Category Archives: faith

The Romans Challenge: Prayer

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“I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭30‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“All we can do now is pray…” I don’t know how many times I have heard this said. What a sad reflection of the unbelief in a person’s heart. It’s as if we say, “I’ve tried everything on my own to fix it… now I’ll ask God to help.” How we undervalue our greatest privilege! How we doubt the God who not only listens to us when we pray, but answers us!

Paul was fighting a spiritual battle. He urged the Romans to join him in his battle. He didn’t ask them to battle by talking to each other about how big the problems were. He didn’t ask them to send positive thoughts towards him. He URGED them to join him in his struggle by praying!

Prayer is not our “all we can do now…” options. Prayer is our “we get to” option. WE GET TO talk to the God who holds all power, is in control, has our best interest in His heart towards us, complete in love, complete in wisdom, etc… the list goes on and on. We get to come to Him and tell Him about the struggle and the battle. We get to ask Him to help us in time of need. We get to ask Him to provide our every need. We get to do that for ourselves. We get to pray for each other.

Do you and I value our connection to God in prayer? It is my prayer that we do! The truth is we cannot do anything on our own. Our very breath is a gift from God. Why would we think that we should turn to Him only at a moment of desperate need? We need Him every moment of every day!

The people God has surrounded us with, who we are doing life with need us to join them in their battles with our prayer! God hears us when we pray to Him. He loves to answer us when we pray!

“Join me in my struggle by praying to God for me!”

The Romans Challenge: Overflow!

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“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We were not created to dwell in anxiety, fear, and depression!

Long ago, in the Garden of Eden, mankind was created to dwell connected to God. We were made to be His image bearers, reflecting all that He is to our world. When sin entered, that connection was broken and that image was shattered. However, Jesus came!

Jesus came to set us free from sin and to enable us to receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes into our lives the moment we receive the New Life Jesus came to give us! The Holy Spirit empowers us to live according to our original design as “image bearers” of God.

Our God is a God of Peace. Our God is a God of joy. Our God is a God of hope! By the power of the Holy Spirit, who lives within us, we can be filled to overflowing with His peace, joy, and hope! Yet so many of us do not live our lives this way…

I know this from experience. For years, I lived as a Christian full of anxiety, fear, and depression… I tried in my own power, using man’s ways, to fix the way I felt. All of these attempts ended in failure. Until, I determined that I needed to truly surrender EVERY area of my life to God. I decided that I would pursue Him above all things, and live my life focused on Him!

How is this even possible? By the power of the Holy Spirit! By faith in God and His Word, i.e. trusting in Him!

I was living my life focused on me. I was very me-centered! God made us to live our lives focused on Him. Our thoughts are to be focused on Him and His Word. Our speech is to reflect that focus — speaking His truth and His life regarding ourselves, our circumstances, our families, etc. Our actions will fall into line as our focus is laser focused on God and His Word!

Here is the truth of what we all need… We need to live our lives with this motto: Less of me…More of Him! When we overflow with the Holy Spirit in our lives, we will experience what we were created to be all along: People who dwell with hope— a confident expectation of good; People who trust Him — believe that God said it, I believe it, that settles it; People who live with joy, — an emotion that is excited by the expectation of good; People who live with peace — freedom from disturbance or agitation.

Holy Spirit we ask You to fill us up til we overflow with You!

The Romans Challenge: That We Might Have Hope

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“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God is good! Everything He does is good! Hope is the confident expectation of His goodness towards us. When we have hope we are expecting that God is at work in every situation in our lives to bring about the greatest good in our lives. Hope helps us to trust God, believe God, and look to God for everything we need.

On the other hand, life is hard. We live in a world that is corrupted by sin. Death, darkness, and destruction abound in our world. How do we endure in these circumstances? How do we remain encouraged to keep looking towards our HOPE of the goodness of God? The answer to this is the Scripture. God has given us His Word to teach us about Himself. What He teaches us in His Word teaches us to endure. His Word helps us to remain steadfast. It gives us stability in the storms of life. His Word encourages us. It makes us confident that God is who He says He is, and He will do what He says He will do. This is our Hope!

Do you find yourself living in despair? Are you shaken by the circumstances that surround you? God assures us that He has given us everything we need to live a godly life. His Scripture/ His Word is exactly what we need. A daily practice of engaging with His Word will enable us to live in hope. Reading His Word increases our understanding of just how good He is. The more we study it and read it for ourselves, the more we will experience Him. We can be encouraged and enabled to endure. The key is the Scripture that gives us Hope for our lives.

Father, I ask You to fill us with desire for Your Word so that we may live lives filled with Your Hope. Help us to see You better as we pick up Your Word and engage with it. We know that as we do, we will know You are good. We will have a confident expectation of Your goodness i.e. HOPE! I thank You for Your Word that enables us to live in Hope. In Jesus name I pray.

