AIR CONDITIONING HELL?
Read this article by Al Mohler by going to:
http://www.9marks.org/CC/ejournal/2010v7-1/article_mohler.htm

AN ENCOURAGING WORD IN A DISCOURAGING WORLD: A WORD OF PRAYER

Not only did Paul express thanks to God for the Christians at Rome, he continuously prayed for them. “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you in my prayers,” (Romans 1:9 NKJV). What could be more encouraging than that?

It means so much to me when someone says, “I’m praying for you.” I don’t take that lightly. Doesn’t it bless you?

The world tries to drag us down, so we need our brothers and sisters in Christ to lift us up. Not only does it mean a lot to hear that someone cares enough to pray for us, but those prayers actually have an impact—God hears and answers. The Almighty, loving Heavenly Father responds to the heart cries of His children.

Pastors need to cover their people in prayer. Paul sets the standard for us. People need to cover their pastors in prayer. Paul always pled with the people to pray for him. If he needed it—how much more do I! Parents need to cover their children in constant prayer and teach them to pray.

A praying church will drive away clouds of discouragement and open a window in heaven where the light of God’s glory will flood the place! Will you pray for this weekend’s services that this will be the incredible experience of the manifest presence of God? That would be encouraging!

AN ENCOURAGING WORD IN A DISCOURAGING WORLD: A WORD OF PRAISE

Paul thanks God for the Roman Christians. “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world” (Rom.1:8). He praises them that their faith is being recognized around the world. They are making an impact for Christ and that is an encouraging thing to Paul. So, he encourages them in return. This isn’t empty flattery. The Apostle isn’t telling them something he thinks they want to hear, to manipulate them to do something for him. He is genuinely grateful and offers them an encouraging word of praise.

There will always be those who will find fault—that will use their words like daggers to stab us. Their caustic words eat at our soul like a corrosive acid. That’s the way the world works to discourage us. Let us choose that this church house will be a place of encouragement—a refuge from the harsh treatment we receive in the world. Refuse to participate in demeaning speech. Instead, offer words that build up, rather than tear down.

Parents need to exercise caution about what they say to their little ones and how they say it. Harsh, hurtful words will make soul-wounds that are difficult to get over. As Paul expressed his gratitude to God for each member of that church, let us express that for each child God gives to us—all unique and all to be equally valued.

AN ENCOURAGING WORD IN A DISCOURAGING WORLD

Life is relentless—it just keeps coming and coming. The daily grind will wear you down. Our world is a pressure cooker of problems. It will suck the life right out of you. Discouragement is a constant temptation.

Somehow we have gotten the idea that this is unique to our age—that the problems we face are more immense than any known in the history of man. I will assure you that the challenges faced by God’s people today ought not to be minimized, but they are nothing new.

Imagine how tough it was to be a Christian in the first century dwelling in the heart of heathenism—imperial Rome. All roads led to Rome and when the people came there from the far-flung reaches of the world, they brought their idolatry and their immorality. Rome was like a cesspool where every kind of filth had flowed. Yet, there God planted a church. It not only took root in the decadent culture, it thrived!

Those early Christians were mostly poor, often persecuted, but were full of hope and marked by joy. You can hear it in Paul’s voice as he writes to the saints at Rome. He shares some encouraging words in a discouraging world. Listen to his words:

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers,
10 making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you.
11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established—
12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. (NKJV)

This week we will consider this passage in more detail and find for us an encouraging word in a discouraging world!

CLOTHES DO NOT MAKE THE MAN

We have likely heard the expression, “Clothes make the man.” But, it just isn’t true. Not that what we wear is unimportant, but the critical thing is the one inside the garment. Put a self-absorbed, cynical man in a tailor-made suit and he will just be a well-dressed jerk. Put a humble, kind man in a worn and tattered outfit and the quality of his life will overcome the appearance.

Too often, the church focuses on (and even fights over) the external appearance of the church. We think if we can change the structure of the organization, have a larger attendance, bigger buildings and budgets, a new style of music (or return to the old style), and the like, that we will be a successful church. Again, these matters are not insignificant. Change may need to happen, but all these things can change externally—policies, personnel, procedures, programming—and our church be an empty suit!

