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Use your gifts well (Romans 12:1-8) December 2, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Romans 12:1-8

Set – Romans 11-12

Go! – Romans 9-12

Romans 12:1-8
¹ Brothers and sisters, in light of all I have shared with you about God’s mercies, I urge you to offer your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to God, a sacred offering that brings Him pleasure; this is your reasonable, essential worship. ² Do not allow this world to mold you in its own image. Instead, be transformed from the inside out by renewing your mind. As a result, you will be able to discern what God wills and whatever God finds good, pleasing, and complete.
³ Because of the grace allotted to me, I can respectfully tell you not to think of yourselves as being more important than you are; devote your minds to sound judgment since God has assigned to each of us a measure of faith. ⁴ For in the same way that one body has so many different parts, each with different functions; ⁵ we, too—the many—are different parts that form one body in the Anointed One. Each one of us is joined with one another, and we become together what we could not be alone. ⁶ Since our gifts vary depending on the grace poured out on each of us, it is important that we exercise the gifts we have been given. If prophecy is your gift, then speak as a prophet according to your proportion of faith. ⁷ If service is your gift, then serve well. If teaching is your gift, then teach well. ⁸ If you have been given a voice of encouragement, then use it often. If giving is your gift, then be generous. If leading, then be eager to get started. If sharing God’s mercy, then be cheerful in sharing it.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

The words I gave Paul to share with you tell you so much about how I want you to live. Today everyone wants to think they are independent and can do everything themselves. But you can’t. Just admit it. You can’t do everything. In fact, you can’t do most things. I gave you a few gifts and talents that I want you to share with the world. I gave others skills and talents you need.

I separated the talents and skills necessary for successful living to different people for a reason. I want you to need each other. I want you to become interdependent just as the parts of your body are interdependent. Your brain cannot operate outside your body, nor can your body operate without your brain. You can live without your limbs, but considered handicapped when you do because your body can’t do the things it is designed to do. Each of your internal organs serve vital functions that when they cease to function, you cease to function well and often you die.

So it is with My church. I designed you to be interdependent as people. For My church to operate effectively and efficiently, I need all My church’s members to use the skills and talents I gave them to pull together for a common purpose – to spread the good news of My salvation. I want each of you to understand the importance of bringing others into My church. Each person coming into the community of My fellowship adds to the effectiveness of the spread of My message to the world. As the right skills add to the spreading of the message, more and more will come to the saving knowledge of My sacrifice for them. But I need you.

Also, I want you to know I don’t need spectators. I didn’t give you the skills and talents you have to just sit and watch. I want you engaged in the mission I gave My church. I intend for all participate in that mission. When I made Adam, his job satisfied him, but it wasn’t easy. He cared for every plant and every creature I created. Not an easy job, but a satisfying one. Only after the fall did the job become unsatisfying to him because of his disobedience.

The mission I give you as a part of My church will satisfy you when you work at it with the skills and talents I entrusted to you when I made you. When you do the tasks I give you to do, you will wonder at the joy you experience. You will know the kind of satisfaction Adam had when he fulfilled the tasks I gave him to do at the end of My creation.

So use what I give you. Be satisfied with the gifts, skills, and talents I give you. Then use them well. As Paul says, if I give you the gift of teach, teach well. If the voice of encouragement, use it often. Use whatever I have given you to build My kingdom. You won’t be disappointed.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Choose Christ (Romans 6:15-23) December 1, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Romans 6:15-23

Set – Romans 6-7

Go! – Romans 5-8

Romans 6:15-23
¹⁵ So what do we do now? Throw ourselves into lives of sin because we are cloaked in grace and don’t have to answer to the law? Absolutely not! ¹⁶ Doesn’t it make sense that if you sign yourself over as a slave, you will have to obey your master? The question before you is, What will be your master? Will it be sin—which will lead to certain death—or obedience—which will lead to a right and reconciled life? ¹⁷ Thank God that your slavery to sin has ended and that in your new freedom you pledged your heartfelt obedience to that teaching which was passed on to you. ¹⁸ The beauty of your new situation is this: now that you are free from sin, you are free to serve a different master, God’s redeeming justice.
¹⁹ Forgive me for using casual language to compensate for your natural weakness of human understanding. I want to be perfectly clear. In the same way you gave your bodily members away as slaves to corrupt and lawless living and found yourselves deeper in your unruly lives, now devote your members as slaves to right and reconciled lives so you will find yourselves deeper in holy living.²⁰ In the days when you lived as slaves to sin, you had no obligation to do the right thing. In that regard, you were free. ²¹ But what do you have to show from your former lives besides shame? The outcome of that life is death, guaranteed. ²² But now that you have been emancipated from the death grip of sin and are God’s slave, you have a different sort of life, a growing holiness. The outcome of that life is eternal life. ²³ The payoff for a life of sin is death, but God is offering us a free gift—eternal life through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, the Liberating King.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

So once you thought you were free to do whatever you wanted but found you were slaves to your selfish desires that led to nowhere. Fulfilling those base desires in sinful ways are the road to death and you know it. They might bring temporary pleasure, but you know the pleasure doesn’t last and in the end you fall further into a pit of guilt and sorrow and slavery to those selfish desires. That path always leads to misery and death. But I give you a different path.

