Tuesday Morning: 19 Mar 2019 – Romans 4:16-25 ~ Counted as Righteous.

Tuesday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Almighty God: to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of my heart through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that I may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ my Lord. Amen.
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Morning Reading – Romans 4:16-25 (NLT)

So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him,

“I have made you the father of many nations.”

This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.

Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him,

“That’s how many descendants you will have!”

And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.

Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.
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Morning Reflection:

“Because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous.”
– Romans 4:22

What does it mean to be “counted as righteous?” A.B. Simpson is reported to have said that the gospel –

“tells rebellious men that God is reconciled,
that justice is satisfied,
that sin has been atoned for,
that the judgment of the guilty may be revoked,
the condemnation of the sinner canceled,
the curse of the Law blotted out,
the gates of hell closed,
the portals of heaven opened wide,
the power of sin subdued,
the guilty conscience healed,
the broken heart comforted,
the sorrow and misery of the Fall undone.”

And where’s the proof? Easter!

It was recorded for our benefit, too,
assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him,
the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
He was handed over to die because of our sins,
and he was raised to life to make us right with God.
– Romans 4:23-25

Questions for consideration:

In AB Simpson’s list, which one speaks to you personally? Please explain.
Has your faith grown stronger or weaker since you first believed? Please explain.
What new thing would you like God to create in your life that doesn’t presently exist? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer:

Gracious God: Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus Christ, to die for my sins so that I might be counted as righteous through faith in him. Thank you for cancelling my condemnation; thank you for opening the gates of heaven to me; and thank you for forgiving me and freeing me from guilt and shame. Strengthen me in faith that I might live as a child of your promise – to bring dead things back to life, and create new things out of nothing. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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“His Righteousness” – Acappella

God made Him who had no sin
So that we might become His Righteousness
Instead of ourselves He offered Him
So that we might become His Righteousness

So that we might become His Righteousness
So that we might become His Righteousness

Holy God was offered for us
So that we might become His Righteousness
So that we might become His Righteousness

It’s hard to believe we can be spiritually well
So that we might become His Righteousness
The loving God tasted the essence of hell
So that we might become His Righteousness

So that we might become His Righteousness
So that we might become His Righteousness

Holy God was offered for us
So that we might become His Righteousness

God in the flesh lived as a man
Will of the Father, fulfilling His plan
Jesus condemned, taking our place
Now we are in Him and we’ll see His face
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Closing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, and protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Monday Morning: 18 Mar 2019 – Romans 4:1-15 ~ Children of the Promise.

Monday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (Collect for Purity)

Morning Reading – Romans 4:1-15 (NLT)

The Faith of Abraham

Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. For the Scriptures tell us,

“Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”

When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it:

“Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.”

Now, is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it also for uncircumcised Gentiles? Well, we have been saying that Abraham was counted as righteous by God because of his faith. But how did this happen? Was he counted as righteous only after he was circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? Clearly, God accepted Abraham before he was circumcised!

Circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous—even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are counted as righteous because of their faith. And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had before he was circumcised.

Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. If God’s promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless. For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)
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Morning Reflection:

By Faith Alone and the Unity of the Bible.

Today’s reading identifies Abraham as the spiritual Father of all who put their faith and trust in God – whether Jew or Gentile. In so doing, the essential unity of the Old and New testaments is revealed –

All are made right with God by faith alone.

While the content of the revelation is in many respects different in the NT, the object of faith, namely, God, and the primacy of faith over works, has not changed. (Greg Herrick)

So what does this mean for us today? A right relationship with God is a gift of God’s grace received through faith –

+ There is nothing we can do to earn it or deserve it.

+ We are unable to save ourselves; grace is our only hope.

+ The observance of religious rites is of no value in securing it.

+ By faith, Christian believers participate in God’s promise to Abraham.

+ The forgiveness of sins is a necessary element of being made right with God.

Questions for consideration:

“The wonder of forgiveness has become a banality. It can be the death of our faith if we forget that it is literally a miracle.”—Helmut Thielicke

Do you view your relationship with God as a miracle? Please explain.

“What I envy most about you Christians is your forgiveness; I have nobody to forgive me” — Marghanita Laski, secular humanist and novelist, before her death in 1988.

Do you view yourself as a person who is forgiven and set free? Please explain.
How does that affect how you think, feel, and behave? Please explain.
Who needs to hear about God’s forgiveness before they die? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer:

Heavenly Father: Thank you for the wonder of your amazing grace – my inclusion in your ageless family through faith in your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank you for your undeserved mercy – the forgiveness of my sins through the sacrifice of your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank you for the guidance of your Word and Spirit – leading me on when I had no idea where I was going. And thank you for securing for me a place in your eternal Kingdom – my true home and resting place forever. Amen.
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“By Faith” – Keith & Kristyn Getty

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Closing:

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

The 2nd Sunday of Lent – 17 Mar 2019 – Luke 13:22-35 ~ Always pressing on toward Jerusalem.

Second Sunday of Lent

+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Opening Prayer

Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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“Be Thou My Vision” – Noel Richards

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Gospel Reading: Luke 13:22-35 (NLT)

The Narrow Door

Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?”

He replied, “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail. When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ Then you will say, ‘But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ And he will reply, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil.’

“There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for you will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but you will be thrown out. And people will come from all over the world—from east and west, north and south—to take their places in the Kingdom of God. And note this: Some who seem least important now will be the greatest then, and some who are the greatest now will be least important then.”

