Saturday, April 7, 2012

07042012

Romans 15

Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

1 Some of us have no problem with these things. So we should be patient with those who are not so strong and have doubts. We should not do what pleases us 2 but do what pleases them and is for their good. We should do whatever helps everyone grow stronger in faith. 3 Even Christ did not live trying to please himself. As the Scriptures say about him, “Those people who insulted you have also insulted me.” [a] 4 Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. Those things were written so that we could have hope. That hope comes from the patience and encouragement that the Scriptures give us. 5 All patience and encouragement come from God. And I pray that God will help you all agree with each other, as Christ Jesus wants. 6 Then you will all be joined together. And all together you will give glory to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Christ accepted you, so you should accept each other. This will bring honor [b] to God. 8 I tell you that Christ became a servant of the Jews to show that God has done what he promised their great ancestors. 9 Christ also did this so that the non-Jewish people could praise God for the mercy he gives to them. The Scriptures say, “So I will give thanks to you among the people of other nations; I will sing praise to your name.”

Paul said that we not to please everyone, but if for the benefit of others, we need to be selfless and don't give excuse when helping others.

10 And the Scriptures say,“You people of other nations should be happy together with God’s people.”

11 The Scriptures also say,“Praise the Lord all you people of other nations; all people should praise the Lord.”

12 And Isaiah says,“Someone will come from Jesse’s family. [c] He will come to rule over the nations, and they will put their hope in him.”

13 I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul Talks About His Work

14 My brothers and sisters, I know without a doubt that you are full of goodness and have all the knowledge you need. So you are certainly able to counsel each other. 15 But I have written to you very openly about some things that I wanted you to remember. I did this because God gave me this special gift: 16 to be a servant of Christ Jesus for those who are not Jews. I serve like a priest whose duty it is to tell God’s Good News. He gave me this work so that you non-Jewish people could be an offering that he will accept—an offering made holy by the Holy Spirit.

17 That is why I feel so good about what I have done for God in my service to Christ Jesus. 18 I will not talk about anything I did myself. I will talk only about what Christ has done with me in leading the non-Jewish people to obey God. They have obeyed him because of what I have said and done. 19 And they obeyed him because of the power of the miraculous signs and wonders that happened—all because of the power of God’s Spirit. I have told people the Good News about Christ in every place from Jerusalem to Illyricum. And so I have finished that part of my work. 20 I always want to tell the Good News in places where people have never heard of Christ. I do this because I don’t want to build on the work that someone else has already started. 21 But as the Scriptures say,

“Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard about him will understand.”

Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome

22 That’s what has kept me so busy and prevented my coming to see you even though I have wanted to come many times.

23 Now I have finished my work in these areas. And for many years I have wanted to visit you. 24 So I will visit you when I go to Spain. Yes, I hope to visit you while I am traveling to Spain, and I will stay and enjoy being with you. Then you can help me continue on my trip.

25 Now I am going to Jerusalem to help God’s people there. 26 Some of them are poor, and the believers in Macedonia and Achaia wanted to help them. So they gathered some money to send them. 27 They were happy to do this. And it was like paying something they owed them, because as non-Jews they have been blessed spiritually by the Jews. So now they should use the material blessings they have to help the Jews. 28 I am going to Jerusalem to make sure the poor get this money that has been given for them.

After I finish that, I will leave for Spain and stop to visit you on the way. 29 And I know that when I visit you, I will bring you Christ’s full blessing.

30 Brothers and sisters, I beg you to help me in my work by praying to God for me. Do this because of our Lord Jesus and the love that the Spirit gives us. 31 Pray that I will be saved from those in Judea who refuse to accept our message. And pray that this help I am bringing to Jerusalem will please God’s people there. 32 Then, if God wants me to, I will come to you. I will come with joy, and together you and I will have a time of rest. 33 The God who gives peace be with you all. Amen.

Paul ask them to pray for him as we know that Prayer can move God's hand. When we pray for each other, we can fight the evil together and unite in Christ. Nothing is impossible in God that what God promise us. We have to know that we get the power from God when we pray in Jesus name.

God, I thank you for loving me and pick me up as a servant of Christ and I love to work for you forever as you plan and help me to know you more by days and keep trusting you will lead me for the rest of my life. Thanks Lord....

Friday, April 6, 2012

06042012

Romans 13

Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

Romans 13

Obey Your Government Rulers

1 All of you must obey the government rulers. Everyone who rules was given the power to rule by God. And all those who rule now were given that power by God. 2 So anyone who is against the government is really against something God has commanded. Those who are against the government bring punishment on themselves. 3 People who do right don’t have to fear the rulers. But those who do wrong must fear them. Do you want to be free from fearing them? Then do only what is right, and they will praise you.

