Know What Time It Is!
Note from Jesus Dear Follower, Wake up. It’s nearly dawn. Put on your clothes. It’s time for living in the daylight. Paul chose powerful images for today’s passage from his letter to the Roman Christians. It’s as if someone is trying to rouse a sleeping friend who can’t quite “come awake” at the beginning of […]
My Disciples Are Good Citizens
Note from Jesus Dear Beloved, You are reading from a letter the apostle Paul wrote to believers in Rome. They lived in the seat of the Roman Empire’s government and power. A period of about two hundred years became known as the Pax Romana. It was relatively peaceful and included the early New Testament times. […]
What Love Looks Like!
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, In the first part of Paul’s letter to the Roman believers, he gave his great explanation of how all people have sinned and fallen short of the Father’s standards for holy character (Romans chapters 1-3). Next, he explained how all people, both Jews and non-Jews, are invited into the Father’s […]
Be a Living and Holy Sacrifice
Note from Jesus Dear Beloved, Paul spent the first two-thirds of his letter to the Roman Christians explaining the principle of salvation by grace through faith. In Romans chapters 9-11, he explained how the Jewish people and the promises of the Father to Abraham fit into that plan for salvation. This explanation was important since […]
So All Can Be Saved!
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, You are saved by grace. You received that grace through faith. There is no room for boasting about being saved. Neither is there any room for belittling Jews who have rejected the message of grace. This rejection by ethnic Jews opened the way for Gentiles to hear the message of […]
All Who Call on My Name
Note from Jesus Dear Follower, Paul was My apostle with a special commission to the Gentiles, but he deeply loved and was deeply concerned about his fellow Israelites who had not come to faith in Me. In Romans chapter 9, Paul powerfully and emotionally said these gut-wrenching words: Now let me speak the truth as […]
Receiving God’s Promises Through Faith
Note from Jesus Dear Child of Grace, Many people in your fallen world accept or reject others based on race. They exclude those who are not of their race. The Christians in Rome, and really all over the world during the time Paul wrote his letter to the Roman Christians, struggled with the issue of […]
Blessed Assurance!
Note from Jesus Dear Child of the Father, All creation waits on tiptoe for the day I return and bring you home to the Father. On that day, you will experience “the total redemption of [y]our bodies that comes when [y]our adoption as children of God is complete.” However, I want you to realize that […]
Animated by the Spirit
Note from Jesus Dear Precious One, Live animated by the power of the Father’s “indwelling presence,” the Holy Spirit within you! Your flesh — “your fallen, corrupt nature” — cannot overcome the power and pull of sin unless you live led by the Spirit. As yesterday’s note emphasized, trying to be righteous by law-keeping awakens […]
Miserable or Relieved?
Note from Jesus Dear Faithful Follower, Today’s verses are different selections from chapter 7 of Paul’s letter to Christians in Rome. In previous parts of the letter, he had written about grace being made available through: My sin-offering on the cross (Romans 3). Your faith in My sacrifice for your sins being credited to you […]