Romans 8 is one of my favorite chapters in the whole Bible.
Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
By Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour
"Co-heirs of Christ's Incredible Salvation"
July 17, 2017
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs -- heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.
Romans 8 is one of my favorite chapters in the whole Bible. It tells it like it is in Jesus Christ. Throughout this chapter you hear words like "no condemnation," "set free," "hope," "more than conquerors," all of it in and through Jesus Christ. Read it, memorize it. It's the power of God for your salvation and mine. One way that Paul describes a believer's new life in Christ is to call us "co-heirs" with Christ, sharing in His cross-earned, resurrection-delivered glory. Co-heirs with Jesus -- that means we get to live eternal lives with Him, in His righteousness, in His joy, with His peace. Can you even imagine? Sometimes it's almost too wonderful to be believed. Other times, I think we dismiss the things of Christ as if the inheritances we have in this world are so much better. It reminded me of an event and an ensuing question that happened in the life of golfer, Curtis Strange. It happened at the Masters, one of the most prestigious tournaments of the year. It happened on the Augusta National golf course -- one of the hardest golf courses to play, and it happened on "Amen Corner," in the midst of the 11th, 12th, and 13th holes where "amens" are often spoken after prayers are answered, in sometimes miraculous ways. Curtis Strange stepped up to the tee box on the par 3 12th hole, teed the ball up, and hit a beautiful shot. It was flying directly at the flag stick on the green. When the ball hit the green, it began to roll straight towards the hole, and yes, incredibly, it dropped in the cup for a hole in one. The crowd went crazy with applause and cheering. Then Curtis Strange did an interesting thing. He leaned down, reached into the cup, picked up the ball, and he tossed it into the creek. Now the media went even crazier. With cameras on him and microphones, they asked him, "Why did you do that? Why didn't you keep it?" One person said, "You could have left it to your grandchildren." I love his response. He said this: "I certainly hope that when I'm gone I have something better than a golf ball to leave to my grandchildren." Curtis Strange had much more to give his children and his grandchildren than a golf ball from the Masters. Sure, it was a hole in one. Sure, it was an exciting moment. But the love of a father, the love of a grandfather -- that would be infinitely more precious to those in his family. Sometimes, I think that we are a bit foolish like those reporters that day. Sometimes we need straight talk that cuts through all the hype of this world and says, "There's something way more precious than this." That's what Paul is trying to tell us all today. In Christ, by the power of His Spirit, we are adopted into His family by faith; we are His children; we are His heirs. There's a love that God the Father has for you in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. I pray you see how precious that really is for you today. THE PRAYER:Dear Lord, sometimes we yearn for the things of this world so much that we denigrate or even dismiss what is precious from You. Give us faith to trust in the things that are eternal, the things You gift to all those who believe, the things that last. Amen.
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Le preguntaron: 'Entonces, ¿por qué Moisés mandó darle a la esposa un certificado de divorcio y despedirla?' Él les respondió: 'Moisés les permitió hacerlo porque ustedes tienen muy duro el corazón, pero al principio no fue así.'
El año que viene, Pam y yo cumpliremos 50 años de casados. Todos esos años juntos, como en todos los matrimonios, han estado marcados por momentos buenos y momentos malos, momentos felices y momentos tristes. El que aún nos mantengamos juntos se debe a la gracia del Señor, al amor de una maravillosa mujer, al apoyo de las buenas personas que nos rodearon y a ser conscientes que el divorcio nunca fue una opción. Pero supongamos... sólo supongamos, que nuestro matrimonio nunca hubiera tenido todo ese apoyo. Esa pregunta fue formulada por Helen Goltz de Australia, quien considera que el matrimonio para toda la vida se ha convertido "en cosa del pasado". ¿Qué es lo que Helen propone? Ella sugiere que, así como tenemos contratos a plazo fijo para comprar propiedades, carros y seguros, deberíamos tratar lo mismo en el matrimonio. Helen piensa que las parejas deberían tratar de hacer del matrimonio un contrato renovable por cinco años. De esa manera, si alguno no es feliz, al finalizar el contrato podrían irse cada uno por su lado, o renovarlo por cinco años más. Si bien suena algo extraño, no me sorprendería que en algunos años más alguien venga a proponer esa idea. Después de todo, Jesús no se sorprendió cuando los fariseos le dijeron que Moisés había permitido el divorcio por cualquier motivo. Jesús no se sorprendió, pero tampoco se impresionó, sino que defendió el matrimonio y la idea de Dios de que la unión voluntaria de un hombre y una mujer es para toda la vida. Él dijo: "Moisés les permitió hacerlo porque ustedes tienen muy duro el corazón, pero al principio no fue así". Su respuesta puede ser aplicada a otras situaciones. Cada vez que el mundo dice que las Escrituras deben ser reemplazadas por una nueva moralidad, o por ninguna moralidad, nosotros, los que hemos sido redimidos por la sangre de Jesucristo, podemos decir: "Esa idea nació de un corazón endurecido, y no de la voluntad de Dios, porque lo que ellos proponen no es el camino que Dios quiere que su pueblo siga". Aunque diciendo esto pueda que no nos haga tener un montón de simpatizantes, por lo menos sabrán cuál es nuestra posición: del lado del Señor, cuyo amor se muestra en la cruz, y no en un contrato de duración determinada. ORACIÓN: Padre celestial, te doy gracias porque el compromiso con la humanidad que demostraste en Jesús no tiene límite ni es sólo por un tiempo, sino para siempre. Permite que mi vida esté igualmente comprometida con Él. En su nombre. Amén.
