Romans 10

WooHoo! Still keeping on schedule!

Also, I have an awesome little announcement. I am going to start doing testimonies of people that have an impactful story, so everyone! I will be doing one a month starting in February.  Chelsea Zerwehk  I am really excited for this little segment and hope if reaches the readers (you) in a different way than the previous post have been.

will be the first to share.

If you guys ever have any ideas or request feel free to share them with me.  Also, if you wish to share your testimony on the blog let me know, because I would be more than happy to ‘publish’ your story.

Anyways…on with Romans 10!

I didn’t really get interested in this chapter until about verse 9 when Paul explains to us what we need to do in order to be saved; “if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe with your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”  I think my favorite thing about this is that there is no guessing.  We don’t have to try and figure out what we need to do to be saved, we are told, straight up.  It’s not living a sin-free life, or giving all our money away, or being a pastor.  Nope, it’s simply believing and having faith, which when you kind of think about it, isn’t a huge task to ask of us.  Countinuing off of verse 9, I also really verses 10 – 13:

“For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."”

I love how verse 10 breaks it down, kind of, and tells us what we get from believing and living with God, righteousness and salvation. That’s a pretty good trade-off, but this also means that we can’t only believe.  We must confess with our mouth, actions, and hearts that we have faith in God.  It says in Matthew 10:33 “if you deny me before man I will deny you before my father.”  I feel that that verse is one that gets overlooked a lot and isn’t really recognized for its harsh truth.  As Christians we hear these verses all the time and they begin to lose their sting, but I want to encourage you to look at the word in a new light because it’s important that we still take these verse seriously and that we are still convicted by them.

The next little bit that stuck out to me was verse 17: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”  What jumped out at me in this verse was hearing, we learn and grow by hearing and listening.  Think about it…how did you find out about God? From someone telling you, right?  Whether it was the church, a friend, a parents, etc. but someone one in your life told you about the Christian faith, and that’s why you’re here now.  The seed has to be planted for a relationship to grown, and for some people in your life you may be the only one willing and able to plant that seed, so I encourage you to keep an eye out for opportunities to share and if and when that opportunity presents itself to you, don’t pass it up.

Lastly I want us to notice verse 21: “But as for Israel He says, “All the day long I have stretched out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.’”

I like that this verse reminds us to not always think that the people in the church are always the most spiritual.  Sometimes they are the ones that are most blind, and sometimes it takes a “non-believer” or a new Christian to open there eyes a bit.  So just a little reminder, don’t be afraid to ask questions or challenge what someone else says, because maybe they really need the eye opener.

I am back at school coming this Monday, so I hope I am able to stay on schedule.  I have a lot to write about.  God has been working wonderfully in my life this past month, and I thank him everyday for it.  I have been pushed out of my comfort zone so many times this month, and I can’t wait to see what He has in store for me in this coming year.  Alright, I am done talking about me (for now).

Have a wonderful week friends!

Rock Bottom

Alright, tonight is going to get a little personal and is going to encourage you to be really vulnerable, honest, and humble with God.  Part of it is going to focus on the parable of the wise and foolish builders and the other will focus on why we tend to push God away when we need Him most.  Why we try to do things ourselves and don’t realize how badly we need Him till we’ve hit rock bottom.

I know we have all probably had our doubts in faith but what do we do when those doubts start to consume us and the devil gets that hold on us?  You’ll find out in this post.  For starts though it’s all about building your house (faith) on a rock and not in the sand, just as the gospel of Matthew tells us “those who build among the sand are fools.” This adorable little video does a great job of illustrating Matthew 7:24-27, and for those of you who prefer the text:

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

The verse I want to focus on here is verse 27: “The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”  I want you to notice a specific word, crash. This is what happens when we build our faith on the sand.  It’s not sturdy or strong and it will Not hold its own when it’s challenged, it will crash and you will crash with it.  This is that rock bottom that I mentioned in the intro.  I know not all of us will experience rock bottom, and that’s wonderful, but I know we will all experience a fall.  In some way or another we will stray from the Shepherd.  The parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15 gives us a good idea of the relationship between ourselves of God.  However there is a myth or whatever that takes this parable a little further.

It is told that before the shepherd placed the lamb (that strayed) on his shoulders, he broke its leg, so it could not run away again. Then by the time the leg has healed the lamb has learned to stay near the shepherd and trust him.  Whether this is true or not I still like it.

The breaking of our legs is that rock bottom we hit, and as we heal from the pain, or whatever it was we lean on God and his strength to carry us.  I hit what I think, and hope, was my rock bottom a little over a month ago.  I wont go into detail, but since then I had really seen a difference in Gods presence in my life.  I am being put into challenge situations that have been helping me grow and that are teaching me to go to God first.  I was humbled when I was broken.  During this past month or so I have really been meditating on Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  My pride is slowly crumbling and every time I think I can do something on my own I remember this verse, because my plan will do nothing but hurt me.  One thing that is very important about this verse is that it’s not saying that God will never break us, or knock us down, or that things will be easy.  It is saying that everything God does to you will make you better if you turn to Him while you’re going through it.  Remember to always look for that light at the end of the tunnel.