I offer you the path of righteousness and holiness. I offer you My sacrifice to cover the penalty for your sins. I offer you the free gift of eternal life. Paul talks in these words about slavery to one of two masters. You can choose slavery to self and sin which leads to eternal death or you can choose slavery to Me which leads to peace and eternal life.

The problem with the terms Paul uses in today’s culture is the negative connotation the word slavery brings. The term is correct, but remember in Paul’s day, most slaves volunteered their service to their masters as a permanent means of survival. There existed the aristocracy and the poor with not much in between. There was no middle class. You were rich or poor. You had fairly significant assets or lived in poverty hoping to eat the next day. And unlike today in the west, there existed few ways to break out of the caste in which you were born. The rich and their children remained rich, the poor and their children remained very poor.

Slavery indentured an individual and sometimes a family to the aristocracy, but it meant a home to live in, clothes to wear, and food to eat every day. In return, the family labored. Sometimes the labor was in fields, sometimes in homes, sometimes in the manufacture of goods or bookkeeping or through other varied skills. But in a time when bartering in the economy played as great a role as exchanging coins, slaves exchanged their labor for the necessities of life in a society in which jobs were often scarce.

Were some masters harsh to their slaves and servants? Yes. Most were not. Slavery existed as a way of life. Did I want slavery to be the means by which humankind existed? No. But neither did I want sin to exist in My world, but it does. In a flawed, sinful world slavery has existed as long as you have existed. And ultimately, you are slaves to your own selfish desires, sin, or you are slaves to a higher power, Me. One leads to death, the other leads to eternal life. Which sounds like the better deal to you?

So if eternal life is the better choice, why do so many think they know better than Me and choose to live by their own selfish path instead of living according to My will? The wise will choose the path to eternal life. Choose Me.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Believe in God (Romans 3:21-31) November 30, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Romans 3:21-31

Set – Romans 3-4

Go! – Romans 1-4

Romans 3:21-31
²¹ But now for the good news: God’s restorative justice has entered the world, independent of the law. Both the law and the prophets told us this day would come. ²² This redeeming justice comes through the faithfulness of Jesus, the Anointed One, the Liberating King, who makes salvation a reality for all who believe—without the slightest partiality. ²³ You see, all have sinned, and all their futile attempts to reach God in His glory fail. ²⁴ Yet they are now saved and set right by His free gift of grace through the redemption available only in Jesus the Anointed. ²⁵ When God set Him up to be the sacrifice—the seat of mercy where sins are atoned through faith—His blood became the demonstration of God’s own restorative justice. All of this confirms His faithfulness to the promise, for over the course of human history God patiently held back as He dealt with the sins being committed. ²⁶ This expression of God’s restorative justice displays in the present that He is just and righteous and that He makes right those who trust and commit themselves to Jesus.
²⁷ So is there any place left for boasting? No. It’s been shut out completely. And how? By what sort of law? The law of works perhaps? No! By the law of faith. ²⁸ We hold that people are justified, that is, made right with God through faith, which has nothing to do with the deeds the law prescribes.
²⁹ Is God the God of the Jews only? If He created all things, then doesn’t that make Him the God of all people? Jews and non-Jews, insiders and outsiders alike? Yes, He is also the God of all the outsiders. ³⁰ So since God is one, there is one way for Jews and outsiders, circumcised and uncircumcised, to be right with Him. That is the way of faith. ³¹ So are we trying to use faith to abolish the law? Absolutely not! In fact, we now are free to uphold the law as God intended.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

No one is exempt from the fall. Everyone fails to reach Me in their attempts at righteousness. Since Adam and Eve, all have been born with the propensity toward wanting your own way. But I came into the world to pay the penalty for your sinful ways. I came as the perfect sacrifice for your sins. All you need to do is believe in Me for your salvation. The law points out your sin, I redeem you from it. I give you real freedom from the law.

Many think I abolished the law, but that really isn’t true. What I really do for you is make it possible for you to live as the law intended. The law gave you guidelines and pointed out your wickedness, but couldn’t do anything to redeem you because you couldn’t keep the law. But with Me in you, covering your sin by the sacrifice I made for you, you can keep the law the way I intend you to keep it.

