Two Roads

A great week-finish to you,

Whew! I have been struggling with this next message. But it's important to know so that we don't presume on God's "kindness and tolerance and patience" that are to lead us to repentance. (Romans 2:4-13)

In front of us is a fork in the road. The left side is marked Selfish Ambition and is for those who "insist on getting their own way and take the path of least resistance" .(Message) That road goes to God's wrath and fury (not a welcome topic). In fact Paul says these travelers are "storing up wrath for (themselves) ... when God's righteous judgment will be revealed". It is indeed a slippery distressful slope.

But the other road is marked for those "who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality". And their destination is eternal life. Our wildest imagination can't begin to see how beautiful that place is. 

Lord, help us to daily reject the Selfish Ambition road to choose that which brings honor and glory to You. Lord, reveal to us our true motives.

Blessings,

Ouida

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To Judge or Not to Judge

A hope-filled week to you,

Woops! I had been feeling pretty good because I didn't see my name in that list of wicked people in Romans 1:29 - 2:4. Their cheating, wanton killing, and all kinds of evil sounds terrible. 

But then Paul has to say it straight out! "Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things." As the Message says, "It takes one to know one."

And Paul goes on with, "You didn't think, did you, that just by pointing your finger at others you would distract God from seeing all your misdoings and from coming down on you hard? ....  God is kind, but he's not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change."

Mmm.... That does sound like God's ways. And part of the radical life-change must be a humble attitude toward those struggling in obvious sin.

Thank you Lord for Your forgiveness for us who have played the judge.

Love,

Ouida

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Trading in the Truth

Whew! This next truth on our journey through Romans is breath-taking. We must first stop and see that "ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God". (Romans 1:18-32)

Mmm .... But then we realize that a terrible thing has happened! "They (the people) traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise!"

Paul's letter goes on to say that they (we?) wouldn't worship the real God or even give Him thanks but thought up foolish ideas of what He was like. So our minds became "dark and confused". We began to worship idols and focused on other things besides God.

As a result God "abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done". And the list is awful - full of every kind of wickedness including murder and doing "vile and degrading things with each other's bodies".

Wow! This is a lot to take in. How gracious of our God to give us this warning right off the bat. 

Lord, help us to stop trading in the truth about You and worship and praise the real You.

Get a Life!

It's all over the commercials and the foundation of most marketing. Wanna know how to get a life? Just.......

That is Paul's subject as he continues this powerful letter to his friends on Rome. (Romans 1:13-17)

 "A person in right standing before God by trusting Him really lives." (The Message) What good news!

As our missionary companion says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power (dynamite) of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (and everyone else)".

Let's hear it again: "It's news I'm most proud to proclaim, this extraordinary Message of God's powerful plan to rescue everyone who trusts him, starting with Jews and then right on to everyone else! God's way of putting people right shows up in the acts of faith, confirming what Scripture has said all along: 'The person in right standing before God by trusting him really lives'." (The Message)

Let's ask God for His grace (the Holy Spirit) to share the same truth with our friends. Trusting God in every detail does get us a life!

A Really Good Friend

But it just hadn't worked out yet. (Romans 1:1-12)

Our companion on this trip through Romans was longing to visit his friends. He is so proud of them because their "faith in (Jesus) is being talked about all over the world". (Whew! That's a lot of faith.)

And how Paul does love these friends at Rome. The letter says, "For God ... is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers ...." (I'd call that commitment!)

But Paul's big motive in hoping for the visit is so that he can bring them "some spiritual gift that will help (them) grow strong in the Lord".

It sure sounds like Paul is the kind of friend to have - a friend who knows what is really important and will sacrifice for you. Paul's gift to his friends will even bring eternal benefit.

Lord, help us to be a friend more like Paul.

The New Road

Today we begin a journey through the "Himalayas" of Scripture. With the help of God's Spirit, I expect us to become familiar with the heights and depths of a new Roman landscape. This masterpiece is written by our missionary, Paul (from Acts), around A.D. 56 or 57.

Paul surprisingly begins his letter to the Romans introducing himself as "a bondservant of Christ Jesus". We're talking a slave!  And this is the guy who was "breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord" a while back. (Acts 9:1) 

But on the Damascus road our Lord had dramatically knocked Paul over with His "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting". And the stunned blinded zealot had turned his life around as he began to believe in the love and forgiveness of Jesus. 

So Paul writes the first 101 words of this letter praising the One he had formerly hated. (Romans 1:1-6)  

May we all be so surprised by God's intervention in our lives that we join in the praise He is due.