Faith

Luke 1:26-37 tells us the angel was sent to Mary to tell her she would give birth to a son. She was to name him Jesus. He would be great and would be called the Son of the Most High, the Holy One and the Son of God.

Mary's response was, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said." (Luke 1: 38)

So Mary stepped out in faith. She knew what the angel had told her, yet she had no idea all that would mean. She could have spent the day and night worrying about her responsibility. She could have withdrawn and been paralyzed with fear. She could have tried to bargain with God and tell Him she changed her mind.

Yet, we are told in Luke that her cousin, Elizabeth stated, "Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished." (Luke 1:45)

Now that is FAITH.

During this Advent season as we prepare our hearts for the birth of Jesus, our Lord, can we have the same faith Mary demonstrated? We don't really know what it means to serve God, to accomplish the things He calls us to do, to be open and honest to His call. We don't have to know and understand. All we have to do is acknowledge Jesus as God's Son who came on earth to be with mankind and show us the way.

May we use the Advent season to welcome and acknowledge this mystery and say as Mary did, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said."

Midge Going--2009

Father God, bless me with the faith to serve You as Mary.

Bless me with the willingness to answer Your call.

Promise

Thanksgiving gives way to Advent...

And the Innkeeper knows her rooms will be filled;

They always are, so she puts fresh hay in the manger

And makes sure the quilt is by the door.

With Advent's dark nights and time of preparation almost over,

the Innkeeper waits by the side of the road for the

Promise to be fulfilled.

Joseph and Mary slip in by the side door.

The shepherds will soon come; they scan the horizon

For Star shine to begin pushing the dark into a corner.

In the old barn filled with hay, sheep, goats, and ducks,

Spiders spin webs across cracks in the barn walls,

Mary wraps the new baby in the patchwork quilt of remnants past,

And the manger is filled once more with the Promise of

Hope for all the pastures of the world.

Mary Evans Brown--2008

Lord, do not let me lose sight of Your Promise this Advent Season.

Show me how to prepare to receive Your Promise

and keep it fresh in my heart each day.

Celebrate 170 Years... Celebrate Advent

As First United Methodist Church celebrates 170 years of ministry, mission, worship, and fellowship, we recall one of our traditions which make our church outstanding.

In this Advent season, we recognize that we have published a devotional booklet  for the past 25 years. Each year this booklet offers inspirational, historical, commemorative, and meaningful articles written by members of our congregation.

This year we have “mined” previous booklets and selected some of the most memorable writings to share with you.  We express appreciation to those whose writings we have chosen.  We think that you will again find them inspiring and meaningful.

We hope that each day you will spend a few moments focused on the meaning of Advent and  that the reading of these selections will enhance your Advent experience.

May this Advent season be a happy and blessed time for you, your family, and friends.  And may the 170 year history of this church and its many traditions live on in your heart during this holiday season.

Barbara Hugghins

Beyond the Gospels: Romans 16

Today's Scripture: Romans 16
[Don't forget to read the passage before the devotional. Click the reference above to read online if your Bible is not in reach.]

Paul's heart overflowed with love for fellow Believers and the church.

His letter closes with a recommendation of a sister in Christ to the Roman church and includes a list of greetings to people he knew there. It was important to him to let them know he remembered them and loved them.

Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

Romans 16:16

Paul's recommendation of Phoebe reveals his concern for her and for the church. He wanted her to be received well and he wanted the church at Rome to know she was a genuine Believer who would contribute to their congregation.

The greetings of love lead to an expression of concern for the church.

I appeal to you brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions

and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught;

avoid them.

Romans 16:17

Beware of those who cause division. Jesus warned the same...

And if a house is divided against itself,

that house will not be able to stand.

Mark 3:25

Paul was concerned for the integrity of the church and its keeping of the Gospel as revealed and taught through the prophets and the revelation of Jesus. Anything contrary to these truths threatens the church and its witness to the world. 

There is only one Church: Christ's Church. All Believers, no matter what denomination or what local congregation they participate, are called to love one another. There is One Word and we are to follow His Way.

The church stands united in love.

Love of one another.

Love of the Word.

Love of His Way.

We too, must love both the people of God and God's ways.

Do you have the same passion for His people as you do His Church?

Both are to be pure and holy.

Both achieve purity and holiness only by His power and grace.

