Romans Devotional #14: God is Rich.

3. "Do you suppose, O man - you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself - that you will escape the judgment of God?  4. Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness, and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5. but because of you hard and impenitent heart you are strong up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed." (Romans 2:3-5)

Note:  

Romans chapter 1 reads much like a tabloid magazine, focusing on other people's sins.  Chapter 2 is different.  It is deeply personal and must be read with no one in mind other than yourself.  The words "they," "them," and "their" which saturated chapter 1, are replaced by the words "you," "your," and "yourself" in chapter 2.  Since Paul addressed all of chapter 2 to "you," you will notice that my devotions purposely use the words "you" and "your" and not the words "their" and "ours."  God wants to talk directly to "you" about "your" sins and their dire consequences.  

As we begin this journey through chapter 2, know that there is good news coming!  By the end of chapter 2, "you" will be left with a feeling of hopelessness and doom.  Paul did this intentionally so that "you" would truly appreciate God's glorious salvation at the end of chapter 3.  

There are two truths that come from today's Scripture reading.

Truth 1: God is very rich:
God wants "you" to know that He is rich, very rich.  Imagine a large room filled from floor to ceiling with the currency of heaven.  God's bank account is massive.  Today's picture shows "you" what God's money looks like.  God's currency is different than ours in that it is labeled, "Kindness," "Forbearance (Tolerance)" and "Patience."  God wants "you" to know that He is truly rich in kindness, rich in patience, and rich in tolerance towards "you."  Aren't "you" thankful God is rich in these areas.  Imagine what "your" life would look like if God were poor in kindness or poor in patience.  "You" would be in serious trouble.  

Truth 2: God will not always be Kind, Tolerant, and Patient:
If "you" read Romans 2:4 in the context of verses 3 and 5, one truth screams loudly.  Sound the alarm... be warned... God will not always be kind, tolerant and patient.  God's patience has a limit and it can be exhausted.  There is coming a day when God will no longer be kind toward "you."  Romans 2:5 says, "But because of your hard and impenitent heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed."  On Judgment Day, God's kindness, tolerance and patience will be spent.  All that will be left for "you" is God's wrath.   

There are two pictures that should come to the "your" mind as "you" read Romans 2:4-5.  The first picture is of "your" generous God who graciously spends His fortune of kindness, tolerance, and patience on "you."  The second picture is of "you" spoiling God's bank account, spending it down to nothing.  There will come a day when "you" will be down to "your" last dollar.  When that dollar is spent, it will be Judgment Day.  "You" will have to explain to God why "you" squandered His enormous wealth without repenting.  

Mark Your Bible:

• Next to Romans 2:4 write, "God is Rich."

Application:
Do not give up on this journey through Romans 2.  We are studying sin and it gets ugly, very ugly.  Good news is coming. You will not truly understand the good news unless you allow me to take you all the way through this study on sin.  Allow God to reveal the truth about your sin in a very personal way so that He can help you understand His amazing grace and love that is poured out for you in chapter 3.  

Prayer to pray:
Father, have mercy on me.  I am a sinner.  Have mercy, please!  Open my eyes to see my sin for what it truly is.  I beg you for forgiveness.  Teach me Your ways so that I may walk in them.

Romans Devotional #13: You are under Sin.

This is the summary picture for Romans 2:1-3.  It's message is: You are without excuse because you, the judge, are under sin. 

Review:

Chapter one's theme is, "They are under sin."  The theme for chapter two is, "You are under sin."  Today's study cannot be understood unless it is read in the context of Romans 1:28-32.  As you read these verses, think of someone you know who lives like the verses you are reading.  

28. "And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice.  They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness.  They are gossips, 30. slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31. foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.  32. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things desire to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them" (Romans 1:28-32).  

Fill in the blank:

Do not read further in today's study until you can fill in the blank below.  

  

Romans 1:28-32 reminds me of how           Name of person           lives his or her life.   

You are under Sin:

In devotion #8, I wrote these words:

"In the Old Testament there was a famous king named David.  David's greatest failure was his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba, resulting in her pregnancy.  The king used everything at his disposal to cover his sin.  After exhausting all other means, David arranged to have Bathsheba's husband killed.  Following Uriah's death, David married Bathsheba and thought his troubles were behind him.  That was, until God spoke to the prophet Nathan.  

God gave Nathan the assignment of confronting the king's sin.  Nathan was very wise in how he spoke to David.  Nathan told David a story of someone else's sin before confronting David's sin.  When King David heard the story of a rich man's cruelty toward a peasant, David's anger flared and he demanded the rich man be brought to justice.  David's judgment opened the door for Nathan to say these heart chilling words, "David, you are that man" (2 Samuel 12:7).