I gave My life so you may live in freedom. Not freedom to do anything you want as many sometimes think, but freedom from the guilt and penalty of sin. Freedom from the prison chains that hold you fast because of the selfish ways you live because of the heritage that comes by way of Adam’s sin. Freedom to live the life I intend for humankind.

The simplicity of becoming one of My children rests in believing. It’s that simple. It’s not always easy to live for Me, but it is simple. Coming to Me is so simple a child can do it. Just believe that I am who I say. Just believe I came to save you from your sins. Just believe I died for you and I rose from the grave because death cannot hold Me. Just believe that I can redeem you from the evil one that tries to hold you to this wicked world. Believe that I can free you from his death grip. Believe I have a better way for you.

It’s not hard to believe. Just look around. Look at the universe I created for you. Examine the order of all I made. How can you not believe in Me? How can you not believe in the Creator of all things when you see the perfect design of the universe and all within it. How can you not believe in Me when you see the majesty of the mountains and the seas, the stars and the galaxies above you.

So just believe in Me and you will be saved. It is faith and nothing else that saves you. But when you are saved you will do good things for those around you because of your love for Me. Your good actions will demonstrate the faith you have in Me. So just believe in Me and get ready for a great ride for the rest of your eternal life.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Love brings unity (Romans 15:1-13), June 3, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Romans 15:1-13
Set – Proverbs 27; Romans 15
Go! – Proverbs 25-27; Romans 15

Romans 15:1-13
¹ So now what? We who are strong are not just to satisfy our own desires. We are called to carry the weaknesses of those who are not strong. ² Each of us must strive to please our neighbors, pursuing their welfare so they will become strong. ³ The Anointed One Himself is our model for this kind of living, for He did not live to please Himself. And as the Scriptures declared, “When they insult You, they insult me.” ⁴ You see, everything written in the days of old was recorded to give us instructions for living. We find encouragement through the Scriptures and a call to perseverance that will produce hopeful living. ⁵ I pray that our God, who calls you and gives you perseverance and encouragement, will join all of you together to share one mind according to Jesus the Anointed. ⁶ In this unity, you will share one voice as you glorify the one True God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, our Liberating King.

⁷ So accept one another in the same way the Anointed has accepted you so that God will get the praise He is due. ⁸ For, as I am fond of saying, the Anointed One has become a servant of the Jews in order to demonstrate God’s truth. Effectively this confirms the promises He made to our ancestors ⁹ and causes the non-Jewish nations to glorify God for His mercy. As the Scriptures say,

For this I will praise You among the nations
and sing praises to Your name.
¹⁰ Again the Scriptures say,

Nations, celebrate with His covenant people.
¹¹ And again,

Praise the Lord, all nations.
Raise your voices, all people; let your praises flow to God.
¹² Again Isaiah says,

Then, the root of Jesse will emerge—
He rises to rule all the peoples of the world
who come to Him for guidance and direction.
In Him they place their hope.
¹³ I pray that God, the source of all hope, will infuse your lives with an abundance of joy and peace in the midst of your faith so that your hope will overflow through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Paul spends a lot of time in his letter to the Romans talking about unity in the church, acceptance of people unlike yourself. Recognizing that the inviolate laws I laid down for you are few and simple based on just two, love Me and love others. If you keep these two you will keep the rest.

Love others and love Me and you will have unity. Love looks past differences. Love doesn’t care about the color of skin or the nationality of people. Love looks past language and culture. Love just sees people and their hurts, like Jesus did. Love sees the potential in the lowest of people and the highest of them.

Love looks to embrace all men and women in every station of life. Because love knows everyone needs love and love springs best from a heart guided by My Spirit. Until filled with and guided by My Spirit, people work for selfish motives and love extended works toward selfish ends. But once guided by My Spirit, love takes on a different role in the life of My children.

All My children begin to see others as I see them. You begin to see the potential I see in those around you. You begin to see into the hearts of the hurting souls that cry out for attention in the world you touch. You see opportunities to share what I am doing for you and what I can do for them.

Love changes everything…and brings everything together.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Laws or convictions? (Romans 14), June 2, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Romans 14
Set -Proverbs 24; Romans 14
Go! – Proverbs 22-24; Romans 14

Romans 14
¹ It’s high time that you welcome all people weak in the faith without debating and disputing their opinions.

² Here’s the issue: One person believes that nothing’s off the menu; he’ll eat any food put before him. But there’s another believer—we’ll call him the weaker—who eats only vegetables because the meat is tainted through contact with an idol. ³ If you are an eater of all things, do not be condescending to your vegetarian brother or sister. In turn, those who abstain from certain foods on religious principles should not judge your brothers and sisters who eat meat—if God has accepted them, you have no reason to reject them. ⁴ How could you think for a moment that you have the right to judge another person’s servant? Each servant answers to his own Master, and he will either stand or fall in His presence. The good news is that he will stand because the Master is able to make it so.

