Thoughts From Romans 15 - Part 5

  It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. 21 Rather, as it is written:

“Those who were not told about him will see,
    and those who have not heard will understand.”

22 This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to visit you, 24 I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to see you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while

             When I went to a Christian Missionary Alliance Church, I learned that their emphasis for missions was based on this verse in Matt. 24:14, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." They believed that the one thing holding back the second coming of Christ was unreached people groups. Now whether that's a correct interpretation of the passage or not doesn't really concern me. Any church with an emphasis of taking the (true) gospel out to the world is fine by me.

     We learn several things about Paul from these few verses. First, his primary gifting was evangelism not discipleship. Sure, he stayed in some cities for months at a time and met with believers at a school but those seemed more the exceptions. His personal discipleship consisted of taking guys along with him on his trips like Silas, Timothy, and Luke. Paul was basically an itinerant speaker going to areas that hadn't heard the gospel, preaching it for several days and then moving on usually for the fear of his life. That was God's plan for him at this point. Throughout my Christian life, I have heard travelling evangelists at revival weeks at every different denomination I'm in. Usually, they come for a love offering and are meant to save the lost and rekindle the backslidden. I'm sure they say that Paul is their inspiration for ministry.

         I often wonder if evangelists, like Paul with John Mark, have limited patience with people. I can see this with myself; I don't like to go on mission trips where I've been before. Hundreds will have been saved, and I go back a year later and none of those converts are in the church. How can you hear something as wonderful as the gospel and not experience radical life change. Or I meet with kids in the youth group to disciple and I give them verses to read with a journal to fill out - main thought, what God is saying to me, Action I'm going to take. How difficult is that? They don't do it or say they will meet me and don't show. Personally, I don't think Paul would have put up with that. I don't want to question Paul's motivation as he justifies it with an Old Testament prophecy or says, "God hasn't allowed me to come to you", but I think Paul's personality was certainly suited for a travelling evangelist. His zeal was so great that there were no places left to preach - how could he put up with someone who is unexcited about Jesus?

       Second, he wasn't embarrassed to ask for support. I tend to think any ministry that is asking for money is suspect due to all the scams and greedy people out there, but legitimate ministries should not be ashamed to ask for money. In fact, although a church in Lystra might not be evangelizing the nations, by helping Paul financially, they in effect are. I've been to multiple missions' conferences growing up, also, where a missionary on a brief furlough, comes to a church that supports them and tells of the fruit of their labor which wouldn't have been possible without your financial support. We feel somewhat responsible for the Bible being translated into an unreached people group's language in the Ivory Coast through Verne and Denny Johnson. They did all the work, but we had a small part and so glad we have supported them.

Thoughts on Romans 15 - Part 4

 I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. 15 Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.17 Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. 18 I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— 19 by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ   Rom. 15:14-19

           Paul has singlehandedly (there were some minor players like Apollos and Phillip) taken the "full gospel" to the Gentiles in such a fashion that, as we will see in the upcoming passage, he has run out of unreached people groups. If there was anyone who had a right to receive praise or an award for Gospel service, it was Paul. Yet he said he can't boast or take credit but only speak of what Christ has done through him.

        It's football season and this is the time of year where stars of the game are interviewed after the game, and many times give praise to God. Unbelievers must get sick of this and guys like Aaron Rodgers mock that God would care who won a game especially when there are believers on both sides, but how can they do anything less. Any time we take credit for some ability or platform that God has given us, it is nothing less than plagiarism.

        The Dove Awards given yearly to excellence in Christian music, got some extra press this year when the top artist in Christian music, Forrest Frank decided not to attend and his social media post explained that he thought it was wrong to receive an award for music and abilities that God has given him. I feared when it happened that other artists might be offended because it made them look bad for going or there would be a mass exodus of artists attending. Neither happened (well, maybe one artist was offended) but what did happen was amazing. Every single artist transferred all the praise and glory to Christ, and it was the most worshipful Dove Awards that I've ever seen.

       Francis Chan stated that he left his mega church and took his family to Asia because he loved the adulation that he was getting too much. However we choose to handle man's praise, the important thing is the right mindset of I would be nothing except for Christ. Paul calls himself the chief of sinners and God even needed to give him a "thorn in the flesh" to keep him humble. Let's not seek praise from men but rather praise from God.

Thoughts on Thanksgiving

 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Rom. 15:13

All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. 2 Cor. 4:15

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful. Heb.12:28

The faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel.  Col.1:5

Viktor Frankl, a survivor of the Auschwitz death camps, describes how holding onto hope was literally a life-or-death choice. Those who lost hope, he said, developed a certain look in their eye, a fatalism that inevitably ended in death. They experienced an “existential vacuum” — his term for a complete loss of meaning, a loss of hope, a sense that nothing really mattered any more. Once they had that look, several days later they were dead.

