"For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved" (Romans 10:13 NKJV).
I am so glad that I am a "whoever"
and I have called upon the name of the Lord and I am saved from an
eternity of unrest and agony! How do I know? For the bible tells me so.
When Paul wrote the letter to the church
in Rome, he knew there was great misunderstanding among those who were
trying to convert others. Apparently, in the midst of the bickering,
there were some who attempted to convince some they would never have the
opportunity to see heaven. If we look at the beginning of this chapter,
we see the discussion and the "formulaic response" (v.9) by many when a
person makes up their mind about receiving Christ. So, yes there is
something every person must do--believe, confess, repent--and then "call on Him--call on The Lord!"
What is so great about this is that anyone,
no matter how many sins committed, can repent and receive the heritage
of heaven with Jesus as their Lord and Savior! God is not a respecter of
persons and He will respond to the sincere prayer of whoever calls upon Him! Hallelujah! Thank God for saving for me when I called upon Him!
Okay,
I'm getting a little carried away, but moving right along, through the
scriptures--how can anyone believe unless they hear the Good News?
"Faith comes by hearing (seeing in this case) and hearing The Word!" We
must proclaim the Gospel however we can, through whatever venue we have,
and as often as we can! Preach the Good news and bring others into the
knowledge of Christ. Pray that God will provide them with an experience
that lets them know they need Him in their lives.
For
those of us who are promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the
laying on of fingers upon a keyboard and publishing on the Internet, God
is pleased! We don't know who we are reaching and the difference we are
making in how we express what The Bible says. As long as we are saying
what God says and not getting in the way of people being saved by
promoting what "we say," we are paving the way for others to be saved.
Hallelujah! The love of Christ is shed abroad in our hearts and keeps us
moving forward to make sure others have the same opportunity we
have--assurance of our eternal resting place and receiving the many
benefits of being a counted a child of the Most High God. Whoever we are--we can do this!
Showing posts with label Rome. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rome. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Monday, August 26, 2013
Joyful, Patient, and Faithful!
"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" (Romans 12:12).
In Paul's letter to the church in Rome, he reminds them about their past and cautions them to care about their present and encourages them about their future. In verses 6-8, he discusses the different gifts that everyone has and encourages them to function in their gift. In this verse, he tells them to have hope with joy and to be faithful in praying for self and others and to be patient when we are afflicted. Can we be happy while we wait with patience for the hope of our future; especially when we are afflicted by pain or betrayal? Can we faithfully pray--on a consistent basis--be mindful of the needs of others and not just our own?
I am joyfully waiting with great expectation in the hope and confidence of seeing a prayer answered. And I boast in the confidence I have in God, daily. Whenever I get a request for prayer from anyone, I immediately pray. If it is someone on the phone, I pray right then. If it is someone online, I type a prayer for them and let them know what I have prayed by sending it to them. When my legs and ankles try to impede my walking, I remind them that they do determine what I do, I determine what they do. And sometimes, I walk in pain, but I don't let it stop me. I know of some people who are in constant pain who refuse to give up on living or their faith in God. Hallelujah! I'm praying for them daily.
When we think about it, seriously, we can do all things that are required of us because He has equipped us to do all things well. Are we going to do it?
Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray for all who have yet come to terms with a decision for You. I pray that in the light of hope, they will see a need to accept all You have to offer with joy in their hearts and will make a decision to live for you, no matter what. I pray physical comfort for all those suffering in pain, but yet live for You. Relieve the pain from nerve conditions, joint conditions, skin conditions, muscle aches and whatever else might assail those who love You. I declare it done for all who will receive the gift of healing right now. Amen!
In Paul's letter to the church in Rome, he reminds them about their past and cautions them to care about their present and encourages them about their future. In verses 6-8, he discusses the different gifts that everyone has and encourages them to function in their gift. In this verse, he tells them to have hope with joy and to be faithful in praying for self and others and to be patient when we are afflicted. Can we be happy while we wait with patience for the hope of our future; especially when we are afflicted by pain or betrayal? Can we faithfully pray--on a consistent basis--be mindful of the needs of others and not just our own?