⁵ There may be a believer who regards one day as more sacred than any other, while another views every day as sacred as the next. In these matters, all must reach their own conclusions and satisfy their own minds. ⁶ If someone observes a day as holy, he observes it in honor of the Lord. If another eats a particular diet, he eats in honor of the Lord since he begins by giving thanks! If yet another abstains from that same food, he abstains out of respect for the Lord and begins his meal by thanking God too. ⁷ The truth is that none of us live for ourselves, and none die for ourselves. ⁸ For if we live, we live for the Lord. If we die, we die for the Lord. So in both life and death, we belong to the Lord. ⁹ The Anointed One, the Liberating King, died and returned to life to make this a reality: through His death and resurrection, He became Lord of the living and the dead.

¹⁰ So how is it that you continue to judge your brother? How is it possible for you to look down on a sister? We will all stand before the judgment seat of God. ¹¹ For it is written,

“As I live, so I promise,” says the Lord, “every knee will bow down to Me.
Every tongue will confess to God.”
¹² So every one of us, regardless of our eating habits, should expect to give an account for our own lives to God.

¹³ In light of this, we must resolve never to judge others and never to place an obstacle or impediment in their paths that could cause them to trip and fall. ¹⁴ Personally I have been completely convinced that in Jesus, our Lord, no object in and of itself is unclean; but if my fellow believers are convinced that something is unclean, then it is unclean to them. ¹⁵ If the food you eat harms your brother, then you have failed to love him. Do not let what you eat tear down your brother; after all, the Anointed laid down His life for him. ¹⁶ Do not allow people to slander something you find to be good ¹⁷ because the kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking. When God reigns, the order of the day is redeeming justice, true peace, and joy made possible by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ You see, those who serve the Anointed in this way will be welcomed into the whole acceptance of God and valued by all men. ¹⁹ Join us, and pursue a life that creates peace and builds up our brothers and sisters.

²⁰ Do not sacrifice God’s work for the sake of certain foods. It is true that all things are clean, but it’s wrong to eat if you know that eating something will cause offense. ²¹ It is right for you to abstain from certain meats and wine (or anything else for that matter) if it prevents your brother from falling in his faith. ²² Hold on to what you believe about these issues, but keep them between you and God. A happy man does not judge himself by the lifestyle he endorses. ²³ But a man who decides for himself what to eat is condemned because he is not living by his faith. Any action not consistent with faith is sin.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Why do you get so hung up on insignificant things? If you think about the laws I gave the Israelites about eating before they crossed the desert, you’ll recognize those laws kept them safe from disease and sickness. There are no refrigerators in the desert. Meat spoils quickly and the scavengers I prohibited them from eating pick up the diseases from the animals they eat.

I gave the Israelites rules about eating and washing for two reasons. First, to keep them healthy and second, as a discipline to help them in their daily disciplines to Me. Do they still apply? For some, they are convicted by My Spirit to keep the laws, but not by all. I hold some to different different disciplines and different requirements than others. Not because the things I want you to avoid are necessarily evil in themselves, but because I know those things can lead you down a spiral of temptation and sin.

Take for instance alcohol. Some are prone to easy addiction. Perhaps you come from a family that drinks alcohol heavily or you carry within you a genetic code that makes you more prone to addictions than another person. If so, I know about it but you may not. For your protection from strong drink, I will have My Spirit convict you of drinking any alcohol at all to protect you from sliding down the slippery slope of alcohol addiction. For another person, I might not give those same directions, although I do command them not to drink to excess.

What I do ask of all people is that you not offend your brothers and sisters by the personal convictions I give you. I give you disciplines that protect you because I know you better than you know yourself. When I give them to you, don’t disobey Me by breaking the commands I give you personally. But don’t expect others to live by your convictions. Know the difference between the laws and convictions. Get into My word and understand My love and the freedom that comes by living in My Spirit. Let Me guide you in all things.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

All authority comes from God (Romans 13), June 1, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Romans 13
Set – Proverbs 20; Romans 13
Go! – Proverbs 19-21; Romans 13

Romans 13
¹ It is important that all of us submit to the authorities who have charge over us because God establishes all authority in heaven and on the earth. ² Therefore, a person who rebels against authority rebels against the order He established, and people like that can expect to face certain judgment. ³ You see, if you do the right thing, you have nothing to be worried about from the rulers; but if you do what you know is wrong, the rulers will make sure you pay a price. Would you not rather live with a clear conscience than always have to be looking over your shoulder? Then keep doing what you know to be good and right, and they will publicly honor you.

