I'm finally taking the time to get back into the "Blogosphere" today! Picking up in Romans 3:21-31. This is a passage that can read a bit confusingly as it contains some large, "churchy" sounding words. But this passage is one of promise, hope and encouragement to those who have chosen to put their faith in the work of Jesus Christ.
Paul has just finished stating in verses 19-20 that the Law, or the Ten Commandments, will not justify anyone. He shares that no one is able to fulfill the Law, and that "through the Law comes the knowledge of sin." Following, or trying to follow, the Ten Commandments will not bring anyone into a right relationship with God. On the contrary, the Law simply shows us over and over again how far from God we really are in our flesh. So what are we to do?
Paul continues into verse 21, that "apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested [made known]...even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe..." He's trying to get us to see that the Christian life is about so much more than a list of rules. It's about a relationship with the one, true, living God of this world. The same God who created each of us to be in a close, personal relationship with Him. Though He created us for this purpose, we each have been given the decision of whether or not we want to be in this relationship. If we choose to pursue Him, then we must deal with the sin (or anything that is not of God), and Paul tells us here how this can happen.
Verses 24-31 really explain how God has allowed the work of Jesus Christ (God in human flesh) to come, live a sinless life and give His perfect life as a payment for the sins of the world. Paul really hits hard in verse 28, sharing that "...we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law." Again, it's about a relationship!
I just shared this illustration with our students yesterday: Imagine your relationship with your best friend (or for you reading, your spouse). You tell everyone that they are your best friend, yet you never speak to them. You never spend any time with them. You never let them know what they mean to you. What kind of friendship would that be? God desires a relationship with each of us, but me MUST come to Him and accept His offer. We must put our trust in Him through the finished work of Jesus Christ. Jesus shared in John 14:6: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."
The Ten Commandments are a good guide for us to follow, but don't put your faith in a set of rules...put your faith in the One who died for the very sins you have committed. Come to God, confess your sins to Him, ask forgiveness, and follow Him.
Pastor Joey
Monday, May 4, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Are You A "Good Person?"
Today I'm studying through Romans 3:1-20, and I still have the sermon from this past Sunday going through my mind. Pastor Terry preached from John 14:6, stressing that though many people have their "opinions" about who will spend eternity in Heaven, the Bible stresses over and over that there is only one way...through Jesus Christ!
I have had the opportunity to talk with many individuals about God's purpose for this world and for each of us individually, and I have listened to so many people share with me that they believe that they will indeed be in Heaven for eternity because they have lived a "good life," and they are a "good person." The conversation very often leads to the statement: "I believe in God!" Friends, one of my favorite verses in the Bible is James 2:19, which says that "You believe there is one God. You do well. But even the demons believe and tremble! NKJV" Yes, Satan believes in God and has stood before Him and spoken with Him. So, will Satan be in Heaven? Absolutely not! His future lies in an eternal separation from God, along with all others who do not "call on the name of the Lord. Romans 10:13"
Here, in Romans 3, Paul quotes from several of the Psalms, all of which drive home the point that "there is none righteous, not even one...! Romans 3:10" We are all born with a desire to please ourselves. We all naturally put ourselves first. But God has planted within us another desire...to put the One who created us first. Which desire are you fulfilling in your life? It's not about following a set of rules or the Ten Commandments (we have ALL broken many of these!), but it's about realizing that even those Ten point out the knowledge of the sin in our lives. With this knowledge that we are ALL sinners, the response should be, "how do I get this sin taken care of, or paid for?" That's where Jesus and His work on the cross comes in. Even though He was without sin, He took on all the sin of the world and offered His death and resurrection (a victory over death and sin) as a complete payment for us. The offer is on the table, and now it is up to each of us to accept this offer for the payment of our sins.
Many who read this will call me "narrow minded," which is fine (and, I guess, true!). But, if you are willing to trust the Bible, God's Word given for those who want to follow Him, there is no way around this most important decision each of us will ever make. Have you decided whom you will follow?
Until next time...have a blessed day!
PJ
I have had the opportunity to talk with many individuals about God's purpose for this world and for each of us individually, and I have listened to so many people share with me that they believe that they will indeed be in Heaven for eternity because they have lived a "good life," and they are a "good person." The conversation very often leads to the statement: "I believe in God!" Friends, one of my favorite verses in the Bible is James 2:19, which says that "You believe there is one God. You do well. But even the demons believe and tremble! NKJV" Yes, Satan believes in God and has stood before Him and spoken with Him. So, will Satan be in Heaven? Absolutely not! His future lies in an eternal separation from God, along with all others who do not "call on the name of the Lord. Romans 10:13"
Here, in Romans 3, Paul quotes from several of the Psalms, all of which drive home the point that "there is none righteous, not even one...! Romans 3:10" We are all born with a desire to please ourselves. We all naturally put ourselves first. But God has planted within us another desire...to put the One who created us first. Which desire are you fulfilling in your life? It's not about following a set of rules or the Ten Commandments (we have ALL broken many of these!), but it's about realizing that even those Ten point out the knowledge of the sin in our lives. With this knowledge that we are ALL sinners, the response should be, "how do I get this sin taken care of, or paid for?" That's where Jesus and His work on the cross comes in. Even though He was without sin, He took on all the sin of the world and offered His death and resurrection (a victory over death and sin) as a complete payment for us. The offer is on the table, and now it is up to each of us to accept this offer for the payment of our sins.