We're leaving Romans and entering Advent, a perfect time to consider God's love for His people and express our love for both His church and His people by the power of His grace.

Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel

and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation

of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been

disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known

to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God,

to bring about the obedience of faith --- to the only wise God

be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
Romans 16:25-27

Lord, grow me to glorify You and Your Church

by teaching me to love Your people and Your Church.

Grow me in knowledge and understanding of the Gospel

and Your ways. Ignite a passion in my heart for

You, Your people, and the integrity of Your Church.

Beyond the Gospels: Romans 15:22-33

Today's Scripture: Romans 15:22-33
[Click the reference above to read online.]

... I have longed for many years to come to you...

Romans 15:23 ESV

Paul's longing to be with those he couldn't be with, makes me think of some long distance friendships I have. People I love, whom I hardly ever get to see. Some I haven't seen in decades, primarily because we are separated by hundreds of miles. Others live just a few minutes away, but our lives are distanced by circumstances where we can't get together often, maybe just meeting in town for a few minutes here or there, unexpectedly. Our relationships limited by time and space.

It used to be difficult for me to make friends in a place when I knew I wouldn't be there very long. Anticipating the pain of saying good-bye and ending a relationship was just too much and didn't seem worth it. But as I've grown as a Believer, I've come to recognize the eternal nature of some of my dearest relationships. Relationships with other Believers.

I've come to embrace the eternal perspective, that if I can't spend time with a beloved fellow-Believer now, I know the time is coming when we will have unlimited time to spend together enjoying one another's company. Some relationships I've begun have lasted only a few minutes here on earth, but I've left their presence knowing I will see them again and get to know them better in eternity. Looking forward to seeing them again.

Today is Thanksgiving and I'm missing many I would love to be with, share thanks giving with. Some separated by distance, others by death. Even in the separation, there is anticipation of a future gathering. A heart-filling hope of reunion.

Remember and be thankful for Jesus making the way for eternal life with Him and with those we love in Christ Jesus.

Remember to pray for those you love who do not yet have salvation. Pray for them to be included in the final gathering.

Remember we have much to look forward to in Christ Jesus and every relationship with every Believer is eternal in its nature.

I know that when I come to you I will come

in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.

Romans 15:29

Lord, thank You for the blessing of eternal relationships.

Thank You for Your grace and mercy.

Thank You for Your continued pursuit of those who

have not yet surrendered their lives to You.

Beyond the Gospels: Romans 15:8-21

Today's Scripture: Romans 15:8-21
[Be sure and read the passage before the words below. Click the reference to read online.]

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,

so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Romans 15:13 ESV

Hope... it's a struggle for me.

Somehow, I've come to believe that if I hope for things I want I'll end up looking like a fool when they never happen. I'd rather be proud in my pessimism than expectant in hope.

This is not the attitude a Believer is supposed to possess. It's one of my failings. But I see in this Scripture it's not supposed to be about me and my ability to hope. It's only by the power of the Holy Spirit that I may abound in hope.

Somewhere along the way I've let the world beat down my hopes. I suppose, for the most part, in the past, I've set my hopes on or in the wrong things, but God says that those who hope in Him will not be disappointed.

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love

into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Romans 5:5 NIV84

Our ability to hope and not be disappointed is all tied up in the Holy Spirit whom He has given us out of love. Our level of hope depends on how much space we give the Spirit in our lives and whether we receive Him wholeheartedly as a gift of love. To receive His gift of hope fuels our joy and peace.

Where are you when it comes to hope? joy? peace?

Today I confess my lack of hope and ask the God of hope to fill me with all joy and peace in believing.

Father God, I no longer want to allow hopelessness to steal my joy and peace.

By the power of the Holy Spirit fill me with hope, for the salvation of loved ones, 

for Your glorification through the church, for Your good purpose to prevail in my life 

and in the world. Holy Spirit, fill me with hope!

Beyond the Gospels: Romans 14:13-15:7

Today's Scripture: Romans 14:13-15:7
[Read today's verses in your own Bible or click the reference to read online.]

May the God of endurance and encouragement

grant you to live in such harmony with one another,

in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with

one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 15:5-6 ESV

These verses sum up my heart for the church, that together with one voice we would glorify God: Father, Son, Spirit.

God inspired Paul to use the word harmony. 

harmony noun... a pleasing combination or arrangement of different things

---www.Merriam-Webster.com

Musical harmony makes a beautiful rich sound. Spiritual harmony in the church does, too, bringing together many with a variety of differences for one purpose: God's glory.

