazing evidence of the resident Holy Spirit has seemed to dissipate and we are now a shadow of what the last generation of believers bequeathed to us.
The role of being "special" involves faithfully proclaiming the works and wonders of God through His son Jesus Christ...to the underprivileged. How long should we suppose God will tarry while we attempt to "get our act together"? I promise you this. If we don't become the people God desires us to be He will choose somebody else to be the vehicle for His grace and mercy.
It's what He did with Israel...when He handed the mantle to the church.
Don Fransisco authored a great tune titled "The Steeple Song".
I don't care how many buses you own or the size of your sanctuary
It doesn't matter how steep your steeple is if it's sittin' on a cemetery
I don't care if you pave your parking lot rr put pads upon your pews
What good is picture perfect stage if you're missin' all the cues?
I don't care if your pastor's super-powered and your program's always new
What you need is love and truth and men are going to come to you
It doesn't matter that you know the Bible if it's all just in your head
The thing I need to ask you is have you done the things I said?
I don't care if you pray for miracles I don't care if you speak with tongues
I don't care if you said you love Me in every song you've sung
It doesn't matter that your sacrifice of praise is loud enough to raise the dead
The thing I need to ask you is have you done the things I said?
Do you love your wife?
For her and for your children are you layin' down your life?
What about the others?
Are you living as a servant to your sisters and your brothers?
Do you make the poor man beg you for a bone?
Do the widow and the orphan cry alone?
That's what it means to be special. Let's live like we're special. It's not our fault the God chose us...it may even be unfair. An entire world out there will remind us daily that we aren't special. But, believing God today means believing God was serious when He said the life of Christ should shine through us. We probably all know well intentioned folks who have "lost their first love". They are busy building steeples and sanctuaries but can't seem to find the time to live like Christ. How "special".
It began in Europe. The believers got distracted so it moved to America. As we become distracted with our sense of privilege God will find others to carry on.
It should break our hearts...
Live boldly out there today...
July 19, 2011
Romans 9:1-18, God's Choice of Israel
1I am a follower of Christ, and the Holy Spirit is a witness to my conscience. So I tell the truth and I am not lying when I say 2my heart is broken and I am in great sorrow. 3I would gladly be placed under God's curse and be separated from Christ for the good of my own people. 4They are the descendants of Israel, and they are also God's chosen people. God showed them his glory. He made agreements with them and gave them his Law. The temple is theirs and so are the promises that God made to them. 5They have those famous ancestors, who were also the ancestors of Jesus Christ. I pray that God, who rules over all, will be praised forever! Amen. 6It cannot be said that God broke his promise. After all, not all of the people of Israel are the true people of God. 7-8In fact, when God made the promise to Abraham, he meant only Abraham's descendants by his son Isaac. God was talking only about Isaac when he promised 9Sarah, "At this time next year I will return, and you will already have a son."
10Don't forget what happened to the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah. 11-12Even before they were born or had done anything good or bad, the Lord told Rebekah that her older son would serve the younger one. The Lord said this to show that he makes his own choices and that it wasn't because of anything either of them had done. 13That's why the Scriptures say that the Lord liked Jacob more than Esau.
14Are we saying that God is unfair? Certainly not! 15The Lord told Moses that he has pity and mercy on anyone he wants to. 16Everything then depends on God's mercy and not on what people want or do. 17In the Scriptures the Lord says to Pharaoh of Egypt, "I let you become Pharaoh, so that I could show you my power and be praised by all people on earth." 18Everything depends on what God decides to do, and he can either have pity on people or make them stubborn.
God does whatever He wants. "The Lord told Moses that he has pity and mercy on anyone he wants to". But, He doesn't pick everybody. Of course, the perceived lack of fairness is mitigated by the fact that none of us deserves mercy. The fact that mercy reigns at all is, by definition, "unfair".
I'm counting on the "unfairness" of it all...
Paul is discussing this because God picked Israel...instead of somebody else. The inherent notion among the Jews (of his day) was that they were special people. And, they were. God chose to use Israel for His plan to redeem the world. How much more special could one be. However, "special" does not mean "privileged". Which is to say, the Jews of Paul's day turned their special role inward. They believed they had a privileged status among the nations of the world. The rules, as applied to all others, did not apply to them. They had the Law. They had the Prophets. They had the one true God. They had a temple for Him to live in. And in that...they had salvation. God owed them that much.
Not exactly...and, their misunderstanding broke Paul's heart...
We believers are the spiritual progeny of Israel. We are special. We have been given stewardship of the great Gospel of Jesus Christ. God has chosen to use us as a means for evangelizing the entire world. It's an unspeakable blessing...but it doesn't make us privileged. It makes us responsible.
Live boldly out there today...
