Be Strong

Posted on by korgrocker

“We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves.”
Romans 15:1 NLT

‭Paul continues to write about the importance of considering others, particular other Christians. But we pilgrims know that, of course. But what about ourselves? Are we the “strong” people in this verse? Believers strong in the faith and able to withstand shocks in times of stress and difficulty? People who are not impacted by what others say or do in our presence? In Matthew 24:9, Jesus said, “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me”. Or would we react as Jesus described in the next verse – Matthew 24:10, “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other”? A thought that must put fear into the heart of even the strongest believer. 

But I think Paul was making the point that the strength we have in God, through our faith relationship with Him, transcends all the mayhem and temptations that surround us. Another believer behaves in a way we think inconsiderate or even sinful, but we are not affected in ourselves by that. Instead we look for an opportunity to gently and lovingly help the other person. Paul wrote in Galatians 6:1-2, “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ”. 

Being “strong” as Paul expects, applies to our own behaviour. We are strong enough to control our lives so that what we do is not to please ourselves but to be pleasing to others. We pilgrims do not behave in a way that will have a negative impact on a fellow believer. We watch our speech, and the words we use. We are careful with the relationships we foster. The way we act in our families is beyond reproach. We make sure our emotions don’t take over our lives, particularly when we are provoked. 

Paul wrote about the tools we have at our disposal to make sure we can in fact be strong believers. Ephesians 6:10, “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power“. And Paul goes on to list the items of spiritual armour that God has supplied. We can read about them in Ephesians 6. We must also realise that the perhaps overly sensitive brother or sister will be fighting their own battles against the forces of darkness that Paul wrote about. Those evil spirits in heavenly places. We are all on a journey through life, slaying our own “dragons” on the way. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit walks with us, helping us to stand firm, strong and unmoved in the face of the enemy’s onslaught. At the end of Jesus’ temptation, we read in Luke 4:13, “When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came“. A strong believer will find that the enemy and his minions will leave us if we stand firm. But we mustn’t forget, he’s always on the prowl, looking for an opportunity to oppress us some other time. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 16:13, “Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong“.

Dear Father God. We thank You that we are on the winning side, strengthened by You and Your Spirit, that lives within us. We stand firm in our faith, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Blessed Are Those …

Posted on by korgrocker

“You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right. But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.
Romans 14:22-23 NLT

Paul wraps up his discourse on food offered to idols with another word of encouragement. In it he appeals to our consciences. Perhaps a glass of wine might illustrate the point he is making. As a Christian, I might decide that a glass of wine with a meal is not a problem to God, or me. A second or third glass might be, but one on its own is not. But we know that another Christian thinks that all glasses of wine are from the devil, thoughts probably initiated by being brought up in a family where their father regularly got drunk and came home to beat up their mother. So drinking that glass of wine in front of the other believer would cause them difficulties in their faith. The result is that, knowing the sensitivities of the other believer, I will not drink a glass of wine in his or her company, instead sticking to fruit juice or plain water. But Paul said that I am blessed to be able to think there is nothing wrong with that single glass of wine, because I have satisfied myself that, through my relationship with God, I am doing nothing wrong. 

However, if I now venture to having a second glass of wine with my meal, that might be something that I know I haven’t settled with God. Or, for a change, I might take a liqueur with my last coffee. Both situations where my conscience might kick in, because my previous conversations with God haven’t resulted in His approval. So I have now ventured into the realm of committing a sin. The doubts I may have about adding to my alcohol input have become sin. 

There are areas of the Bible where we don’t have a clear black and white set of rules. But neither should there be because we walk with the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:16-18, “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses“. 

If I am tempted by that second glass of wine or the end of meal liqueur then I might feel a prompt, a nudge, from the Holy Spirit. This is because when I became a Christian, I gave God permission to place His Spirit within me. Yes, I can overrule Him. But it wouldn’t be very wise. My conscience will only allow me a single glass of wine, and no more. Anything else wouldn’t be right and I’d be sinning. Paul wrote, “Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right”. We are blessed indeed to have a conscience and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. There is no other religion that can claim their adherents have God Himself living within them. Something precious. Something unique. How can we violate something as wonderful as this?

