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Need2Know
 Posted:
Fri Sep 26, 2008 1:33 pm |
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Acts 27
Act 27:1 When the time came, we set sail for Italy. Paul and several other prisoners were placed in the custody of an army officer named Julius, a captain of the Imperial Regiment.
Act 27:2 And Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was also with us. We left on a boat whose home port was Adramyttium; it was scheduled to make several stops at ports along the coast of the province of Asia.
Act 27:3 The next day when we docked at Sidon, Julius was very kind to Paul and let him go ashore to visit with friends so they could provide for his needs.
Act 27:4 Putting out to sea from there, we encountered headwinds that made it difficult to keep the ship on course, so we sailed north of Cyprus between the island and the mainland.
Act 27:5 We passed along the coast of the provinces of Cilicia and Pamphylia, landing at Myra, in the province of Lycia.
Act 27:6 There the officer found an Egyptian ship from Alexandria that was bound for Italy, and he put us on board.
Act 27:7 We had several days of rough sailing, and after great difficulty we finally neared Cnidus. But the wind was against us, so we sailed down to the leeward side of Crete, past the cape of Salmone.
Act 27:8 We struggled along the coast with great difficulty and finally arrived at Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.
Act 27:9 We had lost a lot of time. The weather was becoming dangerous for long voyages by then because it was so late in the fall, and Paul spoke to the ship's officers about it.
Act 27:10 "Sirs," he said, "I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on-shipwreck, loss of cargo, injuries, and danger to our lives."
Act 27:11 But the officer in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship's captain and the owner than to Paul.
Act 27:12 And since Fair Havens was an exposed harbor-a poor place to spend the winter-most of the crew wanted to go to Phoenix, farther up the coast of Crete, and spend the winter there. Phoenix was a good harbor with only a southwest and northwest exposure.
Act 27:13 When a light wind began blowing from the south, the sailors thought they could make it. So they pulled up anchor and sailed along close to shore.
Act 27:14 But the weather changed abruptly, and a wind of typhoon strength (a "northeaster," they called it) caught the ship and blew it out to sea.
Act 27:15 They couldn't turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it run before the gale.
Act 27:16 We sailed behind a small island named Cauda, where with great difficulty we hoisted aboard the lifeboat that was being towed behind us.
Act 27:17 Then we banded the ship with ropes to strengthen the hull. The sailors were afraid of being driven across to the sandbars of Syrtis off the African coast, so they lowered the sea anchor and were thus driven before the wind.
Act 27:18 The next day, as gale-force winds continued to batter the ship, the crew began throwing the cargo overboard.
Act 27:19 The following day they even threw out the ship's equipment and anything else they could lay their hands on.
Act 27:20 The terrible storm raged unabated for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone.
Act 27:21 No one had eaten for a long time. Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, "Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Fair Havens. You would have avoided all this injury and loss.
Act 27:22 But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down.
Act 27:23 For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me,
Act 27:24 and he said, `Don't be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What's more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.'
Act 27:25 So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said.
Act 27:26 But we will be shipwrecked on an island."
Act 27:27 About midnight on the fourteenth night of the storm, as we were being driven across the Sea of Adria, the sailors sensed land was near.
Act 27:28 They took soundings and found the water was only 120 feet deep. A little later they sounded again and found only 90 feet.
Act 27:29 At this rate they were afraid we would soon be driven against the rocks along the shore, so they threw out four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight.
Act 27:30 Then the sailors tried to abandon the ship; they lowered the lifeboat as though they were going to put out anchors from the prow.
Act 27:31 But Paul said to the commanding officer and the soldiers, "You will all die unless the sailors stay aboard."
Act 27:32 So the soldiers cut the ropes and let the boat fall off.
Act 27:33 As the darkness gave way to the early morning light, Paul begged everyone to eat. "You haven't touched food for two weeks," he said.
Act 27:34 "Please eat something now for your own good. For not a hair of your heads will perish."
Act 27:35 Then he took some bread, gave thanks to God before them all, and broke off a piece and ate it.
Act 27:36 Then everyone was encouraged,
Act 27:37 and all 276 of us began eating-for that is the number we had aboard.
Act 27:38 After eating, the crew lightened the ship further by throwing the cargo of wheat overboard.
Act 27:39 When morning dawned, they didn't recognize the coastline, but they saw a bay with a beach and wondered if they could get between the rocks and get the ship safely to shore.
Act 27:40 So they cut off the anchors and left them in the sea. Then they lowered the rudders, raised the foresail, and headed toward shore.
Act 27:41 But the ship hit a shoal and ran aground. The bow of the ship stuck fast, while the stern was repeatedly smashed by the force of the waves and began to break apart.
Act 27:42 The soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners to make sure they didn't swim ashore and escape.
Act 27:43 But the commanding officer wanted to spare Paul, so he didn't let them carry out their plan. Then he ordered all who could swim to jump overboard first and make for land,
Act 27:44 and he told the others to try for it on planks and debris from the broken ship. So everyone escaped safely ashore!
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Sat Sep 27, 2008 7:14 pm |
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Acts 28
Act 28:1 Once we were safe on shore, we learned that we were on the island of Malta.
Act 28:2 The people of the island were very kind to us. It was cold and rainy, so they built a fire on the shore to welcome us and warm us.
Act 28:3 As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, fastened itself onto his hand.
Act 28:4 The people of the island saw it hanging there and said to each other, "A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live."
Act 28:5 But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed.
