Romans 10:5-10
Moses wrote that anyone who insists on using the law code to live right before God soon discovers it's not so easy—every detail of life regulated by fine print! But trusting God to shape the right living in us is a different story— no precarious climb up to heaven to recruit the Messiah, no dangerous descent into hell to rescue the Messiah. So what exactly was Moses saying?
The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest. It's the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—"Jesus is my Master"—embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead.
That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between him and me!"
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
A few years ago, I decided I wanted to read the entire Bible in a year. This was a noble goal… and there are dozens of “study guides” and books that will help a person accomplish this. So far, I’ve tried at least three times… and I once did pretty well until almost the end of May! I may still try this again, but for now, I’m learning that I get bogged down in the process and lose focus on the message! So I am letting God lead my study, as in rediscovering notes I made on sermons, and scripture passages that I jotted down… and He is reminding me of old messages – and new insights.
Having said all of this, I did learn from my attempts to study the entire Bible in one year. The study guide I used suggested reading a passage each day from the Old Testament, the New Testament, and one from Proverbs. And the profound lesson I got from this was how the laws and rituals of the Old Testament were virtually all made new by the coming of Jesus in the New Testament. No longer do we have to make living sacrifices to God for our sins… Jesus was the ultimate Living Sacrifice. We don’t need priests and prophets to intercede with God on our behalf… we can speak to Him directly. We don’t have to follow rituals and rites as laid down in the writings and teachings of the old rulers and leaders… all we have to do is open our mouth and our heart… and let Jesus enter and do His work in and through us.
We are told that the tongue holds the power over life and death… and this is incredibly true when we speak up – and out – for Jesus! His Holy Spirit is as close as a whisper… His presence is as near as calling, “Come, LORD Jesus… forgive me... fill me with your Holy Spirit, and make me whole.”
Whenever we have a problem, we don’t have to consult a book of laws. We don’t need to perform a hand or foot washing, sacrifice a newborn lamb, or hide in a closet for a week of purification. We simply need to open our mouth and ask God to help us. Remember the verse in this passage that says, “The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest.” You are never alone… never helpless or hopeless… never forgotten. Your answers are a few well-chosen words away.
Call on God to give you the answers and wisdom you seek today. Ask Jesus to be the LORD of your life and fill you with His Holy Spirit. Carry Him closely in your heart… just a whisper away at all times… and when He answers, thank Him for setting things right.
©2012 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label mouth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mouth. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for February 10, 2012
Hebrews 2:1-3
So, my dear Christian friends, companions in following this call to the heights, take a good hard look at Jesus. He's the centerpiece of everything we believe, faithful in everything God gave him to do. Moses was also faithful, but Jesus gets far more honor. A builder is more valuable than a building any day. Every house has a builder, but the Builder behind them all is God. Moses did a good job in God's house, but it was all servant work, getting things ready for what was to come. Christ as Son is in charge of the house.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
I wrote this scripture passage down in notes I made on a sermon series entitled “The Mouth is the Master Key to Life.” If a builder created a mansion for you, but you trashed it on a daily basis, it wouldn’t be much of a mansion for long, would it? If you tore down the support beams and poked holes in the plumbing, the overall structure would soon begin to crumble into ruin.
Now think of your life as God’s building… the one He created for you. Suppose you speak negatively on a regular basis… “I’m no good… I’m sick all the time… I can’t do this or that… I’m not smart enough or rich enough or good looking enough to accomplish anything… I’m a failure.” Can you see that this is like poking holes in the plumbing or tearing down the support beams? Worse still, when we belittle ourselves and others, we are chipping away at GOD! We are saying He built something inferior… worthless… ugly… inept… sick. Remember… God does not make junk!
When we speak negatively, we in essence hire the devil as our “housekeeper,” and we keep him plenty busy! Proverbs 18:21 tells us that “Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose.” What are your words accomplishing today? Your mouth IS a master key to life. It can also be a key to death… mentally, physically, emotionally… and spiritually. What are you speaking today? Are your words positive… encouraging… uplifting and full of hope and promise? Are you keeping God’s “house” in good order and recognizing what a wonderful “structure” He has created? Do you see the potential God has created in you… and are you doing all you can to speak it into existence?
The choice is ours. Who is keeping your “house” these days? Who controls your tongue… and what are you speaking – life or death? Ask God to show you where you have been using your mouth to “poke holes in His house.” Invite Him to give you strength and wisdom to start repairing the damage by speaking positively and recognizing all that He has placed within you. Give your “house” a bit of an update – or remodel – and make sure that Jesus Christ is your housekeeper from now on.
©2012 Debbie Robus
So, my dear Christian friends, companions in following this call to the heights, take a good hard look at Jesus. He's the centerpiece of everything we believe, faithful in everything God gave him to do. Moses was also faithful, but Jesus gets far more honor. A builder is more valuable than a building any day. Every house has a builder, but the Builder behind them all is God. Moses did a good job in God's house, but it was all servant work, getting things ready for what was to come. Christ as Son is in charge of the house.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
I wrote this scripture passage down in notes I made on a sermon series entitled “The Mouth is the Master Key to Life.” If a builder created a mansion for you, but you trashed it on a daily basis, it wouldn’t be much of a mansion for long, would it? If you tore down the support beams and poked holes in the plumbing, the overall structure would soon begin to crumble into ruin.