10Don't forget what happened to the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah. 11-12Even before they were born or had done anything good or bad, the Lord told Rebekah that her older son would serve the younger one. The Lord said this to show that he makes his own choices and that it wasn't because of anything either of them had done. 13That's why the Scriptures say that the Lord liked Jacob more than Esau.
14Are we saying that God is unfair? Certainly not! 15The Lord told Moses that he has pity and mercy on anyone he wants to. 16Everything then depends on God's mercy and not on what people want or do. 17In the Scriptures the Lord says to Pharaoh of Egypt, "I let you become Pharaoh, so that I could show you my power and be praised by all people on earth." 18Everything depends on what God decides to do, and he can either have pity on people or make them stubborn.
God does whatever He wants. "The Lord told Moses that he has pity and mercy on anyone he wants to". But, He doesn't pick everybody. Of course, the perceived lack of fairness is mitigated by the fact that none of us deserves mercy. The fact that mercy reigns at all is, by definition, "unfair".
I'm counting on the "unfairness" of it all...
Paul is discussing this because God picked Israel...instead of somebody else. The inherent notion among the Jews (of his day) was that they were special people. And, they were. God chose to use Israel for His plan to redeem the world. How much more special could one be. However, "special" does not mean "privileged". Which is to say, the Jews of Paul's day turned their special role inward. They believed they had a privileged status among the nations of the world. The rules, as applied to all others, did not apply to them. They had the Law. They had the Prophets. They had the one true God. They had a temple for Him to live in. And in that...they had salvation. God owed them that much.
Not exactly...and, their misunderstanding broke Paul's heart...
We believers are the spiritual progeny of Israel. We are special. We have been given stewardship of the great Gospel of Jesus Christ. God has chosen to use us as a means for evangelizing the entire world. It's an unspeakable blessing...but it doesn't make us privileged. It makes us responsible.
Live boldly out there today...
July 18, 2011
Romans 8:31-39, God's Love
31What can we say about all this? If God is on our side, can anyone be against us? 32God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won't he freely give us everything else? 33If God says his chosen ones are acceptable to him, can anyone bring charges against them? 34Or can anyone condemn them? No indeed! Christ died and was raised to life, and now he is at God's right side, speaking to him for us. 35Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death? 36It is exactly as the Scriptures say, "For you we face death all day long. We are like sheep on their way to be butchered."
37In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us. 38I am sure that nothing can separate us from God's love--not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, 39and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God's love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!
Religulous is a 2008 documentary film written by and starring comedian Bill Maher. The title of the film is derived from the words "religion" and "ridiculous"; the documentary examines and mocks organized religion and religious belief.
I doubt that God is either amused or intimidated. Maher can rant and rave with all the pomposity he can muster and nothing changes. Only one person has ever been able to shape reality with His words...God. As the bumper sticker says: "God's house...God's rules!"
God has chosen to satisfy the demands of the Law with the Blood of His Son....and ONLY the Blood of His Son. And so, when you and I are willing to take a "leap of faith" and claim Christ's work for our own lives...all the condemnation in the world cannot stick to us. We're like spiritual teflon.
Not that the world won't try. Most of the world still has other ideas...their own rules.
The world's great religions reject God's rules...and call us infidels
Satan can whisper in our ears...and call us hypocrites
Our own sin can eat away at our conscience...and call us pathetic
Bill Maher can laugh...and call us fools
Nevertheless..."God's house...God's rules!" None of it shapes realtiy. None of it will stick. I am sure that nothing can separate us from God's love--not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God's love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!
This is a positive Gospel that should ovewhelm us. It should fill us with such a sense of thanksgiving that we cannot imagine a critical thought toward others...just prayers...that they too will some day recognize the Good News as we have.
Live boldly out there today...
37In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us. 38I am sure that nothing can separate us from God's love--not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, 39and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God's love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!
Religulous is a 2008 documentary film written by and starring comedian Bill Maher. The title of the film is derived from the words "religion" and "ridiculous"; the documentary examines and mocks organized religion and religious belief.
I doubt that God is either amused or intimidated. Maher can rant and rave with all the pomposity he can muster and nothing changes. Only one person has ever been able to shape reality with His words...God. As the bumper sticker says: "God's house...God's rules!"
God has chosen to satisfy the demands of the Law with the Blood of His Son....and ONLY the Blood of His Son. And so, when you and I are willing to take a "leap of faith" and claim Christ's work for our own lives...all the condemnation in the world cannot stick to us. We're like spiritual teflon.
Not that the world won't try. Most of the world still has other ideas...their own rules.
The world's great religions reject God's rules...and call us infidels
Satan can whisper in our ears...and call us hypocrites
Our own sin can eat away at our conscience...and call us pathetic
Bill Maher can laugh...and call us fools
Nevertheless..."God's house...God's rules!" None of it shapes realtiy. None of it will stick. I am sure that nothing can separate us from God's love--not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God's love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!
