Following Jesus Son of God …

Hello Everyone,

Very interesting. We are like mists, puffs of air, set in space and time …

And, yet, what we do matters. What I do today matters. What you do tomorrow matters in the grand and glorious plan and purpose of God.

Time to worship. 🙂

As we observe the great waves and movements in God’s redemptive plan, we cannot forget that these things happen in the course of earth time and space.

Jesus’ triumphal entry as recorded in Matthew 21:9 happened one day on a dirt road outside of Jerusalem.

• (Matthew 21:9 ESV)
   And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

Ditto for his lament found in Matthew 23:37 as he approached Jerusalem on another day from the east.

• (Matthew 23:37 ESV)
  “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

And one day, as in an actual day in Earth history, Christ will come in triumph again. This time for good.

• (Revelation 1:7 ESV)
  Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

The blessing of redemption first focused on Israel, then the Gentiles, and later on Israel again. God has not rejected his people.

So how do we handle the stewardship of the blessing of salvation to the Gentiles?

We take note of both God’s kindness and his severity to be steadfast, faithful and humble in our service to him.

• PDF LESSON 29 : Note the Kindness and Severity of God : Romans 11:11-24 : FFC : dave scott : 032915 : STUDY SHEET ONE
• PDF LESSON 29 : Note the Kindness and Severity of God : Romans 11:11-24 : FFC : dave scott : 032915 : STUDY SHEET TWO

The LORD your God is indeed God …

Understand, therefore, that the LORD your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands. But he does not hesitate to punish and destroy those who reject him. ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭7:9-10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

http://bible.com/116/deu.7.9-10.nlt

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Hello All,

Grace versus works!

Paul makes his “last run” in Romans at the great battle: GRACE VERSUS WORKS. 

• (Romans 11:6 ESV)
  But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

When it comes to attaining the righteousness of God, it is by grace through faith. No works. Many people struggle with the concept. The Jews did. Still do. Many in our churches also.

The problem? We can’t let go of our idea of righteousness and salvation and embrace God’s idea. And not embracing God’s plan of righteousness, we, as the Jews did in Paul’s day, seek to establish our own. We may not say this. We may not even realize what we are doing. But this is exactly how the battle unfolds.

The Jews would not let go of their moral code. Yes. Their morality was based on the Bible but it had been drastically revised by their human standards. Exactly as we do today.

And their hearts were hardened … 
How hard were their hearts? How stiff were their necks? In their rage against God, they chose Caesar over their Messiah!

• (John 19:15 ESV)
  They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”

Can I draw you into the scene? 

• Pilate: “Shall I crucify your King?”
• Chief Priests: “We have no king but Caesar.”

In their bitterness and rage they threw their allegiance to the pagan Caesar. Arrogance and rebellion drove them away from Israel’s promised Messiah. Tragic … ironic … indeed.

Message Title: A Remnant Chosen by Grace

Message Text: Romans 11:1-10

• PDF LESSON 28 : A Remnant Chosen by Grace : Romans 11:1-10 : FFC : dave scott : 032215 : STUDY SHEET ONE
• PDF LESSON 28 : A Remnant Chosen by Grace : Romans 11:1-10 : FFC : dave scott : 032215 : STUDY SHEET TWO

“O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭63:1-3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

http://bible.com/116/psa.63.1-3.nlt

“Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge. Interlude” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭62:5-8‬ ‭NLT‬‬
http://bible.com/116/psa.62.5-8.nlt

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Psalm 62:1-2 NKJV
[1] Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation. [2] He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.

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An old post from my Bean Brothers blog.  Posted by Java the Bean at 10:50 AM / January 31, 2009 / Another world … 

It’s another world I wish I could communicate, at least that is how the thought came to me yesterday at work. Life with God I mean. 

Whether it would be communicating this to my two youngest sons who don’t realize what they are missing, living in a world where God is barely a conscious thought, or whether it would be communicating this to 90 percent of the people who fill the pews every Sunday but are distant to God because their religion and their daily walk keep him at arms length. They don’t realize what they are missing with their words only Christianity. They haven’t experienced the love and presence of God because they have kept their hearts at a distance.

In the world I wish I could communicate, God is real no matter our circumstances. He is there, not just in concept or memory, but there there, living, breathing God of the universe. And in that other world, I can go to God anytime for what I need, which so very often is mercy and grace to help me along the way.

He welcomes me to approach him, as he understands the enormity of the task, the pain of the road. Don’t forget he lived here for over thirty years as one of us.