Living the Life

Posted on by korgrocker

“And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. Then you will not be criticised for doing something you believe is good. For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.”
Romans 14:15-19 NLT

Paul now moves on beyond writing about right and wrong foods to what really matters. He wrote that we should live a life of “goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit”. Rather than look around us at what other Christians are doing, we should instead get our own lives in order. And I’m sure if every believer focused on that, there would not be an opportunity to criticise others. We’d be too busy sorting ourselves out. We should always remember that we are not responsible for another believers’ walk with God. Paul wrote in Philippians 2:12b-13, “ … continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil his good purpose”. Our journey through life hand in hand with the Holy Spirit is an intensely personal thing.

Paul also wrote the following to the Ephesian church, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24). There is a lifetime of activity here. The “old man” within us died with Christ – Colossians 2:20, “You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world..?” We are now a new creation “created to be like God”. So with His help that is what we do, casting aside all the things that we used to do and that hold us back.

Paul wrote the following to the Philippine church, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:8). That’s living the life. By doing so we can guarantee ourselves a life of “goodness and peace and joy“. And the Holy Spirit can live within us, enjoying the experience too. Paul went on to point out that living life in this way will please God. And other people around us will notice someone who is different and someone they will approve of.

It may be a big ask. We’re only human, some will say. Excuses such as “you don’t know what I’m going through”, or “my mental health isn’t good at the moment” will emerge. Did Paul write something that is impossible to keep? Was he setting the bar too high? The key is in the words, “in the Holy Spirit”. In our own strength, we don’t have a hope of always pleasing God. But with the Holy Spirit within us we have a chance. Isaiah 40:31, “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint”. That’s really living the life!

Dear Father God. We really want to live a life that is pleasing to You. No “if’s” or “but’s”. Just a life lived in the Holy Spirit. Amen.


Stumbling

Posted on by korgrocker

“Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall. I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong. And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died.”
Romans 14:12-15 NLT

Paul continues to write about basic Christian principles, and he focused on food as being at the heart of a problem in the Roman Christian society. Apparently there was much discussion – it may have become quite heated – amongst those early believers involving the interface between the idolatry so prevalent around them, and the purity of a life devoted to Christ. The problem was about food, especially those items that had been offered to idols. Following some idolatrous ritual they would appear in the market place, perhaps sold at a discount, and Christians then had a dilemma over whether or not they bought it to feed their families. Some Christians in those days said they shouldn’t, and others said it was ok to do so. 

The same problem still exists today, though probably not with the same focus. It boils down to the question – “How do I live in a way that avoids upsetting other Christians?” We still have the interface between secular and Christian societies. It’s not about food, because items are not available after idol worship any more, but there are other issues. Some years ago, I was involved in a discussion within the leadership of an independent Charismatic church about drinking wine, beer or any other alcoholic drink. We agreed that such a practice wasn’t wrong in itself, as long as moderation was involved, but how does it look to a congregation, some of whom have issues with such beverages, having been part of families destroyed by alcoholism. 

Paul wrote that we should “live in such a way that [we] will not cause another believer to stumble and fall”. In Ephesians 4:17-18 he also wrote, “With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him”. The Gentile unbelieving life, without any God-knowledge, will always be knocking at the door of a Christian’s heart. It is so hard to resist the ways of the world, particularly when bombarded with secular ideas and practices. The smutty jokes in the workplace. The lunchtime pint. The coarse language at a football match. The TV programmes infused with ideologies that insidiously pollute minds and spirits. The media news reports biased and negatively presented. We must always be on our guards during every waking moment.

At the secular/Christian interface there will be grey areas that vary between Christians. We have mentioned drinking alcoholic beverages. And the question is should I continue to do this if it makes one of my fellow believers “stumble and fall”? There are also other issues that emerge at the margins of our moral universe. I can remember a visiting preacher whose message I think was implying that it was acceptable for a man and woman to live together outside a formal marriage as long as they did so in a way that honoured marriage vows and particularly the one “‘til death us do part”. Most in that congregation were quite upset about what he appeared to be saying, and his unwise comments could have had a devastating effect on some of those present, potentially making them “stumble and fall”. 

We pilgrims have a duty to our fellow believers. In the course of loving one another, we have always to assess what we say and be careful if expressing contentious views. Paul continued to write in Ephesians 4 the following, “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy” (Ephesians 4:21-24). It’s all about the Holy Spirit and allowing him to help us and lead us, renewing us with God-thoughts from within. God knows what is, and isn’t, acceptable in our lives. And by our living we can help others in their daily walk with God.

