Day Five - Jan 19, 2009

Scripture

Romans 5 - from the NIV

Father I have so little time, help me learn something today!

Observations

• (v7-8) Very rarely will anyone die for a good person, go in anothers place to meet death, Christ did it for us even while we were still sinners, evil men.
• (v9-10) We have already been justified by Christ's death, saving us from eternal death, and if His death achieved that much, how much more does His life achieve? Now he stands and makes intercession for us before the throne of God! His life redeems us from the wrath of God, as we were among His murderers. Man I am so glad my Jesus is ALIVE.
• (v15-16) The sacrifice of Jesus and gift of God is so much greater than the trespass of sin. Because of the sin of one man sin and death entered the world and ruled mankind, however not even the sins of all men could anul the perfect sacrifice. Jesus death was more than enough!! Wonder how this fits with Calvinism...must look into that.
• (v20-21) "The law was added so that the tresspass might increase." Interesting, so does the law make sin? No...I think it simply brings it into the light...without the law, mankind had no way of knowing just how terrible his sins were before a holy God, the law is simply the floodlight that exposes the sin. Without the floodlight, all is darkness. The passage continues "but as sin increased, grace increased all the more. so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." And there we have it, as the law shines on more and more humans, their sin is exposed and the mountain of sin increases, but always grace is more than enough, Jesus sacrifice is completely sufficient.

Application

1. Be ready to follow the example of Jesus, who died for all sinners.
2. Give glory to God, His grace alone can save us.
3. Rejoice in the grace of God, and also in my sufferings, for they lead to perseverance, character, and hope. And hope will not let us down, because of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer

Dear Lord, I have been so distracted as I did this today...the short time I allotted and the people I allowed to enter my mind are concerning me far more than you and your word. Forgive me father, I am such a wayward child, completely unworthy of the title of son. Yet you love me, sent your real Son to die for me, and broke the chains on the entire world!! How can I ever say enough!! How amazing is your love!! Please give me the grace to rejoice in my trials as well, Lord you know how much my character needs to be built. You know just how hard I am finding it to even stick with this SOAP diary. Father give me a hunger for you and your Word. Thank you for the everlasting hope you gave me when your Spirit entered my heart and mind. May I ever listen to you above all else. Amen

Day Four – Jan 18, 2009

Scripture

Romans 4 - reading from the NIV

Lord help me to receive and understand the message you have for me today.

Observations

• (v4-5) - Wages for work are an obligation, righteousness for trust and faith in God is a gift.
  
• (v12) - Abraham is the "faith father" of those who walk in faith, like his example. As much or more than he is the father of the circumcised Jews under the law.
• (v16) - The promise of heirship comes by faith, so that by grace it is available to ALL Abraham's offspring (his sons by blood and his sons by faith).
• (v18-20) - Even when all things looked hopeless, Abraham did not give way to unbelief but remained firm in his faith that God could and would do what He had promised. Oh for a faith like that. Lord I want to be a son of Abraham by faith!
• (v23-24) - And yet God will credit righteousness to me too, and to all who believe in Him who raised Jesus from the dead.
  

Application

1. Don't try to earn righteousness or standing with God, it comes by faith and trust.
   
2. When things are at their worst, don't lose hope! Look upward in faith and claim the promises of God. He WILL come through for me.
   

Prayer

Dear Lord, it's so easy to trust you when things are going well. Yet when even the slightest problem arises I begin to panic, losing sight of you. And even in the good times, it is so easy for me to focus on maintaining a good life through my own strength and not rely on you. Father my flesh seems so strong! And my faith is so little! At least Peter walked a few steps before he lost sight of you and began to sink...and even then he still knew that crying out to you for help was the correct response. I take the first step out of the boat of my own comfortably built life and sink to my neck in the water, battling the waves I try to swim back to the boat than reaching up to you in faith. Lord grant me the faith of Abraham. Throw me again and again into the water until I learn to immediately look to you and trust that you are greater than all. Amen

Oh and Lord, you know what my Bullets need far more than I do, Lord reveal yourself to them in ways they could never imagine. Amen

Day Three – Jan 17, 2009

Scripture

Romans 3 - reading from the NIV

Lord please open my eyes and mind to receive your Word today. Help me to make the most of the short time I have. Help me to focus on you and concentrate on your Word.

Observations

• (v3-4) – God is true, sincere, honest. Even if every man is a liar, HE is faithful.
• (10-12) – No one seeks God by themselves, He causes us to seek for Him. This passage is often quoted in favour of Calvinism, the TULIP principle, etc.
• (v20) – No one can become righteous in God’s eyes by keeping the law, for the law only makes us conscious of our sin and aware of how much it comes between us and righteousness. The law convicts us, that is its purpose.
• (v23-24) – We are all sinners, none of us can make it to God through our own efforts, (swimming to China illustration) we all fall short. Yet God will justify us freely, if we accept the gift of what His Son did for us on the cross.
  

Application

1. Be faithful as God is, look to His unchanging example for guidance, be honest.
2. Don’t try to keep to a set of rules, don’t try to whitewash myself by keeping the law, just let it drive me to Jesus as the only deliverance from the sin it convicts me of.

Prayer

Dear Lord, help me to be honest! You are faithful even if every man is a liar. You alone are forever unchanging. It is so easy for me to twist and pervert the truth, sometimes for benefit, sometimes for no reason at all; just the vile sinful nature rising up inside of me and taking over the throne of my heart. Lord I want to see the sin in my life! How can I ask your forgiveness and purifying power if I do not recognise or acknowledge the sin that stains my heart?? I will study your law and let it convict me and drive me back to you with another and yet another vile pit laid bare and another prison bar to be broken. I will throw myself at your feet and cast all my cares upon you. Thank you Lord that you are bigger than all the filth in my life. Thank you that your blood is strong enough to wash away all my filth and make my life clean. Let me never forget what you did for me that day on Calvary!! Amen

Day Two – Jan 16, 2009 (Last day of NEXUS 09)

Scripture

Romans 2 - reading from the NIV

Lord, please open my eyes today as I read your Word. Prepare my heart to receive whatever message you want to give me and help me to receive it gracefully. Help me also to willingly apply your words in all that I do.