Many who read this will call me "narrow minded," which is fine (and, I guess, true!). But, if you are willing to trust the Bible, God's Word given for those who want to follow Him, there is no way around this most important decision each of us will ever make. Have you decided whom you will follow?
Until next time...have a blessed day!
PJ
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Catching Up...Looking Ahead...Counting It All Joy
James 1:2-4 reads: "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
I'm here tonight in a hospital room in Pennsylvania, watching my beautiful, incredible, loving and strong wife recover from her surgery (she had a hysterectomy due to some past issues...but is doing great now). As I sat in the waiting room for nearly 3 hours today, trying to read and keep my mind off of the "what-ifs," I began evaluating all that has occurred in our lives over the last 2 months. My self-evaluation could easily have led to a pretty depressive thought pattern if taken at face value, but the Holy Spirit really laid the Book of James, and specifically these early verses on my heart, and they became a kind of living example to me.
November began with a bit of a scare for me as we found out that I have an enlarged lymph node in my neck. After another CT Scan, it looks like it's not growing, so I have a follow up in March. The next week, Annette was sent for a consult with a Gynecological Oncologist for an issue that we thought had been resolved two years ago. He recommended, as did her regular Gynecologist, that she proceed with an hysterectomy to best prevent the return of any cervical cancer cells. So we began preparing for today. The week after this, Annette and I excitedly set off, along with three other couples from our church, to attend a marriage enrichment weekend called "Weekend to Remember." Upon arriving at our hotel in Philly (yes, I am a Pennsylvanian now, therefore I'm allowed to officially call it "Philly!"), we received the news that my Grandma, along with two of my cousins (4 year old Ivan, and 21 month old Maggie Grace) had been killed in a vehicle accident near my home town in Virginia. That weekend and the following days were ones filled with extremely hard times, as well as some of the greatest blessings...both of which I will never forget. My aunt and uncle (sounds strange to call them that since she's only 10 months older than me, and he's a year younger!)...WOW! Through a tremendous loss, they have lived out their faith and trust in their Savior, Jesus Christ. Even while they wait to see how this hard to understand piece of the puzzle that is their life fits in, they wait...trusting. They will probably not understand the impact their faith has had on so many until they get to Heaven...but believe me, it has impacted people from miles and states away! Yes, November 2008 was one for the books!
November, as it always does, led to December and all that that brings. I found myself in kind of an emotional haze for much of the month. Not what I would call depression, rather more just trying to process the previous 30+ days. Finally, around the last week or so of the month, that haze lifted. We shared some meaningful time with much of our families, we had a blast with many of our students from church, bringing in the New Year at Liberty University (it was especially awesome since Annette & Brian were able to be there with me!), along with 6,000 other youth and adults. We were truly able to worship in the new year. The year has begun with some great ministry opportunities opening up, as well as some real blessings for our church, with a LOT of new families attending, and an obvious hunger for the Word of God.
So, again, I sit here giving Annette ice chips, watching her rest. I am so thankful to God for bringing her through this trial, and especially for recalling to my mind that even in this, we are to count it joy. I do count it joy to serve the Lord, both personally and in my vocation. And I count it joy that as we walk through these trials (and the ones we don't see right now, but are sure to come) in life, IF we are trusting in Jesus Christ as our Lord, these temporary trials will produce the endurance for us to strive until we are called home to be with Him forever.
May your 2009 be a year in which you can plainly recall as being the year that you got real with God, and that even though there were some (or many) trials...you counted it all joy!
In Christ...PJ
I'm here tonight in a hospital room in Pennsylvania, watching my beautiful, incredible, loving and strong wife recover from her surgery (she had a hysterectomy due to some past issues...but is doing great now). As I sat in the waiting room for nearly 3 hours today, trying to read and keep my mind off of the "what-ifs," I began evaluating all that has occurred in our lives over the last 2 months. My self-evaluation could easily have led to a pretty depressive thought pattern if taken at face value, but the Holy Spirit really laid the Book of James, and specifically these early verses on my heart, and they became a kind of living example to me.
