Fill The Lamp

“So God create d man in His own image; in the image of God, He create d him; male and female He create d them.”  God image is Spirit!  But listen, in Genesis 2:7 “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” .  So here we have it. Mankind has two ways to go. Live in the “Flesh ” and die in the “Flesh ” or be...

." When you believe in Jesus, not only do you leave the darkness and enter the light; you actually join the family of the light —you become children of the light. Paul said, "Once you were darkness itself, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light" ( Ephesians 5:8 ).  

“These words are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name,” he meant that he was writing to awaken faith in unbelievers and sustain faith in believers — and in that way lead both to eternal life . 

These comrades are spread over several churches in Rome.  In verse 1, Paul shares his appreciation , “I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the Church in Cenchrea” .  3 Give my best to Prisca and Aquila; they are not only my colleagues in my profession of tent making, but more importantly they are my fellow servants of Jesus our Lord . 4 They put their lives on the line to keep m...

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 . 21 I have been following the plan spoken of in the Scriptures, where Isaiah says that those who have never heard the name of Christ before will see and understand

Remember, each of us will stand personally before the Judgment Seat of God . 11 For it is written, “As I live,” says the Lord, “every knee shall bow to me and every tongue confess to God.” 12 Yes, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

So, why does Paul call for love as a way to fulfill the law instead of directing our focus directly to the law? Well, the short answer has to be, because Paul wants Christ to be glorified as our sin-bearer and our righteousness-provider and our love-enabler through faith alone. Therefore, owe no one anything except to love them. And to that conclusion make Christ your everything.

Be all in with your love for people . But Be all in with your hatred of evil. Nothing phony. Nothing half-hearted. Nothing ho-hum about love or hate . Love people zealously. Hate evil zealously.

We do not live as before, wrapping ourselves in the world and its bankrupt values. We live in constant renewal and transformation of our minds.

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever.” We can’t pay him back because he already owns all we have to give him — including all our efforts.

For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable . [ He never withdraws them when once they are given, and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call.]

The burden of Paul in Romans 11 is the salvation of Israel . Not only "some of them," as it says in verse 14, but in the end the whole people . "A partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. vs 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved " 

God's purpose in the trespass of Israel is salvation for the Gentiles. And his purpose for the salvation of the Gentiles is to make Israel jealous , so that she (Israel) awakens to the greatness of Christ and embraces her Messiah. And then Paul adds, the purpose of the salvation of all Israel "their full inclusion" is something even greater. Something glorious follows the full numbe...

"God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew" ( Romans 11:2 ). My friends, God's word has not fallen short . And if you will trust him and bank on his Son Jesus Christ, all the promises of God for living and dying will be yours and will be unquestionable.   

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?   And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?

T hat if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation

"Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" He is our righteousness. He is our victory. He has circumcised our hearts. And he is working our sanctification .

 You see, God’s purpose for the law reaches its climax when the Messiah arrives; now all who trust in Him can have their lives made right with God.  Jesus Christ is the Fulfillment of the Law! 

Isa 28:16 “Look what I am going to do in Zion. I’ll put in place a stone that makes them stumble, a rock that trips them up, but those who trust in it will not be disgraced”   

In his absolute, glorious freedom — “I’ll have mercy on whom I have mercy; I’ll be gracious to whom I’ll be gracious” — he makes known the riches of his glory for the vessels of mercy . That’s verse 23, and that’s the ultimate goal of the universe. Those vessels of mercy are prepared beforehand by God for glory. But in this very moment, the vessels of mercy are everyone and anyone who calls on the...

The matter gave great pain to Abraham—after all, Ishmael was his son. But God spoke to Abraham , “Don’t feel badly about the boy Ishmael or about Hagar your maid servant. Do whatever Sarah tells you. Your descendants will come through Isaac . Regarding your maid’s son, be assured that I’ll also develop a great nation from him—he’s your son, too.”   Genesis 21:12

And when he then says that these “children of God” are “children of promise,” he means that they have their spiritual position not because of their physical connections, but because of God’s effective promise. The promise produced the position.

Listen to the prophet Isaiah 28:16 . Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: “Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a tested stone, A precious cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. The one who believes in it will not be disturbed.

As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”  Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  

God causes “everything” to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them