2 Peter 1:3-8 - The Right Tools

2 Peter 1:3-8

3 His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, 6 knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, 7 godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Message: The Right Tools

Time: Written by Peter, he being influenced by the writings of Paul to Ephesus (Ephesians) somewhere between 62 and 63 AD. 

What the Lord is Saying: We had a guest speaker this morning at church and he did a message from 2 Peter on Right Tools. He used an example of fly fishing throughout his message to basically talk about the fact that God has given us Christians all the right tools that we need to carry out godliness in our lives. 

As is my pattern, I looked at the text and went back to verse 1 to understand a little bit better the context of this passage. Peter's message is written to those Christians that have the same understanding of faith or belief that he does. 

I noticed verse 1 says this faith is "by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ." I wondered with that verse if Peter is linking God and Jesus or if God and Jesus are separate. On one hand, it sounds like he is stating that Jesus the Savior is God. But could he be stating that faith is of the righteousness of God and the righteousness of Jesus Christ?

In verse 2, he asks that "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord." Here again, Peter is mentioning grace and peace because of those (verse 1) having a knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 

Even if Peter is not stating that Jesus is God, he is linking characteristics that are the same of the two - righteousness, grace, peace - all found in the knowledge of God and Jesus. 

Verse 3 - "His divine power." When I read this, that's what made me go back to verse 1 and 2 and think about who's divine power He is speaking about for His is singular and yet so possibly it lends itself to think that verse 1 and 2 and the words of God and Jesus are unified rather than separate. Yet, His divine power could be the last name spoken in verse 2 (remembering that punctuation and verse divisions were added later). But also here we then have Jesus being the one with divine power and God also has divine power. Thus, there is another linkage here with Jesus and God having the same attribute of divine power. 

This here is the point of the pastor's message yesterday morning and initially the first point of the text of 2nd Peter. That to the Christian, the fellow believer and Peter - that through Jesus, his righteousness and our knowledge, those Christians have "everything pertaining to life and godliness." The everything we have is because of the faith we have, the grace, and the peace. This is indeed a compelling statement. We have everything pertaining to life because we have faith "through the true knowledge of Him." 

And later in the text it states therefore, with the qualities mentioned in verse 5-7, namely "moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love -- we are neither useless nor unfruitful." Thus we have everything we need for life an godliness and because of that we will be fruitful and useful. 

This sounds like a promise. This takes me back to verse 4 - "For by these" where these seems to be "everything pertaining to life and godliness." Peter says, "these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature." 

Again, we have everything we need pertaining to life and godliness. We have qualities that we will supply to others and throughout life to be of use and fruitful. Thus, we become divine-like. 

But in this text then is a mysterious statement to me - "He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises." Promises. What are these promises? 

2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness..." There is a promise. 

2 Peter 3:13 says, "But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth." 

We have everything we need for life and being Godly. We are those that have faith and knowledge of God and Jesus. We have been given qualities. We will be useful and bear fruit. We will be divine. And this is all according to His precious and magnificent promises. 

I find this interesting because Peter explains all of these outcomes which we have because of our faith, but doesn't specify the promises, and so his audience must have understood these promises. 

I don't know exactly what these promises are right now. I could look at commentaries and review the different ideas. I suppose for now I will focus on what I know - I have everything I need.

Prayer: God, you have done it. Through faith, I have everything I need to do everything pertaining to life and godliness. I want to discover this Lord. And believe this and trust in this. And help me to share this with others to encourage them. Give us all hope. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

John 15:8 - Proving Our Discipleship for God's Glory

John 15:8

By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 

Message: Proving Our Discipleship for God's Glory

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."  

What the Lord is Saying: What is the purpose of all things? That the Father be glorified. I think this is hard for us to reconcile and accept at times. I was speaking to someone recently that said God couldn't be a part of our lives today because we are suffering so much. The focus from this person is on us, and how we are doing, not on the Father and Him being glorified. But that seems to be what is most important for most of us humans - taking care of ourselves. It is normal I suppose, but Jesus reminds us in this statement today that "By this is My Father glorified." All that he has been speaking about with Him being the vine, the Father pruning, abiding in Jesus, Jesus in us, the Father in us, to bear fruit, to be obedient, to receive what we ask, to have the Holy Spirit help - it is really all for the Father to be glorified. What is most important to Him. That is the key. And I don't think we understand this because we naturally think it is all about us and we are trained in this sort of thinking everyday. 

In addition to God being glorified, He is glorified when we bear much fruit. God does desire outcomes and fruit. He does want to be known everywhere. He gets glory as I bear fruit. All the good that I can do - in being obedient, in asking Him by praying, in believing - it is all fruit and all for His glory -- "that you bear much fruit." 

And in this process of our lives bearing fruit and the Father being glorified, we show that we are Jesus' disciples. I mean, God sent Jesus to this earth to provide salvation for all, to be the true vine (v. 1). Why? For His glory, for people to know Jesus as being sent, to have eternal life in Him - and so we are therefore His disciples. We are His followers doing His business. 

The reality is I am trained in this world to be all about Me. God wants to train me that it is all about Him. And that in all I do, He also wants me to know that He is wanting to work through me. This is why He sends His Spirit - to help me and work in me. I have what I need always in Him. How I need to figure this out more. 

Summary: Our purpose on earth is to be called Jesus' disciples, bearing fruit, and all for one purpose - the Glory of God. 

Promise: We do not do good works merely to do good works, our good works have as their end goal the glory of our Creator.  

Prayer: Thank you for helping me see yesterday that through the walk of my life, I am to turn to You. I am to seek You and seek Your help in my life. Even in my walk sometimes Lord, I think I do it by my own strength, but You are in me, giving me strength. Help me to help others see that it is about You. That all in life is for Your Glory. Yes, you have saved me and provided for me, but take the focus off of me. Place it on you. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's. 

John 15:7 - How We Bear Fruit

John 15:7

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. 

Message: How We Bear Fruit

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."  

What the Lord is Saying: As I look in my Bible, verses 1-11 in my Open Bible outline this section as "The Relationship of Believers to Christ." Verse 4 seems to be a key verse -- "Abide in Me, and I in you." Jesus states He is the true vine. Looking at other verses like Hosea 10:1 gave the idea that Israel is a vine. But maybe not this vine context? Not sure. But, it does seem like Jesus is fulfilling something now in the vine that Israel did not - being salvation to all. 

