Nowhere Home
Sometimes I experience an overwhelming feeling that I am not where I should be. I don’t mean being some place that I feel morally compromised, though, in my younger years I was often guilty of being places I had no business being.
I mean geographically. It’s a strange feeling, and one that I can’t really understand. For instance, I have often felt this feeling when I was in another state or country, far from home.
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Reject the Easy
Arguably the best quote from author J.K. Rowling’s, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, her fourth book in the series, is a quote from Albus Dumbledore, which says,
“Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.”
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Help for Difficult Texts
As we continue to study the Book of Romans, we will continue to examine passages that are difficult to fully understand, but just because we may not be able to fully grip a text, doesn’t mean that we should neglect it.
So how should we approach such passages? Sometimes it’s easier to begin with the things to not do, so let’s start there.
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By the Word of God
Have you ever wanted to grow more spiritually, but didn’t know quite where to begin? Jesus can help!
In John 17:17, in the midst of Jesus’ prayer to the Father, in reference to His followers, He says:
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The Time is Now
My favorite Biblical topic is the exploration of God’s sovereignty. I would consider myself a big sovereignty guy, which is opposed to the little sovereignty guy.
What do I mean? Let me begin with a definition I like of God’s sovereignty, from a theologian that I also like: the biblical doctrine that God is the supreme, absolute ruler and controller of all creation, possessing the authority and power to ordain or allow all events according to His wise, just, and purposeful will. It means nothing happens outside His governance, ensuring His ultimate purposes are never thwarted.
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Entering the Story
Some of the most encouraging passages for me in the Bible are the ones where men and women of faith do great things by their faith.
For a quick reference of several great people of faith, just take a few minutes and read the eleventh chapter of Hebrews.
Being encouraged by people of faith is one thing – but taking a step to live out my own faith is something else entirely.
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Advanced Abraham
In the fourth chapter of Romans, which we begin to study this week, Paul gives us an in-depth look at the theology behind the man of faith, Abraham.
Of all of the examples that Paul could have used to illustrate salvation, he chose Abraham, which I love.
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A Good Reference for Giving
I like a good checklist. I have a checklist for camping, a different checklist for backpacking, a checklist for the Honduras and Westview Boys Home mission trips, etc.
Checklists are good. They help us to remember the things that are essential. Since we will have three lessons regarding giving over three weeks, I thought you might want a quick-reference checklist regarding giving. Based on our studies over the past two-weeks and this Sunday:
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The Desire to Be in His Presence
After spending three years following Jesus, His Apostles couldn’t bear the thought of not being in His physical presence anymore.
This is one of the reasons why they basically ignored every time Jesus said to them that He had to die.
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Purer in Heart
We sing the song, “Purer In Heart, O God” regularly in our worship services. It’s a very good song. It’s a prayer of request to God and it has within it, a line that I think that we should especially pay close attention to and mean with all of our hearts when we sing it.
The line is, “Keep me from secret sin, reign thou my soul within.” Within the line is both the request, “keep me from secret sin,” and the way to keep from that danger, the second request, “reign thou my soul within.”
The request to God to help me to have the integrity to not get secretly caught up in living that is sinful is not a new request, but a very old one.
For instance, Psalm 139:23-24 says, 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.
In this particular request, the Psalmist is unaware of the sin that he’s asking God to help him to remove, but often times we are not asking God to search us to determine IF there is any secret sin, because we know already that there is.
Our prayers are more often for relief from the temptation of sin, which is a good prayer when I am also doing what is within my power to avoid it.
And sometimes our prayer is for forgiveness, when we’ve been involved in something that we know is wrong, and this too is a good prayer when we actually take action to stay away from that sin.
But don’t indulge in sin and find some way to justify it. Is there a secret sin that you are indulging in? These days that most common of secret sins lies in what we consume with our eyes and ears.
As a follower of Christ, I should not watch everything. I should not listen to everything. I should not read everything. Most of what is out there is sinful. Let us be a people that do whatever we do to God’s glory and if we can’t do it to God’s glory, may we have the strength to forsake it. Keep me from secret sin!
For our good and His glory,
Wes LeFlore (918) 607-8489 or huskerwes1@gmail.com
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