The Son can do nothing by himself; he can do
only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the
Son also does. John 5:19
Isn’t it endearing to see a child mimicking his parents? How often
we’ve seen the young boy in a car seat, gripping his imaginary steering
wheel intently while keeping a close eye on the driver to see what
Daddy does next.
I remember doing the same thing when I was young. Nothing gave me
greater pleasure than doing exactly what my dad did—and I’m sure he got
an even bigger kick watching me copy his actions.
I would like to think God felt the same way when He saw His dearest
Son doing exactly what the Father did—reaching out to the lost, helping
the needy, and healing the sick. Jesus said, "the Son can do nothing by
himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever
the Father does the Son also does" (John 5:19).
We too are called to do the same—to “follow God’s example, therefore,
as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love” (Eph. 5:1–2). As
we continue growing to be more like Jesus, may we seek to love like the
Father loves, forgive like He forgives, care like He cares, and live in
ways that please Him. It is a delight to copy His actions, in the power
of the Spirit, knowing that our reward is the affectionate, tender smile
of a loving Father.
Jesus, thank You for showing us the way to the Father. Help us to be more and more like You and the Father each day.
Our Daily Bread welcomes writer Leslie Koh! Meet Leslie and all our authors at odb.org/all-authors.
The Father gave us the Spirit to make us like the Son.
Visitei Jacarta, na Indonésia,
quando fui convidado como palestrante de uma conferência bíblica numa
igreja daquela cidade. Antes do início do primeiro culto pela manhã, um
dos anciãos locais pediu-me que lhe desse a minha Bíblia. Ele explicou
que os anciãos eram responsáveis pela confiabilidade dos ensinamentos
que eram dados à congregação, e que ele devolveria a minha Bíblia diante
de toda a congregação. Essa era uma maneira tangível de mostrar para a
família da igreja que a liderança me confiava o ministério da Palavra
naquele dia.
Aquele costume era sério e encorajador. Recordou-me de que
o privilégio de apresentar as verdades bíblicas às pessoas não é algo
que se deve fazer de forma negligente. Também foi animador ver como os
anciãos, na Indonésia, levavam a sério a responsabilidade pelos cuidados
do rebanho.
Em Atos 20, lemos que Paulo se encontrou com os anciãos da
igreja de Éfeso. Sendo responsável por esses líderes, o apóstolo
advertiu-os do perigo de falsos mestres (vv.28,29) e da responsabilidade da liderança da igreja em ajudar a congregação a crescer no conhecimento da Palavra de Deus (v.32).
Não importa qual o nosso chamado, devemos manusear com
cuidado a Palavra de Deus. E se assim fizermos, o povo de Deus crescerá
espiritualmente.
Deus usa a Sua Palavra para transformar o Seu povo.
Con không thể tự mình làm điều gì, nhưng chỉ làm
điều Con thấy Cha làm; vì bất cứ điều gì Cha làm, Con cũng làm như vậy.
Giăng 5:19
Thật đáng yêu biết bao khi thấy một đứa trẻ bắt chước bố mẹ mình!
Chúng ta có lẽ vẫn thường thấy một cậu bé ngồi trong xe, chăm chú nắm
chặt tay lái tưởng tượng, mắt dán nhìn để xem bố làm gì kế tiếp.
Tôi nhớ mình đã làm điều đó khi còn nhỏ. Không gì khiến tôi vui hơn
là làm đúng những gì bố tôi làm—và tôi chắc rằng ông còn vui hơn khi
nhìn tôi bắt chước những hành động của ông.