But moving from that is the "branches" that come forth from the vine and the need for them to bear fruit. In Chapter 14 I saw Jesus leaving and the disciples concerned over this, but Jesus giving them the promise that he would always be with his people and would send His Spirit to help. The key idea was believing in Jesus. Words of abiding did show up. Jesus speaks because of the Father abiding in Him (v. 10). In Jesus works result (v. 11) and by believing the Christian also does works (v. 12). We pray (v. 13) and we are obedient to God's commands (v. 15) and the Helper is with you and Jesus says is abiding with us (v. 17). Jesus abides with us (v. 25). 

Interesting verses as they speak of the special and abiding relationship the Father has with Jesus and Jesus has with us: his followers that believe in Him. 

Much of the Gospel John I believe has centered on gaining eternal life. But Jesus is now mentioning fruit as well and receiving what we ask. Jesus seems to be repeating ideas using slightly different language. By abiding with Jesus our prayers for God to work in fruitful ways naturally results. The Father was abiding with Jesus and good works resulted so it seems reasonable to see the same thing in our lives. It seems these are simply overarching commands with significant results. 

I am not yet describing those results though. At the moment, I am staring at the theory of it all. And the promise. 

Summary: As the Father was abiding in Jesus and Jesus did good works, the same thing occurs for us as we abide in Jesus and He in us and good works will done as we ask for them to be done. 

Promise: We pray according to His will. 

Prayer: Lord God, you want to do great things through me and I am saying thank you. Keep me close to You, trusting in You throughout my days, abiding with you, obeying You. Teach me all that this means, not only with the words I say, but the words I think. Be at the center of my life. Help me to have joy and be happy. I want to be more like You, doing things the right way. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's. 

John 15:6 - Burning Branches

John 15:6

If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.

Message: Burning Branches

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."  

What the Lord is Saying: That lesson yesterday was interesting and the idea that I looked at later that Jesus is the true vine of Israel and the branches are now us, His followers. He starts to shift His focus to abiding in Him and the importance of this. Verse 3 I looked at yesterday, "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you" is an interesting verse I didn't comment on. Looking at the commentators, I saw this from theologian Matthew Poole (1624-1679):

Now that the traitor is gone out from you, ye are all clean; not by any works which you do, much less upon the account of any legal and ceremonial rites and purifyings; but through my word, your believing and obeying, Ephesians 5:26 1 Peter 1:22. Our cleansing is in holy writ attributed sometimes to the blood of Christ, sometimes to the Spirit, sometimes to the word. By the blood of Christ we are made clean as to justification, washed; but yet we had need wash our feet, contracting soil every day in a sinful world, from which we are cleansed by the purifying virtue of the Holy Spirit, working by and together with the word, which purgeth us of our dross, and maketh us obedient to the will of God.

What an interesting take on this, The words spoken to the disciples and speaking to their state of being clean, purified. They are clean because of the Word spoken by Jesus. The blood justifies us, but still in our daily life we are cleansed by the Holy Spirit working with the Word of God to make us obedient to the will of God. It is only the blood that justifies us and makes us clean. 

But now here in verse 6 seems to be a further explanation possibly of verse 2, "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away." That verse spoke of bearing fruit and in verse 6 Jesus mentions, "not abiding in Me." Abiding to me is simply the conclusion now of every believer once justified by faith. Abiding starts with faith and then continues with praying, obedience with the Holy Spirit as our purifying agent in the world to make us obedient to the will of God. To me, the Christian without works is a dead faith. I don't think this means though works justify us, but the works are a result of our salvation and the true Christian does work. 

As I was speaking to my wife we were thinking of a friend recently that has cut herself off from any interaction with her parents because of years of being offended by them, of feeling oppressed and in response she has purged these people from her life. But those people are believers in Christ. She has simply decided that their presence in her life is against her nature. It seems odd. I mean it is one thing for the Christian to want to not embrace the cares of the World, but to take this position toward people of faith. The question arose of whether she is a Christian and if she ever was if she can take this continual position of not having love for her neighbor, her provider, her father/mother. It has created now an animosity and a tit-for-tat by her sister and family. Now, I don't believe that is right either. I think the parent and sister must continue to display themselves as wanting the relationship and opening their arms back up to her the moment she comes back. It is simply sad to see this stubbornness that is present. 

I mention this in wonder of this idea of abiding and what it looks like in the life of a Christian and how it needs to look and display itself. As people of faith, we need to have a desire to be purified completely by God's word, not simply in part. And yet the way this friend is displaying herself is similar to the dogmatic view that many of faith hold in regards to their own understanding of scripture and fettering out all others that do not hold to the same conviction. 

My point is the point that I think is addressed in this scripture and it is one whereby the Christian is always and constantly seeking for ways to better conform themselves to the way of Christ. We want to be people that bear fruit and so we need to constantly make sure our lives our working in this direction. 

As learned previously, sometimes people are simply wanting to be acknowledged as a member of the visible church, the church that they believe they should be rather than surrendering themselves completely to God and His word and be a member of God's invisible church. We are not simply to be counted as accepting by a person, but counted as being accepted by God. 

I have a person that has been asking me a question recently of whether him committing suicide will result in God banishing him to hell. He is looking for my opinion and I want him to look to God for His opinion, not mine. Let God define this in His life, not me. 

Summary: In abiding, we need to be people that our lives look like our faith. In trusting in Christ, abiding in Him is a life of living, asking God to prune, so that our lives are marked by fruit. 

Promise: Professing Christians who are not bearing fruit, even meager fruit, have no warrant to believe they are actually saved. 

Prayer: O God, you are good. You are glory and you are perfect and you are my ideal. You have chosen Me for some reason I do not know, but I do know as I surrender to You and yield my life to You, good things happen and You do indeed bear fruit in my life. It is not because of me, but because of You in me. I am marveled by this. It is easy for me to think that I am the one that is doing the great work, but let me keep the glory on You. And I pray that I continually have this desire to bear fruit. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's. 

John 4:35-38 - The Work of Sowing and Reaping

John 4:35-38

"Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. Already he who reaps is receiving wages, and is gathering fruit for life eternal; that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this case the saying is true, 'One sows, and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor." 

Message: The Work of Sowing and Reaping

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."

What the Lord is Saying: After speaking to the Samaritan woman, the disciples arrive to Jesus, having gone off to get food, but Jesus remarks that the true food or the true sustenance of life is to do the will of God and accomplish His work. This reminds me of Matthew 4:4 and the first temptation that was presented to Jesus by the devil when he asks Jesus to "command that these stones become bread." But He answered and said, "It is written (Deuteronomy 8:3), 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'" This is how we truly live, on the Word of God. 

