Bible Readers

June 29 – Today’s Readings – Romans 15-16 and Proverbs 29

Do you have “a list” of people for whom you are grateful in the Lord? Paul shares his “to greet” list in Romans 16 – “our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea” – “Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me.” – “my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia” – “Mary, who worked very hard for you” – “Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me” – “Ampliatus, whom I love in the Lord” – “Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ” – “my dear friend Stachys” – “Apelles, tested and approved in Christ”- “the household of Aristobulus” – “Herodion, my relative” – “the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord” – “Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard” – “my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard” – “Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too”.

I often think of all the people I know who have been faithful in the Lord and faithful to me, whether it is in friendship or ministry or both. I think of those, who by steadfast work in the Lord have shown me an example of what it is to be devoted to Jesus – I think of family members who have supported me in good times and bad – I think of brothers and sisters in Christ who would never have been my friends if it were not for a shared passion for the Church of Christ and His vision for the world – I think of those Saints of God who are not half-hearted or half-baked in their desire to serve God. These are the people on my “living hero” list. When I need encouragement, these are the people I can count on to pray with me or for me or help me in more “natural” ways. These people are the real Church of Jesus Christ. I would rather have twelve of these Christians in my life than twelve thousand who were not “true blue”.

Paul had built a support system of people in his life that he could count on as friends, adoptive mothers, fellow-laborers, and disciples. We too function at our best when we can compile our “list” and meditate on the goodness God has shown us through their exemplary lives.

Go ahead – make your list – then pray for them all, that God would keep them and make them an even closer part of your shared relationship to Christ.

Questions:

1. Give an example of a still-living person who has become part of your personal hero list – tell why.
2. Give an example of people who became helping heroes in Scripture.

June 28 – Today’s Readings – Romans 13-14 and Proverbs 28

Romans 14 contains a train of thought that is important for us in the 21st. Century. It has to do with not “offending” brothers and sisters in the Lord by our indiscrete behavior. It also involves not judging our brothers and sisters.

First of all, let’s talk about not offending one another. There are many behaviors that we could participate in as Christians, which have the potential of offending fellow “saints” in Christ. A brother could easily be offended if he saw you or I entering a bar for example – his past experiences with the “bar lifestyle” might have had everything to do with the destruction of his marriage, family and career. Perhaps my only past experience with alcohol had to do with a glass of beer at dinner with my family. Is it “wrong” to have a beer with your parents at dinner? Perhaps not – for you, it may simply part of wholesome fellowship. Is it “wrong” if you offend your brother in Christ while participating in this activity? Yes – because you have used your “Christian liberty” in a way that has caused another man to stumble. I use the example of “the bar”, not because it is the biggest or most pressing issue facing us in this discussion but because it is an easy one. Consider this however – “It is not for kings, O Lemuel – not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what the law decrees, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights. Give beer to those who are perishing, wine to those who are in anguish; let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.” (Proverbs 31:4-7)

With regards to not “judging” your brother in Christ – we see here the flip side of not offending your brother. If you know that a friend of yours is in the habit of having a glass of wine with his wife on special occasions, you should be mature enough in Christ to not judge him for his choice of behavior. You will notice that I have deliberately chosen a “grey area” like having a glass of wine – I have not chosen an obvious, blatant sin like drinking too much and thereby losing proper judgment.

Here’s a question for you however – If the Holy Spirit communicates with us through our minds, and we dull our minds with a prescription drug, alcohol, or some street drug, will this impair our ability to hear the voice of the Spirit? You see, some of these things are obviously wrong and when the Bible calls something a sin, we should too. Failing to do so is the equivalent of not looking out for our brothers’ interests. No, judging one another for “petty” things is wrong but judging ourselves for issues that lead to death or for things that distance us from God is a responsible, Christian thing to do.

Questions:

1. Give other examples of issues that could be “ok” for one person but might “offend” another.
2. Give an example of a time when the Holy Spirit instructed you to do or not to do something because of not “offending” a fellow Christian.

June 27 – Today’s Readings – Romans 11-12 and Proverbs 28

In the first 2 verses of Chapter 12 we find the New Testament equivalent of burned offerings (sacrifices of worship) from the Old Testament; “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Instead of a lamb or a bull on the altar – it’s me! I offer myself to God day by day. I do what Jesus did but in a much smaller way – “sacrificing” my body, my mind, my energy, my pocket book, my relationships, my future, etc. to the Lord. This is my spiritual act of worship – my “worship” is not just about the songs I sing on Sunday!

Part two of the formula is equally important though – the Spirit of God is very busy – renewing my mind. This is where “the rubber hits the road”. What goes on in my mind is of utmost importance in my life and is to be an offering of worship to the Lord. My pastor often says, “We need to hang new pictures in the gallery of our minds”. How do we end up in trouble with our attitudes, our words and our actions? It all starts in the mind. God’s work in us must include our thinking processes and the way we allow our thoughts to roam.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:6-8)

This “thinking about” is an active process. If we focus our minds on the right things, then out the abundance of our minds, our mouths will speak and our actions will be guided. This is one of the great adventures of the Christian life. It has everything to do with my daily surrender to the Lord. If I want a gauge of how I’m doing today, then I need to check out my active, mindful submission to Jesus. Your mind will be renewed and you will be a New Testament worshipper as you offer yourself to Him!

Finally, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:” (Philippians 2:3-5)

Questions:

1.Tell of an experience in your Christian life, where the Holy Spirit “reprogrammed” your mind.
2. Tell of an example in Scripture where God was at work changing the way people thought.