28. July 2011 by Bernice Davis.

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

Hello everyone:  Today is my birthday so I am being really really lazy…   I did get a chance to break away from celebrating.. (lol) to post the answers to yesterday’s review questions.   They are listed below.  No new postings today…  I am in such a rush..  Happy Birthday to ME… lol..

1.   Fill in the blank:  Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

2.   Was Abraham called righteous before he was circumcised or after he was circumcised? Before circumcision

3.   When Abraham was circumcised what was it a seal for:  The righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised that he might be the father of all them that believe.

4.   Who was the called the “father of all nations.” Abraham

5.   When the scriptures say that by one man sin entered into the world.  Who is that man?  Adam.

6.   What example is given to exemplify that the law has no more dominion over you?  When a woman loses her husband.

7.   Is the law sin?  No

8.   What is the purpose of the law: Reveals to us our sins.  We would not know that we have done anything wrong unless we had the law to define right and wrong.

9.   There is no condemnation to those who walk not after the? flesh

10.               For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

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

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27. July 2011 by Bernice Davis.

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

Hello everyone; Hear are the answers from yesterday’s review.

1.    Was Paul the founder of the church at Rome?  No

2.   What was the common Christian greeting that Paul used in his letters? Grace and Peace be unto you from God our father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 

3.   Had Paul visited the Roman church at the time of the writing of this letter?   No

4.   In chapter 1, verses 18-21, Paul states that no one has any excuse not to believe there is a God.  What was the reason he gives for this belief?  Creation- observing what God has created around us.   

5.   In Chapter 1, verses 21-32, what happened to those who knew not God?  God gave them over to the sinful desires of their own heart.

6.   In chapter 2, verse 4, Paul states that the goodness of God leads to what?  Repentance

7.   What is Paul’s view on circumcision? Reference  2:25-29  that Circumcision is of the heart.  Having the physical act done without living the life is worthless. 

8.   Was there any advantage to the Jews being circumcised? Reference 3:1-2 :  Yes, they were the givers of the law…

9.   Did Paul consider the Jews better than the Gentiles or the Gentiles better than the Jews?  Reference 3:9-20.  No, Paul stated that God is no respecter of persons.

10.   What law is boasting excluded by? Reference 3:27.  The law of faith…  We received righteousness through faith so we can’t boast about our works. 

Today’s review questions:

1.   Fill in the blank:  Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for _________________  Ref: 4:1-3.

2.   Was Abraham called righteous before he was circumcised or after he was circumcised?  Ref: 4:9-10

3.   When Abraham was circumcised what was it a seal for: Ref: 4:11

4.   Who was the called the “father of all nations.”

5.   When the scriptures say that by one man sin entered into the world.  Who is that man? Ref: 5:12-14.

6.   What example is given to exemplify that the law has no more dominion over you?  Ref: 7:1-5

7.   Is the law sin?  Ref: 7:7

8.   What is the purpose of the law: Ref 7:7

9.   There is no condemnation to those who walk not after the? Ref: 8:1

10.               For to be carnally minded is __________ but to be spiritually minded is _____________ Ref: 8:6.

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

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26. July 2011 by Bernice Davis.

Hello Everyone:Below you will find our first set of questions for the review on Romans.   There is only one chapter left to cover and that is chapter sixteen but I want to make sure you begin your journal of study questions with the book of Romans. 

1.    Was Paul the founder of the church at Rome?

2.   What was the common Christian greeting that Paul used in his letters? 3.   Had Paul visited the Roman church at the time of the writing of this letter? 

4.   In chapter 1, verses 18-21, Paul states that no one has any excuse not to believe there is a God.  What was the reason he gives for this belief?

5.   In Chapter 1, verses 21-32, what happened to those who knew not God?

6.   In chapter 2, verse 4, Paul states that the goodness of God leads to what?

7.   What is Paul’s view on circumcision? Reference  2:25-29 

8.   Was there any advantage to the Jews being circumcised? Reference 3:1-2

9.   Did Paul consider the Jews better than the Gentiles or the Gentiles better than the Jews?  Reference 3:9-20.

10.   What law is boasting excluded by? Reference 3:27. 

I will post the answers to the questions on tomorrow and will post another set.  Today’s questions covers chapters 1-3 and tomorrow, we will cover chapters 4-6. 

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

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25. July 2011 by Bernice Davis.