Jesus continues to expand on his words providing to the disciples the imagery of planting seed that will then be harvested. But as he has been doing thus far in explaining the truth of his message, he brings us to message of eternal life. Amazing to me how this continues to be the message John is presenting to us from Jesus. Jesus points the disciples to the fields remarking "they are white for harvest." 

The white fields seems to refer to a harvest crop of corn. Whether it is four months of harvest, Jesus' point is that there is a time period in which one waits for the harvest to reap, but the harvest of bringing people to eternal life, the harvest fields such as He saw from the Samaritan woman and her conversion and then spreading the news that resulted in many coming to Him to hear, this all speaks to a harvest that is ready to reap. There is a plentiful field of ripe corn. 

"He who reaps" is he who takes the time to labor in the Word to convert sinners "is receiving wages" meaning is receiving something infinitely more valuable than what man can give. Again, the parallel thought to the day in which we work and work and work and receive wages. Well, this is working that results in almost easy money. The reaping of the work is ripe for wages. "and is gathering fruit for life eternal." The fruit that is gathered in a harvest is for the benefit of many. It benefits myself and it benefits others. The salvation of people has a big effect on life, on others. Christ does a great work in the life of a converted soul, to the point that this soul will impact many. 

Fruit is really an interesting idea because fruit benefits me. As I enter into time of harvesting and bringing people to the knowledge and acceptance of eternal life, it yields a fruit that benefits many but also benefits me. Paul in Romans 1 mentions a desire to visit those in the Roman church and states, "And I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you in order that I might obtain some fruit among you also." There is fruit, personal rewards, in sharing the truth of the message of the Gospel with others. And we need this fruit, this food, this living water - to survive? I think it is not simply to survive but to flourish. 

It makes me also think of Steven Curtis Chapman's song, "More to this Life" with these lyrics:

And there's more to this life than living and dying

More than just trying to make it through the day

More to this life, more than these eyes alone can see

And there' s more than this life alone can be.

"he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together." There is joy together. 

And verse 38 concludes also that sowing and reaping is often done separate. One sows and one reaps. The body of Christ is working together, each with different gifts, and it results in some seeing the labor and some maybe involved in the labor but all work together. 'One sows, and another reaps.'

Summary: The one who sows and the one who reaps bears fruit, and the harvest is ripe, for seeing many arrive to life eternal. 

Promise: Even now, Christ is working through His church to plant spiritual seed and reap spiritual fruit, and all of us are called to participate in this work by exercising our gifts for the sake of the advance of the gospel.

Prayer: O God, what a joy you provide for us to enjoy the fruit of the gospel. Lord, is the harvest still ripe? Sometimes God it doesn't feel like it and yet, sometimes I am not sure if we are being clear in our presentation of You. Help me to navigate this and preach your Word in a clear way. If you deem me to be a laborer, I am content with this. If I can reap, thank you for this. Be glorified. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's. 

Psalm 1 - My Prayer

Psalm 1

Psalm 1:1-6 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.  But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

My Prayer

Lord, when I do not not follow the advice of the wicked it is joy to my soul; when i do not follow the ungodly, the non-Christian, the enemy of You, friends that do not honor you with their lives, friends that serve a different master, and those that make fun out of loving and honoring You. I pray that I will not go along with people that oppose you. 

Conversely, I pray that my delight is in the Law of the Lord, your Scriptures, your revelation to me; that my days are marked by beginning and ending time with You, in Your Word, and having the peace of Christ as I lay my head down at night; May I love Your Scriptures and seek to follow it all the days of my life. Make me like a tree planted along the riverbank, so that the nourishment I need to Grow each day is found in Your Word and my life then bears fruit. May I be one that stands out and looks to the outside world as one that is healthy and aligned with You. As I align myself daily with You and Your word you watch over me; turning my back on You and seeking after human wisdom and worldly ideals will lead me to destruction.  

Lord, there is a stark difference between the wicked life and the Godly life. The wicked grab onto whatever is in front of them and just as they find their security in it, it is gone. There are no good final outcomes for the wicked. The godly and ungodly will be at opposite corners of the ring of life. If I follow You completely, I must realize that the way of the wicked will not be something I ever want to walk. 

Lord, you watch over me as I walk along the edge of a mountain, keeping me close, but the wicked will fall off their paths and are destroyed by a non-holy path. 

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There is joy in not following. Lord, I need to remember this. I need this to shape my life. A happy man is marked by the places he does not go,, the movies and TV shows he does not watch, books he does not read, company he does not keep. Lord, my world is filled with so many choices and options for my time. As I sit down at the TV, the number of different views for my eyes is staggering. There is joy in not choosing to watch voices that do not honor You with their words. They are poisonous and destructive and counter-productive. What they do is bring rest from following You.

Romans 1:16-17 - The Fruit of Faith

Romans 1:16-17 - For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”

Message: The Fruit of Faith

Time: The Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans from the Greek city of Corinth in AD 57, just three years after the 16 year old Nero had ascended to the throne as Emperor of Rome. Persecution of Christians wouldn't begin until AD 64. The church was experiencing times of relative peace. From where he wrote, Corinth, was a hotbed of sexual immorality and idol worship.

What the Lord is Saying:

Faith clearly gets a bad rap, because it often is inferred that our faith is blind but it is not. We hold true to the evidence of God's word and the evidence of living rightly and seeing the benefits of right living and seeking first the Kingdom of God in our lives. The idea is very reasonable that I cannot save myself if God is holy and so therefore he expects our holiness to mirror His. And He is trustworthy and will do what He says and has shown this throughout history. 

And life is more rational and has a higher meaning. It is odd to me that once people know you are a Christian, the thought is a person must be perfect and have no sin. The fact that we understand sin does not though make us exempt from it; rather, we simple know it and know it's impact on our lives. 

Yet, with Christ in our lives it is true that we bear righteousness. As I've seen lately in my study the righteous person recognizes his need and is therefore a teachable person. They recognize something higher than them and they are more apt to obedience because they recognize their need to be different and submit to a creator's ways. 

Today's passage from Romans 1:16-17 stating that our obedience is not what declares us righteous as righteousness is not earned but is received by faith and once acknowledged this faith is confirmed throughout out life and moves us to greater and greater obedience. Every day we put our trust in Him. Every day when I seek Him First I am acknowledging my faith in Him and that faith is greater than anything else in my life. It takes first place. Other things take second, but each day that faith in Him takes first place. Each day my loyalty is to Him first as I pledge and live my life out to Him. 

