Friday Morning: 05 Apr 2019 – Romans 12 ~ the transformed life

Friday 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 12 (NLT)

A Living Sacrifice to God

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,

“I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.

Instead,

“If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”

Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.
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Morning Reflection:

The Transformed Life

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world,
but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.
Then you will learn to know God’s will for you,
which is good and pleasing and perfect.” – Romans 12:2

The transformed life is a response to God’s grace – a ” living and holy sacrifice” offered to God as an act of worship. It is a life that has been redeemed by Jesus Christ, and is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. It is a life that is continually changing, being renewed, as increasingly it is governed by the mind of Christ.

So what does the transformed life look like? What distinguishes it as being different from the behavior and customs of society?

+ The transformed life ministers God’s grace to the body of believers.

The question must be asked of every believer: “What are your gifts? What is your calling?” God has entrusted you with manifestations of His grace that allows Him to work through your life to bless others.

+ The transformed life reflects God’s grace in relationships.

Truly Loving – Holds onto what is good and rejects evil; seeks the good of others at its own expense.
Enduring and Diligent – Endures hardships and presses on – with hope, perseverance and prayer.
Compassionate – Sensitive to the needs of others, hospitable, generous, humble, and kind – blesses even its enemies.
Peaceful – Exercises self-restraint; repaying evil with good, and trusting in God’s mercy to bring enemies to repentance and restoration.

Questions for consideration:

Has God’s grace ever motivated you to dedicate all that you are and have to God? Do you consider yourself a “living sacrifice?” Please explain.
Has God called you to a particular ministry within your community of faith that is empowered by the spiritual gifts he has given you? Please explain.
How has God changed your mind in a way that is counter-cultural? What has been the result? Please explain.
When you think of doing good to someone who is your enemy, who comes to mind? What would doing good to them look like? Please explain.
How does the Bible and the Holy Spirit fit into the transformation of your mind? Do you have a disciplined approach to either, or both? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer:

Heavenly Father: Thank you for graciously adopting me into your family through faith in your Son, Jesus Christ. You have shown me your goodness, delivered me from bondage to sin, provided opportunities for useful service, and given me a place of rest and quietude. Thank you for the trustworthiness of your promises, and the hope for my future that they offer. Transform my thinking, and open my heart to any new possibilities you place before me. And empower me by your Spirit to complete the work you have given me. I ask this in Jesus’ name, that I may glorify you. Amen.
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“Living Sacrifice” – Chris Christian

https://youtu.be/VAPPYQ7-djw?rel=0
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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

Thursday Morning: 04 Apr 2019 – Romans 11:25-36 ~ the mystery of God’s mercy

Thursday Morning

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

Opening (Collect for Purity)

Morning Reading – Romans 11:25-36 (NLT)

God’s Mercy Is for Everyone

I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say,

“The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness. And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins.”

Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead. Now they are the rebels, and God’s mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share in God’s mercy. For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.

Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!

For who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice? And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back?

For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.
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Morning Reflection:

“I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters,
so that you will not feel proud about yourselves.
Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts,
but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ.
And so all Israel will be saved.” – Romans 11:25-26

What’s the mystery?

+ It’s a mystery why Israel rebelled against God after He chose them, blessed them, and entered into an everlasting covenant with them.

+ It’s a mystery why Israel rejected God’s Son and chose instead to remain in bondage to the Law under the old covenant.

+ It’s a mystery why God used Israel’s unbelief to show mercy to Gentiles who were previously excluded under the old covenant.

+ It’s a mystery why God shows mercy to anyone at all, since everyone is imprisoned to disobedience.

+ It’s a mystery why God shows mercy to everyone who acknowledges Christ regardless of their ignorance or previous rebellion.

+ It’s a mystery as to when and how Israel will acknowledge Christ and share in the promise of the new covenant.

Nevertheless – The people of Israel “are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.” – Romans 11:28b-29

Questions for consideration:

Have you ever wondered why God, in Christ Jesus, chose to show His mercy to you? Please explain.
How are God’s dealings with Israel a reason for humility instead of pride? And how does that affect your view of Jewish people? Please explain.
Do you believe that it’s impossible to understand God’s decisions and ways? What role does God’s Word and Spirit play in this? Please explain.
Do you believe that “everything comes from [God] and exists by his power and is intended for his glory?” How does that apply to your present circumstances? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer:

Sovereign God: Your decisions and ways are beyond my understanding – I am humbled by the mercy that you have shown me. All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to you – in you I live, and move, and have my being. Use me for your glory. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen.
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“His Mercy Is More” – The Acappella Company

What love could remember no wrongs we have done
Omniscient, all knowing, He counts not their sum
Thrown into a sea without bottom or shore
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more

Praise the Lord
His mercy is more
Stronger than darkness, new every morn
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more

What patience would wait as we constantly roam
What Father, so tender, is calling us home
He welcomes the weakest, the vilest, the poor
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more

What riches of kindness he lavished on us
His blood was the payment, His life was the cost
We stood ‘neath a debt we could never afford
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more
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Closing:

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

Wednesday Morning: 03 Apr 2019 – Romans 11:1-24 ~ Israel: root and branch

Wednesday Morning

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

Opening (Collect for Purity)

Morning Reading – Romans 11:1-24 (NLT)

God’s Mercy on Israel

I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin.