Observations

• (v5) – A stubborn and unrepentant heart stores up wrath against itself for the day of God’s wrath. So if I go on stubbornly doing something contrary to His will, I am only making it worse for myself, as His wrath is building up for the judgement.
• (v7) – Persist in doing good for God’s glory! Not for yourself or for anyone else, not for a good name or a social acceptance, nor for popularity…if you do good, you must give the glory to God!
• (v12) – Those who sin without knowing the law (Torah, Ten Commandments, etc) will perish without the law. So will those who sin knowing the law, however the second group will be judged under the law because they did not heed it’s warning to flee to God. They knew the truth, yet resisted the call to repentance
• (v13) – The righteous are those who obey the law, not those who merely hear it.
• (v17-24) – Paraphrased, these essentially say to practise what you preach, walk your talk, be an audio-visual Christian

Application

1. Be repentant when God shows me sin in my life! Don’t stubbornly persist in it.

2. Walk my talk, don’t teach/preach/say one thing and live another.

3. When I do good, make sure to reflect the glory back to God.

4. Obey the Word, don’t just merely read/hear it.

Prayer

Dear Lord, please watch over Gibbo, Weg, and Jmz, keep them close to you and bless their lives. Put your armour upon them so that they can stand and resist the temptations the devil sends against them. Open their eyes and minds to what you are trying to teach them, that they might know your plan for their lives. Lord, help me never to take the glory for any good that happens through me. Remind me to gently reflect the praise back to you, without diving into false humility. Help me to keep on doing good, and help me to walk my talk. Father it is so easy to lead a double life, to live on the edge with you in front of my Christian friends, yet fall back into self-dependence and self-indulgence when I am alone. Help me to be consistent, to let my Yes be Yes and my No be No. Thank you Lord for what you taught me today. Now please help me to apply it today and in every circumstance. Amen

Day One - Jan 15, 2009

Scripture

Romans 1 - Reading from the NIV

Observations

• (v3-4) - Jesus is humanly Jewish through his mother Mary who is descended from King David, but is equally shown (declared) to be the Son of God "by the Spirit of Holiness" through His resurrection.
• (v6) - "You also are among those called to belong to Christ Jesus" (emphasis mine) Paul is writing to the Roman believers here, and by extension to all believers. We are all called to belong to Jesus, obey his commands...especially the Great Commission.
• (v8) - Paul thanks God firstly because the "faith" of the Roman church is being reported around the world. This implies that:
• Some of the Roman Christians were probably very influential persons.
• Their faith was being tested, otherwise what was there to report?
  

• (v9-10) (<-A) - Paul calls God to witness that he prays for the Roman church AT ALL TIMES!! Can I make that claim for anyone? I also note that in the same breath Paul claims to serve God (who he calls as witness) with his WHOLE heart. Not just this and that, not just when it feels good or when everything goes to pot...he serves God with his whole heart.
• (v12) (<-A) - Paul speaks about imparting spiritual gifts to the Roman believers by mutually encouraging one another in faith. That's a bit different to some people's take on spiritual gifts!!
• (v13) - Paul's main purpose in visiting the Roman church is to "have a harvest in them". This is interesting...it could simply mean he wants to see sinners saved and grow the church, but I think it goes deeper. I think he was referring to discipleship here. He wants to disciple some of the believers and equip them to have a greater and ongoing harvest.
• (v16) - Paul is not ashamed of the Gospel. Once again...I can't identify completely. There are many times when I turn away opportunities to share or live out the Gospel, simply because there might be negative social consequences.
• (v18-20) - God's wrath is revealed because of the wickedness of men who lie in wait and suppress truth. (Interesting that these men know the truth quite plainly, but choose to suppress it.) Since Creation, God has been clearly visible through the manifestations of his qualities and characteristics, so no one has any excuse. They need only look to see Him.
• (v24) - God "gave them over" to their own sinful desires. Is there a point where God has had enough and stops intervening to shield us from our own lusts? How sad He must be when we finally press Him so far that He has to let us go.
• (v28) - Even their minds became depraved, again we see that God "gave them over". So God is battling for us...even in our own minds, He has gone into the ring for us, yet not forever! If we side with his enemy continuously, He eventually steps out of the ring, allowing the enemy to turn on us, "giving us over" to the depravity of our own desires.
  
• (v29-31) - A long list of sins common to man...unfortunately I could lay claim to most of them at some point in my life! Thank you Lord for providing the way of escape! A door opening through the scars in your hands.
  

Application

1. Set myself a goal of praying for other believers (specifically CQU SLers and Gibbo) EVERY time I spend some time praying.
2. Encourage other believers in their faith, this is giving a spiritual gift to them.
3. Stop being ashamed of the Gospel! It's worth dying for, walk the talk no matter who (or even if no one) is watching.
4. Pick one of the sins from the v29-31 list that I struggle with. Talk to God about it, discuss it with and be accountable to Bullets about it, and actively fight it this year.

Prayer

• Prayed for Gibbo, Wes, James Mc, thanked God for what I have learned here at Nexus ad the vision he has give to Gibbo and me for reaching JCU in Townsville, praised God for the positive responses we received from the LINC missionaries and SL leaders.