Heart Burn (Romans 12 ESV)

 

Once the people of God begin to humbly walk in a Christian way - remembering that no matter the walk of life and cultural and/or religious background they are from - they will be more unified, walking in the Spirit and in the unity of the Spirit God gave them.  There will be a bond of peace.  They will be more able to,

"... present [their] bodies as a lving sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God"               (Romans 12:1 ESV).

This will be their "spiritual worship," their way of life.

There will be transformation and renewal of mind, discernment of God's will.  All very important as is not thinking too highly of themselves (vs 2 & 3).  There will be love and genuine affection for each other and together, their service for the Lord will be

 "fervent in spirit" (v. 11).

There will be rejoicing, patience, constant prayer and so much more.  You will see it when you read Romans 12.  

Harmony.  This is not just a work the Lord loves, rather the action, and state of being in harmony He wants.  Harmony.  Unity.  Paul pushes these points and explains how to achieve it.  Jesus and Gentiles alike being addressed here.  Please, please, please, I hear in Paul's words ...

"If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all" (vs 18).

Ths is the pro-active actions the assembly of believers in Rome could work on.  This is part and parcel of the "Christian Way".  It would take guts, they'd have to be living sacrifices.  They'd have to sacrifice, daily, all their own thoughts, ideas and opinions that stemmed from their upbringing whether religious and/or cultural.  Instead they'd need to seek out the better, more excellent way in Christ.

New thinking according to their "new creation in Christ" being.  And if they wanted to get revenge - leave it to God because

 "vengeance belonged to Him" (see v 19).

Furthermore, if they really and truly were concerned for their enemy, they'd be radical.  What?  Feed them?  Give them drink when and where needed?  They'd find out what those enemies needed and supply it.  That will get to the enemy and, 

"heap burning coals on his head" (v 20).

I'd think even on your own.  Perhaps not on your head but on your heart - you'd have heart burn.  Because, to be able to do genuine good to anyone you consider an enemy, the heart will need certain emotions burned away.  Emotions of anger, rebellion, revenge, and the like.  Showing goodness and kindness will cost and therefore, a sacrifice of our natural inclinations.  

No doubt we've all felt these.  Our Lord will be well-pleased when we can be more like Him in these matters.  May God get the glory from our lives that reflect Him.  This is acceptable to Him.

                                                  ~  ERC  May 2026  ~

Based on Romans 12 ESV.

Sing, There is One Gospel, along with City Alight.

Mother's Day 2026 - While You Can

 Another year, another Mother's Day.  Lots of endearing words and sentiments flood the lines, read and said.  But for some people there are now only fond memories.

We love to remember the nurturing and wise actions of our Moms.  Granted some mother's haven't made the mark but I'd like to honor those who have.

Mothers teach and comfort, give unconditional love, are our top fan in our personal fan club and have enduring influence, even now, after she [they] has /have passed.

And so we lift our glasses in honor of her and good, noble mothers everywhere - the globe over.

Thanks to our Lord who gave us diligent, wise moms on whom we could rely.  Best of all to Mothers who feared the Lord and taught their children to love Jesus who first loved them.

We celebrate and give our Mothers honor and praise and thanks for all they've done for us from the womb to the tomb.

"Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate" (Proverbs 31:31 NIV).

Indeed, I deeply thank my own Mom, especially for the covering of prayers she prayed over and for me for all the decades of her life.

Mother's everywhere, let's encourage each other whatever stage of parenting we are at.  It's not an easy job but with God's help, we can do it.  Sit down and have a cuppa with yours while you still can.

                          HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY 2026!

                                                      ~  ERC  May 2026  ~

Proverbs 31:31.

Sing, My Beautiful Mommy, Living Water Worship Kids.

The Christian Way (Romans 11: expecially 1-2 and 13 ESV)

 

What a mastermind the apostle Paul must have been!  I would dearly love to know what his IQ must have been.  I suppose there were no such data collecting standards during his time but he must have been quite a genius.

