OPENING PRAYER
"Man Shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God"- Matthew 4:4- "My mother and brothers are those who hear the Word of God and do it" - Mark 8:21
Having received this day as a gift, I (We) thank You Holy Trinity, for through Your goodness and patience You were not wrathful with me (Us), and idler (s) and sinner (s), neither have You cast me (Us) down in my (Our)sins...But You have shown Your love towards me (us) and have guided me (us) to keep my (our) daily watch to glorify Your power...Enlighten my (our) mind (minds) to study Your teachings in Scripture...Help me (us) to apply what I (we) learn and to praise You with all my (our) heart and glorify Your Holy Name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever...Amen!!!
Shine within my (our) hearts, loving Master, the pure Light of Your Divine Knowledge, and open the eyes of my mind that I may understand Your teachings...Instill in me (us) also reverence for Your Blessed commandments, so having conquered sinful desires I (we) may pursue a spiritual way of life, thinking and doing all those things that are pleasing to You...For You, Christ my God, are my light, and to You I (we) give, glory, together with Your Father and Your Holy Spirit, now and forever...Amen!!!
CHANT PSALM 23
INTO YOUR HANDS LORD YESHUA (JESUS CHRIST) WE COMMIT OUR SOULS AND BODIES, BLESS US AND HAVE MERCY ON US AND GRANT US ETERNAL LIFE!!!
ROMANS 11 STUDY GUIDE & BREAKDOWN
GOD ELECTS A REMNANT OF ISRAEL
ROMANS 11:1-10
11:1-10: JEWISH UNBELIEF in Christ raises the question of whether or not GOD CAST AWAY HIS PEOPLE: The answer is, CERTAINLY NOT!!! If He had done so, not one would have been saved: But Paul himself was being saved-(v. 1), and there is a REMNANT- (v. 5) of the Jews who believed: Elijah prefigured this remnant when he thought that he ALONE FOLLOWED GOD- (vv. 2-4): As only a few heeded Elijah in this day, so only a few heed Jesus and His apostles...God's grace saves the willing: Israel is not willing, for she SEEKS- (v. 7) righteousness on her own terms through the works of the law and not through faith in Christ: GOD HAS GIVEN THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR- (v. 8) as a result of their refusal to believe, not as the cause of it...
GENTILES ARE BEING SAVED
ROMANS 11:11-15
11:11-15: THOUGH ISRAEL HAS STUMBLED by her refusal to believe in Christ, it is not necessarily inevitable that she should FALL permanently: THE JEALOUSY she feels toward THE GENTILE has the potential to lead Israel to repentance and faith: Furthermore, Israel's faith has led to the conversion of the Gentiles, thus renewing the opportunity for Israel's own SALVATION...
GOD WILL YET RESTORE ISRAEL
ROMANS 11:16-32
11:16-22: PAUL addresses the Gentiles believers, reminding them not to be puffed up against the Jews, for (1): ISRAEL'S HERITAGE IS HOLY- (v. 16); (2): THE GENTILES have been GRAFTED IN to an existing TREE, and thus owe gratitude toward the Jews- (vv. 17, 18); and (3): THE GENTILES ARE JUST as much at risk for falling away from grace through UNBELIEF as the Jews did- (vv. 20, 21):
11:24: THE TREE WHICH IS WILD BY NATURE...refers to the pagan and godless ways of the Gentiles before their encounter with Christ...THE CULTIVATED OLIVE TREE...refers to the nation of Israel, which had been prepared for Christ through the law, and the remnant of the Jews that believed in Him...
11:25-27: THE MYSTERY which explains the unbelief of so many Jews is that THE GENTILES are now being united to the remnant of the faithful Jews, and thus this body of believers together form the true Israel- (Galatians 6:15-16, St. Paul calls those in Christ Jesus the Israel of God, which is the Church or all followers of Israel): This true Israel is not based on biological ancestry but on faithfulness of God's DELIVERER, The Messiah: In this understanding, ALL OF ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED- (v. 26):
11:30-32: PAUL reminds the Gentiles that they have no superiority over the Jews, for both Jews and Gentiles were subject to DISOBEDIENCE, and both received salvation only through God's MERCY...