Act 28:6 The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and decided he was a god.
Act 28:7 Near the shore where we landed was an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us courteously and fed us for three days.
Act 28:8 As it happened, Publius's father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him.
Act 28:9 Then all the other sick people on the island came and were cured.
Act 28:10 As a result we were showered with honors, and when the time came to sail, people put on board all sorts of things we would need for the trip.
Act 28:11 It was three months after the shipwreck that we set sail on another ship that had wintered at the island-an Alexandrian ship with the twin gods as its figurehead.
Act 28:12 Our first stop was Syracuse, where we stayed three days.
Act 28:13 From there we sailed across to Rhegium. A day later a south wind began blowing, so the following day we sailed up the coast to Puteoli.
Act 28:14 There we found some believers, who invited us to stay with them seven days. And so we came to Rome.
Act 28:15 The brothers and sisters in Rome had heard we were coming, and they came to meet us at the Forum on the Appian Way. Others joined us at The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.
Act 28:16 When we arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted to have his own private lodging, though he was guarded by a soldier.
Act 28:17 Three days after Paul's arrival, he called together the local Jewish leaders. He said to them, "Brothers, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Roman government, even though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors.
Act 28:18 The Romans tried me and wanted to release me, for they found no cause for the death sentence.
Act 28:19 But when the Jewish leaders protested the decision, I felt it necessary to appeal to Caesar, even though I had no desire to press charges against my own people.
Act 28:20 I asked you to come here today so we could get acquainted and so I could tell you that I am bound with this chain because I believe that the hope of Israel-the Messiah-has already come."
Act 28:21 They replied, "We have heard nothing against you. We have had no letters from Judea or reports from anyone who has arrived here.
Act 28:22 But we want to hear what you believe, for the only thing we know about these Christians is that they are denounced everywhere."
Act 28:23 So a time was set, and on that day a large number of people came to Paul's house. He told them about the Kingdom of God and taught them about Jesus from the Scriptures-from the five books of Moses and the books of the prophets. He began lecturing in the morning and went on into the evening.
Act 28:24 Some believed and some didn't.
Act 28:25 But after they had argued back and forth among themselves, they left with this final word from Paul: "The Holy Spirit was right when he said to our ancestors through Isaiah the prophet,
Act 28:26 `Go and say to my people, You will hear my words, but you
will not understand; you will see what I do, but you will not perceive its meaning.
Act 28:27 For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes- so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.'
Act 28:28 So I want you to realize that this salvation from God is also available to the Gentiles, and they will accept it."
Act 28:29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.
Act 28:30 For the next two years, Paul lived in his own rented house. He welcomed all who visited him,
Act 28:31 proclaiming the Kingdom of God with all boldness and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Sun Sep 28, 2008 3:19 pm |
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Romans Chapter 1
Rom 1:1 This letter is from Paul, Jesus Christ's slave, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News.
Rom 1:2 This Good News was promised long ago by God through his prophets in the holy Scriptures.
Rom 1:3 It is the Good News about his Son, Jesus, who came as a man, born into King David's royal family line.
Rom 1:4 And Jesus Christ our Lord was shown to be the Son of God when God powerfully raised him from the dead by means of the Holy Spirit.
Rom 1:5 Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name.
Rom 1:6 You are among those who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ,
Rom 1:7 dear friends in Rome. God loves you dearly, and he has called you to be his very own people. May grace and peace be yours from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Rom 1:8 Let me say first of all that your faith in God is becoming known throughout the world. How I thank God through Jesus Christ for each one of you.
Rom 1:9 God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by telling others the Good News about his Son.
Rom 1:10 One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you.
Rom 1:11 For I long to visit you so I can share a spiritual blessing with you that will help you grow strong in the Lord.
Rom 1:12 I'm eager to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. In this way, each of us will be a blessing to the other.
Rom 1:13 I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see good results, just as I have done among other Gentiles.
Rom 1:14 For I have a great sense of obligation to people in our culture and to people in other cultures, to the educated and uneducated alike.
Rom 1:15 So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach God's Good News.
Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes-Jews first and also Gentiles.
Rom 1:17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life."
Rom 1:18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who push the truth away from themselves.
Rom 1:19 For the truth about God is known to them instinctively.God has put this knowledge in their hearts.
Rom 1:20 From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.
Rom 1:21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused.
Rom 1:22 Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead.
Rom 1:23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people, or birds and animals and snakes.
Rom 1:24 So God let them go ahead and do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies.
Rom 1:25 Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So they worshiped the things God made but not the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever. Amen.
Rom 1:26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other.
Rom 1:27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relationships with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men and, as a result, suffered within themselves the penalty they so richly deserved.
Rom 1:28 When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done.
Rom 1:29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, fighting, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.
Rom 1:30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They are forever inventing new ways of sinning and are disobedient to their parents.
Rom 1:31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, and are heartless and unforgiving.
Rom 1:32 They are fully aware of God's death penalty for those who do
these things, yet they go right ahead and do them anyway. And, worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8897
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Tue Sep 30, 2008 9:08 am |
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Romans 2
Rom 2:1 You may be saying, "What terrible people you have been talking about!" But you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you do these very same things.
Rom 2:2 And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things.
Rom 2:3 Do you think that God will judge and condemn others for doing them and not judge you when you do them, too?
Rom 2:4 Don't you realize how kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Or don't you care? Can't you see how kind he has been in giving you time to turn from your sin?
