Through Jesus Christ

We must not sit still and look for miracles; up and doing, and the Lord will be with thee. Prayer and pains, through faith in Christ Jesus, will do anything.

Sir John Eliot (1592-1632, British statesman)

Romans 16:25-27

Now to Him who has power to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the sacred secret kept silent for long ages, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic Scriptures, according to the command of the eternal God, to advance the obedience of faith among all nations—to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ—to Him be the glory forever! Amen. (HCSB)

The last piece of treasure that we will mine from this scripture is the most important of all, and gives the most import to our obedience. Hidden in the last sentence of this scripture is the secret of pleasing the “Only Wise God.” We find here the way to Him, and the way to true spiritual blessing in our lives. How? It is through Jesus Christ!

If we walk as Jesus walked, we will glorify our Father through our obedience to Christ, and He told us that while He was here. In Matt 5:16, Jesus says "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” I think that our life’s mission is described in an explicit way here, you can’t miss it.

Paul says it this way in 2 Cor 5:20, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” Out whole life is to be spent on reconciling others to Christ; we are His spokesmen, His eyes, His feet and His arms. To the extent that we live through Him, is the measure of the Glory and Honor we give to our “Only Wise and Loving God…God’s Blessings.

Pastor William

Believing Is Seeing

Only he who believes is obedient and only he who is obedient believes.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945, German Lutheran pastor and theologian)

Romans 16:25-27

Now to Him who has power to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the sacred secret kept silent for long ages, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic Scriptures, according to the command of the eternal God, to advance the obedience of faith among all nations—to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ—to Him be the glory forever! Amen. (HCSB)

There are scriptures that are so rich, they are a minefield of diamonds, and this is one of those. Another question this scripture eloquently places before us is an inquiry of our obedience. The obedience of faith is important as Deitrich Bonhoeffer suggests in his quote this morning. An old English proverb also says that the ship that will not obey the helm, will obey the rocks.

Obedience is important. Most all of us have visited our past and thanked those whom disciplined us for our good. What was the goal of those that disciplined us? It was to advance obedience, but in today’s world discipline and obedience have taken a back seat to the advancement of selfish and temporal goals.

Within Scripture lie the secrets of life revealed. You will not see them nor understand them, unless you first walk in obedience to them. Psalm 34:8 says “Come, taste and see that the Lord is good.” Obedience creates more obedience. Romans 1:17 tells us that God’s Righteousness is revealed in us from faith, to faith, and that His Righteous ones would live that way. Simply put, the more we walk the faith, the more we see…God’s Blessings.


Pastor William

It's Not a Secret Anymore

When thou standest still from thinking and willing of self, the eternal hearing, seeing, and speaking will be revealed to thee, and so God heareth and seeth through thee. Thine own hearing, willing, and seeing hindereth thee, that thou dost not see nor hear God.

Jacob Boehme (1575-1624, German mystic)

Romans 16:25-27

Now to Him who has power to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the sacred secret kept silent for long ages, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic Scriptures, according to the command of the eternal God, to advance the obedience of faith among all nations—to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ—to Him be the glory forever! Amen. (HCSB)

God has given those of us who are called by the name of His most Holy Son, a purpose in this world as “Christians.” The reason that we are fall under that description is because we have the same idea, the same purpose and the same goals that Christ had when He came to this earth. Our purpose is to advance “The Obedience of Faith.”

If we are so filled with our calling to this world, we will miss the calling that our Father has placed on our lives. He tells us plainly in His Word that our lives are not our own, but we were bought with a price, and we are to “Glorify God,” in these bodies. We were ransomed, we were, redeemed; God Himself paid our debt, and set us free.

There was no one else, or nothing else that could procure the price of life itself. Only the precious blood of our Savior, withdrawn from the vaults of heaven by God Himself, could purchase life eternal. It is now our purpose to proclaim Christ, to advance faith, and obedience to scripture, and to reveal the “secret” to a fallen world. The secret was kept quiet for ages, but it is a secret no more, to Him be the Glory, forever…God’s Blessings.

Pastor William

Silence is Deadly

Power in America today is control of the means of communication.

Theodore White

Romans 16:25-27

Now to Him who has power to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the sacred secret kept silent for long ages, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic Scriptures, according to the command of the eternal God, to advance the obedience of faith among all nations—to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ—to Him be the glory forever! Amen. (HCSB)

I sincerely believe that we as Christians have relinquished any rights that we may have gained so as to be called a Christian nation. In today’s scripture we can see that if we wish we may have the power we need to proclaim the Gospel to a fallen world but, we now have so many restrictions on how we can proclaim our faith in America.

Many have joined the world in its effort to keep Christ out of Christmas. We have holiday cards, not Christmas Cards, and Happy Holiday’s instead of Merry Christmas. We have steadily relinquished these things and joined in because we think it such a small thing in our own minds, but, it is not small.