Tôi nghĩ Đức Chúa Trời cũng cảm thấy như vậy khi thấy Con yêu dấu của
Ngài làm đúng những gì Cha đã làm—đến với những người hư mất, giúp đỡ
người nghèo và chữa lành người bệnh. Chúa Jêsus phán: “Con không thể tự
mình làm điều gì, nhưng chỉ làm điều Con thấy Cha làm; vì bất cứ điều gì
Cha làm, Con cũng làm như vậy” (Giăng 5:19).
Chúng ta cũng được kêu gọi làm giống như vậy — “Vậy, anh em hãy trở
nên những người bắt chước Đức Chúa Trời như các con yêu dấu của Ngài.
Hãy bước đi trong tình yêu thương” (Êph. 5:1-2). Khi chúng ta tiếp tục
tăng trưởng để giống Chúa Jêsus hơn, nguyện chúng ta sẽ yêu thương như
Cha yêu thương, tha thứ như Ngài tha thứ, quan tâm như Ngài quan tâm và
sống đẹp lòng Ngài. Thật vui khi noi theo những hành động của Ngài, bởi
năng lực của Đức Thánh Linh, biết rằng phần thưởng của chúng ta là nụ
cười trìu mến của Cha yêu thương.
Lạy Chúa Jêsus, cảm ơn Ngài đã chỉ cho chúng con thấy con đường đến với Đức Chúa Cha. Xin giúp chúng con mỗi ngày càng giống Ngài và giống Cha Thiên Thượng hơn.
Đức Chúa Cha ban Thánh Linh Ngài cho chúng ta để khiến chúng ta giống Con Ngài.
… todo lo que el Padre hace, también lo hace el Hijo igualmente (v. 19).
¿No es encantador ver a un hijo imitar a sus padres? Como el
niñito sentado en un auto, que toma su volante imaginario con
determinación y espía de reojo a su papá mientras este conduce, y hace
lo mismo que él.
Recuerdo que yo hacía lo mismo cuando era pequeña. Nada me gustaba
más que hacer exactamente lo mismo que mi papá… y estoy segura de que él
disfrutaba aun más al verme copiar sus acciones.
Me gusta pensar que Dios el Padre sintió lo mismo al ver que su
querido Hijo hacía exactamente lo que Él hacía: alcanzaba a los
perdidos, ayudaba a los necesitados y sanaba a los enfermos. Jesús dijo:
«No puede el Hijo hacer nada por sí mismo, sino lo que ve hacer al
Padre; porque todo lo que el Padre hace, también lo hace el Hijo
igualmente» (Juan 5:19).
Nosotros somos llamados a hacer lo mismo; a ser «imitadores de Dios
como hijos amados», y a «[andar] en amor» (Efesios 5:1-2). A medida que
vamos pareciéndonos más a Jesús, que podamos buscar amar como ama el
Padre, perdonar como Él perdona, interesarnos como se interesa y vivir
de manera que le agrade. Es un placer copiar en el poder del Espíritu lo
que Dios hace, sabiendo que nuestra recompensa es la sonrisa afectuosa y
dulce de un Padre amoroso.
Jesús, gracias por mostrarnos el camino al Padre. Ayúdanos a parecernos cada vez más a ti y al Padre.
El Padre nos dio al Espíritu para hacernos más parecidos al Hijo.
Der Sohn kann nichts von sich aus tun, sondern
nur, was er den Vater tun sieht; denn was dieser tut, das tut
gleicherweise auch der Sohn. Johannes 5,19
Wie oft haben wir schon beobachtet, wie der kleine Junge im Auto
so tut, als sitze er hinter dem Steuerrad, und dabei seinen Papa
beobachtet, um jede Bewegung nachzumachen. Und wir finden das niedlich.
Ich weiß noch, wie ich das als Kind auch gemacht habe. Nichts hat mir
größere Freude bereitet, als genau dasselbe zu tun wie mein Papa—und
vermutlich hat er sich genauso über mich gefreut oder sogar noch mehr.
Ich stelle mir vor, dass es Gott genauso ging, als er seinem Sohn
zusah, wie er tat, was der Vater tat—die Verlorenen suchte, den
Bedürftigen half und die Kranken heilte. Jesus hat gesagt: „Der Sohn
kann nichts von sich aus tun, sondern nur, was er den Vater tun sieht;
denn was dieser tut, das tut gleicherweise auch der Sohn“ (Joh. 5,19).
