ROME
Today’s Reading: Romans 1-2
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion on the right-hand side).
The Roman Colosseum is the embodiment of both the grandeur and cruelty of the great Roman Empire. Capable of seating 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum hosted spectacular games that included gladiator exhibitions, fights between animals, prisoner executions and, strangely enough, naval battles. Untold thousands of humans and animals met their deaths within this popular attraction of ancient Rome.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: Romans 1:7
To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints…
Today’s reading is a huge jump from Moses to Paul, Deuteronomy to Romans! The statistics prove that this two-year journey through the Bible, back and forth between the Old Testament and the New, is the most successful in actually completing a thorough reading…an excellent goal for 2015-2016!!! Please enlist your friends!!! Set a time to call a friend daily and compare notes. This can be the greatest Christian growth period ever!!!
Note the word “ALL” in the key verse…could it be that this would even include the Emperor? It would be almost 300 years yet before Emperor Constantine claimed himself to be a believer in Jesus. There was a great deal of work to do in the meantime. The Apostle Paul, writer of the book of Romans, begins here with the Jewish people who lived in Rome. It is believed that Paul wrote to the Romans in 56 A.D. from Corinth during his third missionary journey. It is not his first letter to the churches, but it is placed first because of its length and its vital importance to the understanding of salvation. Millions of people have followed “The Roman Road” to a personal faith in Jesus. The mileposts on the road are: (1) Romans 3:23 – “All have sinned.” Confess that we are sinners in need of the Saviour. (2) Romans 6:23 – “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Receive God’s gift by confessing that we have received Jesus into our lives. (3) Romans 10:9-10 – Believe that God raised Jesus from the dead, and tell someone that we have received Him, believed in Him, and that we now believe we have eternal life in Him.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord Jesus, I am walking “The Roman Road” again today. I confess before You my faith in You, and I commit to You that when others rise from sleep, I’ll seek an opportunity to confess You with my mouth. Keep me daily, I pray, in the centre of Your will and purpose for me as a believer. Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
It is believed that for a person in a coma, hearing is the last sense to go. The person cannot confess with their mouth, and I’ve told several in a comatose state to think their confession. I’ve seen eye movement that I think may indicate they’ve done it. As well, I’ve sought to minister to stroke victims who can’t speak, and they’ve confessed by nodding their heads in answer to a direct yes or no question. Some totally deaf people may not be able to speak a clear confession with their mouths, but have no doubt about it, their expressions of joy and their body language tell the story of their faith. For me, the moment I confessed Jesus with my mouth, I knew I was right with God. Just to confirm that faith, the next day after I went forward at an evangelist’s call (it was a Saturday), this 16-year-old went to the creek behind the house where I was living, and over and over as I walked along, I repeated John 6:37: “You said, Lord Jesus, that if I come to You, You would receive me. You cannot lie! I’ve come to You. I believe in You. I know that You have received me.” By repeating that several times, it finally got through to my mind, my spirit, my heart and my soul. I’ve never doubted my eternal salvation since that time 62 years ago. Hallelujah!
Yours for all who are in Rome (our key verse) and for all who are in Florida (where I am right now), and for all who are in the places where this blog is being read (where you are),
David
P.S. This is a blog for busy people, but Romans is such a powerful teaching book that if time permits, I suggest reading each chapter twice rather slowly so as to let the message saturate our entire beings!!!
Thank you David to always arise early to prepare our fresh daily bread Praise God for the Roman road that leads us to Salvation we Praise You Lord Jesus for making a way to be bought back through Your precious blood shed on Calvary Amen
Oh, that You have received the saints, Lord–amen! Oh, that we are saved and have been fed the bread of life by the Word; have been cleansed by the blood of the lamb; and rekindled by the Spirit of Christ, which lives and breathes through us! For we are nothing without You, and everything with You! To all the praise and glory, be Yours–amen, amen, and amen!!
Amen!
and Amen!
Great study today Rev. What joy that you came to Jesus at such a young age. If only everyone’s son would model his life after Jesus.
Am reading an informative book, about how Rome fell, by Adrian Goldsworthy.
Blessings.
David thank you again for all the daily fresh bread you put on this blog
I know I have been on our blog for two years now I never read the scriptures
over again more than once . I heard of people who have, but I didn’t
know why until just lately . I am beginning and want to learn more
Lianne
Pastor David, I look forward to reading the Word with you everyday for the second time around. I appreciate yours teaching and also all the Blog comments. Glad you are in Florida it is extremely cold here today in Ontario.
thanks David for all your good words, they are so easy to read and understand…PTL for all your time that you spend just for us…………..I am glad I am not in Calgary today it is cold and a wind blowing, but like you I am in the south,…..in Yuma, AZ. Bless you and Norma-Jean in Florida…..
Have read Romans 1-2 almost phrase by phrase and mediated on it this morning before I read your advice David as it is so deep. It is bitter cold here in the Maritimes too. Blessings!
Dear David,
Thank-you for your great sensitivity to the human condition…I am now 58 years old and I suffered a stroke when I was 50. It took me almost 3 years before I could speak fluently and by fluent I mean 3-4 words at a time. As a Christian, I remember spending the first 3 years of my stroke, trying to be a prayer warrior.
I could not communicate all that well, but I knew I could talk to Jesus, if only in my mind and heart!! Jesus opens doors at a time when life seems so far away….He communicates with us in amazing ways…I am so glad that you shared about those individuals who suffered such terrible illnesses. By trying to communicate with them, you opened up the door of ‘hope’ that often silently closes on these wonderful people. Thank-you again for your great sensitivity…I continue to use your devotion as a daily platform to speak and learn about Jesus!!
Pastor David, The Son shines in my heart this cold cold Orangeville Ont. Day. Oh how I love Jesus, because he first loved me. Thank you Pastor David, for your wonderful personal teachings.
Pastor David …I found it interesting that you say you prayed for those in a coma and noticed the eyes responding. and others who could not speak, etc.
I too have prayed and read scripture for those in a coma…one of them my brother…I went down during my lunch break…my brother passed away that evening.
the other my sister-in-law.
I believe my brother did hear and respond. I prayed in the Spirit beside my sister-in-law…and all of a sudden she spoke say “fire, fire! I don’t know, of course, but wondered whether that was the fire of the Holy Spirit? she passed away that night.
Even before reading your suggestion…I re-read the scriptures, to get just what was being said.
I pondered especially over vs. 14-16 in chapter 2. What I believe is being said in verse 15 is that the law is written on our heart. Our conscience responds to it.
Rom 2:14 For when the gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law unto themselves.
2:15 Who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or excusing them.
2:16 In the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Christ Jesus, according to my gospel.
AMEN AMEN AND AMEN