For Your Sake We Face Death (Psalm 44 - Part 2 of 2)

Today's full One Year Bible readings:
Leviticus 24:1-25:46 ~ Mark 10:13-31 ~ Psalm 44:9-26 ~ Proverbs 10:20-21

As we finish Psalm 44 today, I can't help but notice how the worshiper is crying out to God, and through his pain, he is admitting that although he and his people love God they are still suffering. They are desperately longing for God to bring His rescue!

²² Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

Psalm 44:22

This verse is quoted by Paul, in the his letter to the Christians at Rome, in the context of describing how nothing can separate us from the love of God. Today it is strikingly clear that Paul is saying even though we face suffering for the cause of Christ - and we will - and even though we face death to further his kingdom - and we will - nothing can separate us from His love!

³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶As it is written:

"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:35-39

Today, as an act of worship, embrace this truth and rest assured that no matter what storms may come your way or trials you must face he's promised He'll always see you through!

I just found a pretty cool recording of a medley of two of my favorite worship songs along the lines of suffering and trust, "I Will Sing Praise" and "It is Well With My Soul". The video is from a church in the Philippines so there's a slight foreign accent, but I think that make it even more special to me. And, as with most church recordings, they're not necessarily professionally mixed and produced, but their hearts are definitely in it. Enjoy!

The Power of Words

Today's full reading: Colossians 3:18-4:18

"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." (Colossians 4:5-6 NIV)

Much has been said in recent days about the power of words. Consider this verse as you go about your conversations today. I firmly believe that there comes a point in nearly every meaningful conversation that a witness for Christ can be spoken. Christian speech should always be wholesome in order to strengthen a brother or sister, or display the grace of Christ to a lost world.

Today, as an act of worship, weigh your words carefully in every conversation. Ask the Lord to guide your tongue to honor him through every single word.

Here are a few more verses to consider on the subject.

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." (Ephesians 4:29 NIV)

"But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips." (Colossians 3:8 NIV)

"Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving." (Ephesians 5:4 NIV)

"But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:36-37 NIV)

"for, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!' Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." (Romans 10:13-15,17 NIV)

Put Others First

Today's full reading: Philippians 1:27-2:18

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:3-4 NIV)

These verses remind me to seek a lifestyle that is totally unselfish. It is my natural tendency to think of myself and my needs before anyone else, but this is exactly what Christ came to demonstrate - unselfishness unconditional love.

Today, as an act of worship, praise God for his faithful love for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). Ask the Lord to strengthen you to do his will today by putting the needs of others before your own.

Crucified With Christ and Your New Life

Today's full reading: Galatians 2:17-3:9

"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 NIV)

It is a distressing thought to imagine my life being over. I am dead. There is nothing more "I" can do. "My time" is complete. I "have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live". This is true in a somewhat strange sort of way. For the seasoned believer this may not seem radical or strange, but for the recent convert think of it in terms of your old life and your new life.

The old you has been crucified with Christ, your sinfulness has earned its final wage: death. (Romans 6:23) The new you has never been more alive, in Christ. Jesus makes all things new (2 Corinthians 5:17). Now the only way to live is a life of faith in Jesus Christ. What does that mean? It means that your everyday decision making must done through a your new mind: the mind of Christ (Ephesians 4:22-24)

Today, as an act of worship, praise God for taking the punishment for your sin on himself and putting it to death on the cross. Ask the Lord to strengthen your faith as you exercise it today through Godly decision making.

"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."
(Ephesians 4:22-24 NIV)

One Last Plea

"I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you." (Romans 16:17-20 NIV)

Teaching and spreading the gospel is serious business. By its very nature, the words of hope in Jesus Christ carry with them the power of eternal life. With that thought in the front of our minds, I pray that we will embrace this gospel with all our heart, and respond by giving our very lives to see that it is made known to every person on this planet. May we live with such passion for God that when we face someone who is causing divisions in the church we immediately recognize it and respond like Christ.

