Hope Alliance Bethlehem

Spiritual warfare is real. Satan and his demons, what Scripture calls "the world" and our flesh comprise the kingdom in conflict with the victorious kingdom of God where Jesus rules. We are called to be keenly aware of this battle and ready to stand with Jesus.

When Paul tells the Romans to greet each other with a holy kiss, his mind is immediately stirred back to Judas' betrayal of Jesus with a kiss. And so he launches into a short plea to beware those who would lead the church astray. Paul reminds us that we will know them by their message, motivations and methods.

As Paul concludes his letter to the Romans, he demonstrates three distinct qualities of mission - boldness, boasting and big dreams. Paul models a boldness to keep the gospel the center, a right boasting in Jesus and a big dream to go to Spain. Each of us are called to be on mission with God - with boldness, boasting (in Christ) and big dreams for the kingdom.

How should a follower of Jesus handle those "grey areas"? Paul spends a good bit of time pleading for acceptance of one another - different viewpoints and all! Weak and strong, both laying it down for the sake of the forward move of the kingdom of God. This is a natural outcome of a genuine love for each other and a prioritizing of the mission of God.

Sometimes it is so easy to get consumed with life and walk around aimlessly. Paul's urge to us is to wake up! We were meant to live for so much more. And as we understand the world around us, his central call is for us to take up our standing in Jesus.

Authority. Even mentioning the word makes us cringe sometimes! But the call of Paul is to live in submission to the authority over us because God has established it and because it is the natural outflow of our command to love others.

Love is not a performance. It is the natural reaction of a heart overcome by the gospel. Understanding this changes how we approach our call to love God and love others.

Unity is enabled by humility and achieved through shared mission. It is the gospel that can transform us in these realities and create what the church is intended to be - a unified group of diverse people. Humbled by God's love for us and propelled by His love for the world.

God keeps his promises. Promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - and promises to you. How does he do it? It's all about Jesus. It our unbelief that keeps us from realizing the promises of God.

Life is hard. There is not getting around this. But in the midst of a broken world, we are buoyed by the goodness of God. The full glory awaits us, but in the meantime the Spirit is a present help. In all the good purposes of God will advance and those who have received Christ will be seen through to the end.

What is the answer to the ongoing struggle of sin? The answer is certainly not us! But it is the Spirit. All who have trusted in Jesus are indwelt by the Spirit which makes possible our being enlivened by the Spirit and led by the Spirit.

Sin is a continuing problem, so what should we do about it? Paul is careful to remind us not to try to deal with it through the law (religion, moralism). These things only make the situation worse, believe it or not. Sure they are good things, but they are not ultimate. Jesus is ultimate and it is through our union with him that we bear good fruit.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord." Paul's fervent reminder to those who follow Jesus that daily sin brings daily death. More importantly, it is Paul's urgent plea to live into our union with Jesus and experience the abundance of life that is ours now.

Paul's question is an important one - should we just keep living in sin so that God's grace would keep flowing? And his answer is critical - not a chance! Those who have trusted Jesus are dead to sin and may live a new life. So, we are called to recognize Jesus as King and sin as a deposed ruler.

How are we supposed to live in light of Jesus work of salvation for us? Paul centers on one word - hope. Our hope in God is not just for a future someday in heaven, but also for an abundant life now where we are experiencing the blessings of the gospel even in the midst of our broken world.

We all put our faith in something. Paul uses the example of Abraham to tell us that our faith is rightly placed in God, not in religion or in ourselves. God brings forgiveness, religion and morality bring wrath. How do we know we have this kind of faith in God? It causes us to give glory to God in all circumstances and it continues to grow as we use it.

Is God fair? This is a question we all have wrestled with time and time again. Perhaps, however, it is more appropriate to ask if God is kind. Paul reminds us that a fair God would punish us immediately for sin. But God is patient, withholding judgment in kindness so that it might lead us to repentance.

As much as we would rather not admit to it, sin is a universal reality. And it is something that we can't fix - not even with morality or religion. So the reality of sin for us is the fact that we are in need of rescue. And the corresponding reality from God is that Jesus is our rescue.

In our world, everyone is searching for identity. And most allow themselves to be defined by others. The apostle Paul gives us a totally different example. His encounter with Jesus radically changed his identity. In the opening section of Romans, he shows how his status, calling and story have all been given new meaning through Jesus.

When the angel told her she would give birth, Mary was confused. How could a virgin give birth? But the virgin birth of Jesus is so important. It proves he is not from man, demonstrates the power of God and shows how much God loves us. FYI - This audio recording contains a clip from the movie Elf.

As the story of Ruth continues, we see kindness in full display. Kindness of Ruth toward Naomi, kindness of Boaz toward Ruth and ultimately the kindness of God toward all of us. God's kindness is demonstrated in his providence, protection and provision.

As the story continues, Ruth and her daughters-in-law head back to Bethlehem. It is a story of faith, both waning and persevering. And it is a great reminder to us that God receives all who return to him.

As this short story opens, famine strikes the town of Bethlehem and a young family is faced with a difficult situation. Digging a little deeper however unveils the real reason for the famine. And this story helps us understand how we should respond to dry times in our lives as well.

Being humble is not easy. Any yet, the Bible calls us to live with humility toward others. In order to do this, we have to first have a posture of humility toward God.

Following Jesus promises a full life, not necessarily an easy life. Here, Peter reminds us that we shouldn't be surprised when we face trials or persecution. In fact, how we respond to these situations is meant to affirm our faith and direct our gratitude to Christ.