Genauso sollen wir es auch machen—Gottes Beispiel folgen „als die
geliebten Kinder und [lebt] in der Liebe, wie auch Christus uns geliebt
hat“ (Eph. 5,1-2). Wenn wir Jesus ähnlicher werden wollen, wollen wir
lernen, so zu lieben, wie der Vater liebt; vergeben wie er vergibt; uns
um andere kümmern, wie er es tut; so leben, wie es ihm gefällt. Es ist
eine Freude, ihn nachzuahmen, in der Kraft des Geistes, und zu wissen,
dass wir mit dem zärtlichen, liebevollen Lächeln unseres Vaters belohnt
werden.
Jesus, hab Dank, dass du uns den Weg zum Vater zeigst. Hilf uns, dir und dem Vater immer ähnlicher zu werden.
Der Vater hat uns den Geist gegeben, damit wir dem Sohn ähnlicher werden.
La Bible en un an : PSAUMES 18 – 19 et ACTES 20.17‑38
[Le] Fils ne peut rien faire de lui même, il ne fait que ce
qu’il voit faire au Père ; et tout ce que le Père fait, le Fils aussi le
fait pareillement. V. 1
N’est‑il pas attachant de voir un
enfant imiter ses parents ? Il nous arrive souvent de voir de jeunes
garçons dans leur siège de voiture en train de s’imaginer au volant tout
en gardant le conducteur à l’oeil pour voir ce que papa fera par la
suite.
Je me rappelle en avoir fait autant
lorsque j’étais enfant. Rien ne me plaisait davantage que d’imiter mon
père. Et je suis certain que de me voir ainsi copier ses actions
l’amusait encore plus que moi.
Je me plais à croire que Dieu en a
éprouvé autant de voir son précieux Fils faire exactement ce que le Père
faisait : secourir les gens perdus, venir en aide aux démunis et guérir
les malades. Jésus a dit que « le Fils ne peut rien faire de lui‑même,
il ne fait que ce qu’il voit faire au Père ; et tout ce que le Père
fait, le Fils aussi le fait pareillement » (JN 5.19).
Nous aussi sommes appelés à faire de
même : « Devenez donc les imitateurs de Dieu, comme des enfants
bien‑aimés ; et marchez dans l’amour » (ÉP 5.1,2). Tandis que nous
continuons de ressembler de plus en plus à Jésus, aspirons à aimer comme
le Père aime, à pardonner comme il pardonne, à prendre soin d’autrui
comme il le fait et à vivre d’une manière qui lui est agréable. C’est
formidable de copier ses actions, par le pouvoir de l’Esprit, en sachant
que cela nous vaudra pour récompense le sourire tendre et affectueux
d’un Père bien‑aimé.
Le Père nous a donné l’Esprit pour nous rendre semblables au Fils.
Син нічого робити не може Сам від Себе, тільки те, що Він бачить, що робить Отець; бо що робить Він, те так само й Син робить. — Івана 5:19
Хіба не викликає ніжні почуття маленька дитина, що намагається
наслідувати своїх батьків? Скільки разів ми бачили маленьких хлопчиків
на задньому сидінні в машині, що тримають уявний руль і не зводять при
цьому очей зі свого батька – щоб бачити, що той робитиме далі.
Пригадую, що й сам таке робив, коли був малим. Ніщо не приносило
мені більшого задоволення, як точне імітування того, що робив мій
батько. І, гадаю, він отримував велике задоволення, споглядаючи це.
Приємно думати, що Бог напевно відчував подібну радість і задоволення,
коли бачив, як Його Син робить те ж саме, що й Він, – спасає грішників,
допомагає нужденним, зцілює хворих. Ісус Сам сказав: “Син нічого робити
не може Сам від Себе, тільки те, що Він бачить, що робить Отець; бо що
робить Він, те так само й Син робить (Ів. 5:19).
Ми покликані наслідувати приклад Ісуса: “Будьте наслідувачами Богові, як улюблені діти, і поводьтеся в любові” (Еф. 5:1-2).
Якщо дійсно бажаємо уподібнюватись Ісусу, то давайте будемо любити так,
як наш Небесний Отець. Давайте так прощати, як Він прощає; піклуватися
про інших так, як Він піклується. Це приносить справжню насолоду, коли
ми імітуємо дії Христа в силі Святого Духа, бажаючи найвищої нагороди –
ніжної, схвальної посмішки нашого Небесного Отця.
Ісусе, дякуємо за те, що вказуєш нам шлях до Отця. Допоможи нам щодня все більше уподібнюватись Тобі.
Отець дав нам Свого Духа, щоб зробити нас схожими на Свого Сина.