And in turn He gives me a compassion for others and I am loyal to them and want the best for them. It means I trust in Him each day and I want to be obedient and keep my commitment to Him. And I want to keep my commitment to others. 

Promise: As I live by faith, I want to be more trustworthy to others. 

Prayer: Lord, I pray that I would be a trustworthy person always. Thank you Holy Spirit for quickening me always to live by faith each day and to put you number one in my life and let all other things in my life fall into place. Thank you for these lessons on faith and this past year of studying faith. It has taken me a while to get through these lessons and yet they have been rich and I am thankful for the consistency of Your word and its completeness. Help me to hold onto these truths. Lord, help me to be sensitive to sinners each day, as they look to themselves as truth and they are defining and redefining each day in them what is truth. Lord, help me to be a person that radiates truth and if I can point them to their sin and help them acknowledge it, direct me in this way. Thank you for your Law and that it radiates truth and speaks of obedience, but the complete obedience that is needed and reminds me every day of how much I need you because I can never be perfect. Yes, Lord, I need to be a person that keeps your Law but as a response to what you have done not as a condition to be accepted by You, because the only way for me to be justified is by Your Son Jesus. Jesus, you completed obedience as I was and am incapable of this. You have saved me simply out of Your kindness. It is only through you that I can be righteous and because of this I have a right and perfect relationship with You for all eternity. I am still a sinner, but because of your claim on My life You see me as righteous because of Jesus in me. Thank you for the simplicity of faith that sprung up in my life in 1982 and still lives in me today and has only gotten stronger and stronger. I am saved. By faith alone in Christ alone and will live for Christ alone. 

Mark 14:22-25 - Jesus' Blood of the Covenant

Mark 14:22-25
22 While they were eating, He took some bread, and after a blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is My body.” 23 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 And He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

Message: Jesus' Blood of the Covenant

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

Preface - It is Thursday, and the day before the Passover. Jesus is leading the disciples through the Lord's Supper, having prepared a place for them to gather. He has just stated that He will be betrayed by one of them. Each disciple responds in disbelief. That person's life will forever be remembered for that one act. Earlier in the day Jesus was anointed at the house of Simon the Leper.

The Lord's Supper is an interesting act that has been repeated by the church and His followers in services throughout history. This was the only Lord's supper that occurred prior to the Lord's crucifixion. Whether looking forward here or back, which is what we now do, it is all about remembering the atonement and resurrection.

As in most practices in Scripture, I notice that different belief systems practice different things about the Lord's Supper. The Roman Catholic Church believe that Christ is personally and physically present int he bread and wine and the invisible essence of the elements becomes Christ Himself, body and soul. I've also noticed many different frequencies of it being practiced. I remember the Church of Christ did it every single Sunday and can recall if you missed church Sunday morning, you had an opportunity to partake in it Sunday evening. Others do it quarterly or monthly (my church). I have a friend that is 7th Day Adventist and they bury the bread and wine not consumed after the service. There is also the belief that this practice is only for believers or those that have confessed Jesus as Lord of their life.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke's wording of the Lord's Supper is not very different, but Paul when speaking of it seems to add "as often as you do this." And therefore, the church has followed this practice is doing it often. Paul's account was probably about 20 years after the gospel narratives and was there to mention problems that seem to have arisen from its practice which means that it was a practice that was repeated after it was instituted by Jesus prior to his death. So he simply confirmed that it was an event to practice repeatedly.

As a person that has partaken of the Lord's Supper many times I must admit that it is a practice I follow but I struggle sometimes with feeling its significance. In the church service, worship takes on a meaning because I am giving of myself. As I sing, I praise the Lord. As I give tithe, I take what has been given me and return it, but I also make a conscious decision to not hold onto that which has been given, and even in the listening of the message I am seeking to learn from the Lord what I can take in and hopefully apply in my life going forward. But, the Lord's supper is taking a moment to remember what has been done and often it remains unclear what I am doing in that moment. Yes, I am thinking God for his specific sacrifice in shedding his blood, in having his body beaten. I am thankful and appreciative and His sacrifice was great, so I suppose this is why it needs to be repeated. But His body was broken once and I began living for Him and then continue to trust Him so how many times do I need to hear "The Body of the Lord broken for me?" In essence I just continue the practice because it seems to be a practice that has been practiced successively, frequently following its first occurrence. But, again, I suppose I expect that it should produce in me more of a feeling of significance as it occurs.

Perhaps what I need to see through this event is simply that my life is all about Christ and his sacrifice provided me life. Right now, my stomach is grumbling for food, but my stomach should also grumble each day for His word. I have been faithful of late, which seems to be a common practice for me in the winter times of the year. But, can i sustain this throughout the year.

While they were eating, - so to me this means that while they were eating the Passover meal or the Lamb and herbs, He took some bread, and after a blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is My body.” That must have been a radical experience for them. There is no mention of Judas not being there. Christ offers his body for all, his sacrifice for all. But the response to that offering differs. Jesus will soon offer his body as a physical sacrifice. He has already said he will be scourged and beaten. So he is saying that he is offering his body for us, for his followers.

And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many." These are also interesting words. This is not just my blood, but the blood of the covenant. By using these words Jesus seems to bring them back to the covenant Moses gave the people of God form Exodus 24:8 - Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, "This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words." Blood marked a sealing of an agreement between people. It is an act that is carried to this day. Often in western movies a person would cut his hand and then seal an agreement with another person through the blood. For Moses blood was sprinkled on the altar and then on the people and this married the two. Jesus is doing the same thing in stating this union now between His blood and many. Note, his blood is not poured out for all, but for many.

Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God. He takes the blood and now refers to it as the fruit of the vine. In the Gospel of John, Jesus referred to himself as the vine. It seems that the next time Jesus would share this Supper with his disciples would be in heaven when they arrive. His followers would practice until they are united again. Jesus is going away but one day we will be united again with Him.

Summary - While the disciples were eating the Passover meal, Jesus gives them his Body through bread and his blood through a cup and tells them His blood has been poured out for many. They were to take it. This was given in anticipation of his upcoming sacrifice. But, it is also a practice continued to be practiced until we return to Him in the Kingdom of God.

Promise: We need Christ more than food. Life itself is found in him.

Prayer: Lord, help me to remember you and your sacrifice for me. Your body was broken for me. Your blood sealed me forever with you. I trust in You. I believe in You and I live for you. Help me Lord to experience this Joy in You each time I take the Lord's Supper. Make that time special.