In the other world, a person spends a bit of time also looking beyond the horizon knowing that life is more than what we see. In this world of God, life is the moment and forever at the same time.

Many who have the world of God confused with the world of religion sometimes speak of “the real world” when living in the world of God means faith. 

Think how ironic that is. The world as we perceive it is “the real world,” but the world as described for thousands of years in God’s holy book is what? Not real? Pretend? Good to a point and then we have to take over?

• And to live in their “real world” certain things are necessary, like lying for the greater good of the local fellowship, misinterpreting the words of God for the sake of our agendas, misrepresenting the church budget so people will still give their money, using good business sense when faith doesn’t seem to be panning out. 

We’ll stop there as this list is long and dark.

Yes, I think I’ll stay with the other world, the one God speaks of where loving God and loving our neighbor is not pushed aside for theology or agendas. Forgiveness and mercy and grace mean something. A world where righteousness and holiness are being built into and ground into our hearts and minds as God attends daily to our lives.

One last thought: To live in this world of God demands huge resources.

Just like any expedition or adventure, you have to have adequate supplies. And how unique is this journey? We need provision for each day of our lives, and, then, when we expire here we need resources that continue forever. We can’t arrive at the threshold of eternity having exhausted our resources.

So what a sigh of relief as we realize that we have everything we need in Jesus Christ. Included in God’s offer of eternal life is abundant provision for each day of life on this Earth that continues when I cross the horizon to eternity. Jesus paid it all as he shed his blood in full payment for our sins.

Jesus chose death so we could choose life. 

So in Jesus Christ I can live now and forever in the presence of God.

I like God’s world better.

Posted by Java the Bean at 10:50 AM / January 31, 2009

Hello Everyone,

At first glance this week’s text seems to be our familiar missionary call to spread the good news of God. And it is that, but as I studied (funny how these things happen) I realized that the main point is more the emphasis that for people to believe, we must make sure we begin with the good news of God. When it comes to the point of sharing, then it must still be God’s gospel, God’s message.

I have some excellent Romans commentaries. “Listen” to this from Leon Morris, one of the best.

◉ Leon Morris …
– Paul is saying that the preaching of the Christian message is impossible without the divine commission. A herald can have nothing to say unless it be given him. The gospel is derivative. It does not originate with preachers, and the other side of that coin is that nobody can operate as a preacher in the sense in which Paul is using the term here unless God has sent him.

Our gospel is derivative. No revisions necessary or accepted. Christ finished his “Calvary work” with perfection and power and the Father’s approval.

The gospel we ask people to believe must be the same “good news of God” that was offered in the first century by the Apostle Paul.

◉ Leon Morris …
– Whichever way we may prefer to translate, Paul is speaking of the derivative nature of the Christian gospel. It is not something that wise men have made up; it comes from hearing the message given by those sent from God.

If you are an artist, maybe someone suggesting that your work is derivative is a bad thing, as in unoriginal, unimaginative, imitative, uninventive. But as heralds of the gospel, it is essential that we remain true to the original.

Gospel Version 1.0
(Updates and revisions unnecessary and unacceptable.)

Message Title: Have They Not Heard?

Message Text: Romans 10:14-21

• PDF LESSON 27 Have They Not Heard? : Romans 10:14-21 : FFC : dave scott : 031515 : STUDY SHEET ONE
• PDF LESSON 27 Have They Not Heard? : Romans 10:14-21 : FFC : dave scott : 031515 : STUDY SHEET TWO

Hello All,

Well, if anyone believes that they can work to gain God’s approval after this study in Romans, then it will not be the fault of the Apostle Paul. He is at it again as he emphasizes we received God’s righteousness and acceptance only by faith.

No need to take a space flight to heaven. No need to journey to the center of the earth. The saving word of faith is near, in your mouth and in your heart.

We would say, “On the tip of my tongue.”

We believe. God saves.

Everyone who believes.

• For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).

And everyone means everyone. Struggling to understand how God has mercy on some and not others? Can’t get your mind around predestination?

Then get your mind around this. Believe. Call on the name of the Lord, and you will be saved.

Message Title: The Saving Word Is in Your Mouth

Message Text: Romans 10:5-13

• PDF LESSON 26 The Saving Word is in Your Mouth : Romans 10:5-13 : FFC : dave scott : 030815 : STUDY SHEET ONE
  
• PDF LESSON 26 The Saving Word is in Your Mouth : Romans 10:5-13 : FFC : dave scott : 030815 : STUDY SHEET TWO