Rom 2:5 But no, you won't listen. So you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself because of your stubbornness in refusing to turn from your sin. For there is going to come a day of judgment when God, the just judge of all the world,
Rom 2:6 will judge all people according to what they have done.
Rom 2:7 He will give eternal life to those who persist in doing what is good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.
Rom 2:8 But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and practice evil deeds.
Rom 2:9 There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on sinning-for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.
Rom 2:10 But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good-for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.
Rom 2:11 For God does not show favoritism.
Rom 2:12 God will punish the Gentiles when they sin, even though they never had God's written law. And he will punish the Jews when they sin, for they do have the law.
Rom 2:13 For it is not merely knowing the law that brings God's approval. Those who obey the law will be declared right in God's sight.
Rom 2:14 Even when Gentiles, who do not have God's written law, instinctively follow what the law says, they show that in their hearts they know right from wrong.
Rom 2:15 They demonstrate that God's law is written within them, for their own consciences either accuse them or tell them they are doing what is right.
Rom 2:16 The day will surely come when God, by Jesus Christ, will judge everyone's secret life. This is my message.
Rom 2:17 If you are a Jew, you are relying on God's law for your special relationship with him. You boast that all is well between yourself and God.
Rom 2:18 Yes, you know what he wants; you know right from wrong because you have been taught his law.
Rom 2:19 You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a beacon light for people who are lost in darkness without God.
Rom 2:20 You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the ways of God. For you are certain that in God's law you have complete knowledge and truth.
Rom 2:21 Well then, if you teach others, why don't you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal?
Rom 2:22 You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you do it? You condemn idolatry, but do you steal from pagan temples?
Rom 2:23 You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it.
Rom 2:24 No wonder the Scriptures say, "The world blasphemes the name of God because of you."
Rom 2:25 The Jewish ceremony of circumcision is worth something only if you obey God's law. But if you don't obey God's law, you are no better off than an uncircumcised Gentile.
Rom 2:26 And if the Gentiles obey God's law, won't God give them all the rights and honors of being his own people?
Rom 2:27 In fact, uncircumcised Gentiles who keep God's law will be much better off than you Jews who are circumcised and know so much about God's law but don't obey it.
Rom 2:28 For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the Jewish ceremony of circumcision.
Rom 2:29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not a cutting of the body but a change of heart produced by God's Spirit. Whoever has that kind of change seeks praise from God, not from people.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8897
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Thu Oct 02, 2008 9:40 am |
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Romans 3
Rom 3:1 Then what's the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the Jewish ceremony of circumcision?
Rom 3:2 Yes, being a Jew has many advantages. First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God.
Rom 3:3 True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they broke their promises, does that mean God will break his promises?
Rom 3:4 Of course not! Though everyone else in the world is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say, "He will be proved right in what he says, and he will win his case in court."
Rom 3:5 "But," some say, "our sins serve a good purpose, for people will see God's goodness when he declares us sinners to be innocent. Isn't it unfair, then, for God to punish us?" (That is actually the way some people talk.)
Rom 3:6 Of course not! If God is not just, how is he qualified to judge the world?
Rom 3:7 "But," some might still argue, "how can God judge and condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?"
Rom 3:8 If you follow that kind of thinking, however, you might as well say that the more we sin the better it is! Those who say such things deserve to be condemned, yet some slander me by saying this is what I preach!
Rom 3:9 Well then, are we Jews better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin.
Rom 3:10 As the Scriptures say, "No one is good- not even one.
Rom 3:11 No one has real understanding; no one is seeking God.
Rom 3:12 All have turned away from God; all have gone wrong. No one does good, not even one."
Rom 3:13 "Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their speech is filled with lies." "The poison of a deadly snake drips from their lips."
Rom 3:14 "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."
Rom 3:15 "They are quick to commit murder.
Rom 3:16 Wherever they go, destruction and misery follow them.
Rom 3:17 They do not know what true peace is."
Rom 3:18 "They have no fear of God to restrain them."
Rom 3:19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses and to bring the entire world into judgment before God.
Rom 3:20 For no one can ever be made right in God's sight by doing what his law commands. For the more we know God's law, the clearer it becomes that we aren't obeying it.
Rom 3:21 But now God has shown us a different way of being right in his sight-not by obeying the law but by the way promised in the Scriptures long ago.
Rom 3:22 We are made right in God's sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done.
Rom 3:23 For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard.
Rom 3:24 Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins.
Rom 3:25 For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. God was being entirely fair and just when he did not punish those who sinned in former times.
Rom 3:26 And he is entirely fair and just in this present time when he declares sinners to be right in his sight because they believe in Jesus.
Rom 3:27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds. It is based on our faith.
Rom 3:28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.
Rom 3:29 After all, God is not the God of the Jews only, is he? Isn't he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is.
Rom 3:30 There is only one God, and there is only one way of being accepted by him. He makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.
Rom 3:31 Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8897
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Mon Oct 06, 2008 7:26 am |
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Romans 4
Rom 4:1 Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What were his experiences concerning this question of being saved by faith?
Rom 4:2 Was it because of his good deeds that God accepted him? If so, he would have had something to boast about. But from God's point of view Abraham had no basis at all for pride.
Rom 4:3 For the Scriptures tell us, "Abraham believed God, so God declared him to be righteous."
Rom 4:4 When people work, their wages are not a gift. Workers earn what they receive.
Rom 4:5 But people are declared righteous because of their faith, not because of their work.