Dear Father. You love us so much, and You want us to extend that love to others. Please help us to discern Your will over the issues we face today, so that we can do what we should. Please help us to hold our tongues when necessary. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Judging Others

Posted on by korgrocker

“So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’” Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.”
Romans 14:10-13 NLT

Here’s another sobering thought thrown into the air from Pastor Paul. Have we ever noticed that Christians can sometimes have a tendency to offer unsolicited judgement over their fellow believers, for something that they do? So on occasion, surreptitiously of course, we condemn the other believer and, somehow, in the process, we find that we acquire feelings of smugness and adopt a “holier than thought” attitude. Of course we deny it ever happens, but denial won’t eliminate the reality that we can have a tendency to judge others. Or we can offer judgement over some perceived “crime” and then quickly follow it up with a “of course we cannot judge”. In Matthew 7:1-2, Jesus said, “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged”. Even the judgemental attitudes we hold within us will be exposed one day. Paul wrote that we mustn’t condemn, judge, or look down on other believers. We don’t walk in their shoes, and instead we must “live in such a way that [we] will not cause another believer to stumble and fall”.  

So how do Christians ever get into a situation where they fall into the trap of “judging others”? We know what we should ,and shouldn’t, do and yet we still sometimes, even privately in our hearts, find ourselves comparing others against our own standards, standards which we ourselves fail to meet. It all stems from our journey through life. Step by step the Holy Spirit works within us, cleaning up our lives, slowly but surely. But there are others on a different journey.

So how do we pilgrims avoid the trap of falling into judgement of our fellow believers? Firstly, why do we do it? Are our judgemental attitudes coming out of inner turmoil or insecurities? Perhaps we have in the past been the focus of similar attitudes against us. Or perhaps what we tend to be judging is something we are guilty of as well, and by some distorted sense of logic, we are dealing with it through another person.

Secondly, we need to stand in the other person’s shoes for a moment, and get their perspective. There is an interesting verse in John 7:24, “Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly“. How can we hope to have the right perspective on a fellow believer unless we can empathise with them and their perceived actions.

Another thought we must consider is viewing how God sees us, and them. He accepts us just as we are, and so must we of the other person. To be blunt, who are we to expect acceptance from God, with our warts and all, if we can’t do the same for another person. And finally, we have tasted the love of God. His love and grace has made us what and who we are. Surely we too must share that love and grace in our attitudes to our fellow believers. In John 13:34-35 we read what Jesus said, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples“. And so we must do exactly that, and we pray for God to help us love others, replacing any judgemental attitudes with love.

Dear Father God. You have loved us so much. What can we do but love others, to the best of our abilities. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Vegetables

Posted on by korgrocker

“For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables.”
Romans 14:2 NLT

Food is a necessary part of life. Without it we waste away and won’t last very long. In Paul’s day, as there is a today, there was an issue with what constituted right or wrong foods, but for different reasons. First century Christian had a dilemma, because there was a practice of offering food to an idol, an inanimate lump of wood, stone, or metal, after which it was made available for others to eat. Some Christians had no problem with eating such food at all, but others shunned it because of the association with idolatry. Paul wrote that’s those in the latter category had sensitive consciences. Placed in the same situation what would we do?

There is a constant theme about food that runs through the Bible. It seems from Genesis 1 that God intended mankind to have a diet of vegetables and fruit. Genesis 1:29, “Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food”.  Then we have the instructions provided through Moses of how food should be treated, and what should and shouldn’t be consumed, for example in Leviticus 11. And then at the end of the Bible, in Revelation 22, we seem to have gone full circle, back to eating fruit, Revelation 22:2, “ … On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations”. 

The issue today in our societies is not the worship of idols through eating food offerings, but another challenge has emerged. Scientists tell us that some foods are good for us, and others are not.  We also have a wide divergence of food availability, with some countries having too much food and others not enough. So does Paul’s advice in Romans 14:2 apply to 21st Century Christians or is it outdated and can be ignored?

