Finding the Messiah

Posted on by korgrocker

“Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”).”
John 1:40-41 NLT

Andrew was one of the two disciples who spent time with Jesus the day when John the Baptist pointed Him out to them. “There is the Lamb of God“, John said, and that was enough to introduce Jesus’ first disciples. The second disciple who responded to Jesus’ invitation, “Come and see”, that day is uncertain – some say John, the beloved disciple and the author of John’s Gospel, others say the second man was Philip. But come what may, those two men were convinced that Jesus was the Messiah. And Andrew couldn’t wait to look for his brother Simon (later Peter), to tell him the good news of their discovery. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall that evening when Jesus had a conversation with Andrew and the other disciple. It must have been powerful enough to confirm His identity in the minds of the two men.

But here we are, two thousand years later, considering the events of long ago. The words of John, the Gospel writer, literally stand out fresh and relevant to us 21st Century pilgrims, because the Messiah is still to be found. Notice the sequence of events. Someone pointed Jesus out to two men, who then followed Him to confirm what they had been told. They then went and told someone else. That process is called sharing the Gospel, and is something we pilgrims do whenever we get the opportunity. 

After the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, another two disciples were making their way home, downcast and despondent about all the events that had taken place. But a conversation with Jesus was just what was needed for them to realise that they had found the risen Messiah! “They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?”(Luke 24:32). Right at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, two disciples spent time with Jesus. Did their hearts burn within them in the same way as they did for the two disciples after Jesus’ mission to Planet Earth had been completed? 

We modern day pilgrims may be, as the two Emmaus disciples were, nearing the ends of our journeys, but there is still time for the risen Messiah to impact our hearts with His words of eternal life. Are we listening? Are our hearts burning within us as well?

Dear Lord Jesus, our wonderful Messiah. You, the risen Christ, are the same today as You were yesterday. We worship You today. Amen.

Disciples (1)

Posted on by korgrocker

“The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples.”
John 1:35 NLT

When we read about the ministry of John, there is little to suggest that he did anything other than baptise people for the forgiveness of their sin, and introduce Jesus to the world. We read in Mark 1:4, “This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven”. John seemed to be a preacher with one message, but, more importantly, he made a declaration about the One to come, who would baptise with the Holy Spirit, and who we later find, would Himself be baptised by John. But we read nothing about John‭‭ making disciples until we read he was joined by “two of his disciples”. 

What is a “disciple“? It is a word mainly used in a religious sense, but means no more than a follower. Someone who voluntarily hears and applies the teaching or lifestyle of another person. We pilgrims, believers in Jesus, are disciples of the Master Himself, and we read His Word and apply it to our own lives, as well as assisting Him in His ministry to the world, something that has not ceased ever since He came to Planet Earth two thousand years ago. We have read the Great Commission, those verses at the end of Matthew’s Gospel – “Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age”” (Matthew 28:18-20). 

We should note, though, that we are not making disciples of ourselves. We are pointing those we share our testimonies with to Jesus Himself. He is the One to follow, not ourselves. We may assist in that process of course, but Jesus is the Master. A quote from “gotquestions.org”, “A Christian disciple is one who puts Jesus first, obeys the Lord, produces good fruit, loves others, and makes more disciples. Such a one is sure to make an impact in this fallen world for the glory of God.” We pilgrims are disciples of Jesus and Jesus alone, so we should be careful lest we get distracted by a charismatic leader, who might be saying things that we want to hear, and we become his or her disciple instead. Thereby leads the road to disappointment and even a spiritual shipwreck. 

Dear Lord Jesus. Only You are the One to follow. Only You are the “way, the truth and the life”. We are so grateful. Amen.

