Confess and Believe

PRAYER PRACTICE

Prayer Journal – To begin your daily worship today, grab a pen and paper and write out a prayer to God. Not sure what to write? Try using ACTS to frame your prayer. Begin with adoration for who God is. Then move on to confession – being real about where you have fallen short in the last day or two. Give thanks to God for all that He gives (including forgiveness for the sin you just confessed!). And then finish with supplication – with your prayer requests to God. When you are done, tuck this away somewhere (so you can read it later and see how God has answered your prayers) and then move into hearing from God through His Word.

DAILY READING

Romans 10: 1-21

DEVOTION / REFLECTION

God's Righteousness; Confess and Believe

by Tom Richards

Today we read about the apostle Paul’s sincere love and concern for his fellow Jews. His “heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.” He further states “that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.” Paul’s concern was that the Israelites had rejected Jesus and continued to strive to earn a righteous standing with God through the law.

Does Paul know what he is talking about when it comes to the Jews? The answer is clearly “yes’! This is the same Paul (Saul) who persecuted the early Church. The same Paul who was a “Hebrew of Hebrews” as we read in Philippians 3:4-6 “If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless."

Yet Paul came to realize that his pursuit of righteousness through the law did not work. His encounter with Jesus on the “road to Damascus” changed everything; so much so that in Philippians 3:8-9 he describes his accomplishments in his previous life as follows: “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”

The unbelieving Jews in Paul’s day clung to the belief that they could somehow earn their righteousness with God. They “did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own.” Do we know people like that? Do we know people who consider themselves to be “good” but do not believe in Jesus? Do we fall into the trap of thinking we can earn our own righteousness with God by being “good”? 

Thankfully, in Romans 10:4 Paul shares the good news that “Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes." In Romans 10:9-10 he goes further, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” That is great news! That is the gospel!

Father, help us to have the same zeal for our unbelieving friends and neighbors as Paul did for his fellow Jews.  Help us to submit our possessions and accomplishments to your will. Please allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives so that we can share the good news of Jesus to an unbelieving world.  Amen

GOD’S REMNANT

Reading: Romans 11:1-6

“REMNANT SALE,” I read aloud in the flyer from the fabric store.

“What’s that?” my friend asked. I hadn’t heard the term in years, but I recalled buying remnants back in the day when I was into making purses from heavy fabric.

I explained, “It’s a small amount of material left on the end of a bolt of fabric, usually less than a yard. It would seem useless to sell because there isn’t enough to make something from a pattern for a dress or a suit or a robe. But these can be great for small one-of-a-kind items like purses, placemats, potholders, etc – or they would be perfect for making a patch-work quilt.”

When I read the verses for today, the word “remnant” caught my eye. Several translations used this term for the small group of Jews whom God “reserved for Himself” during Elijah’s time – Jews who had remained faithful to Him after all the others had walked away in disobedience and followed different gods (see Romans 11: 4; also read the story in I Kings 19: 10-18).

Paul further expanded the term to include Jews of his day who had been chosen by God’s grace (and indeed, extends today to those who are a faithful remnant of Jesus). We believers who are not Jewish by birth are included in the remnant by adoption. “The grounds for the existence of the remnant was not [our] good works but [only by] God’s grace.” (From note on vs 5 in the NIV Study Bible).

We, God’s Remnant, are set apart by His grace and favor for a special purpose, which I am imagining to be that patch-work quilt of believers from “every tribe and tongue” that enjoys, appreciates and shares the unique pattern He has created us to be together!

How grateful I am, Lord, that through your grace and mercy, I am among the quilt remnants that make up the whole Body of Christ. May we individually and together be a display of your beauty to the world around us.  Amen

No Question About It

What to Do When...Everyone is counting on you.

Have you ever felt as though the famous words from the book of Esther, "And who know but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this," were speaking directly to you? (Esther 4:14) Have you been privileged to know that you are right where God wants you to be and He is going to use you in that place?

Often I question if I am doing God's will. I wonder if I heard His answer correctly or did I just do the easy thing? But, when I have prayed diligently and have asked my three faithful prayer warriors to help me discern God's will and not mine, there is a peace in my heart.

