Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Commission to Be Saints of God
Topic: Book of Romans
Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ: To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:6-7 KJV)
In last three verses in Matthew 28, Jesus gave His disciples a commission to go to other parts of the world and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To do this task, we must deny ourselves and take up His cross and follow Him (Luke 9:23). This means that we need to give our wills away and willing to do God’s will.
As we continue to study Romans 1, we read that Apostle Paul is talking to the Roman citizens to be saints of Jesus Christ. Remember that Rome has been pagan nation since the early church era and is still existed. Most Catholic Churches arrived from Rome that has many Babylonian religious rituals. But Paul was talking to Roman citizens and trying to bring their attention to God.
God doesn’t like to loose any of us, even if we are enemies of God. But we sometime choose to be separated from Him. We read in the First Book of Corinthians that God can use the foolish people to shame the wise. Even though Rome is a pagan nation, God can use the ungodly nation to bring the revival among the people.
The word “revival” doesn’t only means to receive physical healing, but it also means spiritual awakening or reunite with God.
Posted by MGJC Web Ministry
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Sunday, August 12, 2007
Blessing Challenge
Topic: Faith
But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. (Matthew 6:27-28 KJV)
Before we’d close this Battle Cry for Believers series, I’d like to discuss the last topic on blessing challenge. We like to bless other people who do great things for us, such as family, friends, neighbors, or coworkers. But when we’d face our enemies, we may seem to be hard to give blessing them.
The word “bless” or “blessing” means “he act of declaring, or wishing, favor and goodness upon others. The blessing is not only the good effect of words; it also has the power to bring them to pass. In the Bible, important persons blessed those with less power or influence. The patriarchs pronounced benefits upon their children, often near their own deaths (Gen. 49:1–28). Even if spoken by mistake, once a blessing was given it could not be taken back (Gen. 27:33).” (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary.)
If we look at Stephen’s death (Acts 7), he didn’t defend himself back to those who wanted to stone him to death. Instead, “…he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” (Acts 7:60.) Wow! What a testimony of Stephen’s life. Even Stephen was about to die, he didn’t say anything or defend himself back to the radical Jews—just as what Jesus did when He faced the crucifixion.
Although this seems to be hard for us to grab on, we cannot do this with empty heart. We need to focus our mindsets to the way of Jesus. We cannot pass this challenge unless we’d maintain on God.
Posted by MGJC Web Ministry
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Saturday, August 4, 2007
Test of Wilderness II
Topic: Faith
Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. (Matthew 4:5-6 KJV)
To understand the method that Satan tried to us to tempt Jesus can be found in 1 John 2:15-16. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
Not only Satan wanted Jesus to serve him as His lord, he also wanted to separate His loving relationship with His Father. To do that, Satan tried to use the three methods on Jesus.
First method that Satan used to tempt Jesus was the lust of flesh. In Matthew 4, we read that Jesus didn’t eat anything for forty days—that’s 940 hours. When we’d go to the desert, we’d probably begin to seek some water as soon as possible. But here, Jesus didn’t eat and drink anything for whole 940 hours and certainly, Satan came to Him to trick His empty belly. However, Satan failed miserably on the first round.
Then Satan visited Jesus again and tried to trick on Him by using the lust of the eyes method. He took Jesus to the holy city and settled Him on the pinnacle of the temple. Satan said to Him that this holy city is his and wanted to give it to Him if He’d decide to worship him. However, Jesus knew that God created the holy city and belong to Him only. As a result, Satan failed miserably again on the second method.
However, there was third method that Satan tried to use to make Jesus to fail on his feet. It was the pride of life method. Satan tried to give everything in the world to Jesus, so He could be the #1 of the world leader and satisfy everything, which He gains, if He’d worship Satan. Again, Jesus knew that this world belongs to God and there was nothing that this devil own from which God created. As a final result, Jesus rebuked Satan and he failed miserably again.
Notice, three times that Satan tried to tempt Jesus to worship him; three times, Jesus used the Mosaic Scriptures to fight against the devil’s words; and three times, Satan failed miserably. He cannot stand against us if we have God’s Words in our hearts and use them at the right time. We must understand that Satan will be defeated at the last battle. In the meantime, we must be trained ourselves with God’s Holy Words.
Posted by MGJC Web Ministry
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Sunday, July 29, 2007
Test of Wilderness I
Topic: Living Life
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. (Matthhew 4:1-3 KJV)
Have you been to desert? If you went to desert, such as Africa or Egypt, how did you deal with heat? Eventually, most northern equator of people wouldn’t decide to go down there due to heat. According to the National Weather Center, about over the last decades, some parts of the United States faced some extreme heat waves that went up to almost to 120 degree and many citizens have died. Although some of us may believe this tragedy could relate to the Bible Prophecy, what if we decide to go down to the desert place and live there for 40 nights and days.
Before Jesus entered to His ministry, He faced the most difficult life challenge in His life. He went out to the desert for 40 nights and days without food and drink. In addition, Satan visited Him to try to test Jesus’ ability to worship him (Matthew 4:9). “And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread (Matthew 4:3).”