John Testified

Posted on by korgrocker

“John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”“
John 1:15 NLT

John knew who Jesus was, that day on the banks of the River Jordan. And it wasn’t just his knowledge that Jesus was his cousin. It was the reality that God had sent His Son to this world, and John recognised Him as its Creator. He exists eternally, and for a brief few years He walked amongst His people embodying “grace and truth”, discarding eternity for time, a throne for humanity. John testified about “Him“, Jesus the Son of God, the Messiah they had all been waiting for. Did anyone else at that time know who Jesus really was? Or was it only John? There was certainly much in the way of expectation, going back hundreds of years, but no Messiah had emerged onto the Israel landscape. Had there been false messiahs and false prophets in the years before Jesus? He Himself warned about such a phenomenon, as we read in Matthew 24:24, “For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones“. Whatever the people were expecting, however, a baby in a manger would not have even occurred to them. And a man like themselves would have been difficult for them to accept, as Jesus found out when He was teaching in the Nazareth synagogue. “When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. … Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”” (Luke 4:16,22). But Jesus knew how difficult it would be for the people to accept Him as Messiah. Jesus said to them, “But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown” (Luke 4:24). If Jesus had burst into the Middle East, leading a huge army, then they would have accepted Him as their Messiah, but an itinerant preacher and teacher who could do a few miracles would not have been on their radar.

“John testified about him”, we read. But how did John know that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah? Later on John had doubts, because after he had been imprisoned by Herod, he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” (Matthew 11:3). But on the banks of the Jordan, John had no doubts. The Holy Spirit within him left no room for any other possibility. The crowds there heard his message, his testimony about Jesus. 

In the world around us, in our communities and societies, there are many who could possibly relate to John and his message. In those days, people went to the Jordan, perhaps encouraged by their friends, who told them about this wild prophetic character with his Messianic message. Today, in the frantic information glut that surrounds us, the message of a Messiah quickly gets drowned out. But we pilgrims have a message about the Son of God and what He has done for us. There was that time when we were re-born into God’s family. And since then there have been occasions where the Holy Spirit has helped us sort out the life problems that we call sin. Like John we have a testimony. We experienced a life-changing event that put us on the road to eternal life with God Himself. The world around us is desperate for good news. We have it, and lots of it. We pray for opportunities when we can share what God has done for us. We won’t necessarily find crowds like John. But we will find opportunities to tell our stories of a Messiah, Jesus Himself. And what a wonderful story it is!

Dear Lord Jesus. As we follow You, day by day, please lead us to those who are waiting for Your message of Good News. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Other John

Posted on by korgrocker

”God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.“
John 1:6-9 NLT

John the Baptist was Jesus’ cousin, and was born to elderly parents, as we read in Luke 1:7, ”They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old”. But John’s dad, Zechariah, had an angelic encounter and was told he was going to have a son, ”But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John” (Luke 1:13). Zechariah received some amazing information about his coming son in the following verses, such as “he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth” and “he will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah”. Luke also wrote that John would “prepare the people for the coming of the Lord”.  John’s coming was foretold by the prophet Isaiah, “Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! (Isaiah 40:3).

The Jews in those days were very much aware that there had been no prophetic voices for 400 years, ever since the prophet Malachi. No messages from God. No encouragement that He was even there. And to make things worse, the people were oppressed by the occupying Romans. The fiercely independent Jews longed for the day when they had their own country again. John lived his adult years in the desert eating “locusts and wild honey”, and then there was the day when he emerged into history dressed like an Old Testament prophet in coarse camel hair and a leather belt. His message was simple, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near” (Matthew 3:2). And, in true Old Testament prophet style, he denounced the religious leaders for their hypocrisy and self-righteousness. But John’s mission was also to introduce Jesus. He said, “I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Matthew 3:11). Later on in Matthew’s Gospel we read that the people thought John was a prophet, and some even the coming Messiah. John’s life was tragically cut short by the wishes of an evil woman; he left this world violently, as many of the Jewish prophets did. But his ministry had achieved what God desired – he introduced Jesus, the Messiah. What a privilege!

What do we pilgrims learn from John? His zealous commitment to share the Good News of Jesus was total. It didn’t matter to him what others thought, he just did what God had commissioned him to do. The message for us pilgrims is the same. We are commissioned to tell the Good News about Jesus. Of course, we can’t all step into John the Baptist’s shoes, though some of us will be called to a special role to fulfil God’s plans. But we are all called, like John, to a life dedicated to God. We don’t know, but the next person we share the Gospel with might become the next Billy Graham. We all have our own unique places in our towns, our cities, our communities, and we pray that God will lead us to the next divine encounter, where another child of God is born.