What God is after is transformation—an internal revolution—that will, of course, lead to an external difference. But, it starts in the heart—and until such a radical realignment of our thoughts, emotions and will toward loving God and loving people occurs—we will never be any different. We will fritter away our opportunity and waste our energy on dressing up—keeping up appearances—and fail to impact our world.

It starts with me. As a leader in the church, am I mostly hot air, or is there a heart, hot for God that marks me? It is a sobering thing to consider that I may have served as a pastor for thirty years—during which time I have learned new ways of doing things, having honed my skills as a “professional,” but be no closer to God and no more like Christ than when I began this journey. Perhaps I am being too introspective and too harsh in that judgment, but if I am not ruthless in my evaluation and relentless in my pursuit of whole-hearted devotion then transformation is impossible.

During the nearly decade and a half of shepherding this flock, we have seen some changes. You might like them; you might not. Some may think them too many; others not enough. Those are not my concerns this morning as I write this. My fear is that most of these changes are external and that at the core we are no different than when we started down this road together. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Is this the tragic reality?

What can be done? We choose to modify the externals—polish them and perfect them—because that involves a lesser price. We know that transformation is costly—it is a willingness to deny self and die to who we are and what we want in order to be raised to walk in a new and higher way. It is “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor.10:5). It is letting “this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil.2:5). It is to, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth…” and losing our life in “Christ who is our life” (Col.3:2-4). That high price tag is why we often choose external change rather than internal transformation.

When you dress for church tomorrow, put on your body that which would honor God, whether it be a business suit or blue jeans. Much more importantly, “put off the old man with his deeds, and…put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him” (Col.3:9b-10). That’s transformation. That’s what I’m praying for. Let it begin with me.

GIFTS YOU WON’T RETURN—THE GIFT OF PEACE

Peace with God in our relationship with Him through Christ, and the peace of God in our hearts that results from that love relationship, is one of God’s great gifts. Paul speaks of his desire that we experience that “peace” in Romans 1:7.

He greets them with the expression, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Grace was a Gentile greeting and peace (shalom) was a Hebrew greeting. Paul combines them as God had united both Jew and Gentile in the church.

Don’t miss the order: grace always precedes peace. You cannot have peace with God until you experience the grace of God.

This peace means that we are no longer at war with God. We have surrendered to His will. It is an inward serenity of knowing that it is well with our soul. It proceeds from the Father and through the Lord Jesus.

Did you catch that title? The Son is spoken of in the same sentence and with the same standing as the Father—showing Paul the monotheist’s understanding that Christ is God—and there is no contradiction between belief in One God and that He is Triune.

It is in bowing before Jesus as Lord that peace comes. If we insist on our way and living in sin, Scripture warns that there is no peace to the wicked. There is nothing like being able to pillow one’s head in peace—knowing that if death should come, we will awaken in heaven. Do you have that conviction?

GIFTS YOU WON’T RETURN—THE GIFT OF POSITION

Twice in Romans, chapter one, verses six and seven, Paul uses the expression “called” to speak of our position in Christ. God calls us into a love relationship with His Son and into a family fellowship with other believers. To be called is for God to seek us out and summon us by the drawing of the Holy Spirit. By faith, we respond to that call.

Then we are called, “saints”—that is our position. In the English translation the words “to be” are inserted, as though we are called to be saints. If you notice, however, these words are italicized, which means they are not in the original text but are supplied by the translators. Usually, that helps for a smoother reading, but in this instance, it muddies the waters. We are not called to be or to become saints, but are called saints—that is, what we are! It isn’t something we earn, not something bestowed upon us by some ecclesiastical authority, and not for a select few. It is the status of every true child of God.

We are saints—called out—set apart for God. You may argue, “Well, some Christians don’t behave very saintly!” That is true. We need to become what we are! The challenge is that even though our position is “in Christ”—that’s the New Testament expression—we are also, “in Rome.” The community of faith is fleshed out in a local assembly—in this case at Rome. This is our dual position—in Christ and in Rome—in the world, but not of the world. We may think of Rome in its splendor—its massive marble columns and imperial power. It was that, and more—it was a den of iniquity, a moral cesspool where all manner or vice and perversion were woven into the rotten fabric of pagan culture. Yet, that is the very place God plants a church! The challenge is to remain pure in a polluted world. We can, if we recognize our position as saints.