Look at his writings and sleuth for his background bio to get some clue of it.   He often used his trump cards to great effect too.  It can be especially noted in the book of Acts in how he outmanuevers getting a whipping by stating his Roman citizenship or breaks up dissession against him and the like.

You can see how he levels the ground in Romans chapter 11 in a most elegant and eloquent way.  If you recall, this book of Romans was written to Christians on Rome.  The major cultural background had been Gentile believers until the returned-to-Rome Jews who'd become Christians had joined the congregation.

Of course there'd be cultural clashes!!

Even though the common denominator was that both cultures now had a new culture, that of being Christian, the influence of their Gentile-ness and their Jewish-ness was strong and vying for prominence.  This brought conflict.

Paul's letter sought to bring peace, awareness and a unity of Spirit in the bond of that peace.  Therefore, he starts this section of letter with stating,

"I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham ... God has not rejected his        people ..." (Romans 11:1 & 2 ESV).

For the Jews, this message likely brought assurance.  Paul could tie it to them directly, so they'd listen.  For the Gentiles, though, it may have ruffled feathers.

So Paul reveals another trump card down in verse 31.

"Now I am speaking to you Gentiles.  Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry ..."

Ah-ha!  He snags their attention too, and goes on to give word pictures of how neigher group should become arrogant nor force cultrueal beliefs upon the other.

I love what he tells them in no uncertain terms,

" ... do not be arrogant toward the branches.  If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you ...." (vs 18).

They all had been

 "chosen by grace" (vs. 5), 

therefore it was 

"no longer on the basis of works" (vs 6). 

 And so Paul dealt with a major issue with aplomb, reassurance, and exhortation, pulling them together by God's grace, to see the Christian Way, unifying them to give God glory. 

 All glory be to God!

Amen.

                                                   ~ ERC  May 2026  ~

Based on Romans 11: especially vs 1-2, 13 ESV.

Sing, We Are One in the Spirit, along with Sounds Like Reign.

God's Righteousness (Romans 10: especially vs 3 & 21 ESV)

 

It's easily said ... 

"God's righteouusness". 

 But do we know what we're talking about?  I asked myself that.  "What does it mean?"

The easy answer is, "Oh, He is sinless, has always been sinless and will be forever sinless."  He is perfect, holy, faithful.  All this is 100% correct.  He is totally incapable of sinning.  Therefore, we say God is righteous.  He IS righteousness.

We cannot, should not be, ignorant of this but many are.  Many think they can become righteous by doing good deeds by being good, kind, and morally upright.  They don't harm anyone.  They think if they live like this long enough they'll hopefully earn enough merit to call themself "righteous" and to be righteousness.

Don't get me wrong.  A good-living person can be appreciated especially when their benevolence touches you.  But the thing is, that these types of people do have a major flaw.  That is, they

" have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God" (Romans 10:3 ESV).

You see, when God breathed into Adam's nostrils the breath of life, (see Genesis 2:7 ESV), Adam had not yet sinned.  He was capable of it but was as yet in an innocent state.  He had not yet done good or bad.  We know that he eventually did do wrong and sinned.  In that innocent state he could not be called 'righteousness'.

His actions showed that he had not submitted to the righteousness of God.

This helps me see the difference.  This is what the Jewish Christians in Rome needed to understand for themselves too.  Before calling the kettle black, they had to look at themselves first and see this.

God had given the Israelite nation of old, the Law to live by.  That's how they could calculate their wrongdoings and level of righteousness by how well they upheld those Laws of God.

In the final analysis they were unable to

 "establish their own righteousness" (Romans 1:3 ESV).  

And even though God ...

" ... held out [His] hands [all day long] to these disobedient and contrary people" (vs 21)

they did not submit themselves to God's righteousness.