Today, as an act of worship, thank our God for his faithfulness to his church. Ask the Lord for wisdom in dealing with those who make light of the gospel.

Get in the Game

"I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. 31Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, 32so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed. 33The God of peace be with you all. Amen." (Romans 15:30-33 NIV)

Today I am reminded of how Paul's ministry intersected the ministry efforts of the various churches he served. As he wrote here in Romans 15 we see how he longed for the church to partner with him. May we never cease to lift up our brothers and sisters who are doing the hands-on front line mission work of the church. As an act of worship, praise God for their sacrifices, and pray for them to be strengthened today!

The Significance of Unity

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 15:5-6 NIV)

As Paul approaches the end of the greatest letter ever written (Romans) he makes a point to highlight a major key to effective Christian ministry: unity. It cannot be overstated. Without unity the church will be utterly ineffective in honoring Christ and spreading the gospel.

Jesus said it this way, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand." (Matthew 12:25) "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." (John 17:20-21)

As we ponder these verses for a few minutes today, let's ask a few questions of ourselves.

• Are we united with Christ and his church?
• What are the challenges we must overcome to stay united with other believers?
• What causes discord and strife between believers?"

First off, "Are we united with Christ and his church?" In order to know whether or not you are united with Christ you must ask the question, "Am I abiding in Christ?" or "Is Christ living in and through me?" You cannot cling to your belief of being united with Christ based on a past decision or commitment; you must anchor your unity with Christ on the basis of walking daily with him. You are united with Christ if you are walking with him everyday seeking to do his will. Furthermore, I have heard it said that you cannot love Christ and hate his church. The Bible refers to the church as the bride of Christ. Christ is one with his church.

Secondly, "What are the challenges we must overcome to stay united with other believers?" There are perhaps many challenges we face in this area. The main challenge is going to be giving sacrificial unconditional love. This is not possible in and of ourselves, but with Christ living in and through us we can love others in this way.

Finally, "What causes discord and strife between believers?" Historically, there have been hundreds if not thousands of examples of discord and strife among Christ followers. This is a given when dealing with sinful people. Most of these examples can be associated with two sins: pride and selfishness. When pride rears its ugly head even the unity of best friends is at stake. Selfishness is just as destructive in the church. We must overcome these sins. May we never forget Christ's example of selfless love.

Today, as an act of worship, praise God for demonstrating his sacrificial love that we might be united with him and his church. As we respond to Romans 15:5-6 may we turn away from discord and cling to Christ that our lives will magnify the glory of his grace.

Dress Yourselves in Christ

I love the way Eugene Peterson paraphrases the last few verses of Romans 13. He say it this way...

"Love other people as well as you do yourself. You can't go wrong when you love others. When you add up everything in the law code, the sum total is love. But make sure that you don't get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God.

The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. We can't afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight.

Get out of bed and get dressed! Don't loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!"
(Romans 13:10-14 The Message)

The words are still ringing in my head, "get up...get dressed...be up and about!" In light of the previous chapter, which begins with my favorite verses on living a lifestyle of worship, I love how Paul simply explains what that looks like. Love your neighbor as yourself, dress yourselves in the Lord Jesus Christ and get going. Let your light shine!

Today, as an act of worship, join me in putting on the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray that God will show us a practical way to love our neighbors and shine for Him.

Lifestyle of Worship

"And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." (Romans 12:1-2 NLT)

I have read these words in many English translations and although the wording differs slightly the points made still remain. Live a sacrificial life. Do not live like the world. Let God transform my life starting with my thought life and then learn to discern God's will.

There is so much to say about how these verses have impacted my life as a worshiper and a worship leader. To summarize it in a few simple statements: worship is a way of life; It is a lifestyle; Worship is something we do everyday; The heart of our worship is discovered when we follow the trail of our time, affections, and resources.

Live your life today as an act of worship by offering your body as a living sacrifice.