Now.  Here is what we have to do.  Let God break us.this song, or find a song that really speaks to you, listen to the lyrics and go back to you’re rock bottom.  Focus on who you were when you were there.  Remember the feelings and the thoughts of that state.  Now start moving forward and focus on each significant event where God showed you He was there and when you leaned on Him for strength.  Focus on how your faith became stronger with each passing trial and how you were able to learn and grow from each one.  Now focus on your present relationship with God.  On your current faith, feelings, and thoughts.  Notice how far you have come and thank God that your rock bottom was your new beginning. Be humbled that He left his flock and found you to save you from the world.  I want you to try and do something.  You’re going to go on a little soul search.  Now, I know this post is already really long, but take 5 more minutes.  I want you to listen to

If you have not hit your rock bottom spend the time of this song thanking God for the people and trials He has put in your life to help you make your faith strong, and pray for those in your life that may need a little help with this.  Pray for the ones struggling to build their foundation or for the ones still stuck on the sand.

I really hope some of you found a little hope within this post or a little relief.  Sometimes simply knowing that God does these things to strengthen us helps us out.  I hope you have a beautiful weekend and if you’re here in Southern Cali. don’t go outside, because those winds are crazy!

Links in post

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlPMld7ScU0

Song:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkZDJY31RX4

Romans 7: Believers United to Christ

Geez! I feel like I just colored this chapter orange (that’s the color of my highlighter).  This chapter brings back one of Paul’s main ideas, that we are all equal.  Whether we only know the law, only know the scripture, or think we know everything.  Paul reminds us again in verses 5 and 6 of Jesus’s death for us, and how when we die in our old life we become new.  Verse 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.”  When Jesus was crucified we were disconnected from the law.  Not law in a spiritual sense but in a physical sense.  God created the law but man determines it, therefore it is of this world and this world is of sin.  However it is all very confusing and Paul begins to sound a bit like Captain Jack (Sparrow) in these verses, especially 14-17: “For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. 15: For what I am doing, I do not understanding; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. 16: But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. 17: So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.”

What?! So Paul is blaming what he is doing, but doesn’t want to be doing, on sin?  Not himself, but the sin in him.  Alright…so thanks to my handy-dandy foot notes here is what Paul is trying to say.  He is sharing 3 lessons with us, lessons that he learned while trying to deal with his sinful desires. (1) Knowledge is not the answer.  Paul was ok with not understanding what the law demanded.  (2) Self-determination doesn’t succeed.  We can’t do things on our own.  Christians get their power and strength from God. (3) Becoming a Christian DOES NOT stamp out all sin and temptation from a person’s life.  This third one may be the most important.  Like I said in yesterdays post, becoming a Christian isn’t all hunky-dory.  If anything becoming a Christian means you will be even more tempted, and when you give into that temptation those around you will judge you twice as harshly.  For some people you will be the only Christian face they meet and by you they will measure and judge all Christians, so keep that in mind.

Lastly I want to mention verses 21, 24, and 25 (ya know, sense they’re at the end).  Also I want us to notice that Paul is speaking from his own experiences and struggles here, this is straight up, hard-core Paul!  Verse 21: “I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.”  Paul totally fesses up and acknowledges the fact that he is made of evil.  He is made of this world, but he wants to do well, he wants to be right with God.  I myself, think that is a really difficult thing for us to acknowledge and accept because we are so good at making excuses for ourselves and we are so quick to blame others. (This is where our challenge of the week will be pulled from).

Verse 24: “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25: Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.”  Here Paul shares his inward struggle with sin; it was as real for him as it is for us.  However we can learn from Paul’s wisdom.  Whenever Paul felt lost, he would return to the beginning of his spiritual life, remembering that he has already been freed by Jesus Christ.  When you feel confused or overwhelmed by sin’s appeal, follow Paul’s example: Thank God that he has given you freedom through Jesus.  Let the reality of Christ’s power lift you up to real victory over sin. All that was from my footnotes, because they are smatter than me.  But seriously though, when we are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, depressed, glum, etc. we often try to handle things with our strength first.  We could save so much time and energy if we just train ourselves to look to God before we try anything else, and this comes with putting God First.  Not letting other worldly things come before our love and faith in God but trying our best and doing things through Gods power. 

Challenge of the week: Don’t make excuses this week.  Be honest with God and fess up your evil.  God already knows what it is that you struggle with, but He wants to hear it from you.  Fess it up and give up.  Then after that thank God.  Thank Him for taking your sin and allow yourself to be with Him for a few moments.  Try to be quiet and listen.  “Let His power lift you up to real victory over that sin/struggle.”