This is the crux of the matter.  We cannot 'go it' alone, even if we think we can.  Adam and Eve thought they could.  They put the bandaid of fig leaves over their nakedness - the first ever 'cover up' of sin - but they still knew they were wrong.  They tried to hide from holy and righteous God.

Actually, in light of today's current events re: the Israel - USA - Iran war, verse 21 makes me want to cry.  God is beseeching Israel.

"But to Israel He said, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people" (Romans 10:21 KJV).

"All day long ..." God has been holding out His hands to them.  He did so way back in Bible times and I believe He is still doing so today.  If only they would not be ignorant of this stance!

And not only to those in Israel, but to those in the USA and those in Iran; hey, in fact to the world over ... God's hands are stretched out to one and all who would come willingly to seek Him and His righteousness.  Others have.  Why not you?

Let's not be foolish nations and people to go on living in ignorance.  God wants to impart and impute His righteousness to YOU!

Come as your are - whether you are a good-living person or a bad one.  Submit to Him through Jesus.  Be established in God's righteousness - believe.

                                                   ~  ERC  May 2026  ~

Based on Romans 10: especially vs 3 and 21 ESV.

Sing, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, along with Chet Valley Songs and Hymns.

The Stumbling Stone (Romans 9 especially vs 30-31 ESV)

 Curiosity may lead a reader of the letter to the Romans to wonder just to whom this letter was written.  Was it to the Jews?  Was it to the Gentiles?

It may be discovered that the group of Christians in Rome had been mostly of the Gentile variety.  They had been living by the faith that had saved them.  They had been made righteous by that which had not come from following the Halakha (Jewish religious law).  Rather, it had been by faith.  And it was through faith and Holy Spirit's guidance they now lived and led sanctified lives.

At that time Rome had opened up its borders once again to allow Jews who had formerly been expelled by Emperor Claudius around A.D.49.  They began to return roughly around A.D.52.

When returning Christian Jews found the congregation of Gentile believers things got somewhat topsy-turvey.  Confusion about needing to follow the Jewish laws spiked.  Thus, Paul's letter to the Roman believers.

He reminded them that it had been by faith in Jesus Christ that they'd been saved, not by works.  Not by following the Law.  This was part of the stumbling stone and "rock of offense" that needed to be navigated.

Picture someone intentionally placing a stone, not a small one, in the well-worn path hundreds of people filed by everyday, for years and years.  That walkway had been clear, with no serious obstacle for years on end.  Now, suddenly, a stumbling stone appears.

Half asleep morning pedestrians walk by, businessmen and women hurrying, hurrying hurrying by, clutching their briefcases, laptops and coffee, intent on getting to work and almost trip but see the stone last minute, managing to overcome this moring blip.  Even the blindman who traversed this way daily, 'saw it' with his trusty white cane.  He continued unhindered on his way to work.

Then some, at slightly slower pace, engrossed in their phone screens, came along and stumbled over that stone.  Flashes of anger well up, many cursing and kicking that stone.  How dare it be there, distrubing their addictive screen viewings! They finally circumvent the obstruction, and continue on their way in annoyance, huffing, puffing and spluttering.

The Jews of Rome stumbled in much the same way.  It was understandable.  They'd been taught since birth about adhering to all these Laws, as it was the way to righteousness and pleasing God.

But they had accepted Jesus as Savior through faith.  It was difficult though to separate and retrain their minds to give up the Law as a means of being made holy and righteous before God.  It was so very difficult.

Paul graciously leads them through it showing them the stumbling stone.  He could do it because he had gone through all this himself.

Jesus Christ had been the stumbling stone and rock of offense for him and them but now they must be reminded of the very way in which they'd come to Christ in the first place.  It had been through faith and not by works of righteousness.  Right?

It's so true even today, that after many years of thinking one way, having been brought up in one particular culture or another, that it could well clash with God's standards and values of Christian living.