Imagine what it felt like for David to hear Nathan say, "David, you are that man."  For the first time, David was confronted with his sin in a way that he could neither deny nor bypass.  Nathan's prophetic message to David is the same message Paul has for us today.  In short, today's message is, "You are that man or woman."  

Now that you have read Romans 1:28-32 and have thought of a person that it personifies, you are ready to hear Paul's convicting words to you. 

Today's Scripture Reading:

"1. Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges.  For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you the judge, practice the very same thing.  2. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things.  3. Do you suppose, O man - you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself - that you will escape the judgment of God?" (Romand 2:1-3)

Look at chapter two's summary picture.  Which person in this picture best represents you?  The aim of chapter one is for you to look at someone else's sin and see it so clearly that you conclude, "they are truly messed up and deserve the judgment of God."  Chapter one, by design, puts the reader in the judgment seat and brings them to today's message.  Paul doesn't leave us in the judgment seat long before he pulls the chair out from underneath us and speaks words of truth that cut straight to our heart.  Paul's message to us is, "You are that man / woman that is described in Romans chapter one.  You have a sin problem and unless your sin is dealt with, you will experience the wrath of God on Judgment Day."  Did you notice the judge's hands are chained in the picture?  They are chained because the judge is guilty of the same sin as those he is judging.  

Mark your Bible:

• Write this title above Romans chapter 2, "You are under sin." 
• Underline the words, "you have no excuse" in Romans 2:1.
• Next to Romans 2:1 write, "You are without excuse."

Prayer to pray:
Father, I confess that I am a sinner.  Today, I see my sin clearer than I ever have before.  I know that my sin is offensive and it separates me from You.  I know I deserve Your judgment, but I am asking for Your grace and mercy.  Please forgive me.  Please take my sins, though they are many, and erase them from Your books.  

Romans Devotional #12: Introduction to Chapter 2

Chapter Summary Pictures:

Look at today's picture.  Did you notice today's picture stands vertically on the page while many of the past pictures laid down horizontally?  This was done intentionally.  The pictures that stand vertically summarize the message of an entire chapter.  The pictures that lay down horizontally summarize verses within each chapter.  

In Liberia, many of the people we work with are either illiterate or barely literate.  As we teach Romans, we clip each picture to a clothes line so students can see the book's message from beginning to end.  Since the chapter summary pictures stand vertically on the page, they hang lower than the pictures that summarize verses.  This enables students to easily see where one chapter begins and another ends. 

How God is using the Romans study in Liberia:

Yesterday, we started testing bush pastors on this Romans study.  Our heart's desire is to see a healthy church in every town and village on Kokoyah Road.  This is what we labor for.  We know the only foundation for a healthy church is Jesus Christ (1 Cor 13:0-11)!  We also know the fearful warnings Scripture gives for preaching a false gospel (Gal 1:6-10).  When we started this study, many of the pastors were not Christians and none of the pastors understood the book of Romans.  I left our first day of testing rejoicing and praising God.  These pastors truly understand the gospel now!  Praise God!  Yesterday, we were able to test 18 pastors.  All but 1 were able to tell the message of Romans chapters 1 and 2 for memory using only the pictures we created.  

Cyrus is my partner in ministry.  Everywhere I go, Cyrus is there with me.  I praise God for this dear Brother!

Later, in April, these pastors will be tested on chapters 3-8 and will be required to have the message of these chapters memorized.  My heart is overflowing with joy as a burden is being released.  God is laying a firm foundation for His churches on Kokoyah Road!  Praise God!  Please remember these pastors in your prayers.  

I want to show you a map of Kokoyah Road so you can rejoice with me for the wonderful things the Lord is doing! The pastor's names are written in blue next to their town's name.  By April, the Gospel will start going into all these towns and villages!

I challenge you to memorize the message of Romans as well.  If you accept this challenge, the knowledge you gain will be a blessing to you throughout your lifetime!

The flow of the book of Romans:

Lets take a moment to review the flow of Romans.  Romans is divided into 5 parts.  Try to memorize these parts:

Part 1:  Sin (Chapters 1-3a)

Part 2:  Salvation (Chapters 3b-5)

Part 3:  Sanctification (Chapters 6-8)

Part 4:  God's Sovereignty (Chapters 9-11)

Part 5:  Our Service (Chapters 12-16)

Mark your Bible:
Look again at the summary picture for Romans 2.  The message for chapter 2 is, "You are under sin."  For today's devotion, read chapter 2 and circle the words "you," "your," and "yourself" each time they occur.  As you read, you will see that chapter 1 is about "their" sins while chapter 2 is about "your" sins.  