One of Satan want from us is to worship him. There are many other religions in the world that people created to worship Satan, such as Catholicism, Mormonism, Jehovah Witness, Free Manson, Satanism, and many other world religions. Epistle James 1:26-27 says, “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” There are many Christians, who believe that catholic is our sister of Christian church. This theology is the myth and it hinders us from worshipping God. The Bible says clear that there is only one true God between Him and men, the man Christ Jesus (I Timothy 2:5). Virgin Mary is not the Mother of the Church, but the servant of God. She didn’t receive the divine power that could domain over the Kingdom of Heaven, but she did receive the highest calling from God to raise His Son, Jesus, up to gather His people.
While Jesus was in the hot desert, the only Satan gave Him was the power to defeat him. Every time Jesus quoted the Old Testament or Mosaic Scriptures when Satan tried to attempt Him. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Also, Jesus trusted His Father to walk with Him through hot desert without food and drink.
We are not alone to deal with our own problems. Most people may give up their problems if they’d only trust upon themselves. Jesus told His disciples that He will bring the Holy Ghost upon them when He’d ascend Himself to the Heaven. The job description of the Holy Ghost can be found in John 14:26: “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
Posted by MGJC Web Ministry
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Sunday, July 15, 2007
War Between God and Satan
Topic: Living Life
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? (Job 1:6-8 KJV)
Have you wondered why your life seems to be difficult? Or you can hardly find solution to your own problem. As I mentioned in previous weekly messages, we all have to face many obstacles in our daily lives. There are some reasons why we have many problems as we are living in this planet—both physically and spiritually.
As we studied, we have many problems in our lives because of our sins. Paul says in Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…" Again in Romans 3:10-11, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God." There is no one, who came to this world as righteousness before God, except Jesus Christ. The Bible says that before we came to Jesus Christ, we were His enemies.
We also must understand that when we’d decide to come to acknowledge Jesus Christ as our own personal Savior, there is a war going on within our hearts and minds—between God and Satan. We must understand that Satan wants to destroy our lives (see John 10:10a). Job didn’t begin to have life crisis until Satan showed up and argued with God. It was not God’s false to bring life tragedy into Job’s life, but Satan.
Some Christian televangelists now proclaim that it was God’s false to create the humanity with problems. This is none sense, however. If He create us, then why the Bible says that everything He created is good?
There is no reason why we should blame at God for our problems. Although God can avoid Satan to attack on Job’s life, He let him go to see how foolish he was. Throughout 42 chapters of the Book of Job, Job didn’t curse to God or didn’t give his life to Satan. Even though, we may feel that our problems are winning over us, we must not give our hopes down. In Hebrews 12:1-2 say, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Posted by MGJC Web Ministry
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Friday, July 13, 2007
God’s Judgment Against the Leaders of His Church
Topic: Church
And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever. (I Samuel 3:11-14 KJV)
In the First Book of Samuel, we see how God used Samuel’s life to restore His people from their enemies. The book begins with the brief history of Eli the priest and his two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah gave birth some children to Eli, but Hannah didn’t until much later of Eli’s days. We do not know how long that Hannah waited for her firstborn child, but we do understand that she was a prayer warrior and had an intimate relationship with God.
After Hannah gave Eli a son, Samuel, she continually raised him in the way of the Lord and brought him back to her husband for further training as the priest. Here, we see that the first mistake which Eli made. That is, Eli didn’t take Samuel to raise him as the leader. We see that Eli didn’t take his duty seriously for God and His people. As we continue reading in Samuel 3, God called Samuel and told what He would plan to do to the house of Eli. In the next chapter, we see that Eli’s two sons died in the battle and himself as Samuel prophesied to him (Chapter 3).
We also need to be obedience and lead our people to God. The title of position doesn’t mean that we can relax and give the people some duties. We can’t do that. The reason why Eli dead is that he didn’t raise his sons right and didn’t correct their mistakes. If you read further in 1 Samuel, Samuel did the same thing as Eli.
If we look in today’s Christianity, we see that some churches may decide to be lazy to lead the people into God. Some preachers have decided to reject to teach the congregations on sins, judgment, hell and false teachers. Instead, they tickle their people’s ears by proclaiming only the smooth and good messages. It is deadly sin against God. We need the full council of the Word of God and not half of it.
This is the same thing on the presidential election. We cannot have our national leaders with 50 percent is considered as true and another is false statement. We need a president who is 100 percent honest and true to the nation and God. We can be sure this if the president would realize that our national capital has an idol and decide to knock the idol down; and he would bring our nation back to God.
Are you ready to be a leader for God’s people? If not, take a moment to evaluate yourselves. Jesus just didn’t come to die for our sins, but He also came to the earth to train God’s people to build up some leaders to fight against the principalities of darkness.
Posted by MGJC Web Ministry
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Sunday, July 1, 2007
Who Am I to be In the Battlefield?
Topic: Living Life
Have you ask yourself with this question: Who am I? Most people may ask themselves this question when they’d face difficulties. Even Moses asks God with this question: Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh?
