August 27, 2010

Please Read, Chew On, Meditate Over, Think About,
The Apostle Paul’s Summary Statement Of The Good News
Above All Do Not Miss Out On One Word Of This Incredible Passage
Romans 8:28- 39

“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." Romans 8:28 (NLT)

31"What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us."

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 hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:31-39 (NLT)

Pastor’s Blog

Read it , chew on it, meditate on it, think about it, pray it, live it. These are the 4 steps the ancient practice of Bible reading known as Lectio Divina (or “spiritual reading”)

Read: Sound easy? Ours is a culture of convenience and sound bites. Reading is anything but speedy. To truly read the Bible you need to soak yourself in it. Read leisurely and thoughtfully. Get a feel for what you’re reading. As you do so you begin to “get it”, all these sermons, conversations, poems, stories, parables, visions and prayers that comprise the Bible. In time you will see beyond yourself to world far bigger than you know. You see more to the world, to God and to you than you were ever aware. You will have come far when you notice the bible “interpreting you” instead of you being the evaluator of it.

Think, Chew on it: some who visit the grand canyon, stop their cars, get out, look it over and then leave. Others will spend and entire day watching it from their own private spot. These are the people who come back year after year and see a different show. As you read, you will find a particular word phrase or verse which grips your curiosity. Allow yourself to get “stuck” there and to soak in it. This is prayer. It is allowing God to speak. It is allowing the Bible to be a window to God.

Pray: Discuss what you’ve read with God. He wants you to do this. Do not try to be spiritual! Just be you. Go beyond “thank you” “help me be better” to having an actual conversation with God. Over time, if you persist and practice (all relationships require time and practice) you actually get to know God!

Live: God’s word by its very nature makes us more like Christ. We see ourselves as we are. We see God as He is. We learn what our true identity is, who our “real” father is. The amazing thing is that as you spend time with God he becomes alive to you, alive in you. You will find your reading saving you, encouraging you and, yes, directing your life. You’ll even find more and more that is not rocket science. . . . that this, like so much of life, comes down to trust and then simply acting on the direction of the one we trust.

Lectio Divina: Read, think, pray and live