Month: December 2024

Romans 1:9 “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;”

Paul testifies here in this verse, that he serves GOD with his SPIRIT in the GOSPEL of HIS SON. What does that really mean, when you read Paul’s epistles, you will get the meaning of what he is saying. Like, a little further along in the book of Romans, in Romans 12:1  “Where Paul says “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Then please listen to the Apostle Paul when he was writing to the young preacher Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12  where he was explaining to this young preacher how he was supposed to be that example; “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers… Then he gives Timothy 6 areas to be an example in:

(1)in word,(that is the way you talk or speak), in Colossians 4:6 the Apostle Paul said “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” Please note what the Lord’s brother James says in his epistle in the 3rd chapter and the 11th verse:  “Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?

(2)in conversation,(The word CONVERSATION is the way that you conduct your total lifestyle),Paul says in his letter to those Christians at Philippi in Philippians 1:27 “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;” Our lifestyles within the Church should be to promote HARMONY and TOGETHERNESS, the body of the Church should show to the outside world that we are 1 body with the same Head.

(3)in charity,(that is the way that you show your “AGAPE” love for others),When Paul wrote to those at Galatia he said in: Galatians 5:14 “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

(4)in spirit,(That is how you follow the leadership of the HOLY SPIRIT to conduct all phases of your life),Again it the book of Galatians the Apostle Paul said in Galatians 5:25 “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Each one of us ought to show the same “AGAPE LOVE” that Jesus showed.

(5)in faith,(That is when you placed your faith in JESUS, did your lifestyle change and you walked differently than you did before, did it show that you were really “BORN ANEW”!) Then Paul wrote in Romans 1:17 which, by the way, we will look at in a couple of weeks “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” When you don’t have FAITH you are really calling GOD a LIAR!

(6)in purity.(That you, after you were saved, didn’t, and still don’t, like to be involved in the FILTHY things of the flesh, but you try to “BE HOLY AS HE IS HOLY” as the Bible says, even though you still fail and get off of the “RIGHT PATH” every now and then.) Listen to what Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:24 “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

Would you like to posess or have the Spiritual power that the Apostle Paul had during his time here on this earth? Would you like to be able to live a life that exemplifies JESUS OF NAZARETH? The word that paul uses here in the Greek means to be an “EXAMPLE” or a pattern(when I read that word example it immediately made be think of the DRESS patterns that my mom, my sister and my wife used to buy so that they could make a dress or outfit for themselves or their children instead of spending a high, exhorbant price for a new one), the Greek word here could have been translated also as “EXEMPLIFY”, which actually 
means to be a “TYPICAL EXAMPLE OF”. Now going back to the 12th chapter of Romans and the 1st verse, where we were at, and were to present our lifes to GOD and be an “EXAMPLE”, and the APOSTLE PAUL says that is just your “REASONABLE SERVICE”. It’s not a STERLING EXAMPLE, it’s not an “EXQUISIT EXAMPLE”, nor is it a “STELLAR EXAMPLE” like some people say of the ACTORS and ACTRESSES when they WIN an OSCAR or an EMMY AWARD, but it is simply our “REASONABLE SERVICE” that which is expected of us by GOD! THEY, those in atheletic games, perform for a “CORRUPTIBLE CROWN”, but we, the children of GOD, perform for an “INCORRUPTIBLE CROWN”! Do we remember what Jesus said that was recorded in the book of

Matthew 6:19,20 “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:”

1 Corinthians 9:25 says: “And every man that striveth(thegreek word that was used here was a very intense verb, it means to really labor strenuously, even to the point of sweating and getting very fatigued)for the mastery(which means to feverently contend with an adversary, and of course we know, very well, who our adversary is because the Apostle Peter told us very plainly and clearly in his first epistle in verse 8 of chapter 5, 1 Peter 5:8 please listen very closely as I read it for you {“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”} and he will devour you if you don’t prepare your self through prayer and the continual study of the WORD of GOD!) is temperate(the GREEK word is {in-cry-too’-uh-my}which means to EXERCISE SELF-RESTRAINT, and I know you guys know what that means. There were atheletic events back in that day, just as there are in our day but they were a lot more lethal most of the time, so those involved in those had to train and workout. Then the Apostle Paul had to clarify that he was not just talking about a few things because he said:) in all things(You are aware, I am very sure, that atheletes have different REPS for different muscles and joints, and so do we, we have the “WORD OF GOD”, we have the “HOLY GHOST”, we have different jobs in the “CHURCH”, we have different jobs in our “Family”, and we have different jobs in the “WORLD” so we must “EXERCISE” for each of those jobs. The Greek word for “in all things” is “pas” and to be such a small word it has a very large meaning. It means “EVERYTHING” “EVERYWHERE” and at “ALL TIMES” so whatever GOD has called you to do, “DO IT CONTINUOUSLY”. I have spoke to this before, but maybe you were not here when I did, so I am going to explain again why I try to use the word instead of “CONTINUALLY”. The most important difference between the two words, I have outlined this way:

Continuously:Means something happens without a productive period within a specified time. For example, you might say “My old tractor has been continuously out of  commission for over the last two years and the tires are almost dry rotted and my corn has actually went to seed.”

AND THEN

Continually: Means something happens without a productive period for a certain time. For example, you might say “My old tractor has been continually out of commission for over the last two years except every “now and then” I can get her crunked up and get a little bit of bush hogging done.” 

We as CHRISTIANS, of course are are always, “CONTINUOUSLY” a CHRISTIAN but sometimes our Labor for the Lord is not. We sometimes perform, only  “CONTINUALLY” as part of the “BODY OF CHRIST”. But, of course, should always be performing our part as an effective and an available member of the “LOCAL BODY of BELIEVERS”. May I ask all of us this question, Am I where GOD wants me, or do I maybe need to be “RECRUNKED” like that old tractor I was talking about? GOD is always able to do whatever you need to get you where you need to be. Now, let me regress back to where we started. That is Romans the 1st chapter and the 9th verse, please listen again as I read:

Romans 1:9 “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;” The Apostle Paul was sometimes not able to be at his post or specific place of service or worship but Paul was always “SERVING and always WORSHIPING” where ever he was and that is the way we should be. Where ever Paul was at he was always in PRAYER and that is one thing that we all can do. Is to always be in PRAYER, in fact Paul said to “PRAY WITHOUT CEASING”.

1. This is what I want us to learn and remember about the Book of Romans.

     A. The KEY point of Romans is that EVERYONE, regardless of RACE, CREED, or COLOR have access to the RICHES OF GOD’s GRACE! Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

1: The Gospel is a free gift from GOD! Romans 5:15 “But not as the offence, so also is the FREE GIFT by Grace, , which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.”

2: Salvation is a gift we receive BY GRACE ALONE, THROUGH FAITH ALONE, IN CHRIST ALONE! Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”

3: The Gospel free’s us from the shackles of sin, strengthens us and allows us to walk in newness of life. Romans 7:6 “But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.”

We should also see, God’s gift of rescuing humanity through Jesus of Nazereth. God maintaining HIS promise to Israel and God’s love unifying the diversity of the Church.

Paul was a JEW but Paul was also a Roman, so a letter to Rome was very close to Paul’s heart and soul.

Luke 24:13-35 (KJV) “And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs, And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned. Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. And he said unto them. What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? And he said unto them.

Jesus said: “What things?”

And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre: And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. Then he said unto them,

Jesus said: “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?“

And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out or their sight. And they said one to another. Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them. Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeard to Simon. And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.”

