Don't you just love Fridays? The best part about this Friday is that the rain actually stopped for awhile today and the sun was out. Never thought I would be missing the sun in July in central Texas!
So how have all of you been doing this week with living a transformed life? Its been difficult hasn't it? We have to remember to constantly take ourselves to the altar in prayer and sacrifice. We have to be open to God and we need to give the Holy Spirit permission to come in to our situation and work through us. It's not easy when the world we are living in is very eager to distract us. As we study and read God's word today I want you to view this as a message directly from your Father in Heaven. Remember that the bible is God's Word which is alive. It's a living, breathing, changing force in our lives if we meditate on it. Join me in meditating on the word today.
Turn with me now to Romans 12. Today we will read Romans 12:12-13. Take a moment to read these two verses on your own. Read it twice. The first time I would like for you to read it quietly. The second time I want you to read it out loud so you can hear the words.
Have you finished? Now it is time to examine the words, to dig!
Romans 12:12 (NKJV)
Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
Before I begin picking apart the message here lets remind ourselves why we are studying this particular chapter this week. Pastor Erik has been teaching on living an obedient life, and a life that includes knowing God on an intimate level. Some of you may have been raised in church your whole lives, you may know more about the scriptures than I do, but you may not actually KNOW God personally. The scripture this week is meant to show you how to take the knowledge you have acquired your whole life and apply it to your daily life. Its time to let God use you! It's time to get to know God and his character! It's time to know Him more than just a church visit on Sundays! Perhaps you have not been raised in church like me, well this is the time for you to start digging into the word. It's time to start applying the faith you have acquired at GCCrew and putting it into practice in your life. If you have already accepted Christ as your personal savior the bible says that you must put off your old self and be transformed by the renewing of your mind. It's time to renew our minds today because we know that to renew our way of thinking will affect and cause our transformation. Are you ready? Ok!
To live your life transformed and to be a testimony to others the first part of the passage tells us that we are to rejoice in hope. I found that checking the dictionary for the definition of these words can be a helpful first step in picking apart the message. According to the dictionary, rejoice means to give joy to or to gladden. Hope means to desire something with the anticipation that it will happen. That means that God wants you to be happy while you are anticipating the things you are desiring for your life. Here is an example, several years ago I went to a women's conference at another church. One of the ladies that spoke to the crowd was a new mother. She told us that she and her husband had wanted a baby for years but the doctors told them that they would never be able to get pregnant. This lady had faith that one day God would answer their prayers and while she waited for her prayers to be answered she joyfully planned baby showers for others, etc. What are you praying for today? What have you been desiring in your life? God not only wants you to have hope that he will answer your prayers, but he wants you to be joyful during the waiting process. You can wait with joy because you have confidence that God will do as He promised. God wants to bless you as you are obedient and submissive to Him.
You are to be patient in tribulation. Tribulation is when you are going through distress or suffering. To live a life transformed means that you can endure that suffering and distress patiently. This goes hand in hand with the first part of the verse. You can be patient during hard times because you have the hope and joy that God will answer your prayers, that God will deliver you.
Continue steadfastly in prayer means that you are praying loyally. I bet a lot of you are very loyal to your best friends. Being loyal means that your friend can count on you to always be there, you call them daily and you love them dearly. You are called to be more loyal than that to God. It's crazy how easy it is for me to call up a friend daily but how difficult it can be to get on my knees daily. Why is that? How much has God done for me! How much does He love me unconditionally?!? And yet, I sometimes have to force myself to get on my knees in prayer. Often I will forget to pray altogether and will get in bed at night and realize I haven't talked to God all day. That isn't being very loyal! If God were any of my other friends he would be very annoyed that I had ignored Him all day. Thank the Lord that He is forgiving and patient.
Romans 12:13
distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality
Who are the saints in this verse- you may be asking yourself. The saints are those people that are saved, who have accepted the free gift of salvation. Here God is calling us to remember the needs of other christians around us. Often times we become focused on missions to other countries, feeding and clothing the poor, support the needs of the homeless, etc., that we forget that the people around us have needs as well. Of course, we still need to help those in need around the world, but do not forget those people in your own church. We are to be hospitable with one another. This means you should be inviting people over to your house, and being generous in all circumstances.
Well, we only went through two verses today, but there is a lot of instruction packed in those verses! These verses inform us on how to live a life that is transformed for the glory of God.
While doing a bible study today a friend and I discussed what happens when people hear the word of God but do not put it into action. The bible says that the word of God is like a seed, and that when people do not sow the seed (put it into action), they eat the seed. Perhaps you have devoured this lesson and the ones previously. Perhaps you are reading along with me, taking notes, and getting very excited about what you are learning. But perhaps despite all of that excitement, you do not see any change in your life. You may still look, feel, and act like the exact same person you were before reading the lessons. If that is the case it is because you ate the seed. You did not sow the seed. To sow the seed you must put these lessons into action. Once you have put the lessons into action you will begin to see change. Please take a moment now to consider what you can do from the lesson today.
Here are some ideas of putting the scripture from today into action. Pray loyally! Make a commitment right now to set aside the same time or times everyday to talk to the Lord. Make time for God like he is one of your best friends. Be loyal enough to show up for your "date" with God everyday. Hope for the things you are longing for with joy. If you are going through a difficult circumstance in your life remember that He is there for you and that He will get you through it. Be patient. God has the best in mind for you. All you need to do is patiently obey Him. And lastly, open up your home to your friends. Allow other people to play your new video game or swim in your pool. Give to those around you that are in need. These are the things that God wants from a heart that loves Him, that wants to make their life a beautiful offering to Him. I know I want God to look at my life after my death and say that I put what I learned into practice, that I used my talents to further His kingdom. I want Him to see that I was loyal, and that I trusted Him. Don't you want the same?
Take a moment to tell God how this blog spoke to you today. Open yourself up to change. Be a doer of the word and not just a hearer only.
God Bless you friends! Have a great weekend!
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