not playing favorites...

October 31, 2013

Romans 2:6-11

V 11 There is no favoritism with God

God is just. He doesn’t look at the outward appearance of man and judge them worthy or not. He doesn’t decide that He likes one person more than the other and therefore showers that person with blessing upon blessing. Truthfully, we, as sinful humans, are not worthy of any of His blessing. Yet, in His loving-kindness He showers them upon us. As the children’s song says, “We are all precious in His sight.” After all He did send His SON to die for us.

we never get away with it...

October 23, 2013

Romans 2:5 He will repay each one according to his works

Sometimes I don’t discipline my children like they should be; I will, at times, allow disobedience, that should be taken care of. There may also be times where I don’t know that they have disobeyed me. I can’t see inside their heart to judge it’s attitude so I don’t know if their motives are always pure. However, God is a much better Father than I am a mother to my children. He never lets any sin go unpunished. We are not allowed to disobey and get away with it. It may look like we are on the surface. It may look like there are no consequences to our sin, both private and public. But there are…God will “repay each one according to his work.” This is a verse that should give us pause both the saved and of course the unsaved.  

living in God's kindness...

October 22, 2013

Romans 1:29-2:1-4

V 4 Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, restraint and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

So, far, Romans is not what I would call a “happy book”; it’s filled with the honesty of human sin and God’s judgment. Yet, here in the midst of that we find a reference to God’s kindness. I’m a human. How mean and vile we can be is not lost on me. I know it. I’m honest enough, most of the time, with myself to recognize this about me. Despite that, God is still kind. In His kindness He chose to save me. He chose to deliver me, to lead me, to shelter me, and to at times discipline me. I am forever thankful that He did.

being eager when I'm not really feeling it...

October 14, 2013

Romans 1:14-15

V 15 So I am eager to preach the good news to you also who are in Rome

It is sometimes hard to do ministry work. Of course I’m not talking about the act of preaching. Being a woman I will not ever be called to that position. However, this doesn’t mean that I have never been called to serve in my church. I have. I am now. Sometimes this is hard. Sometimes it is hard to be excited about it; it’s hard to put it in the calendar of my life. Yet, I know that God did not save me to be still. To be lazy; He saved me to work in His church. Paul here was exited to serve because he knew that God would do great things in his ministry. I should always look at the things I am called to do in this same way. Unfortunately I do not…

different directions...

October 11, 2013

Romans 1:13 I want you to know brothers that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented)…

Ever really wanted to do something but God just wouldn’t let you; either by circumstances or conviction. We often times are upset about those situations because we just know that the direction we want to go is the best. However, as believers, we know but may often forget, that this isn’t true. If God stops or redirects our steps that is His providence at work and His protection on us and we should look upon it with thanksgiving instead of regret.

being broken or being helpful...

October 10, 2013

Romans 1:11-12

V 12 …mutually encouraged by each others faith, both yours and mine

These two verses really speak to how much we, the Body of Christ, the Church, can help each other. Paul is telling the church at Rome that he couldn’t wait to see them because he knew that they could minister to him. Paul, inarguably the greatest evangelist ever, apart from Christ, is saying that he would benefit from being around other believers. This is just another example of how the church is really intended to mirror a body with no one part more important than the other. When everyone does their part all things run smoothly and the church is as it is meant to be. Do we realize that the church is meant to be our resting place; the one place that we can go to as an escape from the world? It is the place that is filled with people who both love and serve God; so, naturally this is the place our hearts long to be. However, this isn’t always the case. For whatever reason sometimes parts of the “body” are sick or broken and we lose some of what Paul was talking about. How sad would we be if we one day realized that we, ourselves personally, was responsible for the body being broken?