Hello Everyone:

My internet is really slow and it keeps kicking me out…  but I wanted to get a quick note in to let you know I am having problems posting today..    Will resume tomorrow.

Bernice

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22. July 2011 by Bernice Davis.

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

Hello Everyone:

Here is a brief summary of each of the chapters of the book of Romans.

1. In chapter 1 after giving the introduction and purpose of the book, Paul surveys natural revelation via creation, noting that the creation rejected the Creator for the satisfaction of baser instincts. This section is an exposition on the early part of Genesis.

2. In chapter 2 Paul announces the judgment of God according to truth, explaining that the judgment is by law and that circumcision alone avails nothing. This section is a theological explanation of the law code.

3. The point is that all have sinned—there is none righteous (chapter 3). No one is justified by works. But instead, the righteousness of God comes through CHRIST’S ATONING SACRIFICE, the propitiation in His blood. Here then is the fulfillment of the expiatory sacrifices.

4. But the sacrifice by itself was a ritual; there had to be faith operating or it was of no value. So righteousness was reckoned for faith (3:28—4:25).

5. Once there is justification by faith in the atoning blood, there then follows the celebration of being at peace with God in a new life (chapter 5). This chapter picks up on the idea of Israel’s PEACE OFFERING, announcing that because the atonement has been made, we have peace with God.

6. We are so identified by faith with the sacrifice that we are actually dead in Him—as with Israel’s ritual, the sacrifice that is slain is a substitute for the sinner. And so we are actually dead to sin (chapter 6). Just as a believing Israelite knew that blood of the animal should have been his or her blood that was spilt, that body on the ground his or her dead body, we also reckon the same, that because Christ is our substitute he died in our place. Since we actually died in Christ, we now live in him, and become servants of righteousness.

7. But we are still sinful human creatures; we struggle constantly with sin (7:1-25). Israel repeated her sacrifices, but we do not. Instead, we find emancipation from the law through God’s provision, a provision which is better than repeating the sacrifice again and again.

8. That better provision made for us is the glorious Holy Spirit who leads us into righteousness and bears witness that we are the children of God (chapter 8). If we are in Christ, we are dead to sin; but in the spiritual realities of life it is the Spirit who is alive, delivering us from sin and bondage, through suffering to glory.

9-11. If all this fulfillment in Christ is so much better than the old covenant, what then do we make of the old covenant? In chapters 9, 10, and 11 Paul stops to recall the privileges Israel enjoyed, but how through disobedience she missed the fulfillment of the promises and the Lord turned to the Gentiles for the present time. But Paul affirms that there is a glorious future for the covenant promises.

12. Now, in view of the fact that we have been grafted into the program, and have peace with God through faith in the atoning blood of Christ, we are to offer ourselves as living sacrifices. This brings forward Israel’s DEDICATION OFFERING (see also Lev. 2, Ps. 40, and Deut. 26).

The rest of the book (chapters 12-16) lays out the application of our new covenant relationship through Christ—it is the law of love. Chapter 12 discusses the application in the assembly through the spiritual gifts offered in love; chapter 13 broadens the application to submission in love; chapter 14 applies the law of love in doubtful things, focusing on having the mind of Christ.  

Above taken from http://bible.org/seriespage/introduction-book-romans.

Romans only has one more chapter left in it so on Monday, we will begin our review of Romans using questions/answers format so you can include this book in your journal of study and then we will finish the last chapter and begin a new book.

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

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21. July 2011 by Bernice Davis.

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

Hello Everyone:

Today is our second review of the book of Romans.  Paul opens up this book with clarifying that he is truly an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.  I thought it was beneficial to revisit the acts of a true apostle.  We will not engage in the debate as to whether there are current day apostles we are simply reviewing the acts of the original apostles.    On tomorrow, I will summarize Paul’s theological views thus far and on Monday, we will start our new format and begin chapter 16.  Yeah….    I heard wonderful feedback on how people are exciting about the question/answer study method to help them retain the info.   Excited about getting it started.

Here are the workings of an apostle in the New Testament church.

1.    They were filled with the Spirit and laid hands on others for them to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

2.   They preached the gospel of Jesus Christ.

3.   They healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the dead, and worked signs, wonders and miracles. … “for in nothing am I [PAUL] behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing. Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.”  II Corinthias 12:11-12.

