2014 Day 86 – Romans 6

27 Thursday Mar 2014

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There are few passages in the Bible more powerful than Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The notes in my Bible say it perfectly, “You are free to choose between two masters, but you are not free to manipulate the consequences of your choice.” Depending on which master you serve, you are paid a different wage. If you choose the master of sin your currency is death, but the currency of righteousness through Christ’s grace from His sacrifice is eternal life. The choice is simple and yet it requires a continuous choice on our parts to live a righteous life through Christ who enables us to do so. 

2014 Day 85 – Romans 5

26 Wednesday Mar 2014

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God’s love for us is pretty amazing. His love is pure, perfect, and unconditional. God never asked us to to anything for His love, including being good, better, or perfect. He simply gave His love freely and asked us to accept it. Romans 5:8 says, But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Whenever we feel unloved we can remember how God loved us before we ever ever felt loved or turned to Him.

2014 Day 84 – Romans 4

25 Tuesday Mar 2014

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Through Christ’s sacrifice we are all heirs of the promises of God. All that is required of us is faith; faith like that of Abraham. Romans 4:16 says, Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. There is only one God and He is the father of all His creation. When Christ was sacrificed for our sin, we were all included in the inheritance of grace by God for each and every one of us. Just as Abraham’s faith guided him to believe before there was ever any laws or rituals, so does our faith (plus nothing else) lead us to believe in Christ’s saving grace.

2014 Day 83 – Romans 3

24 Monday Mar 2014

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While we are all far from perfect righteousness through our own efforts, God provided a way to perfect righteousness through faith in Christ’s sacrifice. Romans 3:22-24 says, 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. While some sins seem bigger than others because they have bigger consequences, all sin requires forgiveness. Without it none of us deserves eternal life. Jesus Christ’s atonement for my sin affords me the ability to live eternally with Him. This is not through my effort, but 100% through His sacrifice. The only thing required of me is faith.

2014 Day 82 – Amena Brown: In the Beginning

23 Sunday Mar 2014

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Amena Brown is a poet, speaker, author, and event host. I really love this performance. It is simple, yet truth. I hope you enjoy it.

 

If you ever come across anything you’d like me to post on this blog, please feel free to contact me at dino.evangelista@gmail.com.

2014 Day 81 – Romans 2

22 Saturday Mar 2014

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People are not condemned for what they don’t know, but for what they do with what they know. Romans 2:13 says, For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. While we are all saved from our imperfection through Christ’s sacrifice, it does not change right from wrong. We are still called to live a righteous life, but we are not supposed to do it apart from God. Our righteousness comes from His power in our lives, not from us “trying harder”. Strength and ability to live righteous lives comes only from God living and working in and through us.

2014 Day 80 – Romans 1

21 Friday Mar 2014

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Today we begin the book of Romans written by Paul. When Paul wrote this letter to the Romans he had not yet visited them with the Gospel. His plan was to go to Rome and even farther west to Spain. This letter is an introduction of Paul to the Roman people and to give an example of his gospel message. Paul begins the letter with a clear portrayal of man’s sinfulness in order to contrast a new life through faith. In this first section of the letter we learn the central purpose faith plays in the life of a believer. The key learning is there is no hope in life without faith in Christ.

2014 Day 79 – Acts 20

20 Thursday Mar 2014

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There have been many times in my life where I have felt worn down, tired, and weary and I have found myself growing more frustrated with every step. What I have found during those times is I find fulfillment when I allow myself to be obedient to God’s perfect plan. Without God’s guidance and without our obedience to Him, our accomplishments mean nothing. In Act 20:24 Paul says an incredibly profound statements, However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. Whether it is a life of poverty or riches, when we live according to God’s plan for our lives, we find fulfillment. It is when we try to shape our desires into meaningless sacrificial service that we grow tired and weary. God’s plan is perfect.

2014 Day 78 – 2 Corinthians 13

19 Wednesday Mar 2014

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Today we come to the end of this 2 Corinthians. Paul covered quite a bit in this book and in today’s closing remarks he said something that caught my attention in verse 11, Finally, brothers, good-by! Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. Beyond his plea to listen to his appeals for living a life which aims for perfection (even though we will never truly attain it), Paul says “live in peace”. He is speaking to the church as a whole. What troubles me is how far we as believers have gone from accomplishing this request. Beyond the fact that we live within a system of countless denominations, the addition of social media has allowed us to enter into the practice of tearing others down, including other believers in a passive-aggressive and, at times, in a very public manner. We have chosen to disregard private correction and admonishment for public ridicule and embarrassment. Of all the ways we sin as believers, to me, this is one of the most heartbreaking. We claim to love the sinner and, in turn, sacrifice other believers in their place. I would hope one day soon we will begin to love one another from the inside of the body of believers out, allowing our inertia to bring more people to the love of Christ in the way God intended.

2014 Day 77 – 2 Corinthians 12

18 Tuesday Mar 2014

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I know I have shared 2 Corinthians 12:9 before, but it is so good! But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. When you feel like you just can’t do enough to make things right it’s because you can’t… No really, you can’t! There is nothing we can do to fix our lives and reach the level of grace God has already provided for us. It is in our weakness that God shows up and gives us the rest we so desperately need. When we open up our clenched hands and allow God to take away the things we hang onto and let Him replace it with His perfect plan, we find peace and the love the way it was intended to be.