As someone who manages his diabetes by diet, I know that there are some foods that won’t be good for me. Carbohydrates, especially sugar, have to be carefully controlled, even avoided. I also know that meal sizes have a bearing on my blood glucose readings. But other people I know have different challenges. Lactose or gluten intolerance, peanut allergies, and many other seemingly modern day phenomena determine what we can or cannot eat. But none of this was what Paul was writing about.

In Philippians 3:18-19, we read, “For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things”. Paul pointed out that worldly people can become idol worshippers, not to lumps of stone or carved statues, but with their sensuality, affecting all of them, not just their stomachs. 

The principle of right and wrong foods extends into other areas. For example, some think certain leisure activities on a Sunday should be avoided. Others have no problems. I know people who brought up their children to respect Sundays, not allowing them play or watch TV. In the past, dancing has been acceptable to some but not to others. And nowhere has this dichotomy been more prevalent than in the church.

We are each guided by our consciences, but we also be careful not to impose our world-view on others. What other Christians believe is acceptable is between them and the light God has given them. We commit our consciences into God’s loving hands, asking Him to keep our hearts soft and pliable.

Dear God. You have wired each one of us with a conscience. We know that if we violate it then it will become less and less sensitive. So we pray for a Holy Spirit sensitivity to infuse our hearts and minds. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Working Hard

Posted on by korgrocker

“Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.”
Romans 12:11 NLT
“never lagging behind in diligence; aglow in the Spirit, enthusiastically serving the Lord;”
Romans 12:11 AMP

In this part of Romans 12, Paul set out some quick-fire instructions, to lead and guide his readers in their Christian lives. And they are just as applicable today as they were then. The different translations for this verse bring out the importance of involving the Holy Spirit in what we do, not just as a passive Companion, with little or no influence, but in a way that fires us up, bringing enthusiasm and dedication to the task in hand.

In my contacts in the community where I live, I have met a couple of men who have never worked. Men in their forties and fifties, subsisting on benefits and other state handouts, poorly educated and without hope for the future. It was not as though they started their lives with such a lifestyle as a goal, but due to getting in with the wrong crowds at school, and discovering alcohol as a means to generate some good feelings or whatever, within them, they drifted. And it could be argued that the state benefit system here in the UK contributed to the choices they made, introducing not having to work as an option. But one man said to me recently that he wished he could get a job. There is something within him that knows what he should be doing but he lacks the motivation now to do what it takes to cast off the alcohol addiction and the other negatives in his way of life. Is he a lazy man? I wouldn’t know, but at this stage in his life it is only God who could make a difference, and there are stories of the miraculous transforming power of the Holy Spirit in lifting alcoholics out of their addiction into His wonderful life, bringing self-respect and a wonderful testimony in the process. So I pray and look to God for the opportunity to help him and bring hope to someone who is hopeless, and sadly, written off by society.

Perhaps a similar problem confronted Paul in the Roman church. What we experience today in society has always been around because it is what we call human nature. In Paul’s day there wouldn’t have been the state benefits system that we see today, because a social income was unheard of. But Paul still felt the need to confront laziness, in people perhaps doing the bare minimum to get by. In Paul’s view of society, he introduced his readers to the concept that whatever we do, we do it as to the Lord. Colossians 3:23-24, “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ”. I read somewhere of a quote from Ruth Graham, the wife of the famous evangelist Billy Graham. Apparently she had a quotation pinned above the sink in her kitchen that reminded her that she was washing dishes as to the Lord. Such a view of our working lives is transformational. A bad human boss becomes irrelevant. It is God who we work for.

The story of Joseph in the latter chapters of Genesis is fascinating. Here was a man of whom it was said, “that the Lord was with him” (Genesis 39:3). Because of that, he prospered in a heathen society, bringing salvation to his people in a time of famine. In Genesis 41:41 we read, “So Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.’” We know, of course, this happened, not because he worked for Pharaoh, but because he looked higher to Heavenly places and took his instructions from his Lord.

We pilgrims are more than likely employed in some capacity to other. But even in retirement, enjoying state or occupational pensions, we remember that we got here because we worked for the Lord. And we continue to give thanks for all His provision.

Dear Father God. We thank You for looking after us. Please help us to remember who supplies our every need. Amen.