The Gospel and The Great Commission

"'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent?" (Romans 10:13-15 NLT)

If you believe the Bible then you must agree that there is only one way a person can be saved. This may sound elementary to some who wish to move on to the teachings of righteousness (see Hebrews 5:11-14) . However, to me, this passage in Romans is a clear explanation of how the Gospel and the Great Commission are beautifully designed to show God's amazing love and magnify his glorious grace.

Paul begins by quoting the prophet Joel, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' (Joel 2:32 NIV). That being the case and the only way of salvation he then explains how this happens throughout the world.

In reverse order, believers are sent out to preach the Gospel, people hear the Gospel and believe, and then they call on the name of the Lord to save them. Once that is established they grow in faith and knowledge of the will and Word of God and then repeat the cycle. (see Matthew 28:19-20 and Hebrews 6:1-3)

Today, as an act of worship, join me in praising God for making a way for us to be saved. He chose to use ordinary men and women to share the Gospel with us, and now it is our turn to go and tell. You and I have a unique testimony (how we came to believe in Christ and how he is working in our lives today). Ask the Lord to give you specific opportunities to share it with others today.

The Simplicity of the Gospel

"That if you confess 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 confess and are saved." (Romans 10:9-10 NIV)

For people like me who have been in church most of their life it can be easy to add stuff to the true gospel. Major problems are on the horizon for those who do. The gospel is was it is. We cannot change it even if we wanted to. The heart of the "good news" is that God has taken our punishment upon himself and now offers grace to all who believe.

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

(Ephesians 2:1-10 NIV)

Today, as an act of worship, join me in praising God for his marvelous work on the cross and his gift of salvation.

The Glory of Christ in All Things

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28 NIV)

Why must we suffer in this life? What good could possibly come from hardship? For that matter, what value do I place on the difficulties I face when I am simply trying to obey God's will?

I have drank from this verse many times when feeling like my life was on the brink of disaster. The words of Romans 8:28 never cease to satisfy. They sustain me through the hard times.

I love this truth. My everyday life and ministry hinges on this truth. God has proven its accuracy time and time again. He truly works all things out for my good and his glory.

Today, as an act of worship, let us lift up praise and thanksgiving to our God for proving his faithfulness to us in all things. He never abandons us. He never leaves us. He works in and through us to display his glorious grace.

Father, thank you for working through even the smallest details of my life. Today, I agree with Paul, who wrote under the inspiration of Your Spirit, that in all things you work for my good. Thank you for giving me everything I need to live this new life.

God's amazing grace is most clearly displayed not in our strength but in our weaknesses. Jesus said it this way, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

No Condemnation For Those Who are in Christ

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:1 NIV)

As I journey through the book of Romans there are some verses that seem to leap off the page. Romans 8:1-2 are such verses. I never get tired of reading or quoting them. I remember the first time I really heard these verses I was listening to a Passion recording in college in the middle of one of my favorite worship songs at the time "Amazing Love". All of a sudden I heard the awesome work of the recording producer as he mixed in a couple of highlights of the speakers at the passion conference. Louie Giglio was one of those speakers and he read Romans 8:1-2. My heart leaped into my throat when I heard the words, "There is therefore now no condemnation..."

The recording I was listening to is below; the speaking highlights begin around 3:15 and conclude with Romans 8:1-2 around 4:20. The video is not much to look at, but the song is amazing. I hope you have time to enjoy it!

Rescue is Coming

"So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:21-25 NIV)

If you have been a Christians for any significant length of time then you probably have first hand experience with this passage, I do. Living for God each day can be a real challenge; it is an impossible task to fulfill without God's grace. As a matter of fact, I think that is the point of this scripture. If you read it carefully again and let the weight of the last three sentences sink in you will see what I am talking about.

"What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

Today, as an act of worship, join me in thanking God for his amazing rescue!

Enjoy this video of "Rescue is Coming" from the David Crowder Band.