In Exodus 3, we see that God wanted to use Moses to take His people out from the land of Egypt. They were in bondage by the Egyptians, which the new king who didn’t know about Joseph and the tribes of Israel. This King Pharaoh gave the people of Israel several hard labors to build his kingdom. Even though Moses was with King Pharaoh throughout his childhood, he recognized that he didn’t born naturally from Egypt, and he realized that his people were in trouble. Then, as he ran away from Egypt and wandering around in the wilderness, God called him to set His people free from the Egyptians.
But Moses was trying to get out of God plan by asking Him some questions. “And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? …Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?” (Exodus 3:11, 13.) Even though Moses was trying to escape from the assignment, God wanted to use him as His prophet and trying to comfort him, as he’d do this difficult assignment.
How many times when we would try to escape from difficulty assignments? We sometimes like to do this. We sometime don’t feel like to face our battles as Moses did. But if we’d decide to face our battles, then we’d not get the victory. We would decide to give our tasks with based on our emotions rather than trusting on God.
When God called Moses out to the battlefield, He pushed him out without empty hands. Instead, He provided some resources to accomplish this difficult assignment. “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt: And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey. And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.” (Exodus 3:14-18 KJV.) God gave him the confidence that he needs to face the battle, and promise that He will bring His people out.
God is a God who provides you some resources before you’d face the today’s problem.
Posted by MGJC Web Ministry
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Wednesday, June 27, 2007
To Produce Obedience Based on Faith
Topic: Book of Romans
By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name… (Romans 1:5 KJV)
We cannot just receive the grace and apostleship without producing obedience based on faith. Romans 5:1-5 tell us, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”
The definition of faith is a belief in or confident attitude toward God, involving commitment to His will for one’s life. It is more than just believing. James tells us that if we have faith without action is considered as dead (cf. 2:20). In the same way, we have to take action to receive grace and apostleship. As we studied earlier in this series, Paul didn’t deserve to be called apostle, but God choose him to be missionary to reach to Gentiles for His sake. Even though he went through many hardships to spread the gospel to the Gentile nations, Paul obeyed God and took actions to do his assignment.
We cannot build the church without purpose. Nor can we be in apostleship without reasoning. Jesus gave us the Great Commission with purpose—purpose for us to reach other people into relationship with God. If we are called as children of God, then we have to obey God’s Words. There is no shortcut to receive the title of apostleship. And there is no greater office seat when we would become apostles or pastors. The five-fold ministry is not about taking charge over the ministries, but take lead to help the other brothers and sisters in the church.
Pastors, teachers, prophets, deacons, and evangelists are not separated from their church members. They have to follow the Great Commission as the rest of members. They have to take action to activate their faiths. If we want to live for God, we all need to obey Him and take action to do according to His will.
Posted by MGJC Web Ministry
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Monday, June 11, 2007
Truth Shall Make You Free
Topic: Truth
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32 KJV)
Havr you lie to somebody? If so, how did this effect on your life? Of course, we have tried to hide from someone about certain accident that we made by not telling what happened exactly. Then we may feel guilt in us from not telling the truth to our people.
If we want set free from our guilt, we need to tell someone the truth. I understand that sometimes telling the truth may seem difficult for us to do. But for us to have open communication to each other, we need to be honest to each other. Jesus said that the truth make us set free--set free from our guilts and sins.
Jesus visited to this planet over 2000 years ago to tell His people the Truth of God about what He has planned for us. What God has been showing you in these past 1, 10, or 50 years of your life? Did you accept that truth from God? Jesus didn't die on the Cross just for setting us from our sins, but also He died to tell us the truth that only way for us to enter His presence is through Jesus Christ.
Posted by MGJC Web Ministry
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Updated: Saturday, April 21, 2012 9:49 PM EDT
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Spirit of Holiness
Topic: Book of Romans
Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead… (Romans 1:3-4 KJV)
Spirit of holiness doesn’t just come from being right with God, but we need to understand how to become holiness through Jesus Christ. The KJV Study Bible says “the spirit of holiness” is the Holy Spirit, the third Person of Trinity. In John 14, Jesus gave us the other definition of the Holy Spirit as Comforter.
In Romans 1:3-4, Paul declared that Jesus Christ declared to be the Son of God who has the power to resurrect from the dead. He resurrected from the dead because He’s holy and has the spirit of holiness.
You and I can receive the Holy Spirit just as the twelve apostles did on the Pentecost (Acts 2). But we must be holy before God. God knows that we are not perfect because we are struggling with sins. He knows when we are weak and strong for Him, but that doesn’t mean that we can keep live our living unholy. We must keep strive to be holy before God, just as Moses did in the wilderness. His words tell us that we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood (I Peter 2:9). God choose us to be His ambassadors for His kingdom. This does mean we cannot continue to live just as we are, but live a life with God’s expectations.
This is why Jesus wanted to give us the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in John 14:26, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
Nowadays, many churches don’t bring the subject of holiness anymore. We would like to do we like. Without understanding of holiness, we cannot get go any closer to God.
Posted by MGJC Web Ministry
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Sunday, May 27, 2007
Birth of Two Nations
Topic: Living Life
And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. (Genesis 25:23 KJV)
Starting war doesn’t begin by itself, but it begins in the family’s household. As God told Isaac that there will be twins who would represent two nations, there are several family members who are breaking from the unity. Just as Cain hated his brother, Able, people would become more breaking apart from the unity and decide to fight against each other.