Satan is at work to remove Christ from your and my life in any way he can. It is the small things that he always begins in, things that you don’t pay much attention to until it’s too late. Holiday cards have resulted in a holiday tree at the white house, it’s not a Christmas Tree anymore…how much more are we going to let slip by…God’s Blessings’.

Pastor William

The Power of Obedience

No principal is so noble, as there is none more holy, than that of a true obedience.
Henry Giles
 

Romans 16:19-20

The report of your obedience has reached everyone. Therefore I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good, yet innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. (HCSB)

If we left this verse without claiming the promise that lies within, we could miss the greater blessing that God has placed in this verse for us. When we live in obedience to the Word of God as Children of God we can accomplish God’s purpose in our lives here on this earth, and that is the defeat of Satan.

Notice, if you will, whose feet Satan is crushed under. It is your feet. God will use you to crush Satan and his demons if…you will live in obedience to God’s Word. Obedience is a powerful tool in the hands of an obedient believer. God is telling us through Paul that just as Jesus has crushed Satan’s head and set us free, we must also by our obedience, continue to do the very same thing in our lives today.

That is a dangerous task to undertake without the authority and protection that comes from living in obedience to God’s Word. When we fall away from obedient living we will find ourselves under the feet of Satan and in his power. But when we strive to live in obedience to God’s Word, the Grace of Christ cleanses us, raises us up and puts Satan under our feet. The greatest need in the church today is obedience to God’s Word…God’s Blessings.

Pastor William

Innocent of Evil

The temperate person's pleasures are durable because they are regular; and all their life is calm and serene, because it is innocent.

Author Unknown

Romans 16:19-20

The report of your obedience has reached everyone. Therefore I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good, yet innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. (HCSB)

Here at the end of Paul’s letter to the Roman church, we find the same rejoicing that Paul spoke of at the beginning. Paul began this letter in much the same way. In Romans 1:8 Paul says, “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you because the news of your faith is being reported in all the world.” Paul rejoiced whenever Christ was manifested in the lives of people.

So here is a question for all of us this morning. Are there people around you that are saying the same thing about the way we live? This means that you are taking the second part of this verse very seriously also. It means you are growing wise in the ways of God and innocent in the ways of evil. Paul also mentions this in 1 Cor 14:20, “Brothers, don’t be childish in your thinking, but be infants in evil and adult in your thinking.”

Paul here speaks of evil as people in the state of infancy that will not grow up to be adults in spiritual things. This means that they are not spreading the news of Christ’s power and grace in their lives, but they are controlled by the evil one in this world and bring shame to the Cross of Christ. They are not known in the world for expressing faith, but for a lack of faith having the reputation of a foolish child...God’s Blessings.

Pastor William

Saying Thankyou

Better than thanksgiving is thanksliving.

Author Unknown

Jeremiah 30:19 - Thanksgiving will come out of them, a sound of celebration. I will multiply them, and they will not decrease; I will honor them, and they will not be insignificant. (HCSB)

Colossians 4:2 - Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving. (HCSB)

I have been in many churches where we reviewed the prayer list and checked on prayer needs and have besought the Lord’s grace on behalf of many. Most churches have this same list, a standing list of those that need prayer. But I have not seen in many churches a list of answered prayers which would result in praise to God for His work in our lives.

It is as if we just expect God to do these things; it’s just His business or duty to take care of us...right? The One and Only God, who created us and all that is around us to reflect His Glory is faithful and just, but wouldn’t it be a good thing to stop often and reflect on some specific things God has done for us, and is doing for us daily?

Wake up sleepers and rise from the daily doldrums of life and see what God has done for you. You should first give praise to God for being born in this rich and beautiful country, and then begin to thank Him for health, for food, for a roof over your head, for every way you can find that He has blessed you. But first of all thank Him for Calvary and for our redemption and salvation, give thanks for, and to our Jesus…God’s Blessingss.

Pastor William

Dissension In The Church

Each eye can have its vision separately; but when we are looking at anything our vision, which in itself is divided, joins up and unites in order to give itself as a whole to the object that is put before it, that whole is Jesus Christ.

John Calvin (1509-1564, French protestant reformer)

Romans 16:17-18

Now I implore you, brothers, watch out for those who cause dissensions and pitfalls contrary to the doctrine you have learned. Avoid them; for such people do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattering words they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. (HCSB)

Opinions are like elbows; everybody has a couple. Opinions are many times the start of confusion in the Body of Christ. Opinions are not bad; in fact they are the source of fresh ideas in the Body of Christ. They do become a problem however when we think that our opinion is the always the right one.

After a decision is made then the opinions of what happened or was decided upon are not important. It is important then for everyone to unite in cause and in harmony and fellowship do the work of the church. But…alas, there is at times always a group that disagrees eternally, and seeks others that do, and impairs the harmony of the church.

