“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12, ESV) This is not a ‘Hallmark’ card saying – this is a command from the Creator who made heaven and earth and you and me. Rejoice in hope – hope in the Bible does not mean ‘wish’ it means a sure thing – ‘looking forward with confidence’. So, let’s rejoice as we look forward with confidence to every promise of God being fulfilled in Jesus Christ in us. Amen. Be patient in tribulation – this is real for each one of us. We are all experiencing or going to experience tribulation / troubles / hard times / challenges / disappointments… We must be patient – meaning in essence to trust God and hope in God and know that God works all things, all these very difficult things to bring about good in us. I know if you had told me fifteen years ago, I would be where I am today and that I would have gone through all that I have – I would have ‘run away.’ But God. But God always uses these things to shape and mold us and we can trust his sovereign control not just in good times but especially in the hard times – God is faithful. Be constant in prayer – this ties it all together and points us to God’s ‘thinking’ here. Prayer is not an activity but a relationship. God created us for relationship – with Him first and with others. Prayer: me / us saying “Lord, please help us. Please protect us. Please lead us. Please save us. Please heal us. Please Lord help us in our love relationship with you and others to grow and become stronger and stronger in Jesus’ name. Amen.
“Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” (Romans 12:11, ESV) Here is the central theme in our lives – Serve The Lord. We need to know, there is no such thing as ‘a little service’ – we are serving the Lord – or we are not. How can one be lukewarm about the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords – how can one ‘kind of’ serve the Christ who didn’t kind of give his life but laid down his very life that I / you may have life. To serve the Lord zealously and fervently is = with ‘serve the Lord’ for there is no other way to do so. There is no such thing as auxiliary servants – WE ARE EITHER ALL IN OR ALL OUT!Where are you ? Amen