Tag Archives: Bible study

The Road Through Romans: The Thing About Spiritual Gifts…

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We are continuing today our discussion through the Book of Romans. We’ll be spending at least another day in Romans 1:11 because there is a bit more I have to say on the subject of spiritual gifts.

Paul wrote,

 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—Romans 1:11 NIV

I suppose most of you don’t know this but I wasn’t always a Christian. I wasn’t raised in a Christian home. My parents were agnostics influenced by the early New Age movement. In my pre-teen and early teen years I was an avowed pagan. I wouldn’t have called myself wiccan, exactly, but I did spend time channeling spirits and talking to “angels”.  I tried astral projection and did have a few out of body experiences.

It was more than a flight of fancy. I experienced real power in my pagan practices. I craved power. I craved strength because, God knows, I wasn’t finding those things in my earthly experience.

My initial decision to attend church was actually at the insistence of one of my spirit guides. I think I was supposed to make some kind of scene in the church and disrupt the service. That didn’t happen. I remember walking in the door and being hit with the presence of the most amazing love I had ever experienced. I was overwhelmed by it actually. It wasn’t the preaching that did it. I could hardly understand the Pastor who was from Trinidad. It wasn’t the music. There really wasn’t any. The piano player only knew “Jesus Loves Me” So she would get up and clap to any song that wasn’t that.  And the I didn’t experience love because the people were wicked friendly or anything. It was New England after all. There was one lady in the congregation who prophesied just about every week. She was so mean when she did it,the Pastor eventually asked her to stop and when she wouldn’t he had to kick her out of the church.

The love came through the people from God as a spiritual gift to me. It was an atmosphere they created more than an action they practiced. It wasn’t what they did that brought the love. It was was Who dwelt in them that caused me to experience it, as I sat in the church service and heard the people worship. It was a gift imparted.

For the first time in my life, love was becoming a force stronger than every other spirit I had ever experienced. In its presence the voices in my head were silenced and I was left powerless in its wake.

BUT

Then I learned that this power, this love, wanted to dwell inside me and strengthen me for life.

One of the reasons I became a Christian was because I became convinced that no other power in the universe could match this God of love I was experiencing. I wanted to align myself with that kind of power. It was not a question of me accepting Christ. I knew He was bigger than me and bigger than all the other spirits I had been entertaining. It was a question of Him accepting me. The question I had to toy with once I acknowledged that God was God and there was no other was, “would He accept me?”

He did! The spiritual gift of salvation was imparted to me the very  day I asked.  I will go on from here to speak about the impartation of the Spirit called the baptism of the Holy Spirit tomorrow, but first…

why don’t you take a bit and tell me about your own experience of meeting God.

If you have missed any of our discussions through Romans they can be found on THE ROAD THROUGH ROMANS PAGE

The Road Through Romans: What Makes Us Strong

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“I’m sorry,” I said to the woman sitting before me in my office.

“Our benevolence fund is empty. I don’t have any money to give you but we can pray about the need and I know God will help.”

I remember she was wearing a blue sweat jacket. Her hair was pulled back into a pony tail and her face wore a mix of weariness and anger that comes with living long in the shadow of despair.

“No. If you can’t give me money there’s no point in praying.” She returned flatly.

Today we are discussing Romans 1:11 in our conversation through Romans. Pick up previous bits of our chatter on THE ROAD THROUGH ROMANS PAGE

In Romans 1:11 Paul writes,

I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— Romans 1:11

I wish I could say that the story above was a one time deal. I wish I could say that I have only ever had to turn one person away without providing the need. I cannot say that because the need is always greater than the cash supply. Someone always walks in the door after the last turkey is given away or the last gift card is handed out. Someone’s oil tank always runs dry just after we have helped someone else pay off the rent bill and we have to say with the apostle, “Silver and gold have I none but such as I have give I thee.” Acts 3:6

The truth is though, it is when the silver and gold run out that the Christian life…church life really gets exciting. The power of the church has never been in its fiscal solvency or its financial prosperity. The power of the church is found in its ability to impart spiritual blessings.

Spiritual blessings change lives from the inside out. In the end that is what we really need. We need the inside out change more than we need the rent payment or the lights kept on. We need the power of God transforming our souls more than we need our next meal. If we come to live in kings palaces but our souls are lost what have we really accomplished? On the other hand Christ’s promise is this, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:33,34

What I long to give people is a spiritual blessing. Our culture may not value such a thing but then our culture does not share many values with Christ or his apostles anymore. I decided long ago I would throw my lot in with the Jesus instead of the world. His way of spiritual blessing ultimately opens the door to meeting all the other needs men might have.

 

 

The Road Through Romans: Is Your Road God’s Road?