How are you and I to handle disinters? We are to avoid them; they are not serving Christ when they are causing division in the church. Yet, I find people will run to these people to get the latest lowdown on what’s going on. When you listen to these people you feed the problem, but if you refuse to listen they may find their place and return to a peaceful existence in The Body of Christ…God’s Blessings

Pastor William

Seeking to Serve

If your cup seems too bitter, if your burden seems too heavy, be sure that it is the wounded hand that is holding the cup, and that it is me who carried the cross that is carrying the burden.

Author Unknown

Romans 16:6-12

Greet Mary, who has worked very hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow countrymen and fellow prisoners. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were also in Christ before me. Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys. Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus. Greet Herodion, my fellow countryman. Greet those who belong to the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who have worked hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, who has worked very hard in the Lord. (HCSB)

I must apologize for the lapse in Devotions, I have been quite busy, but it was a good busy. The Convention in Pensacola really showed me that maybe Southern Baptists are getting serious about turning the corner and putting the church back on track and working to spread the Gospel, rather than protect their traditions.

I will cover these scriptures which end the Greetings of Paul and end with the instruction to greet one another with a Holy Kiss. I find in these scriptures a common thread and it is this one. Paul was thanking those that had been working hard for Jesus. Paul was complimenting their faithfulness, and expressing his love and appreciation to them.

One thing lacking in today’s church is a lack of commitment. These people were on line for Christ. They didn’t come to the church because of what the church might have that would benefit them. No, they came to the church to work where they might be a benefit used by God. I think that is almost backwards of what most people are doing today when they go seeking a place to “worship”… isn’t it…God’s Blessings.

Pastor William

Working Together For Christ

Never lose sight of the fact that the most important yardstick of your success will be how you treat other people -- your family, friends, and coworkers, and even strangers you meet along the way.

Barbara Bush (1925-, American First Lady, wife of George H. Bush)

Romans 16:3-4

Give my greetings to Prisca and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life. Not only do I thank them, but so do all the Gentile churches. (HCSB)

Paul is taking care of some important business here in the beginning of Chapter 16 of Romans, and it is a real good read if you are taking notice. Paul became known by many after his conversion. He says in Galatians that in some Judean provinces he was well known as the one who formerly persecuted the faith and people that he now loved.

He is thanking many here, and he also is lifting them up. If you will notice he acknowledges their senior faith and honor as believers that were “in” Christ, before him. Paul also takes the opportunity to thank those that have been striving with him in the faith for lost souls, and supporting the churches, even to the point of having church in their homes.

Why do I point all of this out? Well, it’s to highlight the fact that church is everyone’s job, and we all have something to do in it. Church isn’t something that we leave up to someone else, it is something that we give sacrificially for and work to see that it goes smoothly. It is also that which ties us together and makes us thankful for one another, and the best relationships are formed in the Work of Christ…God’s Blessings.

Pastor William

All On The Altar

Take a chance! All life is a chance. The man who goes the furthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare. The sure thing boat never gets far from shore.

Dale Carnegie (1888-1955, American trainer, author, "How to Win Friends and Influence People")

Romans 16:3-4Give my greetings to Prisca and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life. Not only do I thank them, but so do all the Gentile churches. (HCSB)

I would dare say that there are not many risk takers out there anymore within the Christian church. So many seem to follow the lead of someone who comes out with the latest program or event, yet in the early Christian church, they were all risk takers, and not of a small degree. Paul commends Prisca and Aquila, for risking their lives for him.

This is a good question to ask Christians today. “To what extent will you go to hold to your Christian faith?” The time is drawing nearer to a time when being a Christian is not going to be a popular thing, nor is are you going to be viewed favorably just because you say you are a Christian. Many say they are Christians today that have no commitment to Christ.

One of the requirements of being one of Christ’s co-workers with Paul is a willingness to risk all that you have, and are, on Jesus. It is a good thing for Christians of this day to ask themselves, how much will I risk for Christ, and if you are not willing to risk your life, to have life, it’s time to resign. Jesus will only be greeting those on His return that placed their all on the altar…God’s Blessings.

Pastor William

I Am What I Give Away

In the master there is a servant, in the servant a master.

Marcus T. Cicero (c. 106-43 BC, Roman orator, politician)

Romans 16:1-2

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church in Cenchreae. So you should welcome her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever matter she may require your help. For indeed she has been a benefactor of many—and of me also. (HCSB)

This has been a verse that I think has given cause to many to read it quickly and skip over any kind of scrutiny. But, if I read this right, Paul is recommending Phoebe as a servant, or if you will a deaconess of the church in Cenchreae. Which, by the way, is the meaning of the word in the Greek, Deacon translates to the word “servant.”

Jesus gave us direction to understand this better while He sojourned here, and I will give that to you and let you reach your own understanding. Jesus said in Matt 20:26-28 “It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many.”

If I hear Jesus correctly then the positions I can obtain here and their rewards are these; I can be a servant and be great, and if I want to be first among the greatest, I can be a slave. I think that turns our thinking upside down on what it is that we can best achieve while we are here. Our worth is not determined by what we obtain, but by what we give away…God’s Blessings.