Paul states in Romans 15:13 that we as believers don't just have a tiny bit, a pinch, a modicum of hope - we are overflowing with hope. What is that hope in? The surety of the return of Christ. The certainty that He is preparing a place for us. The confidence that as Brandon Lake says in his song Sevens, "We're gonna' make it out alive." This is the Blessed Hope that Christians have sung about for years. This is the underlying message of so many "negro spirituals" that kept their hope going in the midst of terrible hardships.

 The writer of Hebrews says that this hope in Heaven causes us to be thankful. In fact three times in his epistles Paul writes about our thankfulness being overflowing. It's interesting that Paul says hope overflows and thankfulness overflows. It seems they are connected.

 We watched a Netflix Christmas movie last night called Champagne Problems. It dealt with a woman from America going to a vineyard in France, a producer of Champagne, and attempting to purchase it for her company. As she left in apparent failure, she recounted her problems to a desk clerk as "Champagne problems". When pushed as to what that meant she stated that champagne is uncorked at celebratory events - weddings, New Years, parties in general. Yes, she had problems, but they were in the backdrop of finding herself, love, and all the good things that happened in Paris.

We, as Christians, because of our hope (confident assurance) of Heaven where we will be spraying Champagne like the World Series winners, go through this life overflowing with thanksgiving and the Eeyore woe is me of our problems should amount to no more than "champagne problems." Let's be known as thankful people not gripers. Happy Thanksgiving. Cheers!

Thoughts From Romans 15 - Part 3

 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Rom. 15:13

              In Andor Season 1, Andor is sent to a prison camp where he and his team of inmates are forced to make parts for Empire ships. There were quotas with competitiveness and rewards, so the Empire was trying to cover the "having a purpose" need that is in everyone. The also incorporated the need for friendship and human interaction that everyone needs. The other thing that everyone needs is hope. They were given the false illusion that they were going to be freed but one day, it came out that no one is ever freed, they are just transferred to other prisons. When this came out, people were willing to risk death and a number died to stage a revolt because people can't live without hope.

           That being said, without an afterlife, there is no hope. That's why such a small percent of the population are atheists because religion offers hope. Karl Marx called it the "opiate of the masses" because if people have hope, they can tolerate a miserable existence. Of all the religions, Christianity offers true hope - John writes, "These are written that you may know that you have eternal life". We can know that we will live forever in Heaven not because of anything we've done, because frankly we can be as bad as we are good, but because of what Jesus has done on our behalf. The only other religion that offers true hope caused 9/11. Islam says that if you die in Jihad you will go directly to Heaven with numerous virgins at your disposal. Which faith seems more acceptable?

          So how do non-believers go through life without hope? I have no idea. Maybe they try to repress it. Maybe they find their meaning in their kids and grandkids with hope for a better tomorrow. Maybe they think that when they die they will probably go on to Heaven because they can always find a person that is worse than them. But I do think that this is a way to reach people for the gospel. Play the "what then" game. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? What then? What then? What then? What then? What then? It finally ends up that you die and then the last question is What then? Make them think about hope. Will they ever be free or are they stuck in this prison until death?

Thoughts From Romans 15 - Part 2

 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
    I will sing the praises of your name.”

10 Again, it says,

“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”

11 And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
    let all the peoples extol him.”

12 And again, Isaiah says,

“The Root of Jesse will spring up,
    one who will arise to rule over the nations;
    in him the Gentiles will hope.”

Romans 15:9-12

            Paul gives 4 Old Testament verses here back-to-back on the inclusion of the gentiles for salvation in God's plan. He could have included at least 9 more. (Gen 12:3, Ps.22:27, Isa.42:4, 49:6, 56:3-7, 60:1-3, Jer.16:19-21, Zech.2:11, Mal.1:11) It does make you wonder why with at least 13 prophetic passages on the inclusion of Gentiles in the body of Christ, the early Jewish believers had such a hard time with it. When Peter went into Cornelius' home, he had to go before what appeared to be a review board questioning his actions and when he explained what happened their response was like, "Wow! So you're saying Gentiles can get saved? Amazing!"

          Certainly, we have to cut them some slack for 3 reasons. First, they were raised in homes where the law was taught and to associate with Gentiles would make you unclean. You can wonder about a God who makes rules like that but when you see a dispersed people for hundreds of years come back in 1948 as a pure people, you can see that these laws to separate and not inter-marry kept them from being absorbed and no longer a Jewish people. Also, we can see as believers the dangers of being unequally yoked from besties all the way to marriage, different beliefs about Jesus, the Bible, worldviews gradually destroy one's faith and degrees of separation are a good thing.

        Secondly, they didn't have access to those prophecies like we do. I probably have 20 Bibles in my study while I imagine they had to go to the synagogue to have access to scriptures. They couldn't have a morning Bible Study like I am today. What a blessing having the complete Word of God at my fingertips! What's my excuse for not knowing what's in there?