Mark 11:12-14 - The Fruitless Fig Tree

Mark 11:12-14
12 On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. 13 Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening.
Message: The Fruitless Fig Tree

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

Preface - Jesus is on his way into Jerusalem to begin the week leading up to the cross. But, we aren't sure these events really only take up a week. First order of business was procuring a donkey that some of the disciples went to get and then riding into Jerusalem on it, thus fulfilling prophecy of a king coming in on a donkey. The people knew the significance of this and draped things on the ground as well, but they may have not completely understood His messianic focus of ushering in the kingdom of God, thinking he was simply ushering in a restored Israel. Jesus went straight to the temple, but only to look around and then returned to Bethany to rest.

On the next day - so it seems that it is now one day later. they had left Bethany where Jesus had been resting or preparing for what was ahead and He became hungry. Maybe he was just hungry or maybe he realized that he needed food for what lie ahead.

Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. Interesting. From Mark's perspective or rather Peter's, he would go to a fig tree, hungry, and there would be nothing on it to take. Didn't he know this? It would seem, but then he made the command - He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” The tree had no fruit so therefore no was to eat fruit from it again. And His disciples were listening.

Well, I don't see what this is about so I will first look at the commentary given from the Tabletalk magazine on the date I am currently reading - October 18, 2016. It remarks this passage as an example of an enacted parable or perhaps a real life event that could teach us something rather than a parable which was often a story that wasn't real. Enacted means that their actions conveyed a truth. In this situation Jesus goes to a tree, a fig tree, in leaf. It being in leaf meant that it appeared to have borne fruit, for a fig tree bears fruit first and then leaves. Mark had responded though that it was not the season for figs. Perhaps Mark thought he saw something that Jesus didn't, but either way Jesus seeing a tree with figs, rather in season or not, it should have probably had some sort of size of figs.

In Hosea 2 is an example of the judgment upon Israel and it mentions in verse 12 - I will destroy her vines and fig trees. So fig trees, barren fig trees are an example or foreshadowing of judgment upon Israel. Thus, what he does here is curse the fig tree by saying  - “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” The curse was a sign that judgment was about to come to Jerusalem. The fig tree represented the people of Israel of which a curse was pronounced suitable to its condition.

This could even have more far reaching curses upon the Church that appears healthy, but alas there is no fruit. At this point it is cursed or a curse falls on it.

Summary - Jesus is leaving Bethany on his way to Jerusalem and sees a fig tree in leaf and expects to find fruit for leaves form after the fruit has occurred. It is not the season for figs so therefore it was not thought that there was any fruit that had already been taken. So what Jesus sees is a tree that appears to have fruit and has nothing. It appears healthy but it isn't, so pronounces a curse on it, a divine judgment that it will never be healthy.

Promise: We are to bear fruit for God's glory, and if we are not bearing fruit in service to God and neighbor, we must repent and rely on His grace. If we do not, that may be a sign that we are not in His Kingdom at all.

Prayer: Lord, your words are strong. We as a people are meant to bear fruit. Lord, I am meant to bear fruit. Sometimes I don't see it. Forgive me for that and let my hope be in you for what I can't see. I should have peace for doing the things you have called me to do and then I can trust that you are working them out.

Mark 4:26-29 - Slow and Steady Growth

Mark 4:26-29
26 And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; 27 and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know. 28 The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. 29 But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

Message: Slow and Steady Growth

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

Most of chapter 4 has been dealing with the good soil, the falling of the seed and the Word of God into people's lives -- people that are called by God and then their responsibility to that calling. The Parable of the Sower showed all different kinds of surfaces the seed falls on, but upon it falling on the good soil was the remark that it was accepted and the fruit produced a large crop. And then that good soil (His called ones) have a responsibility to let their light shine and to live according to their calling. After the seed falls, the soil has the task of yielding fruit. Thus, I am a vessel or an instrument of the Lord. And I have a great responsibility as His Child.

I see a lot of part-time believers of God in life. That is not my calling. I am not to only go to church weekly and then behave as I want during the week -- seeking entertainment of every sort, working my trade or my job, raising my family, maintaining my belongings, and buying more -- those are parts of everyone's life and showing partial devotion is not my calling. I am to be equipped and run to the glory of God in all of my activities. Am I really praying, confessing my sin in detail and then offering prayers for others? Am I serving the body of Christ, serving those in need? Is my fellowship with other Christians purposeful, for His glory? My life has been bought at a cost (the Cross) and I have a responsibility to live in a different manner than all of my peers.

This new parable begins with this phrase - The kingdom of God is like. As I recall, in verse 11, in response to the disciples and followers asking Jesus for the meaning of the parables he says - To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, The disciples possess the kingdom of God. I really just stop to mention this subject of the kingdom of God and its importance. I admit, my understanding of these verses is still a work in process. I don't understand completely. But here in these verses, there is something similar here. Could these parables be more for the disciples and followers and less for the great multitude for it is talking specifically about the kingdom of God or rather the good soil? Yet, it is a parable and the parable is given earlier to those on the outside. So, not understand that completely yet.

Here is the parable: a man casts seed upon the soil and he goes to bed at night and gets up the next day and the seed sprouts and grows, yet he himself does not know how or why even as the growth has occurred while he was sleeping. This parable is given without explanation. Immediately Jesus, I believe, is calling to their attention that as he just told them that they need to be obedient to their calling to be good soil and multiply, the multiplication or fruit is something he does. We cannot force this to happen in people's lives.

It reminds me of a visitation I did one time with a leader in the church and we went to the house of woman that lived nearby that had visited the church. I was in my 20s and so the church leader led the discussion. He shared the gospel and then rather forcibly led her to a decision. He persisted and pushed and pushed her until she sort of made a decision and then he walked out of there in celebration of what God had done. I saw the reverse. I didn't see that this was led by the Spirit, but maybe he saw something I didn't. For this message, I see Jesus saying that we are to water and we can give the plants food and care for it, but ultimate God will take charge of the growing.

Each person grows to a certain height, but no parent can determine how tall a person will be. God takes care of this and in the same way we must trust the process. This means that there are no formula's in life. This can be hard at times because this happens often in our non-spiritual life as we work hard and yield results. But, God doesn't work like this and we should not question outcomes.

The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come. This could eventually be talking abut suffering (puts in the sickle) or the point in a person's life that leads them close to death for the harvest has come points possible to the end or the culmination of a person's life where the fruit is seen. Often at deaths of Christians we have a celebration of life service that helps us to stop and take a moment and look at the fruit that has come from this person's life. We are to be faithful in our work but we are also to trust God for the outcome. God will decided when the crop permits for it is different for each person.