Dear Father God. Lead us to divine encounters we pray, so that we can share the Good News of Jesus. Thank You. Amen.

Final Words

Posted on by korgrocker

”You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.“
2 Peter 3:17-18 NLT

Peter has come to the point in his letter when he finally decides he has written all that needs to be written. There’s nothing more to be said. A final warning to his readers to “be on guard”. Watch out, he wrote, because there are wicked people out there who are preaching error and leading people away from the truth about Jesus and His Gospel, distorting and twisting His message of Good News and hope for the future. Perhaps we are tempted to think that this was an early church phenomenon, and Biblical preaching and teaching today is much less prone to error. But thinking this is just what the devil likes. Complacency leads to apostasy, and an ineffective Christian life. We pilgrims must never cease our journey. We must never become becalmed in a morass of distractions, diverted from our mission.

Peter exhorted his readers to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ“. To grow takes effort, and God wants us to mature as Christians. A “baby” Christian cannot stay in that infantile state forever, but sadly many do. Just as a human baby looks to their mother, “baby” Christians expect their pastors or ministers to do everything for them, feeding them a palatable diet that they can enjoy. And when such attention is unavailable they look elsewhere for their spiritual input. They think that another church will supply their needs. Or perhaps they find a spiritual “creche” somewhere else, and go there instead.

It is by God’s grace that we can grow and He allows us the time and space to mature as Christians. Sometimes I check in again with those verses at the end of Acts 2. ”All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). We have distorted the purity of the Gospel with our liturgies, our “all about me” Christian worship songs, our pews providing fellowship limited to the back of a person’s head, our programmes to raise funds for the church organ or new roof instead of furthering the Gospel to those in need. The Christian life is all about Jesus and following Him and His teaching. We have wonderful resources in the Bible and its many translations, and we must study it with the devotion the early believers had. We must pray so fervently, that something significant happens in our prayer meetings. Acts 4:31, ”After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness“. We must look after each other, in times of fellowship not just restricted to a hand shake after the Sunday meeting. God’s grace abounds when His people are flowing in His ways.

Peter encouraged his readers to grow in grace and knowledge, and that will require a shift in our Christian world view and life style. Paul summed up this way of life in Colossians 3:1-4, ”Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honour at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory“. The Bible teaches us much about the “things of Heaven”, and we must appreciate the reality, as believers, that we are now citizens of Heaven. We must adopt the laws and customs of our new world. It is here that our eyes are opened and we realise the sinful and worldly ways that we have left behind. The transition from the old kingdom to the new will take a lifetime, as we “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”. 

Dear Father God. We thank You for Your servant Peter and his letters so full of Your grace and love. We pray together today that Your Words will be food for our souls. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Newborn King of the Jews

Posted on by korgrocker

“Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”“
Matthew 2:1-2 NLT

‭Word finally got to Herod. Some men from a foreign land had arrived in Jerusalem, looking for a new king. And worse, they were asking for the whereabouts of the “newborn King of the Jews“. Herod, was a very insecure king in a very insecure land, under Roman occupation, and we read in Matthew 2:3, “King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem“. The consensus amongst the religious leaders was that Bethlehem was going to be the birthplace of the Messiah, and they made the connection with the reference to the King of the Jews. But we know the story, told many times when we were children, and ever since. Nativity Plays with three kings bringing their gifts. Traditional excitement for parents and other relatives. All part of church life and a celebration of the first coming of our Messiah, Jesus Himself. 

Sadly, many people don’t know the story anymore, preferring to focus on the materialism of the holiday season. Strange displays in shop windows stir vague memories or are written off as yet another aid to part people from their money in a season of expense and often stress and anxiety. Any thoughts about Jesus get lost in the leftovers after Christmas lunch, or are quickly forgotten as a New Year with its resolutions emerges from the holiday fogs. Back to work or school dominate. Another year coming with bad news about the climate and taxes and so on. A cynical or negative perspective? Perhaps, but the world around us is locked into a mindset that is dominated by the devil and his influence. As a “type” of Herod, he looks around for any good news of the “newborn King of the Jews”and seeks to destroy it before it becomes a problem to him. We read in Matthew 2:16, “Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance“. There are many people around today, the devil’s “soldiers”, who want to kill off any rumours that there is actually Good News coming. Jesus was, and still is, God’s message of hope. His Good News will never be killed off because we pilgrims propagate it wherever we live. 

