10. June 2011 by Bernice Davis.

Grace and Peace be unto you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hello Everyone:

In our lesson today, Paul continues to talk about the future of Israel.  We are actually closing out chapter 11 today.

Here is our text:

Romans 11:25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. 27 And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” 28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. 32 For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Paul is clear that the hardening of Israel’s heart was partially so the Gentiles (us) could come into the faith.  But God has not forgotten the promise He made to Israel that they would be saved.    Paul states that as far as the gospel is concerned, Israel is an enemy of the gospel  yet concerning their election, they are loved by God on account of the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). 

 I love the part of this passage that talks about how God’s gifts and “callings” are irrevocable.    We so often see people who we think have phenomenal gifts and we feel like they are just wasting their lives away for the enemy.  If they are called of God, He will not renege on His word.  God will bring them in at the appointed time.  Just look back over our lives.  We were in a season of disobedience and rebellion yet God opened up our hearts to him at the appointed time that we could receive the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I love the way Paul closes out this letter with an incredible praise to God that speaks of his awesomeness.    He talks about the depth of his wisdom and knowledge and how his judgment is unsearchable and His paths beyond tracing and no man can counsel him for all things are of Him and through Him. 

To God Be the Glory.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and I will talk to you again on Monday.

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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9. June 2011 by Bernice Davis.

Grace and Peace be unto you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hello Everyone:

In our lesson today, Paul continues to talk about what will happen to the Israelites.

Here is our text:

Romans 11: 11 Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. 12 But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring! 13 I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry 14 in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 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, 18 do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.

19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.”

20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. 22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. 23 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

Paul explains that the tragedy of Israel not accepting Jesus as their Messiah is not beyond recovery.   As a matter of fact it was because of their transgression that salvation came to us (Gentiles) in order that Israel would be jealous.

Paul warns us (Gentiles) to not boast in our salvation.  He warns us not to be arrogant with this grace for just as the Israelites were cut off so will we if we do not believe.  He is clear that they were broken off because of unbelief.

Paul is clear that if they do not persist in their unbelief then they will be engrafted in again.    God is actually using the faith of the Gentiles to witness to the Jews in order that they may be restored.  God made a literal promise to Israel and he has not forgotten them.

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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8. June 2011 by Bernice Davis.

Grace and Peace be unto you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hello Everyone:

In our lesson today, Paul responds to what will happen to the Israelites.  Over  the past couple of days, we have talked about how the Israelites rejected Jesus because they were too busy trying to adhere to the strict observance of the law through works that they did not understand faith.  Let’s read what Paul says will happen to the Jews.

Here is our text:

Romans 11:1 I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah–how he appealed to God against Israel: 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me” ? 4 And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”

5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. 7 What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, 8 as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day.” 9 And David says: “May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them.

10 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.”

Paul explains above that a remnant of the Jews will come in because God has not forgotten about his chosen people.  The elect that was predestined before the foundation of the world will come in.   I am so encouraged that God has chosen me in him before the foundation of the world that I would be a part of his body.  This makes my worship more intense and salvation secure and I am confident that he has a wonderful plan for my life and I’m not waiting for it to manifest but I am living in it every day.  For all things are working together for my good.  So wherever I am in life, it is all taking me where I am suppose to go.

So my friends, Count if all joy…

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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7. June 2011 by Bernice Davis.

Grace and Peace be unto you from God our father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.  

We are starting chapter ten today and we will cover it all in one setting.  In our text today Paul expresses his concern again that Israel would be saved and Paul uses a style of writing where he asks questions and then answers them himself.  He teaches how Israel missed Jesus as the chosen one and how the Gentiles coming in was described by the prophets as being used to make Israel jealous. 

Let’s read Paul’s conversion to the Roman believers concerning his beloved family Israel. 

Here is our text:

Romans 10:1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. 5 Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: “The man who does these things will live by them.” 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ “ (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’ “ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 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. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

11 As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile–the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,

13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” 16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. 18 But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” 19 Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says, “I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.” 20 And Isaiah boldly says, “I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.” 21 But concerning Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.” 

Our famous salvation scripture (“ that if confess with your mouth, the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved” ) was birthed out of the context of Paul’s concern for Israel to be saved.