Pastor William

Peace I Give Unto You

To be glad of life, because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars; to be satisfied with your possessions, but not contented with yourself until you have made the best of them; to despise nothing in the world except falsehood and meanness, and to fear nothing except cowardice; to be governed by your admirations rather than by your disgusts; to covet nothing that is your neighbor's except his kindness of heart and gentleness of manners; to think seldom of your enemies, often of your friends, and every day of Christ; and to spend as much time as you can, with body and with spirit, these are little guideposts on the footpath to peace.

Henry Van Dyke (1852--1933, American protestant clergyman and writer)

Romans 15:33 (HCSB)

The God of peace be with all of you. Amen.

It is easy to pass by this ending verse and not see what Paul is communicating to those he loves, and has taken the time to write to. I mean, come on, do you remember the letter writing days, it took a lot to make us sit down and write our thoughts on a piece of paper to someone. It was a task that my Grandmother took seriously though, and she did it often.

I still have those words, written in her own defining hand that, to this day, still brings me encouragement, peace and good memories. This small verse is wrapping up all that Paul has said in the whole of chapter 15, and beginning the start of the final chapter of this letter to the Romans. What was his whole purpose of this letter? It was peace, for everyone.

So how do we keep this peace, look at Paul’s ending of 2 Cor 13:11-12, “Finally, brothers, rejoice. Be restored, be encouraged, be of the same mind, be at peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.” Here are the keys, rejoicing, restoring and encouraging each other, and being of the same mind, will bring peace. It will cause all of the saints to rejoice with us…God’s Blessings.
Pastor William

The Power of The Assembled Church

I have never seen a man who could do real work except under the stimulus of encouragement and enthusiasm and the approval of the people for whom he is working.

Charles M. Schwab (1862-1939, American industrialist, businessman)


Romans 15:30-32
Now I implore you, brothers, through the Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to agonize together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf: that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, and that, by God’s will, I may come to you with joy and be refreshed together with you. (HCSB)

There is something so special about being together with the body of Christ. We shouldn’t miss that here in Paul’s letters to the church in Rome. Paul has asked for prayers for a completion of his mission to the Jerusalem church, and now he is asking that as he leaves there and approaches them in Rome that they would begin refreshing prayer.

Paul knows the power of the assembled body of Jesus Christ and he knows that when the church is together it is an awesome force. He is asking for the church to pray for his heart to be filled with the Joy of the Glory of the Lord, so that when he reaches them there, they will together be strengthened and refreshed in the Assembled Church, The Body of Christ.

Watching preachers on TV is ok, but the real power and strength comes when Christians are assembled together. Too many people sit at home on Sunday and miss this power, simply because they are spiritually lazy. They sadly have no time for God, until their lives fall apart, and they are in need. Let us agree to take hold of every opportunity that we have to receive the power of the Assembled Body of Christ…God’s Blessings.
Pastor William

Have You Agonized Lately?

It is privilege of living to be... acutely, agonizingly conscious of the moment that is always present and always passing.

Marya Mannes (1904-1990, American writer)

Romans 15:30-32
Now I implore you, brothers, through the Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to agonize together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf: that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, and that, by God’s will, I may come to you with joy and be refreshed together with you. (HCSB)

Paul is asking for a multiple blessings here. He is asking for love, and many around the world today are in this same shape. There are missionaries and many others that stand against Satan daily in their endeavors as they strive to preach the gospel and convert souls to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and there is something that we can do for them.

We can agonize. When is the last time that you got down on your knees in agonizing prayer? Was it when someone in the family was deathly sick and you fell on your face at our Lord’s feet and begged for their lives. Today there are so many people eternally sick and hell bound, and around the world somewhere, obedient saints are trying to reach them for Jesus.

The church is in the shape it is in today because it has forgotten its main mission, and that is to save the lost and join hand in hand with others that are. You and I are comfortable in our homes, but somewhere in this world today someone is sleeping in a hot tent under a mosquito net to reach lost souls. Can you and I this morning and every morning take a few moments in agonizing prayer for their mission and for the lives of the lost…God’s Blessing’s.
Pastor William

Expectations

A master can tell you what he expects of you. A teacher, though, awakens your own expectations.

Patricia Neal

Romans 15:28-29
So when I have finished this and safely delivered the funds to them, I will go by way of you to Spain. But I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ. (HCSB)

I love to read and feel what Paul is saying here. Paul was a proclaimer of God’s Truth, and he lived the truth. But also look at the many ways that Paul encouraged others to live the Truth as well. He encourages those he leaves behind him by taking the success of the labors in the Gospel and helping someone else.

Paul now finishing the first task is already raising the expectations of those that he longs to see. You can almost hear, and feel the words he speaks to them as he says to them “I know” how I will find you when I see you again. He recalled to them all the fullness of their first meeting with Christ, and Paul says, I know I will find you full of Christ!