No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you realize what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said, “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”

And do you remember God’s reply? He said, “No, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!”

It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them. And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.

So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened. As the Scriptures say,

“God has put them into a deep sleep. To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see, and closed their ears so they do not hear.”

Likewise, David said,

“Let their bountiful table become a snare, a trap that makes them think all is well. Let their blessings cause them to stumble, and let them get what they deserve. Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see, and let their backs be bent forever.”

Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it.

I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this, for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them. For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead! And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.

But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root.

“Well,” you may say, “those branches were broken off to make room for me.” Yes, but remember—those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t spare you either.

Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree. You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong.
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Morning Reflection:

“I stress this, for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous
of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them.
For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world,
their acceptance will be even more wonderful.
It will be life for those who were dead!” – Romans 11:14-15

How do you view the modern State of Israel?

Israel is mostly a secular state, but there is a recognized religious Jewish remnant and a growing Messianic Jewish community. And Jerusalem is the center of the religious universe for both Christians and Jews. For Muslims, it’s an after thought regardless of their protests.

So what can we learn from today’s reading?

1. The fall of Israel opened up a way for the salvation of the Gentiles. A suffering nation led to the blessing of other nations; when the suffering shall cease, still more abundant blessing shall be the result.

2. Gentiles can hope for still more abundant blessing when the Jews are gathered into Christ. A great revival of spiritual life is to be expected, consequently the Gentiles, as a matter of spiritual profit, should seek the salvation of Israel.

3. The holiness of the Jewish root, remains present in the stump and its engrafted branches. The conversion of Christ’s race to God will be its preeminent service to all the other nations of the earth.

4. Gentile engraftment into the Christian branch of the Jewish stump carries serious responsibilities. God’s severity to the broken-off Jewish branches should make the Gentiles very humble and very earnest, lest it come round upon themselves.

5. Israel’s partial blindness is permitted until the fullness of Gentiles come to Christ. The ingathering of Gentiles into Christ’s kingdom is God’s great present purpose and is to be pursued until all have heard the Good News of Christ.

6. Israel will be saved as the crowning act of God’s mercy. Israel in its national capacity shall yet be gathered home to God, through the mercy extended to the Jews by the saved Gentiles.

The Messianic Jewish communities in Israel are the firstfruits of that enterprise.

Questions for consideration:

How do you view the modern State of Israel? What part do you think it plays in God’s overall plan for the world? Please explain.
How does your Christian community view the modern State of Israel? As a pariah among nations, worthy of boycott, disinvestment, and sanctions? Or as a unfolding fulfillment of Messianic prophecy worthy of prayer and support? Please explain.
How do Israel’s failures and rejection affect your understanding of your own status with God? How do humility and grace fit it? Please explain.
Do you believe that God accepts you unconditionally? How does today’s reading inform your understanding? What role does Christ play in your acceptance by God? Please explain. If you are not sure, click here.

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Morning Prayer:

Faithful God: Thank you for your eternal covenant with Israel, and with me through faith in your Son, Jesus Christ. Purge me of all pride and arrogance, that I might live humbly and faithfully – in awe of your mercy and grace. Bring to my attention my failures, that I might repent and receive your forgiveness according to your loving-kindness. And help me to be faithful in prayer, for the peace of Jerusalem and the well-being of your chosen nation Israel. Pour out your blessing on every Jewish person who believes in Yeshua Hamashiach. And may they bear much good fruit in the advance of your Kingdom, and the glory due your name. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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“ET SHEM YESHUA..Holy Name of Yeshua” – Hebrew Christian Song

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Closing:

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

Tuesday Morning: 02 Apr 2019 – Romans 10 ~ believe and declare

Tuesday Morning

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

Opening (Collect for Purity)

Morning Reading – Romans 10 (NLT)

Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.

Salvation Is for Everyone

For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands. But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth). And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” In fact, it says,

“The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.”

And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say,

“How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “Lord, who has believed our message?” So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. But I ask, have the people of Israel actually heard the message? Yes, they have:

“The message has gone throughout the earth, and the words to all the world.”

But I ask, did the people of Israel really understand? Yes, they did, for even in the time of Moses, God said,

“I will rouse your jealousy through people who are not even a nation. I will provoke your anger through the foolish Gentiles.”

And later Isaiah spoke boldly for God, saying,

“I was found by people who were not looking for me. I showed myself to those who were not asking for me.”

But regarding Israel, God said,

“All day long I opened my arms to them, but they were disobedient and rebellious.”

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Morning Reflection:

“It is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God,
and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.”
– Romans 10:10

What does it mean to “believe in your heart?”