How Paul wanted to go to Rome and use it as a launching pad for planting churches! “All roads lead to Rome” and we might say from it, as well. This was the heart of the empire. The great missionary wanted to go to the frontier of Spain and to stop by Rome first. Church planting is still at the forefront of the way to spread the Gospel at home and abroad, by the called. Perhaps God is calling you to be involved in a direct way in planting a church.

Are you in Christ? If you are, then your position is secure. Thank God that you are His beloved. Begin to live as the saint which you are. Learn to view yourself as God views you in Christ. Be His witnesses where He has planted you—on the job, in the school, around the neighborhood. You are set apart for this. You may not feel worthy—but it is God who makes you holy.

Did you not know that even dirt can be holy? When Moses was summoned to the burning bush, God told him to take off his shoes for he was on “holy ground!” It was holy, because it was set apart as the meeting place between God and Moses—just some old dirt! Even dirty sinners as we were have been set apart by God’s presence in us and now we are called into His service. He can use you today!

GIFTS YOU WON’T RETURN—THE GIFT OF PURPOSE

One of the things that makes life worth living is a sense of purpose. So many go through life and find it meaningless. Apart from God’s grace, that will always be the case. God had a specific purpose for the Apostle Paul—and He does for each of us. In Romans 1:5, he mentions his “apostleship.” The word literally means “a sent one.” In the absolute sense, there were the first-century apostles and when they died, the office died with them. Yet, in a lesser, but still actual way, we too are sent ones—every child of God. Jesus said to His followers, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21b). It is this awareness of God’s intention for us that gives meaning to life.

One purpose we can be assured of is that God has set us apart to be His witnesses—calling people to “the obedience of faith.” It isn’t our good works, but Christ’s gracious work that saves us—and we obey the Gospel when we place our faith in Christ alone—nothing more, nothing else. Still, we see that obedience and faith are intertwined. D.A. Carson notes that, “Believing and obeying are two different activities, but for Paul they were always inseparable: people cannot truly obey God without first bowing the knee to the Lord Jesus in faith; and people cannot truly believe in that Lord Jesus without obeying all that he has commanded us (Mt. 28:20).” Faith is the root of our Christian life and obedience is the fruit. One is the cause and the other the effect. These are two sides of the same coin of Christianity. As the old hymn aptly states, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

The Great Commission is to take this Gospel to the whole world. It is in the name of Jesus that we go (with His authority), proclaiming the name of Jesus (for there is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved), and all for the glory of that name! This gives purpose to life—what a gift!

GIFTS YOU WON’T RETURN—THE GIFT OF PROVISION

In the fifth verse of Romans, we first encounter the great Gospel word “grace” in this epistle. By the time we reach verse seven, Paul uses it again. In all, the term is found twenty-two times in the letter to Rome’s saints. This word is the supreme gift from which all others flow. The three other gifts of God to us—that we will unwrap the remainder of this week—are ours through grace. Because of the provision of the grace of God, we have purpose from God, position in God and peace with God. So, what better to do today, than to examine the gift of grace?

What is grace anyway? It is often described as God’s unmerited favor. That is accurate, but let’s explain it this way: grace is God’s provision for what we could never provide for ourselves. Note: it is “through Him.” (1:5a). It is only through Christ that every blessing comes. It is all undeserved on our part—that’s what makes it grace.

• There is a grace that saves. “For by grace you have been saved…” (Eph.2:8). We are most familiar with this dimension of grace. We cannot save ourselves, so God provides salvation in His Son.
• There is a grace that sanctifies. “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Pet.3:18). Once we are saved, we do not graduate beyond grace to something else, but rather God provides grace for spiritual growth.
• There is a grace that strengthens “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor.12:9). We need not face our trials in our own puniness, but we can face them in God’s power.
• There is a grace to serve. Paul testified, “I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was in me.” (1 Cor.15:10). The fruitfulness in our service springs not from self-effort but spiritual energy.
• There is a grace to share. In 2 Cor.8-9, Paul speaks of the concept of the grace of giving. Out of poverty, God gave the Macedonian church supernatural motivation and means to give generously—beyond their ability.

