Romans 2:11

For there is no partiality with God.

Personal Challenge

We live in a day of extremes. Our world has become divided by the great purveyor of division and we have bought in to this lie, hook, line, and sinker. It is not only in the world, but is deeply enmeshed is our churches as well because we who profess to be Christians have brought it there. Democrat versus Republican. Mask verse no mask. Vaccinated verses anti-vaccinated. Pews versus no pews. What have we done. We rally our forces and often use the same scriptures to justify our positions. We make terse statements to justify our stand, hurting those on the other side, all the while proclaiming that it was not our intention to hurt anyone. God does not show partiality. He loves us all equally. The Church throughout history has suffered many divisions and yet still stands. Both Jesus and Paul knew this would happen because they prayed for unity. We cannot be unified if we continue to choose to be aligned with a side and jeer at the person on the other side. If we are truly followers of Christ, then we will love each other as He loved us. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy on us sinners! Lord, have mercy on your broken church! Lord, have mercy!

Romans 2:1

Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.

Personal Challenge

I have heard it proclaimed by some well-meaning Christians that Christians have been given the authority to judge others for their non-Christian behaviors. This belief can not be found in the Scriptures. Jesus taught us to judge not that we be not judged. Here, Paul challenges us that if we judge others that we are condemning ourselves by that judgment. Christ left us with two basic commandments to live our lives by. We are to love our God and to love our neighbor. If we go through our life living by these two premises, we will not find room to be judgmental. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

WITHOUT EXCUSE

Romans 1:20-21

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Encouraging Words

God is everywhere. He always has been and He always will be. He made everything that exists through His Son and in that process of creation He embedded Himself. We cannot help but see God in everything great and small, if we will just open our eyes. Because of this truth, we have no excuse to deny God. He did this because He loves us and does not want any of us to be separated from Him. Glory be to God!

Romans 1:16-17

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

Encouraging Words

It is clear from the teachings throughout the scriptures and throughout the history of the church that the gospel of Christ is for everyone. There are no exclusions, no reasons for segregation, no opportunity to keep it for a select few. It is in this that we find our encouragement. We find our salvation from death in the gospel of Christ and power of God. This is why we are not ashamed to proclaim this gospel and this truth to everyone, all the time. Glory be to God!

Acts 28:30

Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.

Personal Challenge

Sometimes our journey through life as a Christian hits a bumpy road. Actually, most of the Christian journey is a bumpy road because if we are truly following in the footsteps of Christ, we are walking counter to the things of the world, and the world hates us for it. But by the grace of our Lord, he continues to give us what we need to continually be preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence. Will we be tired? Yes? Will it be difficult? Yes! Will it be worth it? Absolutely! Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Acts 21:13

Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Personal Challenge

Sometimes we are fortunate enough to hear the voice of God leading us in the direction that He wants us to go. It is usually a very calm, faint whisper and will often point us to areas that we would have never thought about going to. As we begin to listen to that voice and follow its leading, we will begin to hear the louder voices of our friends and families telling us to stop and stay where we are. The question for each of us is, “Which voice will I listen to?”. This is an important part of our journey through life. God will never make us do anything. He has purposed to give us the free will to make and follow our own choices. The key is that we will also reap the consequences of those choices. The consequences will always be more heavenly if we choose to listen to His still, small voice. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner and help me to hear your voice!

Acts 20:29

For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.

Personal Challenge

From the very beginning of the church, we have been warned of those who will try to turn the people to their way of thinking. In the first 700-800 years of the church we had many battles with heretical teachings that attempted to turn the people away from the truth. It was met head on by the early church fathers and councils to fight the onslaught. It is no different today. We are still fighting those heresies of the early days as well as new permutations. The difficulty that we face today is that there are so many groups, or faith practices, that proclaim Jesus as their Lord and yet also hold on to and teach heresies. We have become so divided and so independent that is hard to have a unified confrontation with these lies This is why we must be diligent to watch for the savage wolves amongst us and be willing to stand up to them. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Acts 17:28

for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’

Encouraging Words

Throughout the scriptures, both the Old Testament and the New, the followers of God are labelled, “His children.” In this passage, Paul is debating with the Athenians about their idol to the unknown God. They had a god for everything. Paul presents to them that there is only one God and that it is because of Him that we live and move and have our being. He also proclaims that because of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, we are now adopted into the family of God and are His offspring. We are indeed, His children. Glory be to God!

Acts 17:6

But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.”

Personal Challenge

So, why were Jason and other brethren dragged before the rulers of the city? This happened in the city of Thessalonica. Paul and Silas had come here to stay with Jason and these other brethren in order to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to this part of the world. The gospel was changing lives. The gospel was changing the world. Is that gospel any different than the gospel that we have to share today? No! We have the same gospel to share that Paul, Silas, and Jason had to share. So, what has changed? The messengers. If we desire to see our world turned upside down for Jesus then we need to embrace it and share it as the early church fathers did. We need to throw off the garments of this temporal world and put on the garments of Christ in order to be on fire for Him and change our world. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!