That’s an encouragement to them even before he arrives. I’ll bet when they read Paul’s letter that I they weren’t full…they got full pretty quick. Now wouldn’t it be nice if those that know you…before they met you next, could say about you, “I know when I see you that you will be full… of Christ? God’s Blessings.
Pastor William

Spiritual Obligations

A man's indebtedness is not virtue; his repayment is. Virtue begins when he dedicates himself actively to the job of gratitude.

Ruth Benedict (1887-1948, American anthropologist)

Romans 15:25-27
Now, however, I am traveling to Jerusalem to serve the saints; for Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution to the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Yes, they were pleased, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual benefits, then they are obligated to minister to Jews in material needs. (HCSB)

When you read Paul’s writings and even in today’s scripture you find and important word that Paul uses, and that word is obligation. Why does he use this word so much? It is because he saw Jesus, he knew the Word of God, and all of the Messiahs promises were then secured before him and were within his grasp, and he felt he owed a debt.

Paul sees God reaching out and redeeming the Gentiles through his ministry, he is watching the fulfillment of scripture and he is asking all of those around to make an investment in the Christ. Paul collects money from Gentiles to reach out to the poor among the Jews who had missed the coming of the Messiah, using this key, hoping to open their eyes to Jesus.

We too are indebted, and I’m afraid sometimes that we invest to much in buildings and not enough in the lost of this world. The church mainly operated in homes and open places then, and it left the resources open for the use of the Gospel to reach those really in need, not just of food, but of a visit with Christ. We are obligated and we are indebted to Him, He gave His all for us, we cannot do less…God’s Blessings.
Pastor William

But Now I'm Found

Deuteronomy 4:29-30 – “But from there, you will search for the Lord your God, and you will find ⌊Him⌋ when you seek Him with all your heart and all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, you will return to the Lord your God in later days and obey Him.”

Romans 15:24-26
For I do hope to see you when I pass through, and to be sent on my way there by you, once I have first enjoyed your company for a while. Now, however, I am traveling to Jerusalem to serve the saints; for Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution to the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. (HCSB)

You can see clearly that Paul was aware that he was living in the later days. He is in a hurry to accomplish those things that he felt led by the Holy Spirit to do. You know you also have the Holy Spirit living in you, are you listening to Him? The Holy Spirit will keep us on track and on task for the day of Our Messiah’s Return.

What are we to be doing in His absence? We are to be doing the will of The Father, our Father, which is in Heaven. How are things going in your life? It could be that you have let the deceiver take you out of the fight, off the track , and you are spinning your wheels, much as a tortoise on his pack setting on a fencepost, feet churning the air.

It’s not hopeless for us when we get that way, if we cry out for our Father and desire Him with our whole being, then God says He will be found by us. In other words, God Himself will find us and place Himself in our path, right where we are, and love us, bind us up, and put us upright, right on track, and back in the fight. He makes Himself available to us, but we must desire to find Him…does that answer some questions for you…God’s Blessings.
Pastor William

We Are Travelers

We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through.

Australian Proverb

Romans 15:24-26
For I do hope to see you when I pass through, and to be sent on my way there by you, once I have first enjoyed your company for a while. Now, however, I am traveling to Jerusalem to serve the saints; for Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution to the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. (HCSB)

Forgive me for saying so, but it seems we are always looking for a place to sit. Do you know what I am trying to say? We are looking for a comfortable place to relax and feel at ease. Does that seem to be Paul’s aim? You say, “Well Paul was an evangelist, a disciple,” and indeed you are right, but aren’t we all his disciples that have tasted His Grace?

These that he has really yearned to see, he lets know his intentions before he arrives. I will enjoy your company for a while, but then you’re going to send me on, and support me in God’s business. Paul wasn’t looking for a piece of land to build an estate, or even a humble abode, Paul wasn’t ever in a place long enough to let that kind of thing happen to him.

Paul was assured after his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus that this place was not home. He wasn’t going to leave anything to fight over; it was going to be in the hands of someone who needed it. Are you passing through, you see what I am saying now, I’m afraid that many Christians are not, they have settled down, and settled for less, because they are seeking the wrong rewards…God’s Blessings.
Pastor William

What is Your Aim?

The height of your accomplishments will equal the depth of your convictions.

William F. Scolavino

Romans 15:20-23 (HCSB)

So my aim is to evangelize where Christ has not been named, in order that I will not be building on someone else’s foundation, but, as it is written: Those who had no report of Him will see, and those who have not heard will understand. That is why I have been prevented many times from coming to you. But now I no longer have any work to do in these provinces, and I have strongly desired for many years to come to you

Listen to the deep conviction and commitment of Paul. Paul was in the building business. Paul looked at the great sacrifice that Christ had made for him, the great foundation that was given him to work on and he got down to business. He isn’t wasting his time, if you will notice, on those that had already received the good news.