What disrupts harmony? Judgment.

Judgment of others' gifts, the way they use them to serve God, and the way they appeal to our own tastes are stumbling blocks to the church when it comes to experiencing harmony (Romans 4:13).

We've seen judgment disrupt the unity of the church universal over hundreds of years, transforming Jesus's one true Church into a disjointed mass of denominations.

We've experienced local congregations thrown into discord over judgment of external matters such as style, time, and order of worship.

The majority of these judgments have to do with personal taste or differing levels of spiritual maturity and understanding, which cause us to focus on the externals rather than the motive of the offering or an individual's personal relationship with God. Paul tells us this is not what church is about --- externals.

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking

but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Romans 14:17 ESV

Do you find yourself unable to worship, serve, fellowship in harmony with other Believers? Perhaps you should consider what judgments you are making, either consciously or unconsciously.

As Believers, we need to remember the focus of our faith community is not about pleasing self, but about glorifying God with all our diverse gifts coming together as one beautiful community of love, grace, and peace for His glory.

Father God, reveal any judgmental attitudes in my heart when I find myself

annoyed by others in the church or being critical of their gifts and service.

I long to worship, serve, and fellowship in harmony with all Believers for Your glory.

Only by the grace and power of the Holy Spirit is this possible.

Work in my heart for Your glory!

Beyond the Gospels: Romans 13:8 - 14:12

Read Romans 13:8 - 14:12
[Be sure and read the passage before the words below. Click on the reference to read online if you don't have a Bible with you.]

... put on the Lord Jesus Christ,

and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Romans 13:14

Put on Jesus... lay aside self...

Can you hear Him? 

And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me,

let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. ..."

Luke 9:23 ESV

It's our flesh, our own selfish desires and self-righteousness, that keeps us from following Him. Our self makes it impossible to love our neighbor as He calls us to.

To put on Jesus is to die to self.

Apart from Him we can't love anyone rightly.

Do you feel like people owe you? Are you offended when kindnesses go unnoticed? thanks are not offered?

You are not owed. You are to see yourself as one who owes others love, in the name of Jesus.

No thought to self or what you will gain. Only what you've already received. His grace. His mercy.

Put on Jesus. What else do you really need?

Lord, I fail in so many ways to love my neighbor,

help me to see where I need to die to self,

and follow You.

Beyond the Gospels: Romans 12:9 - 13:7

Read Romans 12:9 - 13:7
[Can't find your Bible? Click the reference above to read online.]

Wow! Today's passage is about as full of instruction as you can get from God's Word. The ESV's heading at the end of Romans 12 is Marks of the True Christian.

Read the passage again. Slowly.
You might even want to get pen and paper to make a list of the characteristics of a true Christian, a true follower of Jesus.

Read the passage again. Prayerfully.
Ask Him how you measure up.
Don't be afraid. He loves you just the way you are.
But He loves you so much He doesn't want you to stay that way.

Invite Him into the areas where He reveals where he wants to work.
Surrender to His authority. Come into agreement with His assessment.
He knows your heart better than you.

It's Friday. Consider carrying this passage through the weekend with you.
Pray to be so marked as a Believer no one will mistake you for anything else.

Father God, thanks for loving me just as I am.

Thanks Jesus, for dying for me. Paying the price for sin I couldn't pay.

Holy Spirit, I welcome You into my heart, soul, life.

Counsel, guide, teach, transform.

I'm listening...

Beyond the Gospels: Romans 11:25-12:8

Read Romans 11:25-12:8
[Click the reference above to read online.]

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

"For who has known the mind of the Lord,

or who has been his counselor?"

"Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?"

For from him and through him and to him are all things.

To him be glory forever. Amen.

Romans 11:33-36

Take a moment to ponder the greatness of God... 

His mystery... His power... His judgments...

Are you humbled?

Are you blown away? overwhelmed?

Are you moved to praise?

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!

Paul tells us the proper response to such a God is to present yourself as a living sacrifice to Him.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God,

present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God,

which is your spiritual worship.

Romans 12:1

God has blessed us with rich mercies through the mystery of His grace.

Respond with surrender. Lay down your life for Him.

Live your life in spiritual worship to Him.

Father God, open my eyes more fully to who You are

and who I am before You. I long to live a life of worship:

praising You, serving You, glorifying You, every moment of every day.