I am joyfully waiting with great expectation in the hope and confidence of seeing a prayer answered. And I boast in the confidence I have in God, daily. Whenever I get a request for prayer from anyone, I immediately pray. If it is someone on the phone, I pray right then. If it is someone online, I type a prayer for them and let them know what I have prayed by sending it to them. When my legs and ankles try to impede my walking, I remind them that they do determine what I do, I determine what they do. And sometimes, I walk in pain, but I don't let it stop me. I know of some people who are in constant pain who refuse to give up on living or their faith in God. Hallelujah! I'm praying for them daily.
When we think about it, seriously, we can do all things that are required of us because He has equipped us to do all things well. Are we going to do it?
Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray for all who have yet come to terms with a decision for You. I pray that in the light of hope, they will see a need to accept all You have to offer with joy in their hearts and will make a decision to live for you, no matter what. I pray physical comfort for all those suffering in pain, but yet live for You. Relieve the pain from nerve conditions, joint conditions, skin conditions, muscle aches and whatever else might assail those who love You. I declare it done for all who will receive the gift of healing right now. Amen!
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Everyday People!
"I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations" (Romans 6:19a NIV).
I cannot begin to explain how many times I have heard some people say, "the bible has no relevance for us today. That was then, this is now." If they really understood, having a heart open to God, they would know that just as "everyday" was for that time, "everyday" is still the same for us today.
When Paul was writing to the Church in Rome, he was very concerned about how the people in the church were selectively choosing which rules to live by. Some wanted to hold people to the letter of law, while he was trying to explain the difference between the spirit of the law and the wonders of grace--to everyday people.
In this passage of scripture (please read the entire chapter), he is specifically talking about people who commit sin, what grace has done, and why we should not continue to sin. God's grace, His unmerited, we can't earn favor, does not mean we continue to commit sin or encourage others to do so. Paul reminds the everyday people that once in our lives before knowing and understanding the work of the cross, we did commit sin, but now that we know better, we should not participate. And he used, examples from everyday life (as it was did and is applicable now), to illustrate what he said. The strong language--"once slaves to sin" still applies to many today. Many everyday people are slaves to--drugs, porn, fornication, adultery, alcohol, stealing, lying, manipulating, favoritism, complacency ("I'd rather you were hot or cold instead of lukewarm"), etc., hence the use of everyday examples (relevant now), about everyday people.
I think it was Sly and The Family Stones who wrote the song, Everyday People, (if I have the wrong artist, feel free to correct me). God does not expect us to live like people in ancient times, but He does expect us to adhere to righteousness, using everyday life examples. He gave us His Word as a guideline because of our human limitations (unwillingness to hear The Spirit of the Lord) so we would be without excuse.
O God, help us--everyday people, to live every day in righteousness, to your glory.
I cannot begin to explain how many times I have heard some people say, "the bible has no relevance for us today. That was then, this is now." If they really understood, having a heart open to God, they would know that just as "everyday" was for that time, "everyday" is still the same for us today.
When Paul was writing to the Church in Rome, he was very concerned about how the people in the church were selectively choosing which rules to live by. Some wanted to hold people to the letter of law, while he was trying to explain the difference between the spirit of the law and the wonders of grace--to everyday people.
In this passage of scripture (please read the entire chapter), he is specifically talking about people who commit sin, what grace has done, and why we should not continue to sin. God's grace, His unmerited, we can't earn favor, does not mean we continue to commit sin or encourage others to do so. Paul reminds the everyday people that once in our lives before knowing and understanding the work of the cross, we did commit sin, but now that we know better, we should not participate. And he used, examples from everyday life (as it was did and is applicable now), to illustrate what he said. The strong language--"once slaves to sin" still applies to many today. Many everyday people are slaves to--drugs, porn, fornication, adultery, alcohol, stealing, lying, manipulating, favoritism, complacency ("I'd rather you were hot or cold instead of lukewarm"), etc., hence the use of everyday examples (relevant now), about everyday people.
I think it was Sly and The Family Stones who wrote the song, Everyday People, (if I have the wrong artist, feel free to correct me). God does not expect us to live like people in ancient times, but He does expect us to adhere to righteousness, using everyday life examples. He gave us His Word as a guideline because of our human limitations (unwillingness to hear The Spirit of the Lord) so we would be without excuse.
O God, help us--everyday people, to live every day in righteousness, to your glory.
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