Personal Gifts

Posted on by korgrocker

“In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophecy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.”
Romans 12:6 NLT

Paul develops his theme of the body of Christ, the church, being made up of individual people, and he wrote to the Christians in Rome, pointing out that God had given each of them a “different gift”, “for doing certain things well”. We don’t know much about the Roman church, or churches, and what giftings were present, but we can be sure that the spiritual gifts were present there. It was as though Paul was reminding them of this fact. Paul also told them that it was through God’s grace that they were given the gifts, and he highlighted the gift of prophecy. Was this the most important or just the first that came to his mind? We also see that the gifts Paul mentioned in the following verses in addition to prophecy – serving, teaching, encouraging, leading, giving, and showing mercy or kindness – were all there for the benefit of the local church. These were gifts that formed the “glue” that held them all together. There was something about the Holy Spirit empowering the gifts so that they become far more effective than any natural equivalent. Peter also said that God has a “great variety of spiritual gifts” (1 Peter 4:10), so perhaps the seven listed here in Romans 12 were just a few out of many. 

Is it the case that the church today has the same spiritual gifts that were bestowed upon the First Century Christians? Is it being presumptuous to reply in the affirmative? There is nothing that I can find in Scripture that says the gifts were only for the First Century AD, or the Apostolic age, so I think it is safe to assume that the spiritual gifts are still alive and well today. We should note that the Romans 12 gifts are gifts for service. Paul lists some more in 1 Corinthians 12, gifts such as healing and faith, miracles and knowledge, all gifts manifesting the power of the Holy Spirit. 

But before we get into the list of “certain things”, are we personally sure that we do, in fact, have a spiritual gift? How do we know? Well, first of all, Paul said that God has given us “different gifts“. 1 Peter 4:10, “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another“. 1 Corinthians 12:7,“A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other“. If God has said it, then we must have it. Is it wrong to say that to deny that we have a spiritual gift is to deny God? 

So, how do we find our spiritual gift or gifts (some people have more than one)? They can only be found by seeking God, though there are some helps that He has provided. Things like, do we feel a rise in our spirits at the mention of a particular gift? Or is there a friend who has pointed out to us something we are particularly good at? We should of course beware of looking for gifts that we think are a good idea rather than what God really has planned for us. 

Our loving Heavenly Father so kindly knows our shortcomings, and how we need much encouragement. He provides these practical gifts to help us and our churches, helping us shine as beacons in the world around us.

Dear Heavenly Father. We thank You for Your graciousness, so sensitive and practical, providing all that we need for our Christian lives today. Amen.

Grafted

Posted on by korgrocker

“If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: you do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.’ Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.”
Romans 11:17-21 NIVUK

Gardeners are good at grafting. To someone who knows little about gardening, such a technique is well beyond my experience, but there are many skilled people who are good at it. What is grafting? Here is a quote from the UK’s Royal Horticultural Society, “The purpose of grafting is to combine one plant’s qualities of flowering or fruiting with the roots of another that offers vigour and resilience”. I have a rose bush in my front garden, purchased some years ago, that consists of just such a hybrid combination of good flowers and a wild rose root and stem. Paul informed his readers that they have been grafted into the olive tree, replacing other branches that had been broken off. Of course, as we considered recently, Jesus is the Source of the “nourishing sap” that supports us and sustains us in our Christian lives. And we are “wild olive shoots” that have been grafted in. The implication is that we Christians are not natural parts of the olive tree, but have been given the opportunity to be joined to the tree through our faith in God.

Paul goes on to make a good point. It would perhaps be easy to feel in some way superior to God’s own people, the Jews, because we have found His grace and love and they haven’t. So we observe how their removal from the Source now makes room for a people saved through His grace. And Paul reminds his readers that those removed, the natural branches, “were broken off because of unbelief”. There is, however, a warning coming from Paul’s pen – be soberly aware that we too can be broken off from the vine, the olive tree, if we lapse into apostasy and unbelief. 

Back to John 15. Jesus Himself taught about the importance of remaining connected to the Vine, we read in John 15:5-6 what Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” Indeed a sober warning for us pilgrims. So how do we remain in the vine? How do we avoid being burned in the fire? It’s all about our relationship with God. As Jesus said to the Jewish expert in the Law, the greatest commandment to be followed is, “ … you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength” (Mark 12:30). Our connection to the Source depends on our choices. If we choose to love God in all we do, aligning our lives and behaving how an olive branch should, then we will enjoy the life-giving and nourishing sap that flows unhindered from the throne of God. But if we choose to behave in a way that connects us to a different root system, then we cut ourselves off from God, and our spirits will wither and die. 