We see that Satan is trying to use the Islamic nations (such as Iraq ) to destroy the land of Israel (Jacob), where God set it as center of the world. If Israel is in trouble, then the rest of the world is involved with war.
Fight begins with jealous from each other. If we study Genesis 4 and 25, we can find common dominator of why today’s world is in tragedy situation. In Genesis 4, when Cain and Abel offered the sacrifice offering to God, God accepted only Abel’s gift. If we close to study Genesis 25, Isaac blessed Jacob, instead of Esau. Cain and Esau became jealous because their brothers had been accepted and not on theirs. This is the greatest sin, which the world hasn’t wakened from.
Nowadays, we see that many family members would decide to go onto television to try to resolve their issues while the billion of people are watching it on the TV. Even though it is embarrassed situation, God hates their way to escape from the problem. God didn’t told Isaac that there will be twin and one of them would become a greater leader, not because he has to favor Esau, but as a warning. As a result, both Isaac and Rebekah failed to teach their sons to be harmony each other; and it affected to their next generation and generations to come.
To avoid competition each other, we should:
- listen to each other
- obey God’s voice
- take a risk to follow the other people’s options
- love and care for each other
Lastly, God will begin to judge people who are in His churches first when He will return to the world to establish His government with us.
Posted by MGJC Web Ministry
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Thursday, May 24, 2007
Suffering Servant of Christ
Topic: Resurrection
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5 KJV)
In February 2004, the movie Passion of Christ, directed by Mel Gibson, came to the millions of public movie theaters across the American. Several people went and watched the movie and came out with either positive or negative results of their life experiences. Unfortunately, some churches decided to change their mindset into the worldly way to have worship services. Even though this movie was supposed to be basis on Gospel of Jesus Christ, children cannot see it due to violence and bloody scenes and some extra scenes that were not written on the Holy Bible. If we study on the Passion of Christ movie, we would probably find some of other religious documents than the four books of Gospel.
In Isaiah 53, we will read about the suffering servant of our Lord. God gave Isaiah a vision that His Holy Servant will come to the earth to suffer for our sins. This prophecy happened exactly after several hundred years later. Jesus came to the world to pay our sins for us. God wanted to save us from going on our ways to Hell. That’s why John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If Jesus didn’t come to the world through virgin woman, there would not be second chance for us to unite with God. Instead, we would live sinfully and go to Hell as our Eternal Home.
So does this mean that we already have full credit to go and live with God forever? No! We do not have full credit until our mission would be finished. Some church leaders may teach us that once we would accept Jesus Christ, we have receive fully guarantee to be with Him and we don’t have work to do while we are here. That’s 50 percent of false perception of the gift of salvation. Even though we accept Jesus Christ into our lives, we still need to work to do for God. Receiving the gift of salvation doesn’t mean that we’d need to keep it onto ourselves, but share it to others.
We need to be servants for God just as Jesus did for others. John 15:13 says, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Posted by MGJC Web Ministry
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Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Concerning Jesus Christ
Topic: Book of Romans
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: (Romans 1:1-4 KJV)
In the previous study, we learned about Paul’s servant-hood as an apostle, even though he didn’t deserve a title (I Corinthians 5:9). Even though we do not deserve to save by the grace of God, He chooses us to be his children and priests. We are not lucky that God saved us, but He wants to bless us and use us for His plan for the mankind.
Throughout the Old Testament, God promised His people that He will bring a great revival to all the people through His Holy Son, Jesus Christ. In Hebrews 1 tells us that God will use His last prophet to save His lost people, includes Gentiles. “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” (Hebrews 1:1-4 KJV.)
God called Paul (Saul) with the purpose of saving the lost souls to Himself. He wanted also to reach Gentiles, so they could receive the gift of salvation and they could have eternal purposes. This world is His since the beginning of time, even though Satan takes over the world. God gave us a command to have a dominion over the earth and multiply. Since the first seed which God created, there was a greater purpose behind it.
Before He created the mankind, He knew that we would go astray from God. Even though we are not going to be perfected until we would enter His kingdom, God always has plan to use us to bring His glory to the earth. I believe that His seed of David was the beginning of His plan since Genesis 3. His seed produced to reach the both Jews and Gentiles through Jesus Christ.
We all have life with purpose which God had planted. We have choice to whether to accept His plan and complete the course. Just as God gave Jesus the purpose to save the mankind, we have a great purpose to use our gifts, which God gave us, to reach out to His lost children to bring them Home.
Posted by MGJC Web Ministry
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Sunday, May 20, 2007
Test of Abraham’s Faith
Topic: Faith
By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. (Hebrews 11:17-19 KJV)
In Genesis 22, God told Abraham to take Isaac into the land of Moriah and offer his son as a burnt to the Lord. “And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.” (Genesis 22:1-2.) This portion of Genesis has twofold meanings—Abraham’s obedience to God and meaning of Christ’s death and resurrection. The place of Abraham’s offering to the Lord was the same location of where Jesus Christ offered Himself to God for our sins.