Сын ничего не может творить Сам от Себя, если не увидит Отца творящего, ибо, что творит Он, то и Сын творит также. — Иоанна 5:19
Разве не интересно наблюдать, как дети повторяют поведение своих
родителей? Например, как малыш в машине деловито крутит воображаемый
руль, краем глаза следя за папой: что он будет делать дальше? Помню, как
сам делал то же самое в детстве. Ничто не доставляло мне большего
удовольствия, чем повторять все, что делал папа. Уверен, что и он
веселился, глядя на мое «попугайское» поведение.
Мне хочется думать, что Бог также радовался, видя, как Его
Единородный Сын делает то же, что делал Отец: ищет погибших, помогает
нуждающимся, исцеляет больных. Иисус сказал: «Сын ничего не может
творить Сам от Себя, если не увидит Отца творящего, ибо, что творит Он,
то и Сын творит также» (Ин. 5:19).
И мы призваны к тому же. «Подражайте Богу, как дети возлюбленные, и живите в любви», – писал апостол Павел (Еф. 5:1-2).
Возрастая в подобии Христу, будем стремиться любить, как любит Небесный
Отец, прощать, как прощает Он, заботиться подобно Ему и вообще жить
так, как желает Он. Нам самим понравится подражать Его делам в силе
Святого Духа, зная, что наградой будет похвала от любящего Отца.
Господь Иисус, благодарим Тебя за то, что показал нам пути Отца. Помоги каждый день стараться быть похожими на Тебя и отражать Твой характер.
Отец дал нам Духа Святого, чтобы сделать похожими на Своего Сына.
Opening Sentence Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Phillipians 1:2 Sunday Morning Prayer
Open my eyes, gracious Lord, as I turn to your word. I long to know you, to understand life, and to be changed. Examine me, Lord, by the floodlight of your truth. Amen
Confession and Forgiveness
Almighty God, since thou delayst with so much forbearance the punishments which we have deserved and daily draw on ourselves, grant that we may not indulge ourselves but carefully consider how often and in how many different ways we have provoked thy wrath against us. May we learn humbly to present ourselves to thee for pardon, and with true repentance implore thy mercy. With all our heart we desire to submit ourselves to thee, whether thou chastisest us, or according to thine infinite goodness, forgivest us. Let our condition be ever blessed, not by flattering ourselves in our apathy, but by finding thee to be our kind and bountiful Father, reconciled to us in thine only-begotten Son. Amen.
Today's Readings The First Reading is taken from Isaiah 55:10-13
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the LORD for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
Psalm 65:(1-8), 9-14 1 You are to be praised, O God, in Zion; to you shall vows be performed in Jerusalem. 2 To you that hear prayer shall all flesh come, because of their transgressions. 3 Our sins are stronger than we are, but you will blot them out. 4 Happy are they whom you choose and draw to your courts to dwell there! they will be satisfied by the beauty of your house, by the holiness of your temple. 5 Awesome things will you show us in your righteousness, O God of our salvation, O Hope of all the ends of the earth and of the seas that are far away. 6 You make fast the mountains by your power; they are girded about with might. 7 You still the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the clamor of the peoples. 8 Those who dwell at the ends of the earth will tremble at your marvelous signs; you make the dawn and the dusk to sing for joy. 9 You visit the earth and water it abundantly; you make it very plenteous; the river of God is full of water. 10 You prepare the grain, for so you provide for the earth. 11 You drench the furrows and smooth out the ridges; with heavy rain you soften the ground and bless its increase. 12 You crown the year with your goodness, and your paths overflow with plenty. 13 May the fields of the wilderness be rich for grazing, and the hills be clothed with joy. 14 May the meadows cover themselves with flocks, and the valleys cloak themselves with grain; let them shout for joy and sing.
The Second Reading is taken from Romans 8:1-11
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law-- indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
The Holy Gospel is written in Matthew 13:1-9, 13:18-23
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!" "Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."
Click HERE to read today's Holy Gospel Lesson message
The Apostle's Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen
Prayer of the Day
O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you, and grant that they may know and understand what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
A Prayer for Sundays
O God, you make us glad with the weekly remembrance of the glorious resurrection of your Son our Lord: Give us this day such blessing through our worship of you, that the week to come may be spent in your favor; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for Mission
Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen.
This old video of a parade in London in 1910 shows how much fire William Booth and the Salvation Army once had in their bellies. How we could use a man like that today!
Onward Christian Soldiers - Hymn Lyrics Choir / William Booth Audio/Film - Salvation Army
Lyrics Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before. Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe; forward into battle see his banners go!
Refrain: Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before.
At the sign of triumph Satan's host doth flee; on then, Christian soldiers, on to victory! Hell's foundations quiver at the shout of praise; brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise.