Promise: Preach the gospel faithfully and trust God for the harvest. This will yield lasting fruit.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the way in which you work. Thank you for not putting outcomes on me. Help me to not focus on results, but focus on the presentation and depend on you for the results and trust you as well. I need this reminder continually in my life that you are always working, always growing and I can trust you for this. Thank you Lord for the way in which you want me to be involved.

Mark 4:18-20 - The Thorns and the Harvest

Mark 4:18-20
18 And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19 but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”

Message: The Thorns and the Harvest

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

Now I look at the next 2 surfaces:
3. Among the thorns
these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
4. The Good Soil
they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.

3. The second surface received a temporary message and then when hard times came, the message faded from their lives. Here, the distraction is in the form of the worries and pressures of the world. In addition, there is the quest for riches above all and the overall desire for other things to the point that it is unfruitful.

I remember a friend making a comment once that he went to church, followed the Lord, but good things didn't happen to him. He didn't get the Christian wife, he didn't get the good job, religion didn't merit the results he had in mind. And he sort of punted the faith. We live in such a world of comparison where our eyes are constantly viewing what our friends have, our other family members, and we often get distracted. I get distracted. I have been provided everything I need and yet, all too often, I act like it isn't enough. Because others have something I think I must have it. Money isn't the key to happiness, but it sure is nice to have plenty of it. There is that deceitfulness of having lots, of riches. Do my desires for other things prevent me sometimes from seeking God and His word and telling others about him? Do I ignore the prompting of the Holy Spirit because I am more concerned about other things?

The temptations of the world are compelling. They are most attractive. I am often thinking of my correspondence with James Lumbuku in Tororo Uganda. His life is about survival, working hard, and ministry. They have a simple goal often and that is to not go hungry and yet they often have long periods of starvation (months). They live in a hot climate and yet they are farmers, again, for the purpose of survival. I just checked and on this January 14, 2018 day it is 80 degrees Fahrenheit. There crops are basic - corn, potatoes. Perhaps these two items can somewhat make it in the heat. He has real struggles and yet he is so focused on ministry. He is a pastor, a shepherd of his flock, so that would make sense. As I listen to his stories, I am at times compelled to give him money. He desires to get his children through school. One of his children is a Compassion funded child. While they struggle for survival, they are rich in love and mercy toward one another and the temptations of the world don't even seem plausible.

4. They hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. Something different has happened now - these hear the word and accept it. The turning point is acceptance. They receive it into their lives and make it a part of themselves. By accepting it, something happens, they bear fruit. It is automatic, it happens. If the plant is watered appropriately and receives the nourishment it needs, there is no more effort, but waiting to see the fruit. This last surface is rather simple, actually.

Promise: The result from the word landing on good soil and being received is a harvest. None of us can anticipate the size of the harvest that will be produced, but a harvest will come. We may not even see the result in our lifetime. But, fruit is inevitable. It will come.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for the clarity of your message. Thank you for calling people to yourself. It is thrilling to see the harvest take place and the way it does multiply. Continue to change hearts and uproot soil so that many more can come to accept your truths.

James 5:13-18 - Persevere through Prayer

James 5:13-18
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.

Message: Persevere through Prayer

Time: James is thought to be the brother of Jesus. It is written about AD 45.

What the Lord is Saying: 

1. The Call to Prayer

There are 3 anyone statements: Is anyone suffering? Is anyone cheerful? Is anyone sick? I recalled that James 1 started with the idea that we have trials and the first action to the trial is asking God for wisdom. When we are going through a difficulty, the first response is to talk to God and ask him for help. In this scenario the response to each statement is prayer. Our focus remains on the Lord and looking to Him for help. This idea is central to our faith - we depend on God. We trust in Him. We rely on Him. 

2. The Character of Prayer

The final statement is in response to sickness and calling on the elders of the church to come and pray over the person. He calls on leaders of the church and they anoint him with oil. Oil in Bible times was medicinal and was used to treat lacerations, like the parable of the Samaritan in Luke 10:34. It is used to express concern and it strengthens. Symbolically it is the filling of the Holy Spirit. Is this a practice still today, that is, to anoint people with oil? According to our church, it is still a practice. James is encouraging us in the practie of church leaders interceding for one another. 

We are to have faith, a fervent energetic spirit, and righteousness.

a. Faith is the means of the power of prayer (v. 15 - prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick). Faith is conviction, it is trust, full confidence, and no doubting. Personally, I think it is very hard to pray without any doubt. 

b. Fervent energetic spirit (vs. pray for one another as effective prayer (v. 15-16) we are passionate about what God wants. 

c. A righteous individual (vs. the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much v. 16)

3. The Consequence of Prayer

v. 15 - faith will restore the one who is sick
v. 15 - they will be forgiven him if he committed sins
v. 16 - mutual confession provides healing - confess to one another
v. 16 - prayer can accomplish much 

example is Joni and we are not to put faith in faith; result is a transformed life.


Promise: Prayer can accomplish much, in my life, in other lives.

Prayer:  Lord, help me to learn how to continually pray. Thank you for Hope Church and their pastors and bringing the Word through them. Thank you for Pastor Roy and this message he gave this morning. Teach me now to continue to depend on You and trust you throughout all of life's circumstances. Help me to pray more for in doing this I trust you for the outcomes of life and acknowledge that I am not in control.

Proverbs 12:13-14 - The Good Fruit of Righteous Speech

Proverbs 12:13-14

¹³ An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips,
But the righteous will escape from trouble.
¹⁴ A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his words,
And the deeds of a man’s hands will return to him.

Message: The Good Fruit of Righteous Speech

Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

What an interesting passage as I am dealing with personnel issues at work that stem in large part to the words that are being said.

It is interesting that verse 13 doesn't say a man is ensnared, but says an evil man. It is contrasting the evil and the righteous. A man that sins with his lips is an evil man and will be caught or brought into trouble by the wickedness of his words. But the righteous will escape from trouble. Thus the righteous man who is wise, inoffensive, and holy with his words, whereby he pacifies man and pleases God, will be favored and protected because of his words.

Verse 14 looks at a mans words bearing fruit contrasting it with his deeds. Thus a man's words when they are pious and profitable discourses will bear fruit. And the work of his hands will naturally follow. This man will make good friends.

Promise: We cannot underestimate the value of a good word.

Psalm 1 - The Purpose of Wisdom Literature

Psalm 1
¹ How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
² But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.
³ He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.