So, the Christian life, from start to finish, is all of grace! Paul speaks of those in the church at Rome who have received grace as having received it already—they were saved—past tense (v.5) but prays they will continue to receive grace for every need—future tense (v.7b). As the Apostle John wrote, “And of [Christ’s] fullness we have all received, and grace for grace,” literally, “grace on top of grace!”

Have you received the gift of God’s grace to save you from your sins? You cannot save yourself! Cry out to a merciful God to save you through His Son’s sacrifice on the cross!

If you have received that gift, rejoice and give thanks for the other dimensions of grace. Sing those familiar words of “Amazing Grace” and be in awe of God’s provision.

Are you growing in grace? Have you by faith embraced the sufficiency of grace for your needs today? Is there spiritual fruit from your service, coming from the gracious life of Christ as you abide in Him as a branch in the vine (see John 15)? Are you practicing the grace of giving?

GIFTS YOU WON’T RETURN

The day after Thanksgiving is a busy shopping day as people take a lot of merchandise out of the stores for Christmas gifts. The day after Christmas is also a busy day as people take a lot of it back—things that don’t fit or things they don’t want. I think everyone has an Aunt Clara who gives you a gaudy tie or a pair of garish socks. Ralphie, in the movie, A Christmas Story had an Aunt Clara and here’s what she gave him:




Pink bunny pajamas!

His father said he looked like a “deranged Easter Bunny” and called it a “pink nightmare!” What he wanted was an official Red Ryder carbine action 200 shot range model air rifle! Despite all the concerned adults who constantly told Ralphie that he would shoot his eye out—he did get the BB gun. All was well with the world.

The fact is, however, that even if we got something for Christmas that we really wanted—and not something we’d want to return—the pleasure that anything this world affords is fleeting at best. Yet, our Heavenly Father has given us gifts that we will treasure more than anything this world offers. These are gifts you won’t return. They are gifts of eternal satisfaction, for they are spiritual and not temporal in nature. This week, in our daily messages, we will unwrap four of these great gifts.

Have you paused and given thanks to God for His many, many blessings? Why not do that right now?

CAN I KNOW FOR SURE THAT I AM GOING TO HEAVEN?

What an important question! After all—if we miss heaven, we have missed everything. It would have been better not to have been born. The good news that we’ve been sharing all week (that is the meaning of the term Gospel) assures us that we can know for sure that we are going to heaven.

As Paul begins to follow this theme in the book of Romans, he lays out the foundation of faith that will stand the test of time—and eternity—in the first chapter, verses two through four. He writes, “which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”

This is not mere religious speculation or wishful thinking. It is a message we can be sure of because it is rooted in the promises of God. “He promised,” the Apostle emphatically declares. God is faithful. He cannot lie. What He promises, He performs. We can be sure of heaven not only because the message is rooted in the promises of God, but because it is revealed through the prophets of God: “through His prophets.” This wasn’t a novelty. It wasn’t an afterthought of God. It wasn’t a back-up plan when the first one didn’t work and man fell into sin. Christ was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. From Gen.3:15 and the promised seed of woman that would crush the serpent’s head to Mal.4:5-6 and the prophecy of the herald, John the Baptist, who would come to announce Christ’s coming, the Old Testament has well over 300 prophecies of Christ. The Old Testament is full of the Gospel!

It is instructive that Paul doesn’t just appeal to his experience of salvation—powerful and appropriate as that is—but validates it with the Scripture. When we consider our experience of salvation, are we relying only on the past experience or are we leaning on the eternal Word? If you were to ask me today, “Pastor, are you sure you are going to heaven?” I would answer yes—but not based on an experience or decision or good works that I do now. I could say that my hope of heaven rests in the promises of God to me. His Word has said, “Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Rom.10:13) That’s good enough for me!

This salvation centers in the person of Jesus Christ. The Christian message is unique from any religion for it centers in a unique Person—Jesus! Brit Hume, commentator for Fox News, recently stirred up a hornet’s nest by suggesting that Tiger Woods needed Christ, for only Christianity offered the redemption and forgiveness that the adulterous golfer (and all of the rest of us sinners) required. He was dead on target!