Song of the day:

Autumn in New York

By: Frank Sinatra

Because it's autumn and I want to be in New York, and it's Frank Sinatra!

Romans 3

Romans 3

God is a God for both Jews and Gentiles alike! That is the point Paul is really trying to drive home in Romans 3. The Jews are just special. God chose them as a people to come to earth by. So the Jews felt that Jesus was theirs, but this isn’t true. The Jews were chosen to be a light, to be held to a higher standard, and to share the good news of Christ. They had advantages in know who Jesus was and because of this they had no excuses when it came to spreading the news.

Jumping over to verses 5, 6, 7, and 8 Paul tells us that he is speaking from flesh here. He is asking the questions we often ask ourselves: “God has to forgive us, doesn’t He? Isn’t that His job?” Nope. Wrong. God CHOOSES to forgive you. He drowns us in his mercy and love when we don’t deserve it. We sin, he forgives us; we walk away, he is waiting for us when we decide to come back; we can’t get to him all the way, he meets us halfway. We don’t deserve Any of this! The only thing we deserve is death, it’s harsh, I know, but it’s true and sometimes the truth hurts, sometimes you can’t handle it.

Within in this chapter Paul quotes Psalms 14:1-3. It consist of question, questions about any and all sin you may or may not have committed. Take a second, right now and open your Bible to these verses, read them…God will know if you read them ;). Done? Now think to yourself…Have I ever lied? Have I ever hurt someone’s feelings? Our answer is YES! As it says in verse 23 “for ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” To God sin is sin and any sin makes us a sinner. My friend once gave me a fun little analogy. It goes like this: as humans we rate our sin. Murder is a lot worse than lying, right? Not to God. Say lying counts for 1 soda can, stealing is 4, and murder is 8. We are going for a bard graph kind of thing. The world sees the soda cans straight on, stacked higher for the worse sin, but God looks down and sees all these cans from the top. God sees them all the same. Hopefully that lame little analogy makes this stick with you.

Towards the end in verses 28 and 29 Paul finally gives us the “wonderful news.” There is a way to be forgiven! We must trust Christ to take away our sins by what he did for us on the cross. “Trusting means putting our confidence in Christ to forgive our sins, to make us right with God, and to empower us to live the way he taught us” (Life Application Study Bible). This forgiveness is available to anybody and everybody, no matter your background or past behavior, because everyone deserves a second chance and everybody can be forgiven.

There was one foot note I found very inspiring. I didn’t have much thought on it though, because it was already spelled out. It’s on verse 28: “Why does God save us by faith alone? (1) Faith eliminates the pride of human effort, because faith is not a deed that we do. (2) Faith exalts what God has done, not what people do. (3) Faith admits that we can’t keep the law or measure up to God’s standards—we need help. (4) Faith is based on our relationship with God, not our performance for God.” I really just love the break down of Faith. To me, it’s really fascinating and inspiring and it makes me think of my weakness. Especially in the third point, we need help. In 2 Corinthians 12:9 Paul quotes Jesus who says “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” It’s just nice to know that we don’t always have to be strong and keep that brave face on. It is good to breakdown and submit to God, especially in you weakest times.  “For when I am weak, you are strong” 2 Cor. 12:10.

The last verse I want to talk about is 18. I saved it for last because what I wanted to share doesn’t really apply to the rest of chapter 3. Verse 18 says “These is no fear of God before their eyes.” Fear of God? Yup. We are told to fear God: Leviticus 25:17 “…but fear your God. I am the LORD (Yahweh) your God.” It was explained to me in two parts, one somewhat nicer than the other. Part one: God is your father and you should fear him like you fear a father. It’s a respectful fear, you don’t want to disappoint him, you want him to be proud of you, and you don’t want to get in trouble by him. Part two: you should and need to Fear God! It’s difficult to wrap your head around (this is someone talking at me) but with the snap of his fingers, probably less than that, you’re dead. God wiped out an entire people because they were sinning against him and they turned to their fleshly desires. All but 8 died. That is the story of Noah and the ark. God wiped them out and He could do the same to us. He won’t, but he could. He won’t because of the rainbow. God promised that he would never wipe out a people like that again. He will show his unconditional love, mercy, and patience (the story of Noah – Genesis 5:25 – 10:1). It says that one of Gods days is a thousand of our days (2 Peter 3:8). It wouldn’t be too tough to wait a day then, but who are we to make God wait on us?

So here is what we should be thinking about:

     1.  What sins have we committed that we have been washed clean of, and what that cleans look like.          Meditate of the fact that Jesus, a perfect man, died so we could live in sin.

     2.  What does fearing God look like to you? How do you understand it, what does it look like in your life, how does it motivate you to change your actions and behavior?

I know these are staying kind of long, read them at your own pace. That’s the beauty of the internet: you can access it anytime your little heart desires

P.S. I purposefully didn’t write out as many verses. Open your bible ;)