Rom 4:6 King David spoke of this, describing the happiness of an undeserving sinner who is declared to be righteous:
Rom 4:7 "Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight.
Rom 4:8 Yes, what joy for those whose sin is no longer counted against them by the Lord."
Rom 4:9 Now then, is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it for Gentiles, too? Well, what about Abraham? We have been saying he was declared righteous by God because of his faith.
Rom 4:10 But how did his faith help him? Was he declared righteous only after he had been circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? The answer is that God accepted him first, and then he was circumcised
later!
Rom 4:11 The circumcision ceremony was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous-even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are made right with God by faith.
Rom 4:12 And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had before he was circumcised.
Rom 4:13 It is clear, then, that God's promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was not based on obedience to God's law, but on the new relationship with God that comes by faith.
Rom 4:14 So if you claim that God's promise is for those who obey God's law and think they are "good enough" in God's sight, then you are saying that faith is useless. And in that case, the promise is also meaningless.
Rom 4:15 But the law brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)
Rom 4:16 So that's why faith is the key! God's promise is given to us as a free gift. And we are certain to receive it, whether or not we follow Jewish customs, if we have faith like Abraham's. For Abraham is the father of all who believe.
Rom 4:17 That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, "I have made you the father of many nations." This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who brings into existence what didn't exist before.
Rom 4:18 When God promised Abraham that he would become the father of many nations, Abraham believed him. God had also said, "Your descendants will be as numerous as the stars," even though such a promise seemed utterly impossible!
Rom 4:19 And Abraham's faith did not weaken, even though he knew that he was too old to be a father at the age of one hundred and that Sarah, his wife, had never been able to have children.
Rom 4:20 Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God.
Rom 4:21 He was absolutely convinced that God was able to do anything he promised.
Rom 4:22 And because of Abraham's faith, God declared him to be righteous.
Rom 4:23 Now this wonderful truth-that God declared him to be righteous-wasn't just for Abraham's benefit.
Rom 4:24 It was for us, too, assuring us that God will also declare us to be righteous if we believe in God, who brought Jesus our Lord back from the dead.
Rom 4:25 He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised from the dead to make us right with God.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8897
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Tue Oct 07, 2008 8:29 am |
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Romans 5
Rom 5:1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
Rom 5:2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory.
Rom 5:3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us-they help us learn to endure.
Rom 5:4 And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation.
Rom 5:5 And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
Rom 5:6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.
Rom 5:7 Now, no one is likely to die for a good person, though someone might be willing to die for a person who is especially good.
Rom 5:8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Rom 5:9 And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's judgment.
Rom 5:10 For since we were restored to friendship with God by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be delivered from eternal punishment by his life.
Rom 5:11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God-all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends of God.
Rom 5:12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the entire human race. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
Rom 5:13 Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. And though there was no law to break, since it had not yet been given,
Rom 5:14 they all died anyway-even though they did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. What a contrast between Adam and Christ, who was yet to come!
Rom 5:15 And what a difference between our sin and God's generous gift of forgiveness. For this one man, Adam, brought death to many through his sin. But this other man, Jesus Christ, brought forgiveness to many through God's bountiful gift.
Rom 5:16 And the result of God's gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man's sin. For Adam's sin led to condemnation, but we have the free gift of being accepted by God, even though we are guilty of many sins.
Rom 5:17 The sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over us, but all who receive God's wonderful, gracious gift of righteousness will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.
Rom 5:18 Yes, Adam's one sin brought condemnation upon everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness makes all people right in God's sight and gives them life.
Rom 5:19 Because one person disobeyed God, many people became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many people will be made right in God's sight.
Rom 5:20 God's law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God's wonderful kindness became more abundant.
Rom 5:21 So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God's wonderful kindness rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8897
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Posted:
Wed Oct 08, 2008 7:41 am |
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Romans 6
Rom 6:1 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more kindness and forgiveness?
Rom 6:2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?
Rom 6:3 Or have you forgotten that when we became Christians and were baptized to become one with Christ Jesus, we died with him?
Rom 6:4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
Rom 6:5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised as he was.
Rom 6:6 Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.
Rom 6:7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.
Rom 6:8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also share his new life.
Rom 6:9 We are sure of this because Christ rose from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him.
Rom 6:10 He died once to defeat sin, and now he lives for the glory of God.
Rom 6:11 So you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus.
Rom 6:12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires.
Rom 6:13 Do not let any part of your body become a tool of wickedness, to be used for sinning. Instead, give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life. And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God.
Rom 6:14 Sin is no longer your master, for you are no longer subject to the law, which enslaves you to sin. Instead, you are free by God's grace.
Rom 6:15 So since God's grace has set us free from the law, does this mean we can go on sinning? Of course not!
Rom 6:16 Don't you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive his approval.
Rom 6:17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you have obeyed with all your heart the new teaching God has given you.
Rom 6:18 Now you are free from sin, your old master, and you have become slaves to your new master, righteousness.
Rom 6:19 I speak this way, using the illustration of slaves and masters, because it is easy to understand. Before, you let yourselves be slaves of impurity and lawlessness. Now you must choose to be slaves of righteousness so that you will become holy.
Rom 6:20 In those days, when you were slaves of sin, you weren't concerned with doing what was right.
Rom 6:21 And what was the result? It was not good, since now you are ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom.
Rom 6:22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8897
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Posted:
Thu Oct 09, 2008 8:32 am |
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Romans 7
Rom 7:1 Now, dear brothers and sisters -you who are familiar with the law-don't you know that the law applies only to a person who is still living?