       Third, they were prejudiced, they thought they were better people than the Gentiles because they were God's chosen. This may be bad of me to say, but I think Jews may still feel that way about the rest of the world which triggers anti-Jew resentment among the rest of the world. I'm not saying anti-Jew sentiment is their own fault by any means. I think the Devil is and always has been the instigator because he hates God and therefore hates God's chosen. But if you feel superior to someone innately, you are going to have a hard time accepting them as equals.

           Paul, as he did in Romans 9-11 is once again trying to bring Jews and Gentiles together as equal brothers in Christ just like today, with racism still present, we bring blacks and whites together in Church as equal and without differences, yet it is still an uphill climb for all the same reasons- our upbringing, lack of understanding of the scripture, and prejudices. Let's not condemn the early Church if we can't get it right either.

Thoughts From Romans 15 - Part 1

 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed  Rom.15:1-8

        Listening to this new song I love by "Tides" called "Alive?" Love it. Here are the lyrics or at least some of them. Notice what she is saying. Her life used to be about serving herself, getting followers, finding herself - all self-centered things. What a universal motivation in the world. If you go to any psychiatrist, they will try to build this part up in your life to find meaning and happiness.

      Did you ever think about what it would look like if Jesus decided to serve Himself? I think the Devil knew because when he tempted Jesus, he hit Him in those areas; "You have miraculous power so use it to feed yourself, get popularity, get power" - but Jesus knew that in order to do that He had to follow Satan. It even appears from Romans that Jesus going to the Jews only was a part of His submission to God's plan to fulfill the promises to the Patriarchs. He could have gone to the Gentiles and been received but He didn't serve Himself and the end result was rejection and crucifixion. But Hebrews says He did it for the joy set before Him. If you want to have joy, meaning, hope, peace - stop serving yourself. Die to self and live for Jesus. You can't serve yourself and follow God. You might think, "I'll follow God in all these areas but in this one area I'm going to serve myself." Nope, doesn't work.

We are drops in an ocean without limit

You and I, we′re specks of grain in the sand

But I believe we were placed with intention

There's a part to play

Grow a following, yeah

Gain influence

What a currency to people who are clueless

But I need more than that

Something tangible

Dig in deep to the root of what makes me whole

Hope in myself was my sole fixation

Never livin′ up to my own expectation

And most of the time

I'd do anything, if it meant I would feel alive

Cause I was not alive

Or at least not yet

Not yet

(Listen)

We're not here to stay

Only passin′ thru

I fear that so many people get it misconstrued

You gotta face the fear

Confront all the wrong

And let your life be redeemed to know where you belong

Hope in myself was my sole fixation

Never livin′ up to my own expectation

And most of the time

I'd do anything if it meant I would feel alive

Holiness in life is my new motivation

Castin′ all my cares on the author of creation

Now this is the way

Yes I'm sure is way it is meant to be

Thoughts From Romans 14 - Part 6

  So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.  Rom. 14:22,23

        The one thing I haven't talked about is this whole thing about eating which Paul keeps talking about in Romans 14. It appears that the idol worshippers offered animal sacrifices to statues of pagan gods and rather than let these stink, spoil, attract maggots, overnight these meats would be bought by local vendors and sold a day later at the meat market, probably at a discount. Some Christians would say, "I could never eat that because it was offered to a demon" while others would say, "an idol is just a marble slab, it's nothing so I am going to buy cheap meat and be a good steward of God's money."

      Now both could be in the same fellowship and never have an issue with this except in 3 instances as I see. #1) They are shopping in the same market, and one sees the other buying that meat. Solution - If you eat that meat, go shopping at a low traffic time and look around before you buy it. My wife makes a mean rum cake, but we would never buy the rum in our locale. We wait for a cruise or something like that.

 #2) You invite that person over for supper and serve the meat and they ask, "Is this meat that was offered to idols?" You can't lie so you say yes. Paul would instruct the weaker brother not to ask, just assume it's not and your conscience won't be bothered. I suppose a modern-day scenario might be you get a gift for Christmas, but you are boycotting Target, and you don't know if it came from there. Just accept it and don't ask. Or your ministry gets an anonymous gift, but you say, "What if this is from the Masons?" Don't ask, just accept it as God blessing you. Or is this candy you got from trick or treating? Don't ask. Just eat it.

#3) You are at a Bible study (or whatever form of the scriptures they would have had) and someone brings up the subject for discussion. This actually is great because this is how the weaker brother can grow and this is how the stronger brother can grow in grace, love, longsuffering, and understanding. It may also convict the stronger brother if he is actually being free in an area he shouldn't be and has taken his freedom too far. Paul says that it is possible to approve of too much so be careful.

      Are there areas that you are holding to a stronger standard than scripture gives? Are there areas that you have freedom in that scripture holds you to a higher standard. These are questions we need to continually ask and pray for divine wisdom as we continue in our daily process of sanctification (spiritual growing up).