DOXOLOGY OF GOD'S WAYS
ROMANS 11:33-36
11:36: THIS BENEDICTION ends the first part of the Romans, which has laid the theological foundation of our communion with God in Christ and clarified the relationship between Jew and Gentile in Christ...From this point forward, Paul uses this doctrinal base to address pastoral issues facing believers in Rome in their attempts to live out this faith in daily life...FOREVER IS LITERALLY TRANSLATED- "UNTO AGES OF AGES"...
ROMANS 12 STUDY GUIDE & BREAKDOWN
CHRISTIAN RENEWAL
ROMANS 12:1-8
12:1: See note for Romans 11:36...SERVICE-(Greek latreia, "bow down")- refers to liturgical service and is better translated "worship"- (see- Romans 1:9; Hebrews 9:14)...Just as man's failure to worship God led to his downfall-(Romans 1:20-25), so now true worship is the first expression of mankind's renewal: True worship as follows:
(1): PHYSICAL: we are called to present our BODIES for worship, meaning both the physical aspect of our nature and our whole human nature in general...
(2): LIVING: A contrast to the old covenant, under which sacrifices were out to death: under the new covenant, to die sacrificially means to be resurrected : True worship is a living, and an awesome expression of both believer's faith and the community of faith...
(3): HOLY: True worship is set apart from the world, both in its form and its expression: Worship that is ACCEPTABLE is patterned after the Kingdom of Heaven- (see- Isaiah 6:1-7; and Hebrews 8:5) and filled with virtue that transcends earthly existence...
(4): REASONABLE: (Greek- "logike"): this term means more than logical: As Jesus Christ is the Logos of God- (JOHN 1:1): True worship must be logos-like, which means it must be in Christ and according to Christ- (SEE JOHN 4:24)- True worship is filled with the wisdom and truth of the Son of God, the Word made flesh...To worship reasonably means both to worship and to live according to Christ...
12:2: A FAITHFUL relationship to God changes our relationship to the world...To be CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD is to stand for and pursue the world's values and pleasures: MIND- (Greek- nous) here is more than the intellect; it is the highest faculty of human nature, encompassing the mind and heart...With this faculty one sees and comprehends God...
12:3-8: WE LIVE out our faithful relationship to God in the Church, the body of Christ, with humility- (v. 3), sober thoughts -(v. 3), and proper use of spiritual gifts- (vv. 4-8): MINSTRY requires functioning together in diversity...These seven gifts mentioned here- (vv.6-8)- should not be understood to be exhaustive rather the gifts represent all the infinite gifts God has given to us...
A LIFE OF MERCY FOR ALL MEN
ROMANS 12:9-21
12:9-16: WHILE A BELIEVER is justified by faith, this faith is intimately united to good works, which are genuine expressions of true faith...Faith and works cannot be separated...
12:19-21: VENGEANCE is perfect and righteous judgement, which only God is capable of carrying out: EVIL IS OVERCOME ONLY BY GOOD, which the Son Of God Himself demonstrated on the Cross and which believers are to called to emulate...
PSALM 13 (14) STUDY GUIDE & BREAKDOWN
PSALM-13 (14) The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good.
2 The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. 3 They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one.
4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, Who eat up my people as they eat bread, And do not call on the Lord? 5 There they are in great fear, For God is with the generation of the righteous. 6 You shame the counsel of the poor, But the Lord is his refuge.
7 Oh,[a] that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord brings back [b]the captivity of His people, Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.
PSALM 13 (14)- Describes both Jews and Gentiles who say in their hearts, "THERE IS NO GOD"- (v. 1; see also Romans 3:9-18): For although they may claim to know God, nevertheless, they are actually denying He exists, because of (1): THEIR TOTAL INVOLVEMENT in a state of moral depravity-(vv. 1, 3); (2): THEIR REFUSAL to seek God- (v.2); (3): THEIR PERSECUTION of God's righteous people- (vv. 4-6); and (4): THEIR DENIAL of the incarnate God, the Lord Jesus Christ- (v. 7):
END WITH THE LORD'S PRAYER (LORD JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD, HAVE MERCY ON ME FOR I'M A SINNER (3) TIMES) - LET'S DEPART IN PEACE IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!!!
"CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST!!!"
JPCE SPIRITUAL TALK
NEVER HOLD BACK
THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
JEHOVAH SHALOM!!!