This is a positive Gospel that should ovewhelm us. It should fill us with such a sense of thanksgiving that we cannot imagine a critical thought toward others...just prayers...that they too will some day recognize the Good News as we have.
Live boldly out there today...
July 17, 2011
Romans 8:18-30, A Wonderful Future for God's People
18I am sure that what we are suffering now cannot compare with the glory that will be shown to us. 19In fact, all creation is eagerly waiting for God to show who his children are. 20Meanwhile, creation is confused, but not because it wants to be confused. God made it this way in the hope 21that creation would be set free from decay and would share in the glorious freedom of his children. 22We know that all creation is still groaning and is in pain, like a woman about to give birth.
23The Spirit makes us sure about what we will be in the future. But now we groan silently, while we wait for God to show that we are his children. This means that our bodies will also be set free. 24And this hope is what saves us. But if we already have what we hope for, there is no need to keep on hoping. 25However, we hope for something we have not yet seen, and we patiently wait for it. 26In certain ways we are weak, but the Spirit is here to help us. For example, when we don't know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words. 27All of our thoughts are known to God. He can understand what is in the mind of the Spirit, as the Spirit prays for God's people. 28We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him. They are the ones God has chosen for his purpose, 29and he has always known who his chosen ones would be. He had decided to let them become like his own Son, so that his Son would be the first of many children. 30God then accepted the people he had already decided to choose, and he has shared his glory with them.
We hear about couples who have been together so long they can finish each other's sentences. They almost can read each other's thoughts. That can be good...but can also be intimidating!
It's the same way with the God who created us...whether we like it or not. Paul says "All of our thoughts are known to God". As people of faith we have His Spirit living within us. That is far more intimate than living "with " somebody. So it can also be far more intimidating. Imagine the Holy Spirit inhabiting our spirits. Before we can even think something, the Holy Spirit is privy to the thought.
I should be more careful...
While true, that's not the real point here. the real point is that God's Spirit is as constant source of comfort. For example, "when we don't know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words". Also, "The Spirit makes us sure about what we will be in the future". If that can't lift out spirits we need an attitude check...
We will probably always have a level of discomfort with this degree of intimacy. Our human spirits don't like it. We like our privacy so we can sin unnoticed. In the case of God's Spirit, however, this discomfort is our friend. It is a reminder that we have some work to do in our personal lives. The most important thing to remember is we can't let this discomfort lead us to ignore the Spirit. Unfortunately, my many years of ministry convince me that most believers would rather "turn down the volume" than stop and listen when God's Spirit speaks. All this does is slow down the learning process and chip away at our joy. remember, real joy is not "doing whatever we please" but "doing whatever God pleases".
How joyful are we today?
Live boldly out there today...
23The Spirit makes us sure about what we will be in the future. But now we groan silently, while we wait for God to show that we are his children. This means that our bodies will also be set free. 24And this hope is what saves us. But if we already have what we hope for, there is no need to keep on hoping. 25However, we hope for something we have not yet seen, and we patiently wait for it. 26In certain ways we are weak, but the Spirit is here to help us. For example, when we don't know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words. 27All of our thoughts are known to God. He can understand what is in the mind of the Spirit, as the Spirit prays for God's people. 28We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him. They are the ones God has chosen for his purpose, 29and he has always known who his chosen ones would be. He had decided to let them become like his own Son, so that his Son would be the first of many children. 30God then accepted the people he had already decided to choose, and he has shared his glory with them.
We hear about couples who have been together so long they can finish each other's sentences. They almost can read each other's thoughts. That can be good...but can also be intimidating!
It's the same way with the God who created us...whether we like it or not. Paul says "All of our thoughts are known to God". As people of faith we have His Spirit living within us. That is far more intimate than living "with " somebody. So it can also be far more intimidating. Imagine the Holy Spirit inhabiting our spirits. Before we can even think something, the Holy Spirit is privy to the thought.
I should be more careful...
While true, that's not the real point here. the real point is that God's Spirit is as constant source of comfort. For example, "when we don't know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words". Also, "The Spirit makes us sure about what we will be in the future". If that can't lift out spirits we need an attitude check...
We will probably always have a level of discomfort with this degree of intimacy. Our human spirits don't like it. We like our privacy so we can sin unnoticed. In the case of God's Spirit, however, this discomfort is our friend. It is a reminder that we have some work to do in our personal lives. The most important thing to remember is we can't let this discomfort lead us to ignore the Spirit. Unfortunately, my many years of ministry convince me that most believers would rather "turn down the volume" than stop and listen when God's Spirit speaks. All this does is slow down the learning process and chip away at our joy. remember, real joy is not "doing whatever we please" but "doing whatever God pleases".
How joyful are we today?
Live boldly out there today...
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