Like a mighty army moves the church of God; brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod. We are not divided, all one body we, one in hope and doctrine, one in charity.
Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane, but the church of Jesus constant will remain. Gates of hell can never gainst that church prevail; we have Christ's own promise, and that cannot fail.
Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng, blend with ours your voices in the triumph song. Glory, laud, and honor unto Christ the King, this through countless ages men and angels sing.
Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia! Thanks be to God! Alleluia!
Closing Prayer
And now let me go forth praising you, O Lord, with all my heart, telling of all your wonders, with my words and in my actions. I will be glad and rejoice in you this day. I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. Amen.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The New Revised Standard Version Bible may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, provided the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible or account for fifty percent (50%) of the total work in which they are quoted.
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!" "Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."
A man walked into a flower shop and asked for some potted red geraniums. "I’m sorry," said the clerk in flower shop, "we are completely sold out of all of our potted geraniums. But I’d be more than happy to give you a deal on something else. Could you use African violets instead?" Replied the customer sadly, "No, it was geraniums my wife told me to water while she was gone." You’d think that a simple task like watering the plants wouldn’t be too hard for a guy. But speaking from experience, I can sympathize with this man. I realize there are people here that really like gardening, but I don’t. Watering plants just doesn’t make it for me. If I want some vegetables, I’ll go down to the grocery store and get some. But – of course – somebody had to grow that vegetable that I bought at the store. And our nation has some of the finest farmers that have ever walked the face of the earth. They have the finest tractors and plows and combines, and because of their skill and the tools they can use… America literally feeds the world. Back in the days of Jesus, however, farmers had a lot less to work with. And the picture we see here in Matthew 13 is that of the common farmer. He doesn’t have the tools to properly fit the ground and prepare for seed, so he simply reaches into his bag, takes out handful after handful of seed and flings it across the ground. Because of the haphazard way he’s throwing the seed… · Some of it falls on a nearby hard-packed pathway · Some falls amongst the rocks · Some falls on weedy ground… · But then, some of it falls on fertile ground and the seed takes root and gives a bountiful crop Now Jesus is telling a story, and He’s telling this story to illustrate how God intended to spread the Gospel across the land and bring people to salvation. But there were a couple of things about this story that struck me as odd: 1st – The parable seems to give the impression that God isn’t all that concerned about which soil He allows His seed to take root in. Just think about that for a minute: The Seed is the Word of God. The Seed belongs to God. Now, since the Seed belongs to God… don’t you think He’d be a little more selective about which soil even gets to receive this gift? But that’s not how it plays out. The footpath and the rocky soil and weedy soil… they all get a shot at this seed… WHY? Well, I got to thinking about that. A couple of weeks ago, we sent a team of us to Mexico to help a missionary team plant churches in Zaragoza and Salitre. As we were driving across the desert and up into the mountains we couldn’t help noticing all the rocks scattered across the land. There were millions of them. Rocks the size of your fist, the size of softballs the size of watermelons and the size small buildings. There were rocks everywhere. When I asked about it, she laughed and said “yes, they say that the one thing this land grows well is rocks… it’s literally a rock garden.” When we got to Zaragoza we passed by one of the few gardens I saw there. It had corn growing in a plot the size of a big back yard but there too, there were rocks scattered throughout the garden plot. Why would the farmer plant corn in such a rock filled yard? Well, if the man wanted a crop… he had to scatter his seed in the land that he had… and then trust that the seed would bear fruit. And the farmer in Jesus’ parable did the same thing. He’s scattering His seed over all the land He had… trusting that the seed would bear fruit. In Isaiah 55:10-11 God declares
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
You see that’s the power of God’s SEED - the Word of God God scatters it all over the earth, because it has power to take root in the harshest ground. And once it takes root, it can bear fruit. God doesn’t care about the condition of the soil. Of course, the harsher the soil, the harder it becomes to get a crop… but you can still get a crop. Just as an example: Preparing for this sermon I ran across this passage out of Scripture:
"For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him."Isa.53:2