+ It is the working of the Holy Spirit creating in us a hunger and longing for something to fill our emptiness.

+ It is the reaching out to Christ, and Him coming to live in us, and our pressing Him close to us.

+ It is the conviction that Christ is just what we want and need, even though we may know very little about doctrine or theology.

+ It is the joy and gladness we experience when we realize that Christ crucified has removed our troubles – we are forgiven and set free.

+ It is the confidence in Christ that sustains us throughout all the cares and sorrows of our lives.

+ It is the certainty at life’s end that we shall see Christ face to face, and know Him even as we are known by Him.

What does it mean to openly declare our faith?

+ It is uniting with other believers in public acts of worship – regularly “calling on the name of the Lord.”

+ It is publicly professing our faith – at our church we provide content to our profession our faith by repeating the words of the Nicene Creed which singularly unites all of Christendom.

+ It is our baptism in public that marks the death and burial of our old life, and our resurrection to our new life in Christ.

+ It is our participation in the Lord’s Supper that declares our distinction from the world and nourishes our new life in Christ.

+ It is our association with other believers who are learning and growing in Christ, and who pray for one another.

+ It is bearing the crosses we have been given – in our own families and in the unique temptations and challenges we face.

+ It is telling others the Good News of what Christ has done for us and trusting God to use it for good in their lives.

Questions for consideration:

When you reflect on “believing in your heart,” what stands out for you? Is there anything missing? Please explain.
When you reflect on “declaring your faith,” what stands out for you? Is there anything missing? Please explain.

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
– Romans 10:13

What does this scripture verse mean to you? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer:

Heavenly Father: Thank you for bringing me to a place in my life where I called out to you wholeheartedly in faith. Thank you for the gift of your Spirit that creates in me a hunger and thirst to draw closer to Christ, and to grow in faith and practice. Thank you for your sustaining mercy and grace throughout the years. And thank you for the believing friends and faith communities that I have known. Bless your people and your church that we may be lights to the nations, sources of help and healing and hope. I ask this in Jesus’ name, and for your glory. Amen.
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“Call On The Name” – Vertical Church Band

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Closing:

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

Monday Morning: 01 Apr 2019 – Romans 9:18-33 ~ vessels of mercy

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 9:18-33 (NLT)

So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen.

Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?”

No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?” When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory. And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles.

Concerning the Gentiles, God says in the prophecy of Hosea,

“Those who were not my people, I will now call my people. And I will love those whom I did not love before.”

And,

“Then, at the place where they were told, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’”

And concerning Israel, Isaiah the prophet cried out,

“Though the people of Israel are as numerous as the sand of the seashore,
only a remnant will be saved. For the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth quickly and with finality.”

And Isaiah said the same thing in another place:

“If the Lord of Heaven’s Armies had not spared a few of our children, we would have been wiped out like Sodom, destroyed like Gomorrah.”

Israel’s Unbelief

What does all this mean? Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place. But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path. God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said,

“I am placing a stone in Jerusalem that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. But anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”

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Morning Reflection:

“God’s glory is promoted in the overthrow of a sinner as much as in saving one.” – James M Stifler, “The Epistle to the Romans”

Today’s reading doesn’t get any easier. Paul continues his teaching on God’s sovereignty and human responsibility. (See Romans 9:1-18 ~ chosen to receive mercy.)

In today’s reading, Paul uses the analogy of the potter’s right to shape and use the clay any way he chooses. Some vessels are used for beauty, and some are used for garbage. (vs 21)

“The human race is dealt with by God according to his own wisdom, and there are vessels of mercy unto glory, and vessels of wrath unto destruction.” – T F Lockyear

Paul then cites the examples of realized prophecies in the Old Testament –

+ Hosea – God’s right to reject Israel for idolatry, and God’s right to restore.
+ Isaiah – God’s right, while rejecting Israel, to spare a remnant, with whom the Gentiles would be joined.

Up to this point in our reading, the obvious question is: “Has God made me a vessel of mercy or a vessel of wrath?” And in the last verse, Paul gives us a clue – a standard by which we can assess our status. Speaking of Israel’s unbelief –

God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said, “I am placing a stone in Jerusalem that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. But anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” – Romans 9:33

Questions for consideration:

What does it mean to be a “vessel of wrath,” destined for destruction? Think about people that you know. What are some of the practical implications? Please explain.
What does it mean to be a “vessel of mercy,” destined for glory? Think about people that you know. What are some of the practical implications? Please explain.
How does God’s patience fit into all of this? Why does God delay his judgement on those with whom he is angry? Please explain.
What does it mean to trust in the “stumbling stone” God has provided? Please explain. If you’re not sure, click here for help.

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Morning Prayer:

Heavenly Father: You are the potter, I am the clay, shape me into a vessel of mercy according to your great purpose for my life. I place my trust in your Son, Jesus Christ who is my Savior and Lord. Do what you must with me that the riches of your glory may shine brightly in me. I ask this in Jesus’ name and for you glory. Amen.
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“Cornerstone” – Hillsong