Sin and This New Life

"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" (Romans 6:1-2)

This scripture poses some great questions. We must determine how we are going to live our lives even after our new birth in Christ. Christ does not make us into spiritual robots forcing us to reject sin and embrace holiness. We still have the ability to choose to live seeking righteousness or seeking wickedness. What are you choosing?

I do not believe we would ever chose righteousness on our own. It is the work of Christ in us that compels us to flee from sin. So, why do we sin after our new birth? I believe the combination of our old life (the flesh) and the temptation of the enemy and the world are often too enticing. However, as we abide in Christ and He abides in us we are empowered to live a new life.

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:36)

Doubting and the Work of Christ

Several Years ago I was working in my office, which is somewhat disconnected from the other offices at our church, when the church receptionist called me. She told me there was a young woman there who wanted to talk to a minister, and I was the only one she could find. Apparently, all the other ministers where out at the office that time or where unavailable. Because of the location of my office I rarely get this sort of call.

I met the young woman in the "gathering space" at our church and began to ask what I could do to help her. She proceeded to share with me how she was struggling with doubt. She wasn't eating or sleeping well and lived in a seemingly constant fear of death. As I listened to her story, I prayed that the Lord would give me the words she needed to hear. My hands glided through the pages of my Bible as I listened and silently prayed.

Then when the moment came I had determined it would be best to begin in Romans in the hopes of clarifying to her the plan of salvation. After reading and briefly discussing Romans 3:23 and 6:23 I was about to read Romans 5:8 when my eyes lead me to begin in Romans 5:1. I couldn't stop reading though I continued through verse eleven. I noticed the woman had begun to calm down. We discussed these verses in detail. I firmly believe God had led me to this passage, and the woman noticeably responded to this word. Before it was all over, I lead her to renew her faith and commitment to Christ, seek the wise direction of the Holy Spirit daily, and seek out a professional Christian Counselor (I gave her some names to start with).

Today, as an act of worship, I pray we will drink deep of these words from Romans five as we strengthen our faith and commitment to Christ this morning.

"1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." (Romans 5:1-11 NIV)

Did I Call or Did You?

Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 8:28-33, John 6:44, Romans 3:10-12

One morning during our family devotion time we began discussing how we have "Americanized" the salvation of our souls. We have so many freedoms, we have almost begun to believe that we can choose Jesus on our own. At some point the church began to teach that we needed to make a "decision" for Christ. Churchgoers are asked repeatedly to "walk the aisle" and decide to make Jesus their Lord. While I do not want this sound like I am contradicting the church, I do want to point out that Jesus IS Lord whether we accept Him as that or not. We do not make Him Lord. He IS Lord. Let us not forget that.

We see in our verses for today that the truth of scripture is that we bring nothing to the table when it comes to salvation. For years we believed that we brought our faith to the table, that we were saved by our faith. But, after studying these verses, we have to say this is just not true. Ephesians 2:8 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God". This means that the faith it takes to call on Jesus as Lord is a gift in itself. It is not of ourselves. We would never choose God on our own.

In fact the Bible teaches that God draws us to himself. He foreknew us, He predestined us, He justified us, and He will glorify us in heaven one day. That fact is as certain as if we were already there.

Let us never be deceived that we are the ones who chose God. Let us always be thankful that He convicted us of our sins and revealed Himself to us. Sometimes we go through life thinking that we turned to Christ all on our own. Give Him the glory and honor He is due in humbling ourselves before Him in thanksgiving for His mercy. He called you! All you did was answer.

"I was wondering - I mean - could there be some mistake? Because nobody called me and Scrubb, you know. It was we who asked to come here. Scrubb said we were to call to - to Somebody - it was a name I wouldn't know - and perhaps the Somebody would let us in. And we did and then we found the door open."

"You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you," said the Lion.

- Conversation between Jill and Aslan taken from The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis

written by B.J. and Elaine Price

Meditations From Romans

"But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:21-26 NIV)

These verses have impacted me more than any others in understanding the true nature and work of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Today as an act of worship, let us proclaim the truth contained in these verses and thank God for making a way for us to be saved.

