Romans 5

Nikke's thoughts

5:6-11
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Ok lets break this down a bit. This is some really good stuff.

Jesus died for us (the ungodly, sinners)

I think a good point is made here. How often does one give up his own life for a good person? Jesus gave up his own life for SINNERS! WOW!

Before Jesus died on the cross for our sins we were required to make altar sacrifices. When Jesus died He was the ultimate sacrifice because He was sinless and pure.

His blood that was shed justified all sin! Past, present and future. No more altar sacrifices.

And in this God showed His love for us as Jesus was His son. God allowed His own son to die on that cross for us!

Is it just me or do you feel loved and special too?

Now we were justified by Jesus dying for us. Jesus rose again and is alive! He is alive through the Holy Spirit that dwells with in us when we ask Jesus into our hearts. The Holy Spirit gives us power to do amazing things to bring glory to the Lord.

Holy guacamole God is so amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!

Romans 1-4

Nikke's thoughts

WOW! So Romans is just hard core. I have read it before but never really realized how straight forward this book really is.

A lot stood out to me.

1:20
For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

I can remember before I was a Christian looking out at the mountain or seeing a sunrise or sunset and thinking to myself all of this could not have just appeared from nowhere. There had to of been an artist that created all of this.

I think that the verse 1:20 is pretty much referring to that and a little more too.
Just think. God created the heavens and the earth. EVERYTHING in it!
He left His autograph or signature if you will on his marvelous creations.
So we could recognize that. How could anyone not?

Kind of like a famous artist.
Monet for example has his way of paining as Van Gough as well.
You can differentiate their work because their signatures are different.






OK now onto some of the more hard core stuff.
1:18-32


God gave the wicked over to their sinful ways because they were not glorifying Him but rather turning away becoming futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Know that these are people who knew the truth as God had made it obvious to them but they still decided to live in their sin.


Now I know this is a sensitive subject for a lot of people. Please know that I come from a background where I was raised that homosexuality was ok and I myself at one point in my life thought this was a lifestyle that I should lead.
If it weren't for compassionate and loving Christians in my life that stood firm in their faith and prayed for me regularly and loved me I may not have turned my life over to the Lord.

1:26-27
Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

It goes on to say in verse 1:32

Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.



I think there is a difference in presenting the truth and judging someone.
I think this chapter shows where God's heart is on this matter and many other matters as this chapter touches on more than just homosexuality.

I think it is important to love those who are distant from the Lord and caught up in such things as homosexuality.
For myself, I have friends who have chosen this path and I still love them with all my heart. They know that I do not believe this is a Godly path but have chosen to love them regardless.
It is not my position to judge. That position is God's. However, I really and truly think this chapter does show God's heart.
I believe we must stand firm in our beliefs as Christians on this matter but still show compassion to those who are homosexual.

It breaks my heart when I hear stories of people being so judgmental throwing bibles and telling someone they are going to hell because of their sin.

We are in no place to be anything but loving.

Acts 10-17

Nikke's thoughts

As I was reading about Peter's miraculous escape from prison in Acts 12:1-19
I thought of a book I once read called "God's Smuggler"

So Peter was put into prison by King Herod. While in prison an angel of the Lord appeared to him and ushered Peter out of the prison. The angel lead him right out passed the guards and all the other prisoners and out onto the streets!
How awesome is that?!

So the book I was thinking back on called "God's smuggler" is about this guy who would smuggle bibles across country lines to people. He would do this in places where you were put to death if you even had a bible.
Well there is a part where his trunk is loaded with a bunch of bible that in no way could be hidden and he was stopped by "police" to have his vehicle searched. He prepared himself for the worst and prayed to God for some kind of miracle and when they searched his car and his trunk they did not see a single bible and let him go on his way. Pretty tight eh?!
And of course the bibles were there when he delivered them =D

God is so rad!


Acts 17: 24-28
"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring."


I just love these verses. God is everywhere! He is not limited or in a box. He doesn't need us but He wants us. He knows and has known you and me from the very beginning of time. God is always near and longs for us to reach out to Him for a relationship. If it weren't for God we wouldn't "be."
He is our creator, our marvelous creator!