In Buddhism and Confucianism, it is the teaching, not the teacher that matters. Remove Buddha and Confuscious and the religion remains. Even in Islam, as important as Mohammed is, he is not Allah. The five pillars of Islam and the teachings of the Koran are the main thing. But, if you take Christ from Christianity you take out its heart! Salvation is in a Person and Paul declares that person to be of the Seed of David. That is His Incarnation (v.3) “according to the flesh.” Jesus was a real man. He was conceived of the Spirit in the womb of a virgin. He was legally and biologically of David’s line—in fulfillment of the covenant. But Christ is also the Son of God. That is His Resurrection (v.4) “according to the Spirit of holiness.” He was always God from eternity—the second person of the Trinity, but He was “declared” to be the Son of God in His resurrection.

What are the implications? “[God] has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” (Acts 17:31) Will you be ready to stand before Him? You can be—and you can know for certain!

MAKING CHANGE!

Change happens! Nothing ever stays the same. Sadly, much of the change happening in our world today is not change for the better, but for the worse. Rapid advancements in technology have been mirrored by a moral freefall. It is the course of human nature, when left alone. Nothing has to be done. Life brings change—regression—back to the wild—not Eden, but the jungle.

Is there hope for real change—good change? Yes! God can and will change us and then we can be used in making change for good.

You need look no further for evidence of the miraculous grace of God to produce such transformation than examining the first word of the epistle to the Romans where “Paul” identifies himself as the author. That is a stunning fact when you consider his background.

This was a man who was a fanatical zealot in his religion—totally sold out as a terrorist. In his devotion to religion, Saul (as he was known at the time) ruthlessly and relentlessly pursued Christians to persecute them. He wanted to obliterate the name of Christ from the earth—but then the Lord hunted him down, even as he was hunting down Christians. That is the arresting power of the Gospel! On the road to Damascus, Saul the Pharisee was changed forever—from one who loathed Jesus to one who loved Him, from a man intent on slaughtering Christians to serving the church. Soon his name was changed to a Roman name, Paul, from the Hebrew Saul, to reflect not only the change in his heart, but in his mission—to reach the Gentile world with the Gospel of God.

So, who is the kind of person that can make change for good? Paul first identifies himself as a bondslave and only then as an apostle. He was no big shot—but one who clearly understood that it was grace for him to even be a slave, much less an apostle. He wasn’t into titles. In the Roman Empire, at the time, there were about 60 million slaves. In their despair, some of them had turned to the hope of the Gospel. It is likely that the dominant demographic in the Roman church would have been slaves. You can imagine their shock and awe when such a spiritual leader as Paul took this designation for himself. People were bought and sold in the slave market in those days. Paul had been in the slave market of sin held in the chains of human corruption. Then, he saw himself as purchased by another Master—Jesus! He was a bondslave now to Him. Likewise, we have been purchased by the blood of Christ. Paul wrote in 1 Cor.6:19-20, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (NIV)

Is there evidence of real change in your life? Believing the Gospel is all that will bring such a transformation. You must be changed in order to make change—the kind of change our world desperately needs. Submit yourself to Christ. He owns you! He will use you to bring real hope and change.

EXCLUSIVE!

Reporters and journalists dream of landing the exclusive—an interview with a mover and shaker—some big news that nobody else has. Today, you are privileged to read the biggest exclusive—the most dramatic piece of news ever shared. That good news is called in Romans 1:1, “the Gospel of God.”

This Gospel is exclusive to the Christian faith—no other religion has it. It is THE Gospel from THE only true and living GOD! Therefore, it is properly called, “the Gospel of God.”

The Gospel isn’t a message that Paul, or any other man, invented. It was birthed in the heart of God from eternity. It is the only good news there is!

Religion can’t offer you good news. Look into the faces of the monks and mullahs. You will see a miserable countenance. See people trying to wash their sins away by bathing in the Ganges River, or bowing toward Mecca, or saying the Rosary, or stuffing a prayer in the Wailing Wall. It is all an effort to somehow appease some god somewhere, without ever knowing for sure if you’ve done enough. That’s not good news. That’s bad news!

Martin Luther tried the route of ritual religion. He dedicated himself to fasting, long hours in prayer, and frequent confession. He gave this testimony of bad news, "If anyone could have gained heaven as a monk, then I would indeed have been among them." Luther described this period of his life as one of deep spiritual despair. Frantically, he attempted to jump through every hoop that Rome prescribed as the way to make one acceptable to God. He said, "I lost touch with Christ the Savior and Comforter, and made of him the jailor and hangman of my poor soul." The guilt weighed upon him so heavily that he nearly went insane. But it was then, reading the book of Romans, he found the good news that the righteousness God demanded, He supplied in His Son. He was transformed and the world has never been the same. That is the power of “the Gospel of God!”