Anybody have an idea about who that prophecy referred to???? (Jesus) Jesus was a root out of DRY GROUND The soil shouldn’t have yielded a harvest - but it did. It gave us OUR SAVIOR Now, this is how I want to see this: There are churches who only want people in their building that are good soil They only want children from good homes They only want couples that dress nice They only want young people rather than old They want people that will make them look good and pay the bills. But that wasn’t the kind of people Jesus spent His time with was it? Jesus spent time with prostitutes, tax collectors… sinners (pause…) remember that. So God doesn’t seem to be concerned about which soil His seed falls. He’s confident of the power of the seed. The soil doesn’t matter, it’s the harvest He’s looking for. The best soils were the ones that yielded a harvest of 30 to 100x’s more than what was sown. The question to ask yourself today is: “what kind of harvest have you been yielding for Jesus? How deeply has the seed taken root in your souls? Besides being faithful on Sunday morning worship (and I want you to know how grateful I am to have someone to talk to on Sunday mornings) what are you doing for Jesus right now? Henry Ford gave away millions of dollars to many different causes in his lifetime, but he was notorious for the fact that he refused to give any money at all to schools. He felt that well-meaning but nonbusiness-like people frequently mishandled those gifts. Now, there was a woman named Martha Berry who had begun a school in Mt. Berry, Georgia. She’d started the school because she was shocked to discover that many of rural children attended neither a church nor school and were unfamiliar with stories from the Bible. So she decided to start a school where the poor could learn to read and write and do arithmetic and to know basic Bible stories. But she needed more money than she had. Now, she was aware of the fact that Ford never gave money to schools but she went to him anyway and asked for an endowment. As expected, Ford refused. So Miss Berry, said “Well, then, would you give me a dime to plant a sack of raw peanuts?” Ford was a little taken back and he asked why she wanted just a dime. She replied: “A dime is all I want, Mr. Ford, but I do want to show you what I can do with 10 cents” Berry returned to her school and she and her students planted and replanted the peanuts. Then she sold the crop for $600 and took the money to Ford. She stood face-to-face with Henry Ford, and said, “See how practical we are in the use of money at the Martha Berry School?” Mr. Ford was so pleased with what she’d done, he gave Miss Berry the $600 back… and added $2 million to it. Martha Berry took the money and built the buildings that became Berry College in Mt. Berry, GA. The difference between God and Henry Ford is – God believes we are capable of making good use of what He’s given us. He believes in us, and He trusts us to be faithful. The question for us today… what have we done with the seed God gave us? Well, enough about that… there was one more thing that bothered me about this story. 2nd – Jesus tells this parable to the crowd… but He doesn’t explain what it means (pause…) Why would He do that? Well some have speculated that Jesus used parables to get the people’s attention. That’s why I use stories in my sermons. I know they keep you interested and they help illustrate what I’m trying to get you to understand. But there’s an even deeper reason why Jesus told the people parables. Look again with me to Matthew 13:10-16
“The disciples came to him and asked, ‘Why do you speak to the people in parables?’
He replied, ‘The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
This is why I speak to them in parables: Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.”
But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.’”
Now at first glance you might think Jesus told parables because He didn’t want everybody to understand what He was saying. But that’s not actually what that passage in Matthew is telling us. He’s not saying He didn’t want people to hear or see God’s truth… He was just being realistic. Jesus knew that there are people out there who really don’t want to understand what God is trying to say. He could explain Himself to those folks until He was blue in the face… but they’d just given Him a blank stare. About 20 yrs ago Time magazine had an article on something called the “Jesus Seminar.” Apparently some self-appointed scholars got together and questioned the authenticity of the Gospels we find in the Bible. So they had been meeting together twice a year to vote on which sections of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John they felt actually recorded the true history of Jesus. When it came to the parables… the article explained that “these ‘scholars’ decided that they preferred parables without explicit applications. In other words, these heretics liked the parables - they just didn’t want to be told what they meant. They had eyes to see, but they refused to see… ears to hear, but they didn’t want to hear it. Now besides that very real rejection of God’s truth by people, there is another reason why Jesus didn’t explain the parables to the crowds: they wouldn’t have understood them anyway. The parables were merely told by Jesus to peak their interest and get them to want more, but they would never comprehended the spiritual truth in them… because they couldn’t It’s impossible for unspiritual people to fully understand spiritual truths. 1 Corinthians 2:12-14
“We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
Until we become Christians, the stories of Jesus can catch our attention but we can never FULLY comprehend what those truths mean… until we God’s Spirit dwells within us. Acts 2 tells us how we can lay hold of God’s Spirit. In that chapter, we’re told that Peter preached such a powerful sermon that the crowd interrupted his message to ask him what they could do. And in Acts 2:38 tells us that
“Peter said unto them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you shall receive (what???) the gift of the Holy Ghost.’”