So we pilgrims have another opportunity to talk about the birth of the God-man, Jesus. The first advent of our Messiah, the Son of God, has an excitement connected to it that must be communicated. A group of wise men, or Magi, from a far off country went to a lot of trouble and expense to worship at His feet. A group of shepherds were gob-smacked with the angelic vision and song. And 21st Century pilgrims can feel within them a deep sense of gratitude that God had a plan for saving the world. We are a part of that plan, with a mission to tell those around us that Jesus was born to be our Saviour. Man-made efforts to change the world pall into insignificance when compared to the impact of the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

It may come as a bit of a surprise to some, but Jesus will return a second time to this planet. The first time He came as a baby, taking on human flesh, a suffering Servant who gave His life for us sinners. But next time He will come as a victorious King. We read how Jesus finally left Planet Earth in Acts 1:9, “After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him“. But what happened next foretells the way Jesus will return. “As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”” (Acts 1:10-11). 

And how Jesus will return we can read in Revelation 19:11, 14-15, “Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. … The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress“. Significantly, He will no longer be the Suffering Servant but the ” … King of all kings and Lord of all Lords” (Revelation 19:16b). 

We pilgrims have a message of hope, a testimony to God’s goodness. We know the end of the story, and we need to declare it loud and clear to those around us. Psalm 2:12 is a warning to all, “Submit to God’s royal son, or he will become angry, and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities— for his anger flares up in an instant. But what joy for all who take refuge in him!” Let us have a joyful day remembering and celebrating God’s Son Jesus, as we take refuge in Him, worshipping at the foot of a manger in a place far away.

Dear Father God. Thank You that You had a plan for the salvation of mankind. Thank You Jesus for the mission we have and the opportunities it has afforded us. We worship You today. Amen.

Holy Priests

Posted on by korgrocker

“You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honour. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.”
1 Peter 2:4-5 NLT

When we mention the word “priest” what comes to our minds? An Anglican will form a picture of a person, usually a man but it could be a woman, wearing a long robe and other accoutrements, who stands at the front of the church leading the service in accordance with the liturgy and worship service of the day. For Roman Catholics a similar picture might result, but the “priest”would also be available for other duties such as confessions. But whatever religion we follow, the “priest” is a minister who purports to teach and lead his adherents, with a sacred involvement in his parish and consequent liturgical duties, and looking after the spiritual needs of the community. 

In the book of Hebrews, we read about the ultimate High Priest, Jesus. Hebrews 7:16, “Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed”. The writer, or writers, of the Hebrews letter wrote about the connection between the priests of the Jewish religion, and the High Priest of the New Covenant, Jesus. In Hebrews 8:6, we read, “But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises”. Just as in the Old Covenant, the priests stood between God and man, Jesus, in the New, ministers “a far better covenant with God” because He is God. We pilgrims now each have access to the throne of God. No more earthly priests required. This is made clear in Hebrews 10:19-22, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.”

We pilgrims have an important role as the “holy priests” that Peter wrote about. We are part of God’s “spiritual temple” and we are responsible for sharing the “good news” about Jesus and His saving grace. There is no more important job for a priest. All the liturgical flummery we find in some denominations will probably not help a person find God. Rather, it might even put them off. But sharing what God has done for us will be a matter of life and death. Our personal testimonies of God’s grace, love and mercy are priceless and worthy of a “holy priest” in the Kingdom of God.

Dear Lord Jesus. We are indeed Your representatives here on Planet Earth, priests in Your kingdom. Please help us to become more like You, day by day. Amen.

