Posts

And do not be conformed to this world. But be transformed by the renewing of your minds

  Good morning. So we present our bodies a living sacrifice, acceptable to God. Anything else? Well a sacrifice doesn’t do anything; it just lies there. And do not be conformed to this world. This is something very important that too many Christians aren’t very careful to avoid. If you see and hear things over and over again, it’s hard to avoid incorporating them into your own life. They seem the normal thing to do. All right - that’s something we don’t do. What is something we do? But be transformed. The word transformed is the Greek word  metamorphosis. Our change should be like the change from a caterpillar 🐛 into a butterfly 🦋  (Hello wormy). They are like two completely different creatures, and so should we be. Butterflies don’t crave the same things that caterpillars do. How are we transformed? By the renewing of our minds. In other words; get rid of our stinking thinking. How can we do that? By immersing our minds in the Word of God. Physically you are what you ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Therefore I urge you by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

  Good morning. So since God did what He did for us, what should we do? Therefore I urge you by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Instead of feeling like we can do anything we please, we should respond to God’s gracious gift by giving ourselves totally to Him. Sacrifices aren’t alive when they’re placed on the altar. They don’t choose to be a sacrifice. It says that Abraham bound Isaac and placed him on the altar. It doesn’t even say that Isaac tried to get away. I don’t know how old Isaac was, but his dad was over 100. Surely he could have gotten away, but he trusted his father that no harm would come to him if he lay still and not try to get off the altar. Shouldn’t we? Father thank You that we have the opportunity to be a willing, living sacrifice for You. Help us to embrace that opportunity instead of resisting.
Post a Comment
Read more

For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all.

  Good morning. For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all. Remember that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Instead of everyone starting off righteous (like Adam) and then losing their righteousness some time later, everybody starts off a sinner and then (some of them) some time later obtain righteousness. Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! It is not the way we would have done it, if we had been God. Thankfully, He knew what was the best way. Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to Him again? Of course the answer is no one. Thank goodness it was not up to us to tell Him how He should do it. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Can I get a big amen to that? Father thank You that You knew the best way to do everything...
Post a Comment
Read more

Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God‘s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.

  Good morning. Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God‘s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. Of course that would not sit well with today’s culture. “how could God be so cruel?“ And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. This could make some Gentile believers jealous. After all the Jews rejected Jesus; why should they get another chance? For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild Olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree? For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery – that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved. If this hardening had not happened, where would we be? It sounds ...
Post a Comment
Read more

They were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.

  Good morning. OK so we gentiles have been grafted in – so what? Do not become arrogant towards the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, branches were broken off that I might be grafted in. Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. We dare not point fingers at the Jews who did not believe and were rejected. The same thing could happen to us if we no longer believe. Why the Jews? Remember that Jesus told the woman at the well that salvation is from the Jews. If it weren’t for them, there would be no salvation. They were put in charge of taking care of the word of God to make sure that it was correctly handed down from generation to generation. At times they failed to fully follow God; but there was always a remnant that kept His word. Father...
Post a Comment
Read more

For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

  Good morning. For if their (the Jews) rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? Sounds like we should be constantly praying for the acceptance of the Jews. If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too. My Bible says that part of the dough made from the first of the harvested grain (that is, the first fruits) was offered to the Lord. This consecrated the whole batch. It also says that the first piece of dough referred to the Jewish patriarchs, like Abraham. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild Olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the Olive tree... my Bible says that the usual procedure was to insert a shoot or slip of a cultivated tree into a common or wild one (that’s like they do with citrus plants). The “contrary to nature” part would be to graft a wild Olive branch (the Gentiles) into the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.

  Good morning. Paul then quotes some scriptures talking about those who were hardened. God gave them eyes to see not and ears to hear not… I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. Because they rejected God’s grace, we have the opportunity to become Christians. It is the same today. People throughout the world have the opportunity to receive Christ, but they choose to not do so. Now if their transgression be riches for the world and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! If the Jews had all accepted Christ, the early church would never have turned to the Gentiles and preached the word. I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. The Jews could not stand the thought of the Gentiles re...
Post a Comment
Read more