Rom 7:2 Let me illustrate. When a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her.
Rom 7:3 So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries.
Rom 7:4 So this is the point: The law no longer holds you in its power, because you died to its power when you died with Christ on the cross. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, you can produce good fruit, that is, good deeds for God.
Rom 7:5 When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced sinful deeds, resulting in death.
Rom 7:6 But now we have been released from the law, for we died with Christ, and we are no longer captive to its power. Now we can really serve God, not in the old way by obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way, by the Spirit.
Rom 7:7 Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is evil? Of course not! The law is not sinful, but it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, "Do not covet."
Rom 7:8 But sin took advantage of this law and aroused all kinds of forbidden desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power.
Rom 7:9 I felt fine when I did not understand what the law demanded. But when I learned the truth, I realized I had broken the law and was a sinner, doomed to die.
Rom 7:10 So the good law, which was supposed to show me the way of life, instead gave me the death penalty.
Rom 7:11 Sin took advantage of the law and fooled me; it took the good law and used it to make me guilty of death.
Rom 7:12 But still, the law itself is holy and right and good.
Rom 7:13 But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my doom? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God's good commandment for its own evil purposes.
Rom 7:14 The law is good, then. The trouble is not with the law but with me, because I am sold into slavery, with sin as my master.
Rom 7:15 I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate.
Rom 7:16 I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good.
Rom 7:17 But I can't help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things.
Rom 7:18 I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn, I can't make myself do right. I want to, but I can't.
Rom 7:19 When I want to do good, I don't. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway.
Rom 7:20 But if I am doing what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing it; the sin within me is doing it.
Rom 7:21 It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.
Rom 7:22 I love God's law with all my heart.
Rom 7:23 But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.
Rom 7:24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin?
Rom 7:25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8897
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Posted:
Fri Oct 10, 2008 7:37 am |
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Romans 8
Rom 8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
Rom 8:2 For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death.
Rom 8:3 The law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature. But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destroyed sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.
Rom 8:4 He did this so that the requirement of the law would be fully accomplished for us who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
Rom 8:5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.
Rom 8:6 If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace.
Rom 8:7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will.
Rom 8:8 That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.
Rom 8:9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all.)
Rom 8:10 Since Christ lives within you, even though your body will die because of sin, your spirit is alive because you have been made right with God.
Rom 8:11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as he raised Christ from the dead, he will give life to your mortal body by this same Spirit living within you.
Rom 8:12 So, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.
Rom 8:13 For if you keep on following it, you will perish. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it and its evil deeds, you will live.
Rom 8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
Rom 8:15 So you should not be like cowering, fearful slaves. You should behave instead like God's very own children, adopted into his family-calling him "Father, dear Father."
Rom 8:16 For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God's children.
Rom 8:17 And since we are his children, we will share his treasures-for everything God gives to his Son, Christ, is ours, too. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.
Rom 8:18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later.
Rom 8:19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.
Rom 8:20 Against its will, everything on earth was subjected to God's curse.
Rom 8:21 All creation anticipates the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay.
Rom 8:22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
Rom 8:23 And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
Rom 8:24 Now that we are saved, we eagerly look forward to this freedom. For if you already have something, you don't need to hope for it.
Rom 8:25 But if we look forward to something we don't have yet, we must wait patiently and confidently.
Rom 8:26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don't even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.
Rom 8:27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will.
Rom 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Rom 8:29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters.
Rom 8:30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And he gave them right standing with himself, and he promised them his glory.
Rom 8:31 What can we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?
Rom 8:32 Since God did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't God, who gave us Christ, also give us everything else?
Rom 8:33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? Will God? No! He is the one who has given us right standing with himself.
Rom 8:34 Who then will condemn us? Will Christ Jesus? No, for he is the one who died for us and was raised to life for us and is sitting at the place of highest honor next to God, pleading for us.
Rom 8:35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death?
Rom 8:36 (Even the Scriptures say, "For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.")
Rom 8:37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
Rom 8:38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away.
Rom 8:39 Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8897
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Posted:
Mon Oct 13, 2008 4:21 pm |
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Romans 9
Rom 9:1 In the presence of Christ, I speak with utter truthfulness-I do not lie-and my conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm that what I am saying is true.
Rom 9:2 My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief
Rom 9:3 for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed-cut off from Christ!-if that would save them.
Rom 9:4 They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God's special children. God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave his law to them. They have the privilege of worshiping him and receiving his wonderful promises.
Rom 9:5 Their ancestors were great people of God, and Christ himself was a Jew as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.
Rom 9:6 Well then, has God failed to fulfill his promise to the Jews? No, for not everyone born into a Jewish family is truly a Jew!
Rom 9:7 Just the fact that they are descendants of Abraham doesn't make them truly Abraham's children. For the Scriptures say, "Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted," though Abraham had other children, too.
Rom 9:8 This means that Abraham's physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. It is the children of the promise who are considered to be Abraham's children.
Rom 9:9 For God had promised, "Next year I will return, and Sarah will have a son."
Rom 9:10 This son was our ancestor Isaac. When he grew up, he married Rebekah, who gave birth to twins.
Rom 9:11 But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God. (This message proves that God chooses according to his own plan,
Rom 9:12 not according to our good or bad works.) She was told, "The descendants of your older son will serve the descendants of your younger son."