Now think of your life as God’s building… the one He created for you. Suppose you speak negatively on a regular basis… “I’m no good… I’m sick all the time… I can’t do this or that… I’m not smart enough or rich enough or good looking enough to accomplish anything… I’m a failure.” Can you see that this is like poking holes in the plumbing or tearing down the support beams? Worse still, when we belittle ourselves and others, we are chipping away at GOD! We are saying He built something inferior… worthless… ugly… inept… sick. Remember… God does not make junk!
When we speak negatively, we in essence hire the devil as our “housekeeper,” and we keep him plenty busy! Proverbs 18:21 tells us that “Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose.” What are your words accomplishing today? Your mouth IS a master key to life. It can also be a key to death… mentally, physically, emotionally… and spiritually. What are you speaking today? Are your words positive… encouraging… uplifting and full of hope and promise? Are you keeping God’s “house” in good order and recognizing what a wonderful “structure” He has created? Do you see the potential God has created in you… and are you doing all you can to speak it into existence?
The choice is ours. Who is keeping your “house” these days? Who controls your tongue… and what are you speaking – life or death? Ask God to show you where you have been using your mouth to “poke holes in His house.” Invite Him to give you strength and wisdom to start repairing the damage by speaking positively and recognizing all that He has placed within you. Give your “house” a bit of an update – or remodel – and make sure that Jesus Christ is your housekeeper from now on.
©2012 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for October 12, 2010
Proverbs 12:18
Sharp words cut like a sword, but words of wisdom heal.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
About a year ago, my husband and I went to the Historic Arkansas Museum in downtown Little Rock. One of the permanent exhibits there is a collection of knives and swords from around the world. Some are centuries old. I am not a big fan of swords, but the intricacy and detail presented in some of these specimens was truly amazing … particularly in light of their age and the methods that must have been employed to create them. Someone put a lot of time and energy into creating something meant to be used as a lethal weapon!
Conversely, many of us don’t spend much time and effort at all thinking about what we say to others, so our words are often painful, cutting, or even lethal, i.e. they destroy the heart and soul of the person who hears them. And we toss them out without any care for how they will affect the other person. Or maybe we do care … but not as we should. Sometimes, we mean for our words to be hurtful and “cut like a sword.”
Just recently, I received a message from a young woman to whom I had sent a note of sympathy and encouragement a few years ago when she miscarried. She told me…”The words were perfect and I still have it. I read it from time to time and cry every time. It brought me a lot of comfort.” Today, she and her husband are the proud parents of a beautiful baby girl. I don’t remember exactly what I said, but I think I acknowledged the pain of their loss and assured her that God understood … and that their unborn baby would be waiting for them in heaven. The point is that whatever God laid on my heart to say to this young woman helped her to heal from her grief.
God gives us wisdom in many forms – through our own life experiences, through His word, through prayer, through study and fellowship with others. And we can prayerfully use this wisdom to help others in their struggles and even their daily living. God can use our words of wisdom to heal others. But words of wisdom do not come easily – they require as much time and energy as is needed for the craftsmanship of ancient swords.
We have a choice… lethal words that cut like a knife, or healing words filled with the wisdom of our Heavenly Father. From time to time, we all choose both. My prayer is that we devote the time and energy necessary to gain wisdom and cultivate a life filled with healing words … not those that hurt. Ask God to help you in this area. Let’s start to build up a community of believers who speak positive, healing, wise, faith-filled messages of hope and promise. Let’s leave the sharp words in the past and move ahead with care and kindness.
©2010 Debbie Robus
Sharp words cut like a sword, but words of wisdom heal.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
About a year ago, my husband and I went to the Historic Arkansas Museum in downtown Little Rock. One of the permanent exhibits there is a collection of knives and swords from around the world. Some are centuries old. I am not a big fan of swords, but the intricacy and detail presented in some of these specimens was truly amazing … particularly in light of their age and the methods that must have been employed to create them. Someone put a lot of time and energy into creating something meant to be used as a lethal weapon!
Conversely, many of us don’t spend much time and effort at all thinking about what we say to others, so our words are often painful, cutting, or even lethal, i.e. they destroy the heart and soul of the person who hears them. And we toss them out without any care for how they will affect the other person. Or maybe we do care … but not as we should. Sometimes, we mean for our words to be hurtful and “cut like a sword.”
Just recently, I received a message from a young woman to whom I had sent a note of sympathy and encouragement a few years ago when she miscarried. She told me…”The words were perfect and I still have it. I read it from time to time and cry every time. It brought me a lot of comfort.” Today, she and her husband are the proud parents of a beautiful baby girl. I don’t remember exactly what I said, but I think I acknowledged the pain of their loss and assured her that God understood … and that their unborn baby would be waiting for them in heaven. The point is that whatever God laid on my heart to say to this young woman helped her to heal from her grief.