Notice what it says: When you repent of your sins And your baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins… Then God gives you His Holy Spirit to dwell inside you. It’s like signing a contract. When we bought our house, Diana and I went into a bank office and sat down at a long table across from the sellers. Between us, on the table, was a contract, listing the physical description of the house and some legal jargon. But down at the bottom of that contract were two sets of lines. One set of lines was for us (as the buyers) to sign, and the other set of lines was for the sellers. So also with salvation. We “sign” the contract by our faith, repentance, confession of Jesus, and baptism. But then God signs the contract. He signs it by placing His Spirit inside of us. The Spirit is not a dormant thing that sets inside like some inanimate object on a wall. No! The Spirit of God is a living active force that not only marks us as belonging to God, but works within us to comfort us and help us… and to “teach us” spiritual truths. And one of the tools that Spirit uses to teach us with is God’s Word (the seed). That’s why it is so critical for us to constantly expose ourselves to scripture on Sunday mornings, and in Sunday School, and in Bible studies, and in personal study time. The more we study God’s Bible, the more material God’s Spirit can work with to teach us more and deeper spiritual truths about God and our relationship with Him.
Seeking God? Click HERE to find out more about how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The New Revised Standard Version Bible may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, provided the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible or account for fifty percent (50%) of the total work in which they are quoted. Sermon shared by Rev. Malcolm Rogers on Apr 23, 2016. Contributed by Jeff Strite on Aug 6, 2007.
O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you, and grant that they may know and understand what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
El
Señor me está inquietando en gran medida con esto del matrimonio.
Aunque esté casada, sé que muchas personas están pasando crisis
matrimoniales muy fuertes. He visto que no solo las parejas se
casan en la adolescencia sin saber lo que quieren para el futuro, sino
que muchos otros se casan por cubrir un error llamado «embarazo». Así
que no hay tiempo de conocer a fondo a las parejas que, en vez de ser
parejas, son «disparejas». No hay tiempo para conocer comportamientos
durante el noviazgo, y si ven reacciones violentas, no las tienen en
cuenta en el momento de tomar la decisión de casarse. Cuando te
casas pensando que todo va a hacer color de rosa, que no es verdad
porque también la convivencia tiene sus ajustes, súmale a esto personas
que después de casadas muestran reacciones violentas, celos enfermizos y
cambios bruscos de ánimo. ¡Es muy preocupante! Hoy te invito a
que, si estás soltero, disfrutes de tu soltería. No entres en el afán
absurdo de casarte por casarte y no esperar la persona adecuada en el
tiempo de Dios. No obstante, si estás en la época de noviazgo y
consideras la posibilidad de casarte, ora para que sea Dios el que te dé
luz verde. En el caso de que seas casado, como yo, necesitamos
consagrarnos a Dios guardando el matrimonio en oración constante, de
modo que cada obstáculo que se levante lo superemos con su favor. No
entreguemos al enemigo nuestros hogares, sino defendámoslo, a fin de
que Dios sea el centro de la relación y nuestro Consejero.
This
attitude portrays a maturity of belief that shows a servant is ready
for service. When completeness or wholeness is achieved, the servant
receives the satisfaction of being used of God for that which they have
been called, trained and equipped. In ancient times, wages were
very low and men often could not earn enough for the family to eat well.
Water was also a precious commodity. The emphasis in this Beatitude is
the passionate desire for the whole, for complete righteousness as a
matter of life and death. Blessed indeed is the one whose most
passionate desire is to love God and to love others as they ought. Thus:
Blessed
are those who long for total righteousness as a starving person longs
for food and as a person perishing of thirst longs for water, for they
will be truly satisfied.
People of other faiths are
impressed with those who take their faith seriously. They do not respect
people whose religion is merely outward form, who are just “weekend Christians.” Much of what they see is materialistic, that is, “carnal” or “worldly” (see 1 Corinthians 3).
Christianity turns them off—the low regard for moral purity, the
hedonism, the wishy-washiness, the unwillingness to suffer or make
sacrifices, the fear of making a stand. As Brother Andrew says,
“How can Muslims respect a church that is in hiding?” Christians need to
acknowledge their beliefs and be willing to suffer for their faith and
convictions. A more complete righteousness will definitely have great
impact. It will earn respect for our preaching the Gospel. During a
visit to Indonesia, a coworker had the wonderful opportunity of
participating in an Open Doors SSTS seminar held in an area of intense
conflict. The constant presence of armed soldiers outside the building
confirmed that this seminar was far more than theology – this was
reality! More than 700 churches were already burnt to the ground and the
church in the region was facing a severe onslaught. On the second
day of teaching, he remembers one pastor suddenly jumping up and with
all his heart cried out, “My brother, please don’t teach us to survive,
teach us to be faithful.” RESPONSE: Today I am so grateful for God’s presence in my life that I yearn for more of Him. PRAYER: Lord I long for total righteousness so that the world will see more of Your faithfulness in me.