Rom 9:13 In the words of the Scriptures, "I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau."
Rom 9:14 What can we say? Was God being unfair? Of course not!
Rom 9:15 For God said to Moses, "I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose."
Rom 9:16 So receiving God's promise is not up to us. We can't get it by choosing it or working hard for it. God will show mercy to anyone he chooses.
Rom 9:17 For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, "I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you, and so that my fame might spread throughout the earth."
Rom 9:18 So you see, God shows mercy to some just because he wants to, and he chooses to make some people refuse to listen.
Rom 9:19 Well then, you might say, "Why does God blame people for not listening? Haven't they simply done what he made them do?"
Rom 9:20 No, don't say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to criticize God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who made it, "Why have you made me like this?"
Rom 9:21 When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn't he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into?
Rom 9:22 God has every right to exercise his judgment and his power, but he also has the right to be very patient with those who are the objects of his judgment and are fit only for destruction.
Rom 9:23 He also has the right to pour out the riches of his glory upon those he prepared to be the objects of his mercy-
Rom 9:24 even upon us, whom he selected, both from the Jews and
from the Gentiles.
Rom 9:25 Concerning the Gentiles, God says in the prophecy of Hosea, "Those who were not my people, I will now call my people. And I will love those whom I did not love before."
Rom 9:26 And, "Once they were told, `You are not my people.' But now he will say, `You are children of the living God.' "
Rom 9:27 Concerning Israel, Isaiah the prophet cried out, "Though the people of Israel are as numerous as the sand on the seashore, only a small number will be saved.
Rom 9:28 For the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth quickly and with finality."
Rom 9:29 And Isaiah said in another place, "If the Lord Almighty had not spared a few of us, we would have been wiped out as completely as Sodom and Gomorrah."
Rom 9:30 Well then, what shall we say about these things? Just this: The Gentiles have been made right with God by faith, even though they were not seeking him.
Rom 9:31 But the Jews, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded.
Rom 9:32 Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law and being good instead of by depending on faith. They stumbled over the great rock in their path.
Rom 9:33 God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said, "I am placing a stone in Jerusalem that causes people to stumble, and a rock that makes them fall. But anyone who believes in him will not be disappointed."
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8897
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Posted:
Tue Oct 14, 2008 11:26 am |
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Romans 10
Rom 10:1 Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is that the Jewish people might be saved.
Rom 10:2 I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal.
Rom 10:3 For they don't understand God's way of making people right with himself. Instead, they are clinging to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. They won't go along with God's way.
Rom 10:4 For Christ has accomplished the whole purpose of the law. All who believe in him are made right with God.
Rom 10:5 For Moses wrote that the law's way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands.
Rom 10:6 But the way of getting right with God through faith says, "You don't need to go to heaven" (to find Christ and bring him down to help you).
Rom 10:7 And it says, "You don't need to go to the place of the dead" (to bring Christ back to life again).
Rom 10:8 Salvation that comes from trusting Christ-which is the message we preach-is already within easy reach. In fact, the Scriptures say, "The message is close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart."
Rom 10:9 For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Rom 10:10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.
Rom 10:11 As the Scriptures tell us, "Anyone who believes in him will not be disappointed."
Rom 10:12 Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They all have the same Lord, who generously gives his riches to all who ask for them.
Rom 10:13 For "Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
Rom 10:14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?
Rom 10:15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
Rom 10:16 But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, "Lord, who has believed our message?"
Rom 10:17 Yet faith comes from listening to this message of good news-the Good News about Christ.
Rom 10:18 But what about the Jews? Have they actually heard the message? Yes, they have: "The message of God's creation has gone out to everyone, and its words to all the world."
Rom 10:19 But did the people of Israel really understand? Yes, they did, for even in the time of Moses, God had said, "I will rouse your jealousy by blessing other nations. I will make you angry by blessing the foolish Gentiles."
Rom 10:20 And later Isaiah spoke boldly for God: "I was found by people who were not looking for me. I showed myself to those who were not asking for me."
Rom 10:21 But regarding Israel, God said, "All day long I opened my arms to them, but they kept disobeying me and arguing with me."
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8897
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Posted:
Wed Oct 15, 2008 7:03 am |
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Romans 11
Rom 11:1 I ask, then, has God rejected his people, the Jews? Of course not! Remember that I myself am a Jew, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
Rom 11:2 No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you remember what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said,
Rom 11:3 "Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I alone am left, and now they are trying to kill me, too."
Rom 11:4 And do you remember God's reply? He said, "You are not the only one left. I have seven thousand others who have never bowed down to Baal!"
Rom 11:5 It is the same today, for not all the Jews have turned away from God. A few are being saved as a result of God's kindness in choosing them.
Rom 11:6 And if they are saved by God's kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God's wonderful kindness would not be what it really is-free and undeserved.
Rom 11:7 So this is the situation: Most of the Jews have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have-the ones God has chosen-but the rest were made unresponsive.
Rom 11:8 As the Scriptures say, "God has put them into a deep sleep. To this very day he has shut their eyes so they do not see, and closed their ears so they do not hear."
Rom 11:9 David spoke of this same thing when he said, "Let their bountiful table become a snare, a trap that makes them think all is well. Let their blessings cause them to stumble.
Rom 11:10 Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see, and let their backs grow weaker and weaker."
Rom 11:11 Did God's people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of
course not! His purpose was to make his salvation available to the Gentiles, and then the Jews would be jealous and want it for themselves.
