October 31, 2021

ALL THINGS

Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Encouraging Words

Is Paul presenting some kind of prosperity gospel here where God makes everything work together for our good? Absolutely not. If we love God and live our lives for Him according to His purpose, then we will only desire and pursue those things that will glorify Him and edify our neighbor. We will abandon the things of this earth, including all the teachings that we have heard that are contradictory to His teachings and pursue His righteousness. The things of this world; wealth, notoriety, fame, power, will no longer be important to us. God's economy will be our focus and this is where He will make all things work together for our good. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

October 30, 2021

Saint of the Week

St. Macarius of Optina

 

October 29, 2021

ABBA, FATHER

Romans 8:14-15

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

Encouraging Words

If we are being lead by the Spirit of God, which means that we have relinquished our self-focused will to Him, then we are seen as sons of God, adopted into His family with all rights and privileges of being a child of the Father. Because of this adoption and the relationship that goes with it, we can approach God with the cry, "Abba, Father". That term "Abba" is a very special terms, which is not captured fully in the English language. It is a term of endearment. It would be like a little child running up to his father with his arms wide open calling out, "Daddy, Daddy" knowing that his father will sweep him up into his arms, hold him tight to his chest and lovingly protect him from the rough and tough world around him. This is what our "Abba, Father" does for us, if we are His adopted child. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me and forgive me for those times that I quench the leading of Your Spirit!

October 28, 2021

LIFE

Romans 8:10

And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Encouraging Words

Even though we are continuing to live out our temporal lives in this fleshly body that we have, a body still beset by sin and that will eventually die, with Christ in us, we will live eternally. That is the key to eternal life. Is Christ in us? Have we truly given our lives over to Him? Is that evidenced by our lives changing to be in His likeness? If Christ is in us, we are alive in the Spirit because of His righteousness. Glory be to God!

October 27, 2021

NO CONDEMNATION

Romans 8:1-2

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

Encouraging Words

Are you in Christ Jesus? Am I? If we have submitted our lives, our desires, our free will to Christ and striving to lead lives that are not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, then we are in Him. We do not do this perfectly, but we get up every time we fall, return to Him to repent, and get back on track. If we are doing this then there is no condemnation of us before the Father through Christ Jesus. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

October 26, 2021,

THE CHURN WITHIN

Romans 7:17-20

But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

Personal Challenge

As long as we remain alive in this earthly tent that we have, we will be dealing with sin. Our flesh, our earthly part, is tempted on every side. It even has within it the desires and passions that drive us to seek sin over righteousness. Our spirit, which has been redeemed, restored, and refreshed by the work of Jesus within us, gives us the desire to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and live a life of righteousness. This is the battle within that Paul writes about, that churning within of the flesh drawing us to sin and our spirit drawing us to righteousness. It is a battle that can be won, but it must be fought with submission to Jesus and the help of the Holy Spirit. Glory be to God!

October 25, 2021

THE GIFT

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Encouraging Words

So many people focus on the first half of this verse that they forget the power of the second half. It is clear throughout the scriptures that we all sin. We do not measure up to the standard that God has set for us. Because of that sin, no matter how minor, we are still separated from God. However, Jesus, who was fully God and fully man, never sinned and gave His life so that the grip that death had on us would be destroyed. He gives us eternal life as a gift through His work done for His Father. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

October 24, 2021

FROM FREEDOM TO SLAVERY

Romans 6:17-18

But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 

Personal Challenge

Paul informs us through his letter to the Romans that without Christ we are slaves to sin. He goes on to tell us that when we put our lives in the hands of Jesus and follow Him that we are set free from the bondage of sin, which is eternal death. Christ has put death to death. This passage teaches us that as freed slaves we choose to be obedient to our Lord Jesus Christ and by doing this we become slaves to righteousness, His righteousness. Glory be to God!

October 23, 2021

Saint of the Week

St. Mark the Ascetic

October 22, 2021

DEAD TO SIN

Romans 6:11-12

Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

Encouraging Words

Since Jesus has put to death death itself and we have been baptized into His death and raised up with and through Him into eternal life, we can be confident that by His grace we are dead to sin and alive to God. Through Him and the Holy Spirit, whom we received through Him, we can choose to not let sin reign in our mortal body. This is part of the work that we are called to do in our love for Christ. It is not easy but we do have a Helper. We can say, "No", to the temptations that come our way. And when we fail to do this we can run to Christ, repenting and seeking His forgiveness and cleansing. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

October 21, 2021

BAPTIZED INTO DEATH

Romans 6:3-4

Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Encouraging Words

Some have asked me why baptism is important. It is through the act of baptism that we are brought into the death of our Christ and subsequently raised with Him into our newness of life. It is a sacrament that brings us closer to our living Lord. Our salvation is in Christ alone, but our acts that follow that salvation, such as baptism, both draw us closer to Him and demonstrates to those around us that we belong to Him. We are baptized into His death so that we can receive life through Him. Glory be to God!

October 20, 2021

GRACE ABOUNDS

Romans 5:20-21

Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Encouraging Words

So, sin and death entered into our world through Adam and Eve affecting us all. And, through Christ and His works, that death has been destroyed. How does that affect us? We still live in a fallen and sinful world. We still choose to sin, to defy God, and do things our own way apart from Him. Because of Christ we have the grace of God abounding in our lives. Through Christ our sins are forgiven and righteousness is given to us providing eternal life. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

October 19, 2021

DEATH THROUGH SIN

Romans 5:12-13

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.)

Encouraging Words

Why do we need Jesus? When Adam and Eve sinned they took it upon themselves to be separate from God. They determined that they did not need God. By doing this they brought death upon all humans in order to keep us from sinning forever. We need Jesus because, as the incarnate Son of God, He was able to lived a sinless human life and put to death, death itself, by His willingness to go to the cross and His ability to resurrect on the third day. He broke the bonds of death that sin had on us so that we too can be resurrected from death. Glory be to God!

October 18, 2021

DEMONSTRATED LOVE

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Encouraging Words

No matter how bad we are, no matter how sinful, God loves us. He loves us before we recognize our need for Him and start loving Him. This also means that when we mess up in our Christian walk and fall away from Him, He still loves us. Thank You, God!

September 28, 2021

PEACE, ACCESS, AND HOPE

Romans 5:1-5

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Encouraging Words

When we live lives of faith in our God, He makes righteousness a reality in our lives. Through Jesus Christ and His works of incarnation, death, burial, and resurrection, we who put our faith in Him are justified in the eyes of God. We can live our lives in peace with God. Through Jesus Christ we have access into the grace of God and can rejoice in the hope of His glory. We can also take glory in the tribulations of this earthly life knowing that the tribulations produce within us perseverance, then character, then hope. This a hope that does not disappoint but gives us God's love poured out upon us. Glory be to God!