What do you make of this? Listen to his yearning to see those that he had led to Christ and had not been able to see for many years. He wasn’t wasting a lot of time singing hymns with the redeemed and having fellowship suppers and going to conventions. No Paul knew there was no time to waste, and so he was sharing with those that had not yet heard.

We are meeting regularly in our churches, encouraging each other, which we should be doing. But, we also live in a world that is lost more today than ever before. We should not forget the time, but we too should be looking for those who have yet to hear, and understand that should be our aim, we should all have a lost person in our sights…God’s Blessings.
Pastor William

Boasting of Christ

There is no limit to what can be accomplished if it doesn't matter who gets the credit.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882, American poet, essayist)

Romans 15:17-19
Therefore I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus regarding what pertains to God. For I would not dare say anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed, by the power of miraculous signs and wonders, and by the power of God’s Spirit. As a result, I have fully proclaimed the good news about the Messiah from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum. (HCSB)

We all deal with the great monster and deceiver “pride.” He looms over our lives every day trying to insert and manifest his deity when we are least suspect. But, what Paul is speaking of here is pride in his Lord. He also has reason for his boasting, a reason that God would wish that we all could boast and brag of daily.

Paul is boasting of what pertains of God in his life. No credit due him, for Paul was a murder and a well known and greatly feared torturer and murderer of Christians. So, his relief from all of this was to boast, to dwell on, and to share with others the greatest thing that was happening in his life…he was being used by God.

He is very careful to give God glory also, for he says that he would not even dare to take credit for what God was accomplishing in him. But, he would declare and share the miracles and wonders of God around him, so as to share the Good News. So what do think of this Paul, one of the greatest of the apostles, wasn’t he aware most every day that the Greatest miracle of all was that God would love…him…God’s Blessings.
Pastor William

For Someone Else

God asks no man whether he will accept life. This is not the choice. You must take it. The only question is how.

Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887, American preacher, orator, writer)

Romans 15:15-16
Nevertheless, to remind you, I have written to you more boldly on some points because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest of God’s good news. My purpose is that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. (HCSB)

The attitude of Paul in these verses is well worth our consideration as a way for us all to live. His first attitude; it was of grace, he spoke boldly because he was forgiven, therefore without guilt he was able to do the second thing. The second thing was to serve as a minister of God’s Good News.

These two attitudes of living gave his life purpose, and that purpose was of major importance to me and to you. He strove to make us, that’s you and I, acceptable to God, and sanctified by The Holy Spirit. Now through the Holy Spirit of God that attitude is passed down to me and to you, to live with that same attitude.

We together, saved by the Grace of God, are to minister to others around us, and share the grace given to us. The Good News is still the same Good News that Paul spread to those that God had chosen to adopt into the Multitude of the Redeemed. We too have that very same purpose given to us by God, through His Holy Spirit. The main purpose of our lives is to help others receive life; it’s not about us just making a living for ourselves…God’s Blessings.
Pastor William

Able To Share

I don't care how much you know until I know how much you care.

Author Unknown

Romans 15:14
Now, my brothers, I myself am convinced about you that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another. (HCSB)

Paul in this verse of scripture is telling us what the fullness and the overflowing is used for in our lives. It is used to help those around us. Paul says that the knowledge we have that is given to us by God through The Precious Holy Spirit, is to be used to instruct each other. Not in a haughty way, but through a humble and broken spirit.

We are to be filled with good things to share with one another, so the responsibility starts with us to be filled with knowledge, not for ourselves, but for others. We don’t seem to grasp that because we are always so busy taking care of our own worries. God wants us to be so overflowing with His Love that we are able to minister to one another.

Able to instruct “one another” means that we are filled with the goodness of God. Listen to God’s direction in Deuteronomy 4:10, “The Lord said to me, ‘Assemble the people before Me, and I will let them hear My words, so that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth and may instruct their children.” The words shared at the base of Mt Horeb, are to be shared “forever” between us all…God’s Blessings.

Pastor William

What Are You Full Of?

Without fullness of experience, length of days is nothing. When fullness of life has been achieved, shortness of days is nothing. That is perhaps why the young have usually so little fear of death; they live by intensities that the elderly have forgotten.

Lewis Mumford (1895-1990, American social philosopher)

Romans 15:14
Now, my brothers, I myself am convinced about you that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another. (HCSB)

We last spoke of the kind of life that Christ bids us live, a life that overflows, and we will not accomplish that by ourselves, for it takes the power of the Holy Spirit living within us for us to achieve this task. Listen to Paul’s words to the flock in Romans 15:14, he says that he was convinced, (that’s a strong word,) that his brothers were full.

Can others say that about you? We joke about what others are full of, and some words are not kind. People are full of nonsense, full of themselves, full of manure? Then we have a warning from our Savior in Matt 6:22-23,“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness—how deep is that darkness!