November began with a bit of a scare for me as we found out that I have an enlarged lymph node in my neck. After another CT Scan, it looks like it's not growing, so I have a follow up in March. The next week, Annette was sent for a consult with a Gynecological Oncologist for an issue that we thought had been resolved two years ago. He recommended, as did her regular Gynecologist, that she proceed with an hysterectomy to best prevent the return of any cervical cancer cells. So we began preparing for today. The week after this, Annette and I excitedly set off, along with three other couples from our church, to attend a marriage enrichment weekend called "Weekend to Remember." Upon arriving at our hotel in Philly (yes, I am a Pennsylvanian now, therefore I'm allowed to officially call it "Philly!"), we received the news that my Grandma, along with two of my cousins (4 year old Ivan, and 21 month old Maggie Grace) had been killed in a vehicle accident near my home town in Virginia. That weekend and the following days were ones filled with extremely hard times, as well as some of the greatest blessings...both of which I will never forget. My aunt and uncle (sounds strange to call them that since she's only 10 months older than me, and he's a year younger!)...WOW! Through a tremendous loss, they have lived out their faith and trust in their Savior, Jesus Christ. Even while they wait to see how this hard to understand piece of the puzzle that is their life fits in, they wait...trusting. They will probably not understand the impact their faith has had on so many until they get to Heaven...but believe me, it has impacted people from miles and states away! Yes, November 2008 was one for the books!
November, as it always does, led to December and all that that brings. I found myself in kind of an emotional haze for much of the month. Not what I would call depression, rather more just trying to process the previous 30+ days. Finally, around the last week or so of the month, that haze lifted. We shared some meaningful time with much of our families, we had a blast with many of our students from church, bringing in the New Year at Liberty University (it was especially awesome since Annette & Brian were able to be there with me!), along with 6,000 other youth and adults. We were truly able to worship in the new year. The year has begun with some great ministry opportunities opening up, as well as some real blessings for our church, with a LOT of new families attending, and an obvious hunger for the Word of God.
So, again, I sit here giving Annette ice chips, watching her rest. I am so thankful to God for bringing her through this trial, and especially for recalling to my mind that even in this, we are to count it joy. I do count it joy to serve the Lord, both personally and in my vocation. And I count it joy that as we walk through these trials (and the ones we don't see right now, but are sure to come) in life, IF we are trusting in Jesus Christ as our Lord, these temporary trials will produce the endurance for us to strive until we are called home to be with Him forever.
May your 2009 be a year in which you can plainly recall as being the year that you got real with God, and that even though there were some (or many) trials...you counted it all joy!
In Christ...PJ
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Placing Ourselves Under Leadership...
What a week! It's been a busy and crazy one...my beloved Skins decided to take the night off Monday (at least it was just a Monday Night Football game and only about a billion people watched it...especially all the Steelers fans in our church!!), then Tuesday night offered a lesson in history and if you read Tuesday's Blog you will know the night didn't turn out as I had hoped. Even so, I am confident that God is control, and I assure you that I will be praying for President Obama, his family, and our country. It is an incredible testimony to the U.S. that we finally elected a black man as president (not to pat ourselves on the back too much) after all that transpired in our history. I thought that both Obama and McCain did great in their speeches to try to bring voters back to a single focus. If you want an excellent read about responding when "your guy" didn't win, check our Dr. Al Mohler's blog from yesterday (he's the president of Southern Seminary).
All that being said, it really ties in well with the overall topic from today's passage, Romans 3:1-20. We have all, at one time or another, had to submit to the authority of someone else. Perhaps it was a parent, an employer, a school system or the government (we all must to some extent). We don't always like the rules or regulations that we are submitting to, though if we are going to live in the U.S., we must follow the laws of this country. If we are going to work for a particular company, we must follow the Employee Handbook of that company. And Paul is sharing with us here that if we want to be a Christ follower, a Christian, then we must place ourselves under (the very meaning of submission) the leadership and guidance of God. Paul emphasizes, though, that this is not just following the Law, or The Ten Commandments...these commandments bring us the "knowledge of sin."
Paul does share that "...we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law...", so if we never truly place ourselves under the Law, we can't really get a full knowledge and understanding of sin. We fool ourselves into believing that we're "pretty good," or as they would say in Biblical times, that we are righteous just because we may think that we follow the 10 Commandments. To correct this thought, Paul quotes from Psalm 14, sharing that "there is none righteous, not even one...". WOW! Not my sweet grandma? Not even one! Not my cute little daughter? Not even one! Not my PASTOR?!?! Not even one!
We'll stop at this point for today, but not to worry, the fact that NONE of us are righteous is not the end of the story! For today, though, consider a few things: 1. Have I submitted my life to God's leadership through His son, Jesus? 2. Have I acknowledged that I am not righteous (or good?) 3. Have I been led to believe that if I just live by the Commandments everything will be alright? Consider these points today, and tomorrow we will build on this thought process...it is going somewhere, and the destination is incredible!
Have a blessed day!