⁴ The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
⁶ For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Message: The purpose of wisdom literature

Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

I think this was the first passage of scripture I memorized. I think I was 14 or 15 when I tried to do it. I haven't been able to keep it to memory, though. My mom said that this was my dad's favorite passage of scripture. As a first chapter in the book of Psalm it almost seems like a chapter that shapes the rest of the book, for it summarizes everything that is expected from man in his life or not expected and the response of God. 

A Blessed Man Does Not
Here, the sign of a man that is blessed is one that does not co-habitat with wicked people. How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! Yet, it is not that this man doesn't just walk with the wicked, but that he doesn't even stand on their paths, nor sit in the places where they have sat. There is a progression here as well of sitting, then standing, and then walking. The man who is happy or blessed stays far from the wicked. And these are people that mock God (scorners). The issue here, I don't think, is not about one who is trying to minister to these folks, but one who's life is beginning to look like that of the wicked. Does the blessed man's life really abhor that life? That man may not be walking, but does the man accompany those ways?

Do we go along with shameful and behavior that, in the company of other blessed men, we wouldn't do? My life is to be lived above reproach. Is it or do I compromise in order to get the praise of others?

Also, this is talking about a man's walk. It is not talking about taking 5 or 10 minutes or even an hour to commit ourselves to the reading of God's word. Those things are important, but the blessed man's life is just that, a life. It is a walk. Throughout the day, my focus and desire should be to honor God. Every moment and in every act.

A Blessed Man Does
The Law of the Lord is what the blessed man dwells on. I think there can be no escaping the reading and studying of God's word in a person's life that wants to honor God. God's word is meant to be a delight to us. It is meant to be something that we long to read and study. In this law is what the blessed man not only listens (his delight is in) to, but what he wants to be in him at all times, so he meditates day and night. The Law is what we turn to to be our guide in all things. As a pastor said once, "when  you cut yourself, you should bleed Bible." 

A Blessed Man's Life
Here is the outcome of the blessed man that their delight is in the Law of the Lord, their life will be firmly planted. The rushing waters or the ways of the world will not be able to sway the man. He will be firmly planted. And said differently, the river of life or the waters of the spirit as they flow will continually be nourishing the tree or man: He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water.

The person's life will have fruit and will not wither and will prosper. This is the amazing thing about this man, is the outcomes will be sweet (fruit), healthy (leaf does not wither), and successful (prospers).  Is this not what every person wants in their life? To be infectious, sweet, what people want; to be healthy; to be successful. But, remember these things are defined by God and so look like God. This does not mean to the world and what it prioritizes that these things will look like that. But, let God define our lives and we will feel good about what they look like. 

The Wicked Man
What chronicles the wicked man's life? What does it look like? The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away. In farming crops, there is a part of the growth that must be torn away and thrown away. Rice, barley, oats, wheat, even corn, is surrounded by a husk. This husk is waste material. There is a part that we eat and there is a part that is thrown away. It has little or no value. It is the chaff that is thrown away. This is the wicked life. It is the part that the wind picks up and carries away. It has no staying power. It has no eternal staying power. It may remain for a season and it may even look like it is healthy as the husk part of a plant is often large and abundant. But, in the end, it is discarded. This is what we need to focus on because often life is not focused on the outcome, but instead on how it looks here and now and today. If we focus on today only, then we will gravitate toward the wicked man and his ways. But, we must look at the end of the road and the end path. The wicked man's life will not remain. 

A Wicked Man's Result
This is what I was beginning to reference. In the end, Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. In the word of Covey, we must "Begin with the end in mind." If we want our lives to be marked by something it should be God and His word. This is why I have always like I Timothy 4:7-8, "Train yourself to be godly; for physical training has some value, but godliness has value for all things." This is what I cannot lose sight of in life. In the end, the wicked will not stand in judgment, but they will fall. And in the final standing company the sinners will not be a part of. They will not be with the righteous. 

The Lord Knows
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. Our focus on life should be on what the Lord knows and remembers. So, the person that simply stays far from the way of the wicked man and instead stays close to the Law of the Lord will be known by God. 

This chapter chronicles the actions of man, but keep in mind, whether one is blessed or wicked is based upon the Grace of God. Abraham was called while he was worshiping pagan gods. The 10 commandments were given to the Israelites after they were chosen. God calls us and then we have a decision of what our lives will look like.   

Promise: If we truly seek to follow God's word and do what it says then we will be among the righteous. The way of the wicked, the selfish, man centered defined life will perish.

Romans 8:23-25 - Our Longing for Bodily Redemption

Romans 8:23-25 - 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

Message:Hope sustains

Time: This book was probably written between 56 and 57 B.C. Paul was in Greece, probably Corinth when he wrote. It was sent to Gentile believers, but also believers with a strong Jewish element.

What the Lord is Saying:

Set up
"And not only this," - that has to be best statement so far in the book of Romans. No wait, there is more. The chairman of detail and explanations, Paul, tells us to hold onto our hats and get ready for more.

In this section of Romans Paul continues to remind us that our current suffering is nothing compared to our future glory. And all of creation wants this future glory. But, for now man lives in the pains and groaning of this present life (even though we try so hard to make out that nothing is wrong). 

In verse 22 was the proclamation that whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth. Every one. No one is exempt. The pain that a woman experiences in childbirth sure does look excruciating. I don't like pain. I don't like being uncomfortable and that pain looks very uncomfortable. And glory awaits at the end of the pain so I guess what is remembered is not so much the pain but the aftermath of the pain. Paul I think there is also wanting people to see that that utter pain and discomfort is what mankind is experiencing through time. But, deliverance awaits man if man will take it. And Christ followers possess the answer. We must share it with others. We must at least try.

First fruits
Verse 23 shifts to the Christian. Verse 22 was all of creation. Verse 23 is the follower or those in Christ, having been justified or made right with God. And in this verse, the calling card of the Christian is they have "the first fruits of the Spirit." This is a key phrase and in this verse, Paul obviously chose His words carefully. He could have said anything, so why did he say this?

First fruits represent the beginning of the harvest for the Israelites that is often offered as a sacrifice. God only wanted what was best. Even in our tithing to the Lord, I need to get paid and immediately give. He should get what is first out of my pocketbook. He is the priority.

Exodus 23:19 - “You shall bring the choice first fruits of your soil into the house of the Lord your God.

Leviticus 23:10 - “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest.

Deuteronomy 18:4 “You shall give him the first fruits of your grain, your new wine, and your oil, and the first shearing of your sheep.

Deuteronomy 26:1-4 - “Then it shall be, when you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, and you possess it and live in it, that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground which you bring in from your land that the Lord your God gives you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to establish His name. You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him, ‘I declare this day to the Lord my God that I have entered the land which the Lord swore to our fathers to give us.’ Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down before the altar of the Lord your God.