Notice that we are full of one thing or another. Why is that? It is because of the tendencies of our flesh. We are always consumed by things, and the devil is there to draw our attention away from the things that would enable us to be full. One of his greatest tools is the eye; he too knows pictures are worth a thousand words, that is why it is so important for us to keep our eyes on Jesus…God’s Blessings.
Pastor William

Overflowing Life

Fill the cup of happiness for others, and there will be enough overflowing to fill yours to the brim.

Rose Pastor Stokes

Romans 15:10-13
Again it says: Rejoice, you Gentiles, with His people! And again: Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; all the peoples should praise Him! And again, Isaiah says: The root of Jesse will appear, the One who rises to rule the Gentiles; in Him the Gentiles will hope. Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (HCSB)

So, before we leave this wonderful portion of God’s Word, let’s look at one more important aspect of what Paul is trying to tell us about our attitudes of Praise and Thanksgiving. To me one of the most important words in this scripture is the word that is directed to you and me personally, and it is the word “overflow.”

Listen to Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:15 tells us to share this grace, and why, “so that grace, extended through more and more people, may cause thanksgiving to overflow to God’s glory.” There’s that word overflow again, and then in 1 Thess 3:12 “may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone,” see a pattern yet?

We’re not through, again in 2 Cor 1:5 “For as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so our comfort overflows through Christ. Isn’t this great everywhere we are instructed to be overflowing, not with a sip, but with abundance. And finally this in 2 Cor 9:8 “And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work.” We are to live overflowing lives…God’s Blessings.
Pastor William

Obvious Encouragement

All times are beautiful for those who maintain joy within them; but there is no happy or favorable time for those with disconsolate or orphaned souls.

Rosalia Castro

Romans 15:10-13 (HCSB)
Again it says: Rejoice, you Gentiles, with His people! And again: Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; all the peoples should praise Him! And again, Isaiah says: The root of Jesse will appear, the One who rises to rule the Gentiles; in Him the Gentiles will hope. Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The root of Jesse, will appear, this was prophesied in Isaiah, this scripture comes from the mouth of the ancient prophet who did not live to see it fulfilled. We, on the other hand, are witnesses to the fulfillment of thousands of Old Testament prophecies, and yet we do not appreciate the power of this prophetical witness.

It is said that the chances of one of these prophecies coming true, is equal to the chance of you randomly picking up a marked quarter among a 2 ft layer of quarters that would cover an area the size of Texas. Ok, so what, so what if this is true, and so what if the prophecies have been fulfilled.

Well, for me it means that just as those promises have come to pass, my eternal rewards in Christ shall come to pass as well. If I am looking forward to my reward I am filled with hope and filled with joy, which is my strength, and the precious Holy Spirit of God residing in me, shall fill me with the strength I need each day until I see Jesus. How about you? Is it a big deal to you, or are you over looking God’s encouragement…God’s Blessings.
Pastor William

Give Yourself Away

What a man does for others, not what they do for him, gives him immortality.

Daniel Webster (1782-1852, American lawyer, statesman)

Romans 15:7-9
Therefore accept one another, just as the Messiah also accepted you, to the glory of God. Now I say that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God, to confirm the promises to the fathers, and so that Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy. As it is written: Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles, and I will sing psalms to Your name. (HCSB)

If you desire to be like Jesus, it is a wonderful goal that you set before yourself, and it is also the only eternal and lasting goals we can achieve on our temporary journey here. To what extent we each become like Him is determined by our own vision of who we think Jesus is, so it is important that we have a proper picture of our Savior.

Jesus has eternal and unchangeable characteristics that you can set your sights on. We have talked of His unconditional acceptance of others, regardless to their station in life, but the reason that He is this way is what we need to look at. Above we can read and see a background for the actions of our Savior, and the background is service to others.

Jesus, a servant of the circumcised, and a servant confirming the promises of those that believed unseen that He would one day come. Jesus, a servant to the Gentiles, grafted in to His Love. Now why did He give His life in service? So that His Father might be glorified, and so it is that if we will desire to do the same, we will make eternal differences on those that live around us and in ourselves...God’s Blessings.
Pastor William

Under Contract

Those people who are uncomfortable in themselves are disagreeable to others.

William Hazlitt (1778-1830, British essayist)

Romans 15:7-9
Therefore accept one another, just as the Messiah also accepted you, to the glory of God. Now I say that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God, to confirm the promises to the fathers, and so that Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy. As it is written: Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles, and I will sing psalms to Your name. (HCSB)

I am amazed at the authority with which the Word of God speaks. God is speaking to us through Paul with a command and not a choice. What is this command? It is this, “accept one another,” and what is acceptance, it is ownership. If you sign a contract to buy a car, you accept the terms that come with it, and you are legally responsible for it.

Now here are some terms that come when we accept Christ. Jesus commands that as He accepted us with all our faults and shortcomings, so we must accept one another. It means that we take ownership of each other’s lives, and that we invest something in each other. As a car needs to be provided certain things to run properly, we also must be serviced.