Many times in our lives, we feel overwhelmed, under the gun (so to speak) and poised to take on the world. When we have turned to God in prayer, seeking His will and His way, there will be a certainty in your Spirit. There have only been a few times in my life when I knew I was right where God wanted me. What joy!

Queen Esther must have felt similar joy once her battle was won. To have arrived in the palace, to have defeated a hateful enemy and to have saved her people...She was certainly right where God wanted her to be. She was firmly planted in the middle of His will. All this, after praying and fasting in a quest for God's will to be made known. 


Esther 8-9

Unmet Expectations

What to do When...Everyone is Counting on You

Have you ever felt the kind of pressure which stems from other people's expectations and/or needs? The parent of a newborn understands this kind of need. The child of an aging parent with health issues, understands this situation also.  But what about you? Is there someone who is counting on you to do or to be something for them?

When I meet with a new group of women, in my attempt to get to know them better, I frequently ask, "Do you have a dream? What do you look forward to in life?"  Most of the time I see  blank stares and quizzical looks revealing that many of us have no dreams to follow. No dreams to grasp and pursue.

Mark Ballenger, in a recent blog post wrote: "Expectations and desires are such a beautiful and yet dangerous part of life. To have a dream, let alone seeing it fulfilled, creates a feeling in your heart that is essential for a meaningful life. To have desires is to have a heart that is alive." For years, I had quiet dreams, dreams I never shared anywhere but in my journal-if there. There was a season that my dreams were the dreams of my husband, to retire in the north-woods of WI. For the longest time, this was my worst nightmare - but that is another story.

Following my husband's death, I realized I had no dreams to pursue, nothing that I could call real meaning for life. Then I pulled out my old journals and those dreams were rekindled. I began to understand that if I had no dreams, no feeling of hope, it probably meant I had lost my heart and passion for life. But I knew that was not true.

As I was praying about my "One Word" for 2018, God lead me to the word DREAM.  He also provided Psalm 37:4 for me to embrace and believe.    

Delight yourself in the LORD 

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Read Esther 1-3, and discover the backstory to this faithful Queen's life. There were many expectations placed on her, and she lived up to them.

God Thought of You

I have a few Christian friends who are Jewish and I just love talking with them about their faith.  I like how they light up when they talk about how Christ is evident all throughout the Old Testament.  Some have parents who grew up following the Jewish laws and customs and then one day Christ was revealed to them.

I get excited about stories like that, but today's passage reminds me to get excited about mine too.  We serve a God who did not leave us out.  His grace extends to us, the Gentile.  When he chose to reveal himself to Abram, calling the Nation of Israel his chosen people, he thought of us too.

“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.”

We definitely have reason to rejoice.  The hope of Christ is ours as well. Take some time today to thank God for seeing you.  His loving arm extends to all who will trust him and for that reason we should rejoice.


Read passage here Romans 15:7-13

Who's in? Who's out?

READ: Acts 13:38-47

Who got invited to the party and who didn’t? Who made the team and who got cut? Who got the promotion and who fell short?

People love to ask these questions because if we’re in, we’re superior.

So, naturally, the Jews (who were in as God’s people) felt superior to the Gentiles (who were out).

Yet in Acts 13:39, Paul preaches that through Jesus everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.

We’re all in!

“But that’s not fair!” cries the voice of pride. “It’s because of my superiority and hard work that I got invited to that party, made that team, and earned that promotion! Doesn’t my extra effort count for anything?”

Jesus addresses this complaint in The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matt 20:1-16). Though many worked different hours, they all received the same wage - the full grace of God.

Again in Luke 7:36-50, a prideful Pharisee is offended by Christ’s association with a sinful woman. Jesus’s response? He commends the woman, for because she was forgiven more, she loved more.

For some, this idea that everyone is invited into the Kingdom of God is such an offense to pride that they join those who in verse 45 speak abusively against the Gospel.

To them Jesus responds, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the Kingdom of God ahead of you.” (Matt 21:31)

Heirs together

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles--( Ephesians 3:1)

We face many different types of dissent in our daily living. Often, the workplace is a prime target for backbiting and unhappy people. If there isn't a strong relationship with our co-workers, it can be hard to enjoy the job. If the supervisors don't present an open and honest environment, unnecessary competition takes over and tensions escalate.