Rom 11:12 Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the Jews turned down God's offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when the Jews finally accept it.
Rom 11:13 I am saying all of this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I lay great stress on this,
Rom 11:14 for I want to find a way to make the Jews want what you Gentiles have, and in that way I might save some of them.
Rom 11:15 For since the Jews' rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, how much more wonderful their acceptance will be. It will be life for those who were dead!
Rom 11:16 And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their children will also be holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.
Rom 11:17 But some of these branches from Abraham's tree, some of the Jews, have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, were grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in God's rich nourishment of his special olive tree.
Rom 11:18 But you must be careful not to brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. Remember, you are just a branch, not the root.
Rom 11:19 "Well," you may say, "those branches were broken off to make room for me."
Rom 11:20 Yes, but remember-those branches, the Jews, were broken off because they didn't believe God, and you are there because you do believe. Don't think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen.
Rom 11:21 For if God did not spare the branches he put there in the first place, he won't spare you either.
Rom 11:22 Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe to those who disobeyed, but kind to you as you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off.
Rom 11:23 And if the Jews turn from their unbelief, God will graft them back into the tree again. He has the power to do it.
Rom 11:24 For if God was willing to take you who were, by nature, branches from a wild olive tree and graft you into his own good tree-a very unusual thing to do-he will be far more eager to graft the Jews back into the tree where they belong.
Rom 11:25 I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud and start bragging. Some of the Jews have hard hearts, but this will last only until the complete number of Gentiles comes to Christ.
Rom 11:26 And so all Israel will be saved. Do you remember what the prophets said about this? "A Deliverer will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel from all ungodliness.
Rom 11:27 And then I will keep my covenant with them and take away their sins."
Rom 11:28 Many of the Jews are now enemies of the Good News. But this has been to your benefit, for God has given his gifts to you Gentiles. Yet the Jews are still his chosen people because of his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Rom 11:29 For God's gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.
Rom 11:30 Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the Jews refused his mercy, God was merciful to you instead.
Rom 11:31 And now, in the same way, the Jews are the rebels, and God's mercy has come to you. But someday they, too, will share in God's mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God has imprisoned all people in their own disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.
Rom 11:33 Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods!
Rom 11:34 For who can know what the Lord is thinking? Who knows enough to be his counselor?
Rom 11:35 And who could ever give him so much that he would have to pay it back?
Rom 11:36 For everything comes from him; everything exists by his power and is intended for his glory. To him be glory evermore. Amen.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8897
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Posted:
Thu Oct 16, 2008 7:43 am |
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Romans 12
Rom 12:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice-the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?
Rom 12:2 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.
Rom 12:3 As God's messenger, I give each of you this warning: Be honest in your estimate of yourselves, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you.
Rom 12:4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function,
Rom 12:5 so it is with Christ's body. We are all parts of his one body, and each of us has different work to do. And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others.
Rom 12:6 God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you.
Rom 12:7 If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching.
Rom 12:8 If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
Rom 12:9 Don't just pretend that you love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good.
Rom 12:10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
Rom 12:11 Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically.
Rom 12:12 Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful.
Rom 12:13 When God's children are in need, be the one to help them out. And get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner or, if they need lodging, for the night.
Rom 12:14 If people persecute you because you are a Christian, don't curse them; pray that God will bless them.
Rom 12:15 When others are happy, be happy with them. If they are sad, share their sorrow.
Rom 12:16 Live in harmony with each other. Don't try to act important, but enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all!
Rom 12:17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.
Rom 12:18 Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible.
Rom 12:19 Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God. For it is written, "I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it," says the Lord.
Rom 12:20 Instead, do what the Scriptures say: "If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink, and they will be ashamed of what they have done to you."
Rom 12:21 Don't let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8897
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Fri Oct 17, 2008 6:59 am |
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Romans 13
Rom 13:1 Obey the government, for God is the one who put it there. All governments have been placed in power by God.
Rom 13:2 So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow.
Rom 13:3 For the authorities do not frighten people who are doing right, but they frighten those who do wrong. So do what they say, and you will get along well.
Rom 13:4 The authorities are sent by God to help you. But if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid, for you will be punished. The authorities are established by God for that very purpose, to punish those who do wrong.
Rom 13:5 So you must obey the government for two reasons: to keep from being punished and to keep a clear conscience.
Rom 13:6 Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid so they can keep on doing the work God intended them to do.
Rom 13:7 Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and import duties, and give respect and honor to all to whom it is due.
Rom 13:8 Pay all your debts, except the debt of love for others. You can never finish paying that! If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill all the requirements of God's law.
Rom 13:9 For the commandments against adultery and murder and stealing and coveting-and any other commandment-are all summed up in this one commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
Rom 13:10 Love does no wrong to anyone, so love satisfies all of God's requirements.
Rom 13:11 Another reason for right living is that you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for the coming of our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
Rom 13:12 The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So don't live in darkness. Get rid of your evil deeds. Shed them like dirty clothes. Clothe yourselves with the armor of right living, as those who live in the light.
Rom 13:13 We should be decent and true in everything we do, so that everyone can approve of our behavior. Don't participate in wild parties and getting drunk, or in adultery and immoral living, or in fighting and jealousy.
Rom 13:14 But let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you, and don't think of ways to indulge your evil desires.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8897
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Mon Oct 20, 2008 10:45 am |
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Romans 14
Rom 14:1 Accept Christians who are weak in faith, and don't argue with them about what they think is right or wrong.