Judgment, Kindness, and Repentance

Some of the most revealing words in the Bible about the love of God and the problem of man are found in what we know as the Book of Romans. In it original context, Romans was written as a letter from the Apostle Paul to Roman believers. I am reading through Romans at a steady pace right now; at this rate, roughly a chapter a day, I'll be headed into 1 Corinthians on August 4th. I hope you'll join me in reading through this amazing letter over the next couple of weeks.

Today, I want to briefly highlight the first five verses of Romans chapter two. As you read them notice why God says in judging others we condemn ourselves.

Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. (Romans 2:1-5 ESV)

It is so encouraging to be reminded that no man is the real judge. Only God has the wisdom to judge the world rightly. God sees all and knows all, and therefore he has the unique ability to bring judgement that is perfectly just. And, at the very same time He has the ability to reconcile His having shown us loving kindness when we in fact deserved damnation.

Did you notice why God shows us his kindness? He does so in order to lead us to the path of repentance. I am not saying that God will always pour kindness and blessings on us in the way we generally think of blessings, because I also know that God will use whatever it takes to lead us to repentance.

God will not force us to repent, at least at this stage in redemptive history. Anything God brings upon us in this life, whether it feels like a blessing or a tragedy, if it leads us down the path of godly sorrow, repentance, and obedience, then it is a blessing. Even if we do not want to admit it right now, if hard times or tragedies come our way and they cause us to turn to God then it was God's kindness. Think of the alternative for a moment. If we do not repent from our evil rebellion toward God then we will suffer for all of eternity.

Today, as an act of worship, let us thank God for His kindness toward us. Praise Him for who He is, and thank Him for what He has done in your life to lead you down the path of repentance.

On a side note: If you want to dive deep into Romans and are looking for insight into any particular verse in Romans, one of my favorite preachers, John Piper, preached through Romans verse by verse. The sermon series spanned eight and half years. All the messages are online audio, video, and transcripts for free. Click here to check it out. It's awesome stuff!

Strength Will Rise: Obeying The Will Of God

"The following night the Lord stood by [Paul] and said, 'Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.'" (Acts 23:11 ESV)

Paul set an amazing example of persevering in the will of God. He endured much grief, pain, stress, and persecution for the Kingdom. Acts chapter twenty three records a turning point in his ministry and future. It is here that we read the clear word he received from the Lord about him going to testify in Rome. What great assurance and joy it must have given Paul to know he was on track with God's will for his life. This was a huge moment of confirmation.

Each of us who desire to live a Christ-centered life need to know what God's will is.
We need to pursue it will all our heart. It can sound confusing and very mysterious to hear some people describe the process of discovering the will of God. There are certainly things we cannot know about the will of God, however there is still much we can and should know about his will for our lives and his church.

A good word of advice I once received from a Christian friend about discovering the will of God is this: "Don't worry about the mysterious and confusing aspects of the will of God until you are certain you are obeying what is clearly identified in the Bible as the will of God."

Here are some verses that clearly identify what God's will is for every Believer.

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. living as servants Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

(Mark 12:30, Matthew 28:19-20, Romans 12:1-2, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22, 1 Peter 2:13-17)

Once we are certain we are living in obedience to the word of God, if there is any doubt about a decision that we need to make we should simply take it to the Lord in prayer and wait for him. He will confirm his will to us and strengthen us to accomplish it. There is a popular worship song called "Everlasting God" that echoes Isaiah 40:31 saying "Strength will rise when we wait upon the Lord." How true those words really are!

Today, as an act of worship, surrender your life to the will of God as outlined in his word. Praise him for promising to strengthen us to go where he wants us to go, do what he wants us to do, and be who he wants us to be.

Enjoy the video below (on the blog) of "Love The Lord" by Lincoln Brewster. It's a great song based on Mark 12:30 which we read today. I'm excited about learning the song and using it in corporate worship sometime soon. (I use it in personal worship quite frequently already!)