Unrest of any kind is detrimental to the well-being of its people, its members. It is the workplace, the family unit, even the neighborhood. We aren't always going to agree, but we can still get along and even respect each other's point of view.

We find Paul in jail, a "prisoner in chains for Christ," as he calls himself. The conflict in our text today is between believers and politicians - sound familiar? Paul had been arrested because he took a stand for the equality of Jews and Gentiles as Christians. The Jewish leaders saw this as radical and destructive so they imprisoned him.

God got a hold of Paul and revealed that Jesus Christ truly was the promised Messiah of the Jews and a light to the Gentiles, thus ending the life Paul lived before. The life of persecution and hatred. In a flash of light, God changed Paul's life and therefore yours and mine too.

Paul's conflict wasn't with the followers of Jesus any longer, but with the religious leaders whose mission it was to put an end to them. Once God gets a hold of us, we are changed too. Any conflict we have with our Christians brothers and sisters must be dealt with head on, with honesty and love. That is what separates us from the rest of the world.

Like the lyrics to the song go:

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord

And we pray that our unity will one day be restored

And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love

Yeah they'll know we are Christians by our love

We will work with each other, we will work side by side...etc.

Ephesians 3:1-6

Galatians 2:11-21

Less of Me, More of Jesus

In this scripture Paul opposed Peter (who he sometimes called Cephas)  to his face because he saw him acting in a way that was hypocritical. How often do we see others saying one thing and doing another but do not call them on it? Are there times we talk the talk but don’t walk the walk and hope no one reveals us?

Peter, a proclaimed follower of Christ had been eating with the Gentiles, practicing what Jesus had taught him about nondiscrimination. As Jesus had dined with sinners and the lowly, he expected his apostles to do the same. Upon Paul’s arrival he observed Peter separating from the Gentiles. The other Jews joined him in observance of Jewish law.

Paul stated to Peter in Galatians 2:15-16; “We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’ know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we too, have to put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.”

Bottom line I get from this is that religious groups have rules and practices they follow, as they did in the days of the old church. When Jesus came to earth, he offered us a new covenant, which gave us another way to look at our God. We found out that He is an all loving and forgiving God, not one who sits on a throne with a gavel in hand waiting to judge us. He cares for us deeply and wants to be eternally with us all when that time comes. This life we have is not ours but; “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

Jesus came to earth to show us how to live the perfect life of love. Though we will not achieve the sinless status Jesus holds, we can continually strive for it by following the Word of God in our daily life. By holding ourselves accountable not so much for the rituals but our faith in the trinity that we demonstrate through our life journey, will we experience the spirit within us and be enabled to live a life that pleases God.

Lord, I need more of you in my life and less of me and the rituals that sometimes dictate my actions. Jesus,
please help me to live a Christ centered life each and every day with a focus on what you taught us is most important. God help me remember that I obey your word not to gain your approval, but because I have faith in you I am your precious child and already have your approval. Amen!

Read/Listen to Galatians 2:11-21

The Council at Jerusalem Then and Now

Acts 15: 1-21

 We have heard many times how the Lord accepts everyone into his kingdom, provided they love Him and have faith in him. The truth is, just as back in the days of Paul; people judge others, set limits, and create man made guidelines to be followed rather than simply allowing God to be the ultimate judge. It is as though we have established our own Council at Jerusalem right here, right now. Christ speaks of His burden being light and His yoke easy, yet we attempt to make this journey of faith a difficult and challenging one by enlisting our own criteria for entering into eternal life.

The council in Jerusalem attempted to weight down the Gentiles who were becoming sincere believers by insisting they adhere to Jewish laws. Paul, Barnabas, and the apostles and elders met to consider their claims. What they concluded was eloquently proclaimed by Peter in Acts 15: 6-11, “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that He accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for He purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

God knows the heart.

God sent the Holy Spirit to be with us all.

God’s commands are straight forward, there are ten of them.

God welcomes us all into His heavenly kingdom.........Alleluia! 

Read/Listen to Acts 15: 1-21