Weekly Encouragement
Good Wednesday Everyone,
Weekly blessings to all. I hope your home and land received some much-needed rain this week. We are entering an exciting time of the year. School is back in full swing, the fall sports are back, and believe it or not the holiday season is right in front of us. But as quickly as all this happens, we must take the time to slow ourselves down. In all our busyness we must take time to intentionally “press pause” on the events of our lives. When you “press pause”, and it is not easy: Take this time to pray, read God’s Word, and meet with God’s people. At Bethel Baptist we have a loving Christian environment for you to do all three.
Tonight, is our Wednesday Night Fellowship. On the menu is tacos, so bring what you put on your tacos along with a side dish or dessert to share. Then remain with us. Join in our Mission Friends for the children, and for the Adult Bible Study followed by prayer and praise time. Speaking of slowing down, this is what the adults will do. We will so down and explore the sermon from Sunday week, and also look ahead as the Lord leads us. Our newest sermon series takes us into the Book of Romans. The sermon series is called “The Righteousness of God.” If you had to explain the Book of Romans you could tell others, this book of the Bible tells you About God. Romans tells us what God gives to us, and what God wants from us.
In the initial chapters of Romans, Paul explains to us the truth about mankind. This truth is not Paul’s truth, it’s God’s truth. Have you ever heard the expression, “The truth hurts!” Well, when God tells us the truth, it is a punch in the face. This is the most accurate way to put it. God’s truth hurts us, it helps us, and it heals us. Ultimately, through Romans we learn how God proves to us He is RIGHT!
The initial steps into Romans are slow but quickly take us into deep, and deeper spiritual waters. Romans is not about wading. Romans is about swimming. And the first few chapters of Romans are absolutely critical. This Lord’s Day, Paul describes us, fellow Christian brothers and sisters, as “righteous” in one verse (Romans 1:17). Paul is describing our state of life as Christians – We are righteous. If Paul had stopped here and moved on without finishing God’s truth, there would have existed a huge gap of confusing and misunderstood religion.
These questions must be answered, and the confusion clarified by truth: God’s truth. Why am I righteous? How did I become righteous? Because if I was sinful, was told the good news, believed Jesus Christ as my Lord, repented of my sins: What made me righteous? This must be explained, and it must be explainable to others. Romans explains my righteous is revealed “from faith for faith.” By faith in God’s righteousness, He made me righteous. Not faith in myself nor my works, but faith in God. This is incredible news. Why is this incredible news? Because of the way I was before. We must never forget where we were then, to where we are now.
God will next describe how we were, and others are, “who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” Mankind knows God, and they intentionally push against God’s righteousness by their sinful actions. This is how we used to be.
We are around people every day who think they know God, they think they know His truth, and they think they can live however they want. This is not the truth. The simple act of inviting a friend to church, or telling someone they are missed at church will do more for them than anything this world can provide. If God has placed a name on your heart: First, pray for an opportunity to have a spiritual conversation with them. Second, look for ways to reach out to them with spiritual encouragement and testimony. Third, brag about God, Jesus Christ, and His church. I say this every time I write, “People really want what you have they just don’t know it yet.” Come this Sunday.
In Christ,
Pastor Michael