God gives us wisdom in many forms – through our own life experiences, through His word, through prayer, through study and fellowship with others. And we can prayerfully use this wisdom to help others in their struggles and even their daily living. God can use our words of wisdom to heal others. But words of wisdom do not come easily – they require as much time and energy as is needed for the craftsmanship of ancient swords.
We have a choice… lethal words that cut like a knife, or healing words filled with the wisdom of our Heavenly Father. From time to time, we all choose both. My prayer is that we devote the time and energy necessary to gain wisdom and cultivate a life filled with healing words … not those that hurt. Ask God to help you in this area. Let’s start to build up a community of believers who speak positive, healing, wise, faith-filled messages of hope and promise. Let’s leave the sharp words in the past and move ahead with care and kindness.
©2010 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 24, 2010
Proverbs 13:3
Keep what you know to yourself, and you will be safe; talk too much, and you are done for.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I’ve had to shake my head at some of the posts on Facebook, particularly from teens and young adults. “Joe 123 is in a relationship,” followed a few days later by “Joe 123 is single.” Or “Sue ABC is ‘it’s complicated.’” We’ve had some fun with a few folks who have been married for years but never filled out their personal profile info until lately, and then all of a sudden, “Jim XYZ is married!” Old news … Jim has been married for 30 years!
The thing is … Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets have become tremendous vehicles for gossip. There is so much room for interpretation – or mis-interpretation. There is room for things to become twisted and distorted in epic proportions. And more than ever, there is room for misunderstanding and misery. We’ve all come to understand TMI – too much information – and there truly is plenty to go around.
So our lesson for today is to put a lid on it! If more people were less eager to announce that they were in a relationship after the first glance, the relationship might have a chance to actually develop into something that could last! If we didn’t share all of our deepest thoughts and information with every “friend” we have, we might have smoother sailing in life. People love to talk, so the “friend who would never tell,” very well may tell another “friend who would never tell.” Do you see what I mean?
Think about what you are saying and sharing - everywhere - not just on social media networks. If you wouldn’t feel comfortable knowing someone was standing up in a crowded room and telling everyone what you are about to say, then don’t share it with even your “closest friends.” If there is even a remote chance that what you are saying about someone could get back to them, you had better be 100% sure they would be okay with it. The better policy is to never repeat personal information or “news” to others. And while you are at it, think about what you are posting on Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets. If you couldn’t tell the same things to your grandmother in person, they probably are not suitable for posting!
God wants us to be good stewards of our mouths. He wants us to spend time sharing His love, grace, mercy and Good News … not the latest gossip or unkind talk and opinions. Before we speak, let’s stop, take a breath … maybe even try the sentence out in our heads … and then ask ourselves if what we are about to say would be pleasing to God. This should determine how we proceed. It’s a tough order, but to do otherwise could have serious consequences. Keep what you know to yourself … please God … and preserve your reputation and your conscience!
©2010 Debbie Robus
Keep what you know to yourself, and you will be safe; talk too much, and you are done for.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I’ve had to shake my head at some of the posts on Facebook, particularly from teens and young adults. “Joe 123 is in a relationship,” followed a few days later by “Joe 123 is single.” Or “Sue ABC is ‘it’s complicated.’” We’ve had some fun with a few folks who have been married for years but never filled out their personal profile info until lately, and then all of a sudden, “Jim XYZ is married!” Old news … Jim has been married for 30 years!
The thing is … Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets have become tremendous vehicles for gossip. There is so much room for interpretation – or mis-interpretation. There is room for things to become twisted and distorted in epic proportions. And more than ever, there is room for misunderstanding and misery. We’ve all come to understand TMI – too much information – and there truly is plenty to go around.
So our lesson for today is to put a lid on it! If more people were less eager to announce that they were in a relationship after the first glance, the relationship might have a chance to actually develop into something that could last! If we didn’t share all of our deepest thoughts and information with every “friend” we have, we might have smoother sailing in life. People love to talk, so the “friend who would never tell,” very well may tell another “friend who would never tell.” Do you see what I mean?
Think about what you are saying and sharing - everywhere - not just on social media networks. If you wouldn’t feel comfortable knowing someone was standing up in a crowded room and telling everyone what you are about to say, then don’t share it with even your “closest friends.” If there is even a remote chance that what you are saying about someone could get back to them, you had better be 100% sure they would be okay with it. The better policy is to never repeat personal information or “news” to others. And while you are at it, think about what you are posting on Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets. If you couldn’t tell the same things to your grandmother in person, they probably are not suitable for posting!
God wants us to be good stewards of our mouths. He wants us to spend time sharing His love, grace, mercy and Good News … not the latest gossip or unkind talk and opinions. Before we speak, let’s stop, take a breath … maybe even try the sentence out in our heads … and then ask ourselves if what we are about to say would be pleasing to God. This should determine how we proceed. It’s a tough order, but to do otherwise could have serious consequences. Keep what you know to yourself … please God … and preserve your reputation and your conscience!
©2010 Debbie Robus
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