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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness Gal 5:22 |
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Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for collecting daily manna), make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Friday, August 10, 2018
Today's Passage : Today's Passage:Subjecta:Longing to Go to Rome Bible Verse:Romans 1:8-12 "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. " Message:
When Paul tells the Roman church that their faith is proclaimed throughout the world, he is not exaggerating. A new Jewish sect growing in Jerusalem or Antioch is one thing. But Rome was a city like no other, unequaled in Western history for the sheer concentration of wealth and power. And although the Roman religion was not one that sought converts among conquered peoples, it was enormously important in Rome itself. It was very much tied to the government.
So the rise of a faithful, even fanatical, new religion in Rome itself, based in the faith of the Jews, would have attracted attention, not only from fellow Christians, but also from the general population of the Empire.
To Christians, the church was remarkable for a second reason. It had not been founded by Paul or any of the great apostles. As far as we know, no apostle had even visited it; Romans predates even the arrival of Peter. And yet, it prospered in remarkable faith.
Jesus Holy Spirit
And just as remarkable, the bulk of the Roman church was almost certainly Gentiles. Claudius had expelled the Jews from Rome at the point of a sword. He had only been dead for three years when this epistle was written. Most Jews would have been uneasy at the thought of living in Rome. They had no way of knowing if their presence would be tolerated, or for how long.
We can hear two different reactions to this in Paul’s words. Initially, he is genuinely filled with a sense of thanks and praise—not to mention a touch of surprise. How did this miracle happen? It is their “faith” that is proclaimed, and it is faith that sustains them. The Roman church is almost a miracle of faith.
Also, however, Paul knows that the Roman church is desperately in need of fundamental guidance, lest their faith drive them into error. The early church was chaotic. Countless people with partial knowledge were teaching all sorts of things under the rubric of “Christianity” by now. (A problem that still plagues us today!) There were people who, with little background or knowledge, simply proclaimed themselves apostles and even “super-apostles.”
Paul knows the gift he has, that he can give to the church at Rome: A true grounding in the fundamentals of the Gospel. It is not pride that drives him, but conviction. And at the same time, he gives them some credit. He is humble enough to realize that the sheer magnitude of the Romans’ faith would be wonderful to behold, and share.
Meditation : . Prayer : As I travel through the rest of my day, may the God of hope fill me with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit I may abound in hope.......Amen |
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