4 Rulers are God’s servants to help you. But if you do wrong, you have reason to be afraid. They have the power to punish, and they will use it. They are God’s servants to punish those who do wrong. 5 So you must obey the government, not just because you might be punished, but because you know it is the right thing to do.

I admit that I always not obey the rules but that day when I heard from bro Jun Jun when he get a saman when back from GenXtra, he share that, God tell him, if you can't obey the rules and regulation that you know and the person you can see, how you gonna obey the one you can't see? God, please help me to obey you with all my heart.

6 And this is why you pay taxes too. Those rulers are working for God, and they give all their time to the work of ruling. 7 Give everyone what you owe them. If you owe them any kind of tax, then pay it. Show respect to those you should respect. And show honor to those you should honor.

God want us to respect the authority as God loves them too and he want us to respect those we should. and show honor to those we must honor. God please lead me to respect my boss and love her as what you had love me.


Loving Others Is the Only Law

8 You should owe nothing to anyone, except that you will always owe love to each other. The person who loves others has done all that the law commands. 9 The law says, “You must not commit adultery, you must not murder anyone, you must not steal, you must not want what belongs to someone else.” [a] All these commands and all other commands are really only one rule: “Love your neighbor [b] the same as you love yourself.” [c] 10 Love doesn’t hurt others. So loving is the same as obeying all the law.

11 I say this because you know that we live in an important time. Yes, it is now time for you to wake up from your sleep. Our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is almost finished. The day is almost here. So we should stop doing whatever belongs to darkness. We should prepare ourselves to fight evil with the weapons that belong to the light. 13 We should live in a right way, like people who belong to the day. We should not have wild parties or be drunk. We should not be involved in sexual sin or any kind of immoral behavior. We should not cause arguments and trouble or be jealous. 14 But be like the Lord Jesus Christ, so that when people see what you do, they will see Christ. Don’t think about how to satisfy the desires of your sinful self.

We are owing to God. God want us pay back through loving others. Loving obey all the laws. I choose to obey God and I choose to love others. I must remind myself to stop involved in anything that God hates. I need to be a righteous person that please God. Hate what God hates and Love what God loves. God please teach me how to be more like You as I wish I could stop thinking how to satisfy the desires of my sinful self.


Romans 14

Don’t Criticize Others

1 Be willing to accept those who still have doubts about what believers can do. And don’t argue with them about their different ideas. 2 Some people believe they can eat any kind of food, [a] but those who have doubts eat only vegetables. 3 Those who know they can eat any kind of food must not feel that they are better than those who eat only vegetables. And those who eat only vegetables must not decide that those who eat all foods are wrong. God has accepted them. 4 You cannot judge the servants of someone else. Their own master decides if they are doing right or wrong. And the Lord’s servants will be right, because the Lord is able to make them right.

5 Some people might believe that one day is more important than another. And others might believe that every day is the same. Everyone should be sure about their beliefs in their own mind. 6 Those who think one day is more important than other days are doing that for the Lord. And those who eat all kinds of food are doing that for the Lord. Yes, they give thanks to God for that food. And those who refuse to eat some foods do that for the Lord. They also give thanks to God.

sometimes I simply judge that which food is is not clean as we eat we will be sinful too. but it not clearly state that the food had given for the prayer purpose of the other religion is not clean. We should know that what belief in their own mind. as Romans 14:6 if they think that those who eat all kind food are doing for that Lord they give thanks to God. What's wrong with that? God still accepted them, because we can't judge the servant of someone else. God decide if they are doing right or wrong. and Lord's servant will be right, because Lord is able to make them right.

7 We don’t live or die just for ourselves. 8 If we live, we are living for the Lord. And if we die, we are dying for the Lord. So living or dying, we belong to the Lord. 9 That is why Christ died and rose from death to live again—so that he could be Lord over those who have died and those who are living.

10 So why do you judge your brother or sister in Christ? Or why do you think that you are better than they are? We will all stand before God, and he will judge us all. 11 Yes, the Scriptures say,

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,

‘Everyone will bow before me;

everyone will say that I am God.’”

12 So each of us will have to explain to God about the things we do.

Don’t Cause Others to Sin

13 So we should stop judging each other. Let’s decide not to do anything that will cause a problem for a brother or sister or hurt their faith. 14 I know that there is no food that is wrong to eat. The Lord Jesus is the one who convinced me of that. But if someone believes that something is wrong, then it is wrong for that person.