It is an exclusive message, for only those who place their faith in Christ can be saved. Yet, it is also inclusive in that anyone who does receive Christ will be saved! Have you done that? If you were to stand before God today, and He asked you, “Why should I let you into my heaven?” What would you say? Only one answer is acceptable, “Because of the work of Christ for me. I believe He died for me and rose again to save me. I have placed my life and my hope for heaven in Him alone.” Dare you trust anything else? Would you boast in being raised in a Christian home, or walking down an aisle, or going into the baptistery, or teaching a Sunday School class, or…whatever you might think to do to earn eternal life? IT CANNOT BE DONE! Rest your faith in Christ exclusively!

If you are trusting in Christ, are you sharing this “Gospel of God” with those who haven’t heard it? In a former day, there were many who had heard, yet not responded to the Gospel. That is no longer the case. They may have heard a lot of bad news religion. What they need is the Good News!

DIVINE SOVEREIGNTY AND HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY

A great debate stretches across the centuries of theological study. Does God take the initiative in salvation? Is it all of Him and all of grace? Does He choose us for His pleasure and not because of whom we are or what we do? Thinking along these lines is often framed with a set of theological propositions known as Calvinism. On the other side, there are those who say we are responsible for answering God’s call. The call of God can be resisted. God’s salvation is offered in Christ, but I can spurn that love. I can embrace by faith His Son or I can reject Him. This doctrinal disposition is often called Arminianism. So, does the Bible teach Divine sovereignty? Absolutely! God takes the initiative in salvation or none of us could be saved. Then, do I have any responsibility? Undoubtedly! I must repent and believe the Gospel. So, how do we reconcile these?

Perhaps Spurgeon’s answer is best. In a sermon on Jacob and Esau, he said, “He saves man by grace, and if men perish they perish justly by their own fault. ‘How,’ says some one, ‘do you reconcile these two doctrines?’ My dear brethren, I never reconcile two friends, never. These two doctrines are friends with one another; for they are both in God's Word, and I shall not attempt to reconcile them.” In our limited understanding, we have difficulty grasping the mind of God—so infinitely higher are His thoughts. But, both these dimensions of our salvation are held in perfect balance in the eternal One. If I cannot fully apprehend the truth, I can still let the truth fully apprehend me!

As we begin the study of Romans, we see this fascinating teaching in the opening verses. Throughout the text there are interwoven threads of the heavenly and the human. It is God’s message, but Paul is the messenger: “Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God” (v.1). It is promised by God’s Word, but proclaimed by God’s prophets: “which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures” (v.2). It is provided by Christ who is fully God and fully man: “concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” (v.3-4). So—salvation is God’s initiative, but we must receive the gift. We can’t save ourselves—it is His choice, but we He will not save us apart from our choice—a perfect balance of Divine sovereignty and human responsibility.

Have you responded to the call of God? If not—then right now would be the time. Don’t delay!

If you have come to Him, it is because He has first come to you—have you spent some time in awe and thanksgiving for such amazing grace?

I’M TIRED OF BAD NEWS

It seems like all you hear any more is bad news. In Colorado Springs, on Christmas Eve, Mike Hermanstorfer held his pregnant wife’s hand as it became ice cold. Her heart had stopped. The call went out, “Code Blue!” Medical personnel were trying to save them, but it seemed hopeless. Five minutes that seemed like an eternity went by before the baby could be removed by C-section. The baby wasn’t breathing. The still, tiny form was handed to Dad and then—wonder of wonders—the apparently stillborn infant finally took his first breath—and something else, equally, if not more remarkable—Tracy Hermanstorfer’s heart started beating again. Now, Mom and baby are doing fine—it was a Christmas miracle! There’s some good news for a change!

Yet, one day Tracy and her baby will face death again. It is a reality we all have to deal with—bad news! But, what if I told you that you could live forever? Now, that would be good news—the best news—and it is absolutely true. God offers you eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ. That’s what the book of Romans is about and the author, the Apostle Paul, doesn’t beat around the bush. He goes straight to the point. “Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God…” (Romans 1:1).

