Wednesday, July 20, 2011

What can we do?

Scripture-- Romans 10-Romans 12

Observation:  Truer words were never spoken: 12:9-

9Be sincere in your love for others. Hate everything that is evil and hold tight to everything that is good. 10Love each other as brothers and sisters and honor others more than you do yourself. 11Never give up. Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord. 12Let your hope make you glad. Be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying. 13Take care of God's needy people and welcome strangers into your home.

14Ask God to bless everyone who mistreats you. Ask him to bless them and not to curse them.15When others are happy, be happy with them, and when they are sad, be sad. 16Be friendly with everyone. Don't be proud and feel that you are smarter than others. Make friends with ordinary people. 17Don't mistreat someone who has mistreated you. But try to earn the respect of others,18and do your best to live at peace with everyone. 19Dear friends, don't try to get even. Let God take revenge.In the Scriptures the Lord says,"I am the one to take revenge and pay them back."  20The Scriptures also say, "If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat. And if they are thirsty, give them something to drink. This will be the same as piling burning coals on their heads." 21Don't let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good.

Application:  What a way to live life.  No revenge.  Staying away from evil, clinging to good.  Never giving up.  Letting the spirit do it.  Always praying and being patient.  Welcoming strangers.  Taking care of the needy.  This passage is how I try to live my life.  I go back to it again and again to examine my life and see where I can be more Christ like.  So, today, where can you let Christ's love compel you.  What can you work on.  Where can you let God's love shine through you?  Which part of this stands out--and how will you let it change you?

Prayer--God, help me be the person you're calling me to be.  Help me be the new creation you need in this broken world.  Help me be a blessing to others.  Amen

Blessings!
Pastor Emily 

July 21-- Romans 13- Romans 15
July 22-- Romans 16
July 23-- 1 Corinthians 1- 1 Corinthians 3
July 24-- 1 Corinthians 4 -1 Corinthians 6
July 25-- 1 Corinthians 7-1 Corinthians 9
July 26-- 1 Corinthians 10-1 Corinthians 12

4 comments:

Mary said...

I try real hard to live at peace with everyone (v.18), but it is not always easy. I need help on that one. There is a balance between living at peace and standing up for what is right and hanging on to the good. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. That is the one I want/need help with, God.
I also like 10:9 as salvation in one sentence. If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord" and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Believe it and say it!

Martha Jane Orlando said...

Mary, I agree that 10:9 says it all in a nutshell. We need nothing more and nothing less.

When Paul speaks of gifts, I know mine is in encouragement. Just realized fully today after years of raising my children, teaching the children of others, and living moment by teachable moment with my step-boys, that this has been my gift all along. In the present, I hope and pray my blog will encourage others in their faith journeys and inspire them to seek God's will for them.

How amazing is the grace and the wisdom of God!

Lynne Watts said...

So many powerful messages in Chapter 12; Do not conform any longer to the pattern of the world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

A great message for all of us who are trying to align our lives with God's will for us. Constantly learning and opening our minds to new and old teachings keeps us out of the conformity of the world. Today is my last day of Personality Training with a very godly man, Dr. Robert Rohm who has certainly expanded my mind and at the same time has helped me transform my life. Hopefully, I can teach his message to other and transform their lives as well.

Carol Flores said...

Overcome evil with good. Evil is always close by, tempting me into conformity. This I always struggle with. Through the encouraging words of people like Lynne, Mary, Martha, Emily, Lindsay, and everyone else in my church family, I feel myself getting stronger and stronger and more equipped to defeat evil when it comes calling. Thank God for you all. :)