The Romans Challenge: Bigger, Bigger, and Bigger God

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“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭11‬:‭33‬, ‭36‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Since I am a Missouri Girl, it means one thing with regard to the ocean. I don’t get to see it that much… Every once in a blue moon, my husband and I take a trip to the coast and I find myself standing there staring at the ocean. It is amazing to me how BIG it is. Looking at a globe, seeing pictures, or even seeing it from a distance, cannot compare to standing there with your toes in sand as the waves are crashing on your ankles, gazing straight out to sea.

This is how it is in my relationship with God. When I have only heard about Him, maybe read a few Scriptures or heard a good sermon, He seems somewhat large, BUT when I am experiencing Him by hearing Him speak, seeing His miracles, or watching Him do things I could never do, He becomes bigger and bigger, until His greatness just blows me away!

Have You ever dove into the ocean of God’s great Word and explored knowing Him? Have You ever thought about the depths of His love or the vastness of His goodness? These are “the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!”

Years ago, I was reading a Bible story to my kids and I stopped to tell them that God was like the ocean, He wants us to dive in and explore and grow in our knowledge of Him. Then I distinctly heard the Holy Spirit say, “Yes, and you are content to sit on the shore dangling your toes on the edge…”.

We were created for the adventure of KNOWING Him! “For from Him” God made all of creation to show us Himself. “For through Him”… God is the One who sustains us and everything around us. We cannot do anything without Him. “For to Him”… God is to be glorified in our lives. This life is not about you or me. It is all about Him! If we try to make it anything less, we will live outside of His purpose and we will be discontented, discouraged, and eventually destroyed by our pursuit of “self” and selfish ways.

Where are You in relating to God. As you experience Him in a relationship, is He becoming BIGGER and BIGGER and BIGGER in your life. Or is He simply an occasional thought? Are you like I was years ago, “dangling your toes on the edge” of His vastness? You and I are meant for more! Dive in! Let the adventure begin!

The Romans Challenge: The Kindness and Severity of God

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“Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭11‬:‭22‬ ‭ESV‬

When we think about God and use the words “Kindness” and “Severity” to describe Him, it seems like we are contradicting ourselves. How can the two exist in a perfect and complete person? The very thought of a severe God or a God of judgement makes many cringe. “God is love.” How can a God who is perfect in love judge and punish?

What we tend to forget is the destructiveness of sin. Sin destroys! It brings nothing but death, darkness, and destruction into our lives. It separates us from God. God knows this. He is perfect, or complete, or Holy. He cannot have imperfection within Himself. He cannot have sin.

God’s deepest desire if for us to experience Him in relationship. He wants for us to be connected to Him and intimate with Him. His desire is for our good. He wants us to be happy in Him. BUT He also knows that sin will keep us from all of this, because sin keeps us from Him.

God’s severity is against sin. He HATES sin! Because He is completely holy (perfect in every way), He must be completely just (upright, honest, true, etc…) The same God who is love and acts only from love also is just and acts only with justice. This justice is exact or “severe.” However, even in judgement God is always working good and He is always judging out of love. His judgements and severity are against the very things that will destroy us. They are against the very things that separate us from Him.

There is a place where God’s kindness and His severity meet — the Cross of Jesus. It was there that Jesus took the punishment we deserve in order for God to be completely just. It was on the Cross that God’s complete kindness towards us was displayed. When Jesus took our punishment, it was so we could experience all of God’s goodness towards us. What is required of us? TO BELIEVE. It is faith in Jesus that gives us the right standing with God.

Jesus we thank You for paying the price for our sin. Thank You for the Cross you bore and the punishment You took for us. Thank You for providing the way for us to receive Your great gift of salvation by faith alone. You did it all! Your kindness and severity have met and we are free when we come to You! We love You! In Jesus Name!

The Romans Challenge: The Remnant

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“So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.” Romans 11:5-6 ESV

Have you ever felt alone in your faith? There are times that we all feel that way. Paul writes regarding his people, the Jews of his time, that it may seem that God had rejected them when He called out to the non Jewish — Gentiles — to receive His salvation. But God had not rejected His people at all. He has always had a chosen people, a remnant. This remnant was a small, faithful group, that remained true to God.

Throughout history, God has always preserved His people. There have been very dark hours of persecution of His church and His chosen people Israel. But He has always had someone who was faithful to Him.

In our world today, there are so many things going on. It can be frightening to watch. At times, it seems God’s Church is so small against the onslaught. But we too can take comfort that “there is a remnant…” We have those around us that have responded to God’s grace and received salvation through faith in Jesus. We are able to stand together for our LORD.

I would be negligent to not say that God is also at work in Israel of today. He has a remnant there as well. Though we do not see all the details of what God is working, we can be assured He is not finished yet! He is faithful to us (the non Jewish believers of our time). He is faithful to His chosen people. What He has promised He will fulfill!

For now, we can be assured that there is “a remnant, chosen by grace.” We are not alone. We are a part of God’s family. His church!

The Roman’s Challenge: The Origin of Faith

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“So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17 ESV

“If only I had more faith…”. I’ve thought that many times. “Maybe if I would squeeze my eyes tight enough and think about it enough, I will be able to believe for something big.” But faith is not something we generate on our own. It is a gift. The Scripture says we have all been given a measure of it. (Romans 12:3)

We receive this gift of faith through hearing. Which is to listen to; attend to; obey; and observe what is commanded. (Websters 1828)

In our walk of faith, we can all trace back the moment when someone, somewhere, spoke to us about Jesus. We heard the Word. Then we believed.