Beyond the Gospels: Romans 11:11-24

Read Romans 11:11-24
[Click the reference above to read online.]

As Believers, Israel is the root of the Promise we have been grafted into (Romans 11:16). In Christ, we become children of Abraham, adopted into the family of Israel.

As hard as it is to think about, it was Israel's rejection of Christ that opened the door for those of us from other nations to enter.

For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world,

what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?

Romans 11:15 ESV

This is a hard truth: the rejection of the Truth by some made way for the reconciliation of the world.

Many are still rejecting His truth today, but could it be that their rejection of the truth makes the way for others to enter?

The recent terrorist atrocities in Paris, could they be such a setting?

His grace, unmerited favor, comes through many avenues.
He is jealous for His creation. He will go to whatever lengths necessary to rescue those He loves.

Note then the kindness and severity of God:

severity toward those who have fallen, 

but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness.

Romans 11:22 ESV

The Bible states clearly God's sovereignty in all things.
It is from this perspective we must consider His kindness and severity.
His love and wrath.
His justice and grace.

Without rejection by some... there is no salvation for others...

Never forget to consider: If their rejection made the way for others to be reconciled, what will their acceptance of truth mean?

Father God, I rest today in Your sovereignty, grace, truth, and mercy.

Help me to see all events, those in my life and around the world

from Your perspective. Guide me in praying for those who have rejected You,

those who have unjustly been persecuted by them, and for those who are Yours.

Beyond the Gospels: Romans 11:1-10

Read Romans 11:1-10
[No Bible handy? Click above reference to read online.]

...chosen by grace.

Romans 11:5

Grace, unmerited favor.
Can't earn it.
Don't deserve it.
Given, unasked for.

What does it mean to you to be chosen by grace?
How has grace affected your life? your choices?
How do you respond to His grace? given freely?

Lord, Your grace overwhelms me and boggles my mind.

So different from the way the world works.

So different than the culture in which I live.

Bless me with the ability to wholeheartedly receive Your grace by faith.

Teach me to pour Your grace on others.

Favor unmerited, undeserved, unearned, unasked for.

Beyond the Gospels: Romans 9:30-10:21

Read Romans 9:30-10:21
[Click the Scripture reference to read online.]

For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Romans 10:13

Salvation by faith is a difficult concept for us to wrap our minds around. For many it is a stumbling block.

"Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense;

and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."

Romans 9:33

Ever since the Fall we have longed to save ourselves through works. Through self-righteousness. Through self-made schemes and gods.

Jesus is the righteousness of God (Romans 10:3). He is the end of the law of righteousness for everyone who trusts their life to Him and His work on the cross (Romans 10:4).

Faith is an act of total dependence. Total surrender. Total acceptance of our inability to do anything to save ourselves.

It is offensive to our natural sensibilities that we are unable to save ourselves. Unable to do anything for ourselves. To admit we really have no control over our lives.

By faith we are saved. By faith we share the Good News of Jesus with others. Only by acceptance of His work, not ours, can we share the message with others.

To pursue the law. To pursue self-righteousness. Always leads to judgment of others. We put ourselves in the place of God. We put others either above us or below us on a scale of right and wrong, when really we all fall short because of sin. None are good. Not one.

By faith we are saved. By faith we build our lives on the Cornerstone rather than stumbling over it. Stubbing our toes. Bruising our feet.

Where are you when it comes to salvation by faith? Are you constantly judging yourself? others? based on a set of rules? laws? you deem to be the way of righteousness?

Or are you able to pour out grace? do you humbly receive the truth of your salvation through faith? are you dependent on Him every moment of every day? following His Way from a heart of grateful love?

"How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"

Romans 10:15

Don't stumble over the Truth. Be saved by faith.

Lord Jesus, open my eyes to the places I still practice salvation through works,

stumbling over Your grace and mercy. I want people to be glad to see me coming.

I want to have Your Good News ready on my lips and flowing from my heart.

I do not want to stumble through life. I want to live wholly saved by faith.

I call on You, Jesus.

Amen.

Beyond the Gospels: Romans 9:1-29

To read the scripture for today's devotional, click here: Romans 9:1-29

The movie “The Blind Side” tells the true story of Michael Oher, a high school student gifted as a football player whose home life was simply terrible. His father had been in and out of prison, and his mother was addicted to both alcohol and crack cocaine. He attended 11 different schools during his first nine years of school, being placed in foster care at age 7, and alternating between foster care and homelessness.