Note:  
Chapter 1 uses the words "they," "them," and "their" to describe Gentiles.  Chapter 2 uses the words "you," "your," and "yourself" to describe Jews.  

Prayer to Pray:
Father, please use this study to reveal every unclean way within me so I can repent.  Help me see myself for who I truly am.  Please forgive all my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness.  Empower me to live a different life.

Romans Devotional #11: Given to a Debased Mind

"28. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.  29. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice.  They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness.  They are gossips, 30. slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31. foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.  32. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them" (Romans 1:28-32).

Review:

The theme of Romans 1 is, "They are under sin."  The words, "they," "them," and "their" are repeated 25 times in chapter 1 while the words "you," "your," and "yourself" are repeated 35 times in chapter 2.  

Romans 1, reads like a court case, presenting condemning evidence for why "they" will be found guilty before God on Judgment Day.  There are 4 indictments against "them" in chapter 1.  

Indictment 1:  While God passionately pursued them, they worshiped and served created things, betraying their Creator (Romans 1:19-23).  

Indictment 2:  Due to their continued lust for sin, God gave them to impurity.  God hoped they would see that vanity of sin and return to Him.  While they indulged in sin, God was ever-present, sustaining their lives, ready to receive them back if they chose to repent (Romans 1:24-25).

Indictment 3: The sins of impurity were not enough for them, therefore, God gave them to dishonorable passions.  Their sin moved from the private realms of their lives to the public arena.  Though their sin brought them public shame, they refused to repent.  They craved sin more than they loved God and their own honor (Romans 1:26-27).  

  

Indictment 4:  Lastly, since they persisted in sin, God gave them to a debased mind.  It is this debased mind that we turn our attention to today (Romans 1:28-32).  

As you read the words, " God gave them up to a debased mind," you should imagine a third and final wedding that took place between rebellious mankind and sin.  In this wedding, God represented the loving father who walked "them" down a third, most dreadful spiritual isle, placed "their" hands into the hands of a debased mind and let go.  The marriage between mankind and sin is now complete.  They are now owned and controlled by impurity, dishonorable passions, and a debased mind.  Like the loving father of a wayward son (Luke 15:11-21), God removed His protective covering over their lives as "they" self-destruct.  God desired their repentance but they continued to chase after their sins.

What is a debased mind?  The key to understanding a debased mind is to know the meaning of the words "filled" and "full" in verse 29.  Look at the picture above.  Which of these two cups is full?  Like an overflowing cup, a debased mind is a mind that is completely "full" of sin.  The person who has been given to a debased mind has been filled, from the bottom of their feet to the top of their head with sin.  The overflow from their lives is wickedness.  

Reread Romans 1:28-32 and notice all the sins they were filled with.  

Look at how God describes a debased mind elsewhere in Scripture. 

The Debased Mind:

• Hardened Mind (2 Cor 3:14)
• Blinded Mind (2 Cor 4:4)
• Futile Mind (Eph 4:17)
• Darkened Mind (Eph 4:18)
• Hostile Mind (Col 1:21)
• Deluded Mind (Col 2:4)
• Captive and Deceived Mind (Col 2:8)
• Sensuous Mind (Col 2:18)
• Depraved Mind (1 Tim 6:5)
• Corrupted Mind (2 Tim 3:8)
• Defiled Mind (Tit 1:15)

Application:

God's primary way to produce repentance in a person's heart is to give that person over to the sins they desire.  The fruit of sin is death.  Sin never satisfies.  What sins are you desiring?  Though sin looks enticing it always produces a harvest of distraction in our lives.  Does God need to give you over to the sins your heart desires so you can taste the bitterness of their deception?  Turn your heart to God now.  Live the full life that God promised to give those who follow Him (John 10:10).  

Mark your Bible:

• Next to Romans 1:28 write the words, "Given to a Debased Mind"
• Underline the words "filled" and "full" in verse 29 to help you remember the meaning of a Debased Mind.  A Debased mind is a mind that is full of sin.

Prayer to pray:

Father, by studying "their" sins in Romans, I can't help but see my own sins.  I have a rebellious heart.  Please forgive my many sins.  Cleanse me.  I want my greatest desire to be You, not my sins.  

Romans Devotional #10: Given to Dishonorable Passions

Review:

1.  Romans chapters 1-3 talk about sin.  We must first understand the nature of sin before we can understand God's salvation in chapters 3-5. 

