Romans Challenge Chapter 1

Romans Challenge - I encourage you to read the book of Romans with us this month. We will be commenting from time to time and I would like your input as the word speaks personally to you. Thanks for reading through Acts with us. I hope it lifted you up as it did me.


In Chapter 1 Paul's calling and commitment are clear. His primary focus was to preach the Gospel - Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel . . . —1 Corinthians 1:17 Oswald Chambers talks about that today in today's Utmost for His Highest. We all have a primary focus for our life in Christ. We are commissioned to spread the good news of Christ. When we look at what Jesus commanded us to do our life takes on new meaning. 


As the chapter goes on he talks about our spiritual condition that keeps us in Christ. Does that mean I'm then lost when I sin? No! You are Christ's. It means you will lose focus and your spiritual condition is starting to suffer. You're getting ready to open yourself up for a spiritual battle that will take on a life of it's own because the enemy is involved. It will be impossible to continue the same trek because of discouragement and lack of zeal that only comes from God.
It attack our thought process first and starts the spiritual virus that effects every area of our life. We look fine on the outside, but on the inside we are a wreck and spiritual growth is stunted while we are here. The enemy has been working the same way for millenniums. That's how believers begin the process of becoming what Christ calls "whitewashed tombs." Looking good on the outside and rotting inside Matt 23:27. Was Christ being critical? He came to earth because of a spiritual condition that only He has the cure (antiviral hardware) for. His desire is to clean us up and get us running to accomplish our full potential. This deeply concerns Him because without Him involved we are building a spiritual house of cards that will be blown down at the first storm. He is the answer and we can find the code for breaking the virus in Him. Start on the road to a full life in Him today.

In Christ,

Dan

Acts Challenge Chapter 28

God had just put them safely in Malta when a snake bit Paul in front of everyone there. He is setting up camp & suddenly a deadly snake attaches itself and will not let go. Justice (which may have been understood as the goddess of avenging) has not permitted him to live was their thinking. What do we think when things happen that we don't understand? When he did not die they decided he must be a god. When we really live what God says we do not panic (Paul went on about his day), but we trust God in all things. Until that happens we cannot live the power of the cross. We will be on the reactionary yo-yo living a life of fear driving out the presence of God in our daily activity. Paul could have had a meltdown and said; God you have nearly killed me, I've just survived a shipwreck because they would not listen when I told them I've been taking with you, and now you allow me to get snake-bitten and die. Don't tell me you haven't had days and responses like that because we all have. Right then instead of making that meltdown phone call if you can muster up some trust in God He will sustain you and show His power then He can be a tremendous inspiration to others using your life of faith. What do our meltdowns do to hinder that? More later...

In Christ,
Dan

Acts Challenge Chapter 26

This is one of my favorite stories. Paul is appealing to King Agrippa. The king wants firsthand knowledge (Paul's testimony) to help make a recommendation. Festus didn't know what to tell Rome. Paul gives his testimony in just a few minutes. Have you worked on your testimony? We should have a 3 minute department store, a 10 minute lunch version, and 30 minute large group worship version. Everyone who has accepted Christ has a story of our encounter with Him. All Paul's friends saw the light, but only Paul heard the voice of God. 15  "And I said, Who are You, Lord?" And the Lord said, "I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting.16  But arise and stand upon your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, that I might appoint you to serve as [My] minister and to bear witness both to what you have seen of Me and to that in which I will appear to you,17  Choosing you out [selecting you for Myself] and delivering you from among this [Jewish] people and the Gentiles to whom I am sending you--18  To open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may thus receive forgiveness and release from their sins and a place and portion among those who are consecrated and purified by faith in Me". 


Then Paul is hoping King Agrippa will accept Christ after his testimony. Paul knew God was working on him and King Agrippa did not deny it. Only the Lord knows if he let his position on earth keep him from having a position in heaven. We all have that choice. I encourage you to choose the right one.