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“God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.” Romans 1:9,10

We all have wants, desires and dreams. The first question is how many of those wants desires and dreams are  what God wants, desires and dreams for us?

Paul’s pathway was entirely committed to the Lord’s design for His life. He wanted to go to Rome but only if God made a way. For those who don’t know the story, God did answer Paul’s prayer. He did go to Rome…in chains!

So the second question I would put to you is if your wants, desires and dreams do end up being God’s wants, desires and dreams for you will you still want, desire and dream them even if there is some pain in the realization of them?

There is always a cost for life’s God dreams. Will you pay it?

 

 

 

The Road Through Romans: Constantly

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100_5431We have been working our way through the first Chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans. If you have missed any of our discussions thus far you can find them on THE ROAD THROUGH ROMANS PAGE.

The verses we will be dealing with today are Romans 1:9,10

God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.

I want to spend a bit of time talking about Paul’s prayer life today.

Paul tells the Romans that he constantly remembers them in prayer. The word constantly is the word adialeiptōs which means Paul is praying for the Roman church incessantly.

The idea of incessant prayer is a familiar one in Paul’s life. Paul was a mighty apostle of the church. He was a prolific writer, an effective communicator, an able administrator and a wonderful pastor; But above all Paul was an outstanding PRAY-ER.

Listen to these words from some of his other letters:

“We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. 3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1Thess. 1:2,3

Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe 1:Thess. 2:13

We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Col. 1:3

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[f] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.  Eph. 1:15-17

Paul’s desire, though, was not just to be a powerful prayer warrior in his own right. He expected that every Christian would be like him. His command  to the churches was that, like him they should, 17 Pray without ceasing. 1 Thess. 5:17

If Paul in his day needed to be a man who prayed without ceasing, how much more do we the Christians upon whom the end of the age has come need to be men and women of unceasing prayer?

What must you eliminate from your life so that you can spend more time in prayer?

The Road Through Romans: From the Inside Out

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We have been discussing the Book of Romans over the last several weeks and we have made it to verse 9 of chapter 1.

God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you.

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Paul makes a statement. He says he lives for God in his Spirit and out of that flows the work of preaching the gospel of God’s Son. Paul’s Christian work flows from the passion of his heart for God.

Somewhere along the line many of us have lost the truth that Christianity starts on the inside and works its way out.

We blame so much of our behavior on others. “If my sister didn’t do this then I wouldn’t do that.”

“If my father was nicer I wouldn’t be like this.”

” If my husband weren’t such a jerk I’d…”

But Jesus said, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Luke 6:45

It is what is in our own hearts that makes us good or evil not what is going on outside of them. We may not be able to control the world or the people in it but with Christ’s help we can control our responses.

What do you need to let God change on the inside so that you can live more for Christ on the outside?

If you have missed any of our discussions through Romans they can be found on THE ROAD THROUGH ROMANS PAGE.

 

 

The Road Through Romans: The Noise We Make

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First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world Romans 1:8

Being a Christian should be a noisy business. It is not a life to be hidden under or bushel. Our love and good works should be seen by all, not for our glory but for His.

Does anything hold you back from making some noise with your faith?

 

If you have  missed any of our discussion through Romans, they can be found on: THE ROAD THROUGH ROMANS PAGE.

 

The Road Through Romans: Peace In Battle

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Today we are finishing up our discussion on Romans 1:7

“To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”

If you have missed any of our discussions through Romans you can find them on THE ROAD THROUGH ROMANS PAGE.

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Yesterday we spent our time talking about God’s blessing of grace. today we are going to talk about God’s peace. The Greek word used in verse 7 for “peace” is “Eirene” and it is defined as, “the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, it fears nothing from God and is content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is.”

Paul is not promising in Romans 1:7 that the Lord is going to remove the Romans (or us) from the battles or troubles of life when He blesses them with peace. Paul is declaring that there is a blessing of peace that can settle upon the Christian in the middle of life’s worst battles. This kind of peace can possess our hearts and minds and keep us soul-quiet even while the world rages around us.

I remember one particular point in my life when the battle got so overwhelming and powerful I really should have fallen apart. I kept expecting to. I kept telling myself, “Tomorrow I will probably have a nervous break down.” But the breakdown never came. It was not because I didn’t care about what was going on. In fact I spent whole weekends shut away from the world fasting and praying over the situation. The situation never changed. I did. God gave me His peace. He let me know He would walk with me. He let me know I was still blessed even though everything around me was a curse.

The key to walking in the blessing of peace is to keep your eyes on Jesus and off the world. Isaiah taught this in chapter 26 of his book when he stated, “You will keep in perfect peace
    all who trust in you,
    all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” Isa. 26:3

So on a scale of 1-10 how strong is your sense of peace? What do you have to take your eyes off of so they can refocus on Jesus to bring that number up even one point?