When a local couple, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, discovered that Michael was homeless, they invited him to live with them. The 6’4” 315 lb. Michael, who is African American, was adopted by the Tuohys, who are Caucasian. The Tuohys made Michael a part of their family, and they also provided him with a private tutor to help him to grow academically.

After graduating from high school, Michael attended the University of Mississippi where he excelled as a football player. After college graduation, he was drafted into the NFL by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2009 draft. He played for Baltimore and also the Tennessee Titans and now plays for the Carolina Panthers.

The film points out that family is about more than blood. Michael’s adoption by the Tuohys and his being welcomed as a family member is a great illustration that love knows no bounds.

God, the source of love, knows no bounds.

One of the most pressing questions facing the followers of Jesus in the first century was that of who could become a follower of Jesus?

Paul addresses this topic in his letter to the Romans. Like the Tuhoys, he believed that blood did not make family, but that love did.  “…it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants.” (Romans 9:8)

God’s love is freely offered to all humans. Sometimes individuals want to restrict the church to only those people meeting certain human-produced criteria. But Christians should boldly make known that the love of God expressed in Jesus Christ is available to everyone. Because blood doesn’t make a family, love does.

Prayer: Blessed and Holy God, help us to tear down the walls that divide us as humans. Help us to extend your love to those who are different from us, knowing that they are your children too. Cleanse our hearts of the things that separate us from our brothers and sisters. Amen. 

Beyond the Gospels: Romans 8:31-39

To read the scripture for today's devotional, click here: Romans 8:31-39

Separation can be a painful thing. A mother dropping off her child at daycare for the first time causes feelings of angst for both the child and the mother. Work that involves overnight travel separates spouses from each other and fathers/mothers from their children, and all look forward to the work being over so they can again be together. There is even a psychological term called “separation anxiety” that deals with separation.

Separation is even done for punishment. In the Old Testament certain laws in Leviticus required that persons be separated from others for particular periods of time. In today’s world one of the harshest punishments used in penitentiaries is solitary confinement, which separates one  subject from others.

For the followers of Jesus Christ, however, there should be no fear of separation from God. Jesus’ death on the cross, his burial, and his resurrection removed all obstacles between humans and God. The earthly has been overpowered by the heavenly.

Paul tells us that God’s grace is so powerful that there is absolutely nothing that can separate us from it. As he puts it so beautifully, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

Even when our faith is shaken and we feel separated from God, it’s good to remember the comforting words that assure us that nothing can separate us from God’s love.

Prayer: Most loving and gracious God, thank you for bridging forever the gap that separated humans from you. Thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ, whose death on the cross offers to us a love that is so passionate, so powerful, that absolutely nothing can separate us from you. Amen.

Beyond the Gospels: Romans 8:12-30

To read the scripture for today's devotional, click here: Romans 8:12-30

A man who had been fighting cancer was put on hospice care. Friends and family came to visit. One visitor asked the man, “How are you?”

The man replied, “I am loved. I’m going to see Jesus. It’s going to be a great week.”

Even though the man was suffering and the end of his life was nearing, he knew that because he was a Christian, death was not the end. He was able to see the good even in the face of bad news.

The apostle Paul knew about faith in the face of suffering. He wrote, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18)

When times get tough in our lives it is easy to let the troubles of this world take our focus off of God. It happens oftentimes without us even realizing it, little by little.

And yet if we, like the man in hospice, keep our focus on God, our priorities change. We live not for the things of this world, which will not last, but we live for things above, those things that are eternal.

And that makes our troubles seem not so bad.

Prayer: Loving God help us to keep our focus on you during difficult times. Help us to remember that the tough times on this earth will not last forever, but the love and grace of Jesus Christ lasts for eternity. Amen.

Beyond the Gospels: Romans 8:1-11

To read the scripture for today's devotional, click here: Romans 8:1-11

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”

There is a funny video on YouTube of a home in which an outer, glass storm door has been broken out but the steel frame is still in place. The family that lives there includes a cute dog. The humor comes from the fact that the dog, so used to having the glass in the door, refuses to just step through the door frame to go out. Instead, it patiently waits for the door frame to be opened before going outside.  (See it here: https://youtu.be/Ls0WFCQXdlw )

Sometimes we as Christians do something similar spiritually. Paul tells us that “the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” has set us free from the law of sin and of death, and yet we, like the dog, live like the glass door of sin and death is still in place and keeping us from where God wants us to go.

