Here are the Blogs in the Josiah Project category.
Friday, 11 May 2012
Why Is the Gospel Foolishness? -- 1 Corinthians 1
Many just don't get the message of the gospel -- it seems lame, old fashioned, too restricting, ...(complain, complain, complain, blah, blah, blah). In today's text, Paul refers to it as "foolishness" but only for those who are "perishing". In other words, the people ...Read More...
Posted on 05/11/2012 1:36 PM by Grant Ray
Thursday, 10 May 2012
A Word of Caution -- Romans 16
The apostle Paul closes out the book of Romans with words of greeting to those that he is familiar with. Many who begin to read this final chapter would be tempted to just skip it, since it looks like it will only be about greeting fellow Christians. But read a bit further and we see a word of ...Read More...
Posted on 05/10/2012 12:02 PM by Grant Ray
Wednesday, 9 May 2012
A Matter of Personal Faith -- Romans 14 and 15
I find it confusing that some things that others believe are okay that they believe them since there is no sin in them, yet we come unglued at the idea that not everyone believes the exact same way! It's as though the different denominations in Christianity say, "It's okay to believe ...Read More...
Posted on 05/09/2012 10:58 AM by Grant Ray
Tuesday, 8 May 2012
Does This Outfit Make Me Look Bright? -- Romans 13
Throughout the Apostle Paul's work, we see his emphasis on what true godly love really is. Tucked in today's text is a summary of this section on loving, "...let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light."
Armor is for the protection of a soldier. ...Read More...
Posted on 05/08/2012 9:01 AM by Grant Ray
Monday, 7 May 2012
Love Is a Many Splendored Thing -- Romans 12
So often we read the first couple of verses in Romans 12 and stop there. But a very powerful passage is from vv9- 21. It is about love in its many forms. Verses 9-13 is about how to love brothers in Christ and live a life of love. Verses 14 through the end of the chapter are ...Read More...
Posted on 05/07/2012 8:43 AM by Grant Ray
Sunday, 6 May 2012
The Fullness of the Gentiles -- Romans 11
If the Jews are God's chosen people (and they are), then how did we Christians get to be children of the Lord as well? Paul explains in today's text: "...so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in." ...Read More...
Posted on 05/06/2012 1:43 PM by Grant Ray
Saturday, 5 May 2012
The End of the Law -- Romans 10
"Christ is the end of the law..." Today's text makes such a startling statement and it is easily misunderstood. The word "end" in this passage more accurately means "fulfillment". Thus, Jesus is the fulfillment of the laws demands. But does the law really "end?"
In ...Read More...
Posted on 05/05/2012 1:16 PM by Grant Ray
Friday, 4 May 2012
In Hot Pursuit -- Romans 9
A pursuit is following after something or someone in order to catch or obtain it. Usually when I think of pursuit, I think of a police chace scene. The police are making an effort to follow, catch up to, and apprehend a criminal. We say they are in "hot pursuit." I also think ...Read More...
Posted on 05/04/2012 10:13 AM by Grant Ray
Thursday, 3 May 2012
No Condemnation! -- Romans 8
"Therefore" can be an incredibly powerful word. It summarizes or directs us to a conclusion based on the words immediately prior to itself. In Romans 7 Paul explains that the redeemed man (the Christian) has the struggle between his spiritual nature and the nature of his body in ...Read More...
Posted on 05/03/2012 9:44 AM by Grant Ray
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
Why Did You Do That? -- Romans 7
As parents, we help our younger children reason their behaviors by feeding them language that they can use to label their own actions and by asking simple questions designed to motivate thinking. Questions like, "What were you thinking about when you did that?" or a more appropriate ...Read More...
Posted on 05/02/2012 9:18 AM by Grant Ray
Tuesday, 1 May 2012
Freed From Sin! -- Romans 6
At the end of Chapter 5 in Romans is a point that is worth drawing out and pondering on for awhile. In verse 20 it says, "The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more..." The law of Moses is not what saves us; it merely ...Read More...
Posted on 05/01/2012 11:38 AM by Grant Ray
Monday, 30 April 2012
Rejoice...in Suffering? -- Romans 5
In today's text, Paul tells us that we need to rejoice in our sufferings. Silly Paul, suffering is bad -- must be one too many stones to the head! But actually, he's right. Suffering isn't a bad thing when we suffer for the right reasons (like our faith). He goes on to ...Read More...
Posted on 04/30/2012 11:53 AM by Grant Ray
Sunday, 29 April 2012
What Does It Mean to Walk in Faith? -- Romans 4
Abraham was an amazing man! I can only hope I get to talk to him face to face one day! In all of Abraham's adult life, he had to respond to God in faith. I'm not sure I could do as well as he did.
We first meet Abraham when he was still known as Abram living in or near Ur in Chaldean ...Read More...
Posted on 04/29/2012 1:54 PM by Grant Ray
Saturday, 28 April 2012
Daddy, Where Does Righteousness Come From? -- Romans 3
Righteousness is apart from the law. How can that be? Because it comes through faith in Christ. What is faith? Hebrews 11.1 tells us that "...faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of that which we do not see."
Everyone sins; in fact v23 of our text tells us ...Read More...
Posted on 04/28/2012 1:33 PM by Grant Ray
Friday, 27 April 2012
Sin Takes; Love Gives -- Romans 2
Remember finger exercise you learned in kindergarten? When you point at someone, when you have one finger pointing at someone else you also have three pointing back at you! When we judge someone, we must be careful that it is the Scripture who brings the judgment and not us. There is no human ...Read More...
Posted on 04/27/2012 1:17 PM by Grant Ray
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
House Arrest in Rome -- Acts 28
Once Paul reached Rome, he preached the gospel, but not to whom you might expect at first. He preached to the Jewish leaders there! It says that he declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the law of Moses and from the prophets. In verse 25-28 of our ...Read More...
Posted on 04/25/2012 12:29 PM by Grant Ray
Tuesday, 24 April 2012
Fair Havens -- Acts 27
The prisoner Paul was taken by boat to see Caesar in the capitol city of Rome. But the time of year they travelled was not good for ships to sail. It was too late in the year because it was after Yom Kippur and the season caused travel by ship to be difficult. They could have put into port ...Read More...
Posted on 04/24/2012 11:54 AM by Grant Ray
Monday, 23 April 2012
Almost Persuaded -- Acts 26
While the Apostle Paul was defending himself before King Agrippa and Festus, he presented his testimony from the time of being a persecutor of Christians to his conversion and finally to the subsequent time as a minister of the gospel, seeking to introduce others to Christ.
Many are familiar ...Read More...
Posted on 04/23/2012 10:42 AM by Grant Ray
Sunday, 22 April 2012
Not a Criminal; Just Irritating! -- Acts 25
Teflon is an amazing invention. I still don't understand why nothing will stick to teflon, but teflon will stick to the inside of a pan though! Personally, I view Christians as needing a fair amount of "spiritual teflon" to weather the storms of persecution.
In today's text, ...Read More...
Posted on 04/22/2012 1:30 PM by Grant Ray
Saturday, 21 April 2012
Proving God's Truth -- Acts 24
I love it when non-biblical sources prove God true. You may think that religion and science are in opposition to one another, but they aren't. The world just wants you to believe they are. You may believe that religion and history don't ever agree, but that also would be a ...Read More...
Posted on 04/21/2012 9:48 AM by Grant Ray
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