4.   They were persecuted and martyred for the faith.

5.   They declared God’s judgment.

6.   They ordained deacons and elders & confirmed disciples.

7.   They founded churches.

8.   They settled doctrinal disputes and set church order.

9.   They received revelation from God.

10.   They counseled the saints and collected offerings to help other churches in need. 

11.   They were eye witnesses to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Acts 4:33 “And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

12.   They were hand-picked by Jesus…  Luke 6:13  says; “And when it was day, he [JESUS] called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;  (NIV) When Paul had to defend his apostleship he used the fact that he had seen Jesus and was personally appointed as an apostle by the Lord Jesus through his Damascus conversion   1 Corinthians 9:1 “Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?”   1 Corithians 15:9 “After that, he [JESUS] was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me [PAUL] also, as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.”

Tomorrow, I will summarize Paul’s theological

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

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20. July 2011 by Bernice Davis.

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

Hello Everyone:

Today, we begin our review of the book of Romans.   Before I left on the break, we had covered Romans 1-15.  Today, I would like to begin my review with reminding you of the purpose of Romans.

The author of this book is undisputedly accredited to the Apostle Paul.  It is dated around 57AD/CE or 57 years after the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ which would place the writing at about 24 years after the death of Jesus and is the longest of Paul’s writings. 

Major theological ideas/thoughts have been developed solely or in part from this book.  Augustine acquired his idea of “original sin” from Romans 5, Martin Luther gained his understanding of “justification by faith alone” from Romans 3-4, John Calvin obtained his doctrine of “double predestination” from Romans 9-11, John Wesley got his teachings on sanctification from Romans 6 and 8, and Karl Barth learned of the importance of the righteousness of God from Romans 1 and 2.  This epistle has had powerful influences on all branches of the Christian Church and its impact on the lives and thought of prominent Christian thinkers is probably second only to the gospels.

The content of the book of Rome indicates to us that Paul had not visited Rome yet but desired to lay a foundation there.  Most scholars argue that he composed this epistle while he was in Corinth.  If you followed me during the study of Acts, then you will remember how Paul was passionate about his appeal to Caesar when he was imprisoned and thereby though in prison fulfilled his ambition to minister among the Romans.   We followed Paul’s journey from Jerusalem through his shipwreck and then his final destination in Rome where he taught for a couple of years and many were healed by his ministry though he was brought there to go on trial before Caesar. 

Paul had heard of the faith of the Romans and both Jewish and Gentile conversion to Christianity.    There were many misunderstandings about the faith and also Jews who were trying to make the Gentile converts adopt Judaism for salvation.  Paul creates this theological masterpiece to properly document the proper tenants of the Christian faith.    It is a brilliant theological foundation for the Christianity.  He gives the purpose of his writing in the first chapter of Romans where he states that he is set apart by God for the purpose of preaching the Gospel, and he wishes to impart to the Romans a gift of encouragement and assurance in all that God has freely given them.

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

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19. July 2011 by Bernice Davis.

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

I am excited.  Today I disclose my new format and I hope that you will be excited as well.  The new format of my daily devotional will be as follows:

·         I will always choose a book that I will go through from start to finish.  Currently we are studying the book of Romans.

·        I will post at the beginning of the week a memory verse for the week.   This memory verse will be listed at the top of the page of all the devotionals for the week.  It will be in the King James Version format so that we can all be consistent and it will either come from the lesson for the week or if the lesson contains a lot of historical narrative which may make it difficult to find something to memorize then I will choose a proverb for the week or possibly another scripture relating to the subject matter.  I want to go back to memorizing scripture.   You will have an entire week to memorize that one scripture.

·        My daily reviews will now be done in a Question format for you to answer.   I have found that a question and answer study method helps one retain the information much better.  It may be a good idea to get you a study notebook and write the questions down daily and then answer them in your book.  The answers to the questions will be given the next day so you can check your work.  

·        A few verses of the lesson will be chosen and a brief summary in my own words will be given.   A modern day application of the text will also be provided when applicable.

·        Traditions and references to other stories will be studied in detailed when they are included in our text.  This also includes word studies, cultures, etc.

·        Please note that if  you do not want to engage in this study process with the researching the questions and answering them, you can still just follow along with my daily reading for information sake.  This added format is for those who want a more structured way in retaining the material.

Since tomorrow is Wednesday, for the next few days, I will be doing an overview of what we learned so far in Romans so that we can all be caught up and our new system will be in place on Monday.