The test of Abraham’s faith was not easy. He had a difficult decision to whether follow God’s direction or his own way. We don’t choose our own battle, but we must be prepared for whatever test that God gave us. God tested Abraham not because He had nothing to do, but because He wanted help his prophet to increase his faith and trust in Him. “And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.” (Genesis 22:12.)
When Jesus went to the garden and prayed to His Father before His death, He didn’t try to escape from God’s direction. Instead, He fully obeyed His command. Jesus had faith to overcome His death penalty, just as Abraham had to overcome his dangerous mission to offer his son to God. At the end God provided the both of them with victory. For Abraham, God provided a ram for him to give a sacrifice offering to Him (Genesis 22:13); and God raised His Son from the dead (Romans 10:9).
Even though Satan believes that he has the victory to defeat us, it’s just beginning of his loosing the battle. He cannot win the battle as long as we are on God’s side. The only way that Satan can defeat us is if we decide to turn our hearts away from God. On May 9th ABC Nightline Face-Off, one of Atheists said that they don’t need God because there’s no God existed. This is what Satan can do to us if we decide to turn against God.
Are you saved by the grace of God through Jesus Christ? If not and realize that you are in risk of loosing in your spiritual battle, I would like to invite to know Jesus Christ today. He is the only One who can give you the victory of your life crises. Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” If you like to have the victory in your life, please consider to surrender your life to Jesus Christ by confess that you are sinner and ask Him to come to your life as your personal Savior
Posted by MGJC Web Ministry
at 12:01 AM EDT
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Book of Romans Study: Servant of Jesus Christ
Topic: Book of Romans
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (Romans 1:1 KJV)
As is the custom in most of his epistles, Paul begins by extending greetings and offering thanks. Identifying himself as a bond-servant of Christ, he mentions his apostleship and its mission in the gospel of God concerning His Son: to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles (Romans 1:1-6). Addressing the recipients of his epistle as "all who are beloved in Rome, called as saints," he extends to them the popular two-fold greeting of that day: "grace" and "peace" (v. 7). He is thankful for their well-known faith and reveals his desire to visit Rome and to proclaim the gospel there (vv. 8-13). The motivation behind that desire is his sense of obligation and bold conviction that the gospel is God's power to save (vv. 14-17).
The mention of "salvation" naturally leads to the need for all men to be saved. Paul begins to demonstrate this need on the part of the Gentiles. He explains that because of the Gentiles' failure to acknowledge the eternal power and divine nature of God as revealed in the world around them, and for their subsequent pride and idolatry, they were therefore exposed to God's wrath from heaven (vv. 18-23). This wrath manifested itself in God simply letting them reap the fruits of their vanity. By giving them over "to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts," "to vile passions," and "to a debased mind," the result was such corruption that even those who knew better were caught in its clutches (vv. 24-32).
The Book of Romans begins with “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle…” Even though he doesn’t feel to deserve to call as apostle (I Corinthians 5:9), Paul called himself as “a servant of Jesus Christ.” The word “servant” means slave or slavery, a person bound in servitude to another human being as an instrument of labor; one who is no longer free and has no rights.” (Youngblood, Ronald F., General Editor; F.F. Bruce and R.K. Harrison, Consulting Editors, Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1995.)
In this first verse in Romans 1, Paul told his Roman citizens that he now belongs to Jesus Christ. He is not what he was before, but he changed his identity to the Person who changed his heart from the stony heart to a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). His stony heart was rotten, which darkness overshadowed from seeing the whole character of God in the Old Testament. Now, his new birth is able to show the fullness of God’s character.
Being a servant of Jesus Christ doesn’t mean that He would make us prisoners of slaves as what King Pharaoh did to the children of Israel. Even though we are prisoners of Jesus Christ, He wants to take care and love us as His own children. Jesus didn’t let Paul suffer forever on the way to Damascus (Acts 9). Jesus called Paul to bear Hi name before Gentiles, kings and children of Israel (Acts 9:15). God had a purpose for Paul, so do we.
Jesus called us to be a witness of His name to the whole world. Matthew 28:18-20 state, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
Posted by MGJC Web Ministry
at 12:01 AM EDT
Sunday, May 13, 2007
The Beginning of Fall
Topic: Failure
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? (Genesis 3:1 KJV)
Before we would understand the skill to overcome the spiritual warfare, we need to go back in Genesis 3 to find why we have battle in our lives. The sinful nature began with Lucifer, not Adam or Eve. Even though they decided to choose Lucifer’s way of living, we should not blame Adam and Eve for our sins.
God created us not as robots, but as humans that have freedom of choices. He wants us to have the freedom of minds to worship God. This way He can have relationship with us individually. How can God have relationship with us if we are His robots? Now, we have movies that scientists can make robots from dead person, such as Robot Cop and Inspector Gadget. If these are our gods, we would have hard time to love them, because they were born from our hands and their feelings are made from what we want to expect for them to return. There are no surprises of feelings.
Lucifer was one of God’s messengers. He created Lucifer from His image. He gave him the freedom to worship Him, but Lucifer decided to be equal with God. In Isaiah 14:12-14 states, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”
Note: Some Bible versions state “O Lucifer, son of star,” but “morning” (KJV) is the correct title for Lucifer.