Saved through the encounter,
Dan

Acts Challenge Chapter 24

Acts 24:16 " Therefore I always exercise and discipline myself [mortifying my body, deadening my carnal affections, bodily appetites, and worldly desires, endeavoring in all respects] to have a clear (unshaken, blameless) conscience, void of offense toward God and toward men... 25 But as he (Paul) continued to argue about uprightness, purity of life (the control of the passions), and the judgment to come, Felix became alarmed and terrified and said, Go away for the present; when I have a convenient opportunity, I will send for you." (Amplified Bible)

Have we become numb to the bombarding of info that we see from murder, war, martyrdom, to purity of life issues that modern communication accepts and trows out there daily in all varieties of ways. We can just choose a desire to feed and make our selection and justify it by today's thinking. My desire is not to bring us back 100 years in our thinking, but 2000 years and search the heat of God in His thinking. In doing so it is a process that takes us from the worlds position and puts us in position to hear and be adjusted by God. Everything may seem to be operating just fine till we plug into God's diagnostic computer letting the Spirit of God make the necessary adjustments. Getting us running the race spiritually fit in all areas of our assignment.

People have put this off until a convenient opportunity presents itself since the beginning of time. God wants to complete a work in us in order to work through us. In this way the body of Christ will truly reflect our Lord and Savior who adjusted His schedule and came to be conformed to the will of the Father in order that we would have our condition transformed into the image of the one who paid the ultimate price. See Romans chapter 12 and begin the restoration that is only possible in Christ.

In Christ,
Dan

Acts Challenge Chapter 18

Acts Challenge. In Chapter 18 Paul is frustrated in Corinth due to opposition in the form of arguing and contradicting him in all that he did. His response is to leave and go to the gentiles, an easier people group. Debating with an expert is difficult when they have stopped learning and have become unteachable. What God intended here is different than Paul's plan. Paul is to stay in a difficult situation because it is God's plan. Paul obey's God and is used here another year and a half. This fits the definition of Godly obedience as I begin to understand it. It is immediate, costly and radical. Immediate because he changed what he was about to do. Costly because he was to endure these exhausting people. Radical because it made him have to take his pride and swallow it in order to face them. I imagine he said something like I wanted to leave but could not for the obedience of God is the highest calling in my life. Any thoughts?

In Christ,

Dan

Acts Challenge Chapter 12

King Herod is pleased to gain popularity by executing Christians. He did this to John the Baptist for speaking boldly against sin and at that time it bothered him to carry it out. Now he is openly killing Christians because it pleased the people and he gained their praise. He beheaded James (Apostle John’s brother) the son of Zebedee. His next target was Peter and we see him delivered by an Angel of the Lord. The church was praying at the time he was released, but had to see Peter to believe it was him. Wow, that speaks volumes about believing God to answer literally. Tell “James and the brothers.” This is James, Jesus’ brother who is a leader in the Jerusalem Church. Herod put Peter’s guards to death and with his inflated ego addresses the people of Tyre and Sidon accepting their praise and letting them praise him as a god while giving no credit to the real God. God removed him by taking his life. God allowed him to kill John the Baptist and it was easier to kill James. Peter was rescued by the Lord as the church prayed, then God stopped Herod when he went to the next level. This is the process sin takes. It always goes to the next level when we are more interested in pleasing ourselves and others than God. God adds as we seek Him and His righteousness - Matt 6:33. Acts 12:24 “Then God's message flourished and multiplied.”

So far God has removed King Herod, Ananias & Sapphira, transformed Paul, deal with Simon the Sorcerer and the message is being spread.

Do you personalize the promise of Abraham in Genesis 12?

What capacity does God have to bring a person down?

Hope you have a great day,

Dan

Acts Challenge Chapter 10

Chapter 10; God’s plan unfolds to the nations receiving the Gospel. The main Characters are the 1-Holy Spirit who carries out God’s plans; 2-Cornelius in Caesarea whose life is totally devoted to God praying, serving and leading his house to love and honor God; 3-Peter the young leader of the new church; and 4-witnesses on both sides. This chapter is an eye opening picture of how God works in the church using ordinary people who have experienced Him and are open to believing what He shows them and not afraid to trust in that. More later…

Dan