This is a book about the Gospel (meaning good news). It occurs 6 times in the first 16 verses! It is found 60 times in the epistle. It will be the foundation of these weekday devotional thoughts for 2010.

Have you personally experienced this good news through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? The good news is that today, you can turn from your sin and turn to Him by faith in His death on the cross and His resurrection power for you. If you do know Him, have you thanked Him for this good news? Pause for a moment and whisper a prayer of gratitude. Then, why don’t you tell someone else today about this good news? Chances are they’ve heard enough bad news and need to hear this desperately. No one is better equipped than you to do so.

“BEING CHRISTIAN, BUT NOT RELIGIOUS”

The first Bible study I did as a new Christian was the book of Romans. It was a great place to start! There is perhaps no other book in the Bible which presents the full spectrum of Christian doctrine as this letter penned by the Apostle Paul. Those were formative days for me in my baby steps with God, and getting these fundamentals under my belt gave me a solid foundation for spiritual development.

Our youth pastor met with me and two other young men in a weekly home study. The guide for our Romans study was a little paperback called, “How to Be a Christian, Without Being Religious,” authored by Fritz Ridenhour. That is a concept that jolts us when we hear it, even today, so you can imagine how arresting those words were when written over thirty years ago. Being a young Christian, however, I didn’t have so much baggage, and I just thought, “Right on!” That’s the way, we hippies talked back then—even those that had become “Jesus Freaks” (you had to have been there). I was saved out of the generation that thought anything to do with the establishment needed to be overthrown, anyway. So, when someone was suggesting that the Bible supported such a radical idea—it didn’t take me long to get on board!

Here’s the big idea: religion is trying to reach up to God, find God and please God through our own futile efforts, while Christianity is God reaching down to us, finding us and making us pleasing to Him through faith in Christ. That’s the Gospel and that’s the preeminent message of Romans. Pretty important! Don’t you agree? Grasping that message makes the difference between heaven and hell. There is a real danger that even if we get the message of grace at the outset, and are truly saved, that we may revert back to religion, stunting our spiritual growth.

We are looking forward to our sermon series this year as week by week we travel the Roman Road through this fascinating letter. It all begins this Sunday morning with a message, “Good News for a Change.” In addition, I plan on sending a weekday e-mail to lead you into some deeper dimensions of Sunday’s message. Come, get on the Bible Bus! Romans was a great point for me to board and you will find a great adventure as God transforms your life through His Word.

FIRST THINGS

Christians enjoy discussing “last things.” Theologians call the study of end time events, “eschatology.” It is important and should be examined. This is, after all, the blessed hope!

But, the best way to prepare for the last things is to get started on the first things—that is those matters that are of first importance. What if 2010 is the final year before Christ comes for His church? If you could know that for certain about the last things, what would you do first thing?

The first thing we should do is make sure our relationship with God is real. The clarion call of Scripture is, “Prepare to meet your God,” (Amos 4:12). If we miss heaven, we miss it all!

The next thing we should do is make sure all our relations know that God is real and He wants them to have a genuine relationship with Him through Christ. We want to take as many people to heaven with us as we can. Of course, only God can save them, but He uses us.

The final thing—and I mean the last thing of the first things—is having assurance of a real experience of God’s grace. I want to be growing in that grace and knowledge of Him. Peter said it this way:

2 May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.
3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.
4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge,
6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness,
7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.
10 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away.
11 Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
12 Therefore, I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught.
13 And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live.
14 For our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I must soon leave this earthly life,
15 so I will work hard to make sure you always remember these things after I am gone. (2 Peter 1:2-15 NLT)

Along with the Apostle, I make the first thing to remind you of these priorities because, like Peter, this could be my last thing I do! Jesus is coming—and I believe soon. Even if He doesn’t come back in my lifetime—I only have this lifetime and I desperately want it to count for Him!

So—now what are you going to do about it? It’s the beginning of a New Year and for some of us this will be our last year—perhaps, for all of us. That truth will transform us, if we take it to heart.

The Manhattan Declaration

Have you read it? Have you signed it?
I have!

