Salvogesis

Before we needed to be away for a little bit, we were looking at Paul’s letter to the Romans quite a bit. Today I want to review a little bit of what we have spoken about and look at some of the broad themes, ideas and context of the first seven or eight chapters: especially about the Law. First some questions: ·        Who wrote Romans? (Paul) ·        When was it written? (Mid to late 50s CE) ·        Who was it written to? (Holy People / Saints in Rome – ‘Holy People’ / ‘Saints’ means Christians) ·        Where is Rome? (Modern day Italy) ·        Who is Paul? (an Apostle, a Roman, a Pharisee from Tarsus in modern day Turkey) ·        Where and how does Paul die? (executed in Rome – probably beheaded) This is important. Paul writes these words probably realizing that he is nearing the end of...

  7 Sing to the Lord with grateful praise;     make music to our God on the harp.   8 He covers the sky with clouds;     he supplies the earth with rain     and makes grass grow on the hills. 9 He provides food for the cattle     and for the young ravens when they call.   10 His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,     nor his delight in the legs of a man [or ‘the warrior’]; 11 the Lord delights in those who fear him,     who put their hope in his unfailing love.   Psalm 147:10 : “His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man.” I thought this was an appropriate passage to look at on Robbie Burns Day. For Christmas one year Susan bought me some Bible Commentaries on Psalms. In one of these books the author, Peter C. Craigie, from Scotland, writes:   …. It was the custom in Scotland for boys to ...

 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!  We went to see Frankenstein the Ballet last night. If anyone knows that story. The beginning is like the book. Dr. Frankenstein makes a creation out of the parts of corpses who had had terrible things happen in their lives - and then he brings life to the new creation and it becomes whole - with a whole new lease on life. A new chance to live. No matter all the awful stuff that had happened before. Now - the book actually ends poorly after that but the ballet does not. The ballet includes a story of Giselle. This bride, who herself suffered a horrible fate, learned forgiveness and is resurrected. She meets Frankenstein's creation; they fall in love - and start off again, this time living a transformed life. Revelation 21:3b-4: God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or ...

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me (and for the gospel) will save it Mark 8:35    I’ve got a test for us today: Famous Quotes. Let’s see who can name the speaker of each of the following quotes:[1]  1) “Hi Ho Silver, Away…”  2) “We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto”  3) “I am not a crook”  4) “While women weep, as they do now, I'll fight; while children go hungry, as they do now I'll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I'll fight; while there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I'll fight, I'll fight to the very end!”  5) “Up, up, and away!”  6) “I’m strong to the finish ‘cause I eat my spinach; I’m _________ the sailor man.”  7) “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but for whoever loses his life for me (and for the gospel) will save it.”     T...

 

If something is a right, it is incumbent upon a society to provide that right.   Psalm 82:3 - 'Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute. '    Proverbs 31:8-9 - 'Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.   Psalms 69:32-33 : “Let the oppressed see it and be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive. For the Lord hears the needy, and does not despise his own who are in bonds”    Psalms 140:12 : “I know that the Lord mainta ins the cause of the needy, and executes justice for the poor”    1 John 3:17 : If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him?     Last week I wasn’t here. I was at the Summer Rain Christian Music Festival. I spoke on the Saturday night. I mentioned that all the messages in past years at S...