I not only chose this scripture because it talks about Jesus BLESSING the meal before they ate but because it shows the “VERY HEART OF JESUS”! This scripture shows us that the VERY SON OF GOD is just like HIS FATHER. HE seeks to commune with people, with those that HE has created, HE seeks to “DRAW NEAR” to HIS creation, to “DRAW NEAR” to HIS PEOPLE! Please listen to this SCRIPTURE closely, listen to how DR. LUKE describes his SAVIOR, but as you listen, PLEASE, PLEASE always remember that this is YOUR SAVIOR also, IF you have been “BORN AGAIN” but only if you have experienced that saving event: the bible says in our text: “And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them” Please!! Think on this, that just a few hours before this, these two men’s heart’s had been crushed, when they had seen their friend, who was “GOD IN THE FLESH”, die a horrible death upon the “CROSS” that stood on a hill called “GOLGATHA”. They had witnessed what they thought was the end of a DREAM, the very end of all that they had poured their belief’s, their hopes, and also their efforts into for, about 3 and half years. I am sure they were feeling beaten, dejected and without “HOPE” but as JESUS expounded the SCRIPTURES to them, listen to what they said: “…Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he OPENED to us the scriptures? And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, Saying, The Lord is RISEN INDEED, and hath appeared to Simon. And TOLD what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.” Now, please let me describe to you what the word “TOLD” means in the GREEK. The Greek word here (ex-a-gay’-oh-my), which in the colloquial Greek language of that day meant to “UNFOLD”. Look at it this way, imagine you received a personal note from a loved one, that you thought you had lost forever, and it had been handed to you folded up. Would you just wad it up and throw it away? NO! Would you just stick it in your pocket. Where you may or may not read it, or where it might get destroyed or lost. PROBABLY NOT! But, you would more than likely, first “UNFOLD IT” and read every precious word in it, receiving it into your heart, to be stored with all of the other memories that you had of this loved one. “BY THE WAY” that is the way we should always read and receive the “WORD OF GOD”.

So, please turn with me to, and read earnestly of this EVENT that the BOOK of MARK records: in Mark 6:46-48 the bible records “And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray. And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.” I have been in this area when I wore a younger man’s clothes, and the storms there can be some of the most violent storms and churns the water like a huge washing machine, and if you are in the middle of it , you find yourself very frightened!

How many times, in our lives, have we let JESUS just pass on by us, because we don’t “CALL OUT TO HIM” when HE is PASSING BY? Let your mind drift back to the beginning of CREATION, to the Book of Genesis and the first account of GOD’s effort to be near HIS PEOPLE, do, we act like Adam and EVE, and attempt to cleanse ourselves by trying to HIDE our sins from GOD?  Do we come to GOD’s house with our FIG LEAVES on, or do we come to GOD’s house but are still trying to hide in the trees? These are the types of our feeble efforts to hide our sins from GOD, but always remember, “without the sheding of blood there is no remission of SIN, have we forgotten that JESUS has shed HIS PRECIOUS, HIS INNOCENT, “BLOOD” upon the cross of CALVARY to not only “HIDE” our sins but to “WASH” away our sins, and HE casts our sins into the SEA OF FORGETFULNESS. Man, people, are continually trying to attone for our own SINS! Trying to hide from our sins, but we must do as the Apostle John said, “CONFESS” our sins, so may I quote 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Just as GOD knew where Adam and Eve were and what THEY had done, HE wanted to hear it from Adam’s own mouth. HE is the same way this all of the time, HE is always the same, and HE still calls out now, ADAM! ADAM! WHERE ART THOU, WHAT HAST THOU DONE? and Paul wrote in the book of ROMANS, WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED! We need to stop trying to hide ourselves in the trees and stop trying to sew fig leaves to put on US in an effort to HIDE OUR SINS, but to call upon the name of the LORD! Because he is still there for us “READY TO FORGIVE US” read with me please in the 1st book of Corinthians, in 1 Corinthians 15:57 “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” and then in 2 Corinthians 9:15 “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” Even though, because we are in the flesh, we still sin daily, GOD is still there to “FORGIVE AND CLEANSE” us if we will just call out to him while HE is near as it says in ISAIAH 55:6! “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:” YES, YES, YES, it is true that GOD seeks to be near you and I but it is our SINS that keep that from happening. 

JESUS CARES WHAT HAPPENS TO HIS DISCIPLES AND WANTS TO BE WITH YOU WHILE YOU ARE GOING THROUGH TROUBLES AND TRIALS.

JESUS SEEKS to be near HIS people, those whom HE LOVE’S, HE wants HIS people to want to be NEAR HIM, HE wants “YOU” to WANT, to DESIRE to be NEAR HIM, to seek HIS presence in YOUR LIFE. May I ask all of US, right now, IS THIS WHAT WE WANT, WHAT I WANT, WHAT YOU WANT? DO WE WANT JESUS FULLY IN OUR LIFE, IN OUR CHURCH’S LIFE? HE IS AVAILABLE TO ALL OF HIS DISCIPLES,  SO THAT THEY MAY HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE. IT’S UP TO YOU!

CALL OUT UNTO GOD TODAY and get just as close to GOD as you can!