In a culture that is increasingly becoming oppressive of the right to live and speak according to the dictates of conscience, aggressive in the attack on the family and systematic obliteration of gender, and expansive in its malignant assault on the sanctity of human life, it is time to speak. I know that some would question joining the Roman Catholics and Orthodox in signing any document, but this is not a declaration of faith which asks one to dilute any cherished doctrine. Rather, it is a declaration of freedom--that as citizens of America, there are issues too large for us to ignore and that there should be a willingness to partner with those who, in these fundamental standards, have agreement.

I am reminded of the words of German Pastor, Martin Niemoller, as stated by him in an address to the United States Congress in 1968,
"When Hitler attacked the Jews I was not a Jew, therefore I was not concerned. And when Hitler attacked the Catholics, I was not a Catholic, and therefore, I was not concerned. And when Hitler attacked the unions and the industrialists, I was not a member of the unions and I was not concerned. Then Hitler attacked me and the Protestant church--and there was nobody left to be concerned."

We must stand tall, stay true and speak tenaciously while we have yet the opportunity to do so. Please, would you go to the link, prayerfully read and carefully and consider signing the declaration?

http://manhattandeclaration.org/

THOUGHTS ABOUT A BUSH

No--not that Bush! Not a former President--but this bush:

"The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. So Moses said, 'I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.' When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, 'Moses, Moses!' And he said, 'Here I am.' " (Exodus 3:2-4 NKJV)

Here are a few thoughts about that bush:

• It was chosen by a sovereign God. The bush didn't volunteer. The bush didn't make a decision. It was chosen. It wasn't chosen on the basis--so far as we can tell--of the superior quality of the wood, its size or shape, its beautiful foilage or abundance of fruit. God just picked it and used it--and it became His bush--by, what we may term, sheer grace.
• It was the vehicle through which God appeared and spoke--by which He manifested His glory. It wasn't the glory of the bush, but the glory of God that grabbed Moses' attention. The visible manifestation of God's presence is the thing that was life-transforming to Moses. A bush can't change your life, but God in this bush changed Moses and the course of history! A bush can't talk, yet God spoke though this one. God led His servant and freed His people beginning with a message from a bush.
• It burned without burning out. Doubtless in that arid climate, he had seen scrub bush aflame before. As has been witnessed in California, a lightning strike on bone-dry shrubs and poof, you've got a wildfire! Yet, here was something different--a bush on fire, yet not burning out. That was arresting and aroused the curiosity of Moses to investigate. This was supernatural!

Now, for the application--if you haven't seen it already.

God is looking for some men to be His bushes. We are of His choosing. It isn't that His messengers are better--better-looking, more eloquent, of superior intellect, possessing greater skills and potential--no, it is simply His choice through whom He will speak and manifest His glory. So God bypasses macho man Esau for the scoundrel Jacob; He selects the stuttering Moses instead of the people-pleasing Aaron; He supplants the imposing Saul with a shepherd boy, David; He founds His church with a motley crew of fishermen, tax-collectors and their ilk while rejecting the religious elite of Jerusalem. That way God gets all the glory--and He will share it with no other.

It is amazing grace that God would choose to use such as we are. Paul said, "We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves." (2 Cor.4:7 NLT). Men are his method--He communicates His infallible word through fallible men; His infinite truth through finite beings; His powerful word through puny flesh--wonder of it all! There is the supernatural mark on the man of God that leaves people asking for explanation. Such a profound privilege His messengers enjoy! He leads His people and frees them from spiritual bondage through those who proclaim His word and exhibit His glory.

All this and we don't have to experience "burn out!" Should we try to bring life-change or build the church through our effort--burning the candle at both ends--we will be extinguished--the work of our ministry consumed as hay, wood and straw at the judgment seat. Horrifying thought that is! But, if we are aflame with God, there is a constant source of fuel.

So, do you feel you are just an old bush and wonder if God can use you at all? So far as an omnipotent, sovereign God is concerned--in the words of Major Ian Thomas, "Any old bush will do!"

Ten Deadly Sins Of A Dying Church | ChurchCentral.com

Ten Deadly Sins Of A Dying Church ChurchCentral.com

Do we see any symptoms? Until there is the right diagnosis, there cannot be the right prescription. At least some of this sounds a bit familiar to me.