Powerful Preaching

Posted on by korgrocker

“They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.”
1 Peter 1:12 NLT

Peter knew all about the Good News. He lived with its Author for over three years learning all about it and even getting the opportunity to practise it. After a “wobbly” at Jesus’ trial, and his subsequent restoration over a breakfast of fried fish, he stayed largely below the radar until that momentous day, the Day of Pentecost. And then he came forward with the other Apostles, and announced the Good News. He provided a foretaste of what happens when a preacher dispenses his or her message of Good News “in the power of the Holy Spirit”. Not for Peter, or any of the other Apostles, was the preaching going to be a message full of flummery. It was the raw truth of the Good News.

Peter commenced his preaching by quoting the prophecy of Joel 2, which ends, “But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:21). His accurate quotation of an Old Testament Scripture, was the first evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit, bringing to his remembrance just the right verses at the right time. Jesus of course said this would happen, as we read in John 16:13, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.” But Jesus also warned His disciples that when faced with a stressful situation in front of the rulers and authorities of the day, the Holy Spirit would help them with what they should say. We read in Matthew 10:19-20, “When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you”. So Peter probably amazed himself with the words that came from his mouth – it wasn’t him but the Holy Spirit bringing words of power and conviction.

There is no shortage of opportunities to find out what the “Good News” actually is. The internet is a source of such information of course. And we have the wayside pulpits outside traditional church buildings and more besides. The sincere seekers after the truth of the “Good News” will find it. But for everyone else there is a lethargy, a fatigue, when it comes to things of God. We pilgrims of course look for opportunities ourselves to share what God has done for us, testimonies that are real and relevant. But we pilgrims are not all preachers. Or so we think. We may think of a preacher being someone dressed in a white gown and delivering a formal message from a piece of church furniture we call a pulpit. An ornately carved wooden construction usually elevated in a corner of the building and accessed via a number of stairs hidden behind a wooden façade. And a message is delivered but is it “Good News”? That of course depends on Peter’s assertion that the “Good News” must be “preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven”. Without the Holy Spirit’s presence the announcement will usually fall flat and will be largely ineffective.

Before He left this world, Jesus gave His disciples an instruction. “And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone” (Mark 16:15). There is a different dynamic if the preaching includes the Holy Spirit’s power, however. We read in Acts 4:31, “After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness”. Something called conviction ensures that the message is powerful. There has been many a preacher without a personal relationship with Jesus who nevertheless has preached the Gospel. But those who know that Jesus is their personal Saviour have an even more powerful message.

We pilgrims of course may not grace a pulpit with our presence. But we do have a message to share about what Jesus has done for us. In the pulpit of life we have the words that can make a difference to where someone will spend eternity. Romans 10:14, “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them”? We are “someone tells them” pilgrims. Let’s not miss any opportunity that comes our way.

Dear God. Please forgive us for when we make simple things like sharing what Jesus has done for us, so complicated. Your words of eternal life will reach any receptive hearts and we pray for the same boldness that the early disciples had. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Obedient to the Lord

Posted on by korgrocker

“But everyone knows that you are obedient to the Lord. This makes me very happy. I want you to be wise in doing right and to stay innocent of any wrong. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”
Romans 16:19-20 NLT

Paul is happy because he knows that the Roman believers are obedient followers of Christ. A faith statement on his part, but one he felt, through the whispering of the Holy Spirit within him, to be the case. In those days, without the benefit of the New Testament writings, the truth about God’s plan and His message of salvation through Jesus came through reference to the Jewish Bible and through the Apostles’ teaching. And of course the Truth came through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul implied through the next few words in Romans 16:19 that “obedience to the Lord” would lead to righteous living which was wisdom, but he also appealed to his readers to stay innocent of any wrongdoing. In other words they should avoid sin. The person of satan emerged as a potential assailant, but through “the God of peace” he would soon be a defeated foe. 