⁴ Look at it this way: The ruler is a servant of God called to serve and benefit you. But he is also a servant of God executing wrath upon those who practice evil. If you do what is wrong, then you’d better be afraid because he wields the power of the sword and doesn’t make empty threats.

⁵ So submission is not optional; it’s required. But don’t just submit for the sake of avoiding punishment; submit and abide by the laws because your conscience leads you to do the right thing. ⁶ Pay your taxes for the same reason because the authorities are servants of God, giving their full attention to take care of these things. ⁷ Pay all of them what you owe. If you owe taxes, then pay. If you owe fees, then pay. In the same way, give honor and respect to those who deserve it.

⁸ Don’t owe anyone anything, with the exception of love to one another—that is a debt which never ends—because the person who loves others has fulfilled the law. ⁹ The commands given to you in the Scriptures—do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not take what is not yours, do not covet—and any other command you have heard are summarized in God’s instruction: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰ Does love hurt anyone? Absolutely not. In fact, love achieves everything the law requires.

¹¹ And now consider this. You know well the times you are living in. It is time for you to wake up and see what is right before your eyes: for salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. ¹² The darkness of night is dissolving as dawn’s light draws near, so walk out on your old dark life and put on the armor of light. ¹³ May we all act as good and respectable people, living today the same way as we will in the day of His coming. Do not fall into patterns of dark living: wild partying, drunkenness, sexual depravity, decadent gratification, quarreling, and jealousy. ¹⁴ Instead, wrap yourselves in the Lord Jesus, God’s Anointed, and do not fuel your sinful imagination by indulging your self-seeking desire for the pleasures of the flesh.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

I’m always surprised by the number of people who want to revolt against the authorities I allow to sit in power over them. They forget that no one sits in seats of power unless I allow it. No election surprises Me. No person in a place of authority shocks Me. No one who wields power moves Me from My throne.

I still know what goes on in every country, every state, every city around the world. I allow people to sit in seats of power for a reason. Sometimes it’s to bring peace and order to the people they govern. Sometimes I use people who sit in positions of power to punish another nation’s people who have grown cold in their love for Me or their fellow man.

Occasionally, I will put someone in a place of authority to punish the people of their own land because of their apostasy. But rest assured I always have a reason for allowing the person to hold their position of authority. It’s never an accident. You may never understand the reason why, but you’re not Me. You don’t have the infinite wisdom I have and cannot see into the future to know why I allow the events to unfold as I do.

You can read the Old Testament and see how I used kings and nations to reward and punish My chosen people and the nations around them. Reading their histories might help you understand I’m always in charge. I never make mistakes. And I use a variety of tools and instruments, sometimes even politics to meet My ends.

You can trust that I know what I’m doing by sometimes allowing unbelievers, even evil people, to hold positions of authority. But ultimately, they too will answer to Me for their actions. I may use them to further My ends, but they still make the choices to act the way they do.

So, in the end, obey the authorities over you. I allow them to be there. Obey Me. And trust Me to help you through even the most corrupt governments. They are only there at My pleasure after all.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Choices, choices, choices! (Romans 11:25-36), May 30, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Romans 11:25-36
Set – Proverbs 14; Romans 11
Go! – Proverbs 13-15; Romans 11

Romans 11:25-36
²⁵\ My brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be in the dark about this mystery—I am going to let you in on the plan so that you will not think too highly of yourselves. A part of Israel has been hardened to the good news until the full number of those outside the Jewish family have entered in. ²⁶ This is the way that all of Israel will be saved. As it was written, so it also stands:

The Deliverer will come from Zion;
He will drive away wickedness from Jacob.
²⁷ And this is My covenant promise to them,
on the day when I take away their sins.
²⁸ It may seem strange. When it comes to the work of the gospel, the fact that they oppose it is actually for your benefit. But when you factor in God’s election, they are truly loved because they descended from faithful forefathers. ²⁹ You see, when God gives a grace gift and issues a call to a people, He does not change His mind and take it back. ³⁰ There was a time when you outsiders were disobedient to God and at odds with His purpose, but now you have experienced mercy as a result of their disobedience. ³¹ In the same way, their disobedience now will make a way for them to receive mercy as a result of the mercy shown to you. ³² For God has assigned all of us together—Jews and non-Jews, insiders and outsiders—to disobedience so He can show His mercy to all.

³³ We cannot wrap our minds around God’s wisdom and knowledge! Its depths can never be measured! We cannot understand His judgments or explain the mysterious ways that He works! For,

³⁴ Who can fathom the mind of the Lord?
Or who can claim to be His advisor?
³⁵ Or,

Who can give to God in advance
so that God must pay him back?
³⁶ For all that exists originates in Him, comes through Him, and is moving toward Him; so give Him the glory forever. Amen.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Centuries ago I gave a wanderer named Abraham a mission. I asked him to uproot his family and travel to a place he’d never been before. I asked him to follow My directions and I would make his family more numerous than the stars in the sky. I promised him all nations of the world would be blessed through him.

