Month: December 2011

“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you…”
Rom 12:3

As we’ve been considering Romans 12 over the last few weeks, the Lord has impressed upon my heart the abilities we have as a result of His indwelling Spirit.  From the very beginning of the chapter until the end, we are urged to live in a manner that is “holy, acceptable to God.” (Rom 12:1) This type of life was simply impossible without salvation.  It is a life in absolute contradiction to the old nature, but this life is a reality now for those that are in Christ.  I can now, “through the grace given to me,” live in a way that reflects my Savior, but it is still no easy task.  It is a constant battle.  Meditate on the passage below before you face the world each day.  Strive to live in obedience to it.  This instruction is not out of reach!  It is part of the “all things” that we can do through Christ who strengthens us. (Ph 4:13) We need to be reminded daily that we can overcome “because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world!” (1 Jn 4:4)

Jamie

Rom 12:9-17
⁹ Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; ¹¹ not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; ¹² rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; ¹³ distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.    ¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.    ¹⁷ Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

“…so we, being many, are one body in Christ…”
Rom 12:5

There is such an amazing diversity in the body of Christ!  We are many yet one.  As our Lord described the kingdom of heaven in Mt 13:47, he said it was like a dragnet that was “cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind”.  Do you know how many species of fish there are in the ocean?  Scientists say there are about 15,000 known species, but because so much of the ocean is unexplored, they estimate it’s probably 20,000 or more!  That’s quite a variety!  The Lord compares that variety to His church, the diverse group of people caught by the Gospel net!

The children of God come in every color, shape, and size.  One brother the other day was relating to me how he was snagged by that net in the fourth grade.  I know another man who was saved a couple of years ago in his 50’s!  You may be a young, seemingly innocent, Samuel, living among the priests in the temple and hearing the voice of the Lord, or you might be old like king Manasseh, more wicked than all your predecessors and living in captivity when God quickens your heart!.  Whether an Ethiopian eunuch, growing up outside of the law and the customs of God’s people, or a Pharisee of Pharisees, so heavily steeped in religion you don’t need a Savior, God is still able!  He saves out of every tribe, tongue, people, and nation! (Rev 5:9)

We have all of that great diversity within the church, but God simply sees them all as “good” in Mt 13:48.  We need to see one another that way, my brethren, and appreciate the role of each member of the body!  In both passages that focus on this diversity–in Rom 12 where are text is from and then also in 1 Cor 12–we are reminded to not exalt ourselves and to love and appreciate one another. (See Rom 12:3, 9-10; 1 Cor 12:4, 20-21, 25-26) In fact, right after the diversity chapter in 1 Cor 12, we have an entire chapter on love!

Why would God organize His word that way?  Since we do come from different tribes, we’ve got different customs, characteristics, mannerisms, etc., and we’re going to be tempted to divide the body by getting into our own little like-minded groups based on our backgrounds.  Christians, don’t sweat the small stuff!  I hate to see Christians measure other Christians by their non-biblical customs.  Don’t do it!  God’s formed each member in His spiritual body for His glory and for the good of the entire church.  It is because we are different that we are so effective!  Just because He’s made you more like a lung that’s focused on air, don’t try to convince that brother who functions more like the heart to do the same.  What happens when air gets in the heart?  It’s lethal!

We are diverse, but we must be united as one.  What a miracle God has performed in putting us together!  Thank God for one another, brethren, and “walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with [that literally means “putting up with”!] one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Eph 4:1-3)

Jamie

“…for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest…”
Joshua 3:15

This past Thanksgiving, we visited my in-laws who live on the Georgia coast near Jekyll Island.  A salt-water river runs in front of their house giving them easy access to the ocean.  When you look out their front door, you see the tall grass of the marsh, with the river behind it, and then more marshland that seems to go on forever.  Thanksgiving morning, however, I saw a different sight.  The marshes were barely visible!  Instead of a river, it looked like a lake, with the top of a few of the tall grasses poking up through the surface.

As I looked at the overflowing river, I couldn’t help but think of the appearance of the Jordan when Joshua and Israel stood on its banks prior to entering the land of Canaan.  My pastor had recently preached from that very text, so it was fresh on my mind (there are some great messages from the Joshua study at http://www.truthtapes.com).  I thought about how the Lord so often works in our lives.  Of all the times for the children of Israel to arrive at the Promised Land, it was during the season that the Jordan overflowed!  They had children, livestock, and carts that had to get across, and, humanly speaking, it was the worst time to forge that river.  Why did they show up at that time?  Because it was exactly the time God had determined!  You see, God doesn’t put us in places that are difficult.  God places us in situations that are impossible!

Why does God work that way?  It’s for our own good, children, that no flesh should glory in His presence! (1 Co 1:29) Gideon and his 32,000 were outnumbered by their enemies, but God told him to send some men home.  What?  The odds are already against us!  Why?  God said, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’” (Jdg 7:2) See, the situation needed to not simply be hard but impossible!  It’s at those times God does His greatest work, and when He works, there’s no doubt Who is responsible!  He gets all the glory!!!

Is your Jordan overflowing right now?  Does the situation seem to be going from bad to worse?  Take heart, dear Christian!  If God is for you, who can be against you? (Rom 8:31) The overflowing Jordan is nothing to Him!  The children of Israel walked through that riverbed on dry ground!!! (Jos 3:17) Be comforted by the Lord’s promises.  He will always keep His word!

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior…” (Is 43:1-3)

There’s a small bird that lives in the marshes of South Georgia that the locals call a marsh hen.  We enjoyed a pretty good meal of fried marsh hen one of the nights we visited with the in-laws.  These birds stay so deeply embedded in the marsh that it’s impossible to get to them except at one time–when the tide is so high that the river overflows!  For those that trust in the Lord, the overflowing river is nothing more than a tool to bring forth the blessing God has in store!

Jamie