Jesus Grieves over Jerusalem

At that time some Pharisees said to him, “Get away from here if you want to live! Herod Antipas wants to kill you!”

Jesus replied, “Go tell that fox that I will keep on casting out demons and healing people today and tomorrow; and the third day I will accomplish my purpose. Yes, today, tomorrow, and the next day I must proceed on my way. For it wouldn’t do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem!

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. And now, look, your house is abandoned. And you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
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Prayer: St Patrick (389-461)- in resolute discipleship, a call to stand.

I call all heaven to witness today that I have put on Christ, I choose no other Lord than the Maker of heaven and earth. This day I walk with Him and He will walk with me. Watch over, and protect me:

+ In life’s choices and circumstance….
+ In my coming and going, in light and darkness….
+ In hesitancy and fear, uncertainty and rebellion….
+ In testing and pain, in danger and doubt….
+ In bearing good news, in breaking new ground….
+ Alone or with others, be they friend or enemy….
+ In carrying your light, in combating darkness….
+ In healing and freedom and life-giving blessing….
+ In comfort or challenge, to rescue and save….
+ In all my beginnings, and at each ending….

Watch over, and protect me. In the name of the Protecting Father, in the name of the Conquering Son, and in the name of the Liberating Spirit, I arise today. Amen.
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“Christ Be All Around Me” – All Sons & Daughters

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Blessing – an Irish Blessing

May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Saturday Morning: 16 Mar 2019 – Romans 3:21-31 ~ Acquitted!

Friday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (Collect for Purity)

Morning Reading – Romans 3:21-31 (NLT)

Christ Took Our Punishment

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.

After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.
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Morning Reflection:

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight.
He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.”
– Romans 3:23-24

There it is – the very heart of the Good News of Jesus Christ – we’ve been redeemed, acquitted, made right with God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ who took on himself the penalty for our sin, and that of the whole world.

In Christian theology, justification is God’s act of removing the guilt and penalty of sin while at the same time making a sinner righteous through Christ’s atoning sacrifice. (Wikiwand)

+ Justification is the act of declaring a sinner righteous and acquitting him/her of all charges and condemnation.

+ Justification is received by faith apart from works of any kind.

+ God justifies sinners by grace on the basis of the redeeming work of Jesus Christ.

+ God’s wrath against sinners has been totally satiated through Christ’s sacrifice.

+ In the act of justifying sinners God’s justice has in no way been compromised, for the total just payment for sin has been met in Christ.

Questions for consideration:

You have been acquitted, declared right with God. Have you ever thought that God might change his mind about you because of current sin in your life? Please explain.
You have been acquitted, declared right with God. Does this mean that you no longer have to be concerned about your lifestyle, about losing your life and following Jesus? Please explain.
You have been acquitted, declared right with God. How about your unbelieving family, friends and neighbors? How can you reach out to them with the Good News of Jesus Christ – that they can be made right with God too? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer:

Gracious God: Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for my sin in order to make me right with you. Thank you for this free gift of grace through faith. Guide and direct my life through the power of your Word and Spirit within me that I may continue to be changed into his likeness and demonstrate that no sinner is beyond your saving mercy. I ask this through Jesus Christ, my Savior and Lord. Amen.
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“Redeemed” – Big Daddy Weave

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Closing:

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Friday Morning: 15 Mar 2019 – Romans 3:9-20 ~ Guilty!

Friday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (Collect for Purity)

Morning Reading – Romans 3:9-20 (NLT)

All People Are Sinners

Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin. As the Scriptures say,

“No one is righteous—not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.”

“Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.”

“Snake venom drips from their lips.”

“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”

“They rush to commit murder. Destruction and misery always follow them. They don’t know where to find peace.”

“They have no fear of God at all.”

Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
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Morning Reflection:

The purpose of the law… “is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God.” – Romans 3:19

Total Depravity: John Calvin used terms like “total depravity” to mean that, despite the ability of people to outwardly uphold the law, there remained an inward distortion which makes all human actions displeasing to God, whether or not they are outwardly good or bad….

In essence, then, “our situation is hopeless as far as we are concerned. Our entire heart, mind, and will is enslaved to the power of sin and we stand under the just wrath of God.” (Greg Herrick)
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“We live in the period of the inauguration of [Christ’s] kingdom, but we must wait patiently for the consummation to come at his return. Thus our present experience, while rooted in deep joy, is not without sorrow, pain, and suffering. We must take up the cross as our master taught us (Luke 9:23).” (Greg Herrick)

Questions for consideration:

Do you believe that the entire world is in rebellion against God and in need of forgiveness? Why/why not? Please explain.
Do you believe that the entire world is under condemnation – subject to the wrath of God – without Christ? Please explain.
Do you believe that unbelievers are enslaved to the power of sin in heart, mind, and will? How about your unbelieving family members, friends and neighbors? Please explain.
Do you believe that even believers struggle with the residual effects of the power of sin in heart, mind and will? How about you? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer:

Jesus said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” – Luke 9:23

Heavenly Father: You made me in your image and declared me good. Nevertheless, I suffer the effects of ageless, compounded sin in my heart, mind and will. Thank you for saving me from myself through the sacrifice of your son, Jesus Christ, who was made sin that I might be made right with you. Continue the cleansing, transforming work of your Word and Spirit in my life; teach me to mistrust myself and rely solely on you, that I might lose myself, take up my cross and follow you. I ask this in Jesus’ name.
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“Take Up Your Cross” – Ray Boltz