If we read Genesis 3 account, we see that Lucifer (or serpent) was trying to trick Eve by twisting God’s words. As a result, Eve fell terribly into the devil’s trap and she passed it to her husband, Adam; and God took them away from the paradise, Garden of Eden.
Note: Garden of Eden is the same description of our future home in Revelation.
We all have experienced the fall as Adam and Eve experienced. Our falls to sin are occurred because we let Satan into our lives. We must understand that Satan cannot control our minds until we let him enter into our lives. Adam and Eve fell into sins miserably because their hearts and minds were not on God, but on the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:9).
Have you been into temptation? If you are into temptation of any kind, there is a way to escape from it and back on track again. Jesus prayed, “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil (John 17:15).” Even though we cannot escape from temptation that Satan is waiting to give us, we have the power to overcome from his trap with the help from God the Father through Jesus Christ.
Posted by MGJC Web Ministry
at 12:01 AM EDT
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Book of Romans Study: Paul’s Profile II
Topic: Book of Romans
And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket. (Acts 9:23-25 KJV)
More than any other individual, Paul (Saul) was responsible for spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. Before he began to become an apostle of Jesus Christ and proclaim the gospel throughout the Roman Empire, Jesus told him that he is going to suffer for His name’s sake (Acts 9:16). Although most of us may don’t like to hear this from our Heavenly Father, there will be a time that we must to go through some hardship to meet our goals for God. As we read through Acts 9-28, Paul went through many difficult times to spread the Word of God to Gentiles.
He made three missionary journeys through much of the Mediterranean world, tirelessly preaching the gospel he had once sought to destroy (Acts 26:9). After he returned to Jerusalem bearing an offering for the needy in the church there, he was falsely accused by some Jews (Acts 11:27-29), savagely by an angry mob (Acts 21:30-31), and arrested by Romans. Unlike today’s Christian evangelists, Paul and other apostles were the most hated by Jews and non-Jews because of Jesus Christ. Even Pharisees hated Paul after his conversion to Christianity, because they don’t like to hear what was fulfilled by the words of Moses and prophets about Jesus Christ.
Paul wrote the letters to Romans in Corinth, as the reference to Phoebe (Romans 16:1, Cenchrea was Corinth’s port), Gaius (Romans 16:23), and Erastus (Romans 16:23—all of whom were associated with Corinth—indicate. Paul wrote this letter toward the close of his third missionary journey (about A.D. 56), as he prepared to leave for Palestine with an offering for the poor believers in the Jerusalem church (Romans 16:1-2)
In this letter, Paul presents the theological truths of doctrine (chapters 1-11), while the last five chapters give detail its practical outworking in the lives of believers and the life of the whole church.
Posted by MGJC Web Ministry
at 12:01 AM EDT
Monday, May 7, 2007
Deception of the 21st Century III: Women Preachers in the Church
Topic: Deception
In this message, I’m going to discuss about the house, business, and church leadership positions. This topic of the leadership position is the most misunderstand concept of this generation. Most male preachers don’t talk about how God set a leader within household, church and workplace, because it sets limit on women’s leadership role. Although the title of this message may seem to be all against the women, women can still serve and help the church and community. I Peter 2:9 says that we are all royal priesthood to those are believers, including women, men, youths and children of God.
Unfortunately, God wants men to be leaders of their households, churches and workplaces. As we see in our generation, the most married women are responsible of everything in their communities and men may decide to stay at home to work around the house. This is sad to hear that men’s wives have to be their bosses to take care their husbands. Now, we see that women lead the churches and men may sit at the rest of the church congregations. This is not proper way to lead the church or any business. Men should first step in the leadership role and take care of his family, businesses and finances and women should support their husbands.
Turn your Bible to I Timothy 2:8-15. Before we would go to the passage, let me tell you that the most male preachers may discuss the first eight verses in I Timothy 2 and skip the last seven verses. Otherwise, they would interpret I Timothy 2:8-15 as how women to be behave when they lead the church. It’s none sense.
Now, let’s read I Timothy 2:8-15 (KJV).
8I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. 9In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; 10But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. 11Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
13For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. 15Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
In this passage of the Scripture, Apostle Paul begins by saying that men should be prayer warriors if they are the leaders of their communities. We, all men, must continue to connect with God, because we are chosen leaders to lead His people. If we have family, our family members are not only belong to our lives, but they also belong to our Creator. Before your children born, they belong to God (cf. Jeremiah 1:5).
Also, in verse 8, all Christian men have to be honest to God and to people. Let’s read verse 8 again, “I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” To be a leader of your family, a man must be holy before God and people—that is no secret sin or lies. Although our sins cannot be hidden from God, He can reveal our wrongdoings to our people.
Do you know what is the number one that Christian families may decide to divorce? Most psychologists may tell you its financial issue. This may be true, but that is not the main cause. The number one that Christian families may decide to break apart is dishonesty. Dishonesty to your spouse and to your children. Children learn how to lie to others is not from their own, but from their own parents. This is the sad truth. They watch what their parents do and act like them, because parents are the model for their youngsters. Cain lied to God that he didn’t murder Abel (Genesis 4) because he learned from his parents’ history. Since the serpent taught Eve to lie to God, this stake has never ended. If you, man, want to be a godly leader, tell the truth honestly. This goes the same for mothers and children.