Abraham did what I asked, mostly. He erred along the way and some of the blessings I wanted to give to other nations were curtailed because of his failure to remain completely honest with those leaders. Still his family grew and through his children the world was blessed.

His descendants had the same mission, to bless others through following My directives, My instructions. They forgot their mission, though. They became selfish and hoarded My love instead of spreading it to others. They failed to spread My grace generously and suffered for it.

I came in the flesh to redeem My people once again. I died as a sacrifice for them and for the rest of humankind. I wanted all the nations to understand My desire to bring everyone into a relationship with Me. They didn’t understand My message or My mission and put Me on a cross.

The circumstances that played out from those faithful few that listened to My message and believed in Me spread My good news across Asia Minor, Africa, and Europe and within not long a span all around the globe. Persecution drove My children from one city to another but they couldn’t help but tell the story to others and the news spread.

As My chosen nation rejected Me, My good news spread to every other nation and thousands accepted Me as Lord and Savior. And the number of people who believe in Me continues to grow as persecution continues. There has never been more persecution than today. There have never been more Christian martyrs than today. I’m not talking about name calling or legislation not going your way.

The persecution I’m talking about takes the form of beatings, taking homes, businesses, even children from parents because of believing in Me. Look at what ISIS does to believers. That’s persecution. Look at what Christians face in Somalia. That’s persecution. It happens all over the world. People sold out to Me willingly lose everything because they know what happens next.

Abraham, My Apostles, those in the upper room on the day of Pentecost, and thousands since discovered the joy of serving Me in the face of severe persecution. They knew the short time of suffering in this life is nothing compared to the reward they receive in following Me. It’s time to choose which side you will live on – Mine or the world’s. One leads to eternal life, one leads to never ending death and destruction. I think it’s an easy choice. My followers know they made the right choice.

Which path will you follow? Time is running out to decide.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Do you know what He did? (Romans 10:5-21), May 29, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Romans 10:5-21
Set – Proverbs 12; Romans 10
Go! – Proverbs 10-12; Romans 10

Romans 10:5-21
⁵ Moses made this clear long ago when he wrote about what it takes to have a right relationship with God based on the law: “The person devoted to the law’s commands will live by them.” ⁶ But a right relationship based on faith sounds like this: “Do not say to yourselves, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’” (that is, to bring down the Anointed One), ⁷ “or, ‘Who will go down into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring the Anointed One up from the dead). ⁸ But what does it actually say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the good news we have been called to preach to you). ⁹ So if you believe deep in your heart that God raised Jesus from the pit of death and if you voice your allegiance by confessing the truth that “Jesus is Lord,” then you will be saved! ¹⁰ Belief begins in the heart and leads to a life that’s right with God; confession departs from our lips and brings eternal salvation. ¹¹ Because what Isaiah said was true: “The one who trusts in Him will not be disgraced.” ¹² Remember that the Lord draws no distinction between Jew and non-Jew—He is Lord over all things, and He pours out His treasures on all who invoke His name ¹³ because as Scripture says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

¹⁴ How can people invoke His name when they do not believe? How can they believe in Him when they have not heard? How can they hear if there is no one proclaiming Him? ¹⁵ How can some give voice to the truth if they are not sent by God? As Isaiah said, “Ah, how beautiful the feet of those who declare the good news of victory, of peace and liberation.” ¹⁶ But some will hear the good news and refuse to submit to the truth they hear. Isaiah the prophet also says, “Lord, who would ever believe it? Who would possibly accept what we’ve been told?” ¹⁷ So faith proceeds from hearing, as we listen to the message about God’s Anointed.

¹⁸ But let me ask this: have my people ever heard? Indeed, they have:

Yet from here to the ends of the earth, their voice has gone out;
the whole world has heard what they have to say.
¹⁹ But again let me ask: did Israel perhaps hear and not understand all of this? Well, Moses was the first to say,

I will make you jealous with a people who are not a nation.
With a senseless people I will anger you.
²⁰ Then Isaiah the fearless prophet says it this way:

I was found by people who did not seek Me;
I showed My face to those who never asked for Me.
²¹ And as to the fate of Israel, God says,

All day long I opened My hands
to a rebellious people, who constantly work against Me.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Do you know someone who needs Me in their life? Do you really believe Me when My words says that “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”? Now think of that someone again. Put that person’s face in your mind. Make his or her feature very clear for a moment. Do you want them to be eternally lost or do you want them to find Me?