I don’t know if you have ever paid close attention to that scripture but along with confessing that Jesus is your Lord and Savior there is something very strategic that you should believe about him.  You should believe that God has raised Jesus from the dead; therefore if you don’t believe in the resurrection you cannot be saved.

I know many people who consider themselves saved yet do not believe in the literal resurrection of Jesus and I say according to the scriptures that it is impossible to be a Christian without believing in the resurrection.    I am well aware that people are redefining what a Christian is but I still hold to the truth of the biblical model and this text teaches us what we are to believe and what we are to confess for salvation.

I love the scripture above which says that anyone that trusts in HIM will not be ashamed.    Whoohh….

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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6. June 2011 by Bernice Davis.

Grace and Peace be unto you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hello Everyone:

Welcome back from the weekend.

For those of you that are just joining me, let me just introduce what I do with my daily devotional.   The goal of my daily devotional is not like most that you will read in other places.  I don’t just choose a scripture and then tell you how you can apply it to your daily life which most devotionals do.  Maybe mine shouldn’t even be called a daily devotional.

My primary goal is to provide an outlet where we can come together on line and read the word of God.  I choose different books and we go through the entire book.  We simply read a few passages together every day and if there is some historical context that needs to be explained so that it will make sense in our modern context then I do so.

I have such a passion for the body of Christ to just be familiar with the biblical text.  Statistics show that the average Christian has never read the bible in its entirety and most only pick it up in a bible study or church context.   It is sad to say but as I listen to Christian television and visit churches, (in a lot of places, not all) the bible appears to be used only a small portion of the sermon as the speaker expresses their own opinions and thoughts not necessarily from an appropriate biblical context for the rest of the sermon.

If you stay with me, we will eventually get through the entire bible.  Yes, I know reading this way is a slow process but it is taking in smaller pieces at a time rather than following the other study guides where you may get through it in one year or 90 days but still have not retained content.

We have already read through the entire book of Matthew, Acts, Most of Proverbs and we are now on Romans.  Those of you who followed me through Matthew know that we studied tons of Old Testament texts because of all the references Matthew makes to the Old Testament passages.   So while it appears that we have only studied a couple of books in actuality those books have referred us to many others.

My heart aches at the knowledge level of most Christians and this website is simply an avenue to help us in reading and knowing what is in the bible.   I do intend to offer more classes and more study helps in the near future on my site for those that want to aggressively study the word but for now my concern is just to aid in knowing the biblical content.  Over the next few months, you will see my website changing with video sermons, study helps, etc. 

Think about this.  If you have been saved 3, 4, 5 plus years and you have been studying the same book, the bible; we should be an authority on it.  Studying the bible for 5 years straight, really studying…   We should know it a lot better than we do and if you’re really up there to the 10, 15, 25 plus years of being saved and you have been studying the same book everyday for all those years, we should be a serious authority on it.  We should be walking in power and victory and confident in the faith that we proclaim.   We should easily be able to fulfill the commands of scripture where we are to study and show ourselves approved unto God and the one that tells us that we should be able to explain to people this hope that we have within us.    In the secular world, if someone studied one book everyday whether just a little or a lot for 3 plus years or so they would easily be declared an authority on it.  We have to do better.  Begin today.   Okay, enough of that…. On to our reading. 

In our text for today, it is only a couple of passages because these will close out the 9^th chapter of Romans.  I will start chapter 10 on tomorrow.

Here is our text:

Romans 9:30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the “stumbling stone.” 33 As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.

Wow….  The issue in our text is the results of faith versus works.

The Gentiles had no history of good works or deeds to present before the Lord so they sought after the righteousness of God through faith.  The Jews lived their lives trying to obtain this righteousness through works and it became a stumbling block to them because they were never able to obtain it.   The stumbling block was in the person of Jesus the Messiah.  Jesus was both the end and fulfillment of the law so when he appeared on earth, the Jews kept their law and rejected Jesus thereby making their law which pointed them to Christ their stumbling block.  The text teaches us that the only reason they did not obtain was because they never accepted it by faith. 

