Thursday Morning
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Opening (Collect for Purity)
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 16:17-27 (NLT)
Paul’s Final Instructions
And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people. But everyone knows that you are obedient to the Lord. This makes me very happy. I want you to be wise in doing right and to stay innocent of any wrong. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you his greetings, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my fellow Jews.
I, Tertius, the one writing this letter for Paul, send my greetings, too, as one of the Lord’s followers.
Gaius says hello to you. He is my host and also serves as host to the whole church. Erastus, the city treasurer, sends you his greetings, and so does our brother Quartus.
Now all glory to God, who is able to make you strong, just as my Good News says. This message about Jesus Christ has revealed his plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time. But now as the prophets foretold and as the eternal God has commanded, this message is made known to all Gentiles everywhere, so that they too might believe and obey him. All glory to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen.
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Morning Reflection:
The Apostle Paul ends his letter to the Romans with a warning –
“Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith
by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught.
Stay away from them.” – Romans 16:17
How can we identify false teaching, or teachers? By their fruits –
+ False teaching causes conflict within the church.
+ False teaching causes confusion, believers lose their balance, or bearings.
+ False teaching is contrary to the clear teaching of Scripture, it either adds or subtracts from Biblical truth.
We can also identify false teaching, or teachers by their methods –
+ False teachers prey on those who are vulnerable and unsuspecting, e.g new Christians.
+ False teachers are deceptive, disguising themselves as “angels of light.”
+ False teachers are seductive in their speech, appealing to our base human nature.
What’s the GOOD NEWS?
Be wise in doing right and to stay innocent of any wrong.
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
– Romans 16:20
+ God has given us his Word and Spirit so that we can discern between true and false teachers/teaching.
+ God has given us the power of his Spirit so that we can walk away from false teachers/teaching.
+ The defeat of Satan is certain – Jesus wins!
+ The God of grace and peace is with us.
Questions for your consideration:
- Can you think of false teachers/teaching that you have encountered? What gave them away? Please explain.
- How did you respond when you became aware of false teachers/teaching? Please explain.
- How can you live wisely and innocently? Do you have a plan to immerse yourself in God’s Word and be continually filled with God’s Spirit? Please explain.
- Does knowing “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” help you to live more confidently? Please explain.
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Morning Prayer:
Loving Father: We are living in days filled with deception – not only in the world, but in the Church; often it’s difficult to know the truth – yet you have told us that if we know the truth, the truth will set us free.
Thank you for freeing me form the bondage of sin and death and planting my feet firmly on the Lord Jesus Christ. And now, Lord, grant me discernment and an understanding heart to know what is good and true, and the ability to identify and reject what is false and deceptive.
Help me to test every spirit to distinguish between truth or the deception that’s being peddled. Give me wisdom and understanding to discern the difference, and to act accordingly. Thank you, Father – you are not a God of confusion, but the God of peace. Give me an understanding heart – in Jesus name I pray. Amen.
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“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” – The Master’s Seminary Chorus
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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