What are the "stumbling stones" for you?  Are they going to trip you up?  We each need to examine them in the light of Scripture and by the guidance of the Holy Spirit if we sincerely want to navigate around the stumbling stones, to live well for Christ.

By God's grace, let's do that.

                                                   ~  ERC  May 2026  ~

Based on Romans 9: especially vs 30-31 ESV.

Sing, My Hope is Built on Nothing Less, along with Sovereign Grace Music.

The Spirit of Slavery (Romans 8: especially vs 12-16 ESV)

 Fear can make a person a slave.  A slave to whatever or whomever creates the fear within.  Fear that takes hold and controls even our very breath if that were possible.  This can be referred to as

 "the spirit of slavery" (Romans 8:15 ESV).

When a person accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, they did NOT receive such a spirit.  It is the Spirit of God and of adoption into God's family we have received.

This Spirit - the Holy Spirit - clicks in our spirit and heart and mind causing us to know and acknowledge God is our father to whom we belong.  We cannot help to cry out to Him,

"Abba!  Father!" (vs 15).

We can be led by this Spirit, knowing then we are "children of God" (vs16).  We have an almighty and powerful Father who has our backs.  We no longer need to have crippling fear nor be slaves to that fear.  With this Spirit of God we can then

 "put to death the deeds of the body" (vs 13 ESV). 

 This frees us to live according to the Spirit rather than be controlled by our fears.

And when those fears begin to raise their ugly heads in our minds and hearts, cry out, "Abba!  Father!"  We remind ourselves to whom we belong, thereby relinguishing the fear and death-giving slavery.  Therefore, we can live.

Let's give all our praise, worship and service to our God and King and Savior Jesus Christ.  We can do so by the empowerment of His Holy Spirit.

Amen.  

So be it.

                                                    ~  ERC  April 2026  ~

Based on Romans 8: especially vs 12-16 ESV).

Sing, Lord, My Rock and My Redeemer along with Sovereign Grace Music.

My Mind vs My Flesh (Romans 7:6, 23-25 ESV)

 

Reading through the letter to the Romans feels like one continuous sermon, at least so far.  It is something one has to read slowly and maybe even backtrack to keep the thread of the thoughts before moving forward once again.

It feels like it is difficult to comment upon but it is interesting as it is causing one to use ones' full concentration.  It's a letter one really needs to read through for oneself, too.

It gives life and hope and greater understanding even if one can only grasp tidbits with ones' fingertips.  But thank God we can begin to understand this new way of life through the Holy Spirit helping us to live by the Spirit and to serve the Lord, not by following a set of rules (although they are good rules) but

 "to do so through keeping in step with the Holy Spirit" (see Romans 7:6 ESV).

In this way we can be fed with the meat of the word of God and

 "delight in the law of God, in [our] inner being" ( vs 21).

And do you ever feel wishy-washy or yo-yo like?  First you feel like you can do this Christian life of discipline with the Lord's strength and then you fail?

It's good to know that a stalwart mighty man of God like the Apostle Paul was battling this struggle too.  But it wasn't really that he or we are yo-yo's.  He explained it like this,

" ... but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members" (Romans 7:23 ESV).

Paul despairs some, but then gives God thanks, that through Jesus Christ our Lord we get help.  He acknowledges that he serves,

" ... the law of God with [his] mind, but with [his] flesh [he] serves the law of sin" (Romans 7:25 ESV).

And then we get the breath of fresh air as we skip into Romans 8 ...

We are no longer condemned by this, at least for those of us who are "in Christ Jesus".

We have been set free through the Spirit of life in Christ.  Thus when we keep in step more consciously, as we walk humbly in the fear of the Lord, we are empowered to choose to walk aright, despite the struggle.  May God's Word and His Spirit shape our mind, heart and life.

Lord, help us all.  Amen.

                                              ~  ERC  April 2026  ~

Based on Romans 7 especially vs 6, 23-25 ESV.

Sing, Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me, along with City Alight.