In Him,
PJ
All that being said, it really ties in well with the overall topic from today's passage, Romans 3:1-20. We have all, at one time or another, had to submit to the authority of someone else. Perhaps it was a parent, an employer, a school system or the government (we all must to some extent). We don't always like the rules or regulations that we are submitting to, though if we are going to live in the U.S., we must follow the laws of this country. If we are going to work for a particular company, we must follow the Employee Handbook of that company. And Paul is sharing with us here that if we want to be a Christ follower, a Christian, then we must place ourselves under (the very meaning of submission) the leadership and guidance of God. Paul emphasizes, though, that this is not just following the Law, or The Ten Commandments...these commandments bring us the "knowledge of sin."
Paul does share that "...we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law...", so if we never truly place ourselves under the Law, we can't really get a full knowledge and understanding of sin. We fool ourselves into believing that we're "pretty good," or as they would say in Biblical times, that we are righteous just because we may think that we follow the 10 Commandments. To correct this thought, Paul quotes from Psalm 14, sharing that "there is none righteous, not even one...". WOW! Not my sweet grandma? Not even one! Not my cute little daughter? Not even one! Not my PASTOR?!?! Not even one!
We'll stop at this point for today, but not to worry, the fact that NONE of us are righteous is not the end of the story! For today, though, consider a few things: 1. Have I submitted my life to God's leadership through His son, Jesus? 2. Have I acknowledged that I am not righteous (or good?) 3. Have I been led to believe that if I just live by the Commandments everything will be alright? Consider these points today, and tomorrow we will build on this thought process...it is going somewhere, and the destination is incredible!
Have a blessed day!
In Him,
PJ
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Vote Well!
Romans 13:1 is a verse that can speak to all of us today in America: "Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God." NASB
This truth is one that can help calm any fear or anxiety over what is going to happen at the polls today...God already knows the outcome of every election (He doesn't even have to worry about any "hanging CHADs"!). Not only does He know the outcome, He is allowing every election to occur. This is hard to comprehend so many times as we see individuals who openly and unashamedly stand for the very things that God is against to be elected into positions of power. But...Paul assures us here in Romans that God is not surprised by the outcome of any election. He is not walking around Heaven today with his candidate button on, "hoping" that everything turns out okay. No, God already knows that things are going to turn out just as He has allowed them to turn out.
As for me...I will be going to vote this afternoon with Annette and Brian (he registered with ACORN!), and I can just tell you that Annette and I both will be voting for individuals from both major parties. We have, and will continue, to base our votes on the most important issue that could ever be considered: the value of a human life. We will vote for the dog catcher, mayor, congressman or presidential candidate who also cares about a human life, whether born or unborn! I've had great discussions with many people whom I love who disagree with me on this matter, but I must vote as the Lord leads me to.
Today, as you go to vote, think about why you are voting for whomever you choose. As you consider the reasons, I'm sure they all come down to wanting to vote for the person whom you believe will help you and your family out the most...it's a quality of life issue at its core. I challenge you today, then, to consider the quality of all life, especially the life that cannot speak or fend for itself!
Now, I respectfully remove myself from my personal soapbox and will stay up too late tonight to hear who it is God has allowed to hold the highest elected office in our GREAT country (as well as the other many important positions being decided).
Have a blessed day!
In Christ,
PJ
This truth is one that can help calm any fear or anxiety over what is going to happen at the polls today...God already knows the outcome of every election (He doesn't even have to worry about any "hanging CHADs"!). Not only does He know the outcome, He is allowing every election to occur. This is hard to comprehend so many times as we see individuals who openly and unashamedly stand for the very things that God is against to be elected into positions of power. But...Paul assures us here in Romans that God is not surprised by the outcome of any election. He is not walking around Heaven today with his candidate button on, "hoping" that everything turns out okay. No, God already knows that things are going to turn out just as He has allowed them to turn out.
As for me...I will be going to vote this afternoon with Annette and Brian (he registered with ACORN!), and I can just tell you that Annette and I both will be voting for individuals from both major parties. We have, and will continue, to base our votes on the most important issue that could ever be considered: the value of a human life. We will vote for the dog catcher, mayor, congressman or presidential candidate who also cares about a human life, whether born or unborn! I've had great discussions with many people whom I love who disagree with me on this matter, but I must vote as the Lord leads me to.
Today, as you go to vote, think about why you are voting for whomever you choose. As you consider the reasons, I'm sure they all come down to wanting to vote for the person whom you believe will help you and your family out the most...it's a quality of life issue at its core. I challenge you today, then, to consider the quality of all life, especially the life that cannot speak or fend for itself!
Now, I respectfully remove myself from my personal soapbox and will stay up too late tonight to hear who it is God has allowed to hold the highest elected office in our GREAT country (as well as the other many important positions being decided).
Have a blessed day!
In Christ,
PJ
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