No one looks at a tree growing out of a crack in the rock high above the desert and calls it the devil's work, but many extol it as a miracle of God's creation.
As you go, preach this message: "The kingdom of heaven is near." Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
(Matthew 10:7, 8)
His purpose was to make in Himself one new man (the Church) out of the two (Jew and Gentile), thus making peace and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross by which He put to death their hostility. (Ephe 2:15-16)
His purpose was to make in Himself one new man (the Church) out of the two (Jew and Gentile), thus making peace and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross by which He put to death their hostility.
(Ephe 2:15-16)
The Lord wanted His people to trust in Him for their security, not in their material possessions. Had man permanently adopted these laws as his own, there would be very little poverty in the world today, and almost no war or oppression...
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) I check my Bible every now and then to make sure the passage that begins with this verse is still there, and hasn't changed since my last visit.
That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. (Genesis 32:22-25)
God said He created the Earth and all its creatures in seven days. (Genesis 1) There was no one around who could dispute His claim but that hasn't stopped man from proposing alternatives.
As we begin another Christmas season, let's review exactly what the Lord's arrival on Earth has done for us. It'll help us remember the reason for the season and rekindle our joy in the midst of all the hustle and bustle.
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the Most High God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth. (Genesis 14:18-19)
You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 2 Cor 9:11.
Romans 2:1- 3:20
Paul continues his view of the world's spiritual condition. Remember, he's not writing about believers here. His intent in this introductory survey is to show that everyone needs the Gospel, whether Jew or Gentile.
Romans 3:21-4:25
But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Romans 5 and 6
Paul spent the better part of three chapters showing us man's desperate need for a savior. Any righteousness we can earn on our own is clearly inadequate to meet God's standards. We need to acquire a righteousness equal to His in order to dwell in His presence.
Romans 7:1 to 8:21
Having had a righteousness from God imputed to us by faith apart from the Law, we now have the choice to live a life of holiness. No longer enslaved to our sin nature, we can rise above any self-destructive behavior that has caused us, and those around us, sorrow in the past.
Romans 1
The Rapture is getting closer by the day. The Church's days on Earth are clearly numbered and whether we're taken up this year or not it's certainly not too soon to prepare. With that in mind we'll begin a study of Paul's Letter to the Romans, the Gospel according to Paul.
In our last installment we completed Law School, and saw the impossible position we've been placed in. Now we're ready for a close look at the unbelievable blessing we call Grace.
We turn now from a study of doctrine to one of prophecy. A prophecy involving both Jews and Gentiles that unlocks a secret hidden from the foundation of the world. From among both, God would create a new race of man, neither Jew nor Gentile, called the Church.
Romans 9 spoke of God's sovereign election of Israel as His chosen. In chapter 10 we saw how in the obsessive pursuit of a righteousness of their own, they rejected the righteousness that comes from God. But the rejection was clearly temporary, its duration dependent upon their response.
We began this series from the perspective that our time is short and we should make sure we're ordering what's left of it around the Lord's priorities for us. It won't be long before the life we've worked so hard to build for ourselves here will be left behind. All that will remain is the treasure we've stored up in Heaven.
Having seen that along with the blessings of salvation have come the gifts that give us the ability to respond accordingly, we continue now with Paul's advice on living a life pleasing to God in gratitude for all that He's given us.
By now you see that Paul has answered the three major theological questions for all mankind in his Letter to the Romans. In addition he's clearly defined the relationship between Israel and the Church in God's overall plan.
One thing that the so-called emerging church fails to understand is that when the Lord evaluates our relationship, He's most interested in our attitude toward Him, not the results of our efforts on His behalf.
So, forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things.
If you follow our "Ask A Bible Teacher" feature you know that folks write in from time to time for advice on overcoming bad habits. Along with all of its exciting prophecy, uplifting promises and inspirational stories, the Bible contains some very practical tools designed to free us from the bondage of our old lives.
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise. (Galatians 4:22-23)
Once in a while I'm asked to do a study on a specific portion of Scripture. While we're waiting for the other shoe to drop in the Middle East, I'd like to respond to one I received recently concerning a portion of the Sermon on the Mount commonly called "The Beatitudes".
Some feel that the Bible is an anti-intellectual document and if that's true it's only fair, since so many intellectuals seem to be anti-Bible. Here's a case in point.
I get a fair amount of email from people who are seriously troubled by "low level bondage". What I mean by that term is that they've taken something that most would consider a fairly minor thing and either by them selves or with some "help" from friends have become totally obsessed over it.
A few weeks ago a guest speaker came to our church with an interesting insight on the Lord's Prayer. Taking line by line, he showed us how to turn it from something we know by heart and can recite without thinking into an impassioned personal discussion with the Lord that can last as long as we want.
In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
In our last study we saw the author give proof that Jesus is as superior to the angels as His name is to theirs. The Son of God is the exact representation of His being, His prophet for the Last Days, the sole provider of our purification. Now we'll see that in the process He descended lower than the angels for a little while to become a man in order to save mankind.
In our last installment we learned that because the Israelites refused to enter the Promised Land by faith, God declared that they would never enter His rest. We begin this one by learning the spiritual meaning behind the weekly Sabbath.
We've come to the place in our study of Hebrews that's familiar even to those who haven't read any other part of the letter. Did the writer intend to warn us that our salvation is subject to loss? And even more frightening, did he say that once lost it could never be regained?
Having made reference to Jesus as a priest in the order of Melchizedek, (Hebr. 5:10 & 6:26) the author now explains how this connection came to be and why His priesthood is superior to the Levitical priesthood of the Old Covenant. Think of chapter 7 as a commentary on Genesis 14.
Levitical priests were sinners themselves and had to keep offering sacrifices day after day and year after year, and then they died and another one took their place to do the same thing all over again. We need a high priest who isn't a sinner, who only needs to offer one sacrifice, who lives forever and can save us forever.
Along with Hebrews 6, the chapter we're about to study is a favorite of the conditional security folks, even though within the chapter itself the writer clearly asserts that by His one sacrifice, the Lord has made us perfect forever.
The over arching principle of the Epistle to the Hebrews is that our position before God is based on our belief that the once-for-all-time sacrifice of our Great High Priest was sufficient for our salvation. Some have said that this letter can be seen as a commentary on Habakkuk 2:4 "The just shall live by faith."
Even the short summary of the impact people of great faith have had on mankind makes Hebrews 11 one of the most encouraging chapters in the entire Bible. Would that each of us could manifest that kind of faith in our lives. What great things could we accomplish for the Kingdom?
"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." (Luke 22:31-32)
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