2. Romans chapter 1 talks about "their" sin.  Romans chapter 2 talks about "your" sin.  The words "they," "them," and "their" are mentioned 25 times in Romans chapter 1. The words "you," "your," and "yourself" are mentioned 35 times in Romans chapter 2.  

3.  Romans talks about "their" sins before it talks about "your" sins because it is easier to see the destructive nature of sin in another person's life than it is to see it in "your" life.  

4.  Romans chapter 1 lists 4 sins "they" committed.  The first sin is the sin of betrayal.  As my Liberian friends would put it, "They knew God good, good but they did not worship Him (Romans 1:19-23).  God revealed everything there was to know about Himself but they rejected Him to worship and serve created things.

  

5.  The second sin "they" committed was the sin of impurity.  Romans 1:24 says, "Therefore God gave them up in the lust of their hearts to impurity..."  It is a fearful thing for God to give a person to sin.  Notice, God gave "them" to this sin only after "they" gave "their" own hearts to it.  

Impurity refers to the lust of "their" flesh.  The person who has been given to impurity is no longer controlled by God, the driving force of "their" life is their fleshly desires. 

The Greek word for impurity is often translated in Scripture as uncleanness and is used only 10 times in the New Testament (Matt 23:27; Rom 1:24; 6:19; 2 Cor 12:21; Gal 5:19; Eph 4:19; 5:3; Col 3:5; 1 Thes 2:3; 4:7).  In the Old Testament, an "unclean" person could not enter the temple to worship God.  The sin of impurity separated "them" from God.  The fruit of this sin is best seen in Matthew 23:27, "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness."  The person who has been given to impurity often looks good on the outside but is full of rotting bones and everything unclean on the inside.  

Romans Devotional #10:  Given to Dishonorable Passions.

"26.For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions.  For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27.and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error" (Romans 1:26-27).

The third sin they committed is the sin of dishonorable passions.  The context for this study on sin is Romans 1:18, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men..."  A close look at this verse reveals that God's wrath in Romans chapter 1 is not against sinful man but against the sin that is in man.  Notice Romans 1:18 does not say that the wrath of God is against all ungodly and unrighteous people but rather that His wrath is against ungodliness and unrighteousness.  God wants to destroy sin and save the sinner.  In Romans chapter 1, God gave people over to sin as a means of destroying sin.

Luke 15:11-32 explains how giving a person to sin destroys the sin.  These verses talk about a wayward son who asked his father for his inheritance early.  The father knew the condition of the son's heart.  If the money were given, the son would leave and spend the money on wild living.  Though the son was living under the father's protective roof, the son's heart had already moved far away from home.  Knowing the condition of his son's heart, the father gave the inheritance hoping the son would see that sin never satisfies and return home.  In Romans chapter 1, we see God giving people over to deeper and deeper levels of sin. God's desire is for "them" to repent and return home.    

When we read the words "gave them up" in Romans 1:18, our minds should picture a second wedding that took place between "them" and sin.  Long before God gave them to dishonorable passions, God gave them to "impurity" (Romans 1:24-25).  Picture in your mind a second wedding taking place where God walked "them" down a second spiritual isle, placed their hands into the hand of "degrading passions," let go, and gave ownership of their lives to this darker, more destructive slave master.  By giving "them" to this sin, God removed more of His protective covering over their lives and allowed sin to reap havoc.

What are dishonorable passions?  The word dishonorable  is used 6 times in the New Testament (Lk 20:11; Jn 8:49; Ac 5:41; Rom 1:24; 2:23; Jas 2:6).  The word means without honor, dishonor, to treat with indignity, and to abuse.  The word passions is used only 3 times in the New Testament (Rom 1:26; Col 3:5; 1 Thess 4:5).  The root for the word passions is "to suffer."  Dishonorable passions afflict a person's mind, emotions, and passions while bring dishonor and shame.

The sins of dishonorable passions differ from the sins of impurity in that dishonorable passions are sins that are publicly seen, thus bringing shame to a person.  Romans 1:26-27 lists homosexuality as an example of dishonorable passions.  It is important to know that homosexuality is only one of many sins Paul could have listed to describe this sin.  All sins that brings public dishonor and shame are dishonorable passions.  