I hope your immediate response was to find Me. To know Me as their personal Lord and Savior. If that wasn’t your immediate response, please find an altar for yourself quickly! My will, My desire is that all would come to know Me as Lord and Savior. Everyone. Everywhere. In every nation of the world. I don’t want to exclude anyone from My salvation. But each individual makes their own choice.

Now picture that person once more. Listen to Paul’s words again. “How can people invoke My name when they do not believe? How can they believe in Me when they have not heard? How can they hear if there is no one proclaiming Me? How can some give voice to the truth if they are not sent by Me?”

I’m giving you a mission. Proclaim Me to that person. You don’t need to preach. You don’t need to know the Five Spiritual Laws. You don’t need to memorize five books of the Bible before you talk to him or her. I just want you to tell them one thing you know I did for you this week. That’s it. Just in conversation, tell them, “You know what God did for me this week? He…”

Tell them that one thing I did for you. That’s not so hard to do. But it proclaims Me. It opens doors. It plants seeds. It begins to let you witness My hand on your life. It prompts them to let My Spirit work within them. It may begin the process of them letting Me become their Lord and Savior. Can you take that tiny little step to save that someone from eternal separation from Me? “How can they believe if no one tells them?” Can you be the one who tells them the good news about Me in your life? I can do the same for them. Be My instrument of life for someone you know and love.

You don’t even need to worry about whether they believe. Many that listened to Me didn’t believe. But they heard My words and made their choice. You are not responsible for their choice, but when I give you a mission, you are responsible for the mission. Who did I lay at your feet today? Maybe you should pick up the phone!

As Isaiah said, “Ah, how beautiful the feet of those who declare the good news of victory, of peace and liberation.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Live by God’s Spirit (Romans 8:1-17), May 27, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready -Romans 8:1-17
Set – Proverbs 6; Romans 8
Go! – Proverbs 4-6; Romans 8

Romans 8:1-17
¹ Therefore, now no condemnation awaits those who are living in Jesus the Anointed, the Liberating King, ² because when you live in the Anointed One, Jesus, a new law takes effect. The law of the Spirit of life breathes into you and liberates you from the law of sin and death. ³ God did something the law could never do. You see, human flesh took its toll on God’s law. In and of itself, the law is not weak; but the flesh weakens it. So to condemn the sin that was ruling in the flesh, God sent His own Son, bearing the likeness of sinful flesh, as a sin offering. ⁴ Now we are able to live up to the justice demanded by the law. But that ability has not come from living by our fallen human nature; it has come because we walk according to the movement of the Spirit in our lives.

⁵ If you live your life animated by the flesh—namely, your fallen, corrupt nature—then your mind is focused on the matters of the flesh. But if you live your life animated by the Spirit—namely, God’s indwelling presence—then your focus is on the work of the Spirit. ⁶ A mind focused on the flesh is doomed to death, but a mind focused on the Spirit will find full life and complete peace. ⁷ You see, a mind focused on the flesh is declaring war against God; it defies the authority of God’s law and is incapable of following His path. ⁸ So it is clear that God takes no pleasure in those who live oriented to the flesh.

⁹ But you do not live in the flesh. You live in the Spirit, assuming, of course, that the Spirit of God lives inside of you. The truth is that anyone who does not have the Spirit of the Anointed living within does not belong to God. ¹⁰ If the Anointed One lives within you, even though the body is as good as dead because of the effects of sin, the Spirit is infusing you with life now that you are right with God. ¹¹ If the Spirit of the One who resurrected Jesus from the dead lives inside of you, then you can be sure that He who raised Him will cast the light of life into your mortal bodies through the life-giving power of the Spirit residing in you.

¹² So, my brothers and sisters, you owe the flesh nothing! You do not need to live according to its ways, so abandon its oppressive regime. ¹³ For if your life is just about satisfying the impulses of your sinful nature, then prepare to die. But if you have invited the Spirit to destroy these selfish desires, you will experience life. ¹⁴ If the Spirit of God is leading you, then take comfort in knowing you are His children. ¹⁵ You see, you have not received a spirit that returns you to slavery, so you have nothing to fear. The Spirit you have received adopts you and welcomes you into God’s own family. That’s why we call out to Him, “Abba! Father!” as we would address a loving daddy. ¹⁶ Through that prayer, God’s Spirit confirms in our spirits that we are His children. ¹⁷ If we are God’s children, that means we are His heirs along with the Anointed, set to inherit everything that is His. If we share His sufferings, we know that we will ultimately share in His glory.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Did you hear Paul’s words? I want so much for you. Paul discovered the life I want you to live. Others who followed after him discovered the secret so plainly laid out in front of you. Just let go of yourself and follow Me. Let Me control your life. Quit living according to the desires of your flesh and live according to My Spirit in you.

