The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse reading–Romans 13 (day one)

“For it (government) does not bear the sword for nothing. . .it is a minister of God. . .who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.”–v 4.

Election year in our nation.  Clear thinking needed.  Church and state are not “separated”.  Not in the mind of God.  Both have assigned functions.  Both answer to Him.

The state exists to “bring wrath on the one who practices evil”.  The symbol is “the sword”– the legitimate use of force.  Law enFORCEment.  To check evil tendencies and to “praise” those who do good–v 3.

The church exists to be “the body of Christ”, to extend His presence, His name, His will into the world by Holy Spirit filled life.

The state enforces boundaries.  The church lives in the Spirit.  The believer is to respect both out of love for God.

Should a believer ever oppose an unjust government?  Let’s think together this week as we read Romans 13.

 

Re:Verse passage: Romans 12 (day seven)

“Fervent is Spirit, serving the Lord”–v 11.

Can you name something that is useless or unappetizing when cold?  A campfire?  Spaghetti?  A church?  Less about temperature.  More about intensity.  “Fervent in Spirit” describes a believer “on fire”.  Emitting light and warmth, spending himself (being consumed) in service, igniting others.

Did Paul already know Christians who had lost enthusiasm?  Probably.  Jesus warned of it. “Because lawlessness is increased most people’s love will grow cold.”—Matthew 24:12.  Love and Law are connected. Apart from courageous obedience, their relationship suffered.  Passionate, fervent, love for Christ disappeared.  Brrrr!

Honest now, are there signs of a temperature drop in your life?  Is there intensity?  Courage?  Are others ignited by your witness and example?

“For this reason, I remind you to FAN INTO FLAME the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”–2 Timothy 1:6  What will you do, today, to keep the fire going?

Re:Verse passage: Romans 12 (day five)

The Old Testament system asked for animals to be brought to the altar, sacrificed and burned for atonement. Jesus came, died, rose again and became the perfect atoning sacrifice for our sin(s). What now? A new approach and perspective on atonement is prescribed. Romans 12:1 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

The altar is still an image and picture of God and His relationship with His people. We are exhorted to still come to the altar (alive) not to make an atoning sacrifice for our sin, but a living sacrifice, because atonement has already been made. R.C. Sproul says, “To be a Christian means to live a life of sacrifice, a life of presentation, making a gift of ourselves to God… that is the appropriate response to Him and for Him.”

Re:Verse passage: Romans 12 (day four)

How do I live the Christian life?  What should it look like?  Someone must have asked Paul these questions, because he covers the answer very clearly.  Beginning at verse 9, Paul spends the rest of the chapter painting a radical picture of what the Christian life should look like.  Some of the instructions we might could have guessed…love without hypocrisy, abhor what is evil, cling to what is good…these are not so surprising.  Bless those who persecute you, associate with the lowly, never pay back evil…now those are just not common.  Feed your enemy, overcome evil with good…are you kidding me?  Paul is saying the Christian life does not look common…he is saying it should look like Christ.  It goes back to verses 1 and 2…present yourselves as a living sacrifice, acceptable to God…do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Why?  So we can prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Re: Verse reading — Romans 12 (day three)

“Overcome evil with good.” In our world of “culture wars” and “love wins” and “right and wrong side of history”, we can come to believe that we fulfill our calling by striving to keep the forces of the devil from advancing. But the question is not, “Will evil conquer the world?” Rather, the question is, “Will we become good?” Paul tells us to become transformed by the renewing of our minds, and to set our minds on things above instead of earthly things–on the good that must take root in our lives rather than the bad that threatens us in this world. Self-inventory in the presence of our Lord is always the harder task. But unless we submit to his transforming discipline, we will never think like Christ when it comes time to act against evil.

Re: Verse reading — Romans 12 (day two) 

“Present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice…be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”vs.1-2

Call to Worship, choir, orchestra, band, hymnody, scripture, and prayer these are the things we generally associate with the beginning of worship. These are good things, things which bring honor and glory to Jesus and are edifying to the body. What if worship, however, wasn’t dependent on those things. What if worship began in you and the those elements I listed earlier become an outpouring of what you were already experiencing.

Too often, I think, we rely on the “service” to begin our worship. It then becomes the responsibility of others, i.e. pastor, worship leaders, musicians to begin our worship. We expect them to get us fired up to worship, but perhaps we relegate too much responsibility to others in that case. It is not a secret that we come into the house of the Lord to give him the glory and praise he deserves. Why not let the first words out your mouth in the morning be a declaration of thanksgiving. Why not prepare your body and mind to worship. Think of what an awesome corporate experience that would be if we came expecting to meet Jesus and ready to worship him with every part of ourselves.

 

Re: Verse reading — Romans 12 (day one) 

“I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.“–v 1.

When does worship happen?  Where are you?  In a sanctuary?  Listening to a choir?  Praise band?  Sermon?  In a quiet time of study and prayer?  Looking at a nighttime sky full of stars?

Paul has a specific marker for spiritual worship (some translations read “reasonable service” i.e. that response to God that “makes sense”)  Paul says that it is when we give our lives to God. Like a sacrifice in the Old Testament system, only this time the sacrifice doesn’t die, it continues to live with a powerful new purpose.  This sacrifice, this surrender of life, Paul calls worship.

No wonder Christians call it a worship “service”.   Implied in true worship is a promise to rise from my knees to do His will.

 

Re:Verse reading–Romans 9:1-8, Romans 10:1-21 (day seven)

“I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. . . for the sake of my brothers.”–9: 2-3.

It is actually a badge of honor.  A sure sign of integrity.  Christians who weep over their lost friends.  We are not hardened.  We do not learn hate.  Their rebellion toward God creates sorrow in us, and intercession.

Jesus wept over Jerusalem.  Stubborn, proud, violent Jerusalem.  “As He drew near and saw the city, he wept over it”–Luke 19: 41.  He was a “man of sorrows” and first on that list was the future He saw for those who refuse God.

Do we love our enemies, weep over them?  Romans 8 gave us strength.  Now, Romans 9 and 10 gives us our assignment.  Pray for those who hate us! “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. . .for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”–Romans 12:17, 20-21.