Then from verses 9 to 15, Paul talks about the leadership role for the women. Notice, Paul didn’t start to talk about women’s leadership after the men’s. If we read in earlier verses in I Timothy 2, we will notice that Paul deals with men first. Man was the first human being that God created on the sixth day of the creation (Genesis 1:27a) and gave him a dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:28).
As Apostle Paul begins to deal with women’s leadership role, he starts with women’s manner and style. In I Timothy 2:9 says, “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array…” Most today’s girls and women learn that putting heavy makeup, braided hair, wearing sexy clothes or wearing much jewelry is the coolest things that they ever have. After that, they don’t satisfy and they would want more. In I Samuel 16:7 says, “…for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” If the woman wants to be godly lady, then she must adorn herself as just she is. Of course, she needs to make herself look good, but not too much makeup or too much jewelry that the other men would have wrong ideas to seek their partners.
Here are some errors for the women to avoid when they go outside the house:
- wearing too much makeup
- wearing too much jewelry
- wearing fancy dress, such as the dress that shows naked part of upper body and legs
- deciding to take tattoo on the body, that is worldly circumcision (satanic cult)
Christian girls or women must be dress and/or wear makeup appropriately that shows respect on God and people. They also need to feel good about themselves. We all need to be transform our minds that is good, acceptable and perfect will of God (cf. Romans 12:2b). We don’t need to be good on the eyes of people if we don’t wear fancy clothes, but God accepts us as just as we are.
Sisters, read verse 10 and memorize to your thought, because that’s what God wants for you to do.
Then Paul tells us that women have to be silence with all subjection (v. 11). What it means that women have to be quiet with all subjections? Can ladies speak freely? Yes and no. Most preachers have misunderstood this verse for generations. However, I do believe that women can freely express about themselves and what they do and what they believe in. They can share ideas within communities and churches, but according to what Paul wrote, women cannot take the top position of churches or any businesses, such as pastors, CEOs, deacons, bishops, presidents, and any kind of top positions. I understand some of you may disagree with me and I am uncomfortable with this to discuss about it, but it’s on God’s Word and we cannot change this.
Some of you might say, “Why Sarah, Rachel, Miriam, Deborah, Ester, and Ruth can be used by God to lead His people?” These were some of the faithful servants of God that He chose. I don’t believe that these women chose to be prophetess, judge, or mother of the nation by themselves, but God. If God need someone to be there with the man of God or if He cannot find the righteousness man to lead the nation, He can chose a certain woman to take his place or to be his partner.
Let’s read verse 12 and find what are some of these are. Paul says, “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” What authority over the man that the woman cannot do? These are: pastors, deacons, bishops, judges, congresses, house bosses over husbands.
Why? The answer is on verses 13 and 14: “For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” If Eve didn’t fail to the serpent’s trap, then men and women would have equal duty for the Lord. Now, since Eve failed for the trap, women have limitation on their services to God and men have double duties to maintain their families and businesses. Some countries, such as South Korea, when the man and woman decide to get marry, she has to quit her job to take care their household.
Let’s go to Genesis 3 and read verses 16-18. The difference of men and women’s duties didn’t come from Paul or my ideas, but from the biblical history that was spoken by God.
16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. 17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
In this passage, after Adam and Eve disobeyed the Lord, God gave them some sets of rules. As we read in verse 16, God multiplied pains on Eve (or woman), even pain through labor. Also, in this verse, God let the woman desire to be with her husband and let the man rule over her. But, God let the man to do all hard labor for their living (vv. 17-18). This is why Paul said the women cannot rule over any authority. This is why the men are to be dominated over their families, churches, and businesses. If the woman should lead the family, church, and business, one or more points can be occurred:
- husband is not a spiritual or professional leader of his family, church, and business
- wife has a relationship with God and her husband doesn’t
- wife has more professional skills than her husband
It is true that the both man and woman should have leadership skills that where they can lead their family, church, and community, but the man must be dominated and let his wife supports him.
What the other duties for women if they cannot be leader over husband, church, and businesses? One of these duties for women is taking care of her child(ren) (I Timothy 2:15). Of course, she should take care and save the childbearing, but it’s more than that. Do you know why many schools have after school activities for students until the late afternoon? Most both parents have to work and they don’t come home 2-3 hours after their children return from schools. Most surveys on family times would say either:
- Most teenagers don’t spend much time with their family after they all complete their work day.
- Most teenagers would decide to go home late, because both of their parents are working late.
- Most teenagers would decrease their academic grades because there aren’t any help them in their homes.
- Most teenagers would decide to go and join the clubs outside the schools.
One or more of these can be true and it’s becoming reality today. This is why God let the mother stay at home or close to home and father should be outside the home and working.
Men, do you lead your natural and spiritual family from God’s perspective? Or let your wife do all the hard work outside your home? God created women for one reason: support men. That is why God set up the marriage between the one man and one woman. Of course, women have the other duties from God, but He called all the godly men to be leaders.
If God call women to be leaders of their businesses, there is nothing wrong if they get approval from the LORD.