15 If you hurt the faith of your brother or sister because of something you eat, you are not really following the way of love. Don’t destroy anyone’s faith by eating something they think is wrong. Christ died for them. 16 Don’t allow what is good for you to become something they say is evil. 17 In God’s kingdom, what we eat and drink is not important. Here is what is important: a right way of life, peace, and joy—all from the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever serves Christ by living this way is pleasing God, and they will be accepted by others.

19 So let’s try as hard as we can to do what will bring peace. Let’s do whatever will help each other grow stronger in faith. 20 Don’t let the eating of food destroy the work of God. All food is right to eat, but it is wrong for anyone to eat something that hurts the faith of another person. 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else that hurts the faith of your brother or sister.

22 You should keep your beliefs about these things a secret between yourself and God. It is a blessing to be able to do what you think is right without feeling guilty. 23 But anyone who eats something without being sure it is right is doing wrong. That is because they did not believe it was right. And if you do anything that you believe is not right, it is sin.

Thanks God that keeping me faith in you and guide me so that I stop judging each other and let's decide not to do anything that will cause a problem for someone or hurt their faith. I know that's a blessing if I able to do what I think is right without feeling guilty. God please guide me and lead me all the time so that I can be always right under your guidance. Holy spirit I need you give me wisdom to know which I do is please God and which the hates of God I must get aways from. Thanks Lord.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

05042012

Romans 12

Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

Romans 12

Give Your Lives to God

1 So I beg you, brothers and sisters, because of the great mercy God has shown us, offer your lives [a] as a living sacrifice to him—an offering that is only for God and pleasing to him. Considering what he has done, it is only right that you should worship him in this way. 2 Don’t change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but let God change you inside with a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to understand and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.

So God want us to please him not just with our body sacrifice,but important is we willing to obey. God gave us a perfect plan for every child as you and me. He wish that we can be brand new in Christ and obey him and he sacrifice him son to give us a brand new life.

3 God has given me a special gift, and that is why I have something to say to each one of you. Don’t think that you are better than you really are. You must see yourself just as you are. Decide what you are by the faith God has given each of us. 4 Each one of us has one body, and that body has many parts. These parts don’t all do the same thing. 5 In the same way, we are many people, but in Christ we are all one body. We are the parts of that body, and each part belongs to all the others.

Those who thought that we can do everything himself, neither we can't do it.But Christian should have know that we are worthless without God. We can't tag ourselves with what the world gave us the ~prize tag. Paul said that each part of the body get different function but they work together to make things done under control of our mind. We are the same. The believer should work together as a whole under the power of Christ.

6 We all have different gifts. Each gift came because of the grace God gave us. Whoever has the gift of prophecy should use that gift in a way that fits the kind of faith they have. 7 Whoever has the gift of serving should serve. Whoever has the gift of teaching should teach. 8 Whoever has the gift of comforting others should do that. Whoever has the gift of giving to help others should give generously. Whoever has the gift of leading should work hard at it. Whoever has the gift of showing kindness to others should do it gladly.

We should use our gift to build church.

1. know what is the gift and strength from God.

2. understand all of us not getting the same gift from God.

3. know who i am and know which I can done well at.

4. Give all that we have to serve God but not for own satisfaction.

5. Satisfy all we our gift from God to serve.

9 Your love must be real. Hate what is evil. Do only what is good. 10 Love each other in a way that makes you feel close like brothers and sisters. And give each other more honor than you give yourself. 11 As you serve the Lord, work hard and don’t be lazy. Be excited about serving him! 12 Be happy because of the hope you have. Be patient when you have troubles. Pray all the time. 13 Share with God’s people who need help. Look for people who need help and welcome them into your homes.

Love must be real. Hate what is evil. Do only what is Good...

True Love is sacrifice. Think of others, your father your mother and all you love before you think about yourself. Sometimes we please people is for our own benefit, because u wanna have a good relationship with your boss and senior,that you can get benefit from them too. But God want us is to love with our heart not by the outcome we get.

14 Wish only good for those who treat you badly. Ask God to bless them, not curse them. 15 When others are happy, you should be happy with them. And when others are sad, you should be sad too. 16 Live together in peace with each other. Don’t be proud, but be willing to be friends with people who are not important to others. Don’t think of yourself as smarter than everyone else.

17 If someone does you wrong, don’t try to pay them back by hurting them. Try to do what everyone thinks is right. 18Do the best you can to live in peace with everyone. 19 My friends, don’t try to punish anyone who does wrong to you. Wait for God to punish them with his anger. In the Scriptures the Lord says,

“I am the one who punishes;

I will pay people back.”

20 But you should do this:

“If you have enemies who are hungry,

give them something to eat.

If you have enemies who are thirsty,

give them something to drink.

In doing this you will make them feel ashamed. [b]”

21 Don’t let evil defeat you, but defeat evil by doing good.