When we accept Jesus Christ as our savior we become a new creation. We no longer have to live in fear of disease and death. We no longer have to do things we know are wrong and, when confronted with it, say things like “The devil made me do it.” We are God’s children. We are Christ-like.

Prayer: God, help us to remember that we are, indeed, free from the law of sin and death. We have overcome those things by faith in Jesus Christ. We have become new creations. The old is past, the new has come. Breathe into us new life daily. Amen.

Beyond the Gospels: Romans 7

To read the scripture for today's devotional from Romans 7, click here: Romans 7

There’s an old joke about a gentleman who goes to the doctor. “Doc, everytime I push on the sides of my temples with my fingers I get a headache. Can you help me?”

“Sure, the doctor says. “Quit pushing on the side of your temples with your fingers.”

It sounds overly simplistic to stop doing something that is hurting you, but the reality of life is that sometimes we do exactly that.

Take addictions, for example. Smoking, overeating, drugs, pornography, alcohol are just a few of the addictions with which people struggle. It’s not that the people addicted to those things don’t know they are bad for them, but yet they keep doing them anyway.

Paul writes about something similar in Romans 7. Paul is talking about sin, though, when he writes, “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing that I hate.” (v. 15)

Paul writes about the struggle between doing what is right (righteousness) and doing what is wrong (sin). Such a struggle has been depicted in cartoons and movies as a person having a small devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other, with both telling the person what to do.

When we become followers of Jesus Christ it doesn’t mean that the devil quits whispering to us. In fact, he usually starts talking louder. And yet through the power of the Holy Spirit we can resist temptation and do what is right.

As it says, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)

Prayer: God forgive us when we do the things we don’t want to do. Grant us the power of the Holy Spirit to resist temptations in whatever forms they present themselves. Give us strength to live Godly lives as we seek to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Beyond the Gospels: Romans 6

To read the Scripture for today's devotional, click here: Romans 6 

There used to be a chant sometimes said at college basketball games:

“Foul, foul, if you should

But if you foul ‘em, foul ‘em good!”

The logical-although-misguided reasoning behind this chant was the penalty for a foul was going to be the same if it was a “little” foul or a “big” foul. So if one is going to get a foul called on them, it might as well be a big one, one that has dramatic results!

It is unfortunate when that kind of thinking is applied to being a Christian and sin. For some, the thought might be that if God forgives our sins when we ask for forgiveness, then we might as well go ahead and sin, having a good time in doing so, and then ask God for forgiveness later.

Paul, the author of Romans, argues strongly against this view. Here is The Message translation of Romans 6:1-2, “So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not! If we've left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there?”

For Christians, baptism symbolizes the death of our old selves and the new birth of our new lives, lives that transcend the power of death. “…and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20)

Paul wants to make it clear to the church in Rome that actions do matter. The old axiom “Actions speak louder than words” rings true. If we proclaim we are Christians, but then our actions indicate otherwise, our hypocrisy harms the Kingdom of God.

Instead of “Foul ‘em, foul ‘em, if you should,” we should live by:

“Love ‘em, love ‘em, yes we should.

When we love like Christ, we love them good.”

Dear God, please help us to overcome temptations to sin and to lead righteous lives. Let everything we say and all of our actions reflect your love and grace. Amen.

Beyond the Gospels: Romans 5

To read the Scripture for this devotional, click here: Romans 5

Every person in the world will go through suffering at some point in his/her life. It could be the physical suffering of illness or disease, emotional suffering of broken relationships or mental illness, or even spiritual suffering. Regardless of social status or the amount of money a person has, everyone will suffer at some point.

Even Jesus tells his followers, “In this world you will have trouble.” (John 16:33a NIV)

We all will have tough times, but it is our attitude about those tough times that can set Christians apart from others. Suffering isn’t an end to itself, but can be the beginning of hope.

Paul writes in Romans 5:3b-5, “…suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”

In chemistry specific elements combine to make a substance that the elements cannot make on their own. Sodium, for example, is poisonous if consumed by humans. Chlorine likewise is poisonous to humans. But when the two combine they produce salt, which the human body cannot live without.

