Romans 5 - 11.16.23

SCRIPTURE: Romans 5:1-2a NIV

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”

OBSERVATION: 

In full disclosure, Romans happens to be the book of the Bible that I struggle with the most. There is so much “Meat” and “weight” throughout. It’s a Book that I could easily spend days researching and digging through commentaries on just one verse.

But—God kept leading me back to this—GRACE…

“….we have gained access by faith into this grace”

And it started me on a journey to ponder the many ways I have been blessed since God granted me access by Faith into this grace.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV)

APPLICATION:

Spending Time Today being Thankful for the Blessings of HIS Grace

So many times, I Will remember to Thank God for my Salvation, but rarely have I stopped to consider just how many ways HIS Grace impacts my daily life. How has “this Grace” changed my Life?

1.    Access to God THROUGH Jesus 24/7 every single day! Jesus Tore the Curtain!

Prior to Jesus-Jews were kept from God’s Presence by a Veil in the Temple. Gentiles were kept out of the Temple all together by a Wall with a warning sign that threatened death to anyone who dared to trespass beyond the wall. I have access THROUGH Jesus-anytime for prayers, praise, and communing with God!

2.    Jesus speaks to me as a His believer and I hear His Voice and Follow Him. Wow! I have intimate conversations with God.

3.    Forgiveness of ALL my Sins! Jesus Paid my debt! When I received Him as my Savior HE cleansed me of ALL my unrighteousness and Now God sees me through the lens of Christ’s righteousness!

4.    God gave me His Holy Spirit! When I received Jesus as my Savior God gave me the Same Holy Spirit that raised Christ from the dead! His Holy Spirit guides me, helps me understand scripture, equips me to be His Witness! AND is His seal as a Guarantee of my future in Heaven with Him! I’m going to SEE God face-to-face!

5.    God’s LOVE is poured into my heart. This is personal. This plays out in many ways in my life. But Today I am thankful for how I experience God’s Love when I go through trials. Jesus says, “You WILL have tribulations in this world-but Take Courage!” Jesus is WITH us. His LOVE transforms every circumstance in my life to work for my Good! Trials work For believers not against them. Trials bring me closer to God and make me more like Him-building Christian Character.

Tribulation comes from the Latin word tribulum. A Tribulum was a heavy piece of timber with spikes in it used for threshing grain—it separated the wheat from the chaff.

As we go through tribulations—and depend on God’s Grace—the trials purify us and help to get rid of the chaff.

PRAYER:

Lord Jesus,

There are so many blessings of your presence that comes from Your Grace THROUGH Faith. I could keep going… I can lay my head down and sleep because You Lord make me dwell in safety. You are a Father to the Fatherless. You are Jehovah Jireh. You never leave me or forsake me.

I never need fear no matter what is going on in this troubled world-for your word says that even before we were born All of our days were laid out before YOU. Nothing ever happens out or your sight or apart from YOUR Perfect Will. May I simply have the faith and trust of a child. May I always have Thankfulness in my heart for your unending Love and Grace.

In Jesus Name, amen.

Tina L Kudelka

Joel 2 - 11.15.23

Scripture

“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you."

Joel 2:25 (NKJV)

Observation

In Joel 1:4, we see that a great tragedy has happened to Israel. A huge host of locusts descended upon the vegetation destroying it. It started with an attack from the chewing locusts. Whatever was left on the plants, was then consumed by the second set of locusts, the swarming locusts. Then came the crawling locusts, and finally the consuming locusts. Four different species of locust attacked the vegetation and left the land completely bare. Here in Joel 2:25, God promises that He will restore the years that the great army of locusts had destroyed.

Application

Sometimes we look back in regret, and think of the years that were lost and stolen from us - lost in conflict, pain, sickness and attack of the enemy. The Lord is saying to you today, "I will restore to you the years that you have lost". The one who called you is faithful, and he will do it.  (1 Thessalonians: 5:24). Remember the story of Jesus walking on the water. The disciples were struggling on a rough sea all night, reaching nowhere. Then Jesus walked on the water, and got into their boat, and "immediately" the boat reached the place where they were headed to. (John 6:21). It was as if they hadn't lost any time at all. That is how our Lord restores.

Prayer

Father, I thank you for your promise that you will restore to me the years that I have lost. Thank you because you are faithful and I can count on your promises, because they will never fail. Thank you for redeeming my past. Thank you because my future is secure in your hands. Thank you because your thoughts for me are higher than my thoughts. The things you have prepared for me are above what any eye can see, or any ear can hear, or any human mind has conceived. (1 Cor 2:9). I trust you. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.

- Asha Chacko George

Joel 1 - 11.14.23

SCRIPTURE:  Joel 1:14  "Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly.  Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the Lord your God; and cry out to the Lord."

OBSERVATION:  Joel was a prophet to the nation of Judah.  He urged the people to turn from their sin, and back to God.  They had become prosperous, which caused them to take God for granted.  They became complacent, and they worshiped idols.

Joel warned them that this kind of lifestyle would inevitably bring God's judgement.

God is sovereign, and He allows things like floods, droughts, pestilence, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis to send a message to all of us!

Joel called the people to awaken from their complacency, and to acknowledge their sins before it was too late.  This prophetic warning; the locust plague, was just a foretaste of the judgement to come if they didn't turn from their sins!

God in His mercy and love sent Joel to declare that if they returned to Him with all of their heart, He would be gracious and compassionate to them by relenting from sending the calamity.

APPLICATION:  When we approach God with humility, and ask Him to forgive us, He hears us, forgives us, and heals us!  Like Joel, we are able to fast and pray for ourselves, and to intercede for our nation, asking God to forgive us, and to help us turn back to Him.  

PRAYER:  I ask You Lord to forgive me of my complacency.  I pray I will have no other gods before You!  I pray that I will allow Your Word to guide my life so that I am able to avoid the devastating effects that sin brings!  I thank You for keeping me safe as I abide in You, and ask that You help me to follow wholeheartedly after You, and that my children and grand-children will follow! 

- Robin Orefice