03/04          Romans 16:19–23

Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.  21 Timothy, my co-worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my fellow Jews. 22 I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23 Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings. Erastus, who is the city’s director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings.

CAREFUL

Careful, evil is prowling about and we are on its menu.  When your heart is sinking turn to Jesus.  Ask Him to pick you up.  Stay in the Word.  Be about the Lord’s work.  Care for others.  Do the next right thing.   

03/03          Romans 16:15-18

Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the Lord’s people who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings. 17 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. 

WISE

Pay attention.  When you see the folks that stir up hate and evil, avoid them.  Jesus said that we are to love one another, not to hurt each other.  

03/02          Romans 16:5-14 

Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord.  9Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.  10 Greet Apelles, whose fidelity to Christ has stood the test. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus. 11 Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew. Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. v12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the other brothers and sisters with them. 

EARLY
The early church had stalwart souls serving the Lord and risking their life as Christians.  They served in the face of death threats and martyrdom.  Today we are called to faithfulness and service.  Please serve well.  

03/01          Romans 16: 1-4 

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae.  2 I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me. 3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. 4They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. 

PEOPLE

People count in the work of the kingdom.  Remember, people count.  

02/28          Romans 15:30 

I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.  31 Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord’s people there, 32 so that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will, and in your company be refreshed.  33 The God of peace be with you all. Amen.

PEACE

When Jesus is the focus of our life we will experience His peace even when we are overrun with chaos.  Jesus is our peace.  

02/27          Romans 15:28-29 

So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this contribution, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. 29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ. 

BLESSING

We are seeking the blessing of Christ in our daily life.  One element of receiving this blessing is to be a blessing.  In our giving of ourselves to others we discover a great reward in the blessing that we get from Jesus.  

02/26          Romans 15:25-27 

Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the Lord’s people there. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord’s people in Jerusalem. 27 They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. 

SHARE
If we have a lot we are called to share with others that have little.  Humility is a learned characteristic and it equips us to share without reservation.  When we share with others we are to do it with a joyous, kind spirit.  Love one another as Jesus has loved you. 

02/25          Romans 15:18-24 

I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done 19 by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God.  So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. 20 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. 21 Rather, as it is written: “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.” 22 This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you.  23 But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to visit you,  24 I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to see you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. 

PAUL

Paul was willing to give his life to proclaim the Gospel.  Can we do any less?

02/24          Romans 15:14-17 

I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. 15 Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. 

TELL

We are called to love one another therefore it is impossible to withhold the Gospel of Jesus Christ from a person.  Love one another and tell them about Jesus. 

02/23          Romans 15:13 

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

CONFIDENT
Jesus says that we are called in Christ to live confident and joyous lives.  He is our peace.  He is our stronghold.  In Jesus we have everything we need for living a Godly life.