Faith continues to grow in that same manner. Our lifelong walk of faith becomes a strong pattern of believing and trust as we spend time in God’s Word. When we hear the Word (listen to what we have read) and obey the Word. Our faith will grow. We will see that God’s Word is the Truth. It is life. It will sustain us.

If you find yourself thinking as I have before, “I need more faith.” Or “I need stronger faith.” Or “I need my faith to grow.” God has given you and I all we need to live a godly life. May I encourage you to spend time in the Word of God.

You won’t be disappointed!

The Romans Challenge: Checking Off Boxes

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“Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It is possible to do all the right “religious” things and miss the most important thing… relationship.

The Jews of Paul’s time did just that. They were “zealous for God, but their zeal {was} not based on knowledge.” The word zeal in this verse suggests a firey passion. They worked very hard to do everything that they thought would please God, but they missed the most important thing… the condition of their spiritual hearts.

We are no different. We can spend our lifetime “checking off the boxes” in terms of religion. Attend church… check. Read the Bible… check. Pray a prayer… check. Do a good dead… check. ETC. BUT, Our hearts can be FAR from God.

The whole point of Jesus coming was to fulfill all the “religious” requirements. He came so we could have relationship. Performance… “checking the box”… is a cold and dead religion. Jesus wants us to experience a relationship that is alive. He wants us to KNOW Him! This kind of know is more intimate than what we can experience with our spouse. It is more loving than a mother with a child. It is deeply personal.

Being zealous for God is a good thing! It is a firey passion, but this firey passion is based off of relationship. If it is just for “checking the boxes”, legalism, pride, and death will be the result.

Are you “checking the box?” Or is your relationship with God ALIVE? God is not looking for dead religion. He wants our hearts!

The Romans Challenge: The Enemy Within Us

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“So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭7‬:‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We are at war! Our enemies — the devil, the world (the ungodly state or corruption on earth), and our flesh (our unrenewed, corrupt nature) want us to be destroyed!!

We are always going to face temptations because as Paul said, “evil is right there with me.” Our enemy is ruthless and relentless. He does not call a cease fire. He does not take vacations. He is always plotting and scheming against us.

Our greatest enemy is our flesh. This is because it desires to make the choices. It desires to dictate our behavior. And its influence is hard for us to see because it is within us. It would always have us to choose evil and to follow the way of the world and listen to the voice of Satan — the deceiver.

Our awareness of our enemy helps us to also be aware of our dependence upon God! We need Him!

If sin and our sinful nature are at war within us, Jesus has given us victory! We can live free in Him! 

“Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!...”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭7‬:‭25‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus has paid the price for our sin. He offers us forgiveness and cleansing from the sin that has held us captive. He has given us the Holy Spirit within us to empower us to receive and obey His Word.

Jesus has given us everything we need to live victoriously in this war against sin that wages within us!

The Romans Challenge: Dead to Sin!

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“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬

(Today we start Romans 6)

Baptism symbolizes a very important fact in the life of a follower of Jesus. We follow Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection. Our old sinful life that we all lived before Christ is to die. It is “buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised form the dead… we too may live a new life.” Being “dead to sin” enables us to live the “new life” that God has given us.

If I were physically dead — at the funeral home, lying in a casket — it would be impossible for me to sit up and eat a donut that you may bring and pass before my nose and my mouth (even the cream filled ones…). I will not take a bite. I am dead to that donut. Our enemy will bring temptation to sin into our lives, but through Jesus we do not have to take a bite. We can live our lives dead to sin!

How can this be? I have this nature, a sinful one, that desires to do things that are wrong all the time… We cannot forget that WE HAVE NEW LIFE! This life is the Holy Spirit living in us. He comes as our Helper to help us to say “no” to the temptations. He comes as the Power to enable us to live our lives “dead to sin.”

We can live free of the patterns of sin that we have been chained to i.e. addictions, bad habits, sinful thought patterns, etc. We don’t have to “live in it any longer.”

As a Christian, it is one thing to slip up and say a hateful thing, do a sinful action, or make a wrong choice, chose to do a sinful act…God has given us a remedy for such a scenario…

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It is a whole other thing to embrace our sinful choice, sit down for coffee with it, and indulge in it day in and day out… that is not being dead to it… That is preferring the sinful choice over obedience to God and His word. It is loving God less and our sin more… In this case, we are not dead to sin, we have chosen to let it grow, fester, and consume our lives.

Thank you God that You have provided all that we need to die to sin! We cannot die to sin on our own. The Holy Spirit is very willing to fill us with His life so that there is no room for sinful patterns to grow. God has given us His Word so we can keep our way pure. (Psalm 119:9) As we read His Word, live according to what the Word says, and ask the Holy Spirit to help us in our weakness, “we too may live a new life” that is dead to sin!