See you tomorrow for the beginning of our review.

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

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18. July 2011 by Bernice Davis.

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

Hello Everyone:

I am back and ready to go forward the second half of the year.  I had a wonderful vacation but there is truly “no place like home.”  I didn’t realize just how tired I was.  I think my body and mind just shut down on me.  I was feeling so overwhelmed and then I realized that it has been seven years since I have had a vacation.  So I have been going non-stop everyday for seven years.   Whooh….  No wonder, I felt like I was about to go crazy…

What I teach and know is that you have to take time out for yourself but as you see, I didn’t follow my own advice.  I know better.  I promised myself that I would never let that happen again.   As a matter of fact my husband and I discussed that we are going to put annual dates on our calendar for vacations and make it a family tradition that at certain times of the year, we would make it a habit to vacation. 

When I was talking to a friend of mine about how when I thought about coming home from my vacation, I wanted to cry, he told me that was just because I don’t take vacations often enough and because I was now relaxing, I was nervous about returning to my schedule.  He was so right.    Before I left, I was struggling to get daily tasks done but now I am energized all over again.  I wrote you my experience simply to say “Please take time for you.”  The days and months and years just seem to slip up on us and our productivity level begins to decrease.  I have actually learned that I can get more done when I take those breaks to just relax and get away. 

For those of you that are saying that I wish I could financially afford a vacation please know that rest does not have to cost.   If you can’t afford to travel then find some place locally where you can go and just get away even if it is for a couple of days or just one.  It will make a huge difference.   Investing in yourself is one of the greatest things you can do.  We often say that we don’t have time but we must make time for us.  It is so not an option.   Working at the spa, I hear people say all the time that they spend so much time taking care of others that they don’t take care of themselves.  They are usually at the spa because bought them a gift card and forced them to take a break.  I always respond that if you don’t stop to take care of you first then all those people that you love and depend on will be at a disadvantaged if your health deteriorates to the point where you can’t take care of them anymore.    It is to our advantage especially if we have a heart for others to take care of ourselves first so that we can be a blessing to others.  

I often think of the directives given to us as I am traveling the globe.  The flight attendants will instruct us that in the case of an emergency, the overhead air bags will drop and we are to put ours on first before we assist anyone else even if it is our children.  The natural instinct would be to secure my child first but if you pass out because you did not have your bag on while you are trying to secure your child then at that point you are no help to yourself or your child and both could end up as a fatality.   Even Jesus taught that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves.  The point being that we are not to neglect loving ourselves in sacrifice to a neighbor.    We so often implement the “love our neighbor” part but very rarely implement the “love ourselves.”  There should be a balance.  We should not be taking care of others and things and businesses, etc at the expense of neglecting ourselves. 

I am definitely preaching to myself today.    I am on a renewed mission to work on not only my spiritual life but my physical also.    This vacation really put things in perspective for me.  It was just good to sit on the sands of the ocean and watch God’s beautiful handiwork all the way until the sun set and reflect on my mission and purpose in life and realize that I had been wasting far too much time being busy and not being productive.  My first assignment when I returned home was to begin to clean up the clutter in my life from my physical home to my mind.    I have learned that true productivity thrives in a clutter free environment.   I must admit that what I have been doing lately is a lot of busy work that has not resulted in me accomplishing my goals but have just absorbed huge amounts of my time.   I cannot and will not take on tasks that are meaningless to my mission and purpose and in perfecting my gift.   Sometimes we have to learn to just say “NO.”  Just because we can do something good and others want us to do does not mean that it is good for us to do.  We often have good intentions in taking on projects to help others but it could possibly be damaging us and preventing us from achieving our passions and goals.

The bible teaches in Proverbs 18:16 that our gift will make room for us and bring us before great men.   We must take the time to perfect our gift.  A gift that is not nurtured for growth will not reach its potential.   We have gifts on the inside of us that are waiting to open up opportunities for us and bring us before great people.  Don’t neglect the nurturing of that gift with busy work.  Be productive.   I know from this day forward I am. 

I am excited about the new format and I will introduce it to you on tomorrow and we will begin the new format on Wednesday.  I learned so much from my vacation about re-inventing myself and strategizing for growth and next levels that I thought I would share my experience with you.    Each one of us must determine what success looks like for us (not anyone else’s success for we are all created differently) and put a plan in place to achieve it and work on it each and every day.  

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

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