We pilgrims today have a much easier time in knowing right from wrong, and how to be “obedient to the Lord”. But translating that “knowing” into practice in our society today is far from easy. Even the church leaders in our land are promoting behaviour that the Bible clearly says is wrong. If Paul was around today, would he still be “very happy”? Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love me, obey my commandments”. Obedience to Christ is fundamental to the Christian. At best, it may appear old fashioned in the eyes of the world. But at worst it may lead to imprisonment or even death, as in other nations. We must stand firm – “But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority” (Acts 5:29). The Gospel that we preach is counter-cultural and to many an offence because it challenges lifestyles, and attitudes and more. But we have to be obedient in doing what God has asked us to do, because salvation comes through Jesus. Jesus said in John 14:6, “ … I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me”. When challenged by Jesus about his future relationship with Him, “Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God”” (John 6:68-69).

We pilgrims have a clear understanding of how we should live our lives. But obedience to the Lord is a key that will unlock the doors of Heaven. We cannot compromise. In this season of “Pride” marches, I read today of a Christian councillor who tweeted on social media, “Pride is not a virtue but a sin“. As a result he has been suspended from the Conservative Party, and “cancelled” by six other organisations. Here is his full tweet, “When did Pride become a thing to celebrate. Because of Pride Satan fell as an arch Angel. Pride is not a virtue but a Sin. Those who have Pride should Repent of their sins and return to Jesus Christ. He can save you“. And he quoted Isaiah 3:9, “The very look on their faces gives them away. They display their sin like the people of Sodom and don’t even try to hide it. They are doomed! They have brought destruction upon themselves“. Obedience to the Lord is going to cost us, folks. But there is no other way. Again I write that we cannot compromise.

Dear Father God. We pray together for the Christian Councillor who has lost so much for standing firm on Your Word. Please restore to him all that he has lost and more. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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More Friends

Posted on by korgrocker

“Give my greetings to Mary, who has worked so hard for your benefit. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews, who were in prison with me. They are highly respected among the apostles and became followers of Christ before I did. Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys. Greet Apelles, a good man whom Christ approves. And give my greetings to the believers from the household of Aristobulus. Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew. Greet the Lord’s people from the household of Narcissus. Give my greetings to Tryphena and Tryphosa, the Lord’s workers, and to dear Persis, who has worked so hard for the Lord. Greet Rufus, whom the Lord picked out to be his very own; and also his dear mother, who has been a mother to me. Give my greetings to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters who meet with them. Give my greetings to Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and to Olympas and all the believers who meet with them.”
Romans‬ ‭16‬:‭6‬-‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

A long list of the names of Paul’s friends. There were 23 people that Paul commended in these verses; actually 25 because the mother of Rufus wasn’t named and neither was the sister of Nereus. But to be given a mention in a letter by the Apostle Paul was praise indeed, and this list of names has survived long after the owners of the names have. These people were all active church workers who were even, as Adronicus and Junia were, prepared to go to prison for their faith. A wonderful legacy of real and living Christians, and one day we will have the opportunity to ask them about how they got on with Paul, and about their faith in the First Century. But behind all these names there would have been many good church folks, working away for Jesus below the radar.

The message from these verses for us pilgrims can be summed up in the phrases such as “worked hard” and “highly respected”, “Christ approves”, “the Lord picked out” and so on. These are  believers who were sold out for Jesus. No wishy-washy Christians here! These dear folks built a solid foundation upon which the church was built. They were prepared to suffer for their faith, and by doing so they established the Church that Jesus spoke to Peter about in Matthew 16:18, “Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it“. These early Christians were bomb proof and nothing the devil hurled at them had any impact. That is the inspiration for the Church today. Forces have been unleashed against Christians here in the UK over recent years, and secularism and left wing and anti-God ideologies are emerging, intent on destroying Christians in any way they can. But like the dear people listed in Paul’s letter, we will stand firm and use the weapons that God has supplied for us, and as listed in Ephesians 6. There is no going back. 

There is an old hymn that I haven’t sung for many years, but the verse 3 lyrics are:
Stand up! stand up for Jesus!
Stand in His strength alone;
The arm of flesh will fail you;
Ye dare not trust your own.
Put on the Gospel armour,
And, watching unto prayer,
Where duty calls, or danger,
Be never wanting there.

We used to belt it out in church, never thinking that in the years coming, it would be so appropriate.

Father God. We pray for the same strength and single-mindedness that those early Christians had. Please help us in our battles against the evil one. In Jesus’ name. Amen.