If God calls all men to be ahead of their families, businesses, and churches, the time is right now. We, men, have been sleeping. Right now, we would have about 80 percent of women, who are married, are working and taking charge of their households and businesses for their families.
Let… let men to be ahead of their families and take care them. Let men to be shepherds of the churches and taking care their Christian brothers and sisters with God’s visions for His children. Let men to be business leaders and lead their employees. It is time for godly men to wake up from la-la land and do what God told men to do. I know the way I address this may seem too aggressive and loud to soak this in your soul. But it’s very serious issue for today’s America. Many families are broken and children are distressed, because their fathers cannot lead them in the way of God. If the children need somebody to be with them are their fathers.
Men, are we strong for our people? Fathers, do you have time for family devotions, where you and they can be together in the presence of God? If not, please consider today to take action with your family to read the Bible and talk with God. Don’t rely on your church to do all the work for your children, although they need their spiritual family for once or couple times a week for their time with them.
But, most importantly, let God be centered of your family, church, and business life. If there’s any great resource in life issue, God is the one whom He can give you.
God calls men and women to be leaders of the land that He gave both of you, in right way.
Are you saved? Are your love ones and friends saved in the grace of God through Jesus Christ? The purpose of this study is to help you to become closer relationship with Jesus Christ. As Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms, if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." (John 14:1-3.)
If you are lukewarm in your relationship with Jesus Christ and want to know Him as your personal Savior and Lord of your life, please consider asking Him to forgive your sins and invite Him into your life. Paul says, "That if you confess with your mouth, `Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believed and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (Romans 10:9-10.) If you have done in your private room or workplace, then you need to tell to your friends or love ones about what you have done, so they may rejoice with you and want to have that relationship with Christ in their own life. There are many occults in the world, which do not know the love of God and His great plan for those who believe in Him. As it is written in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Posted by MGJC Web Ministry
at 12:01 AM EDT
Saturday, May 5, 2007
There’s Joy in Trial of Your Faith
Topic: Faith
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (James 1:2-4 KJV)
When you have some problem your life, would you able to rejoice? Being a Christian does not mean that we are free from all the hardships and can be rejoiced everyday in our lives. Whether we are Christians or not we all have to face difficulties to achieve our goals.
In Battle Cry for Believers series, we will look some biblical heroes to see how they overcame difficulties to continue to live for God. For example, God putted Abraham into test to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering to Him. Even though it was hard for him to do the test from God, Abraham decided to obey Him rather than his feeling. Some of the challenges that the biblical heroes faced may seem to be harder than what we’d face everyday, but we have to sacrifice ourselves to God daily to live for Him.
When we have to face the crises in our lives, it’s hard for us to have joy. Joy doesn’t come out from nothing. We have to accomplish something before we can celebrate our joyful life. For example, we cannot be rejoiced until we can accomplish our college master degrees. Even tough college education is higher level of schooling and we’d have some struggles to learn the benefit of it, we can be happy when we’d be graduated because with college degrees, we can do any job that would lead to our professional career goals.
One thing that God cannot do for us is that He cannot help us to escape from our problems, but He can show us the way to escape it. We all have to learn the way to celebrate our lives with God. And, we can increase our faiths by our actions.
Posted by MGJC Web Ministry
at 12:01 AM EDT
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Book of Romans Study: Paul’s Profile I
Topic: Book of Romans
As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. (Acts 8:2 KJV)
Before we would go into the Book of Romans, we must need to understand about the life of Paul. The first time mention of this author is in Acts 8 as his original Hebrew name, Saul (Paul as in Greek). He was born in Jewish nation and came from the tribe of Benjamin as the first king of Israel, Saul the son of Kish. He was born about the time of Christ’s birth in Tarsus (Acts 9:11) and was also a citizen of Roman. As a Jewish leader, he was also a Pharisee, who hated followers of Jesus Christ.
Before his conversion to Christianity, Paul was the one of Pharisees and tried to persecute every believer in Jesus Christ that he can find in the face of earth (Acts 8:1-3). In fact, Saul murdered his future brethren, Stephen by proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Jews (Acts 7:1-8:3). Unfortunately, God did not let Saul kept killing His people.
As we read in Acts 9, Saul was on the way to Damascus to kill more Christians, Jesus showed up to this murder. “And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.” (Acts 9:3-7 KJV.)
Have you wondered why God didn’t stop Saul until he’d get closer to Damascus to kill Christians? We must first to understand that God didn’t protest to His people to escape from Saul. He wanted to show Saul that there is God who is in charge of this land. The land of Israel was founded by God and He gave it to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants. It was not about protest. God wanted to show Saul who He is and wanted to used him as instrument to bring His lost people into Himself. God also wanted to use Saul to give new dream in his life. Hebrews 11:40 says, “God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”
There is so much information on Saul’s (or Paul’s) life that we can take to apply into our lives. The first four of the New Testament is on the foundation of Christianity, but when we get into Paul’s life and his writing, we can find the life application to our own life. The whole books of the Bible are our daily living manual book that God gave us. We have choice to use the Bible as just religious textbook or a handbook for our livings for God.
Posted by MGJC Web Ministry
at 12:01 AM EDT
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