Many times My children settle for forgiveness of their sins and stop in their spiritual journey with Me. They never explore the abundant life I talked about giving you. It doesn’t come with just forgiveness. It comes with letting Me take charge. It comes with resting in Me and knowing that I make the decisions for you when you live by My Spirit living in you.

Living in the Spirit means dying to the oppressive desires of the flesh and living according to the impulses of My demands. Saying yes to Me, not to your fleshly desires. Some will say it’s not possible but Peter, Paul, James, John and so many since them found My promises true. I told them to be holy. To live by the Spirit. To let My Spirit be the controlling influence in their lives…and they did.

Each of them found the secret to joyful living. They found the secret to suppressing the selfish desires that welled up within them by living in obedience to My Spirit. The longer they lived under My will, the easier it became for them to hear My voice. They still find temptations coming their way through the desires of the flesh, but have learned to trust in Me to help them suppress those desires to avoid yielding to the temptations and falling into sin because of them.

My children can learn to live in My Spirit just as children learn to ride bicycles or learn to read. It takes effort. It takes listening to the teacher. It takes diligence and daily practice. It may mean failure at times. But like children learning, you just start again. I’m there to help you get back on track. I want you to win. I want you to enjoy the abundant life.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

A slave, like it or not! (Romans 6:15-23), May 25, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Romans 6:15-23
Set – 1 Kings 10; Romans 6
Go! – 1 Kings 10-11; 2 Chronicles 9; Romans 6

Romans 6:15-23
¹⁵ So what do we do now? Throw ourselves into lives of sin because we are cloaked in grace and don’t have to answer to the law? Absolutely not! ¹⁶ Doesn’t it make sense that if you sign yourself over as a slave, you will have to obey your master? The question before you is, What will be your master? Will it be sin—which will lead to certain death—or obedience—which will lead to a right and reconciled life? ¹⁷ Thank God that your slavery to sin has ended and that in your new freedom you pledged your heartfelt obedience to that teaching which was passed on to you. ¹⁸ The beauty of your new situation is this: now that you are free from sin, you are free to serve a different master, God’s redeeming justice.

¹⁹ Forgive me for using casual language to compensate for your natural weakness of human understanding. I want to be perfectly clear. In the same way you gave your bodily members away as slaves to corrupt and lawless living and found yourselves deeper in your unruly lives, now devote your members as slaves to right and reconciled lives so you will find yourselves deeper in holy living. ²⁰ In the days when you lived as slaves to sin, you had no obligation to do the right thing. In that regard, you were free. ²¹ But what do you have to show from your former lives besides shame? The outcome of that life is death, guaranteed. ²² But now that you have been emancipated from the death grip of sin and are God’s slave, you have a different sort of life, a growing holiness. The outcome of that life is eternal life. ²³ The payoff for a life of sin is death, but God is offering us a free gift—eternal life through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, the Liberating King.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

To Me the choice I give you is simple, eternal life or death. Become a slave to sin or live obediently to Me. Live a life of shame or a life filled with hope and joy. The choice seems so simple. Why would anyone choose death over life, sin over obedience, shame over joy? I don’t understand. Everyone since Adam wanted complete control over life. The only problem is that it can’t happen. You’re not God. The only thing you can control is yourself and you can’t do that very well.

You think you were free to do whatever you wanted, but you were a slave to sin and disobedience, that selfishness that drove you every moment. But when you come to Me, I free you from that path. I give you the hope and joy I intended for you when I created you.

Paul got it right when he said you will serve as a slave to either sin or Me. Which do you choose? Slavery to sin leads to guilt, pain, suffering, and death. I won’t tell you that you won’t suffer in this world if you follow Me. You will, just as I suffered. But the suffering is only for a moment of time compared to eternity. Just a flash, and I’ll be with you to help you through it. I won’t let you go through it alone.

Still having trouble with your choice? I dare you to make a list of the pros and cons of each choice, following Me or being in control of yourself. See how your assets and liabilities fall out. See what benefits you gain from Me or from your selfish path. Discover what you can do on your own or what you can do by following My advice. Be honest in your appraisal, though. Remember to take into account what you can really control versus what I control as you make your assessments.

For instance, you have little or no control over your health. You can’t control accidents that might injure you or cause irreparable damage to you. You cannot control the economy and so your ability to gain or sustain wealth or material goods. You have no control over your friends and relatives other than what little they might allow you to have. You can’t control politics or society and how it affects your life. When you really think about it, you have relatively little control over life.

You can, however, choose whether you will follow Me or your own selfish whims. So which will it be? You know the best choice. Will you be wise enough to make it?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.