So Paul takes this idea of first fruits and basically turns it around to express to me what I have received by way of my faith in believing in Jesus and what he did for me that I could not do. Just as God received the first fruits, I have basically received the first fruits. So I have what is most important in regards to my belief in Christ.  Are there future glories? Yes indeed, but what I have now is the best. Once again that should be a reminder to the Christian that nothing can separate us from God once we have placed our trust in Him.

Of the Spirit
But it is not just the first fruits by themselves but it is the first fruits of the Spirit.

Ephesians 1:13 - In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.

I have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Just from Paul's words I know that I have something pretty amazing in having the Holy Spirit. Again, I have what I need to now live in peace beyond the pains and groans of childbirth. The Holy Spirit has been pledged or given to me. I have it and it is the promise that I have being sealed in God. God is with me.

We wait eagerly
The Christian waits eagerly, just as the non-Christan wants to see the true Christians in verse 21. The Christian is waiting eagerly for his full adoption as sons of God that will come upon his glorification. This is not to be confused with us being declared as adopted in verse 15. That was in the present tense when it spoke of our adoption at our justification.

We hope
In verses 24 and 25 the word "hope" is mentioned 5 times. The opposite of futility seems to be hope. And Paul wants to make it clear to us that our lives are about hope. We have been saved in hope. But, hope isn't what we see. It is in the unseen. That needs to be clearly understood that our focus is on the unseen, but the surety of it.


Promise: Tabletalk, June 25, 2014, "Since we know that we will be glorified, we can endure all of our shortcomings in the present, repenting over them as we look forward to what is to come."

Romans 7:4-6 - Dying to the Law Through Christ

Romans 7:4-6 - 4 Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5 For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

Message: Dying to the Law and Walking in Newness of Life

Time:Another source cites this book as being written around 56-58 BC. Because Paul himself was a Roman citizen, he had a unique passion for those in the assembly of believers in Rome. Since he had not, to this point, visited the church in Rome, this letter also served as his introduction to them.

What the Lord is Saying:

Justification and Sanctification
Sanctification follows justification. After being declared righteous by faith and being credited righteousness and eternal life, how is a person to live. Chapter 6 asked the question about whether or not a person continues to sin. And now chapter 7 wonders if we continue to keep the law. Sanctification, thus, is the process in which the Holy Spirit conforms us to Christ in holiness. At faith we were declared righteous, following faith, we are to live as righteous people, growing in likeness of Christ.

I think a big confusion with people and religions is the idea that sanctification sounds like justification at times in scripture. In some ways, one must go back to how clear justification is talked about, starting in Romans 3:21 and even how the defense for it began starting in Chapter 1. People have a tendency to think that over time, in sanctification, a person lives there life in such a way to yield salvation or yield eternal life.

All who are justified will walk in sanctification till glorification. Its our sanctifying life, like James mentions in James 2 that shows others that we are in Christ. Obviously, the reason the sanctified life is in question regarding leading to salvation is how people live. Appearances can deceive people.

I think this is where Romans becomes difficult to comprehend. These are tough passages. Only because we are constantly reading the verse and then watching how it is lived out amongst us and the two often create a conflict. By being justified, I am free from sin. Sin is no longer master. Sin has been crucified. And I am not accountable to the Law. Adherence to the law does not define my future life with God. I am not under the Law, but under grace. Not following the law or lawlessness is sin and I am free from this in Christ. However, my life in Christ will fulfill the Law. Not perfectly because I can never be perfect. But, my life will be lived to make the Law be fulfilled, but not through me, but grace through faith.

I can clearly see through scripture that if my salvation is dependent on my adherence to a law or even that my life must always be lived in such a way to mirror my freedom from sin and that I can never go back and live sin in my life, then my salvation is not a condition of grace and Christ's work, but is conditioned on my living in adherence to the God's commands, the Law.

As I learned in Romans 7:1-3, they law exhibits no hold on me. Yes, it is there to be fulfilled in life while I live on earth, but it has not lasting hold on me. I may feel that my union to it is the ultimate desire or fruition to my life, such as I also think of marriage, but my union is with Christ and he will completely fulfill me. In Adam, it has a hold. In Christ, there is no hold.

Bearing fruit now because of death to the Law
Today, I am walking through verse 4-6, on the heals of stating it has no jurisdiction over us, Paul states in verse 4 therefore, the Law is dead to us/me. I especially like the word made. I was made to die to the Law. The Body of Christ removing sin in my life, thus removed the Law. Sin was brought into the world through Adam. The Law came later. Sin was the first thing removed, then the Law.

Formerly, we bore fruit for death
Verse 5 further explains what life was like in Adam. The death and resurrection of Christ yields a joining together of God and man (verse 4). And now I can bear fruit for God. But, does a person bear fruit in Adam? Yes, it happens, but that fruit bearing is for Adam, for self. Thus, for death as it states in verse 5.

In the flesh, sin was active. And sin was aroused by the Law. The Law said "don't", we "did." It aroused sin. Sin living produces death.

Law releasing
But now, in verse 6, a change has taken place. "But now" - meaning something changed. What changed? I have been released from the Law. The Law no longer has a hold on me. I no longer am accountable to it. That is the the problem with the person in Adam, there are accountable to the Law and we know clearly this is a losing battle because we are sinners and we break the Law. Thus, we have "died to that by which we were bound." The Law had a hold on us, but Jesus broke that hold. Jesus and His resurrection and the death of sin means that lives can be lived once again to bear fruit for God. This is the core of my existence. My life is to glorify God.

I can now walk in newness of life. And, in fact, I am walking in newness of the Spirit. The Spirit is conforming me to the holiness of God.  I am not walking in oldness of the letter (of the Law), but in newness and the Spirit is at work in my life. The Spirit is at work in my life. That is not wishful thinking or a hope that it will happen. The Spirit is at work in my life. And the Spirit's role is to work in my life. The Spirit is moving me towards holiness. I am a living testimony of God working out holiness in a person. Don't ever take credit for it for it isn't my work. it is the work of the Spirit.

A prayer
Lord, may I continue to uncover your truths and may I better understand and comprehend you. But, don't make me think that comprehension must precede application. The Spirit is at work in my life but I continue to live and testify of you. I don't always get it right but You are the one who is at work. 

Promise: I am a new creature in Christ. The old life of living according to the Law is gone, the newness of living in the work of the Spirit has come. God be glorified because he has made me new and is making me true.