The Road Through Romans: The Power Of Grace

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Today as we walk through Romans we are talking once again about the power of Grace. If you have missed any of our discussions on the Book of Romans you can catch up on THE ROAD THROUHG ROMANS PAGE.

Yesterday we spoke about the Christian’s calling to a holy and separate life. The oft asked question is “how is holiness to be achieved by the ordinary person who cannot withdraw from the world into a monastery or some cave in the mountain heights?”

Let me start by saying that I don’t think God calls many people to the monastic life or the life of a hermit. Holiness or separation is not something you need to come out of the world physically to achieve. Holiness was meant to be achieved by every Christian not just full time clergy or cloistered brothers and sisters. As Christians we are to be in the world just not of it. The way we achieve that is through two gifts Paul continually blesses his audiences with: Grace and Peace.

He blesses the Roman Church with these in verse 7 of chapter 1 “Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Both grace and peace are gifts that come from God. We cannot earn them nor can we create them by our own power. Grace- charis is composed of two parts.

First, it is favor that comes to us even though we don’t deserve it. God likes you best and He likes me best too and there is nothing we can do about that. God always wants the best for us. God is always pulling for us and never comes to a point where He desires to dessert us. Even when He judges us or disciplines us it is in the hope that He will be able to get us back on the right track.

The second part of grace is the power to help us do those things we are too weak to do ourselves. God calls us to lives of supernatural achievement. He calls us to lives that can only be lived if He invades us with power to do things we cannot do ourselves. Don’t be surprised that the thing God requires of you is too hard for you to do. If it wasn’t bigger than you, too hard for you or in the realm of the impossible you wouldn’t need  grace.

We cannot live without God’s favor or His power. We need His grace and we need to apply it to our practical situations. So let me asked where do you need to pray God’s grace to help you today?

 

The Road Through Romans: His Holy People Pt. 2

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100_5431Today we continue our discussion through the Book of Romans. We are currently in verse seven, but if you have missed any of our previous discussions you can catch them on THE ROAD THROUGH ROMANS PAGE.

Today we are continuing to discuss Paul’s audience. Paul says his audience is, “all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:” Ro. 1:7

Because this book is included in the canon of Scripture it also means we are the audience of this book. It was written for the Roman church going through a particular set of circumstances, but the teaching which was directed to their specific circumstances can also be applied to our general Christian lives. Therefore “all in Rome” also applies to you and me. As the old saying goes, “When in Rome…”

Paul begins by reminding his audience that they are loved by God. He also states that as Christians we are called to live holy lives. The word “holy” means “separated”, “different”, “dedicated”. Our lives are to be separate or different from the world. Our lives are to be dedicated to obeying God.

I recently had an individual come to me feeling like they were “falling away from God.”

I asked the person if there was anything they were doing that was sin in God’s eyes. The person admitted there was. But when I asked this person if they were ready to repent or turn away from the sin the answer was a resounding “No!”

Well, holiness means never saying “no” to God even when your heart defies Him and wants to do what is contrary to God’s desires.  Holiness means following God’s plan for your life even when the whole world is calling you in another direction.

Of course holiness is a work in progress. No one lives completely holy. Sometimes our hearts deceive us and lead us down paths that are anything but holy. It is the pursuit of holiness, the practice of holiness and not sinless perfection that we are called to here.

Separation and dedication are mindsets that begin to create a condition of ever increasing righteousness. As with most things in Christianity the battle of the mind has to be won before the battle for behavior can ever be addressed but once the mind is brought into submission behavior begins to change.

Before you go today, tell me some things you do to practice your holiness or dedication to God.

 

The Road Through Romans: His Holy People

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100_5431To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 1:7

We have missed a few days in our study through the book of Romans. If you missed any of our previous discussions or if you just want to refresh your memory about the things we have talked about you can find all the posts in this series on THE ROAD THROUGH ROMANS PAGE.

Up until now we have been talking about Paul the author of the Book of Romans and his calling (and by extension our own callings).

Today we turn our attention to Paul’s audience, the recipients of this letter, the Romans.

Paul says they are, loved by God and called to be his holy people:

You know I am sure this was news to the Jewish believers of the time. Jewish men used to thank God daily that they were not Gentiles because they considered the Gentiles (everyone who was not Jewish) an abandoned people, a people rejected by God.

But here Paul says the people of Rome, a primarily Gentile people and for the most part pagan, are loved by God. He goes further to say that God is calling the people of Rome out of their paganism into a holy life, a life separated unto God.

No matter who we are or where we come from God is calling us into His love. The only questions is will we answer the call.

Are you hearing His call today? What are you prepared to do about it?