That service takes place not just on Sunday’s, but on everyday of the week. God says that we are to be roadside assistants to one another on life’s highway. We all run out of gas at times, and we throw a belt, or get overheated and have to pull over for a minute, and that is when we need each other the most. We accept ownership of each other, and stop on our life’s journey to make sure that we all make it safely home…God’s Blessings.
Pastor William

It's A Long Road

Long is the road from conception to completion.

Jean Baptiste Moliere (1622-1673, French playwright)

Romans 15:4-6 (HCSB)
For whatever was written before was written for our instruction, so that through our endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we may have hope. Now may the God of endurance and encouragement grant you agreement with one another, according to Christ Jesus, so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with a united mind and voice.

Before we go on let us also look at Paul’s comments on His Father, for he gives testimony to the character of his God before making his requests of him. He states that his God is a God of endurance and encouragement. That is pretty important isn’t it? I know that encouragement is one thing that I really need in my life, it helps me to endure.

How does God give us encouragement? In 1 Samuel 23:16 we find can find an instance of how it happens; “Then Saul’s son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and encouraged him in his faith in God.” Paul also tell us this in Hebrews 3:13, “But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception.”

David was running from Saul in the wilderness, and I am sure he felt that God had abandoned him. Well, all of us feel that way at different times in our lives don’t we? I know I do, and no matter how strong of a Christian someone appears to be to you, they also need your encouragement, and somebody near you needs it today…God’s Blessings.

Pastor William

United In Mind and Voice

We cannot be separated in interest or divided in purpose. We stand together until the end.

Woodrow T. Wilson (1856-1924, American President (28th))

Romans 15:4-6 (HCSB)
For whatever was written before was written for our instruction, so that through our endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we may have hope. Now may the God of endurance and encouragement grant you agreement with one another, according to Christ Jesus, so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with a united mind and voice.

Before we now leave these two verses that are striving to build us into a single purpose and direction for our lives, let’s look at the two things he speaks of. For one Paul has spoken of the dangers of a doubting mind, but now speaks of the kind of mind that a Christian should have. It is a united mind, a mind that can only come from the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit unites our thoughts and purposes with the Will of God, and allows us to have this stable mind. Ps 133:1, tells us this, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! This unity is not for our own purposes but for the purpose of Christ, so as to stand as against a lost world, and save lost souls.

Christ put it this way in John 17:23 “ I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” So for us today, it is Christ in me and you united in purpose and in love speaking with a united mind and voice. As Jesus said in John 13:35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." God’s Blessings.
Pastor William

Enduring Together

Not in achievement, but in endurance, of the human soul, does it show its divine grandeur and its alliance with the infinite.

Edwin Hubbel Chapin (1814-1880, American author, clergyman)

Romans 15:4-6 (HCSB)
For whatever was written before was written for our instruction, so that through our endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we may have hope. Now may the God of endurance and encouragement grant you agreement with one another, according to Christ Jesus, so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with a united mind and voice.

These verses must be understood in the light of verses1-3 of yesterday’s devotion on Chapter 15. This gives us a clue of what we will need to be able to endure and hold on to our hope. What is that important ingredient that we will need? It is each other. We need each other and we need God’s Word to be able to successfully traverse this world.

Notice what it is that Paul asks God to grant Christians to enable them to speak with one mind and voice. It is for Christians to be in agreement with one another. This is so important in the church. The saying is of old, “United we stand, divided we fall.” But Paul also tells what to unite around, and that is Christ and the Scriptures.

It is fighting over all the other stuff that divides churches. People have so many preconceived ideas of what is important. Paul is telling us that we are to be in agreement with each other, holding one another up and glorifying God in all that we do. God insists that we be involved in one another’s lives, so as to encourage one another as we each carry our cross for Christ…God’s Blessings.
Pastor William

Always Building

Never insult an alligator until you've crossed the river.

Cordell Hull (1871-1955, American statesman)

Romans 15:1-3 (HCSB)
Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves. Each one of us must please his neighbor for his good, in order to build him up. For even the •Messiah did not please Himself. On the contrary, as it is written, the insults of those who insult You have fallen on Me.

To me this journey that I am taking through Romans has really enlightened to me the importance of others in our journey here. Just when you think that Paul is through sending home the point, he comes back to it again. What is it that he comes back to regularly? Our, and hear the word he uses here, our “obligation to bear.”

Now that isn’t strong enough, so he goes a little farther, he says that obligation is one of “bearing,” which is saying we must help steady those with weaknesses. Moreover even those with no strength at all, we must help for their own good or pleasure, so that they might be able to stand the onslaught of satan. This is what Christ does for us isn’t it?

We are to feel for those whom are insulted and put down and we are to find their weaknesses focus on them and build them up into strong and faithful believers in Christ, now that’s what being a Christian is really all about isn’t it. Not that you are a spiritual guru, but that you are a servant, who feels the insults of others so strongly that you are stricken to help them, just as Jesus was for us…God’s Blessings.
Pastor William