We pilgrims know what we must do. And it is not an impossible request that God makes of us. He is our loving Heavenly Father. He has the words of eternal life. Only He can welcome us into our future home in Heaven. And so we worship and praise Him, secure in the knowledge that He loves us and cares for us. He accepts all repentant sinners who come to Him, and He willingly grafts us into His Tree. Through His grace and mercy, there is unlimited room for new branches, and the grafting process is accompanied by much joy. How grateful we are!

Dear Lord Jesus. You are the Vine and we are the branches. Thank You for the life-giving Spirit that flows so freely towards us. Amen.

Did Israel Hear?

Posted on by korgrocker

“But I ask, have the people of Israel actually heard the message? Yes, they have: “The message has gone throughout the earth, and the words to all the world.” But I ask, did the people of Israel really understand? Yes, they did, for even in the time of Moses, God said, “I will rouse your jealousy through people who are not even a nation. I will provoke your anger through the foolish Gentiles.””
Romans 10:18-19 NLT

Once again Paul quotes some Old Testament Scriptures to support his argument. In response to his question, “have the people of Israel actually heard the message” he quotes a verse from Psalm 19:4, “Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun”. In the context of Psalm 19, the Psalmist, David, looks up and sees God’s message of Good News in the skies above. Psalm 19:1 reads, “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship”. David makes it clear that God’s creation is sufficient for all peoples everywhere, and in particular the “people of Israel”, to see Him and His Good News. So everyone has had an opportunity to hear, even see, the message. Do we pilgrims look up into the sky and associate what we see with our wonderful Heavenly Father’s creative abilities? Such knowledge elevates the mundane “It’s a sunny day today” into a declaration of praise and worship, lifting us into His very presence. I often think that the beauty of the world around me has been blighted by sin – imagine what the new sinless earth (Revelation 21) will be like?

So Paul is effectively saying that the people of Israel have heard the message of Good News, even if no-one has told them. But he goes on to think, “did the people of Israel really understand”? Again, Paul accesses another Old Testament Scripture to answer his question. This time it comes from Deuteronomy 32:21, “They have roused my jealousy by worshiping things that are not God; they have provoked my anger with their useless idols. Now I will rouse their jealousy through people who are not even a people; I will provoke their anger through the foolish Gentiles”. Paul may have been a little out of context here, but the implication is that the “people of Israel” understood the message because even the “foolish Gentiles” did. We of course remember the warning Jesus gave to the Jewish religious leaders of His day. We read in Matthew 21:43, “I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit”. 

A question often asked of us is “Did you hear what I said?” Often we “hear” what someone says to us but we fail to process the audio into understanding, particularly if our minds are already occupied in thinking or reading something else. Misunderstandings can be commonplace – “I thought you said …”. Those of us who sit through many a sermon in church – can we summarise what the preacher said last Sunday? Hmmm… 

But there is no excuse for the Israelites, if they failed to understand the message God had given them. The Psalmist, David, in Psalm 19 wrote about the “catch all” of seeing God’s message in the skies above and His creation around us. We pilgrims have heard God’s message, and have responded to it in a positive way. When God speaks, we must listen. His messages contain life and hope, love and grace. Do we feel a sense of excitement from hearing His voice? Or are we jaded and dejected? If the latter state is the case, we need to turn the volume up to hear God’s messages. The problem is not the message but our focus being on something else, something that is drowning out what God is saying. Elijah, in the episode recorded in 1 Kings 19, earnestly sought God’s voice following wind, an earthquake, and fire. But the message was in the “still small voice”. Listening to God is an art that we must perfect. It will take a lifetime, but perseverance is required. And hearing God for ourselves, and not through another’s experience, will lead us in the way He wants. Another’s journey may not be the one God wants us to take. Being a God-follower can be a roller-coaster of experiences but through it all we find life God’s way. So listen out – that whisper you thought you heard in your spirit might just have been the Holy Spirit.

Dear God. Thank You that You care so much for us, to the point that You always know what is best for us and try and communicate with us. Please help us to learn to listen out. In Jesus’ name. Amen