Rom 14:2 For instance, one person believes it is all right to eat anything. But another believer who has a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables.
Rom 14:3 Those who think it is all right to eat anything must not look down on those who won't. And those who won't eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them.
Rom 14:4 Who are you to condemn God's servants? They are responsible to the Lord, so let him tell them whether they are right or wrong. The Lord's power will help them do as they should.
Rom 14:5 In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. Each person should have a personal conviction about this matter.
Rom 14:6 Those who have a special day for worshiping the Lord are trying to honor him. Those who eat all kinds of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who won't eat everything also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God.
Rom 14:7 For we are not our own masters when we live or when we die.
Rom 14:8 While we live, we live to please the Lord. And when we die, we go to be with the Lord. So in life and in death, we belong to the Lord.
Rom 14:9 Christ died and rose again for this very purpose, so that he might be Lord of those who are alive and of those who have died.
Rom 14:10 So why do you condemn another Christian? Why do you look down on another Christian? Remember, each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat of God.
Rom 14:11 For the Scriptures say, " `As surely as I live,' says the Lord, `every knee will bow to me and every tongue will confess allegiance to God.' "
Rom 14:12 Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God.
Rom 14:13 So don't condemn each other anymore. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not put an obstacle in another Christian's path.
Rom 14:14 I know and am perfectly sure on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong.
Rom 14:15 And if another Christian is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don't let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died.
Rom 14:16 Then you will not be condemned for doing something you know is all right.
Rom 14:17 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Rom 14:18 If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God. And other people will approve of you, too.
Rom 14:19 So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.
Rom 14:20 Don't tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, there is nothing wrong with these things in themselves. But it is wrong to eat anything if it makes another person stumble.
Rom 14:21 Don't eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another Christian to stumble.
Rom 14:22 You may have the faith to believe that there is nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who do not condemn themselves by doing something they know is all right.
Rom 14:23 But if people have doubts about whether they should eat something, they shouldn't eat it. They would be condemned for not acting in faith before God. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8897
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| Need2Know
Posted:
Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:05 am |
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Romans 15
Rom 15:1 We may know that these things make no difference, but we cannot just go ahead and do them to please ourselves. We must be considerate of the doubts and fears of those who think these things are wrong.
Rom 15:2 We should please others. If we do what helps them, we will build them up in the Lord.
Rom 15:3 For even Christ didn't please himself. As the Scriptures say, "Those who insult you are also insulting me."
Rom 15:4 Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. They give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God's promises.
Rom 15:5 May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other--each with the attitude of Christ Jesus toward the other.
Rom 15:6 Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Rom 15:7 So accept each other just as Christ has accepted you; then God will be glorified.
Rom 15:8 Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors.
Rom 15:9 And he came so the Gentiles might also give glory to God for his mercies to them. That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote: "I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing praises to your name."
Rom 15:10 And in another place it is written, "Rejoice, O you Gentiles, along with his people, the Jews."
Rom 15:11 And yet again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; praise him, all you people of the earth."
Rom 15:12 And the prophet Isaiah said, "The heir to David's throne will come, and he will rule over the Gentiles. They will place their hopes on him."
Rom 15:13 So I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Rom 15:14 I am fully convinced, dear brothers and sisters, that you are full of goodness. You know these things so well that you are able to teach others all about them.
Rom 15:15 Even so, I have been bold enough to emphasize some of these points, knowing that all you need is this reminder from me. For I am, by God's grace,
Rom 15:16 a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News and offer you up as a fragrant sacrifice to God so that you might be pure and pleasing to him by the Holy Spirit.
Rom 15:17 So it is right for me to be enthusiastic about all Christ Jesus has done through me in my service to God.
Rom 15:18 I dare not boast of anything else. I have brought the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I lived before them.
Rom 15:19 I have won them over by the miracles done through me as signs from God--all by the power of God's Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ all the way from Jerusalem clear over into Illyricum.
Rom 15:20 My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else.
Rom 15:21 I have been following the plan spoken of in the Scriptures, where it says, "Those who have never been told about him will see, and those who have never heard of him will understand."
Rom 15:22 In fact, my visit to you has been delayed so long because I have been preaching in these places.
Rom 15:23 But now I have finished my work in these regions, and after all these long years of waiting, I am eager to visit you.
Rom 15:24 I am planning to go to Spain, and when I do, I will stop off in Rome. And after I have enjoyed your fellowship for a little while, you can send me on my way again.
Rom 15:25 But before I come, I must go down to Jerusalem to take a gift to the Christians there.
Rom 15:26 For you see, the believers in Greece have eagerly taken up an offering for the Christians in Jerusalem, who are going through such hard times.
Rom 15:27 They were very glad to do this because they feel they owe a real debt to them. Since the Gentiles received the wonderful spiritual blessings of the Good News from the Jewish Christians, they feel the least they can do in return is help them financially.
Rom 15:28 As soon as I have delivered this money and completed this good deed of theirs, I will come to see you on my way to Spain.
Rom 15:29 And I am sure that when I come, Christ will give me a great blessing for you.
Rom 15:30 Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit.
Rom 15:31 Pray that I will be rescued from those in Judea who refuse to obey God. Pray also that the Christians there will be willing to accept the donation I am bringing them.
Rom 15:32 Then, by the will of God, I will be able to come to you with a happy heart, and we will be an encouragement to each other.
Rom 15:33 And now may God, who gives us his peace, be with you all. Amen.
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N2K
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 8897
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