If a person suffers, such suffering produces something else: endurance. And then endurance produces character. The process continues with character producing hope. And hope is the assurance that the suffering won’t last forever, that things will be better in the future.

Even in John, when Jesus says “In this world, you will have trouble,” he follows it with “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV)

When bad times seem to drag down our emotions, when suffering visits our lives, let us find comfort in knowing that through our faith in Jesus we will have hope.

Heavenly Father, none of us want to suffer. But when we do suffer let us look to Jesus Christ with confidence, knowing that suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and that character produces hope. Help us to always have that hope. Amen.

Beyond the Gospels: Romans

To read the scriptures for today's devotional from Romans, click here: Romans 4:13-25

In this passage Paul tells about how Abraham believed God that he (Abraham) would be the “father of many nations” and “So numerous shall your descendants be.” (Romans 4:18) Abraham’s faith, his belief that God would do as he promised, was “reckoned to him as righteousness.”

Abraham had good reason to have his doubts. He and his wife, Sarah, had not been able to have children for years and years. And now, as they grew older, beyond the age at which couples had children, Abraham (and Sarah, as well) could have given in to doubt and despair.

But he didn’t. He didn’t know how God was going to do it. He didn’t have a detailed, step-by-step timeline on how God was going to make these miraculous things happen. Yet, he had faith that God would do it. And God did.

Paul points out that we can have the same kind of faith that Abraham did. Like Abraham, we may not know the details, but we can be assured that God’s word is true.

We can have that same kind of faith today. As disciples of Jesus Christ we may not know the exact specifics of how God will work through our lives, but we can through faith in Jesus Christ be assured that God can and will do mighty things through us. By ourselves we are limited, but with Christ we can change the world.

Dear God, help us to have the faith of Abraham. Help us to trust you and to live our lives fully in Christ, even when we may not know the specific details. Let us trust in you. Amen.

Beyond the Gospels: Romans

For the scriptures for today's devotional from Romans, click here: Romans 4:1-12

What is more important in our spiritual journey, faith or works?

Faith are those things which we believe even if we don’t know all of the details. As it is written in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Works, in contrast, are the external actions and deeds that we do for God and others.

So which comes first? Which is most important?

Many people believe that the way to get to heaven is through works, as if God sits in heaven like an accountant with a balance sheet, making marks by our name in the “good” column when we do something good, and making marks in the “bad” column when we fall short and sin. Then, when we die, God adds it all up. If we have more “good” than “bad” marks, then we get into heaven. If we don’t, we go to hell.

But Paul points out in today’s reading in Romans something completely different. He writes that it is through faith that we are made righteous. We cannot earn our way to heaven through good works. It is simply impossible.

But through our faith in Jesus Christ we accept the grace that God offers us freely, given out of his love for us. And it is in our response to this awesome, overwhelming grace that we do works, seeking to keep the Great Commandment to love God and love others.

Holy God we thank you that you offer us righteousness through your son Jesus Christ. May we increase our faith, and in doing so do works that bring you honor and glory. Amen.

Beyond the Gospels: Romans

For the scriptures for today's devotional from Romans, click here: Romans 3:9-31

One of the most widely quoted verses of the Bible we find in today’s reading: “…since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23) While that is certainly true, it can be misleading if only that part of the scripture is read instead of including it in the larger narrative that Paul writes.

The quote should be something like this: “…since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith." (Romans 3:23-25)

The first part of the quote, the one most mentioned, tells us that everyone messes up. But the rest of the sentence gives us hope. It tells us that through our faith in Jesus Christ we are saved (justified). It also tells us that this justification comes not by anything that we do to earn it, but from God as an example of his grace. It is a gift, freely given, paid for by Jesus Christ.

It’s easy to get drug down by all the negative news in our world. The news programs and newspapers are filled with bad things that are happening all over the world and right here at home. It seems things are bad and getting worse.

As Christians, though, we have hope. Thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ we can be a beacon of light in a darkened world. We can claim the words of Jeremiah 29:11, “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.”

Precious Lord, we thank you for your sacrifice on the cross, for it is through our belief in you that we have hope. Each of us do sin and fall short of the glory of God, but through our faith and the gift of God’s grace we are reconciled to our Heavenly Father and made new every day. Let us be a bright and shining light in this earthy world, reflecting the love of Jesus Christ to others so that they too may come to know peace that passes understanding. Amen.