The old testament text that Paul quotes about a stumbling block is found in Isaiah 8:14 “and he will be a sanctuary; but for both houses of Israel he will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare.”    And also Isaiah 28:16 “ So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed.”

While works are important and necessary, they must draw forward from our faith.   The scriptures are clear that if we have faith then our actions would represent our faith or its dead faith for Faith without works is dead.

Let’s look over our life today.  Let’s look over our actions.  Do the works that we do or fail to do represent faith or are they works of disbelief, depression, murmuring, complaining, laziness, etc.     If we really have faith, our conversations and lifestyle would reflect it.

So my prayer today is Lord Help us believe.  That is the first step.  True faith reveals right actions.

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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3. June 2011 by Bernice Davis.

Grace and Peace be unto you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hello Everyone:

Our text for today is as follows:

Romans 9: 13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” 14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. 19 One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ “ 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? 22 What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath–prepared for destruction?

23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory– 24 even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? 25 As he says in Hosea: “I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people; and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one,” 26 and, “It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ’sons of the living God.’ “ 27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved. 28 For the Lord will carry out his sentence on earth with speed and finality.” 29 It is just as Isaiah said previously: “Unless the Lord Almighty had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.”

On yesterday, we talked about the process of God’s divine election and how some people are chosen to honor and others to dishonor and also how God opens and hardens people hearts so that his power and glory can be displayed in the earth.     When Paul expresses this characteristic about God, he speculated that people would think it was unfair or what is the point if we’re already predestined. 

Paul emphatically replies that God is just that we have no right to talk back to God and cry out to the creator why were we made like this.  He is the potter and we are the clay and the potter has the right to form the clay into whatever He wishes.

While this can be a hard pill to swallow, the more I embrace and understand divine election, the more I am humbled that God opened up my heart and did not harden it towards the things of God.  I am humbled that he allowed me to be able to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior and that I would be able to discern the things of God.  It makes my worship so much more intense and filled with thanksgiving for his grace and mercy.

Have a great weekend everyone.  Please know that you have been predestined before the foundation of the world to be called the children of God and we have destined to greatness in the things of God.  I’m encouraged.

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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2. June 2011 by Bernice Davis.

Grace and Peace be unto you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hello Everyone:

Our text for today is as follows:

Romans 9:1 I speak the truth in Christ–I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit– 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, 4 the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. 5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen. 6 It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.

7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 8 In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. 9 For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.” 10 Not only that, but Rebekah’s children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. 11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad–in order that God’s purpose in election might stand:

12 not by works but by him who calls–she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

In today’s text, Paul expresses his deep anguish and concern for his family of Israel.  He is heartbroken that the overall consensus of the Jews is that Jesus is not the long awaited Messiah that the scriptures declare.  He goes as far as to say that he himself wish he was accursed from Christ if it meant that his own race would come in.

Paul then introduces a topic on divine election.  He talks about God’s sovereign choice.  He teaches that the promise is not for all of Abraham’s offspring.  The promise would be manifested through the seed of Isaac and in particular Jacob.     If you recall, Isaac had twins; Jacob and Esau and Esau was the eldest which traditionally meant that the blessing would flow through him and it was declared by God that the younger (Jacob) would be served by the older (Esau) and the statement goes further to say that before the children were born and before they did good or evil deeds, God had already declared that Jacob he would love and Esau he would hate.

Wow…. Such a controversial statement and it doesn’t appear to be fair.  For the text says that they had no choice in the matter; their destinies were decided not by the works they would do but simply through God’s choice.

On tomorrow, we will study Paul’s response to this act.  Many claimed that if the choice was already decided then why even try.   We will study that on tomorrow. 

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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1. June 2011 by Bernice Davis.

Grace and Peace be unto you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hello Everyone:

Welcome back from the weekend and our American Memorial Day Holiday.  I took an extra day for a much needed rest. 

In our last post we were studying about suffering and how it happens to all in life whether saved or unsaved.  We talked about the benefits of suffering in that it brings forth character and how for Christians if we share in Christ’s suffering; we will also share in his glory.

Today, we read the context of a well quoted scripture.  “All things work together for good.”    Let’s read below the context in which this famous verse was penned.

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Wow… what encouragement.

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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