Notice the progression of "their" sin.  "Their" sin started inwardly with impurity but worked its way into the public arena of "their" lives with dishonorable passions.  A drunkard never set out to become the towns drunk when he took his first drink.  Sex offenders never aspired to be listed on their communities public list of dangerous people when they indulged in their first secret sin.  Over time, sin always works its way from the private to the public areas of a person's life.  When degrading passions are exposed, they bring shame but the addictive nature of the sin makes a person hunger for the sin more than they hungered for honor.  In time, "they" become labeled by their sins.

Application:

Since Romans 1 talks about "their" sin and not "your" sin, take a moment and think of sins that have become public in your friends' and family's lives.  Every sin of impurity has the potential to grow and become a sin of dishonorable passion.  Think of people who have become labeled by "their" sin.  Let "their" sin be a warning to you.  All sin leads to bondage. 

Bible Marking:

Next to Romans 1:26 write, "Given to Dishonorable Passions."

Prayer to Pray:

Father, You are a merciful God.  Thank You for pursuing me even while I chase after sin.  I know all sin leads to bondage. I also know that my sins start inwardly and grow until they become public.  Father, I repent now.  I am turning away from my sin and am turning to You.  Please lead my life.  Please break the chains of the sins that hold me fast.  My hope is in You alone.

Our Christmas Surprise

This Christmas, our family made many precious memories.  A few days before Christmas, we drove to the airport to pick up a missionary friend of ours, so our children thought.  They were surprised when they saw Nanny and Papaw walking out of the airport.

We spent the night in Monrovia and then traveled to our home in Gbarnga.  Our children were excited to introduce their grandparents to all their treasured pets and give them a tour of our house. 

Our time together was filled with a perfect mix of ministry and family time.  We visited with Quinta.  Quinta sewed all 250+ of our sponsored children's uniforms this past year.  From the profit, she started building this house, bought a new sewing machine, and purchased enough rice to feed her family for one year. 

Quinta's new sewing machine

We visited our sponsored school.  Currently, we have over 250 children enrolled in this school.

Andie did crafts with several of our sponsored children.  In this picture, we are at Civil Compound.  During the ebola crisis, this area was quarantined and many children were orphaned.

Here are a few of our children from Civil Compound.

Christmas Day, we loaded our car with sponsored children and carried them to church.  Here is picture of our first car load.

The church was packed as we celebrated our Lord's birth with a special children's program.  The children led us in worship, dance, drama, and even a short message.  

Nanny and Papaw had their suitcases full of special gifts.  They have an amazing way of finding gifts that make each person feel loved and treasured.  

Thank you Tom and Andie for this very special day!

Our family has a special Christmas tradition that was handed down to us from Melanie's family.  Each year, we set up a nativity scene.  Every piece of the nativity is on display throughout the Christmas season with one piece missing.  Christmas morning we read the story of Jesus' birth and then place baby Jesus in the nativity scene.  For our children, it is an honor to be chosen to place baby Jesus in the manger scene.  This year, we decided that this honor belonged to Nanny and Papaw.

Throughout the day, neighborhood children came to our house to have their picture taken in their new Christmas clothes.  Many Liberians received no gifts for Christmas.  A good Christmas in Liberia is a new set of clothes to show off and a good meal to eat. 

New Christmas Clothes 

New Christmas Clothes

After Christmas, we visited our Folobli pastor's training center. Tom and Andie distributed reading glasses.  Tom taught the men while Andie taught the women.

While Tom and Andie were teaching, a righteous pride grew in me as I realized how blessed our family is to have believing parents and family members.  From where I was sitting, I could hear both my father-in-law and mother-in-law speaking.  Both of them were passionately teaching the Bible.  Thank you Lord Jesus for my family!

After teaching, we loaded the bikes, visited our training center in Gbenequella, and then traveled to one remote bush town.

We returned home dirty but full of memories.  Never in my life time would I have ever dreamed that my mother-in-law would allow me to take her to the places I took her, nor have I ever seen her this dirty!  What a great day!

After a few more days of ministry, we traveled to Monrovia for some R&R.

We slept at a guest house on the beach.

We swam in the ocean.

Then we said our goodbyes.  For the first time, we were the ones staying and they were the one's going.  I learned that it is much harder sending those you love away than it is to be the ones who go. 

The kids didn't want to say goodbye.  They requested one last walk with Papaw on the beach before we went to the airport.  

God is good!  Tommy's Christmas wish this year was for family from America to visit.  That was all he wanted.  Little did he know Nanny and Papaw had already bought their airline tickets.  God's blessings come to us in many ways.  Let us be quick to count His many blessings and focus on His goodness even in our times of need.  For our family, Nanny and Papaw's Christmas surprise is a blessing that we are continuing to count.  Thank you Nanny and Papaw for the wonderful memories we made!